The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-07
HAWAIIAN BULLETIN ISSUED AT
WASHINGTON.
Agriculturist r. F. Sedgwick Writes
About the Disease and the Means Of
Combating 1t.


ject of chickens, contains lengthy dis
cussiOn Of the troublesome sore-held
disease, with instructions as to the
treatment of the fowls affected. 1t is
by II. f. SedgwiCk, agriculturist Of the
station, and is in part as follows.
Sore head is essentially a maludv
OF the hot summer months and attacks
the chickens at about the aga of six
weeks @
Sore head is due to a parasitic fun
gus which attacks the chicken in the
most unprotected parts If the body,
especially around the head aud eyes
| Ihe hrst symptoms Of the trouble are
manifested by the appearance Of a very
| small pimple or eruption Of the skin
about the ear or eye, g. perhaps the bill.
This grows so slowly and inconveniences
| the chicken so little that the breeder
rarely takes note of it, Later another
eruption makes its appearance perhaps
adjacent to this or perhaps on the other
side of the head. Mea lwhile, the nrst
| has developed into a large, scdbby wart
which spreads day by day and get the
patient does not appear to suffer great
ly The eyes then become covered with
the scab and decline sets IN. The bird
is not able to find its food or water:
slow siege of starvation follows, and a
combination of diseases attacks it,
cold and rOup being among the mOsC
important Finally death comes to the
weak, starving patient The head may
be one mass of scabby, wItery sores.
The eyes are often forced OUT Of their
sockets and the sight is certainly a
painful and disgusting one. Who,e
tlOcks are sometimes lost py the ravd-
ges of this disease, and the fact that it
is contagious renders it very difticult TO
handle
"Since the disease is caused by fun
gus anything on which the spores can
a Cd infection
disease germs may not necessarily be
confined to the body of the chicken but
probably exist also in the rubbish and
sweepings from unclean houses. 1t is
certain that the eXcrement Of infected
birds will transmit the disease.
The disease has a regular period of
| development. Precautionary measures
| being taken to carry the patient
! through this period, it will probably re-
cover with but few i'll effects, except a
| generally rundown physical condition.
| In this connection it might be added
/ that - the warts can be kept off the
! eyes 3 he bird will be able to eat and
| keep dp strength enough TO carry it
! through the course of the disease. EX-
periments are under way with this OBJ
| iect in view and, if successful, will be
| step in advance.
The remedies which have proved more
or less ehectual i'm treating sore
head are antiseptics, followed by heal
ing treatments. The choice of these
different remedies depends largely on
the individual who handles the patient
and the matter of cost plays no small
part in the selection. 1t is hardly to
be expected that a chicken grower who
has but few fowls for domestic use Will
| eXpend as much money or time as one
who is making his living by his poultry
yards; nor can it be expected that all
growers will be able to have finely
Equipped houses runs, and hospitals. 1t
is for these reasons that several re-
medies are recommended.
Sanitary measures viii apply to all
cases. When a chick is discovered
with the characteristic eruption, even
though it be very minute, remove the
bird at once to some place where the
rest of the flock can not come I'm con-
tact with its food, water or eXcrement.
THE flock of apparently healthy
birds should be looked after at once.
The disease may be checked at this
point if proper care is taken. Each
chick should be examined daily, and If
found infected must be instantly re-
moved. The head should be rubbed
with CarbOlated vasellne or sulphur
ointment and a general tonic given in
the water on food, such as "A little sui
phur sulphate of iron, or Douglass s
mixture After the flock has been at
, tended to, which is of first consideration
the diseased bird may claim attention.
"On the patient, if thoroughly infect
ed with the malady, will be found large
scabs covering the side of the head, on
perhaps an eye. Wash the head in
p warm water or sOapsuds. thereby
loosening the scabs. If these are not
! developed enough TO loosen, the water
I sOftens them and removes the pus,
5 which is a source Of COntagiOn A car
I bolated salve can then be applied to
heal the sore. If the bird has sufficient
vitality IL will survive and grow to be
Z a strong fowl. Potassium permangag-
nate q dram to . ounces of WateT) is
sometimes used with good results, the
1 scabs being painted with the remedy
= after careful washing A dilute solu-
[ tiOn Of silver nitrate (S grains to 1 ounce
of Water) can be used I'm the same man
10 ner. Sulphate of copper q dram to one,
D half pint of Water) has a place here
and also tincture of iOdin. These latter
remedies may prove severe and mus
be handled with great care CarDOliC
U ointment seems to be i'm favor with
2 many breeders. Dipping the diseased
head i'm warm salt water cures more Ol
less effeCtually Other pOultrymen have
had recourse to the Ointments made o
the oxides of mercury and zinc. Another
remedy which suggests itself is perONit
, of hydrogen (3 per cent solution In wa
{ terD Some poultry raiseTs have hat
( good results from the use of glycerir
containing 2 per cent Of carbOIio acid
! As stated i'm Salmon's Diseases of POul
try tincture of iodiu, either alone ol
] miEc1 with 10 per cent of cgrhOliC aCit
Doe applied only after other treatm0nu
have proved Intellectual. During treat
maut t0uics and stimulauts must b..
] used. The bird must have food forced
down it. if too weak t1 eat. on if becaus
of blindness it can not find the fooJ
N..H..