132 DISEASKS OF POULTRY. 



of starcli or oil, such for example as corn, may lead to 

 an exaggeration of the functions of the liver charac- 

 terized by the accumulation of a large quantity of bile 

 in the gall bladder, or in the gall ducts of ])irds, like 

 l)igeons. which have no gall bladder. The bile is so 

 abundant that it ])enetrates the adjoining organs by 

 imljibition and colors them for a considerable distance. 

 In some cases tlie l)ile is thick, dry and hard like a 

 piece of black soaj). 



In the.se cases the bile distends the gall l)ladder and 

 the ducts, sometimes because of its abundance, at 

 other times because owing to its thickness it does not 

 flow freely into the intestine^ and in still other cases 

 because the caliber of the duct has been reduced by 

 inflammation. In all of these cases the result is the 

 same — the bile is absorbed by the blood vessels, caus- 

 es jaundice and poisoning, which soon leads to the 

 death of the bird. 



Unfortunatel}', the nature of the disease is only oc- 

 casionally suspected before death. With birds having 

 combs and wattles, or those which have the borders 

 of the eyes or cheeks free from feathers, a close ob- 

 server may detect the yellowish or mahoganj' color of 

 these parts. 



When this sj-mptom is ol)served, or when upon posf- 

 mortcm examination of a ])ird the distention of the 

 biliary reservoirs is made out, and other birds are 

 thought to be similarly affected, Megnin recommends 

 purging with 1-i to 1 grain of aloes, and a com]:)lete 

 change of food giving as great a variety of ingredients 

 as is convenient. 



ATROPHY OR WASTING OP THE LIVER. 



The wasting or shrinkage of the liver, known tech- 

 nically as atroph3^ is generally associated with hard- 



