Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-04-29
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about HoT Sc Bots

farmers and horse owners gener-
ally, a very prevalent idea that
these parasites cause common
ly.an acute disease which, for
the want of a better name, is
called the bots, and that their
destruction by some drug or
other means, is necessary to the
life OF the horse. How many
times are we called to go and
see an animal chat has cot the
bots" and find generally a case
Of simple spasmodic collie; oc-
casionalIy a, graver trouble,
which too often is caused by
what the animal has been dosed
with in hope Of destroying the
bot; which unfortunately, is a
vain one, as l hope soon plainly
to show that, even s&pposing
bots to be the trouble, the horse
will poison much sooner than
they.
And now to enter a little into
the description of the family Of
bots; there are three varieties
of fly that deposit their eggs
on the horse, viz: l. LESfTus
equi-the knee or great spotted
horse bot. These lay the eggs
on the knees, name, and sides
of the animal. 2. E8trUS hem
orrhoiddJiS-the lip or funda-
ment bot. These lay a black,
obIong egg, which has a foot
stalk, upon the lips Of horses
3 pstruS UeterjauS-red or breast
bot. 1t deposits its eggs upon the
sides of the chest, and in the base
of the abdomen. The eggs are de-
posted by the f., accompanied
10y a glutinous material. which
cluses them firmly to adhere "a
the hair. Here the eggs remain
for a time, when either from the
irritation caused by the hairs be.
ing glued together, or from lis
Matching, the animal is induced to
lick the spot, and the bot, as a
maggut, adhcres to the tongue. is
carried to the mouth, and those
that escape the teeth are swallowed
into the stomach; here they are
retained by means of two hooks,
which become fastened to the lin.
ing or mucous membrane of that
organ. AS soon as grown they
voluu tariiy loosen their hold, and
are passed off with the dung and
bury Themselves in the sell, where
they remain six or seven weeks
in the chrysaliS state; they then
come forth full fedged flies, and il
short time commence the laying
of eggs. In their turn, this &C
comrliShed, they perish; so thai
it seems that fully eight month.
of their short existence is spent ii
the digestive organs OF the horse
and that it is SO. is nature and nee
essary to the propagation Of then
species. Does. it seem probable
this being the case, that then
presence in the stomach should
cause any disease or irritation?--
Certainly not, for it would sim
ply defeat the purposes Of ma
ture in propagating their spe-
cics, and break one Of her un-
altered laws. If the horse dies
what are they to live on? They
must die also. If the desire Of
committing suicide be a FREEDOM
inant one in any part Of ANNA
ted nature it is certainly not in
the bot; for Immediately upon
the death Of the animal they Of
ten loose their hold, and are
found unattached among the
food. &C., in the stomach; that
they have not long been in this
unattached condition is shown
bv their presence there, for q
very short time would suffice
were they not fastened, to pass
them into the first bowel, and
so Oh away from living ami
NAL. That they are very tena-
cious of life and impervious tC
the action of any drug that cal
with safety be given to any live
animal, any one can prove fol-
himself by taking bot procured
from a dead animal and placing
him in any such agent as may
suggest itself to his mind, say
o;l= alcohol, spirits of turpentine
powerful solutions of mineral
acids. solutions of corrosive
snbIilnate, diluted I've; in fact
ANYTHING that will not actually
eat him up by virtue of its caus,
tic properties, and which would
IN inst r. Ms quickly eat the flesh of
ANYTHING living that came ), in J
any nth if will be seen that
for = number of days he will not
only live, but seem to thrive on it.
II Is admitted by ali authorities e.;