Another cause there is of the like nature that depends upon the moderateness of sleeping and waking for too much waking is an enemy to health by spending the vital spirits that should support and maintain life and a decaying that moisture that should refresh the several parts of the body causing thereby Leanness and Barrenness a dulling of the Brain and a defect in the Lungs and Liver whose offices it weakens by decaying the vigor in the performance and contrary to this excessive sleeping dozes the brain hinders digestion and obstructs nature in the performance of her offices contracting noxious vapours and a foulness of the stomach Another thing to be considered is that your Horse be not admitted to spend himself too much upon Mares because such immoderate exercise weakens the Brain Back and Eyes wastes the Vital Spirits and often shortens the days of many a brave Horse and therefore if you would have your Horse last long let him not cover above three or four Mares in a year at the most or if your conveniency will not at all times admit you to keep him from them then Geld him whilst young for it is ever observed that a Gelding lives longer naturally than a Stoned-horse and a Mule than them both because he is not subject to generation Wholsome Air above all things is to be chosen for that rarifies the blood helps digestion and comforteth the Vital spirits when-as gross Air or evil scents not only make the Horse loath his Provender but corrupt the Blood and subject the whole body to diseases Travelling after Grass too soon without purging and cleansing the Horse's body cause the bad humours to incorporate or by spreading themselves to afflict each part with pains and disorders reducing the Horse to a dullness of temper and disposition and so raw meats engender raw flegmatick humours afflicting the Stomach and Brain occasioning the Glaunders Coughs Catarrhs Stavers Yellows Anticors and Morfoundring not only disable the Horse but if neglected become incurable but by death Another cause there is and that not to be lightly regarded which is not to suffer your Horse to eat or drink when hot and to stand thereon for by so doing the Blood will corrupt and putrifie occasioning Surfeits Feavers Obstructions and many the like Maladies and Grievances frequently occasioning death But as soon as you bring him home in that condition put him into a warm Stable without washing Rub or cause him to be well rubbed down Cloath him well and let him have a sufficient quantity of warm Litter to stand on and if he be subject to eat it put on his Muzzle and so let him stand an hour or more till his grease be sufficiently cooled and you 'l find him in a fit condition to give him his Provender And lastly that he may be well breathed and sound winded thereby being enabled to hold out as occasion shall require you may at seasonable times mix with his Provender the Powder of these following Seeds and Drugs c. viz. Cummin and Anniseeds Powder of Licoris and Ellecampane-Roots Farberries Brimstone Flower and the Roots of white Lillies Hysop Horehound Savin Coltsfoot the Seeds of Marshmallows Rue and Polipodium of the Oak and any of the like quality that will occasion good Wind and prevent Infections purifie the Blood and help the Liver in the performance of its office that is to rarifie the nutriment by a good digestion but you must not mix over-much at a time especially when you first begin it least he take disgust at the scent or taste and so reject his Provender but increase the quantity by degrees not giving him any above twice a week and then let it be Morning and Evening CHAP. XVIII An exact Description of the Veins of a Horse how scituate in the Body as also of Blood-letting and how and upon what account of Sickness or other defect they are to be opened for the prevention of death or danger HAving thus far discoursed in Generals and Partiticulars of what relates to a good Horse or Mare of any sort or kind that thereby the Reader might instruct himself I shall proceed to what yet remains material to be known especially to Farriers and such who undertake the Cure of Horses which is to give an account of the several parts of the Body so as they may be distinguished as occasion shall require but especially of such parts as shall be found most usefull on immergent matters and the Veins being the pipes or conduits that carry off Blood and consequently nutriment to all parts of the Body I think it highly convenient to say something in the first place of them From the Liver note there ariseth one large Vein which like a conduit supplies the rest of the branches which are many in number and spread themselves throughout the Body like little Rivolets or streams And of these two material ones are found in the Palate