but if it bee fully raw corrupt and vncleane or if he eate tares fitches rye or barley then must hee needes bee vnsound and full of infirmities Therefore the Farrier shall be carefull to keepe him from all such foodes as breede naughty euill bloud as for his water the more pure it is the better and the more muddy thicke and pleasant so much the more vnhealthfull Now for his mouing and rest that is either his trauell or standing still which is the third thing not naturall in a horses composition doubtlesse they be great preseruers of a horses health for as moderate exercise dissolueth grosse humours ingendreth appetite and addeth strength vnto the limbes so likewise indifferent rest causeth disgestion comforteth the sinewes maketh the heart cheareful against ensuing labour But on the contrary part immoderate trauell or exercise when a horse is ridden beyond his strength breedeth many dangerous mortall sicknesses as the foundring in the body the consumption of the lungs and liuer molten grease and such like besides the pissing of bloud manginesse farrye and such like all which inward diseases craue strong purges and the outward sharp and correding medicines Immoderate rest which is when a horse doth stand long still without any exercise Feeding foule and grosly is as great an enemy to a horses health as the other for it congregateth bindeth together all sorts of ill humours breedes corruption in the bloud rottennesse in the flesh generally as many diseases as any il dyet whatsoeuer The sleepe or watch of a horse which is the fourth thing in our composition is so necessary a comfort to a horse that he cannot liue without it it is the greatest mouer of disgestion and so consequently giues comfort to the whole body For whilest a horse sleepeth the Powers animall do take their rest which otherwise would be ouer-wearied and neither able to discharge their duties nor to continue their actions and operations which is the giuing of feeling and mouing only whilst a horse doth sleep the powers natural haue more liberty to do their work in concocting the meate and comforting the bodie in so much that I account sleepe to be the onely quieting of the sences ordained by nature to ingender strength Sleepe is begotten by sweet fatty and grosse vapours not by their contraries which are raised from the heart to the braine with the coldnesse of which braine those vapours being congealed and thickned together do stop the pipes of the sensitiue spirits so as they can not resort to the instruments of the sences to giue the body feeling mouing wherby the body at that time is depriued of those motions And according as those vapours do more or lesse fill the pipes so is the horses sleepe more or lesse found and vndisturbed but when this sleepe shall at any time grow into excesse and you shall perceiue a horse to sleepe beyond both nature and custome then you shall know that such sleep cometh from an euill habite of the body and is a signe either of Lethargie and a numbnesse of the spirits or else that he hath some inward griefe and paine in his limbes when he standeth which being eased by lying makes him couet a continuall rest and sleeping Now for the watch of a horse because it is the meere contrary to sleepe there needes little to be sayd more then this that as the excesse of the one sheweth the want of the other so the vnnaturall working of either shewes the euill state of a horses body and giues the Farriers warning to expect ensuing sicknesse Now for emptinesse and fulnesse which is the fift not naturall compositor for as much as it is onely an adding to and a taking away some Farriers haue held opinion that all Physicke belonging to a horses body consisteth in them two onely and truly I am of this minde that whosoeuer can take away corruption and adde perfection shall without doubt euer keepe an able and substantiall body But to our purpose of this fulnesse there are two sorts the one fulnesse by excesse of humors the other fulnesse by excesse of meate either of which perturbing the spirits are the grounds of sicknes Againe excesse of humours are of two kindes the one an equall encrease of all maner of humours gathered together and the other a particular excesse either of too much Melancholy Fleame or other waterish humours whatsoeuer the first being termed an aboundance of humours the latter an excesse of euill iuice or nutriment lastly their fulnesse in quantity and fulnesse in quality Fulnesse in quantity is when a horse is full of bloud or any other simple humour Fulnesse in quality is when any of those humors is too hot or too cold too grosse or too thin Now for emptinesse as all diseases of fulnesse must be cured by it onely so all diseases of emptinesse must be healed by fulnesse as by taking