82 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPTEMBER 19, 183S. 



From t he A mericau Turf Register . 



BOTS IN HORSES. 



BelUvUlc, III. August 14, 1838. 



Deah Sir: — Upim the loth of June, one of my 

 carringe Jiorses was attacked with tlie grub or bots. 

 For the first two hours the symptoms were such as 

 induced many to suppose it was a fit of cholic. I 

 administered three table spoonfulls of spirits of tur- 

 pentine, in half an hour gave him a half pint of 

 French brandy, with lialf an ounce of laudanum, 

 this gave relief and he recovered. On the tenth 

 day afterwards, I found him after a short ride at- 

 tacked again in the same way. I administered a 

 pint of French brandy and an ounce of laudanum, 

 this dose was renewed in half an liour, without ef- 

 fect. 1 then gave a pint of molasses with a quart 

 of milk, and in half an hour ouc pound of salts. He 

 died in about eight hours. 



On opening him after he died I found a quantity 

 of the bots had fastened themselves in the inner 

 coats of the stomach, and all together, with a few 

 bots in his stomach with tlie food. My first object 

 was, to ascertain what would induce the bot to 

 loose its hold. I c;it from the stomach a piece about 

 tw^ve inches square, in which were the hots at- 

 tacnod, closing the edges of the piece of the stom- 

 ach together so as to exclude air. I put into the 

 sack thus made, sweet milk and molasses, and tied 

 them up for two hours, and on opening I found them 

 fast to the stomach. I then tried oil, and other ex- 

 periments, none of which had the effect to induce 

 them to let go. 



My next object was, to see what would kill the 

 bots, having heard many things recommended. I 

 made the following experiments : 



I immersed six grubs or bots in linseed oil, a 

 like number in indigo pulverized and mixed with 

 water ; also, powder and vinegar, strong decoction 

 lye, strong decoction of alum, also alcohol, and ni- 

 tric acid ; after keeping them thus immersed for 

 hours, I changed them from one to the other mix- 

 ture or solution ; where they remained from early 

 in the day till evening, at which time they exhibi- 

 ted all the healthy appearance tliey did in the 

 morning. 



My observations resulted in tlie confirmation of 

 an opinion I had previously formed, tliat the bot 

 could not be killed, except by tlie administering of 

 medicine that would destroy the life of the horse. 

 It satisfied me of the fact, that when tlie bots fairly 

 get hold, they are not induced to let go. 



My opinion of the bots is as follows, that they 

 are produced by the knit deposited on the animal 

 by the Hy known as the knit-fly, and are taken into 

 tlie stomach of the horse. That the bot is there 

 formed from the egg ; that in the general way the 

 bot is discharged from the stomach through the 

 bowels. But where they do not pass off" in this 

 way, the attack is made to extricate themselves 

 from their confinement by an attempt to eat through 

 the stomach. 



It occurs to my mind as most probable, that the 

 bot passes through several changes from the form 

 in which we have just described it. That before 

 this change they make a desperate effort to free 

 themselves, concentrating their attack to one spot; 

 this soon deprives the horse of life, and the bot is 

 extricated in a short time, and either goes into the 

 ground, or by the action of the atmosphere changes 

 its mode of existence. 



I am satisfied, that upon the first discovery of 

 the first attack, the bot may be induced to let go. 



or postpone the effort to free itself from the stom- 

 ach ; this is best effected, in my opinion, by mo- 

 lasses and milk, which sliou'd be followed with 

 one or two active cathartics, by which means the 

 bots are carried off. Slionld these views and ex- 

 periments be thought worthy of publication in your 

 valuable work, they are submitted. 



Respectfully, J. Mitchell. 



Remarks o.n the above. — How doctors differ! 

 As a comment on the above communication, we 

 copy from the ' History of the Horse,' published by 

 the society for the diffusion of useful knowledge in 

 England, the following description of the bot. We 

 do not adopt the opinions of cither side of the ques- 

 tion — wiietber the bot ever kills the horse, or is 

 beneficial to it, but we do think Mr Mitchell mista- 

 ken in his theory of the « desperate efforts they 

 make to free themselves ;' and that the writer of 

 tlie following article is correct in that respect. — 

 Ed. Turf Register. . 



Bots. — In the spring and early part of the sum- 

 mer, horses are much troubled by a grub or cater- 

 pillar, which crawls out of the anus, fastens itself 

 under the tail, and seems to cause a great deal of 

 itching or uneasiness. Grooms are sometimes 

 alarmed at the appearance of these insects. Their 

 history is curious, and will dispel every fear with 

 regard to them. We are indebted to Mr Bracy 

 Clark for almost all we know of the bot. 



A species of gad-fly, the osstrus equi, is in the 

 latter part of the summer exceedingly busy about 

 the horse. They are observed to be darting with 

 great rapidity towards the knees and sides of the 

 animal. The females are depositing their eggs on 

 the hair, and which adhjre to it by means of a glu- 

 tinous fluid with which they are surrounded. In a 

 few days the eggs are ready to be hatched, and 

 the slightest application of warmth and moisture 

 will liberate the little animals which they contain. 

