DISEASES AND THEIR CURE. 101 



to separate for a time, and enabling breath to be 

 drawn with greater freedom, until the knot of worms 

 again closes up, and another gape becomes necessary 

 for relief. Naturally, as the worms increase in size 

 and strength, and the bird becomes weaker and 

 weaker, with less energy or strength to gape, and 

 probably inflammation in its throat superadded, the 

 end soon comes, and the poor victim suffocates. In 

 the case of very young birds, a cure in the advanced 

 stages of the disease I believe to be impossible ; but, 

 after the chicks have attained the age of from five to 

 seven weeks, if then attacked, they have plenty of 

 power to struggle against the malady for some time ; 

 and, if you have not too many birds affected, you can 

 then employ any of the various cures that are recom- 

 mended ; though why anyone should take the trouble 

 to apply turpentine, olive oil, extraction with horse- 

 hair, or spiral springs, and the thousand and one 

 other nostrums put forward by various authorities, I 

 am at a loss to imagine, except when they are pre- 

 vented by circumstances from making use at once of 

 Nature's plain and simple remedy i.e., an immediate 

 change of field. Be that as it may, if you should 

 pull out any worms, be careful to burn them, as also 

 the bodies of any young birds that have succumbed 

 to the disease, or you will be materially assisting 

 Nature in the reproduction of this noxious pest. 



That the eggs of the gape worm may be carried 

 about on earth adhering to earthworms by blackbirds, 



