136 PHEASANTS FOB COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



chickens, and opening the windpipe and extracting the 

 worms whilst the bird is under the influence of chloroform 

 requires surgical skill. 



Knowing the active influence of carbolic acid on the 

 lower forms of animal life, I determined to try the efl'ect of 

 the inhalation of its vapour in the cases of " gapes " that came 

 under my notice. I have operated several times on chickens 

 and turkeys that were sulfering severely from " gapes/' 

 being almost choked by the worms. Each bird was placed 

 in a small deal box, the open top being covered with a cloth. 

 I then took a carbolic acid fumigator, consisting of a small 

 metal saucer, heated by a spirit lamp. On the saucer I 

 placed about a dozen drops of carbolic acid, lit the lamp, 

 and put the apparatus in the interior of the box. Dense 

 white fumes soon filled the box, and, being of necessity 

 respired by the bird, came at once into contact with the 

 worms. The operation was continued in every case until 

 the birds were in some danger of suffocation. They soon, 

 however, recovered on exposure to the air, and on the day 

 following the treatment were running about perfectly free 

 from any symptom of disease. 



No special apparatus is required, as any arrangement 

 which will serve to volatilise a few drops of the acid will 

 answer; the vapour of carbolic acid may be used by putting 

 a hot brick into the box, and pouring a few drops of the 

 acid upon it, or it may be volatilised by putting three or 

 four drops in a spoon, holding the latter over the flame of 

 a lamp, and placing the head of the bird in the cloud of 

 rising vapour. I have had a good deal of experience with 

 birds afflicted with " gapes," but have never found any treat- 

 ment equal to that of fumigation with carbolic acid vapour. 



In very urgent cases, when the disease has so far advanced 

 that immediate suffocation becomes inevitable, the opening 

 of the windpipe, as adopted by Dr. Cobbold, may be advan- 

 tageously had recourse to; or it may be resorted to when 

 other methods have failed. In the most far-gone cases, 



