BOTS IN HORSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 387, 21 May 1908, Page 4

BOTS IN HORSES.

A Rood deal of experimenting has been devoted of late years to bots in America, and sewral new methods treatment claimed as effective have been reported. In referring to these in general terras, “ Country Lite ” (New York) says that “ hots are found adhering to the inner lining membrane of the stomach of practically every horse that has been pastured. They adhere to the stomach walls by their monnths, and so take their nourishment form the membrane, and not form the contents of the stomach. They are supposed by a majority of farmers and ‘ boss doctors ’ of the old school to cause colic and many another mysterious ailment, but they do not. Apparently they do no harm, for they are present in the stomachs of multitude of perfectly healthy, sleek - skined, plump, and contented horses. Yet quacks and stablemen dose horses in the hope of destroying ‘ bots.’ Useless work, this, seeing that we have seen bots live for many days in a 2 per cent solution of formaldehyde, and they have been found alive and active after six hours’ immersion in absolute alcohol. Anything that will kill a bot in a horse’s stomach, will likewise kill the horse. No treatment is required for these parasites, as they rarely cause any appreciable barm.