The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-10-02
CAPTIVE BIRDS.

Their Diseases aud s;s.. ss.tcus h,
which 1h~s Nrr rrs-s-i.
Few Of as have ever picked 40 a
sick or discussed bird In IA, vc,ds. or
course. birds fan an. but there are
many reasons why they are seldom
seen. There is such severe struggle
FOR very existence finding food. avoid
ing cncmieS-that when bird for any
reason becomes less active or weak
encd very short time clapScs before
some hawk or other animal Kills il. II
by some rare chance il should die and
drop TO the ground. burying beetles.
those Insect uudortakers OF the neither
world. set az work and in a day re-
move the carcass from view.
No matter how exactly natural con
diuons are copied. birds in confinement
are bound 10 be attacked now and then
10y disease. When the collection OF
birds In the New York geological park
assumed an Importance which war
ranted it, many books on avian dis
eases were purchased. and the major
ity were found TO be almost worthless.
especially those relating to the care Of
wild birds. SO these were east aside
and experiments begun. which. though
they cost more lives than one NJ first
soon yielded results which have proved
invaluable. The birds body is com
posed Of flesh. blood and bones so like
our own in composition that. il was
argued priori. why would not the
sumo therapeutics applys In many in
stances perfect confirmation OF this has
resulted.
Birds differ from human beings in
few important respects. For instance.
the normal temperature OF most birds
Is about no degrees. which would Kill
4 human being. The circulation is
correspondingly rapid. and the eject
OF any medicine IS apparent in very
short time. Out Of thirty organic dis
eases which have caused deaths among
the birds all but four or five have
yielded TO treatment. and most OF those
cured have certain definite premonitorv
symptoms. so that they can be treat
cd before an advanced stage renders
recovery uncertain. Most Of the recent
deaths among the hundred odd birds
have been due 10 accidents or OCCASION
al cats.
Colds are very common ailments
among the birds. and II these are not
attended to often lead 10 roup and
oiphtheria. Sometimes the latter dis
ease appears in a bird almost without
warning. a very little thickenlnc OF
the third eyelid in a hawk may be the
frsff
very bad diphtheritc condition. Ma
laria has been detected several times
and. curiousiy enough. in herons and
other wading birds whose ordinary
mode of life. one would think. would
long ago have eliminated all birds dis
posed toward such disease. Flamiu
goes spend much OF their time standin
OF walking in water. and yet they ar
extremely liable when confined
damp places to contract rheumatism
This and similar complaints often
yield to treatment of quinine alone.
Corns are the bane OF birds whose
perches may be too large or where the
floors Of the cages are not softened bv
layer OF sand or dirt. \ corn viii
XIII n bird Of the largest size II left
untreated. II is easily cured. and when
birds foot has once recovered from
such 4 trouble it seems 10 be Immune.
as the hardest concrete has no further
effect on IL
Canker is fortunately very rare. but
the gapes, caused by tiny worms in
the throat and trachea. IS more com
mon. Instead OF ramming an oiled
feather down the poor creatures
throat much better way TO effect a
cure is to let the bird inhale the fumes
OF carbolic acid, and a very few
sneezes VIII dislodge the troublesome
worms Parrots in two or three in
stances have had a peculiar disease.
ana 10y accident II was found that il
tne oird was kept continually in the
Siaring sunshine Il recovered. Wheth-
er the heat is the curative agent Is NOT
vet known --Na.r- N,~f-