The maggots cause the disease known as “false gid,” which appears most
obviously from March to May; at this time the parasites are tolerably
well developed. They irritate the mucous membrane of the cavities of the
head in which they live, causing an unusually large flow of blood to
these parts, as a result of which the mucus secreted in the nose
increases largely in quantity (sneezing, snuffling), and the brain
begins to work abnormally (uneasy movements of the head, high lifting of
the feet; in worse cases, rolling of the eyes, gnashing of the teeth,
and foaming at the mouth). The sheep have also an intolerable itching of
the nose, which they rub in consequence on the ground, against posts, or
their own legs; besides this, there may be inflammation of the eyelids
and increased secretion of tears. They are also apt to grow very thin.
The disease is more frequent, and the symptoms severer, in young than in
old sheep. False gid may cause death; the animal is cured, however,
after the maggots have crept out. _Preventive Measures_: Keeping the
sheep away from the edges of woods, avenues, etc., where the flies live
by preference. When sheep are killed, the maggots coming from the head
should be collected and destroyed. Smearing the margins of the nostrils
with tar, or rubbing them with walnut leaves, before the sheep go to
pasture in the morning. For sheep, which in late summer rub their noses
up and down tree stems, walls, hedges, or their own legs, substances
that cause sneezing may be employed, _e.g._ cheap snuff, which is best
introduced into the nose by means of a quill-feather. Later on, when the
maggots have passed from the nasal cavities into the frontal sinuses,
etc., sneezing does no good. Operations seldom succeed in removing all
the maggots.
[Illustration:
FIG. 121.—Horse Bot Fly (_Gastrus equi_): _a_, egg on a hair, strongly
magnified; _c_, younger (magnified), and _b_, older larva; _d_,
opened pupa case; _e_, fly.
]
The =Bot Flies= (_Gastrus_, or _Gastrophilus_) live in various parts of
the stomach (in left side of horse’s stomach) and intestine. I give,
first of all, a compressed tabular view of the external characters and
mode of life of the four British species. (See next page.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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