BOTS. 293 



remarks, as Mr. Clark says, he shall not be tenacious about the 

 permanency of the foundation they may furnish materials 

 for. 



But let us inquire how the operations are to be conducted 

 to which Mr. Clark attributes such a variety and number of 

 beneficial effects — how bots can promote digestion, and excite 

 irritation and issue by vellication. We must not forget, 

 that bots are attached to a part of the stomach which does 

 not perform any proper digestive function, and that all stimu- 

 lants or other substances promotive of digestion must be 

 applied to the vascular part, the only veritably digestive sur- 

 face, or else, it is obvious, they can have no such effect. 

 Moreover, in the cuticular portion of the stomach, which is 

 inorganic, how can anything like a determination of blood 

 or issue be produced. Indeed, I do not see with Mr. Clark 

 how bots can perform the office of stimuli at all, unless it be 

 that, by some motion they are capable of, they may have any 

 such influence upon the mucous follicles — placed in abun- 

 dance under the cuticular coat ; but then, again, we are not 

 sure that this secretion is necessary to digestion ! Thus far, 

 however, Mr. Clark and myself perfectly coincide in opinion 

 — "that the perfect health they (horses) enjoy with them 

 (bots) is proof sufficient of their innocuous nature and harm- 

 lessness in a general way.^' Though I have heard Professor 

 Coleman say, that he knew of one case where bots appeared 

 to have destroyed life ; since, after death, the coats of the 

 stomach appeared eroded in places, as well as the diaphragm, 

 and some of these animals had made their way into the 

 cavity of the chest. 



Hurtrel d^Arboval asserts, that, so long as bots exist but 

 in small number, they do no harm and cause no pain ; but 

 that in a multitude, they occasion sharp pains, and prove 

 detrimental to digestion by absorbing the greater part of the 

 juices necessary for that operation. The following case proves 

 that in numbers they are capable of doing a vast deal of 

 mischief : 



Mr. Cartw right attended a mare who, from being removed 

 in the autumn to pasture upon wet marshy land, and suffered 



