968 Gout. 



Feather eating differs from falling out of feathers in various skin 

 diseases or in nutritive disturbances, in that in the latter feathers are 

 never pulled out. 



The treatment is adjusted to the cause. In most eases a change 

 of food and, when the weather permits, the opportunity for sufficient 

 exercise in the open air are indicated. Klee and others saw good 

 results from the administration of the blood of slaughtered animals, 

 which was cooked and mis;ed with bran or curds. In addition the 

 animals should receive green feed or cooked carrots, also chalk 

 (powdered egg-shells, burned shells, bone meal). In general the 

 principal stress should be laid upon as much variety as possible in 

 feeding. Parrots, which are freed only with difSculty from the vice 

 may be given sepia or bitter chocolate. If there is itching, daily 

 sprinkling with water or with a 5% solution of thiol may be effective. 



The feather eaters should be kept isolated and if possible in a 

 dark place. Sometimes apomorphine hydrochloride is useful, injected 

 subcutaneously in doses of 0.0005-0.001 gm. or in drinking water 

 0.05:100 (Priedberger & Frohner, Klee). Inunctions with remedies 

 having a disagreeable odor or taste (tincture of aloes, veratrum, 

 asafetida, gentian, rancid animal oil, carbolic acid) do not accomplish 

 the purpose and may in fact be injurious. 



7. Gout. 



(Gicht, [German] ; Goutte, [French] ; Gotta [Italian].) 



Gout depends upon the storage and deposition of urates 

 in the tissues of the internal organs (visceral gout), or at tlie 

 same time also in the joints (arthritis urica) and is based upon 

 disturbances in metabolism. 



Occurrence. Gout is, almost without exception, observed 

 only in birds, in, which it is of rather frequent occurrence. 

 Among domestic fowls chickens are, according to Klee, affected 

 with preference, less so water fowl, and most rarely pigeons. 

 (Hartenstein observed visceral gout enzootically in a large 

 goose establishment, but described it under the name of uremia.) 

 Pheasants are affected not infrequently. But the disease is 

 met with most often in the birds of prey of the zoological gar- 

 dens, less often in ostriches. It develops only rarely in birds 

 kept in the house, and birds living at large do not appear to 

 become affected at all. Among mammals only a few cases were 

 observed so far in older dogs (Spinola, Bruckmiiller), although 

 Vogt claims to have seen a gouty affection also in a horse. 

 Finally the disease has been noted in reptiles (alligator, snakes) 

 (Kitt). Virchow and Mendelsohn recorded deposits of guanin 

 in the joints in two hogs. Pflug found a guanin deposit in a 

 ham. In a cow which during life had shown poor appetite, ineffi- 

 cient nutrition and frequent epistaxis, Joest demonstrated 

 deposits of xanthin in the spleen, the lymph glands and the 

 kidneys. 



