41 



an ill state of health ; to remedy thisj the following method will be of 

 tise. 



90. — Pluck their tail-feathers out, and put them up in some warm 

 place, allowing them a larger portion of hempseed with their ordinary- 

 food, a little saffron, or clary, steeped in their water, is likewise very 

 beneficial ; some will give them elder-berries or cochineal for that pur* 

 pose. 



91. — 14. Your pigeons likewise, especially in molting time, will be 

 subject to scouring, which keeps them very poor, low, and out of ilesh. 

 To cure this, give them pump-water with a lump of chalk in it, or put 

 about the quantity of two horse beans down their throats every day ; if 

 that don't effect the desired end, give them some smiths forge water down 

 their throats which is very binding. A gentleman told me, that having 

 been informed, that gravel was good for his pigeons, he gave them some 

 of the grit that is left in the trough under a grindle stone, where they 

 ground edge tools, and it bound them so much that it killed most of them 5 

 a little of this may therefore be good in case of scouring. 



92. — 15. There is another distemper, which is called the small pox, in 

 which there rise, on their legs and wings, and body, eruptions or pustules 

 full of a yellow matter. Some open them, and apply burnt alum and 

 honey, or touch them with Roman vitriol, and it will cure them. 



93., — 16. When your pigeons are sick, lowering, or hang their wings, 

 giv.e them every day a spider or two, wrapt up in butter, and if you dare 

 trust them let them fly. 



94.^17. Pigeons will be sometimes lamed, and the ball of their foot 

 swelled, either through cold, or the prick of a nail : in this case, spread 

 some Venice turpentine on brown paper, apply it to the part, leave it there 

 till well, which it will be in a very few days. 



95.— 18. The flesh- wen comes next under our consideration, which is no 

 more but a fleshy tumour, arising on the joints of the wings or leo-s : this 

 may be either cut off, or opened, and after having taken out the kernel 

 wash it with alum water. 



96. — 19. The bone-wen is an ossificated tumor, arising upon the joints 

 as before : this is seldom or never cured, and the pigeon that is affected 

 with it will never breed. Some pretend to cure it by a composition of 

 quick lime and black soap ; but if you make it too strong, or let it lie on 

 too long, it will take off the leg or other part that 'tis applied to, for it is a 

 caustic. 



97. — 20. The last distemper I shall take notice of is a core, so called 

 because it resembles the core of an apple ; it is hard and generally of a yel- 

 lowish colour, intermixed with red, and is usually found in the anus or 



97. — 20. (Matoe, p. 34.) We come now to treat of the several distempers incident 

 to birds of this kind, and to prescribe the various remedies generally made use of in 

 their cure. Mayor made a slight omission here, forgetting to mention he took word 

 for word from MooRE " On Distempers, Prescriptions, and Cures," without having the 

 candour to acknowledge it. Girtin has more candour. 



