1 86 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
from other causes. “It is very improbable,” says Mr. Hinton, “that paralysis will be recovered 
from without detriment to the bird : if a cock, the carriage will certainly suffer, and there will 
assuiedly be an awkwardness of gait, making it eveiy way undesirable to retain the bird. If the 
paialysis be of the legs only, with the tail drooping, I should be inclined to think that the bird 
has received a blow on the back, injuring more or less the spinal cord.* Here the aperient and 
res t absolute rest — will be of service. Strychnia in doses of one-sixteenth of a grain, twice a 
day, may be useful after the first effects have passed away, but not in the first flush of the disease. 
The cure of these affections is certain to be tedious.” 
Black-rot. — This was a disease to which Spanish fowls particularly were once rather subject, 
owing in our opinion to the strains imported from Holland, in order to counteract the rough faces 
of the then English fanciers ; but lately the complaint has been far less common, though still 
occasionally met with, d he symptoms usually commence with blackening of the comb, followed 
by swelling in the legs and feet, accompanied with gradual emaciation. 
Treatment is only efficacious in the earlier stages, and consists of a dose of calomel or Epsom 
salts to commence with, followed by “ Parrish’s Chemical Food,” or any other simple tonic treat- 
ment, with warm and nourishing diet. Rub carbolated vaseline into comb and legs. 
BRONCHITIS. — This is not a common disease, and is denoted by the frequent coughing of the 
fowl, as distinguished from a cold in the head only, which last appears in a discharge from one or 
the other of the organs. The fowl must be removed to a dry and moderately warm place, and the 
water slightly acidulated with nitric acid, adding enough glycerine to make the whole slightly 
sweet and barely acid to the taste. Under this simple treatment, the fowl will usually improve 
rapidly. A little cayenne or ginger seasoning may be added to the food with advantage. 
BUMBLE-FOOT. — By this euphonious term is denoted the corn or abscess at the bottom of the 
foot, which is continually annoying the breeder of Dorkings. We formerly believed this to be 
caused by either narrow perches, or by descending or walking on sharp gravel, which irritated the 
feet ; but during some years we have collected so many proofs of the disorder occurring when the 
perches were not only low and broad, but where nothing but the softest turf was at command 
of the fowls, that we have been gradually forced to the conviction that the affection is in some way 
correlated to the abnormal structure of the Dorking foot, as shown by the fifth toe. As bearing 
upon this view, we have looked with much interest for signs of the affection in the Houdan breed, 
which was originally very prone to produce only four toes, but in which the fifth toe is now a nearly 
fixed character. Accordingly, as years have passed, we have seen more and more Houdans 
with “ bumble-foot,” though as it is possible they might have been recently crossed with Dorkings, 
even this evidence is not entirely conclusive. The fact that the equally heavy Brahma or Cochin 
is free from the affection, does however prove that the cause can hardly be that commonly supposed. 
Some cases appear incurable, but if taken in good time the daily application of lunar caustic 
in the ordinary manner will often effect a cure, or the pigment of iodine of the British Phar- 
macopoeia may be daily painted over the spot with a brush. Later on, actual excision becomes 
necessary. In cases when the tumour is soft and full of pus, or in the form of an abscess, a free 
puncture may be made, after which the matter is pressed out, the part fomented with warm water, 
and dressed regularly with Wright’s Liquor Carbonis Detergens. In other cases the tumour appears 
* The most frequent cause of such injury, and one we feel sure will account for many mysterious cases, is the bird rushing 
under a low perch after a hen. 
