DISEASES OF THB DIGESTIVB ORGANS. " 59 



the gad-fly. It thus appears that bots ordinarily pass about eight 

 months of their Uf etime in the digestive organs of the horse. ' ' 



The species just described infest chiefly the stomach and duodenum 

 (small intestine leading from the stomach. ) The idea, almost univer- 

 sally obtained, that bots often cause colicky pains is wrong. It is com- 

 mon to hear by-standers declare that almost every horse with the ' 'belly 

 ache" "has the bots, " and their treatment is varied and heroic. Dr. 

 Michiner says in his practice he has never known bots to be the cause of 

 any disturbance. The opinion that "bots have eaten through the 

 stomach" when the stomach is found ruptured is also an error. BoTS 

 ARE HARMLESS. Evcn if they were not, there are no medicines that af- 

 fect them ; neither acids, nor alkalies, nor anthelmintics (worm medi- 

 cines) nor anodynes cause them to become loose and pass out the body. 

 To prevent them watch for their eggs on the legs and different parts of 

 the body in the late summer and autumn, scrape them off and burn 

 them. It is useless to try and remove them, they go at their appointed 

 time during May and June. 



Indigestion. This is the name applied to all conditions where from 

 any cause digestion is imperfectly performed. The trouble called in- 

 digestion is not severe enough to produce colic, yet it is troublesome and 

 the most frequent of all digestion disorders. The seat of the trouble 

 will vary. Teeth are often at fault, examine for sharp irregular edges 

 or decayed teeth, (see remedies suggested under teeth. ) The principal 

 seat however of the trouble is the stomach or the small intestines. 

 Whenever the secretions from these organs are excessive or deficient 

 dyspepsia or indigestion must follow. It is often caused from "bolt- 

 ing" the food (then get larger manger and spread out feed) or winter- 

 ing on hard dry hay or corn-stalk, and other bulky and not very 

 nutritive food ; irregular feeding or over feeding. Indigestion is shown 

 by irregular appetite, refusing food at one time and at others eating 

 ravenously ; appetite depraved ; bowels irregular ; one day loose and 

 bad smelling, the next bound ; grain often passed through whole ; hay 

 passed in balls ; animal passes wind having a sour odor ; skin hard, dry, 

 and tight (hide bound). 



What to Do. After observing all that has been said regarding 

 feeding under its special head if no improvement is seen, give a physic, 

 aloes one ounce or linseed oil one pint. There is usually a tendency to 

 gas which distends stomach and bowels, for which use the following 

 alkaUne treatment. Baking powder, powdered ginger, powdered gen- 



