CAUSE AND CURE OF SICKNESS 



Apoplexy — What is the trouble with 

 ray hens ? They seem healthy and all 

 at once they begin to gasp and fall over 

 dead. I cut one open and it was in fine 

 condition, fat and nice. I cannot make 

 out what it is. — Mrs. C. S. 



Answer — Your hen had apoplexy 

 from being overfat. The overfat condi- 

 tion weakens the muscles, and the heart 

 and brain give way. Give the whole 

 flock a little Epsom salts in the water 

 for a week, cut down the amount of 

 grain, especially any corn or corn meal 

 in their feed, and feed more green food 

 and more animal food with, of course, 

 charcoal and grit. 



Air Puff — Barred Rock about 6 or 7 

 weeks old. A few days ago it went to 

 limping and I supposed it was some of 

 the others crowding, but I have since 

 noticed its whole right side was puffed 

 away out, just the skin, and I took a 

 needle and made a small opening and 

 there was nothing but wind in it. I 

 repeated the same operation next day. 

 It eats and drinks and aside from the 

 limping, seems to feel all right. — Mrs. 

 J. N. H. 



Answer — Your chick had what is 

 called "Air Puff," and you did just rieht 

 in puncturing the skin ; you saved its life 

 by it. The trouble comes from a wound 

 or abrasion of the lung tissue resulting 

 from violence of some kind. After ca- 

 ponizing a chick this trouble often de- 

 velops. I have seen the poor little things 

 almost as round as a ball and so light 

 from the air under the skin that the 

 slightest breeze rolled them along. 

 Chicks that get trampled on by their 

 mothers, or cockerels that fight, are li- 

 able to suffer from injuries that result 

 in "air cuff." They become inflated with 

 air. The treatment is a good nourish- 

 ing diet. I resort to bread and milk in 

 such cases. It is easily digested, and, 

 puncture the skin to let the air out. In 

 slight cases where there. is onlv a little 

 air under the skin it will disappear 

 gradually without treatment, but if there 

 is a considerable amount of air it is nec- 

 essary to prick the skin and let it out. 



Answer — Your hen has probably what 

 is called "bumble-foot." It is something 

 like a stone bruise or a corn in human 

 beings. It usually comes from a corn 

 or bruises, of the feet, wounds with 

 thorns, broken glass, hard stones or 

 other sharp substances.. The ball of the 

 foot becomes swollen, inflamed, hot and 

 painful. The fowl appears in pain. 

 Corns are often caused by too small or 

 narrow perches, which compel the fowl 

 to grasp them tightly in order to main- 

 tain their position. This firm grasp con- 

 tinued night after night, affects the cir- 

 culation of the part of the foot that 

 comes in closest contact with the perch. 

 A similar condition may be caused by 

 heavy birds flying from, their perches 

 and lighting upon a stony surface or 

 hard floor. 



• If it has not yet become an abscess, 

 simply cut off the thickened skin or com 

 without causing bleeding and paint the 

 corn with tincture of iodine. If pus has 

 developed, soak the foot in warm water 

 twice a day and poultice until the in- 

 flammation is reduced. After thorough- 

 ly cleaning the foot, if pus has devel- 

 oped, open the abscess freely with a 

 sharp knife and scrape out the diseased 

 matter. Wash out the wound carefully 

 with peroxide of hydrogen or carbol- 

 ized water. Stuff the wound full of io- 

 dine gauze and bandage it. Continue 

 this treatment daily until the wound is 

 almost healed, then apply a good oint- 

 ment daily until it is entirely well. The 

 bird must be kept on clean, dry straw 

 until fully recovered. 



BumelE-FooT — I have a lame hen ; she 

 limps on her left foot. She eats as well 

 as my other hens, her comb is red and 

 looks healthy as the others. — Mrs. M. 

 M. C. 



Bronchitis — Will you kindly tell me 

 what ails my White Leghorn hen? She 

 sits around most of the time and 

 squawks and slings her head and when 

 I hold my ear to her side I can hear a 

 continual rattling. Her comb is red and 

 she eats well. I feed corn, wheat, Kaffir 

 corn and table scraps. They run on 

 plenty of green range. Her nostrils are 

 clean. Age, 8 months. — C. C. S. 



The irritation of the bronchial tubes 

 is sometimes the remains of an attack 

 of roup. I have found a little honey 

 one of the best remedies. I would ad- 

 vise you to mix one teaspoonful of euca- 

 lyptus oil or teaspoonful of turpentine 

 (I prefer the eucalyptus) in one cupful 

 of strained honey ; mix thoroughly and 

 give the bird one teaspoonful night and 

 morning, At the same time give a nour- 



