CAUSE AND CURE OF SICKNESS 



179 



Tuberculosis— A year ago I had the 

 nicest Black Minorcas that anybody ever 

 laid eyes on, but, alas, one after the oth- 

 er I had to kill. First they get lame on 

 one foot, then their combs get very dark, 

 almost black on the points; their appe- 

 tite is poor and they get as light as a 

 feather, and when I cut them open their 

 liver almost fills up their whole insides, 

 and the whole liver is thoroughly sprin- 

 kled with little white kernels; some- 

 times as big as a good sized head of a 

 pin, sometimes as large as five cents, 

 and I attend to them so good. Now, can 

 you tell me what disease it is and how to 

 prevent it after this ? I feed lots of green 

 stuff, milk, meat, wheat, barley and oc- 

 casionally a mash of lots of carrots. — 

 Mrs. M. R. 



Answer — I am sorry to say your Mi- 

 norcas have chicken tuberculosis. You 

 gave an accurate description of the dis- 

 ease, and I am very sorry to have to tell 

 you that there is no cure for it when 

 once it has commenced. You may be 

 able to prevent the young ones catching 

 it by moving them on to fresh ground, 

 and thoroughly disinfecting the yards 

 and coops. Send a postal to the Experi- 

 ment Station, University of California, 

 for the bulletin on "chicken tuberculo- 

 sis;" it is free. 



Tumor and Dropsy — I had a White 

 Leghorn hen die a week ago from an 

 ailment which puzzles me. Have looked 

 through what poultry books I have, but 

 can find nothing touching it. The hen 

 was swollen between the legs to an un- 

 usual size and got so bad it could not 

 walk. Finally it died, and, upon open- 

 ing it, at least a quart of water came 

 away. The intestines were joined to- 

 gether in one solid piece. Can you tell 

 me the cause and cure, as I have a Ham- 

 burg hen developing the same symptoms 

 and would like to save it if possible. — 

 J. L. W. 



Answer — Your hen died of dropsy, 

 combined with a tumor, probably ovar- 

 ian. There is no known cure for this, 

 as by the time it becomes visible, the 

 disease has progressed too far, and is 

 usually only discovered after death. 

 Some hens seem more subject to this 

 complaint than others, and I would ad- 

 vise you to get in fresh blood and keep 

 the hens healthy by feeding an abund- 

 ance of green food. The cause is ob- 

 scure. 



Vent Gleet— One of my hens and 

 fine, large cockerel have a sort of di- 

 arrhoea with a very bad smell to it. It 

 seems to scald the vent, which is red 

 and swollen and there are scabs on it. 

 Can you tell me the cause and cure of 

 this?— Mrs. J. F. Y. 



Answer — Your hen and probably the 

 cockerel also have vent gleet. This . is 

 usually caused by an egg being broken 

 inside the hen, which causes inflamma- 

 tion. It is, I am sorry to say, contag- 

 ious, and the birds should be at once iso- 

 lated and treated. Prepare a warm bath 

 of water as hot as can be borne on the 

 wrists, in which has been dissolved a 

 tablespoonful of bicarbonate of soda to 

 two quarts of water. Immerse the 

 fowl's abdomen and vent in this hot 

 water and hold the bird there from fif- 

 teen to twenty minutes. Then dry the 

 parts with a clean cloth and give an in- 

 jection of an infusion of green tea with 

 five grains each of sugar of lead and sul- 

 phate of zinc to each ounce of the infu- 

 sion, two tablespoonsful being one 

 ounce. The sores and ulcers around the 

 vent should be kept dusted with iodo- 

 form or aristol. Repeat the treatment 

 once a day until the bird is cured. A 

 dose of thirty grains of Epsom salts will 

 help cool the blood. Feed lightly and 

 give plenty of green food. If not well 

 after two or three weeks, kill the bird, 

 as the disease is not quite free from 

 danger, for if the operator should touch 

 his eyes accidentally before cleaning his 

 hands, the result might be a most vio- 

 lent inflammation, and the disease is ex- 

 tremely contagious among the hens. 

 One cockerel may infect all the hens. 



White Comb— My fine Orpington 

 rooster is developing a peculiar disease. 

 A few months ago he was in the pink 

 of perfection, but his comb has be- 

 come all covered with white spots, as 

 though he had dandruff, and it spoils his 

 appearance. I feed your well propor- 

 tioned mash, wheat, alfalfa, crushed 

 green bone, lettuce and cabbage ; a mash 

 every morning and corn or wheat for 

 the evening meal. He is vigorous and 

 active, the only trouble being with his 

 comb. If you will kindly tell me how 

 to treat him for this trouble, it will be 

 highly appreciated. — E. R. T. 



Answer — Your rooster has what is 

 called "White comb." It usually comes 

 from close air in the hennery and a 

 total absence of all green food. It is a 



