CANARIES. 39 



The drinking-water must be turned into a cough-mixture, which may consist of 

 twenty drops of paregoric added to the drinking-cup of water ; or another good mix- 

 ture is made by adding to the drinking-water five drops of muriate of morphia, a 

 teaspoonful of glycerine, and a morsel of gum-arabic. The bowels, if not opened 

 sufficiently by the glycerine, should be kept moderately open by the addition to the 

 water of about as much carbonate of magnesia as will lie on a ten-cent piece. 



Asthma may also be of hereditary form, and, if not attended to when first 

 noticed, will develop into a chronic disorder which is incurable. The symptoms are 

 familiar to any who have had any considerable experience among Canaries : there 

 are the quick, short gasps of the bird at night, most painful to listen to, as well as 

 the puff-ball appearance of the body. The natural causes are sudden draughts, 

 improper food, or overfeeding and indigestion. The food and treatment should be 

 the same as for consumption, care being taken to change the green food every day. 

 In cases of long standing, a few grains of iodide of potassium added to the usual 

 drinking-water is recommended. Tonics which contain iron in any form are also 

 very strengthening, and may be given to the amount of fifteen or twenty drops 

 daily to the drinking-water. 



Loss of Voice. This is a frequent complaint among song Canaries, caused 

 by exposure to cold, or from overstraining the vocal organs by too constant song. 

 A couple of drops of castor-oil should be administered in the beginning : then add 

 ten drops of paregoric, a small teaspoouful of glycerine, and a small piece of rock- 

 candy to the drinking-water. The food should be richer than the usual daily food : 

 in addition to the seed, add a portion of grated hard-boiled egg, dusted with cayenne 

 pepper. When attended to at once, this complaint is easily cured. 



Diarrhcea is caused by giving too much green food, or food which when fed is 

 too wet, or is decayed. Bad drinking-water is another frequent cause, as are also 

 stale or musty seeds. 



Exposure to cold, which results in sending the blood to the internal organs, 

 is another cause. This disease may be detected by the watery state of the 

 excrement : the disease is very weakening in its effect, and, if not attended to, 

 quickly causes the bird's death. The bird should be changed into a clean, dry 

 cage ; or, when this is not to be obtained, let the cage he is in be cleaned thoroughly, 

 frequently changing the gravel, which should be warmed and dried before being 

 strewn in the cage-bottom. Hang the cage in a warm, well- ventilated place.. 

 Change the food by giving the bird light biscuit or stale bread soaked in new milk, 

 to which a little prepared chalk and a little powdered loaf-sugar may be added. 

 Should this fail, fifteen drops each of elixir of vitriol and tincture of opium may be 

 added to the drinking-water. When the case develops into bloody diarrhoea, which 

 is seen by the bloody nature of the excrement, it becomes a serious disease, and one 

 difficult to check. A good mixture is, to add to a wineglassful of water fifteen 

 drops of tincture of laudanum, thirty drops of wine of ipecacuanha, and three of 

 four grains of nitrate of potash. 



Watchful care is required after the bird has recovered from the diarrhoea ; and 

 daily egg-food added to his usual seed, and iron tonic to his water, is required to 

 build him up. 



Constipation is caused by an error in the bird's food : too much egg and 



