13 



up in manj' cases to 300 pulsations per minute. The 

 heart beat can be easily felt by applying the fingers to 

 the sides of the chest wall. 



The rapidity of respiration is of more importance 

 than the rapidity of the lieart beat, because it can be 

 determined at a distance from the fo-wl. and without 

 anrjoying it and thus quickening this function. The 

 normal breathing rate of the fowl at rest is from 50 to 

 60 respirations per minute. In diseases of the breath- 

 ing organs and obstructions of them by growths or 

 parasites, the respirations become quickened. 



POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS. 



Very often it is not j)0ssible to determine the char- 

 acter of a disease affecting fowls nntil after they are 

 dead, and as many of the poultry diseases are conta 

 gious, it is always advisable to open and examine every 

 fowl that dies in the flock. This may enable the owner 

 to check a contagious disease in its incipiency and avoid 

 great loss. But in any case, it is advisable to know 

 what fowls die from, so that similar occurrences may 

 be recognized and prevented in the future. The ana- 

 tomy of the fowl cannot be described at this time for 

 lack of space, but anyone who is in the habit of opening 

 and cleaning chickens, knows the general appearance 

 of the healthy organs, will usually recognize marked 

 departures from the normal. 



If fowls die from unknown diseases, and particularly 

 if they die in large numbers from disease that seems to 



