THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE, 133 
culty. They annoy the fish by their presence, their attacks 
upon its skin setting up an increased flow of blood to the 
part upon which the thick coat of slime is found. Mani- 
festly the best method of treating the disease is the removal, 
or rather the prevention, of the cause, for if the Jdacterie are 
not allowed to develop, they of course can do no harm. 
Tadpoles and snails should be put into the aquarium to 
consume any remaining articles of food, and the feeding it- 
self more carefully attended to. Place the aquarium ina warm 
and light location, adding to the water a pinch of table-salt 
when filling the vessel. 
DROPSY. 
Dropsy, as every one knows, is a swelling up of the body, 
caused by the presence of watery fluid in the tissues, so it is 
with fish when affected in this way. 
It generally begins near the tail, but sometimes about the 
middle of the body and progresses forward. When it first 
makes its appearance, a few scales in a circle around the body 
lose their firm attachment, at this stage, if the affected speci- 
mens are immediately removed and placed into water brought 
from some other locality than that in which they had been 
when taken ill, they will recover in a short time. 
The disease having started, will, if not immediately attend- 
ed to, spread over the entire body until it becomes almost 
spherical, so great is the distention of the skin. The scales 
become erect, giving the fish the appearance of a “ruffed 
grouse,” the eyes at the same time being greatly protruded 
from their sockets. 
During all this while the fish shows a good appetite, and 
continues to do so until the end, which soon follows. 
