Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-01

tE3rHS N9u3HHS Uf Limo.
That species of Gsius which produces the
bolts in horses. when in the Fly state shews
not Only manifest consciousness OF its hav-
ing derived its origin from the horse, but a
distinct remembrance of having resided in the
early part OF its life in the body of that ami
NAL. The pregnant female endeavours TO de-
post her eggs IN The mouth of the horse
The animal. Knowing by experience, the in
ttnuon, frcts, stamps. aud moves its head mp
and down, 10 get rid of the inpor tiiuities of
the insect. Such is the shape OF The abdomen,
from the eloDgation of the conduct in the fly,
that IL succeeds whenever tie under lip of the
horse is found by il little separate from the
upper which is ofies The case in great de-
gree when the animal sleeps on its feet. If
fotled ~ that attempt the insect hoyPrs around
the body of the korso, occasionally darling
with the swittness of an arrow 10 some select
edspot. where ii athNes its eggs tn the hair by
means OF glutinous matter i'll which thpy are
envei0ped. In Chusing place IL evidently
seeks TO ensure shelter for the eggs from the
effects OF rain, which are of course known 10 il
from Its own experience, That the insect
selects those paris of the horse, which are in
some degree sheltered from the rain and vet
exposed to the sni', and not these, at which the
horse ~ most apt 10 bite in order 10 allay itch
ing, IS quite obvious. Aninstiuctive knowledge
OF this enemy is attributed To the horse with
out reason, in spite of the manifest absurdiiy
involved IN the superstition, that an animal
SO Tar inferior 10 man should possess from
tnre an intelligence superior TO us in matter
that this fly would attract the notice of the
hose so strongly. it it were not for the repeat
ed assautsit makes OH the mouth of the ami
NAL and its resemblance TO many insects that
bear other means of ausoyance.
Monsieur Daubenton in his anatomical de-
scrlpilon OF the horse, which is to be found in
Tie natural history of the count DE Button
says III treating OH this subject There were
great MANY worms in this stomach (that of
an old robust horse killed in the spriuv season.
as IN all the different stomaclls of the other
horses We opened, in number altogether more
'han sixty, or different descriptions. The
worms were male and female and OF very Diff
ferent sizes. | counted as many as six hmm
dred and sixty OF them in single stomach
BESIDES which there were vet many others at
or near to the other extremity OF the alimen-
tary canal let ontre celia il en- avail plusIeurs
lannt) hut we none in the intrSti,es
between. They were all oblong and of different
sizes. The smallest were three liHes long and
about one line IN diameter. The length OF the
largest was eight lines, their breadth three
lines, ami their thickness two lin es "a line is
equal TO two French millimetres, or 0.07S7 OF all
inch EDgliSh) some of them were of a yellow
line ~ others, particularly the smallest, of CO.
| Tor Inclining TO be red The fore part of these
insects is narrower than the hind part which
gives 10 their figure the appearance OF a small
cone. Their body is encrcI-d with eirhr or
nine rings, upon which are little brstly points
| OF considerable hardness. AT their anterior
extremity they have hooks (crotchets) by
means of which they tasten thems elves 30 pre-
vent their bsing carried away with the aiiment
Indeed those short bristles which rrnject fron,
| their bodies, in circles, on the edges of the
rings. contribute to keep them in their places
| tor they have direction backward from the
head. We have always fonnd these worms at
| the beginning of the duudenum quite close
| TO the pylorus in greater number than any
where else. They are ranged side by side
| The fore part of them is always buried in the
little cavities which they make for themselves
| in the walls of the intestnes. They are also
~ np roo N he oil. IS, 81,
mach aud many different spots Oh the viilous
coat, which bear the appearance of having
been gnawed or destroyed by them NAV often
| be seen. Indeed it has bcen observed that
| they often make holes in the stomach and
| cause gangrene." To this may be well added
that the elder MonrO, Professor of ANATOMY
| ~ Edinburgh tor many years before 1867, de-
mOnstrated that the membrane which lines the
inside OF the stomach and intestines III man and
| other animals, If not the same continued sub
| stance with the cuticle, or scarf-skin, which
| covers the external of the BODY is at least of
| The same kind, having analogous uses and adj
| vantages, and equally liable to thickeu and
| harden, to become caiOus and inseusible from
| similar causes. In the one case il il stretched
| aud smooth and in the other ii hangs loose and
| floating when fluids are present This might
| be expected from the different circumstances
| OF IFS forming lining to "A convex or coucave
| surface, being more or less exposed to acct
| denis, and existing geReraiIy with or entirely
| without protecting liquors when this fact IL
l
| that the stomach of man. receives with so
| little injury, substances of such powerful
action; or that the horse suffers NO little from
| the ordinary attacks Ot the bolts which per-
| haps rarely penetrate through the WILLOWS coat
| during the life of that animal.
| Monsieur DaubentOn proceeds TIM supOn this
| subject; Ii is pretended that these worms
| are produced by flies, which place them within
/ the bowels of the horse or at least deposit
| eggs there which very soon hatch and secomc
| the worms IN question. These worms they
| say, traverse the whole length of the intestiurs
| TO The stomach, where hOweverthey remain on.
~ for d certain time after which they return 10
| the extremity They have been seen to come
| forth In the months of May and June to be
| speedily transformed. II is believed into n
| species Otffy, which reprOduces them anew.
| This u not the place 10 give the history of
| these worms and Hes any further than their
connection with The horse. Ii cannot he
| doubted that they are fatal TO great number
| since they have the power of causing ulcers i'm
| thelF Slomachs, and even of piercing them
| through. Ii is pretended that oily substances
| do not destroy them, they do many other
| insects but oils are recommended against the
| white worms, which are pointed at the two
| ends, aud whicb are sometimes more than Sin
| inches long alSo against those the form of
| which resembles large ant (grOsse airuillcl
| which others are very dangerous to horses 1
| have never once found any Of the last in those
! have opened, but have often met with long
| worms aud some times with small fiat worms
| very white and formed of several rings Mer-
| curlal remedies have been proposed against
those in the shape ola cone, lint have not been
| fully tried. This subject nevertheless is very
! interesting. Besides, the stomach aud intes-
| tines OF tie horse are formed in "a manner so
singular as to deserve The attention OF physici-
ans as well as naturalists. Digestion mnst be
| performed by IL ia manner quite peculiar,
| Tor the stomach Is very small lu comparison
| with the bulk Of the animal, while on tic con-
| irary, tie colon has very large pouches IN II,
| which seems to serve in some measure in
! stead OF tue stomach. II is already known
that the conformation renders vomiting
I ifnnnseihle in IIe hnfse frnn, lie r,nrnIi..,