of the Mouth above the first and third Barrs which ought to be opened by a discreet Farrier when the Horse is afflicted with any Malignant pain or disease in the Head or Stomach Two more there are that descending which from the lower part of the Eyes descend to the Nostrils and are best opened when the Eyes are afflicted with any distemper or grievance Two others there are above his Eyes which are called Temple-Veins because they run cross the Temples and these are generally opened for cold diseases in the Head. Two great ones there are likewise that run along the Wind-pipe by the sides of it from the uppermost Joynt of his Chaps to the Breast commonly called Neck-Veins and these are opened for sundry diseases being the most usual Veins that are opened There are two other Veins that arise from between the fore-legs and are called Breast-Veins because they end on the top of the Breast and these are opened in case of Surfeits Feavers or Heart-sickness Two others there are which ascend from the fore-legs but rise not so high as those before mentioned and these rest upon the foremost bough of the fore-leg and are generally called Plat-Veins and are opened in case of Foundering or any other grief or grievance in the Legs or Limbs Other two there are that pass from the Elbow of the fore-shoulder down along the inside of the fore-legs being known by the name of Shank-Veins which are generally opened in case of Splents Spavins Mallenders or Sallenders c. Then are there four Veins which run along the Fetlocks of the Horse known by the name of Shackle-Veins and these although they are small are yet important ones and by bleeding cure the stiffness of the Joynts and prevent Foundering Then are there four more about the Corronets in his Hoofs called Corronet-Veins and are opened for the Ring-bone and Surbating In the Hoof are four more which circle his Toes called Toe-Veins and are opened for fretting and foundering Two great Veins there are that descending from his Stones pass along the inside
as for the thickness two fingers may serve then stop it with Cloves and Garlick dusting it over with Powder of Licorish Anniseeds Sugar-candy and Flower of Brimstone and cause him in two long slices to swallow it fasting and ride him thereupon that he cast it not up and do so every other Morning for a week together giving him after it a Glass of Mallaga Now to make a Horse in this case swallow though against his will Draw forth his Tongue as far as is convenient and put the potion down his Throat beyond the roughness and then suddainly letting go his Tongue he will swallow it down without tasting or scenting and in so doing you must ever draw up his Head to the Rack that it may descend the better To restore decayed and putrefied Lungs The Sign of the Lungs being in this disorder is to be known by a faint Cough and the casting of putrefied matter out of his Mouth like small pieces of red Flesh eating his Provender with greediness To redress this Take of the Juyce of Purslain or for want of it that of Housleek half a pint Steel-dust two ounces Oyl of Roses four ounces of Tragcauthium one ounce Add to them a quart of Goat's Milk and give it him hot at three times keeping him for a while after fasting and in motion And this you may use till you find his Breath become sweet and the Cough allayed the which if it be not too far gone will be in a weeks time And the better to refresh the Vital parts Burn under his Nose Sterax Galbamâ—m or Myrrh A dry Consumption its Remedy c. This Disease is occasioned by sharp corroding humours descending from the Head and falling upon the Lungs by which they are many times ulcerated and by their bad effects cause a Macerating or Wasting of the Body yet sendeth forth no Corruption at the Nose because the moisture is consumed by the heat To remedy which Take a pint of the Juyce of Comfory half a pint of Oyl of Roses the Juyce of four Lemons and an ounce of the Juyce of Rue Let them simper over a gentle fire and add the Powder of Round Bithwort-Roots two ounces and an ounce of that of Ruburb and give him these in two equal potions Morning and Evening The Breast-pain from whence it proceeds and how to Cure it This disorder of the Body proceedeth from a superfluity of blood which presses the Heart and gross indigested humours that make the like unnatural Invasion upon the Liver and the signs to know when he is so afflicted are a stiff staggering and keeping together the fore-legs as it were and but weakly proceeding in his pace c. his gate distorted and uneven stifly for the most part holding up his Head and Neck as not being well able to reach the ground and moreover you will observe him to groan and strain in his eating and drinking To cure this which frequently ends in death if