348 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



Treatment of Wovjns. — Nature has endowed these animals 

 with such tenacity of life that no matters known to us will 

 effect their destruction, though a few may answer the pur- 

 pose of their expulsion. Bote are so hardy as apparently to 

 survive immersion in oil, in alcohol, spirits of turpentine, 

 and even powerful solutions of mineral acids. The con- 

 tinued use of salt mixed with the food appears, however, 

 obnoxious to them, for sometimes under its use their hold 

 ^ives wa}^ and they are ejected. Bitters, purgatives, and the 

 mechanical irritation of pointed bodies, as pewter, tin filings, 

 etc., have no effect whatever upon bots ; but with regard to 

 the other parasites, rather more success may be expected 

 from medical aid in the form of vermifuges. It has been 

 attempted to effect the removal of worms mechanically, by 

 dissolving the mucus they are supposed to be imbedded in, 

 for which purpose lime-water, oil, solutions of aloes, etc., 

 have been injected by clyster up the rectum, and which 

 practice is most to be depended on for the ejection of 

 ascarides when in the rectum. 



This practice of washing away the mucus of the intestine, 

 and thus depriving the intestine of the secretion given for 

 its protection, is not to be recommended, though oil for this 

 end would be harmless. Strong purges are given with the 

 same intent, which may remove them also from the whole 

 alimentary canal. Remedies have likewise been exhibited 

 to destroy them within the body by the mechanical irrita- 

 tion of their spicula, under which view tin, brass, iron, 

 pewter, are thought remedial. The Indian caustic 

 barley and Indian pink are reputed vermifuges against 

 the teres and ascaris. The oil of turpentine has also 

 been strongly recommended as an excellent general 

 vermifuge ; but, except for the destruction of the 

 taenia, or tape-worm, it does not appear to deserve 

 that character. 



The mode most in favour with modern practitioners is 

 to give the horse having worms a drachm, or two drachms, 

 of tartar emetic for six mornings running. The tartar 

 emetic is to be administered in the form of a ball, and 

 to a fasting stomach. On the seventh, administer a sharp 

 dose of aloes to drive out the parasites enfeebled by 

 the previous medicines. Mr. Spooner recommends the 

 following : 



