75 



\>ly assistance. If it is fouiul that \Uv cloaca is ob- 

 structed, the faecal masses should be removed in the 

 manner described under constipation. If the egj^ is 

 large, or the passage small, the injection of oil or 

 glycerine may enable the hen to expel it. If, however, 

 it cannot be removed in this manner an attempt should 

 be made to expel it by placing the hen upon her back 

 and pressing above the egg through the abdominal 

 walls and in that way forcing it out. If it cannot be 

 removed in this way, the only alternative is to break 

 it and remove tbe shell piece by piece. The fragments 

 of shell should be removed with the finger or a pair of 

 forceps. When the pieces of shell cannot be removed 

 at once, sweet oil should be injected in order to- lu 

 bricate the passages as freely as possible and facilitate 

 the removal of the sharj), broken pieces. 



4. INFLAMMATION OF THE OVIDUCT. 



The oviduct sometimes becomes inflamed as the re- 

 sult of the manipulations necessary to overcome the 

 condition of egg-bo-und, and sometimes it becomes in- 

 llamed from causes that are not understood. When 

 this inflammation exists, the hen makes movements as 

 though she were attempting to lay an egg, is very 

 uneasy, rubs the posterior portion of the body along 

 the ground, and in these ways indicates irritation of 

 that part. Sometimes the first symptoms of beginning 

 infhimmation of the oviduct is the production of eggs 

 with soft shells. This condition has l>een found not 

 5-1 



