226 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



Diarrhoea is a very frequent complaint, especially when 

 care is not taken of the quality of the food. A castor-oil cap- 

 sule or a few drops of rhubarb and laudanum mixture will 

 generally check it, if taken in time ; in more severe cases, or 

 which do not yield to the foregoing, regular doses of two to 

 three drops of chlorodyne, according to the usual directions on 

 the bottle, will generally suffice. If blood appearing should 

 show a tendency to dysentery, about the only hope of saving 

 the bird will be doses every four hours of one to three drops 

 of laudanum in a spoonful of arrowroot or gruel. As a last 

 resort, a grain of tannic acid may be added to the laudanum, 

 but is so powerful an astringent as to be dangerous, and should 

 only be risked when all else has failed. 



Diphtheria, see Canker. 



Egg-bound birds will generally yield to treatment. In 

 many cases it is sufficient to introduce an oiled feather into the 

 vent. If this fails, hold the vent for some minutes over the 

 steam from hot water, and then replace quietly in the nest. If 

 this still fails after some hours, a tea-spoonful of warm treacle 

 mixed with finely-minced groundsel will often be found effica- 

 cious. In all cases the cock should be excluded till the difficulty 

 is over, as his solicitude and persecution will only make matters 

 worse. 



Eyes, Inflamed. In some cases a severe cold or other 

 irritation seems to lead to a small white speck on the eye, 

 which increases and ultimately causes loss of sight. Such 

 symptoms, or films, or any severe inflammation may often be 

 successfully combated by dropping into the eye night and 

 morning a drop of solution of atropine, two grains to the 

 ounce ; or, if preferred, tincture of belladonna. A three-grain 

 solution of nitrate of silver is also often useful, but in such 

 it is well to consult a doctor. 



