226 



give a little thoroughly cooked rice, and follow this by feeding a, 

 limited supply of grains and pure beef scraps, and also furnish them 

 with raw beets, or a plentiful supply of raw vegetable food of some- 

 sort. When symptoms of the disease are first noticed, feed very 

 sparingly for a few days. 



VENT GLEET. 



Symptoms. It usually has its beginning with the female, and by 

 her is transmitted in copulation to the male, and by him to others in 

 the flock. Upon examination, you will find the mucous membrane 

 in the early stages to be dry, red, hot and swollen. The tenderness 

 and inflamed condition of the cloaca produces spasmodic contrac- 

 tions of the vent, and the bird endeavors to drop excrement when 

 the cloaca is entirely empty. The first discharge is thin and watery, 

 and later becomes white and offensive. This collects upon the skin 

 and feathers about the vent, and irritates the parts with which it 

 comes in contact. 



Treatment. The most satisfactory treatment we have ever used 

 is to use a pan of warm water, as hot as we can bear our wrist in it, 

 and pour in two per cent of zenoleum or creolin. Hold the diseased 

 portion of the bird in this water from ten to twenty minutes. Remove 

 all the excrement or discharge which has accumulated on the feathers 

 or skin, then inject a solution of permanganate of potash made about 

 twice as strong as is recommended for drinking water, described in 

 another portion of this book. We dust all sore places with iodoform 

 after each bath. After two or three weeks' treatment, if the bird 

 shows no signs of improvement, we advise killing and burning it. 



SCALY LEG. 



Symptoms. The disease does not disturb the general health of 

 the fowl. It is caused by small parasites which bore under the scales 

 of the legs and feet, cause the scales to raise, and in cases of long stand- 

 ing, they disappear entirely. The 

 mites become more numerous, bury 

 deeper until in some bad cases the 

 bird looses a toe and becomes lame 

 by the leg being eaten almost off. 

 It makes a very unsightly appear- 

 ance to say the least. 



Treatment. The disease is con- 

 tagious and is caused by neglect 

 upon the part of the poultryman. 

 The roost poles should be smooth 

 and should be kept painted with 

 some liquid lice killer. Use a stiff 

 brush to wash the bird's legs thor- 

 oughly with soap and water. After 

 drying, apply the following oint- 

 ment : 



4 teaspoonfuls of washed sul- 

 phur. 

 20 drops carbolic acid. 



2 tablespoonfuls of vaseline. 



Figure 1. A perfect leg. 

 Figure 2. A specimen affected with a. 

 bad case of scaly leg. 



