The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-05-09
AN UGLY PARASITE.
The Ok Bot Attarns Its Development 10
Peculiar Way.


Peculiar Way.
We all know that there are parasites
In human society whose crooked ways
seem almost past finding out, They
always manage to live on the labor of
others. and sometimes seem to thrive
by this means.
The prototypes of these persons are
tosnd in the animal world, and it is
the ways of one of these prototypes
that | propose to trace out This indi-
vidual parasite is the OK bot, though
fact. when looked over the exhibits
of the Smithsonian institution at the
worlds fair, | was unable to find any
thing relating to this insect for the
simple reason that did not know it by
this name, nor by its scientific name,
and | was unable to find anyone who
could give me any information in re-
gard to it. 1t was only after address,
ing DIR. G. Brown Goode, curator of
entomology, Smithsonian institution,
Washington, D. c., that l was able to
obtain any description of the insect.
The main facts here noted were OBJ
tanned from an article written by c. V.
Riley, Phi. D., which DR.. Goode sent me.
The most that is known of this insect
by most people is that during the lat
ter part of winter and early spring
hard tumors are found on the backs of
cattle, which, upon pressure, will give
forth grub. This grub is the larva
of the insect and is nearly an inch in
length. 1t was generally supposed by
scientists, until quite recently, that
the larva reached this position by be-
ing Matched from an egg that was in
serted in the skin by the fly, or was at
tached to the hair and Matched in this
place from which it made its way in
some mysterious manner to where it is
found. That it was in any way re-
lated to the bot fly, the larvae of which
infest the stomachs of horses, was not
dreamed of.
After a series of observations, ex-
tending through many years, it has
been discovered that the fly attaches
its egg usually to the heel of the COW
or OK and is removed and Matched by
the animals licking itself at the time
it sheds it's coat. The larva is very
minute at first, only about one three
thousandth of an inch in length. 1t is
provided with hooks by means of which
it is able to cling to the tongue and
roof of the mouth. It's development is
very slow, for in November, and later,
it is found clinging to the esophagus,
only about half an inch long. About
this time moulting occurs in which it
loses most of it's hooks, which would
be hindrance to it in travelling. 1t
now commences a long and slow jour
ney. boring through the tissues to the
back of the animal where it is found in
the latter part of winter. In passing
the query might be started as to the
character of the pilot that guides this
pest in its vivisecting tour through an
ocean of living flesh and tissue to a
safe anchorage in the barbor, the lum-
bar region, of poor ''Mulley."
Cases have occurred where the eggs
of this insect have been introduced
into the human system, and Matched,
the larva having been found working
about under the skin. A case occurred
in the practice of DR.. Sylvanus Free
man, of Smithport, Mexican county,
Pa, who was called to attend a child
supposed to be suffering with erysipe-
las. The child suffered with pain such
as to prevent its sleeping at night,
caused by something working under
the skin. This worm, or ''polywog,'
as the mother called it, had been no
ticed five months before near the ster.
nal end of the right clavicle. 1t had
travelled up and down the chest il
front, down the arm to the elbow, and
over one side of the back. Similar
cases have been observed in Norway
among persons who have had the care
of cattle.
These larvae, on reaching the back
of the animal, bore through the skin
to the air. The spiracles, or breathing
holes, are at once enlarged, and here
it lives for several months. 1t then
crawls from this situation, falls to the
ground, where it lies in the chrysalis
state from three to six weeks, when
the fly, about half an inch long, of a
dark color, more or less densely
clothed with yellowish-white, reddish
and brownish- black hairs. energies.
FRANKLIN BELKNAP.