BOTS. 



They are of two kinds, stomach and fnndamont bots. The stomach 

 bots are tJie result of tm-ning horses into pasture in the summer 

 months, and are produced from the eggs laid on the fore legs of the 

 horse by the bot tly. 



Symptoms are an unthrifty coat, and loss of flesh after running out 

 to pasture. 



All iiorses which run out to 

 grass are quite sure to have 

 bots in their stomachs, and 

 as there is so much miscon- 

 ception about bots and theii 

 destructiveness to horses we 

 copy the result of a series of 

 experiments with bots three 

 fourths grown. 



When immersed in rum 

 they live 25 hours ; decoction 

 of tobacco, 11 hours; strong 

 oil'of vitriol, 2 hours 18 min- 

 utes; essential oil of mint, 

 2 hours 5 minutes. Were 

 immersed without apparent 

 injury, in spirits of camphor, 



No. 1. The female fly about to deDosit an e^ff. ^0 hours; fish oil, 49 hours; 



tincture aloes, 10 hours; in 

 brine, 10 hours; solution in- 

 digo, 10 hours. A number of 

 small bots, with one that was 

 full grown, were immersed 

 in a strong solution of corro- 

 sive sublimate, one of the most powerful poisons ; the small ones died in 

 one hour, but the full gro\\^ one was taken out of the solution, six 

 hours after its immersion, apparently unhurt. 



It will be seen by the above experiments, that no medicine can be 

 given which will affect the bot, that will not destroy the coating of the 

 stomach, and injure or kill the horse. No veterinary surgeon can dis- 

 tinguish the symptoms of bots from those of colic. In fact there is but 

 little doubt that ninety nine out of every hundred cases of belly ache, 

 are no more nor less than colic and not bots, and should be treated as 

 we direct in the treatment of colic. 



Treatment. The general condition of the horse should be improved 

 so that the debilitating effects of the bots may not interfere with the 

 general health of the horse. It is generally considered impossible 



