DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT loi 



in a wretchedly emaciated condition. If its feathers are 

 blown up, it will be found that the flesh of the body is 

 all shrivelled up, and the bird is a living skeleton — in 

 fact, nothing more than a bunch of skin, bones and 

 feathers. 



Atrophy is a disease that is a frequent visitant of the 

 aviary, especially during the breeding season, when young 

 canaries are often carried off by its ravages. When 

 atrophy attacks a healthy bird, it is seldom discovered 

 in the early stages of its duration. A bird suffering 

 from this complaint will oftentimes have its general 

 health quite unimpaired, and the ordinary functions 

 of the body will be gone through with their accustomed 

 regularity. If it attacks a bird that is already suffering 

 from some ailment it will make most rapid progress, 

 and often carry the little patient off in a few days. 



This disease usually follows in the course of asthma, 

 cold, or bronchitis, and in such cases is more often the 

 cause of death than the primary disease. It is sometimes 

 brought on by insufficient nutriment. Thin shrunken 

 seed and stale egg-food often produce atrophy. In such 

 cases the food must be changed, and a liberal supply 

 of fresh highly nutritive food must be provided. I 

 have found Fellows' compound syrup of hypophosphites 

 to be of much service in the treatment of atrophy. From 

 twenty to thirty drops should be placed in half an ounce of 

 water. Two or three drops of cod Uver oil should be 

 sprinkled on the soft food daily. 



Another frequent cause of this disease is the absence 

 of grit, as a consequence of which the bird is unable 

 to extract the nutriment contained in its food. In 

 such cases the food passes through the body in an un- 

 digested condition, and, as a natural consequence, 

 diarrhoea is set up, causing much pain to the little suf- 

 ferer, which is generally eased by death making a rapid 

 appearance. 



The absence of lime also is favourable to its development. 

 Therefore cuttle-fish or some other form of lime should 

 always be in the cages. 



Atrophy attacks young canaries at about the age of six 

 weeks or two months, just as the moult is commencing, 

 and it is generally accompanied in such cases by a certain 

 amount of drowsiness and diarrhoea. 



