PIGEON DISEASES AND' REMEDIES 133 



It takes very little medicine around the loft and a mighty 

 good idea is "not to doctor"^go on the principle of leaving well 

 enough alone. Should you happen to need medicine for a sick 

 bird, I will give you a few remedies: 



A tonic to put in their drinking water that I have used for 

 several years and found very satisfactory is given below. I have 

 given this every spring and every fall and it is about the only 

 tonic I use. It can be filled at any drug store and costs generally 

 about 35 cents. 



Tonic. — Copperas, one-half ounce; sulphate of^soda, four 

 ounces, gentian root (powdered) one-half ounce; phosphate of 

 soda, two ounces, and pure creosote (Beechwood), one dram. 

 The creosote must first be rubbed well in a mortar with about 

 40 grains of calcined magnesia. Put the creosote, after being 

 prepared, in two quarts of hot water, stir well and gradually 

 add the other ingredients, then set away and keep in a cool 

 place. Dose: One tablespoonful to a gallon of water, and have 

 no other water in the fly pen. Give them this once or twice a 

 month and it will likely keep them in good condition. 



Diarrhoea. — Two drops of laudanum. Put bird in dry clean 

 coop; no water or feed for twenty-four hours. Repeat dose in 

 six to ten hours, if needed. Feed toasted, very brown bread 

 crumbs for a couple of days, then a little hemp and then on 

 regular feed. 



Canker. — Put in the bird's throat, on the sores, some burned 

 alum or you can use a little tincture of iodine. However, my 

 remedy is the axe and I immediately break up the mating that 

 produced the canker squab. Watch this pair carefully and see 

 which of the parent birds is responsible and get the one respon- 

 sible out of the loft. 



If a bird doesn't eat like it should and shows a poor appetite, 

 give one grain gentian root. 



Epsom salts is used by a great many in the summer. Put 

 a teaspoonful Epsom salts to a quart of water and give no other 

 drinking water. For a large number of birds increase the 

 quantity in the same proportion. 



Cod liver oil is good to use on a bird off its feed. Dose: Three 

 drops at a time, say, three times a day. 



Hypophosphites of lime and soda is also fine for a "going light" 

 bird . Dose: One-fourth of a grain, three times a day. 



