112 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
Crop-hound. — This is invariably caused by over-feeding, and, except in rare instances, may easily be 
cured by giving the bird fairly liot water by the aid of a spoon, working the contents of the crop about 
thoroughly, dieting the bird on a very moderate allowance of soft food (after the first contents are consumed), 
to which has been added a pinch of l-^psom salts, and a little iron tonic added to the drinking water. In 
some cases this treatment will not have the desired effect, at times the cause being grass formed into a ball 
in the crop, or by some larger substance obstructing the passage, such as a piece of bone or charcoal, or 
portion of the stock of a cabbage leaf. To remove this, pluck a few feathers from the breast near the top of 
the crop, cutting through the outside skin, and also through the skin of the crop, about one inch in length, in 
a downward direction, removing the whole of the contents of the crop by the aid of a large hair-pin, after- 
wards giving the bird a few teaspoonfuls of hot water, heated to 105 degrees Fahr., working the crop about 
well with the finger. It is not necessary to sew up either wound, an application of carbolic or eucalyptus 
oil will be beneficial. Care should be taken that the bird is placed apart for a few days, to prevent others 
from picking at the spot, feeding the patient on soft food while recovering. 
Crop (Wdtcrv). — This com])laint also arises from neglect in feeding, causing over-di.stension of the 
crop, and mostly occurs where the fowls are fed with grain food at irregular intervals, especially where no 
regard is paid to the hours of feeding, and, large quantities of grain being thrown down, some of the birds 
will eat to repletion. The fowl then drinks, and the moisture thus taken causes the grain to swell to an 
enormous extent, distending the crop accordingly. This occurs time after time, and the crop soon becomes 
permanently over-distended, and fails to resume the normal dimensions when empty, eventually developing 
into " crop dropsy " and "abdominal dropsy," owing to the accumulations of watery or serous matter in the 
cavities named. In young birds dropsy is generally due to an anaemic condition, and in adult birds to the 
obstructed return of venous blood. There are various ways of treating the disease. If the inflammation is 
the result of crop-hindiuf^, a new-laid egg, beat up with two teaspoonfuls of milk, half being given night and 
morning (before feeding), followed with 10 grains of aromatic chalk powder twice a day, mixed with the food, 
which .should be fed sparingly, and consist entirely for four or five days of stale bread and milk, or other 
easily digested and nutritious food. If sourness or indigestion is the cause, an ordinary rhubarb pill on 
alternate days, with a pill night and morning made of powdered charcoal, cod-liver oil, and oatmeal, sufficient 
to make the whole into a stiff consistency. If the crop is distended with wind, and on pressure discharges 
from the bird a sour-smelling, slimy fluid, the best treatment is to slightly acidulate the drinking water with 
a few drops of nitric acid, and mix a half teaspoonful of sal volatile with the soft food each morning, giving 
the bird a slight tonic occasionally till recovered. 
Dehilitw — This is not exactly a disease, more often arising from over-exhibiting, which at times 
prostrates the bird, the bird moving about in a listless manner, with little or no appetite. The best remedy 
in this instance is to feed the bird on raw eggs, two or three per day, placing in the drinking water a 
half-teaspoonful of Parrish's Chemical Food to each half-pint, or a little quinine mixed in the soft food daily, 
giving, on the appearance of recovery and return of appetite, a little fresh meat, well minced, and an ample 
supply of green food. 
Diarrhcea. — A sudden change in the weather, or even of diet, is often responsible for this affection, the 
excrement adhering to the feathers around the vent. The latter becomes inflamed, with a whitish skin 
forming around the outer edge. This becomes offensive, and in bad cases the fowl has an extreme difficulty 
in passing anything from the bowels. The bird should be removed to dry, warm quarters, and given a 
tablespoonful of castor oil, and the vent bathed daily with soap and warm water. After being wiped dry, 
anoint the vent with vaseline ; on no account pull the scab formed away until loose, as this will cause 
bleeding and irritation. If the looseness of the bowels be observed early, a little powdered chalk added to 
the soft food for a day or two will often remedy matters, but if a very serious case it is best to administer 
chlorodyne in doses of 5 to 10 drops every three or four hours. After the attack has passed the feeding 
should be moderate, with a little tonic added to the drinking water. Bone dust may in all cases be mixed. 
