The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-24

rieulturc
 | The study of organs of digestion
 breathing and reproduction and theil I functions has received considerable at.
 tention by scientists, which has formed q
 basis for the study and treatment of dis. ease. In this article there will be giver some of the ways to discriminate between
 healthy and diseased organs, also a de. scription of the passage of the feed An autopsy should be performed as soon alter death as possible, as in hot weather It very quickly starts to decay, whic! impairs the progress of the work. Lay the bird on table with it's head from you; pluck the feathers from the under side of the body, and with a sharp knife cut through the abdominal wall to the side of the breast bone. Carry this cut forward till you strike the bone, then make the same kind of cut on the other side, then grasp the breast bone with the hand and force it forward, breaking out most of it. The organs are now ex- posed for observation.
 First, note the conical-shaped heart cone up in the chest portion, and above this the lungs, which in a healthy state are pale pink. If they are congested or inflamed they will appear dark and more or less solid or marbed when cut open. Back of this point, in the middle of the cavities, you will see a large, dark solid brown organ, which is the liver. Of all organs the liver is most often diseased in the fowl. We have found that the fowl, unlike mammals, does not suffer from abscess of the liver, though many times it is in a state of inflammation, which gives it a grayish, mottled appearance. Again, it may be highly congested and enlarged, when it will appear dark red to clay colored. Fatty livers are common, especially in overfed fowls. They appear light brown in color and when cut the knife blade seems greasy. In black head in turkeys the liver has decayed spots which appear yellowish white. In fowl cholera the liver is large and very darl. red.
 Now remove the liver and heart and note below extending from the crop, the second portion of the esophaguG. This long tube terminates just before the gig gard, in a slight expansion, the stomach. The gzzard is the large organ, about 21a inches in diameter and 1 inch thick, To- cated a trifle to the left and rest diagon- ally in the abdominal cavity. It is in this organ the feed is ground. There is seldom any diseased condition of the last three named organs. Extending from the upper and anterior part of the gizzard we note the beginning of the small intestines in the form of a loop. This loop is about 4 inches long and passes to the outside of the mass or intesttnes. The interesting part noted here is the long, whitish-yel- low lobulated strip lodged between these two portions of the first part of the small intestines. This is the pancreas, one of the most vital organs of digestion. It se- crataS a fl11i6 fhat fc which digest various nutrients. From this point the balance of the intestines are supported by a delicate Web-like Struc- ture. We note in this delicate web many blood vessels and nerves which have been traced from the large trunks under the backbone to the intestinal wall.
 At point inches from the anus, two blind pouches are given off, in which there is often found a small white worm. If these intestinal worms are found the birds should be given one grain thymol each, and Epson salts at a dosage of one table spoonful to the dozen fowls. Dis solve the salts in water and use the water to moisten bran or mash and thus feed.
 Some think fowl has no kidneys, which is the wrong idea. The kidneys are two in number and are lodged in irregular cavities in the under surface of the back bone. They are made up of three lobes or kIlOlS aHQ tue eLltlTS IlldSS IS dDOuL one and one-half to two inches long. At the anterior point in the male bird we notice a white, oval body lodged against the backbone, which is the reproductive or gan. In the female at this point we find the ovary. and extending from the ovary on the left side long tube about IS or 20 inches long, called the oviduct The yollt of the, egg is formed in the ovary, and as it is fully developed 1t is discharged into LI- IL. ing down this duct there is formed around it first. the albumin, next the mem- branes. and. finally, the she'll
 Diseased conditions of the ovary and oviduct are rather common, also ruptured membranes, which cause an accumulation of eggs in the abdominal cavity.
 COURSE OF THE FEED
 The feed passes through the first por- ton of the esophagus or gullet to the crop, which is in reality storehouse. The crop is located anterior and a trifle to the right of the center of the chest. From the crop the feed passes through the second portion of the esophagus to the stomach, which is sometimes called the proventriculus Here the feed is soaked in fluid that is strongly acid and con- tains ferment that changes the protein or muscle building material into soluble forms. The food then passes to the gz- gard, where it is ground
 The gizzard is provided with strong muscular walls and hard inner pad. These muscles contracting against grit or pieces of stone grind the feed into small particles.
 From the gizzard the ground feed masses into the intestines where it is further acted upon by substances from the pancreas, aided by the bile from the liver There is also some fluid secreted by glands from the walls of the intestines.
 That part of the feed that cannot be digested and rendered into the proper kind of solution is voided. It Is further found that the secretions from the kid neys. which are thrown off from the body are carried through two small tubes and voided. The whitish portion of the outer surface of the droppings is the kidney secretions.
 That part of the nutrients which has been converted into the proper solution Is taken up by minute vessels lining the in ner wall of the intestine, and carried 10 all the tissues; to nourish the body, to repair it, to continue growth, 10 form eggs and to keep the fowl warm.
 HOW FOLWS BREED
 About 50 years ago a Frenchman made study of the breathing apparatus Of the domestic fowl and in many respects he found it to be more nearly reptiian than mammalian. That is, in the fowls de- VnlOnmeOt if r,ov bova oo,,,a from inc