Diseases of the Reproductive Organs 269 



diflScult to diagnose, and offer little prospect of successful 

 cure even after a diagnosis has been made.' 



The best advice which has come to our attention for the 

 treatment of the simple egg bound condition was published 

 some years ago in the English journal Poultry and is 

 here quoted verbatim : 



" It is a good plan to watch those birds that are about to 

 lay. Should they visit the nest frequently during the course 

 of the day and leave without depositing an egg, it is almost 

 certain that something is wrong and when a pullet is in 

 such a state there are three good remedies that may be tried. 

 The first is : Take the bird up gently, and hold her so that 

 her stern is over the mouth of a jug of boiling water, that 

 the steam arising therefrom may get to the parts and help 

 to relax and procure delivery of the egg. If this has not the 

 desired effect after an hour's rest in a quiet coop, the vent 

 should be oiled gently with a feather, and the hen given a 

 powder composed of 1 grain of calomel and 1-12 grain of 

 tartar emetic. The powder may be mixed in a bolus of food, 

 and put into the bird's crop. If it be acting properly, a 

 marked improvement should be noticeable in the bird a few 

 hours afterwards, while a second powder given two days 

 subsequently will probably complete the cure. It is advis- 

 able for a while to feed the fowl sparingly on a somewhat 

 low diet, withholding any fat forming food, and giving lime- 

 water to drink, after the system is rid of the powder. The 

 second remedy was advocated by Dr. H. B. Greene, . . . 

 and is best applied when the egg can be felt. It is : Let 

 an assistant, seated on a chair, hold the bird firmly on his 

 knees on its back, with the vent directed away from him. 

 Seating yourself opposite, with the finger and thumb of the 

 left hand outside the bird's body, push the egg firmly but 

 carefully towards the vent, until it is plainly visible, and, 

 keeping it in that position, with a bradawl in the right hand 



