Under this heading is grouped, too often, the whole series of catarrhal affections. If Webster’s Unabridged is opened and “Roup” looked up, the inquirer is referred to “Roop”; turning to that word he is again referred to “Croup”, and that really is “Roup”. Dunglison’s Medical Dictionary also gives the same derivation. The difference between croup and diphtheria, in brief, and, what closer study would probably reveal to be analogous, roup and pip, is, that in roup the mucus remains slimy and stringy, while in pip it hardens and forms the “scale”. Be that as it may, roup is the bane of chicken-raisers and of chickens.
The disease is characterized by a foul breath, offensive discharges from the nostrils, inflamed and swollen head, sore eyes, and a cankerous-looking throat and mouth.
The homoeopathic remedy for roup is Spongia, and if homoeopathy had done nothing else for poultry breeders than to give them this remedy; it would merit their lasting gratitude. Of its efficacy there can be no doubt. Spongia is the sovereign remedy for croup in children, as countless thousands could testify, and it is the same in croup, or roup, of fowls. That this theory is correct is confirmed by experience wherever the remedy has been administered to fowls. Breeders, who heretofore had lost fifties and hundreds from roup, find that their loss under Spongia diminished to next to nothing.
 |
| Canker, trichomoniasis or roup |
In administering the remedy, all that is required is to dissolve from a dozen to four dozen pellets in clean water, and put the water, the usual quantity apportioned to the fowls, in a clean vessel, where they will drink it. Continue until the disease has disappeared, which will be in a very short time.
The disease sometimes called “Rattle” in geese seems to be nothing but a species of Roup, and Spongia is the remedy for it.
Among other homoeopathic remedies for Roup may be mentioned Hepar sulph., Aconite, Arsenicum and Tartar emetic. But these will hardly be called for often.
Before closing this subject is may not be amiss to quote the following testimony from a correspondent of The Poultry Keeper, a well-known journal:
“I don’t know but it will be in place to say something more of the Spongia. When I last wrote I was trying it on a rooster that had the Roup for six months. For a wonder it cured him up. Of course it would be impossible to do this in every case. You know I wrote you several times about losing my young chicks with the Roup. Well, I lost three lots-150 in all. I kept on trying, and, after using the Spongia, I have only lost a few, and will have winter frys instead of springs frys”.
Another correspondent writes as follows:
“I am now prepared to state unconditionally that Spongia did it; circumstances as more favorable weather, and my own rather costly experience of last year may have had something to do with it; but the facts are that, from July, 1889, when the roup invaded my flocks, until February, 1890, when by dint of the ‘survival of the fittest’, health was again in a measure restored in my poultry house, my chickens have yielded me very little income, and less pleasure, handling and dosing, isolating and fumigating, until I was almost suffocated and entirely disgusted. One-third of my entire flock succumbed. Fact is also that although not a believer in homoeopathic remedies, I used Spongia this year on the strength of the Poultry Keeper’s recommendation, as soon as the dreadful disease showed itself, about the middle of August, and the last and most satisfactory fact is that my hens and chickens never were in better health than they are now, and have been since the beginning of September; only a single chicken out of 150 having died of the disease. Certainly, single examples do not prove a case, but the experience of many others, which will not be slow to come in, should show that in Spongia we have a simple and effective remedy against as terrible a scourge as roup, the poultry fraternity may well congratulate itself and thank the Poultry Keeper”.
The foregoing written by a gentleman in Wisconsin. Here is a bit of experience from one, a citizen of New York:
“I had about twenty cases of roup in my flock this fall. I tried turpentine, glycerine and carbolic acid, in proper proportions, without effecting a single cure, and also used chloralum and several other remedies without any good effect. I commenced Spongia about a week ago, and part of them are now well, and there is a very marked improvement in the rest of the case”.
Another poultry-man writes:
“Since you sent me Spongia for a roup recipe I have given it a thorough trial, and find it strikes the very vital parts and does the work. I have tried a number of recipes, and they all proved a failure, and with the same symptoms, and every condition, the Spongia has cured in every instance, and for your advice in the matter I am under many obligations. I have quite a good place here and expect to raise a large number of chickens the coming season”.
And still another:
“At the time I commenced using the Songia I had fifteen or twenty cases of roup, and new ones coming down every day. They soon commenced to show signs of improvement, and are all now entirely well. Spongia did the business”.
Later issues of this journal contained abundant confirmatory evidence of the inestimable value of Spongia in Roup; one number contained letters from twenty different correspondents from all parts of the country testifying to the curative powers of Spongia.
It may not be out of place to emphasize again the necessity of getting Homoeopathic Spongia to obtain these results. We once read an Allopathic professor’s account of how Spongia is prepared and can affirm that if any one administered the remedy prepared as he directed no results would be obtained.