POUI<TRY DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 1 73 



time. This method, it would appear, saves the egg. The great 

 thing throughout is to keep the bird quiet, and in future to avoid 

 extra fat forming food.' " 



Prognosis. Good in cases of simple obstruction if taken in 

 hand early ; bad in all cases of complicated obstruction. 



Rupture of the Oviduct. 



In some cases of complicated obstruction, and in cases of 

 severe inflammation the walls of the oviduct may break and al- 

 low the contents to escape into the abdominal cavity. In such 

 cases death usually ensues in a relatively short time as a result 

 of peritonitis. These cases are incurable; indeed the trouble is 

 usually not known till after the bird dies. The lower portion 

 of the oviduct (vagina) or the cloaca may be ruptured in pass- 

 ing a very large egg. If the wounds made in this way are rela- 

 tively small they will usually heal without any trouble. If, on 

 the other hand, such tears are extensive they may very easily 

 become infected, and unless treated properly in accordance with 

 the general directions given in Chapter XX for the treatment 

 of wounds, the bird will die of blood poisoning. Regarding 

 cases of this kind the following excellent discussion (presum- 

 ably written by Mr. J. H. Robinson) appeared in Farm Poul- 

 try some 6 years ago (Vol. i6, p. 230). The writer says 

 that this trouble of rupture of the oviduct near the vent he 

 "used to have with Buff Leghorns, and to a lesser extent with 

 other varieties of the Leghorn. Leghorn hens quite generally 

 lay larger eggs in proportion to their size than others. Some of 

 them lay eggs very much larger in proportion to their size than 

 layers of large eggs in the larger breeds. As a result of this 

 the difficulty of laying is correspondingly increased. When a 

 pullet begins to lay she may lay small eggs, which are easily 

 passed. As warm spring weather comes she lays more eggs, 

 and also larger ones. Suppose one day there is a slight tear or 

 a strain on a part of the oviduct in laying. The part is not 

 badly damaged, but it is sore, a little inflamed, and cannot be 

 stretched as it was before to permit the passage of the egg. But 

 the egg is there and must be extruded. A larger tear in the 

 parts is the result. There may be blood enough flow to make 

 the egg quite bloody, but the injury be not yet serious. With 

 the next egg conditions are still less favorable for a safe extru- 