not timely regarded let him Blood in both the Breast-veins and when he has bled sufficiently two quarts at least chafe his Breast and Fore-body with Oyl of Peter that the Blood may be drawn into the empty Veins and so ease the Vital parts of their oppression and give him a pint of warm White-wine with two ounces of Diapente or if the Pain afterward continue which is very rare you may Rowel him Heart-sickness or Antecor whence it proceeds and how to remedy it This distemper being an enemy to the Heart seems from thence to take its denomination and is caused by a superfluity of Blood in Horses that feed high and are put to little or no labour which Blood for want of motion being corrupt infects the Heart and renders it sickish and languishing The signs are a small swelling rising at the bottom of the Breast encreasing upward to the top of the Neck whether if it arrive before it be prevented death frequently issues It is known also by his hanging his head loathing his food and groaning through the oppression of pain These things being observed Let your Horse Blood on either Plate-vein or in the Neck if the Swelling be risen high and having bled him freely Take of the best Malmsey a quart add to it two ounces of Sugar and an ounce of beaten Cinamon give it him to drink blood-warm and it will revive and cherish the heart by dispelling the evil vapours from the seats of Life and after that wisp him well over his Cloth and let him rest giving him the next Morning the like dose and riding him gently Foundering in the Body or Surfeiting how occasioned together with the Remedy This disease according to the Skilfull is occasioned by a contraction of Molten-grease and evil humours which oppress the frame of the Body and is taken by the bad management of those that use the Horse indiscreetly watering him when hot or letting him upon a heat suddainly cool in a bad air or moist place by which means the dispersed humours together with the Molten-grease have opportunity to contract themselves into one Mass to that degree of Consolidation that Nature without extraordinary helps is not capable of dispersing or dispelling them The signs demonstrating this distemper or grievance are the staring of the hair hanging the head an unusual Cough staggering belching the clinging up of the Belly and rising of the Back To remedy this distemper Take a handfull of Mallows as much Smallage Cammomoil and Groundsel an ounce of Alloes two quarts of new Milk and half a pound of brown Sugar boil them together and strain out the liquid part giving it the Horse Clysterways and when it has caused him to empty sufficiently Take a quart of Malmsey or for want of it Canary of Licorish Anniseeds and Cinamon beaten to Powder each half an ounce put them with two ounces of beaten Sugar-candy into the Wine and give it the Horse warm keeping him afterward in motion though in the Stable for the space of two hours well cloathed and littered after which give him two quarts of Oats and a quart of â—plent-beans well sifted and sprinkled with Beer c. The greedy Worm or hungry Evil what it is and how to be remedied or prevented This distemper or rather defect in a Horse has deceived many for whereas they take it for a good sign to see a Horse feed hastily and be voracious yet is it the cause of sickness and decay in the end if not prevented for the cause a Horse is so hasty and large a feeder is either by reason he has been a long time debarred from Meat and so the Veins being open and empty crave nutriment or from too excessive a heat in the stomach that consumes the moisture and nutriment faster then it can be reasonably expected to digest The first of these if not prevented creates diseases and other disorders by the Veins drawing in the crude digestion not perfected and filling their Cavities with a gross watery humour
c. MAny are the terms and names given to Grievances and Sorrances and these frequently take their denomination from the place of their scituation relating to the parts of the Body and chiefly arise or proceed from the evil state or habit of the Body and defect of the Members especially when there happens a loosning and division of the Unity or a Dissonance in the temperature and so we say when any division or loosning happen in the Bone it is a Fracture if it happen in the Veins it is a Rupture and in the Flesh a Wound or Ulcer in the Sinews it is termed the Cramp or Convulsion and in the Skin an Excoriation And now observe that in Cauterizing or Burning which may be done two manner of ways viz. with hot Oyls or Water or with a hot Iron as also in making Incision or the like that they ever be done with caution above or beneath the Vein or Sinew and never upon them least by the discommodity that may arise the Horse