104 POULTRY DISEASES 



o'clock and at 6 o'clock five were dead. At 2 p. m. next 

 day thirteen were dead, with three more showing symptoms 

 of poisoning. A flock of small chicks, with the old hen, as 

 well as three setting hens that had not eaten any of the corn, 

 were not in any way affected. There was no visible evidence 

 of great pain and there were no spasms. The birds had at 

 first an unsteady gait with inco-ordinate movemeni. . Prostra- 

 tion was rapid. They lay on the ground in a relaxed con- 

 dition with head and neck curled over towards the breast, 

 but not rigid. Whenever a bird was disturbed it struggled. 

 The comb turned black. In some cases diarrhea appeared, 

 with occasionally a small amount of blood. Death occurred 

 in a few hours. 



At postmortem the crop and gizzard contained some corn 

 of a sour odor. The only tissue change noted was a con- 

 gestion of the intestines and of the liver, kidneys (active 

 and passive congestion and cloudy swelling) . 



Treatment. — Give a tablespoonful of castor oil 

 and one-fifth grain doses of sulphate of strych- 

 nine, the latter every four to six hours. 



Experiments have been conducted to determine 

 the exact dosage of strychnine for an average- 

 sized hen. It has been found that the dose should 

 be from one-sixth to one-fifth of a grain 3 times 

 a day. The author has given one grain repeat- 

 edly without ill effect, but when given in solution 

 and on an empty crop it killed the bird. 



Corn Cockle Poisoning.— Chickens eating large 

 quantities of corn cockle, in ground form, incor- 

 porated in their feed in the form of mash, have 

 been poisoned. 



The seed contains a poison, sapotoxin, which 

 causes a severe inflammation of the entire digest- 

 ive tract, including the crop. Great prostration 

 and death follow. 



Cloacitis 



Symptoms. — The anus became red (inflamed), 

 protruded, and later ulcerated. Antiseptics were 

 applied and injected into the cloaca with the view 

 of destroying the germs causing the trouble, but 



