Human, do understand how to raise up sick hens to health. Some folks do
not know how to doctor hens, they doctor them wrong, it hurts them, and
it is dreadful cruel to let them die. It is as distressing to dumb
creatures to undergo sickness, and death, as it is for human, and as
distressing to be crueled, and as distressing to suffer. God requires
human to take good care of dumb creatures, and be kind to them, or not
keep any. Now do understand, and I will tell you exact.
STOPPAGE IN STOMACH.--If a hen has stoppage in her stomach, her corn
stops in her crop, hard and swell large, and she sick, first work with
your fingers carefully, get it soft, then take a small teaspoon and
measure it full of epsom salts, and dissolve it in water, and give it to
her with a teaspoon; you must keep to work with your fingers often, to
keep it from hardening again, and the next day, if her breath smells
bad, there is a rottenness in her stomach, then give her most as much of
epsom salts again. Put a little flour porridge in her mouth with a
teaspoon, three times a day, and a little soaked cracker, soaked in
water; put a little in her mouth if she can swallow it, in five days she
eat with the hens and be well. This is the way I cure them. Folks bring
hens to me in this disease, to the point of death, been sick a long
time, I cure them in five days; they must not have any milk in this
disease, it will kill them, do as I tell you and you can cure them. Once
in a great while one of my hens have stoppage in their stomach; I cure
them with only my fingers, because I take her as soon as the corn stops.
Milk does not agree with hens in sickness nor health, it keeps up in
their stomach, and they vomit it up. I think strange it does not agree
with hens, because milk is so good for human. You must not give your
hens any castor oil, nor rhubarb, in not any disease whatever; it is
poison for them, my reason tells me so, and I hear of folks killing
their hens by giving them such stuff. My hens all keep healthy, because
I keep them clean, and keep victuals and clean water standing by them,
and take good care of them. I can cure a good many diseases for hens,
but I cannot cure every disease. Every once in a while a sick hen is
brought to me, to the point of death, been sick a great while, most
dead, some ail one disease, some ail a number of diseases; I receive
them into my care, I doctor them, and take care of them, I raise them up
to health, I am unable to do anything, but I must take pity.
FROTH IN THROAT.--If a hen has froth in her throat and crop, measure a
small teaspoonful of epsom salts, dissolve it, put in a little black
pepper, and give it to her with a teaspoon, it will cure this disease;
but if she make a screaming noise with it, and distressed with it, then
a sore growing in her, then no cure.
GAPES.--If a hen or chicken gapes a great deal, and sick, and complains
of her throat, make pills of black pepper, cream, white flour, and put a
pill in her mouth and make her swallow it till she takes down enough;
the black pepper kills the worms. I cure them so.
BAG STONE.--This is a seldom case, I have known this case once in a
while. If a hen has a bag of stones grow in her, hang down under her,
you must give her the best of good cake to eat, the stones will consume
in a few weeks, then she will eat corn and oats with the hens, and lay
you eggs; but if you do not give her the best of cake she will certainly
die, she cannot eat anything else then, in this disease, but best of
cake. I cured them so.
SKIN IN HEN.--If a hen goes on her nest, and try to lay an egg, and
cannot, and there most all day, then a skin of an egg is in her, she
will certainly die if the skin of egg is not took out of her; some one
has a small finger, and common sense, take the skin of egg out of her,
then she is all right. I cure them so.
BONES.--If a hen is wounded in her hips, or any of her bones, bathe
freely with McQuesten's Extractor a number of times every day, put on a
good deal, till she gets well; I have cured a number of hens with this
Extractor, they could not stand nor walk, their bones was so spraint,
and so wrenched, &c. If their bones stiff too, then put on Dr. Job
Sweet's Sprain Liniment, if any sore, then put on castile soap. I cure
them so.
WILD.--I bought a young hen last year, she was dreadful wild, and when
one week was at an end she came to me, and let me take her up, she keep
still, and eat out of my hand, she remains gentle ever since, and a good
hen to lay eggs.
GREEN.--If a hen has bright green come from her, look same as bright
green paint, with yellow in it, give her rice water with nutmeg grated
in it, and Jamaica ginger, a number of times a day, till it cures this
disease. I cure them in a few days.
FEELING.--It is your duty to take good care, and not let anything hurt
your hens, consider dear little hens.
BIRDS.--When I step down to the door, the little harmless birds come fly
down on the ground, only one yard off my feet, and some of them half a
yard off my feet. I give them oats and dough to eat; they eat it. Will
they come to any one else? so few folks have feeling.
DIARRHOEA.---If a hen has diarrhoea, and pain with it, you must be as
careful about what she eats, as her medicines; she must not have not any
corn, and not any corn meal dough, not till she is well. Give her a
little warm flour porridge, five times a day, with a teaspoon; her
medicine, Jamaica ginger, put in warm rice water, and grate in good deal
nutmeg, give it to her three times a day, take good care of her, and she
get well. I cure them so.
