294 DISExVSKS OE THE STOMACH. 



to remain out until nearly Christmas, lost her flesh and 

 strength. At length she became worn down to a skeleton, 

 and, from debility, lost the use of her hind parts ; in which 

 condition she was destroyed. The colon and caecum con- 

 tained liquid faeces, consisting principally of the soil and grit 

 she had eaten. The lining membrane was in a state of 

 approaching mortification. In the ileum were many flukes, 

 resembling those found in rotten sheep. In the stomach 

 were forty red bots, wliicli had in places almost eaten through 

 its coats. In the oesophagus were two hundred large white 

 bots, which in several places had eaten through and buried 

 themselves under the cuticular coat : the tunic itself was 

 altogether changed in colour and texture, and stank very 

 much. There were about twenty pounds of soil in her in- 

 testines, which had evidently been picked up from the same 

 soil spread on the field. 



Mr. Clark concludes his interesting account of the 

 bots of horses with some observations on the most eff'ectual 

 mode of destroying them. He observes — and let this obser- 

 vation be imprinted upon our mind — that, " At the natural 

 annual period of their transformation, they come av/ay readily 

 enough of themselves ; and if it happen at the time that any 

 medicine is being exhibited, it is considered as proof enough 

 of its efficacy, and mistaken for the consequence of it : so 

 easy is it to draw wrong conclusions. Neither opium nor 

 tobacco given for several days have any effect upon them, as 

 I have witnessed by opening the stomach after the death of 

 such, and finding them lively and well. We can, it is true, 

 force the poison down the horse^s throat, but we cannot 

 afterwards get it into the throat of the worm, who is placed 

 in his own element, and can refuse the food that does not 

 suit him. Truly, is it therefore difficult to destroy them 

 by means of poison thrown into the stomach." — " The wisest 

 measure," continues our author, ^' for securing animals from 

 their effects, is, to prevent their propagation or access ; and 

 their habits expose to us an effectual mode of doing this. 

 The eggs of the oestrus equi, which are very conspicious on 

 the knee, the mane, and the sides of the horse, may be washed 



