52 . POUI.TRY DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



Atrophy or Wasting of the Liver. 



This is very similar in many respects to the disease described 

 by Salmon as fatty degeneration and probably arises from the 

 same cause, i. e., lack of variety in the food, especially lack of 

 green food. 



Symptoms. — Robinson says : "There are no special external, 

 symptoms. An examination of the fowl after death shows the 

 liver shrunken and somewhat granular and sometimes of a 

 yellowish cast." 



Treatment. — See Salmon's treatment of fatty degeneration 

 above. The flock should be given frequent (weekly) doses of 

 Epsom salts. 



Congestion and Inflammation of the Liver. 



These are probably different stages of the same disease. The 

 poultryman will find difficulty in distinguishing between this dis- 

 ease and that known as hypertrophy of the liver (cf. p. 50). 

 The chief post-mortem difference is that in the latter disease 

 the liver is more solid, not so easily torn or ruptured. 



Diagnosis. — There are no external symptoms other than those 

 of dullness and the general symptoms of disease. Salmon says : 

 "It is difficult to make a diagnosis during the life of the bird. 

 Post-mortem examination reveals a greatly enlarged liver en- 

 gorged with blood, tender and easily torn or crushed." 



Treatment. — Treatment of these diseases in individual birds 

 is very rarely successful. The general treatment of the flock as 

 recommended on p. 49 should be attended to. The chief medi- 

 cinal treatment should probably be frequent doses of Epsom 

 salts. Various authors recommend different medicinal treat- 

 ments. For these see Robinson (pp. 71 to 74). 



Jaundice. 



Jaundice or biliary repletion is said by Megnin (Medicine des 

 Oiseaux) to be due to long continued but moderate congestion 

 of the liver. This leads to increased activity of this organ and 

 is followed by the accumulation of a large quantity of bile in 

 the gall bladder and ducts of the bird. This bile is absorbed by 

 the blood vessels and causes poisoning which may lead to the 

 death of the bird. 



Diagnosis. — There are no specific external symptoms other 