LICE.--Human, some of them, have lice on their hens, it is cruel, the
reason is, the hen-house above the ground, and keep dirty, that breeds
lice on hens, and breeds diseases too; have a cellar for your hens, and
take up the dressing every morning, be no lice, lice will not breed in a
cellar, I never have any lice on my hens, and they keep healthy. Folks
bring sick hens to me, I cure them, and lice on them too, I put black
pepper in their feathers, it kills the lice. God meant for human to take
good care of dumb creatures, and be kind to them, or not keep any. Do by
dumb creatures as you would wish to be done by if you was dumb
creatures, consider how you would feel.
COWS.--Meal is good for cows, but it will not do for her to have it dry,
it gets in her nose and lungs, and hurt her, wet it; the best way is to
scald it, and cool it, does more good. Cracked corn is better; boil it,
put on cover, it steams it soft very soon, one quart makes two and a
half. Cows must not have dusty hay, it hurts their lungs, &c. Cows ought
not to have Timothy herds grass hay, it is physic. Hay ought to be wet.
WARPED NECK.--If a hen has warped neck, rub on castor oil, faithful, a
number of times, and give her a little Huile D'olive to take inside, a
good chance, her neck come in place again.
SWELLED HEAD.--If a hen has swelled head and face, and blue black, put
on Huile D'olive, I had one so, I cured her.
FEVER.--If a hen has a fever, and her crop swelled soft, take a small
teaspoon full of epsom salts and dissolve it in warm water, and put in a
little black pepper in it, and give it to her with a teaspoon, and give
her as much warm water as she wants to drink in her sickness, I cure
hens and chickens so in three days, and give her a little porridge with
a teaspoon, five times a day, till she is able to eat. I cure them so.
FEELING.--If any one is cruel to dumb creatures, they will go to
everlasting punishment, and have the greatest punishment.
SICK, I am, and very unable to do anything, but I must take pity,--dear
little hens.
* * * * *
God is good, love and truth, merciful in all his ways. If the will of
God could be done in full, it would be a great happiness among dumb
creatures and human too. Cruelty is of the evil one. The good God is
looking down upon such folks; He will cast them off to everlasting
punishment. Human must do God's commandments in deeds, words and
thoughts. Be kind to poor hens in every way, and not let them suffer
with hunger nor cold; cruelty not in any way; must not affrighten them;
doctor them when they have diseases. Be good and kind to them. Think how
good God is. Act up to His will in all your ways and all your thoughts
too. You must keep your hens from suffering with cold, and give them
enough to eat, and keep them clean, and not affrighten them, &c., &c.,
or they cannot lay you eggs. If your hens or chickens have their crops
swelled soft, and a fever, give them a portion of Epsom salts, with a
little black pepper in it, and give them as much warm water as they can
drink; in their sickness take good care of them, they get well. If they
have stoppage in their stomach, their crop swelled hard, take your
fingers and jam carefully till their crop is soft, then give them a
portion of Epsom salts. I have cured them with only my fingers, they get
well. If they have itching feet and scurfy, if mutton tallow will not
cure it, then put their feet in a thing of warm water and wash them
every morning till they get well. When they shed their feathers, their
stomach is weak then, they must have soft victuals then, hard corn will
distress their stomach then. If hen's body comes out, put it back in her
and see to her, she be well by the next day. If it comes more than half
way out, it can be put back if any one has common sense. If a string of
hen's insides comes out, with a egg fast to it, break the egg, and take
it off from her insides and put her insides back in her and see to her,
she be well by the next day. If hen's legs chilled with cold for want of
sun, and they cannot walk, take them by the fire and rub their legs and
feet, faithful, half a day, then rub on black pepper mixed with warm
water, they get well. If a hen is starved she must not have hard corn at
first, give her flour bread soaked soft in milk, till she is able to eat
corn. Hens must not go in snow, it hurts them. They must not have fat
meat. They must not be crowded, their room must be large enough. Their
roosts must not be too high, for them to fly down on hard floor, it
hurts their feet and hips. I know it. Hens want sun in winter and shade
in summer. If hens' feet crack, bleed, and sore places, melt mutton
tallow and white sugar together, rub it on faithful, they get well. If
they bleed great deal, put on warm alum water first, they get well. If
hens' feet swell, put on sweet apple balsam every day, they get well. If
hens' head turns over, give her Epsom salts and black pepper, she get
over it for a while. If hens have diarrhoea, give them boiled rice,
black pepper, nutmeg, mixed, they get well if you take good care of
them. Hens must not have fish, it physics them. Hens must not have
anything relaxing. If hens have rattling in their throat give them Epsom
salts and black pepper, they get well. If hen has her head quiver, and
stagger, give her Epsom salts, and keep her quiet, and her food soak
cracker in milk, she get well. If hens taken lame in the afternoon
without being hurt, rub on mutton tallow and black pepper, they get
well. If hen's bones spraint or bruised, bathe freely with Mequesten's
Extracter, take good care of her, she get well in time, must have little
time for it. This medicine will cure burns, scalds, on human, no doubt
