643 
DEATH OF A FOAL FROM BOTS ADHERING 
TO THE FAUCES. 
By G. Mather, M.R.C.V.S., Doncaster. 
The enclosed tongue and larynx I took from a foal this 
evening, and I shall feel obliged by your examining them, as 
at the base of the tongue you will find about a score of what 
appear to me to be perfect specimens of a small bot. I have 
only made a partial examination, as I was anxious to send 
the specimen off to you before it became decomposed, as 
the weather is so verv hot. 
The history of the case is as follows. Two days since I 
was requested to go to Lord Glasgow's breeding establish¬ 
ment to see a foal that was unwell. I inquired of the stud- 
groom how long the animal had been ill ? and he informed 
me that three days ago it appeared to have a difficulty in 
swallowing, and that he noticed some saliva running from its 
mouth; and that, thinking it had a sore throat, he had rubbed 
some embrocation upon the parts. 
On examining the animal I found it in a very debilitated 
state. Pulse very weak, and numbering 80 . Ears and legs 
extremely cold, associated with shivering fits of the entire 
body. Mouth filled with partly masticated hay and grass. 
Tongue furred. The animal had seemingly a desire to eat, 
but was unable to open its mouth more than about an inch. 
It was likewise unable to swallow anything but liquids, and 
these only in very small quantities. 
In spite of all I could do the power of swallowing got 
worse, and this morning it died, very much to their disap¬ 
pointment, as it was a very high-bred animal. 
Could this foal have taken in the ova of the gad-fly and 
some of them become hatched, and, instead of passing into 
the stomach, have become adherent to the base of the tongue, 
and there set up such an amount of irritation as to cause the 
parts to swell so as to prevent the animal from swallowing ? 
Observations on the Case. 
We are indebted to Assistant-Professor Varnell for the 
following remarks on this singular case. 
“ The morbid specimen forwarded by Mr. G. Mather is of 
very rare occurrence. We have never met with such a one 
before, nor are we aware that a similar instance has ever been 
recorded. 
“ The parts came to hand in a good state of preservation, 