be rather damaged than furthered And again observe never to apply to Veins or Sinews any extraordinary Corrosives and these we reckon so are Arsnick Sublimate-Mercury Resalgar Oyl of Vitriol Tartar c. In case of Cauterizing ever observe rather to Launce with a hot Iron than a cold one and rather cauterize than cut because by the heat the humours are driven back which would otherwise render the Sore or Grief of long continuance and by the product of a Sore in the Original you may know the constitution of a Horse for if he be sanguine a whitish watery Excressence will flow of an indifferent thickness if Cholerick a thin salt one inclining to greenish if Flegmatick a kind of a gellied-water and if Melancholick then a gross blackish moisture attended by a dry Scab or Scurf In case of Swelling or Tumors it will be necessary with heed to mark the place they begin in as also their progress and ending that so the part of the body afflicted with bad humours may have Applications sutable to remove them Now if it so happen that the Swellings or Tumors be not upon any master Vein or Sinew or too near the Vital parts then may Repercussive Medicines be used but if so then those that are mollifying to raise it gently by degrees that so being ripened it may break of it self or if necessity require it be Lanced that the Corruption passing away such things may be applied that with a Lenitive softness may heal the grief In case the swelling be hard it is generally Corrosive and must have such Medicaments applied but if soft those of a more supple nature will prevail though many happen to be of a long continuance And now to know whether a Swelling has been of a long continuance press it with your finger and if the dint continue after you have taken your finger away then is it old and of a long standing but if the flesh suddainly return then is it newly taken If a Swelling or Sore be broken and moderately matter then it signifies a good constitution and that it mends apace but if the Putrefaction greatly encrease then it denotes a mass of bad humours there contracted which must by degrees be brought away and many times in this or the like cases is Cauterizing actually or potentially used that is with hot Irons or with Liquids c. of which I have before spoken above or beneath the Sore to divert or keep back the humour And now to that which relates to Cures c CHAP. XXII Excellent Receipts for the Cure of Diseases c. in Horses or Mares according to the best Experience of skilfull Practitioners Many of which were never before made publick AS the Causes of Sickness are many so are the Cures or Medicines wherewith they are redressed and the Signs that fore-run and attend them which I have given in Generals and Particulars Yet seeing something of this kind may remain untouched I shall take them in the way as I proceed Now of Sicknesses there are two kinds one that possesseth the whole body as Convulsions Feavers Pestilence and such-like general disorders and contagions infecting the Blood and others but a part of the Body as Vertigoes Head-ach Yellows and the like yet both many times prove equally dangerous and destructive The Glaunders from what it proceeds and how to Cure it The Glaunders is a distemper often gotten by over-riding and suddain cooling upon heats eating too much raw food at unseasonable times or continuing in wet moorish ground proceeding from a flegmatick constitution And this you may perceive before it take too firm a possession by a white matter issuing from the Horse's Nostrils and his unseasonable snorting And this Disease having its seat properly in the Head Take of the green Leaves of a Box-tree an ounce of Anniseeds and the like quantity of Licorish-powder steep them in Ale or new Milk to the quantity of a quart adding Treacle four ounces and the like quantity of Olive-oyl heat them well over a gentle fire and with a horn give the Horse the liquid part to drink in the Morning fasting as hot as may be well endured then give him a moderate Course and bringing him home let him have a warm Mash Cloath him up and leave him in a warm Stable for the space of two hours before you feed him The Quinzey in a Horse c. what it is and how to Cure it The Quinzey is a distemper occasioned by flegmatick humours setling in the Neck or Throat so that the passage of the breath is in a manner stopped and the beast obliged to breathe with a more than ordinary pain and labour To remove them then and redress the grievance after having bled him in the Neck-vein Take Marshmallows Groundsel Cammomoil and Harts-Tongue bray them with a like quantity of Smallage and fry them with Hogs-grease so being very hot apply them to the place which ought to be under the Chaul and they will mollifie the swelling and by