294 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



withdrawal, which usually brings one or more worms with 

 it ; or fumigation over the fumes of carbolic acid poured on 

 a hot brick, till the chicken is nearly dead, will also kill the 

 worms. It has been discovered that in some mysterious way 

 the disease is frequently connected with a large insect often 

 found on the heads of newly-hatched chickens. These are 

 destroyed by anointing the heads of the chickens while 

 only a day or two old with the following ointment : 

 Mercurial ointment * I oz., lard i oz., powdered sulphur 

 | oz., crude petroleum \ oz. The ointment is to be 

 warmed to semi-fluidity, and in that state gently rubbed in. 

 If the chicks even of a yard previously infested are thus 

 treated, it has been proved over and over again that there 

 will be no gapes amongst them. Infusing garlic in the 

 water, and adding it (chopped up) to the food, are also 

 beneficial ; and M. Megnin's cure for pheasants consists in 

 dosing each bird with 7j grains of yellow gentian and 

 7j grains of assafcetida. Several gape " cures " are also 

 advertised, and are pretty effectual. 



Leg Weakness. Highly-fed chickens which grow fast, 

 bred from prize stock, are most subject to this, which simply 

 arises from outgrowing their strength, and must be met 

 accordingly by mineral tonics. Parrish's chemical fcod^ 

 which combines phosphates and iron, will be the best 

 medicine. 



The above affection must not be confounded with cramp 

 or rheumatism from cold and wet, which also makes the 

 birds unable to walk, or even stand. In this case the treat- 

 ment is warmth, feeding meanwhile on meal mixed with 

 ale, and always given warm ; rubbing the limbs daily with 

 a liniment composed of two parts linseed oil to one ot 

 turpentine. Sometimes bathing the feet and flexing them 



* The mild kind. There are two ointments so known to many druggists. 



