Diseases of Canaries. 289 



Counter-irritation will do much good, and it cannot be applied by a better plan than that of 

 painting the lower part of the abdomen, by means of a camel's-hair pencil, with warm turpentine. 

 This gives relief, and should be repeated once or twice if necessary. 



Opium is of great service in the treatment of this complaint. Place therefore every morning, 

 in the fresh water, thirty drops of ipecacuanha wine, and fifteen of laudanum, along with a bit of 

 gum-arabic, and two or three grains of nitrate of potash. But in more severe cases we prefer 

 opium in conjunction with belladonna — say ten drops of each of the tinctures in the drinking-water 

 — a little gum, and a little sweetening of glycerine. The food must be light — arrowroot biscuits 

 and warm new milk, frequently changed. 



If the bird exhibits a tendency to sink or collapse, there will be little chance of saving him, 

 but a little brandy may be added to the other mixture as a last resource. If he gets better, tonics 

 are required, and one small dose of castor oil; this latter often acts like a charm, after the inflam- 

 mation has been subdued. The best tonic is the infusion of calumba, a dessert-spoonful to the 

 water, with a few drops of tincture of iron, or simply a rusty nail. Give at the same time a little 

 egg with the food, and before he returns to the ordinary diet, scald and bruise his rape, and also 

 give a portion of poppy-seed. 



Inf.ammaiiou of the Liver. — This is the disease called hepatitis by medical men, and we have 

 reason to believe that many more birds die of it every week than people are aware of. It is a very 

 dangerous illness, and often proves speedily fatal. Prevention is far more easy than its cure when 

 established. It is caused by keeping the bird in too hot a room or position, by giving him too 

 little fresh air, and feeding on too nutritious and stimulating a diet, such as hemp-seed, dainties, &c. 

 The symptoms of the chronic form are somewhat obscure, but after death dissection reveals an 

 abnormally large liver. In the acute form of the disease there are the usual signs of inflammation. 

 The bird is in evident distress and pain, nervous, thirsty, hot, and restless ; while there is the 

 absence of cough on the one hand that would indicate lung mischief, and the absence on the other 

 of the dark redness always present more or less in inflammation of the bowels. This, with a 

 knowledge of previous feeding and treatment, and a complete history of the case, makes diagnosis 

 comparatively easy. 



The treatment followed by many men who have had large experience, and stated by them 

 to be carried out with some degree of success, is that by slight depletion of blood at the 

 commencement by pulling out some of the tail and flight feathers, succeeded by the administration 

 of calomel in infinitesimal doses, with or without antimonial powder. It has not in oitv hands been 

 so successful as to cause us to recommend it. We mention it, however. On the other hand, we 

 believe in supporting the little patient from the beginning, giving aperients to relieve the circulation 

 through the liver, and opium to remove the pain and restlessness. As much carbonate of magnesia 

 as will lie on a sixpence may be placed in the water, but we recommend a dose of oil to commence 

 with — ^^give three drops. When the bowels have been well acted on, put in the water daily fifteen 

 drops of tincture of opium and a tea-spoonful of dandelion-juice. When the pain has subsided, you 

 may omit the laudanum and continue the juice for some little time. The diet during the illness 

 should be light and nourishing, such as arrowroot and the best new milk, and towards con- 

 valescence occasionally a little grated e.^^ and stale bread-crumb may be given. Tonics — gentian 

 and iron, or a small tea-spoonful of quinine wine in the drinking-water — will probably be needed 

 to complete the cure. 



In chronic cases the plainest food only should be allowed, the bath not being omitted, a 

 small quantity of dandelion-juice in the water, and about twice a week a senna-leaf or two as well, 

 and a little glycerine. 

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