DISORDERS OP TAME BIRDS. 19 



procure for the bird its most natural food. Some people pull 

 out the feathers from the tail and vent, and then rub these 

 parts with fre&h butter, but this is a very painful and cruel 

 operation. They also mix the yolk of an egg boiled very hard 

 with their food, but I have never found this succeed very well. 

 If there be any hope of curing this disease it is by attacking it 

 at the beginning, before inflammation is violent ; boiled bread 

 and milk, a great deal of lettuce, or any other similar green 

 refreshing food, in general completely cures them. 



In a case of chronic diarrhoaa, which almost reduces the birds 

 to skeletons, Dr. Handel prescribes chalybeate water mixed 

 with a little milk for their drink, which, he says, is an easy 

 and certain cure. 



THE BLOODY FLUX. 



This is a disease with which some parrots are attacked. The 

 best remedy is to make the birds drink a great deal of boiled 

 milk, or even very fat broth ; for their intestines, which are 

 very much irritated, require something soothing to protect 

 them from the acrid discharges, which, at the same time, must 

 be corrected by healing food. Birds in this state generally do 

 nothing but drink, therefore plenty of boiled milk should be 

 given them, as it nourishes them, as well as acts medicinally, 

 but should it appear to turn sour in the stomach it must, at 

 least for some time, be discontinued. 



OBSTRUCTION IN THE RUMP GLAND. 



This gland, which is on the rump, and contains the oil 

 necessary for anointing the feathers, sometimes becomes hard 

 and inflamed, and an abscess forms there. In this case the 

 bird often pierces it itself, or it may be softened by applying 

 fresh butter without any salt ; but it is better to use an oint- 

 ment made of white lead, litharge, wax, and olive oil, which 

 may be had at any good chemist's. The general method is to 

 pierce or cut the hardened gland, in order to let out the 

 matter, but if this operation removes the obstruction it also 

 destroys the gland, and the bird will die in the next moulting, 

 for want of oil to soften the feathers*. 



* This, though the common opinion, Seems incorrect. See Rennie's " HABITS 

 op BIRDS," p. 4 TRANSLATOR. 



c 2 



