96 NAYIX OX THE HORSE. 



ease the horses may have died of, the bots will be found either 

 at work, or already bored through the stomach. They never 

 went to work of their own will ; the changes the stomach had 

 undergone while the animal was dying, or after he was dead, 

 caused them to go to Avork. 



So far as is now known, the bots are quite harmless in the 

 horse's stomach. There is no known disease caused by them. 

 An intelligent and careful examination of the symptoms of any 

 of those cases commonly pronounced "^ofo," will show that 

 the case is one of gripes, inflammation of the bowels, colic, or 

 some other disease of the internal organs. 



Instead of bots being dangerous in the horse's stomach, and 

 liable to produce disease, some intelligent veterinary surgeons 

 have thought they may serve sonie valuable purpose. But 

 this is not certain. But it is true that, while thousands of 

 horses have bots in them, they enjoy quite as good health as 

 those without them. They seem in no way to aifect the horse's 

 health. 



If the foregoing arguments and conclusions are true, it will 

 readily be seen how utterly useless are the thousand and one 

 drenches and potions which are so oftep given to cure the horse 

 of bots. It will also be seen that many of them may prove 

 not only useless, but may do very great injury. For the most 

 dangerous and destructive articles are often given under the 

 vain idea of " making the bots let go" — articles which any sens- 

 ible man ought to know would kill the horse. I have known 

 a quart of strong ooze or infusion of tobacco poured down a 

 horse for this purpose. Corrosive sublimate has been given. 

 Among the less harmful measures may bo mentioned milk 

 and molasses, lime-water, buttermilk, sage tea, and the use 

 of charms. 



Under the use of these means, time is given the horse to 

 get w^ell, if whatever disease he is suifering from is not too 

 powerful for nature to effect a cure. But they are certainly 

 useless. And, if the case is a severe one, this foolery of bot 



