98 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. 



be no gapes amongst them. Infusing garlic in the water, and 

 adding it (chopped up) to the food, are also beneficial; and 

 M. Megnin's cure for pheasants consists in dosing each bird 

 with 7 grains of yellow gentian and 7 J grains of assafo3tida. 



Leg Weakness. Highly-fed chickens which grow fast, bred 

 from prize stock, are most subject to this, which simply arises 

 from outgrowing their strength, and must be met accordingly 

 by mineral tonics. Parrish's chemical food, which combines 

 phosphates and iron, will be the best medicine. 



The above affection must not be confounded with cramp 

 from cold and wet, which also makes the birds unable to walk, 

 or even stand. In this case the treatment is warmth, feeding 

 meanwhile on meal mixed with ale, and always given warm ; 

 rubbing the limbs daily with a liniment composed of two parts 

 linseed oil to one of turpentine. Sometimes bathing the feet 

 and flexing them in hottish water is of service, and in chickens 

 quarter-grain doses of opium have sometimes done much good. 

 Under this regimen the bird will soon recover, unless the 

 attack has been long unperceived and neglected. 



Nervous Debility is not uncommon in fowls much exhibited. 

 Many are barbarously over-shown ; but far short of this there 

 may be much suffering, which is manifested without any actual 

 disease, much as in human beings. Perfect quiet at home, 

 with a daily raw egg, and half a tea-spoonful twice daily after 

 meals of Parrish's food and pancreatic emulsion, have marvellous 

 effect if the fowls are not too far gone. 



Pip is no disease, and demands no treatment, being only 

 analogous to a "foul tongue" in human beings. Cure the 

 roup, or bad digestion, or whatever else be the real evil, and 

 the thickening of the tongue will disappear too. 



Roup is caused by wet or very cold winds, if it ever does 

 arise spontaneously ; many think it purely contagious. It is 

 certainly quite distinct from mere catarrh, though the 

 symptoms resemble these to a certain extent. The leading 



