June 1, 1909 
NA} 
* \ 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
37 
@¢ @ the Poultry ¥arde e @ @ 
Diseases of Fowls. 
G. BRAGSHAW, in the ‘ Agricultural 
Gazette of N.S.W.’ 
—_—- 
(Continued from last issue.) 
— 
—Catarrh, Cold in the Head — 
The symptoms are usually a discharge 
-of a thin fluid from the eyes and nostrils, 
sometimes mucus in the mouth, aud 
‘sneezing. There may be swelling of the 
head and eyes, but unlike roup, it is not 
‘contagious, but if not attended to may 
‘result in that serious affection. 
Roosting in draughty houses, damp 
‘and cold, are the causes of the disease. 
A cure can usually be effected without 
a recourse to drugs, or at least by the use 
‘of those of a simple character. 
When catarrh is confined to the eyes 
‘and nostrils, it is usually known as cold 
in the head; the symptoms being watery 
Swollen eyes, a discharge from the nos- 
‘trils, ruffled plumage, and general dul- 
ness, When neglected the nostrils 
become blocked up, the sticky discharge 
seals up the eyelids, and the first stage of 
* Toup ensues. 
When catarrh is noticed, the fowl’s 
haad and eyes should be washed with 
warm water, the fluid from the nostrils 
squeezed out and syringed thoroughly. 
This repeated a few times will frequently 
effect a cure. : 
The nostrils should be syringed with 
warm water, into which a few drops of 
Condy’s Fluid or other disinfectant have 
been mixed, and the mucus thoroughly 
squeezed out. This repeated two or three 
times will usually effect a cure. 
Lewis Wright recommends a dose of 20 
grains of Epsom salts, followed up by 2 or 
3 drops of eucalyptus and terebene every 
three or four hours, or the above may be 
put in the fowls’ drinking water. The 
majority of colds will yield to the above 
simple treatment, but the affected bird 
should be separated from the general 
flock, and kept in a place free from 
draughts, 
_ —Cholera.— 
This virulent disease has been previously 
treated. Post mortem examinations show 
that it is caused by a living germ—‘ The 
Chicken Cholera Germ.’ The germs may 
be carried in water, food, manure, &e. It 
is usually fatal in from twelve to thirty- 
six hours, 
and incessant purging, the evacuations 
The symptoms are great thirst . 
become like rice- water, and later streaked 
with blood. 
22Cuterrh 22 ) 
" Catarrh is a simple inflammation of the 
mucous membranes or linings of the air 
passages. Catarrh is not roup. 
—Debility.— 
Debility is sometimes known as going 
light, and is a more general term for 
anemia, It refers to a condition in which 
there is a wasting away, for which there 
is no apparent cause, loas of appetite and 
want of vigour being the only observed. 
symptoms, Many causes may be respon- 
sible for the disease, the seat of which 
may be the heart, liver, lungs, bowels, &c. 
When no-cause can be ascertained, the 
best thing is to try and build up the 
constitution, and one of the best things 
for this is a raw egg beaten up in, say, a 
tablespoonful of cod liver oil, and 1 grain 
of quinine—one teaspoonful to be given 
twice daily. Fine-chopped raw meat’ is 
also good, together with a full supply of 
green food. Half a teaspoonful. of 
Parrish’s food: given daily will also do 
good, Another useful remedy is 2 grains. 
of extract of gentian, 1 grain iodide of 
iron, and 3 grain of nux vomica—made 
into a pill, and given twice daily. © 
(To. be continuad ) . 
Do Hens get to Fat to Lay? 
Many poultry owners hold the belief 
that hens, to lay properly, should not be 
too fat. On this point, Professor James 
KH. Rice, a well-known poultry. expert 
at the New York Experiment. Station, 
says:— 
‘ Last fall we killed a large number of 
hens, and. found that the fattest hens 
were those in the best laying condition 
and since that time we have been making 
careful observations on that point, A hen 
to be in good laying condition must have 
fat in her body. The production of eggs 
is based upon one of the experiments, and 
we found the fact that the hen has lots of 
stored-up energy in her condition; and a 
hen cannot lay an egg until she has got 
fat in her body, because the yolk in an 
egg is about half fat, and she has got to 