degrees remove the obstruction of the passage Then take Roach-Allum Honey and white Dogs-turd dissolve them with brown Sugar-candy in a quart of Milk give it him hot and so continue to do for a week together Morning and Evening renewing likewise the Poltis once a day A Horse's Bleeding at the Nose how to stay or prevent it This happens especially amongst young Horses through the abundance of Blood that through the free passage of the large Veins ascends into the Head and passing to the thin Veins within the Nostrils either by its violent motion forces them or by its corrosive quality eats them in sunder or it may accidentially happen by a stroak or violent straining To remedy which Take the Juyce of Nettles mixed with Loaf-sugar and squirt it up the Horse's Nostrils using at convenient times to burn under his Nose Storax Frankincense or Linnen dipped in Aquavitae in a Chafing-dish the fume of which will oblige the Blood to retreat
rather than good blood and the latter by feeding the heat which otherwise would decay that consumes the Radical moisture The help for this is first feeding the Horse by degrees suffering a regular digestion and the latter by giving him cooling things to allay the heat and moderate the Appetite are the best things to reduce him to a due temperature and managed diet as has been said but more particularly give him a quart of Cream a pint of White-wine boiled with a handfull of Wood-sorrel and the like quantity of Scabeous or Mugwort the liquid part only Let him take it cold and rest upon it and it will close the Veins to that degree that the digestion may be made perfect as also it will allay the heat Yellow and Black Jaundice in a Horse the Cause and Cure c. The Yellow Jaundice generally arises from the abundance of cholerick humours contracted which occasion the over-flowing of the Gall and are great oppressors of the body and obstructors of health and the signs are the yellowness of the Mouth-skin insides of the Lips and Eyes There is another kind of this disease that proceeds from Melancholy and these are called the Black Jaundice and have their original from Obstructions in the Liver-vein which passeth to the Spleen and consequently hinders the Spleen from doing its proper office by receiving only corrupted Blood from the Liver and so is obliged by reason of its being surcharged to cast it back into the Veins And this latter in case of death as indeed being most dangerous mastereth the former but a timely regard may remove them as thus Take after you have blooded your Horse in the third Barr of the Mouth an ounce of Turmerick and half an ounce of Saffron four or five Cloves and six spoonfulls of strong Vinegar Long-Pepper and Licoras beaten fine of each an ounce with the like quantity of Burdock-roots boil them in two quarts of Ale till a third or at least a fourth part be consumed and give it him to drink very hot and in so doing you will find the bad humours disperse and by degrees losing their force by the opperation of nature and the conquering quality of the Medicament but if it be too long delay'd it many times runs beyond the help of Art. Costiveness from whence it proceeds and its Remedy This disorder is a hardning of the Excrements in the body so that without great pain the Horse cannot evacuate or void his Dung and this is often occasioned by excess of Provender insomuch that nature forces it into the Bowels before it be well digested in the stomach or again it happens by feeding altogether upon dry Meats the which though wholsome and nourishing contract notwithstanding the Excrements by the extraordinary heat they occasion and it may likewise happen by excessive fasting To remedy which you may give him a Clyster made in this manner Take a handfull of Marshmallows decoct them in Spring-water not exceeding a quart add to these half a pint of Salad-oyl and six ounces of fresh Butter of Benedicta Laxativa an ounce and force them warm up his Fundament holding or tying close his Tail by bringing it with a cord between his Legs obliging him to keep it in for the space of an hour And the beteer to make it work give him a warm Mash and as soon as he has discharged it give him in a Drenching-horn a potion made after this manner Take two ounces of Castle-soap dissolve it in a pint of warm White-wine and with it a quarter of a pint of Linseed-oyl sweetning them all with Sugar-candia and give it him as hot as he can drink it The Cramp or Convulsion in the Nerves or Sinews how occasioned together with the Remedy c. These generally proceed from some bruise wound or other hurt on the Nerves or Sinews or excessive straining especially where the Horse after a great heat by riding or servile labour suddainly cools This grievance is known by the trembling of the