_Treatment._ Treatment is seldom successful. It is best and most merciful to kill the afflicted bird. If it is desired to make an effort to save the bird, carefully puncture the lower portion of the abdomen with a trocar and squeeze out the liquid. Give invalid diet. DYSENTERY _Serious if in epidemic form_ _Symptoms._ Severe diarrhea with blood in the discharges. _Cause._ Bacterial or other specific infection of the intestines. Occasionally the eating of some poisonous or irritating substance will give rise to blood in the excrement. _Treatment._ Isolate bird, and give six to eight drops of chlorodyne on a small piece of bread. Thorough disinfection (see page 10) of water, soil and house is necessary to prevent this disease spreading. EGG-BOUND _An uncommon complaint_ _Symptoms._ The hen goes on and off the nest straining to lay. Generally the egg may be felt through the vent. After straining for some time, she may succeed in laying the egg, and treatment should not be undertaken until it is evident that the fowl needs assistance. _Cause._ Very young hens are more liable to this complaint, which arises from eggs of an abnormal size, from lack of muscular power, or from some other disorder of the oviduct. _Treatment._ It will be most merciful to kill fowls in much distress, as treatment is tedious and painful to the fowl. It has been recommended to hold the fowl’s vent over steam from boiling water and then to pass an oiled finger up the vent. In bad cases, pierce the egg and withdraw the contents, then break the shell and remove all the pieces. Great care must be taken to leave no particle of the broken shell behind. EGG-EATING _A bad habit that may be controlled_ _Symptoms._ If remains of eggs are seen in nests or runs, the poultryman should become suspicious and make observations to prove whether any of his flock are eating eggs. _Cause._ Broken eggs or soft-shelled eggs left about the yard may be the cause of hens acquiring this bad habit. _Treatment._ All signs of broken eggs should always be immediately removed. The culprit, when detected, should be removed to a different pen and nest. Dark nests have been recommended. A trap nest will prevent a hen from getting at her egg. EMPHYSEMA (AIR UNDER SKIN) _Not a common disease of chickens_ _Symptoms._ In this disease of chickens the skin becomes puffed out in one or more places, generally on the neck. In rare cases the puffing spreads over nearly the whole of the body. _Cause._ This disease is evidently caused by some obstruction of the air passages that forces the air to escape under the skin. _Treatment._ Let out the air by puncturing the skin. Give soft and nourishing food. It will probably be wiser not to use birds that recover from this complaint for breeding stock.