DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT 103 



Blindness. 



A dreadful affliction, but one which, I am pleased 

 to say, is only occasionally met with, except in Crested 

 Canaries. Ophthalmia and cataract are the two forms 

 of this disease with which canaries are troubled. The 

 birds most liable to blindness are Lancashires, Crested 

 Norwich, and Cinnamons. In the Lancashires and 

 Crested Norwich it assumes the form known as cataract, 

 and it is supposed that breeding for excess of feather is the 

 cause. In cataract the first symptom noticed is a kind of 

 mist covering the eye. The bird moves about in a 

 timid fearful manner. Medicinally nothing can be 

 done to relieve or cure cateract ; the only thing that can 

 be done in such cases is to submit the sufferer to a veteri- 

 nary surgeon for examination, and be guided by his 

 advice. 



Ophthalmia is an inflammatory disease of the eye, which, 

 if neglected, will result in total bhndness. Ophthalmia 

 may be brought on by exposure to cold, or owing to vio- 

 lence. The early symptoms are a flow of thin watery fluid 

 from the eye, whilst the eyeball is red and inflamed. In 

 the morning the secretion will assume a sticky appear- 

 ance, the eyelids will be stuck together. If taken in 

 hand at once it may be cured in three or four days. 



In the first place the bowels should be acted upon by 

 some simple aperient, such as magnesia ; the eye 

 should be bathed every two hours with a solution of 

 alum, made by dissolving six grains of alum in an ounce 

 of water. A little spermaceti ointment may be smeared 

 over the eyelids the last thing at night to prevent them 

 from sticking together. If one grain of sulphate of zinc 

 be added to the solution of alum it will be more efficacious. 



In the advanced stages of the disease warm fomentations 

 of poppy heads and camomile flowers will prove of much 

 service. If the attack is due to cold, aconite and bella- 

 donna may be given internally, in addition to the apphca- 

 tion of the outward remedies. Ten drops of the homoeo- 

 pathic tincture to a wine-glassful of drinking water. Should 

 the attack be the result of a blow, arnica will be of much 

 assistance for outward application — twenty drops of the 

 tincture of arnica to an ounce of water may be used in the 

 form of a lotion, aud the eye should be bathed with it 

 every hour. 



