DISEASES AND THEIR CURE. 103 



perty, although, of course, I am aware of the 

 ingredients used in the composition, I do not feel at 

 liberty to publish the "formula" for preparing it, 

 but as to its efficacy I can bear the most grateful 

 testimony, and a line to my manager will procure a 

 bottle. 



The modern idea of curing the gapes appears to 

 be the infusion at night into the coops of a strong 

 dose from a more or less complicated machine of 

 various volatile and medicated powders. Of course, 

 like everybody else, we have here gone through a 

 course of these " powders," half a dozen different 

 specimens of which may be selected any Saturday 

 without difficulty from the advertising columns of the 

 Field. I regret to say that some time ago the con- 

 clusion was come to in this quarter that they are all 

 useless, so I will not " raise the hair " of the pro- 

 prietors by dilating upon the various claims they set 

 forth to an anxious public, the sole result of their use 

 being, as far as we can judge, to kill off a certain 

 quantity of the stronger and healthier chicks, whether 

 " gapy " or not, by causing them to jump violently 

 upwards upon the appearance of the cyclone of powder 

 inside the coop, and to smash their heads against the 

 roof, whilst settling many of the weaker ones by the 

 suffocating effect of the fine particles upon their lungs. 

 Add to this the lively effect produced upon the old 

 hen, who, impervious herself to gapes, strongly resists 

 the appearance of the cloud of unwelcome atoms, 



