5S THE COMPLETM POULTRY BOOE. 



GAPES. 



See " Diseases and Enemies of the Young Chick," page 25. 



CONSUMPTION. 



Symptoms. — Consumption, which is caused by the presence of scrofulous 

 tubercles in the lungs, may almost always be induced in chickens by confining 

 them in cold, dark, unhealthy places ; tubercles have also been found in the 

 liver and other parts of the body. The symptoms of consumption are not 

 strongly marked in the early stages ; in the more advanced state there is wast- 

 ing, cough, and expectoration of matter. 



Treatment.— It is fortunate that consumption can always be prevented by 

 wholesome, abundant diet, and good housing, for in advanced stages it is quite 

 incurable ; where it is suspected to be commencing, cod-liver oil may be given 

 mixed with meal ; but sis the disease is hereditary, a fowl so preserved would be 

 worse than useless asa stock bird. 



DISEASES OS THE EGG OKQANS. 



' The egg organs in the fowl consist of ^e ovary, situated on the fore part of 

 thf; left kidney, and the oviduct, or egg-passage, leading from it to the outlet. 

 v,The ovary in its inactive state consists of minute vesicles, the germs of future 

 eggs. In its active condition these enlarge in regular succession, until each has 

 attained the . sige of the natural yelk, when it is seized by the funnel-shaped 

 extremity of the egg passage, and as it passes along has successively secreted 

 around it the white, the membranes lining the shell, and lastly, the shell it- 

 self; the white being necessarily formed at the upper part, the membrane at the 

 middle section, and the shell at the lower part of the oviduct, or egg-passage. 



The ovary is not o^ften subject to disease, except in old hens past laying, in 

 which it sometimes degenerates ; -and it not unfrequently happens that the hen 

 so affected is healthy in all other respects, and is only known to be diseased t by 

 her not laying and frequent crowing ; sometimes, as in the case of barren hen- 

 pheasants, she assumes the plumage of the male bird. 



INFLAMMATION AND PROTRUSION OF THE EOG-PASSAQE.— SOFT ECOS. " 



Symptoms.— The symptoms of this complaint vary with the part of the oviduct 

 affected. As the disorder occurs in laying-hens, we aa-e enabled to trace the 

 seat of the complaint by the state of the extruded egg. If the lower part is 

 unduly excited, the egg is expelled before the sheU has been secret«d, and a 

 soft-skinned egg results. If the inflammation extends to the middle portion, the 

 membrane is either misshapen or incomplete ; and if the whole tube is inflamed, 

 the yelks are dropped without any covering whatever. 



The laying of soft eggs arises from several causes; and if all cases are treated 

 alike, such an empirical method wiU certainly not be followed by success. The 

 shell of the egg consists almost whoUv of carbonate of lime, the same material 



