ACCOUNT OF THE FASCIOLA TRACHEA 



195 



I have, at this time, (June 20. 1808), a brood 

 of sixteen chickens, of about six weeks old, all of 

 which, one excepted, appear to be more or less af- 

 fected with it. Upon laying open the trachea of one 

 that died this morning, that part was found to be 

 highly inflamed, and contained no less than twen- 

 ty of these vermes firmly adhering to its surface 

 by their single arm. These had so completely 

 choked up< the passage, that the chick had un- 

 \ doubtedly died of strangulation*. Although 

 none of these worms had passed into the lungs, 

 they were found to be much inflamed. 



In the year 1806, I first discovered the cause 

 of the distemper ; and, in the following year, on 

 the first appearance of the attack, I administered 

 a simple medicine, considered by some persons in 

 this part of the kingdom as infallible ; and, to my 

 astonishment, not only not one of a large brood, 

 suffering under its influence, died, but, on the 

 contrary, all speedily recovered. The recipe con- 

 sists in mixing up their meat (barley or oatmeal) 

 with urine, instead of water, and feeding them 

 with it three or four times a-day. Rue chopped 

 small, and mixed with their food, has been a fa- 



N 2 



* It is remarkable, that the only chick which was ne- 

 ver affected, is black, and all the others white ; and it 

 will probably be found, that the dark coloured variety 

 are not so subject to the distemper. 