of bloud by purge friction scarification boxing sweating bathing and a world of such like as shal be very largely set forth hereafter Lastly touching the affections of a horses minde you shall vnderstand that so farre forth as the sensitiue soule doth stretch so farre they haue sence and feeling of affections as namely to loue to hate to be angry to reioyce to be sorry and to feare for all which there needs no great apologie sith we haue it in dayly experience as who seeth not the loue of some horses to their keepers their hate to strangers their anger in their fights their ioyes in their prides wooings their sorrowes in their sicknesses and their feares vnto their riders Now these affections sith many times they are the grounds of strange motions in the body therefore they ought carefully to be looked vnto by the Faâ—rier and that the horse be not ouer-oppressed with any of them especially feare and hatred the first whereof compelleth the bloud and spirits to flye to the inward parts and to leaue the outward without sence or feeling and the latter makes him to be vnquiet fierce and raging both together breedes distemperature in a horse and those distemperatures ingender mortal sicknesses And thus much for these sixe things being held not naturall in a horses composition CHAP. 10 Of Horses complexions HAuing spoken of whose thirteene naturall and not natural things wherof a horses body is compounded we will now in a somewhat more particular manner speake of the complexions of horses which is one of the most necessary faces that a Farrier can behold both for the iudging of a horses infirmities and also for the true compounding of his medicines for euery disease therefore you shal first vnderstand that by the color of the horse you shal euer iudge his complexion for looke which of the elements is most predominant in him from that element we draw his complexion as thus If he participate more of the fire then of any of the other elements then we hold him to be a cholericke horse
hony or else with hony and hogges dung mixt together Other Farriers vse to rowell the horse vnder the throat and to draw the rowell twice or thrice a day annointing it with fresh butter and keeping his head warme Other of our latter and better experienced Farriers vse first if his yeares will permit it to let the horse bloud in the necke veine then to lay to the soare this ripening plaister take of mallowes linseed rue smallage and ground Iuy of each like quantity boyle all these together in the grounds of beere then put to a pretty quantity of oyle de bay with a little Dia Althea then take it from the fire and therewith make your plaister and lay it to the soare suffering the horse by no means to drink any cold water after the soare is broken lay bran steept in wine vnto it till it be whole Others vse to cut the kirnels out betweene the iawes then to wash the soare with butter beere giuing the horse to drinke new milke garlike and iuyce of the leaues of birch or in winter the barke of birch or else to annoint it with tarre and oyle till it be whole Now for mine owne part the best cure that euer I found for the strangle was this As soone as I found the swelling to arise betweene his chappes to take a waxe candle and holding it vnder the the horses chappes close to the swelling burne it so long till you see the skinne be burnt through so that you may as it were raise it from the flesh that done you shall lay vnto it either wet hay or wet horse litter and that will ripen it and make it breake then lay a plaister vnto it only of Shooe-makers waxe and that will both draw and heale it Now if it breake inward and will not breake outward and so auoydeth onely at his nose then you shall twice or thrice euery day perfume his head by burning vnder his nosthrels either Frankinsence or masticke or else by putting a hote coale into wet hay and so making the smoake thereof to ascend vp into the horses head CHAP. 22. Of the Cankerous Vlcer in the Nose THat which we cal the cankerous vlcer in the nose is onely a fretting humor eating and consuming the flesh and making it all raw within and not being holpen in time will eate through the gristell of the nose It cometh of corrupt bloud or else of a sharpe hunger ingendred by meanes of some extreme cold The signes are the horse will oft bleede at the nose and all the flesh within his nose will be raw and filthy stinking sauours and matter will come out at his nose The cure thereof according to the ancient Farriers is take of greene copporas and of allome of each one pound of white copporas one quarterne and boile these in a pottell of running water vntill a pinte be consumed then take it off and put thereunto halfe a pint of hony then cause his head to be holden vp with a