on hens too. It will cure sores, put it on when they first begin to
come. If anything ails hens' eyes, rain-water is good, new milk put on,
mutton tallow put around her eyes, salve made of rose water and cream,
put around her eyes. Hens must not be confined in wind, it hurts them,
they cannot lay you eggs. God placed us in this world to be kind to dumb
creatures, or not keep any, and kind to human too. Consider what a
wickedness it is to go contrary from it. I keep cow and hens, I do my
duty for them. If hens have watery stomachs give them black pepper, put
it in their dough, if they are able to eat it, if not able, then mix the
pepper with water, and give it to her with a teaspoon, be careful and
not have it too strong, to take her breath. If hens have pip, give them
the same medicine, it will cure pip and watery stomach. Help them in
season. If hen has swelled throat, put on sweet oil and black pepper,
she get well. You must not give your hens salt, it will kill them. You
must not give them rye, it will hurt them. If hen lays soft shell eggs,
let her set two or three weeks, she lay hard shell eggs again. You must
take good care of your poor hens or they cannot lay you eggs. Hens must
be kept clean and must not have any bad smell with them, it will poison
them. You must not give them cayenne pepper, it will poison them, it
drives a redness into their heads, then they fail till they die. Black
pepper is good for them when they need it. Hens must have clean victuals
and clean water to drink. Take the chill off the water in winter. Keep
good yellow southern corn standing by them, they take a little when they
want it, it does them more good, and it takes less to keep them. Give
them boiled oats, it is good for them to lay eggs. I give my hens boiled
oats all the time, and corn standing by them. I give them some other
victuals too, sometimes, and sometimes I give them some boiled potatoes.
I mash it with cream for them. My hens lay me more eggs than anybody's
hens anywhere, by what I hear. Good flour bread is splendid to make them
lay eggs, but I am not able to cook it for them. The bread must not be
sour. Keep fine clam shells by them, and gravel sand. They must be kept
warm in winter and cool in summer. They must have clean, warm cellar
room, you will have double the eggs. Take up the dressing every morning
certain, and oftener, if they stay down there days. When cold, keep them
in the cellar, when the weather is suitable, let them out days. If cold
morning, keep them in till the sun gets up warm. Be clever to them. They
must not be affrighted. They can never get over it. I hear what folks do
all my days, and their poor hens cannot lay much and they die off. It is
wicked for folks to be so cruel.
Be good and kind to all that breathes,
Act up our good Saviour's laws,
Have tender feelings in your hearts,
For all the poor, harmless dumb creatures.
My hens are all in better order since I had a cellar for them, than they
were before, and lay me double the eggs. Hens must not suffer with the
cold, nor no other sufferings, you cannot have eggs. Raise your chickens
on good flour bread, it will make them healthy, grow fast and smart;
they must be fed often; I do not think meal is very good for hens or
chickens; meal is splendid for cows. If you are forced to give your hens
or chickens meal, you must sift it fine and scald it and cool it. I used
to raise my chickens on flour middlings dough, it is splendid for them.
Flour bread is better. I do not set any hens now. You must not let young
chickens go in cold nor wet ground, nor rain, &c., &c. You must boil
some corn in winter, and give it to your hens warm, besides other
victuals.
Human, those that are cruel to dumb creatures and to human too, and
murder, rob, steal, cheat, contrary, spite, deceit, and take the
advantage of any one, to damage them in any way, &c., &c., those will go
to everlasting punishment hereafter, and have the greatest punishment.
Be tender hearted, be kind one to another, do your duty to those
who still live.
God requires human to do as they wish to be done by,
In deeds, words and thoughts, to human and dumb creatures too.
The greatest sin is, in the sight of God, is to cruel the poor
harmless dumb creatures,
They cannot speak nor help themselves.
The next sin is to cruel sick human,
The next sin is to cruel any who cannot help themselves,
And especially the cruel to the poor, harmless dumb creatures.
The Lord will cut asunder the cords of such sinners.
This world a place of misery,
I pray for thy kingdom to come, to destroy all sin,
O Lord, land me in heaven, that holy, happy place,
When I bid adieu to this vain world,
My good God in heaven, my only true friend,
Has held me up with His arm, and all I have to lean upon.
Christ, a man of grief, he wept so much himself,
On him I lean, who not in vain,
He counts and treasures up my tears.
NANCY LUCE.
WEST TISBURY, DUKES COUNTY, MASS., 1871.
* * * * *
This reading below is on my gravestones:
Poor little heart, ADA QUEETIE,
O my heart is consumed
In the coffin under ground,
O how I feel for her,
She and I could never part,
She was my own heart within me,
She had more than common love,
And more than common wit.
Poor little heart, BEAUTY LINNA,
She has consumed,
In the coffin under ground,
O how I feel for her,
She was a cunning little heart.
Poor TWEEDLE, TEDEL, BEEBE, PINKY,
Poor dear little heart,
Sore broke in her,
I am left broken-hearted,
She was my own heart within me,
She had more than common wit,
She is taken from the evil to come.
Them that knew me once, know--me--no--more,
Till all things have their end,
And they, and I, do meet in heaven.