202 Diseases of Poultry 



sidered rheumatism. This disease is an inflammation of the 

 connective tissues of the muscles and joints. 



Etiology. — It is caused by exposure to cold or dampness. 

 The occurrence of several cases in the flock indicates some- 

 thing wrong in the housing conditions. 



Treatment. — The disease is prevented by keeping the fowls 

 in dry, warm, well ventilated houses with well drained runs. 



Prognosis. — Fowls protected from further exposure and 

 given a good ration with plenty of green food usually recover. 



Limberneck 



This is not properly a disease but a symptom which accom- 

 panies several diseased conditions. A fowl is said to have 

 limberneck when partial or entire nervous control of the neck 

 muscles is lost. The neck may hang limp so that the head falls 

 on the ground between the feet. Sometimes the bird is able 

 to raise the head from the ground by making a great effort. 



A bird is sometimes said to have limberneck when the 

 dorsal or lateral neck muscles are tense, the head drawn con- 

 vulsively backward, but this is more often called "wry-neck." 



Both limberneck and wry-neck are due to nervous disorders 

 which arise from several difterent causes. "Wry-neck" is 

 usually associated with direct brain or nerve irritation and 

 occurs in epileptic spasms, but also sometimes is associated 

 with rheumatism. Limberneck is usually associated with 

 colic, acute indigestion, intestinal parasites, or ptomaine 

 poisoning. 



No treatment for limberneck as such can be advised. 

 Effort should be made to ascertain and cure the diseased con- 

 dition which is responsible for this symptom. 



Cases due to rheumatism, colic, indigestion, intestinal 

 parasites, and some of those due to poisoning may recover, 

 if the real cause can be ascertained and treated soon enough. 