drenching staffe and squirt into his nosthrels with a squint of brasse or pewter some of this water being luke warme three or foure times one after another but betwixt euery squirting giue him liberty to hold downe his head and to snurt out the filthy matter for otherwise perhaps you might choake him and after this it shall be good also without holding vp his head any more to wash and rubbe his nosthrels with a fine clowt bound to a stickes end and dipt in the aforesaid water and do thus once a day vntill the horse be whole Other Farriers vse if they see this canker to be of great heate and burning in the soare with exceeding great paine then you shall take the iuice of purslaine lettice and night-shade of each like quantity and mixe them together and wash the soare with a fine cloath dipt therein or else squirt it vp into his nosthrels and it will allâ—y the heate Others take of hyssope sage and rue of each a good handfull and seeth them in vrine and water to the third part of them then straine them out and put in a little white copporas and hony and aqua-vitae and so either wash or squirt the soare place with it then when the canker is kild make this water to heale it Take of rib-woort bettony and daysies of each a handfull then seeth them well in wine and water wash the soare three or foure times a day therewith vntill it be whole Others vse to take Chrystall and beating it into fine powder to strow it vpon the canker and it will kill it CHAP. 23. Of bleeding at the Nose MAny horses especially yong horses are oft subiect to this bleeding at the nose which I imagine proceedeth either from the great aboundance of bloud or that the veine which endeth in that place is either broken fretted or opened It is opened many times by meanes that bloud aboundeth too much or for that it is too fine or too subtile and so pierceth through the veine Againe it may be broken by some violent straine cut or blow And lastly it may be fretted or gnawne through by the sharpnesse of the bloud or else by some other euill humour contained therein The cure is according to the ancient Farriers to take the iuice of the rootes of nettles and squirt it vp into the horses nosthrels and lay vpon the nape of the horses necke a wadde of hay dipt in cold water and when it waxeth warme take it off and lay on a cold one Other Farriers vse to take a pint of redde wine and to put therein a quarterne of Bole-armoniacke beaten into fine powder and being made luke warme to powre the one halfe thereof the first day into his nosthrell that bleedeth causing his head to be holden vp so as the wine may not fall out and the next day to giue him the other halfe Others vse to let the horse bloud on the breast veine on the same side that he bleedeth at seuerall times then take of frankinsence one ounce of aloes halfe an ounce and beate them into fine powder and mingle them throughly with the whites of egges vntill it be as thicke as hony and with soft Hares haire thrust it vp into his nosthrell filling the hole so full that it cannot fall out or else fill his nosthrels full of ashes dung or hogges dung or horses dung mixt with chalke and vinegar Now for mine owne part when none of these will helpe as all haue failed me at some times then I take two small cords and with them garter him exceeding hard some ten inches aboue his knees of his forelegges and iust beneath his elbowes and then keepe the nape of his necke as cold as may be with wet clothes or wet hay and it will staunch him presently CHAP. 24. Of the boody rifts or choppes in the palate of the horses mouth THese choppes clefts or rifts in the palate of a horses mouth doe proceede as some Farriers suppose
from the eating of rough hay full of whims thistels or other pricking stuffe or else prouender full of sharpe seedes which by continuall pricking and fretting the furrowes of the mouth do cause them to ranckle swell and breede corrupt and stinking matter and without speedy preuention that vlcer will turne to the foulest canker The cure thereof is according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers to wash the soare places very cleane with salt and vinegar mixt together and then to annoint it with hony Other Farriers vse especially if the palate be much swelled to pricke the roofe of the mouth with an hot Iron that the humour may issue out abundantly and then to annoint the place with hony and onions boyled together till they be whole CHAP. 25. Of the Gigges or Bladders in a horses mouth THese gigges bladders or flaps in a horses mouth are little soft swellings or rather pustules with blacke heads growing in the inside of the horses lips next vnto his great iaw teeth they will sometimes be as great as a wal-nut and are so painfull vnto him that they make him