140 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



ued to eat. No information could be obtained as to 

 the cause of the disorder. 



OBSTRUCTION OF CLOACA BY URINARY CONCRETIONS. 



Numerous instances have been reported of partial 

 or complete obstruction of the cloaca by the drying 

 and hardening of urinary accumulations. This con- 

 dition is more or less frequent with pigeons, pheasants 

 and fowls. The concretions are usually composed of 

 uric acid or urate of ammonia, but a true calculus 

 made up of the carbonates of lime and magnesia, phos- 

 phate of lime and mucus has been found in the kidneys 

 of a fowl. 



The concretions in the cloaca are usually associated 

 with improper rations, containing too much of the 

 nitrogenous constituents. The feeding should be cor- 

 rected, animal food reduced, and a cooling non-stimu- 

 lating ration substituted. The contents of the cloaca 

 should be carefully softened with warm water and re- 

 moved. A small quantity of oil injected daily for a 

 week will prevent further accumulations and permit 

 any local irritation to subside. No other treatment 

 is required. 



THE MALE ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION. 



The male organs of reproduction in fowls consist of 

 two testicles situated in the abdominal cavity, just be- 

 low the anterior parts of the kidneys, and of two ducts 

 called the vas deferens which conduct the secretion of 

 the testes to the cloaca. It will be observed that the 

 cloaca is the common outlet for the faeces, the urine 

 and the seminal fluid. Kach vas deferens opens 

 through a conical papilla in the posterior wall of the 

 cloaca. The papillae are surrounded by a remark- 

 able plexus of arteries and veins, producing erectile 

 tissue, which makes it possible to bring the seminal 



