290 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER, 



unless relieved. Careless feeding after hunger is the usual 

 cause. In most cases persistent and gentle kneading about 

 of the crop with the fingers, occasionally pouring a tea- 

 spoonful of warm water down the throat, and after leaving 

 the bird a couple of hours, repeating the process, will be 

 effectual. If not, there is no remedy but to make a per- 

 pendicular cut rather more than an inch long in the upper 

 part of the crop, remove all the contents with a teaspoon, 

 wash it out thoroughly, and then join each skin separately 

 with three or four horsehair single stitches or ties, making 

 the outer set come between the inner ones, not over them. 

 Feed in small quantities on biscuit-meal for a few days, 

 giving no water for twenty -four hours. There is no danger 

 about the operation, and apparently not much pain. 



Crop Dropsy, Soft Crop, Crop-sick, are all names used 

 to denote a distension of the crop by foul watery fluid, with 

 general ill-health. There is little doubt that profuse 

 drinking is often a cause of this. The crop must be 

 evacuated, holding the bird head downward, twice a day : 

 feeding rather scantily an hour afterwards with biscuit-meal 

 in which grains of wheat are mixed, moistened with brandy 

 and water. In the water should be placed some quassia 

 chips and a little tincture of perchloride of iron. First of 

 all give 30 grains of Epsom salts ; afterwards, twice a day, 

 should be given half the bulk of a hazel-nut of Walton's 

 Tonic Paste mashed up with a little water. In some cases, 

 about three grains iodide of potassium daily seems of marked 

 benefit, but in others we were unable to trace any effect 

 to it. 



Diarrhoea may in mild cases be checked by a diet of 

 rather dry barley-meal, or a few meals of well-boiled rice 

 sprinkled with chalk ; it is well, however, to give also six 

 drops of camphorated spirit thrice daily on a pill of soft 

 food, giving no green food beyond finely-cut grass. If this 



