on diseases of birds , and their treatment and cure. 219


that the foot, or maybe only one of the toe joints, is very slightly

swollen. On the sole of the foot, under the swollen joint, will he

seen just a very tiny brownish mark. If the bird is left to take

its chance it will be noticed that when it gets any dirt on its foot

it will he certain to he collected on this very spot, and if the foot

is not washed, the dirt will become as hard as cement and the toe

joint becomes more inflamed and swollen ; the toe, up to the inflamed

joint, will wither up and drop off like a dead branch of a tree, and,

of course, the bird is disfigured for all time.


Treatment .—As soon as a bird is seen holding up its foot

rather often it should be caught up, examined, and if there is any

excrement and dirt on the foot, thoroughly wash clean with warm

water which has had a pinch of boracic acid dissolved in it; if it

is found that a little brownish mark has formed on the under part

of the foot (and the mark may only be the size of a dot made by

a pencil), rub the joint with boracic ointment. Rub it well in,

then return the bird to the cage, keeping nothing on the drawer

hoard but moss or cut grass. Repeat the treatment for a few days,

and, as soon as the bird has ceased holding the foot up and the

inflammatory condition has subsided, with a small brush paint the

foot all over with a little iodine; this will act as an antiseptic and

also case-harden the feet as it were, and causes no inconvenience to

the bird.


Fits.— At times birds may become attacked by fits.


Symptoms .—A bird suddenly • attacked will drop from its

perch and flutter all over the bottom of the cage, it will then come

to and hop on to its perch, shake its plumage, and go on feeding

as if nothing had happened; later on another fit will occur, and

the bird flutter as before, with sometimes its head drawn over its

back; this fit may take a little longer to get over; after the bird

is out of the fit he will make for the perch and there sit in an

uncertain manner, more or less rocking backwards and forwards,

and have a dazed appearance. The fits will attack him at very

frequent intervals; the bird will have lost flesh and the flesh that

remains will have turned to a dark or purplish tint, as if the blood

had become stagnated, the bird’s constitution becomes thoroughly

undermined and a severe fit ends the bird’s life, by its rupturing



