This is a catarrh, or cold, by which the nostrils are stopped up, and
the membrane covering the tongue is hardened by inflammation. In large
birds it is common to remove this skin, taking it off from the base to
the tip: by this means this part can again perspire, the saliva
necessary for digestion can flow, and the taste and appetite returns. A
mixture of fresh butter, pepper, and garlic, generally cures this
catarrh. It is a good thing, also, for the birds to drink the pectoral
infusion of speedwell; and the nostrils may be opened by passing up a
small feather. The ruffling of the head, the beak often open and yellow
at its base, and the tongue dry, are the most decisive indications of
this disease.