86 

 •2. HUMBLEFOOT. 



The causes that produce cunis will, if of au espe- 

 cially severe type, cause deep and serious bruises of the 

 joints of the feet and legs. These bruises are followed 

 by swellings of the joints, the parts become very ten- 

 der and sore so that it becomes diBicult for the bird to 

 walk. The piincipal joint of the foot may become very 

 much enlarged so that the deformity can be seen from 

 a considerable distance. A close examination will 

 show that the swelling is very painful to pressure and 

 is sometimes feverish and soft. If it does not termin- 

 ate within a short time, germs from the injury may 

 enter the bones or pass to joints further up the leg 

 and lead to swelling, great soreness and sometimes 

 to abscess formation or gangrene. 



The causes of bumblefoot should be avoided and the 

 treatment of the -condition consists in applying flaxseed 

 poultices, by tying a bag of cheesecloth containing the 

 poultice around the foot, or applying an ointment 

 made of cieolin and vaseline (one part to forty). If 

 the swelling becomes soft, so that it is evident that 

 it contains pus it should be opened by making 

 au incision into it with a sliarp knife and its 

 contents should then be syringed out with a solu- 

 tion of creolin and water (one part to fifty). In the 

 more severe cases, accompanied by the formation of 

 large abscesses of grangrene, no treatment can be suc- 

 cessful. Scmi cases of buniTilefo-ot develop to a cer- 

 tain extent and then continue in the same condition 

 for a long time, leaving the fowl wilh ;i rhronic de- 

 formity of the f<-et. Tliese old cases nic best frcntcd 

 by painliiig the enlarged joints willi iddiuc or by ()]m'ii 

 irig file swellings and applying iodine to I heir inleiior 



