POULTRY DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 49 



tite and indisposition to move. The comb may be purplish at 

 first, becoming dark and then quite black." These, however, 

 are all merely symptoms of disease in general that might apply 

 to any one of a dozen or more ailments. The only certain 

 method of recognizing the disease is by post-mortem examina- 

 tion. Every poultryman should be familiar enough with the 

 normal appearance of the more important internal organs of a 

 fowl to recognize abnoi^mal appearances. In general, when 

 post-mortem examination shows the liver larger or smaller than 

 normal or congested with blood or marbled or .spotted, we may 

 assume that the bird probably had some form of liver disease. 

 Of course, a diseased condition of the liver is often associated 

 with other diseases, especially of the alimentary canal. Other 

 organs should be examined in all cases to see if they are normal. 

 Special care should be taken to distinguish tuberculosis from 

 other diseased conditions of the liver and intestines. 



Treatment. — Since it is not possible to recognize diseases of 

 the liver by external symptoms, the treatment of individual birds 

 is out of the question. If, however, post-mortem examinations 

 show that a number of the birds are dying with liver trouble 

 it is necessary to take some remedial measures regarding the 

 entire flock. In this connection Robin.son gives the following 

 remarks and advice : 



"Just as soon as it is suspected that there is liver trouble in 

 the flock one or more indisposed birds should be killed and 

 examined. If examination confirms the suspicion prompt meas- 

 ures should be taken to counteract bad tendencies. These should 

 look first .to good diet. Make the mash, if mash is used, light 

 and bulky ; feed green and vegetable foods liberally ; compel ex- 

 ercise in scratching for food. Then get the fowls out a little 

 every day, and if sanitary conditions in the house are at all 

 objectionable correct them. When the conditions to which a 

 flock has been subjected are such that a number of bad cases of 

 liver trouble develop, it cannot be expected that corrective meas- 

 ures will arrest development and restore to health in every case. 

 On the contrary, a few cases may develop in spite of remedial 

 measures, and the fowls exposed to the disease are likely to give 

 a much larger proportion of cases of sickness of various kinds 

 afterwards than fowls that as a flock had always been healthy. 



