288 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



a cold water tap for a few minutes. It is just possible that it 

 may recover ; if so, feed sparingly on soft food only for a few 

 days. In over-fed hens death often occurs during the 

 exertion of laying ; if, therefore, a laying hen be found dead 

 upon the nest, let the owner at once examine the remainder, 

 and should they appear in too high condition, reduce theii 

 allowance of food accordingly. 



Bad Moulting. Old fowls sometimes suffer much at this 

 season, especially if the precautions recommended in Chap- 

 ter II. have been overlooked. Give stimulating food, warm, 

 every morning, and well peppered, with meat and ale every 

 day, and keep under cover in wet weather. Add also iron, 

 in the form of " Douglas Mixture," to the drinking water, 

 and give small doses of sulphur as advised in chapter above. 

 The birds, if not sunk too low, will then usually pull 

 through. Fowls should not, however, be kept until old, 

 except in the case of pets or valuable stock birds. 



Bronchitis. This is often shown in a quite mild and 

 chronic form by frequent coughing and sneezing, with little 

 or no discharge, and that from nostrils only and not eyes. 

 Put enough nitric acid (it is less dangerous, as nitric 

 acid is violently corrosive, to ask at a chemist's for B.P. 

 dilute nitric acid) in the water to taste slightly sour, with 

 two teaspoonfuls of glycerine and one of gum arabic to a 

 pint. It will do the rest no harm, and usually stops the 

 cough in a few days. If not, see other remedies under 

 Cold. 



Cold. This is usually shown by discharge from nostrils, 

 and perhaps also from the eyes. There is very often also 

 some watery diarrhoea. Much mischief may often be pre- 

 vented if such symptoms are treated at once, by removing 

 to shelter, and giving to drink a quarter-pint of water con- 

 taining ten drops B.P. tincture of aconite. If the chemist 

 makes difficulty about this under the Poisons Act, get 



