65 



SWEET FERN TEA. 



For looseness of the bowels, sweet fern tea has been found 

 a very good remedy. Looseness of the bowels occurs from 

 feeding too much wheat that has not been well dried. It 

 also comes from impure water or unsound feed of any kind. 

 To cure it, a good handful of the leaves is put into three 

 gallons of water and boiled down to one-half. Put a tea- 

 cupful of this in two gallons of drinking water. 



NUX VOMICA. 



Some breeders recommend nux vomica very highly as a 

 tonic, and we mention it so those who follow the directions 

 in this book may have their choice. Sixty drops of the 

 tincture of nux vomica is given in two gallons of the drink- 

 ing water twice a week, during the molting season. At 

 other times in the year it is given when the flock seems to 

 lack liveliness or to be droopy for any reason. 



This tincture of nux vomica is about the easiest of all 

 the tonics to use, as enough for a year can be kept in a 

 small bottle and put into the water without trouble at any 

 time it is needed. 



THE MEDICINE CHEST. 



Every pigeon-breeder should have a small box in which 

 to keep a supply of the medicines which may be needed. 

 This box should contain a pot of carbolated vaseline to use 

 on cuts or bruises, as in wing trouble. There should be a 

 four-ounce bottle of peroxide of hydrogen, a small bottle 

 of camphorated oil, an ounce or two of carbolic acid, a few 

 quinine capsules, a bottle of cod liver oil and a bottle filled 

 with kerosene. ' There should also be a medicine dropper. 



