POULTRY PATIENTS. 319 



son of the trouble, we protected the birds from dampness 

 by a tight roof, a dense covering of clinging vines served 

 to shut out a direct draught, and we made shelters of 

 boards and tree-tops where the trees were not sufficiently 

 grown to afford shade. 



Since that time we have not had a single case of ''sore- 

 head," and very few, almost .none, even of a slight distem- 

 per ; yet our flock is large, and there has been no other 

 change in their treatment, except, indeed, that they are no 

 longer fed any corn during the summer months. It is 

 heating, and oats do better. 



We still hesitate to make the positive assertion that we 

 have discovered the cause of this hitherto mysterious dis- 

 ease ; but it certainly looks so, and we most earnestly urge 

 upon all interested a patient trial of the same preventives ; 

 then, by the result, it will be demonstrated whether our 

 most fatal Florida chicken disease is, or is not, solely pro- 

 duced by overheating and too sudden cooling of the blood. 



It is w^ell at all times to put in the drinking-fountain a 

 dessertspoonful of Douglass' Mixture to a pint of water, 

 at least twice a week ; oftener, if there be any disease 

 among the chickens. There is no better tonic than this, 

 both as a preventive and an active agent. It is made as 

 follows : 



DOUGLASS' MIXTURE. 



Place one pound of sulphate of iron (copperas) and one 

 ounce of sulphuric acid in a two-gallon jug, fill half full 

 with hot water, let it stand twenty-four hours, and then 

 fill up with water. 



This tonic is invaluable given to young chicks and to 

 moulting adults ; it helps the latter through with an ex- 

 hausting period, and hastens their return to the egg man- 

 pfactory. 



