18 THE COMPLETE FARRIER. 



the length of their bodies, and are very hard : these are called Round 

 Worms. The next are small worms, about the size of a sewing 

 needle ; they have reddish, flat heads, having nine feet on each side, 

 aad are called Ascarides: — these are also very troublesome to horses. 

 The third sort are short, thick worms, called Bots: their seat is mostly 

 at the stomach ; but when horses get any food that they are fond of, 

 they fill themselves so full, that they lose their hold, and come along 

 with the dunsr to the fundament, and there catch hold and stick to the 

 end gut, partly out of the horse ; this happens mostly in spring, when 

 they get the juice of fresh grass. 



It is well known that horses which have many worms can never 

 thrive, or carry much flesh. If the breeding of these vermin were 

 prevented, it would add much to the strength of the horse ; and it 

 might be done by giving him a decoction of bitter herbs, such as 

 wormwood, in spring. It may be boiled, or steeped in hot water, and 

 given two or three times a week. Or a decoction of wormwood, buck- 

 bean, gentian root, and camomile flowers, (of each a large handful, 

 boiled" in a sufficient quantity of water, and given as above,) will 

 answer the end. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms which indicate worms are various, as 

 the animals are different, and seated in different parts of the body. 

 When the Bots are seated in the straight gut, they are never dangerous, 

 but are often thrust out with the dung. They generally come in the 

 months of May and June, and scarcely ever continue in a horse above 

 a fortnight. But when they breed in the stomach, they often causa 

 convulsions, and even death. The Bots that breed in the stomach 

 are about the size of a large maggot, composed of circular rings, and 

 have little, sharp, prickly feet along the sides of their bellies, by means 

 of which they fasten themselves to the part from whence they derive 

 their nourishment, to prevent their being loosed from such adhesion 

 before they come to maturity; and as they drain the coats of the 

 stomach like leeches, it is no wonder that they often throw the horse 

 into convulsions, which terminate in death, unless the cause be re- 

 moved. The violent agonies of the creature are the only indications 

 of their existence. The other kinds of worms are more troublesome 

 than dangerous, and are discovered by the following signs: there is a 

 white fur on the end of the straight gut ; the horse is lean and jaded ; 

 his coat is rough and staring ; and if you rub your hand backward on 

 the hair, a white scurf will rise, as if he had been surfeited ; and 

 though he eats with a remarkable appetite, he does not thrive. He 

 often strikes his hind-feet against his belly, and is sometimes griped, 

 but without the violent pains that attend the cholic, or stranguary; 

 for he never rolls. or tumbles, but is uneasy, often laying himself down 

 quietly on his belly for a little while, and then rising and beginning to 

 feed. But the surest symptom is when the horse voids the worms 

 with his dung. 



Cure. — Many medicines have been given to destroy these vermin, 

 without knowledge or judgment, and even contrary to common reason. 

 Some give coarse sugar for that purpose, but, in my opinion it will 

 rather increase than destroy them ; although a few will fill them- 



