430 Diseases of Fowls, « 



THE GAPES. 



Causes and Symptoms. — This is one of the most fatal 



diseases of cliickens, and which we believe infectious; it is, 

 at all events, epidemic. Unless, perhaps, thus communi- 

 cated by others, it never occurs except there has been foul 

 water, exposure to wet, and want of nourishing food. The 

 disease consists — at least, so far as actual symptoms extend — 

 in a number of small worms which infest the windpipe, and 

 cause the poor chicken to gasp for breath. 



Treatment. — If taken early, it will be sufficient to give, 

 every day, a morsel of cawip/ior, the size of a grain of wheat, 

 and to put camphor in the drinking water ; or a little tur- 

 pentine may be given daily, in meal ; taking care, of course, 

 that the deficiencies in diet and shelter be amended. In 

 fully-developed cases the w^orms must be removed by intro- 

 ducing a loop of horsehair into the windpipe, and turning it 

 round during withdrawal ; the operation to be repeated sev- 

 eral times, till all the worms appear to be extracted. A 

 feather, stripped almost up to the top, may be used instead 

 of the horsehair. Success depends on doing this little oper- 

 ation neatly. It requires two persons. An assistant should 

 take the chicken, holding it in one hand, and placing the 

 other over its back, so as to hold it firm, and then let the 

 oj^erator take a small but firm feather, and strip it from the 

 stem, excepting about an inch and a half from the tip-end, 

 according to the size of the chicken, wetting it a little, except 

 at the extreme point. The operator should then take the 

 head of the chicken, placing his thumb and fore-finger on 

 each side of the bill, in such a manner as to hold the mouth 

 open, the neck being gently but firmly drawn out in a straight 

 line. Then observe the opening back in the tongue, place 

 the feather as near to it as possible, and when the chicken 

 breathes, the windpipe will be open, at which moment intro- 



