DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 453 



bushes, and attaches itself to the mammal onl}^ to secure a feast of 

 blood, for when gorged it drops off to sleep off its debauch on the soil. 

 The tick produces great irritation by boring into the skin with its 

 armed proboscis. If pulled out, the head and thorax are often left in 

 the skin. They may be covered with oil to shut out the air from their 

 breathing pores, or by touching them with a hot penknife they will be 

 impelled to let go their hold. 



GRUBS IN SKIN. 



Parasite: Uy^oclerma silenus. Malady: Larvse, {grubs) under the 

 skin. — This fly deposits its embryo on or in the skin of the horse, as 

 its congener {Hypoderma hovis) does in the ox, and the resulting 

 larvse pass the winter in little rounded sacs beneath the integument, 

 furnished with a central opening, through which the mature larva 

 escapes in early summer and develops into a fly. In districts where 

 they exist the grubs should be pressed out of the skin in the course 

 of the winter and destroyed. 



LARViE (grubs) ON THE SKIN, OR FLYBLOW. 



The following flies, among others, deposit their eggs on open sores 

 or on wet filthy parts of the skin, where their larvae or grubs give rise 

 to serious trouble: Lucilia csesar (bluebottle), ^Z^^ce'Zm hominivm'ax 

 (screw worm fl}'^), Musca vomitoria (meat fly), and Sai'cojjJiaga carnaria 

 (flesh fly). To prevent their attacks wet, filth}^ hair should be removed 

 and wounds kept clean and rendered antiseptic by a lotion of carbolic 

 acid 1 part, water 50 parts, or by a mixture of 1 ounce oil of tar in 20 

 ounces sweet oil, or by some other antiseptic. If the grubs are 

 already present they should be picked off and one of these dressings 

 freel}^ applied. 



A number of flies attack horses and suck their blood, producing 

 great annoyance, and in some instances death. These insects not only 

 suck the blood, but also often instil an acid poison into the skin, and 

 in exceptional cases transfer infectious germs from animal to animal 

 bv inoculation. 



Various devices are resorted to to prevent the attacks, as to sponge 

 the skin with a decoction of walnut or elder leaves, of tobacco, to dust 

 with Persian insect powder, to keep a light blanket or fly net on the 

 horse, to close doors and windows with fine screens and destroy by 

 pyrethrum any flies that have gained admission, to remove all manure 

 heaps that would prove breeding places for flies, to keep the stalls 

 clean, deodorize by gypsum and to spread in them trays of dry chlo- 

 ride of lime. For the poisoned bites apply ammonia, or a solution of 

 1 part of carbolic acid in 20 parts of sweet oil or glycerin, or one- 



