260 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



servation, and no wonder. "Who attends them ? "What 

 complaint do they make ? And when they die, who, 

 acquainted with the symptoms before death, makes 

 post-mortem examinations, and then refers those 

 symptoms to the morbid appearances which his scal- 

 pel has revealed ? To speak the truth, neither are 

 then' diseases well understood, nor is the treatment of 

 them anything but empyrical. 



From reading, observation, and conversation, howev- 

 er, with those who profess to he practically acquaint- 

 ed .with the diseases of poultry, my attention 1 has only 

 been directed to what may be considered as the prox- 

 imate causes of their dissolution underlie following 

 active forms, namely : — Apoplexy; evinced by inflam- 

 mation of the membranes of the brain, or by effusion 

 of blood within or upon it ; peritoneal inflammation of 

 the mucous membrane of the intestines, or intumes- 

 cence of the rump gland, symptomatic of a febrile 

 condition. N. B. Do not give salt in any case whatever. 



APOPLEXY. 



This is a very frequent disorder among fowls, which 

 makes its attack in most instances without the slight- 

 est warning. Mr. Flourens, a very distinguished 

 physiologist, of Paris, and an author, says there are_ 

 two degrees of apoplexy among fowls, one deep-seated, 

 and the other superficial, each having different symp- 

 toms. Deep-seated apoplexy is characterised by com- 

 plete djsoVder of movement, while superficial apoplexy 

 is manifested only by deficient muscular energy and 

 instability in walking. Deep-seated apoplexy is ac- 

 companied by superficial apoplexy ; but, as the latter 

 is the precursor of the former, it ought to be carefully 

 attended to, in order to prevent its passing to what 

 may be termed the second stage, though both stages 

 are capable of being cured by a natural process, as an 

 individual case proves. 



M. Flourens had brought to him, on the 12th of 



