POULTRY DISe;ASES AND THEIR TRE;aTMENT. 167 



makes it still more irritating which in turn provokes further 

 inflammation of the walls of the duct. One sometimes finds rel- 

 atively enormous masses of material in a diseased oviduct, which 

 have been built up in this way. There is an extensive literature 

 on these "egg concrements" or "yolk tumors" built up either in 

 the oviduct or in the abdominal cavity by hardened fibrous exu- 

 date, about an original basis of a broken, or miscarried, or 

 aborted yolk or yolks. It is not necessary to review this liter- 

 ature here as it is only of interest to the specialist. 



Treatment. If this disease is to be dealt with at all the treat- 

 ment must be individual, since it is something which will never 

 affect considerable numbers of the flock at the same time. If 

 individual treatment is to be successful it must be begun at a 

 relatively early stage of the disease. Therefore, it is important 

 that a bird showing the symptoms which have been described 

 above should be isolated at once and as a first step in the treat- 

 ment given a purgative dose of Epsom salts (see p. 29). All 

 stimulating foods such as meat, green cut bone, linseed meal and 

 similar substances, as well as condiments like condition powders, 

 pepper, etc., should be immediately taken away from the bird. 

 A light ration and plenty of green food should be given. Sal- 

 mon recommends following the purgative with }^ drop of tinc- 

 ture of aconite root 3 times a day. Equally effective, and much 

 easier to administer, will be found i-io gr. aconite root tablets 

 (see p. 30). 



Prolapse of the Oviduct (Bversion). 



It not infrequently happens from one cause or another, that 

 the lower portion of the oviduct becomes everted and projects 

 from the vent as a mass of red or purplish tissue. This condi- 

 tion is known as prolapsus of the oviduct. 



Diagnosis. The diagnosis of this diseased condition is simple 

 and consists merely in the observation of the prolapsed oviduct. 

 If there is a mass of red or bloody tis-^ue projecting from the 

 vent one is safe in diagnosing prolapsus. The only point which 

 needs particular attention in the diagnosis is as to the degree to 

 which prolapsus has occurred when the bird is discovered. The 

 importance of this lies in the fact that on it depends the treat- 

 ment which it is advisable to give. Where the prolapse is only 

 partial and is discovered early it is advisable to treat it by the 

 methods outlined below. If, on the other hand, the prolapse is 



