CHAPTER XX. 



Poultry Surgery. 



It is proposed to consider in this section those pathological 

 ■conditions of poultry which demand surgical treatment lor their 

 cure. At the outstart it should be said inat poultry bear and 

 recover from surgical operations very well. The common prac- 

 tice of caponizing, usually done without any aseptic precaution 

 whatever and with small losses from infection, is sufficient evi- 

 dence of this. Probably no mammal would bear opening the 

 abdominal cavity (which is done is every caponizing operation) 

 with such entire and nearly uniform freedom from ill effects as 

 attends this operation with poultry. The reason why poultry 

 make such excellent surgical subjects lies in their marked 

 resistance to all pyogenic (pus producing) germs. 



The Treatment of Ciits, Tears and All Open Wounds. 



Very severe wounds may be successfully treated by adher- 

 ing to the following procedure : 



1. Thoroughly wash the hands in warm water, using plenty 

 of soap, before handling the v^ounds at all. After the hands 

 have been well scrubbed, rinse them thoroughly in a pan of I 

 to looo bichloride of mercury solution (p. 29) and dry with 

 a clean towel. 



2. Pull out the feathers in the region around the wound, and 

 thoroughly cleanse it, using first zvarm zvater, and follow this 

 with zvarm i to 1000 bichloride solution. A piece of clean soft 

 cloth may be used for this purpose, or absorbent cotton. Make 

 sure that the wound is thoroughly clean. Do not be afraid of 

 hurting the bird. A little pain at the start is preferable to a 

 dead bird later. 



3. If necessary sew up the wound, using a good sized sewing 

 needle and silk. Both needle and silk should be soaked in al- 

 cohol for 15 minutes before using. Small wounds need not be 

 sewed. Large ones will heal much quicker and more certainly 

 if they are sewed. If the wound involves the muscles as well 



