86 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



productiveness of the flock and may cause considerable 

 losses as it often ends fatally. 



Causation. — Gastritis may be caused by anything 

 which interferes with the proper digestion of the food. 

 A lack of grit may prevent the gizzard from tritu- 

 rating the food with suflScient rapidity, the passage 

 is, therefore, blocked, the aliments are held back in the 

 stomach , the latter is unduly distended , and the contents , 

 being retained too long, cause irritation. The ingestion 

 of too large a quantity of food may act in the same 

 way. It is said that a long -continued ration of stimu- 

 lating food, too much condiments or condition powder, 

 and lack of exercise are all exciting causes ; as are, 

 also, impure drinking water, mouldy food, and putre- 

 fying flesh. In certain cases this disease is produced 

 by irritating poisons, such as rat poison, phosphorus 

 from matches, and similar substances obtained acci- 

 dentally or given maliciously. Occasionally it is 

 found to be due to pins, nails, pieces of bone or other 

 sharp objects which have become lodged and may have 

 partly or completely penetrated the walls of the organ. 

 It may be observed as a complication of various con- 

 tagious diseases, such as fowl cholera and diphtheria. 



Symptoms. — With inflammation of the stomach, 

 there is loss of appetite and marked thirst. The birds 

 are dull and have some fever, with accelerated breath- 

 ing. The plumage is erect, the wings drooping, and 

 there is usually constipation. In serious cases there is 

 great prostration and indisposition to move, loss of 

 flesh is rapid, and the strength is soon exhausted. 



Treatment.— If the disease is identified in its 

 early stages, seek for its cause, and endeavor to over- 

 come it by removing the cause. Change the ration 

 and give more easily digested food, with some meat. 



