The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-15
Bots In Horses.

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female gad-fy, the appearance of which
is familiar to every farmer. The egg is
made to adhere to the hair by means of
a glutinous liquor secreted with it.
These flies deposit large numbers of
these eggs on the horses legs and sides,
which the horse takes into his stomach
by means of licking or biting himself.
At the first Matching of the egg small,
active worm is produced, long in proper
ton to its thickness, but as its growth
advances, it becomes proportionately
thicker and broader and beset with
bristles. These insects are found hang
ing in clusters to the white cuticular
lining of the stomach, and maintain
their hold by means of two hooks or
claws.
When removed from the stomach by
means of the fingers, by sudden jerk
so as not to injure them, they will, if
fresh and healthy, attach themselves to
any membrane, and even to the skin OF
the hand. These bots retain their hold
to the stomach during the autumn and
winter and arrive at their full growth
during the next spring and summer,
when they are elected from the stomach
and pass from the bowels; after which
they assume the chrysalis form and de-
velop into full-hedged CAD, which in
turn commences the propagation of its
species, which in turn must pass through
the same period of incubation as its pro-
genitors.
1t is common phrase among GER
tain class of so-called horse doctors when
a horse is attacked suddenly, lies down
and gets up quickly, and looks at his
sides and in other ways evinces pain, to
say che has got the bots" 1t may be
true that he has bots. A few or many
of these insects in the stomach is Of
no consequence whatever, so far as
producing the attack referred to.
In acute attack of collie or infamma-
ton of the bowels, the horse is often
lost by ignorant persons pouring down
his throat the most absurd preparations
for the purpose of killing the bots. 1t
is the opinion of the author of this arti-
Gle that no horse ever died from the eff
fects of bots.
Many so-called horse doctors have
opened horses after death and found
that the bots had eaten entirely through
the coats of the stomach, and in their
ignorance they did not observe that
these insects had accomplished their
work after death, and were still alive,
Notwithstanding the active measures
taken by the bot doctor for their de-
struction.
UNIFORMED persons are always de-
sirous to possess some medicine which
will destroy bots; they wonder that
science lacks invention sufficient to COM
pound such an agent.
We copy the result of number of
experiments with bots three-fourths
grown:
"When immersed in rum they live
twenty-five hours; in decoction of to-
bacco, eleven hours; strong oil of Wit
riol (sulphuric acid), two hours eighteen
minutes were immersed without
apparent injury in spirits of cam
phor ten hours; in fish oil they
lived forty-nine hours; tincture of
aloes, ten hours; wine ten hours; solu-
ton of indigo, ten hours. A number of
small bots, with one that was full
grown, were immersed in strong solu-
ton of corrosive sublimate, one of the
most powerful poisons. The small ones
died in one hour, but the full-grown
one was taken out of the solution six
hours after its immersion apparently
unhurt. They will live for several hours
immersed in spirits of turpentine or al
cohol, and short time in nitric and
muriatic acid.
1t will be seen from the above that no
medicine can be given which will effect
the bot that will not also destroy the
coating of the stomach and injure or kill
the horse.
The veterinary surgeon can not tell
the symotoms of bots from collie. In
fact ninety-nine cases out of hundred
that are lost by treating for bots might
be saved if treated for collie or infam-
nation of the bowels.
DIR. VIM. Somerville has the following
to say with regard to tho treatment of
bots: "Should the bot doctor fail in
restoring his patient the excuse is gen.
orally that he was too late in admins
tering the never-failing dose, and the
worms had got through the stomach be-
fore the drench had time to arrest their
progress. The usual remedies given to
kill bots are mackerel brine, hair of the
tail cut fine and mixed with oil or milk,
the entrails of chickens chopped and
poured down, to bleed the mouth
and allow the horse to swal-
low the blood. There is something
cunning in administering these
remedies; for instance, the doctor
says he intended choking the bot with
finely prepared hair, and as the bot is
intent, during the attacks of eating into
the stomach, after blood, the entrails are
given as bait or trap to entice the ami
NAL to let 60 his deadly hold. / would
advise the owners of horses not to
trouble themselves on account of the
bot; they are harmless, no matter how
many may inhabit the stomach of their
horses. Let them alone and they will
pass off in the spring as described, but
If you attempt to dispossess them you
will find your work failure. When
your horse is attacked with either fiatu-
lent or spasmodic collie, or inflammation
of the bowels, pursue some sensible and
reasonable treatment for those diseases,
and do not give yourself any uneasiness
about bots. Horses very frequently suf-
fer from worms, which will produce a
rough, staring coat, poor condition, de-
bility and languor. When such is the
case support the animal with good,