142 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



observed cases where one of these organs was nearly 

 fifty times its normal weight ; and it is not uncommon 

 to find them two inches in length and nearly as broad. 



Symptoms. — Diseases of this character are not 

 easily recognized during the life of the affected bird. As, 

 however, the condition is generally accompanied by 

 some tenderness and pain, there is uneasiness, a ten- 

 dency to sit down or crouch, or, as Hill puts it, sink- 

 ing down and rising again, with inclination to remain 

 quiet. Such symptoms occurring during the spring 

 or early summer should lead to the suspicion that the 

 bird is affected with the disease under consideration. 



Treatment. — Give cooling food with considerable 

 green material in it. Do not allow meat or condition 

 powder of any kind. Keep the affected bird by itself 

 where it will remain quiet. 



Give tincture of aconite root % drop to 1 drop, ac- 

 cording to size of bird, three times a day. It is, also, 

 well to give Epsom salts sufficient to obtain free move- 

 ment of the bowels, about a teaspoonful for an ordi- 

 nary sized bird. Some recommend iodide of potassium 

 3 grains twice daily in a pill or dissolved in a little 

 water. 



CANCER OF THE TESTICLES — FATTY DEGENERATION. 



Cases are recorded showing that cancer of the testi- 

 cles and fatty degeneration of these organs are both 

 common with birds. These conditions, however, can 

 not be determined until after the death of the bird and 

 treatment is for that reason out of the question. The 

 diseases mentioned while of scientific interest need not 

 be given detailed consideration in this volume. 



THE FEMALE ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION. 



In birds, the female organs of reproduction consist 

 of a single ovary and a single oviduct. During the 