Joynts Nerves or Veins or by their contracting to such a stubbornness or stiffness that for a time neither the Horse nor those that attempt to help him are capable of bending them To cure this Take Cammomoil Primrose-leaves the Roots of Crowfeet and Cowslips with the Branches of Fennel Rosemary and Pimpernel boil them in Running-water and having pressed out the liquid part bathe the place grieved with it exceeding hot binding on the Herbs Poltis-ways with course Linnen or bands made of Straw or Hay and keeping him in a warm Stable with good Provender his Limbs will be restored and rendered as before and the better to hearten him let him receive for a Morning or two the Yolk of an Egg in a Glass of Canary The Mourning of the Chine its Cause and the means to Cure it This grievance is caused by suddainly cooling upon excessive heats standing in damp or wet places or eating such things as turn to raw humours which falling upon the Liver and Lungs frequently inflame or putrefie them so that they occasion the Horse by defect of their office to fall down suddainly and dye Therefore when you by any trembling or dullness suspect this grievance let your Horse blood and having chafed him well Take Olive-oyl and Verjuyce of each two ounces the Juyce of Sellendine and Powder of Elecampane-Roots of each an ounce warm them a little and tying his head up to the Rack pour them into his Nostrils stopping them close after it that he may be forced to sneeze and strain to cast it out after which having an ounce of the Powder of Ruburb heated in a pint of Canary give it him in a Drenching-horn as hot as he can well endure it and so use him each Morning for a week together and the bad humours will be worked off Frenzy or Madness its Original with the means to remedy it according to the Experienced way This disease is very dangerous and often terminates in death and is occasioned by hot and firey humours unseasonably mixing with the blood which by its ascending Inflamation afflicts the Brain that principal seat of life And this is known by the staring of the Horse the distorting of his Eyes hanging of his Ears Staggering and Giddiness his often crying and forsaking his Mean and if it be wrought to a hight his often beating himself against the Post Manger or other places he can conveniently come at biting stamping and flying about with many the like disorders To remedy this speedily let him Blood in the Temple-veins and if he bleed not freely there strike him in the Neck-veins when having bled sufficiently Take the Roots of Gourds or wild Cucumers Black Helebore Rue and Mint with Virgo Pastoris each a handfull boil them in Beer or fair Running-water and give him the liquid part very warm and doing so three or four times it will purifie and purge the Blood but if you suppose it too weak for the Horse's constitution you may dissolve in
hoof the narrow heels the flat hoof the broad frush and the crooked hoof and to these shooes must be purposely made and fitted and the paring be shaped accordingly The Particulars of which being uncertain or at least too tedious for this discourse I refer them to the Skilfull Farrier whose proper business it is to order and reduce them so as they may become practicable and usefull If the hoof be damaged by reason of any Nail that lurks therein not easily to be found it must by all means be looked after and taken thence and the place of its aboad or lodgment may be found by sundry means and ways but chiefly by the heat of that place more than any other or by the Horse's shrinking up his foot or strike thereon or pinch it with your Pincers The place being found pull off the shooe and open the foot gently with a Buttress or Drawing-knife and if you can come at it pull it out if not apply the Plaster I have mentioned for drawing out Thorns Stubs or Splinters Or for your more readiness this Having in the best manner laid open the Wound Take of Stone-pitch Tar Turpentine and Bees-wax of each an ounce and half a quarter of a pint of Juyce of Garlick make them over a gentle fire into a Plaster and apply them as hot as may be endured And sometimes it so happens that by long continuance the Nail in working breaks out above the hoof and in such a case apply Honey Burgundy-pitch and Powder of burnt Allom or a Poultis of Mallows Cammomoil and Groundsel fryed in Hog's Lard and beaten up with the Whites of Eggs and Rye-meal and applying it as hot as may be endured and in so often doing it will break the Skin so that the cause of the grievance may be removed but by the addition of half an ounce of Verdegrease it will bring away the Corruption and heal the Wound Critical Days and the Observation thereon AND now since it may not be amiss to say something of the Critical Days observed by many