54 THE PIGEON BOOK 



I should have no fear of placing birds suffering from 

 canker in my loft, and should not expect to find healthy 

 subjects take the disease from contact with them. 



The general cause of canker is foul water, fungoid food, 

 or vitiated air. Although fanciers may do everything 

 possible in their own lofts, if their birds are in the habit 

 of sitting out on housetopis there may be poison to be 

 obtained from the gutters through the water remaining in 

 rusty or foul gutters and the birds drinking it. It is sur- 

 prising how apt they are to take water of this kind in 

 preference to cool, pure water in their own lofts. There- 

 fore it is essential that a fancier who wishes to keep his 

 birds in health should not only look after his own gutters 

 but those of his neighbours, as it will cost little to occa- 

 sionally clean them out. 



The birds most subject to canker are those fed on maize, 

 particularly the large, cheap classes of this grain. 



I know of nothing worse than maize to feed canker into 

 pigeons, and therefore fanciers should avoid the use of 

 this grain. Good English-grown barley, wheat, and peas 

 in equal parts make the best diet if an epidemic of canker 

 should break out in the loft, and every care should be 

 taken to regularly purge the birds. 



The following prescription I have found to be invalu- 

 able for this purpose : 2oz. sulphate of soda, loz. alum, 

 20S. ordinary white table salt, dissolved in a quart of 

 boiling water ; half a pint to be added to two quarts of 

 drinking-water once or twice a week. Fed in the manner 

 described, with regular exercise, a cure will speedily be 

 effected. Plenty of green-meat should also be given to the 

 birds. In mild cases, where the growth is in the mouth or 

 throat, it should be removed with a small stick or piece of 

 wood, and the part painted with equal parts of perchloride 

 of iron and glycerine, painting well down the throat and 



