24 
camphorated oil, and after washing the nostrils well, put three or four 
drops in each of them and one or two in the mouth. Another remedy 
is to use two drops of kerosene oil in the nostrils and one or two in 
the mouth. Watch birds carefully until cured. If the birds are well 
taken care of, this remedy is a sure cure. 
Vertigo. —When afflicted with vertigo the bird turns its head over 
its shoulder and seems dizzy, frequently falling down. It is probably 
an affection of the brain. I have known a bird with vertigo to live 
for two years, always having a spell when I entered the coop. I have 
never known a case to be cured,and the best treatment is the “hatchet” 
remedy. 
Leg and wing troubles. —In some cases, the legs of the bird seem too 
weak to support its body. Homers and short-legged varieties very 
seldom have this trouble. Inbreeding I believe to be one of the chief 
causes. Do not inbreed, always keep a record, and mate carefully, 
and you need not fear this trouble. 
Birds sometimes may strike their wings in going in or out of the 
entrance, or may hit each other with their wings in lighting, and such 
blows may cause lumps to form. Some advise opening such a lump 
with the knife, but this treatment, in my experience, has always 
caused a stiff joint, and I can not recommend it. The only remedy I 
have found effectual is to paint the part occasionally with tincture of 
iodine. I have successfully treated several cases in this way, but 
never had a successful one with the knife treatment. 
A swelling sometimes forms on the wing joint next the body. All 
varieties are more or less subject to this. The swelling has no cor¬ 
ruption in it. The remedy is to paint with iodine tincture, and, if 
the wing droops, lessen the weight by plucking the wing quills. 
Canker.— The appearance of canker is indicated by a profuse dis¬ 
charge of cheesy matter from the side of the mouth. As soon as 
noticed, treatment should be given. Prepare a solution of bluestone, 
and with a small camel’s hair brush swab well the part affected. Do 
this two days in succession and then with a match" stem carefully 
remove the cheesy growth, being very careful not to draw blood, and 
then put a small quantity of powdered sulphur in the throat. Do not 
attempt to check the discharge as it first appears except by treating 
as mentioned. If the bird is badly cankered before treatment begins, 
and the mouth well clotted, or if there is a large cankerous lump well 
down in the throat, treatment seldom is of any avail, and usually such 
a case is best remedied by killing the bird. In the case of valuable 
birds the knife may be used as a last resort. 
To keep the flock free from this disease feed only sound grains and 
give the purest of water. Never place newly purchased birds in the 
flies until first inspected thoroughly by opening the mouth to see if 
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