Scientific American Supplement, No. 460, October 25, 1884 by Various
page 96 of 132 (72%)
page 96 of 132 (72%)
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of other inquirers as well as himself.
He states that Montague obtained great success by a combination of the following methods: Removal from infested runs; a thorough change of food, hemp seed and green vegetables figuring largely in the diet; and for drinking, instead of plain water, an infusion of rue and garlic. And Mégnin himself mentions an instance of the value of garlic. In the years 1877 and 1878, the pheasant preserves of Fontainebleau were ravaged by gapes. The disease was there arrested and totally cured, when a mixture, consisting of yolks of eggs, boiled bullock's heart, stale bread crumbs, and leaves of nettle, well mixed and pounded together with garlic, was given, in the proportion of one clove to ten young pheasants. The birds were found to be very fond of this mixture, but great care was taken to see that the drinking vessels were properly cleaned out and refilled with clean, pure water twice a day. This treatment has met with the same success in other places, and if any of your readers are troubled with gapes and will try it, I shall be pleased to see the results narrated in the columns of the _Country Gentleman_. Garlic in this case is undoubtedly the active ingredient, and as it is volatile, when taken into the stomach the breath is charged with it, and in this way (for garlic is a powerful vermifuge) the worms are destroyed. Another remedy recommended by M. Mégnin was the strong smelling vermifuge assafoetida, known sometimes by the suggestive name of "devil's dung." It has one of the most disgusting oders possible, and is not very pleasant to be near. The assafoetida was mixed with an equal part of powdered yellow gentian, and this was given to the extent of about 8 grains a day in the food. As an assistance to the treatment, with the object of killing any embryos in the drinking water, fifteen grains of salicylate of soda was mixed with a pint and three-quarters of water. So successful was this, that |
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