HORSES. 



115 



His Theory. The bot worm eats of the the food the 

 horse eats, and has its preference ; and when deprived 

 of its choice food, or stinted in quantity, it pierces the 

 horse's stomach with the horns in its tail, by which it also 

 adheres to its position, and continues to bore deeper, and 

 tinally gets through. The gases and juices of the stom- 

 ach escape into the abdomen through the holes made by 

 the bots, which soon destroys the horse. 



The worm is necessary for the health of the horse, by 

 piercing (not through) the coats of the stomach, and 

 exciting the appetite by irritation. But error of food 

 induces it to irritate too long, and pierce through the 

 stomach. 



Sometimes bots collect in such numbers within the 

 lower orifice of the CESophagus, or swallow, as to choke 

 the horse, and he dies suddenly. 



Mr. Scott offers the following preventives and reme- 

 dies, some of which are already suggested : — 



1. Never change the horse's food from green to dry, 

 suddenly and perseveringly. 



2. Never change from dry to green, unless you can 

 keep him to the green food a length of time. 



3. Observe the same rule in changing from corn to 

 oats, and the reverse. 



4. If the horse is seized with bots, either drench him 

 with something the worm will not eat,, and that will 

 nauseate it, such as sweetened milk, blood, fresh meat, 

 entrails of fowls, &cc., or drench him with something 

 that will satisfy the cravings of hunger in the bots, such 

 as green moss of old logs, or a decoction of moss, green 

 blue gi-ass, &c. 



5. Or, which should be first tried;— if the horse, 

 when foimd sick, does not refuse to eat, turn him into a 

 lot ol green blue grass, or if in the winter, into a wood 

 where different kinds of moss grow, and the horse will 

 soon make a selection that will quiet the bots. 