as to Health and Sickness which relate not only to humane Constitutions but those of all Creatures I shall here incert them These days are accounted such wherein are manifested Alterations in relation to Sickness or Health Life or Death And as for the Critick-day it is ever principally to be observed after the beginning of the sickness as the 3.5.7.9.11.14.17.21.28 In which days so cursarily to be observed no strong Medicines or Purgations ought to be given Nor is it convenient to let Blood unless great necessity require it And other days there are in which many Learned Men hold If Man or Beast fall sick he shall hardly escape and that not without much difficulty which are noted to be these viz. January 1.7 February 3.4 March 1.4 April 8.10 May 2.7 June 10.15 July 11.13 August 3.2 September 3.10 November 3.5 December 7.10 And many add that if any dangerous disease happen on the 10th of August 1st of December or 6th of April it will go very near to terminate in Death Now there are on the contrary other days held to be good days and that if a disease happen on them there is great hopes of recovery nay there is great hopes of succeeding in taking a Journey or any Labour wherein Man or Beast is concerned and these are held to be the 3d and 13th of January The 5th and 28th of February The 3d 22d and 30th of March. The 5th 22d and 29th of April The 4th and 28th of May. The 3d and 8th of June The 12th 13th and 15th of July The 12th of August The 1st 7th 24th and 28th of September The 4th and 15th of October The 13th and 19th of November The 23d and 26th of December And these indeed by the Antients were held in wonderfull esteem they generally taking their measures thereby as to what I have said in relation to them nor are they to be neglected or slighted by Practitioners in Physical or Chyrurgical matters either in relation to Man or Beast no nor in their undertaking relating to Labour or the like but have Some further Considerations upon the Cause of Diseases and how to Remove them Physically discussed c. The cause of a Disease proceeds principally from an effect against Nature and happens either External or Internal the External is that which is outwardly visible and consists generally of what comes by Strokes Bruises Wrenches Scalds Shot or any manner of Wound Those Internal are occult or hid within the body and consequently the less discernable and are divided into an Antecedent and Conjunction The Conjunction is that which is nearest and immediately causes the Disease and is generally held to be the Blood which causes the Phlegm nor is it reckoned the Antecedent doth actually cause the disease but procures matter and stirs it up almost to the creating a disease but between it and the disease are some Causes placed viz. abundance of humours and ill digestion and therefore these things ought to be chiefly considered before any one absolutely attempts to dispell the disease by reason diseases are first cured by removing the Cause Antecedent and after that the Cause Conjunct And as for the External diseases they ought to be known because they breed diseases Internal and very much change the blood and with much diligence are therefore to be sought out that so the Practitioner may be brought to the perfect knowledge of Internal diseases and these External diseases are not either to be avoided or amended but necessarily penetrate the body as Air infected Meat Drink Labour Sleep Watching or Wakefulness Repletion and Evacuation and some disorders that frequently happen or to be avoided as unnecessary as Bruises Strains Slips Wounds Strangling or the like As for the true cause of a disease it sometimes proceeds from corrupt matter whereof they are generated or when either the Sire or Dam is infected with any disease the corrupt quality of which flowing into the Seminal-vessels and transmitting the like to the creature generated making it hereditary and at other times it proceeds from bad usage bad feeding heats colds and many more which I have named in the first Part. And again as I have here hinted Internal diseases may proceed from External strokes bruises or the like And thus much for Physical Observations of this kind From whence I proceed to give an accurate relation of the Spirits by which the frame of Life is supported which take as followeth The Spirits what they are with their Office c. The Spirit is the Aerious and subtil substance of a Body generated of the most pure and thin Blood and is the Original mover and supporter of the Members giving them power to perform their office and is seated chiefly in the Brain and Heart from whence it delates it self by the means of the Nerves and Arteries into all parts of the body and is divided into three parts viz. Animal Vital and Natural the