120 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
Roup. — This is an inflammatory disease of the larynx and trachea, and arises from various causes, such 
as close, vitiated air, extreme variations of temperature between day and night, damp houses, draughts, 
improper food, and filthy water. It is highly contagious, and excessive in-breeding conduces to the disease. 
Roup begins with a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and nostrils, and is 
cliaracterised by redness and swelling of the membrane, the discharge being at first watery, and quickly 
becomes muco-purulent. At first the discharge is thin, and breathing is not interfered with to any extent, 
but as the disease progresses becomes more difficult through the clogging of the throat and nostrils. At the 
beginning of the disease air-bubbles appear at the eyes and nostrils. The discharge quickly thickens, the 
exudation becomes cheesy, and from the obstruction in the throat the bird succumbs. Emaciation follows 
as a matter of course, owing to loss of appetite and fever. The worst cases are diagnosed by ulcers in the 
mouth and excessively swollen heads. A mild case will run along without treatment for some time, often 
becoming chronic ; but a severe case, in which ulcers, swollen head and eyes are accompanied by a foul, 
offensive discharge, if not treated, will kill the bird in from four or five days to a fortnight. For a certain 
cure for roup there are as many different cures advertised as for any other known disease, but they nearly all 
fail. Yet much can be done to avert, and, in the early stages, to cure. Every " cold " or "sliglit catarrh " 
should be promptly treated, as, if neglected, it will often develop into this horrible disease, besides running 
the risk of contaminating all the stock which drink the same water, so the bird affected should be isolated 
at once, and the drinking-fountains disinfected with Condy's Fluid or diluted carbolic acid. If the bird has 
a slight attack, injection into the slit in the roof of the mouth, and into the nostrils, of a mixture composed 
of kerosene oil 2 tablespoonfuls, carbolic acid 3 drops, and warm water 2 tablespoonfuls, thoroughly mixed, 
will relieve the catarrhal condition of the mucous membrane. This should be done three times per day — 
morning, noon, and night — giving the bird soft food slightly seasoned with cayenne pepper, and adding iron 
tonic to the drinking water. To treat a serious case, in which the head and eyes are much swollen, and a 
thick, offensive discharge exudes from the mouth and nostrils, the bird's head and eyes should be dipped 
into a dish or cup containing Labarraque's Solution of Chlorinated Soda for a moment or two, wiping quite 
dry after each operation. This should be repeated three times per day, feeding the bird as previously 
described. Another excellent plan, and one which has met with great success, is to fill a tin with kerosene 
oil, taking the diseased bird by the legs, and immersing the head of the bird into the oil, so that the eyes are 
covered. This should be done in a moment, and the head, eyes, and neck wiped as dry as possible. 
Possibly the head feathers may come off, but if wiped properly will not do so. This should be done a couple 
of times per day. A bird, even if cured, should never be bred from if it has had a severe attack of roup, as 
the stock bred from birds once contaminated have a predisposition to the disease. Again, where the matter 
forms into a large lump between the eyes and beak, the simplest and most effective method is to make an 
incision. If both eyes are affected make two, one on each side, in a slanting direction from the base of the 
beak, downwards and backwards below the eye. Cut well in ; do not be afraid of the bird bleeding a little. 
This will do good. With a blunt penknife (if the secretion is cheesy or hard) work out as much as possible ; 
then, with a stick of lunar caustic, work well in and around the wound This will make the head swell 
greatly, and if the bird is temporarily blind it will be necessary to feed by hand. The simplest manner to 
do this is to cut bread into cubes and soak in warm water, to which a few drops of Parrish's Chemical Food 
has been added. The wound must not be meddled with for at least ten days. By that time the caustic will 
have dried up the whole of the foreign matter, and in the majority of cases can be removed in a dry, hard, 
black lump. Should any white, cheesy matter still remain, treatment with the caustic will soon remove it. 
The bird's face will heal up without any further attention, causing no disfigurement whatever if done in 
anything like a careful and skilful manner. 
Stringhalt. — This cannot be classed as a disease, though often found amongst highly-bred stock, 
especially cocks. The symptoms are a muscular contraction of the legs, and when walking the bird kicks 
out backwards. It i« purely a nervous derangement, and no particular harm is likely to ensue, though at the 
same time a decidedly objectionable trait if strongly developed. We have no information at hand to state 