 The horse in licking liimself touches the egg, it 

 bursts, and a small worm escapes, which adheres to 

 the tongue, and is conveyed with the food into the 

 stomach ; there it clings by means of a hook on 

 either side of its mouth, to the circular portion of 

 the stomach ; and its hold is so firm and so obsti- 

 nate, that it will be broken before it will be de- 

 tached. It remains feeding there on the mucus of 

 the stomach during the whole of the winter, and to 

 the end of the ensuing spring ; when, having at- 

 tained a considerable size, and being destined to 

 undergo a certain transformation, it disengages it- 

 self from the cuticular coat, is carried into the vil- 

 lous portion of the stomach with the food, passes 

 out of it with the chyme, and is at length evacuated 

 with the dung. 



The larva or maggot being thus thrown out seeks 

 shelter in the ground, contracts in size, and be- 

 comes a chrysalis or grub ; in which state it lie 

 inactive for a few weeks, and then, bursting from 

 its confinement assumes the form of a fly. The 

 female becoming impregnated, quickly deposites 

 her eggs on those parts of the horse which he is 

 most likely to lick, and so the species is perpetu- 

 ated. 



There are several plain conclusions from this 

 history. The bots cannot, while they inhabit the 

 stomach of the horse, give the animal any pain, for 

 they arc fastened on the cuticular and insensible 

 coat They cannot stimulate the stomach and in- 

 crease its digestive power, for tlioy are not on tlie 

 digestive portion of the stomach. They cannot by 



their roughness, assist the trituration or rubbinj 

 down of the food, for no such office is performed it 

 that part of the stomach — tlie food is softened, no 

 rubbed down. They cannot be injurious to tli( 

 horse, for he enjoys the most perfect health wher 

 the cuticular part of the stomach is filled with them 

 and their presence is not even suspected until thej 

 appear at the anus. They cannot be removed bv 

 medicine, because they are not in that part of thf 

 stomach to which medicine is usually conveyed 

 and if they were, their mouths are too deeply burie( 

 in the mucus for any medicine, that can safely b( 

 administered, to affect them ; and last of all, in du( 

 course of time they detach themselves and come 

 away. Therefore, the wise man will leave thein ti 

 themselves or content hunself with picking them of 

 when they collect under the tail and annoy tht 

 animal. 



CATTLE SHOW. 



The undersigned, having been appointed by thi 

 Worcester County AgTicultural Society to make al 

 necessary arrangements for a Cattle Show and Ex 

 hibition of Manufactures, on Wednesday, the lOt 

 day of October next, have been attending to tli 

 duty assigned them, and have the pleasure of re| 

 porting that the annual address will be delivered b; I 

 the Rev. Henry Colman, the Commissioner ap 

 pointed to make an agricultural survey of the Cora i 

 monwealth. That the high character of the Count; 

 in relation to its agriculture and manufactures ma; 

 be fully sustained on this occasion, tlie Committe' 

 respectfully solicit from the farmers and manufac 

 turers of the County, their co-operation in the en 

 deavor to render this Show more interesting thai 

 any former one — and this can readily be done, i 

 the owners of choice animals will place them i: 

 the Society's pens, and the manufacturers will de 

 posite specimens of their work in the exhibitio! 

 kvll. They would ask from the ladies a continu 

 ance of their kindness in aiding to adorn the hal 

 with their elegant work. Careful persons will b 

 provided to take charge of the goods and preserv 

 them from injury. The hall will be open for thei 

 receptiim on Monday, the 8th day of October, am 

 it is desirable that they may be entered on that day 

 that sufficient time may be liad to arrange tliet 

 propel ly and have them in readiness for the exam 

 ination of the Committees. Those who may findi 

 more convenient to forward articles previous to th' 

 time mentioned, may send them to the charge o 

 the Chairman of the Committee, who will attend fc 

 have them seasonably entered and taken cai'e of 

 The sum of $50 dollars has been reserved, to b 

 distributed in gratuities for articles of skijl an' 

 utility deserving encouragement, and for which n 

 particular premium has been offered. 



Those disposed to compete in the Ploughin 

 Match are reminded tliat notice of their intentio 

 must be filed with Edwin Conant, Esq. the Record 

 ing Secretary of the Society, at his Office opposit 

 the Central Hotel, before the 25th day of Septem 

 ber instant, that suitable ground may be obtainet 

 the proper number of lots measured and marke 

 out, and the requisite arrangements made for th 

 occasion. The ploughs must be on tlie groun 

 which will be provided, in readiness to commonc 

 the work precisely at 9 o'clock, A. M., of the da; 

 of the Show, as this will be the first public busines 

 attended to. 



Those who intend to enter for the Drawin, 

 Match, are informed, that to prevent uunecessar 



