65 DISEASES. 



Spouts. 



These are fissures that form in the eye wattles of barbs 

 and carriers, either naturally, from the skin growing into a 

 fold, or from accident. They never heal of themselves, but 

 must be cut out with sharp scissors, and the wound dressed 

 with healing ointment; the hole soon fills up. The operation 

 is no doubt a painful one, but is compensated for by the 

 after comfort of the bird. 



Vertigo, or the Megrims. 



An affection of the brain, causing the bird to turn its 

 head right round, and making it fall over and flutter about. 

 Although not an uncommon disease, I have, fortunately, never 

 been much troubled with it among my pigeons. I think it 

 incurable, and, acting on that idea, have killed any birds so 

 affected as soon as possible, to get them out of the way. 



Wing Disease. 



This disease is common to every variety of fancy pigeon. 

 It can generally be detected before the bird loses all power 

 of flight, by the one-sided way in which it flies. When so 

 observed, a bird will be found to have a swelling on some 

 of the joints of its wings. An almost certain cure at this 

 stage of the disease is, not only to draw both primary and 

 secondary flight feathers, but to strip the wing itself of 

 all feathers except the small downy ones. The great flow 

 of blood to the new feathers draws off the matter that 

 would form in the swollen joint, and, by the time the wing 

 is refurnished, all signs of the swelling will have disap- 

 peared, and the bird will fly as before. Having succeeded 

 in this way in curing numerous pigeons, I can recommend 

 it as the best thing to do. Formerly, the cure was to leech 

 the swelling, or to wait till matter formed, and then lance 

 it; but not one bird out of a dozen will fly again after 



