Worms. 51 



nbtionsj ^vhich have long prevailed upon this subject^, even the en- 

 lightened reader will find himself involved in a labyrinth of per- 

 plexity, whilst he is balancing the two opposite and discordant 

 opinions which are maintained, by this ingenious Philosopher. — 

 But, laying aside conjecture and discarding hypothesis, let us deter- 

 mine to draw our inductions from facts alone, which cannot deceive, 

 us, and we shall in all likelihood arrive at just conclusions upon this> 

 interesting and intricate subject. And more especially, let us examine 

 the probability of the notion, that the Bota do sometimes occasion the 

 death of Horses. 



Now, Mr. Clarke has himself satisfactorily explained to usj that 

 the stomach of the Horse-tribe, is the only Nidus which nature has^ 

 furnished, for the propagation of two species of flies, of the Genus. 

 QCstrus, and has admitted that but few Horses which are turned out 

 to Grass in the summer time, can escape the-attack of the fly whick 

 is the parent of the Bot.— There can, in fact, be no manner of question 

 that in all situations where the (Estrus is met with, most Horses that 

 are turned out to graze, will have i»ore or less of these Larvoe in their 

 stomachs. 



But what evidence have we, that they ever excite fatal spasms in 

 ths stomach, or ever prevent the passage of the food into the bowels, 

 and thus become the cause of the animal's death ? I answer, none. 

 True indeed it is, that on dissection, we frequently find Bots in the 

 stomach, and it has been the custom with Farriers, and other igno- 

 rant people, who cannot possibly be considered as competent judges^ 

 of morbid appearances, to be satisfied that the Bots alone, had io. 

 »iich cases, caused the death of the animaL 



