This is a disease to which birds that have been caught recently are very
subject, before they are accustomed to their new food. Most of these die
of it: they continually void a white calcareous matter, which sticks to
the feathers round the vent, and being very acrid causes inflammation in
that part and in the intestines. Sometimes chalybeate water and the oil
clyster produce good effects; but it is better, if possible, to procure
for the bird its most natural food. Some people pull out the feathers
from the tail and vent, and then rub these parts with fresh butter, but
this is a very painful and cruel operation. They also mix the yolk of an
egg boiled very hard with their food, but I have never found this
succeed very well. If there be any hope of curing this disease it is by
attacking it at the beginning, before inflammation is violent; boiled
bread and milk, a great deal of lettuce, or any other similar green
refreshing food, in general completely cures them.
In a case of chronic diarrhoea, which almost reduces the birds to
skeletons, Dr. Handel prescribes chalybeate water mixed with a little
milk for their drink, which, he says, is an easy and certain cure.