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Worms. 47 



mg the deep impressions which are always made by the Tantaculoe 

 (or Hooks) of the Bot, in the substance of t'.ie Stomach ; a fact which 

 may be very strikingly seen, by plucking away the Bots forcibly 

 from Ihe Stomach, soon after death. The same appearance of deep 

 indentations in this organ, may also be observed, as soon as the Bots 

 begin to drop off, from such stomachs as have been preserved many- 

 years in spirits. There can be na doubt however, that this loss of 

 substance in the Stomach, which is effected by the Tantaculoe of the 

 Bot, through the process of absorption, must be brought about by 

 inconceivably slow degrees, especially when the size of the Larva at 

 its first arrival in the Stomach, (just after bursting the egg) together 

 with its long continuance of many months, in its peculiar habitation, 

 be taken into account. As little doubt also can there be, that these 

 indentations in the Stomach made by the Bots, are, in the living 

 Horse, eventually filled up, by the almost inexhaustible powers of 

 nature, in the way of restoration:. 



Taking therefore, all these circumstances into account, I cannot 

 for my own part, help going a great deal farther than Mr, Clarke 

 has done, with respect to the general innoxiousness of Bots to Horses. 

 For whilst I see no good reason for supposing, that their presence 

 in the Stomach, is in the smallest degree unfriendly to the Animal,, 

 much less indeed can I discover any solid grounds for admitting, that 

 they ever occasion the death of Horses. Nor is the admission of 

 Mr. Clarke, that Bots do sometimes occasion the death of Horses^^. 

 easily to be reconciled with the opinion, which he elsewhere strongly 

 inculcates, of their probable utility in general, to the AnimaL This 

 latter notion he endeavours^ indeed^ to support, by many analogical 

 arguments ; some of which I confess appear to me, to be but irpper-> 



