POULTRY DISEASES AND THIJIR TREATMENT. I23 



the living fowl. When several cases occur care should be taken 

 to see that the flock receives a balanced ration with plenty of 

 green food, as diseased kidneys may occur from too much pro- 

 tein in the food. 



Rheumatism. 



A lameness or stiffness is usually considered rheumatism. 

 Many such cases are due to tuberculosis of the joints (p. 60), 

 and others to articular gout (p. 121), but there are muscular 

 and joint inflammations caused by exposure which are properly 

 considered rheumatism. This disease is an inflammation of the 

 connective tissues of the muscles and joints. 



Etiology. — It is caused by exposure to cold or dampness. The 

 occurrence of several cases in the flock indicates something 

 wrong in the housing conditions. 



Treatment. — The disease is prevented by keeping the fowls 

 in dry, warm, well ventilated houses with well drained runs. 



Prognosis. — Fowls protected from further exposure and 

 given a good ration with plenty of green food usually recover. 



Limberneck. 



This is not properly a disease but a symptom which accom- 

 panies several diseased conditions. A fowl is said to have 

 limberneck when partial or entire nervous control of the neck 

 muscles is lost. The neck may hang limp so that the head falls 

 on the ground between the feet. Sometimes the bird is able to 

 raise the head from the ground by making a great effort. 



A bird is sometimes said to have limberneck when the dorsal 

 or lateral neck muscles are tense, the head drawn convulsively 

 backward, but this is more often called "wry-neck." 



Both limberneck and wry-neck are due to nervous disorders 

 which arise from several different causes. "Wry-neck" is usu- 

 ally associated with direct brain or nerve irritation and occurs 

 in epileptic spasms, but also sometimes occurs in rheumatism. 

 Limberneck is usually associated with colic, acute indigestion, 

 intestinal parasites, or ptomaine poisoning. 



No treatment for limberneck as such can be advised. Effort 

 should be made to ascertain and cure the diseased condition 

 which is responsible for this symptom. 



Cases due to rheumatism, colic, indigestion, intestinal para- 

 sites, and some of those due to poisoning may recover, if the 

 real cause can be ascertained and treated' soon enough. 



