THE PIGEON BOOK 71 



very lowly-organised single-celled animals called 

 Protozoa, which invade the lining membrane of the mouth, 

 pharynx, and even the crop and windpipe. The virulent 

 disease manifests itself either as loose, yellow, cheesy 

 nodules, or as small firmly-fixed nodules in the mouth, 

 the latter especially around the tongue and beak. In 

 these false membranes and the tissue beneath them may 

 be found the minute parasites, which either directly or 

 indirectly cause the false growths. 



"Certain authorities state that bacteria are the active 

 agents, but the probability is that these Protozoa are 

 entirely accountable for the disease. If left alone a 

 diseased bird is almost sure to die. 



" It is most important that any bird showing symptoms 

 of this complaint should be at once isolated, and the 

 drinking vessels, &c., in the run well disinfected by 

 boiling and strong carbolic acid. 



" The loose growths should be very carefully removed 

 with one or two blunt needles, and the mouth well washed 

 with a ten per cent, solution of salycilate of soda or 

 boracic acid. Probably several operations will be neces- 

 sary, as some small diseased areas may escape notice. In 

 any case, the mouth is best treated several times with 

 the disinfectant. The hard patches may be burnt away 

 with linear caustic. Every dead bird should be carefully 

 destroyed and the run or yard disinfected either by sul- 

 phuric acid or by a dressing of fresh gas lime after an 

 outbreak. The best results in treatment have been ob- 

 tained with salycilic acid or salycilate of soda, and it is 

 advisable to place a one per cent, solution for the fowls 

 to drink after any signs of the disease have been noticed 

 in a run. In no case should a bird be allowed freedom 

 until it has been completely cured. When the disease 

 is very advanced it is best to kill the bird and destroy 



