The history of the bot, the most formidable of horse parasites, is as follows: Towards the close of autumn, the female gadfly (octrus equi) fixes its eggs upon the hair of the horse’s legs, by means of a sticky substance, exuded with the egg. By means of the horse’s tongue and lips, these eggs are carried to the mouth, and so on down to the stomach, where the eggs, farther developed in the form of grubs, are attached, by means of their hooks, to the sides of the organ, while their heads remain floating in its fluids, upon which they feed. Having arrived at maturity, they are separated, pass along the intestines, and are expelled with the dung, after which they again burst their shell, and rise in the summer in the form of the gadfly. SYMPTOMS.—Some horses are supposed to suffer much from bots, while others, in the most perfect health, have an abundance of them. Often there are no symptoms to indicate their presence, but generally, the horse loses flesh and strength, and can scarcely move about; he has turns of griping pains in the belly; eats and drinks greedily; the oats pass off undigested, and the dung has a bad smell. The only sure criterion of the existence of bots or worms is their presence, hanging about the anus, or mixed with the dung of the animal. There are also the _long round worms_, similar to the common earth worm, and the _small pin-norm_, half an inch or more in length, which show at the anus, an inch or more in length, which often causes itching and uneasiness at the anus. TREATMENT.—To eradicate worms or bots from the system, give fifteen drops of D.D., each night and morning, with regular and healthy feed, and the worm symptoms will soon disappear. For Colic or belly-ache, when supposed to be from bots, give fifteen drops of the D.D., alternately with the A.A., every half hour or hour, according to the urgency of the case. A few doses will usually relieve. IN OBSTINATE CASES, when the Bots seem to be constitutional, give fifteen drops of the D.D., every morning, and the same of J.K., every night, and so continue until good health is established. Salivation—Slavering Many horses are subject to an increased flow of saliva from the mouth, constituting what is known as _slavering_ or _driveling_ from the mouth. The discharge is commonly, simply glairy slime, or at times—and especially on being driven or excited—a simple froth, dropping or being blown from the mouth. It may be caused by mercury if the horse has been dosed with the drug; is often attributed to Lobelia or Indian tobacco, if the horse only would eat it—but is more commonly the result of swelled gums, irregular or deficient teeth, and irritated or inflamed salivary glands, the result of bad digestion. TREATMENT.—See that the teeth are in order, and give J.K., morning and night. CHAPTER IX.—PART I. DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS