Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-16

1t is a very frequent operation. Birds
confined in dirty cages are subject to sore
feet. These sores form into users, and
are so painful that the bird so afflicted is
compelled to sit upon its belly. When
they reach this stage it is necessary to
amputate the foot that gives the least
promise of responding to treatment and
attempt to save the other. If both feet
are SO badly tainted as to require ampu-
tation the only humane effort left is to
kill the unfortunate and put it out of It's
misery. Birds with one leg move about
in cage with little inconvenience. Some
day, perhaps, the dear little buckets will
have cork legs and then how cute they
will look.
"Do you ever treat birds for blindness p,
Sometimes; but there is little hope for
bird after it loses its sight. There are
! instances on record where human beings
have bad their sight restored, but never to
my recollection, among birds. 1t may
not be out of place to say that persons
who have undertaken the task of raising
! feathered pets cannot be to careful to
screen them from any artIf cial or bright
light. This light is too strong for birds
| eyes, and soon blinds them. practical
| Illustration of this is to take a lantern
and flash the light upon the fowls on the
roOst. We're you to do this you would
| have no trouble in catching as many as
you desired. 1t is the same with wild
birds. Throw strong light into bush
in which flock of birds have gone to
sleep and you can seize every one of
them. A blind bird is a pitiable sight.
[ have a mocking bird that lost its sight
when it was one year old. It is now
twelve years old, and sings just too charm
ingly."
"What are some of the peculiar diseases
of birds?"
egg binding is one of the most COM
mon Of female complaints. This is caus-
ed by the bird being unable to discharge
its eggs. l have often to perform deli
cate surgical operations in such cases,
but so far have lost only two of my pa
tients. Female canaries are sometime s
attacked by dropsy, and parrots often
die with wens and tumors."
"What do you do with parrot with a
tumor?"
Consult my books on surgery, find the
punishment to fit the case and then cut
into the bird. But it Is horrible-poor
things"
and do they bleed?"
ooh, yes, quite frequently, and then,
too, the warm, crimson fluid gets on n y
hands, and shudder and feel as though
were doing something wrong"
''But does the bird get well?"
'The one-eyed poll in the other room
did"
But did she have tumor"
''She certainly did"
''Is there any hope of her having an
other?"
"She may have another, but it can't be
that you wish her any such misfor-
tune"
''Not unless l was sure of having the
job of handling the knife"
"Oh, you can't mean that! Let me
tell you about three parrots that had
cancers. One of the birds came from
the Alexian Brothers Hospital. The
cancer was in the roof of his mouth, and
everybody thought he would die. I re-
moved it, however, and the patient is
still alive and healthy. The other two
birds died.
''Now do you know" said Mrs. MAR,
"that it is my honest conviction there
would be no Anarchists if all the people
had been raised among birds. They
would have soon learned to love one an
other and to admire natures most beauti-
full creatures. I don't suppose that any
of those Anarchists in the jail ever saw
bird in a cage. [ know they haven't
else they would not be where they are
now.
Mrs. MAR is writing a book on birds
and the treatment which will be publish
ed shortly.