DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT 91 



the more important animals they are quite as ignorant, 

 if not more so than the experienced practical fancier. They 

 have no actual practical knowledge of the diseases of 

 canaries and other cage birds gained from life study. 

 Yet some of these men have the impudence, I use the 

 word advisedly, to denounce the efforts of practical 

 canary breeders to help their fellows. These men with 

 their theoretical knowledge are really more at sea con- 

 cerning the treatment of disease in canaries than are old 

 fanciers. More than this, they disagree to an alarming ex- 

 tent not only as to the diseases of canaries, but even 

 so far as the anatomy of our pets is concerned. When 

 veterinary surgeons of wide experience in their profession, 

 and possessing high scholarly attainments and degrees 

 differ on such simple matters as they do, what confidence 

 can be placed in their diagnosis, or their treatment of 

 the ailments of canaries ? 



From Whence Knowledge Derived. 



One well-known medical man, who is also a lover and 

 breeder of canaries, Dr. Boultbee, of New York, some 

 years ago passed a very high eulogium on the chapter 

 on Diseases in my little book " House's Canary Manual," 

 which in those days was known as the British Canary ; 

 since then, however, a well-known London veterinary 

 surgeon who has done considerable post mortem work, 

 but has never been a practical breeder of canaries, has 

 said the writer knows very little about the subject. My 

 readers have the two views before them, they can choose 

 which judgment they like. 



I have said little is known about the diseases of canaries 

 or their cause, except this, that we do know certain 

 errors in feeding and management are followed by certain 

 diseases, and that when certain remedies are applied 

 those diseases are considerably alleviated, even if not 

 cured. Practical experience has given us that knowledge 

 and, though we may not be able to name all the different 

 parts of a bird's body and organs scientifically, we do 

 know them by their everyday names, and by such will 

 they be styled in this work, and the treatment described 

 for the various ailments will be such as the practical 

 experience of ourselves and friends has found to be 