let his meate fall out of his mouth or at least keepe it in his mouth vnchawed whereby the horse can in no wise prosper they do proceede either of eating too much grasse or naughty rough pricking hay or prouender they are most apparantly to be felt and the cure is according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers first to draw out the horses tongue of the one side of his mouth and then take a lancet and slit the swellings the length of a date and then with a probe picke out all the kirnels like wheate cornes very cleane then take the yolke of an egge and as much salt as will temper it thicke like leauen then make it into little balles and thrust into euery hole one and do so once a day vntill it be whole Other Farriers vse after they haue slit them with an incision knife and thrust out the corruption onely to wash the soare places either with vinegar and salt or else with allome water Others vse with a small hot Iron to burn the swellings and then wash them with beere and salt or ale and salt and it will heale them Now that you may preuent this disease before it come it shall be good to pull out the horses tongue often and to wash it with wine beere and ale and so shal no blisters breede thereon nor any other disease CHAP. 26. Of the Lampasse THe lampasse is a swelling or growing vp of the flesh which ouergroweth the vpper teeth which are the shearers in the vpper chappe and so hindreth the horse from eating They do proceede from aboundance of bloud resorting to the first furrow or bare of the mouth I meane that which is next to the vpper foreteeth it is most apparant to be seene and therefore needeth no other signes The cure is according to the custome of the oldest Farriers first with a lancet to let them bloud in diuers places of the swelled flesh then take an Iron made at one end broad thin and turned vp according to this figure and heating it redde hot burne out all that superfluous sweld flesh which ouergrowes the foreteeth and then annoint the soare place with fresh butter till it be whole Others vse after it is burnt out onely to rub the soare place with salt onely or wash it with salt and vinegar till it be whole Others vse to take a hooked knife made very sharpe and very hot and therewith cut the swolne places in two parts crosse against the teeth but if they be little swelled then cut but the third ranke from the teeth and so let him bleede well then rubbe it with a little salt and the horse will be well but if you finde afterwards that either through too much burning or cutting or through the eating of rough meate that the wound doth not heale but rather ranckleth then you shall take a saucer-full of hony and twelue pepper cornes and bray them together in a mortar and temper them vp with vinegar and boyle them a while and then once a day annoint the soare therewith till it be whole CHAP. 27. Of the Camery or Frounce THE Camery or Frounce in horses are small pimples or warts in the midst of the palate of the mouth aboue and they are soft and soare they will also sometimes breede both in his tongue and in his lippes it proceedeth sometimes from the eating of frozen grasse or by drawing frozen dust with the grasse into their mouthes sometimes by eating of moist hay that Rats and other vermine haue pist vpon and sometimes by licking vp of venome The signes are the apparant seeing of the pimples or whelkes and a forsaking of his foode both through the soarenesse of them and through the vnsauourinesse of the food that he hath eaten before The cure according to the opinion of the oldest Farriers is first to let him bloud on the two greatest veines vnder his tongue and then wash all the soare places with vinegar and salt then get the horse new bread which is not hot and giue it him to eate and the horse will do well inough Others vse with a hot Iron to burne the pimples on the head and then wash them with wine and salt or ale and salt vntill they bleede and they will soone heale Other Farriers vse to take out his tongue and to pricke the veines thereof in seuen or eight places and likewise vnder his vpper lippes also and let him bleede well then rub euery soare place with salt very much then the next day wash all the soare places with white wine warme or else with strong vinegar and rubbe it againe with salt then for two or three dayes let the horse drinke no cold drinke and he will do well CHAP. 28. Of the Canker in the mouth A Canker is said of the ancient Farriers to be nothing but a rawnesse of the mouth and tongue which is full of very soare blisters from whence will runne a very hot and sharpe lye which fret and corrode or rot the flesh wheresoeuer it goeth The signes are the apparant sight of the soare besides the forsaking of his meate because he cannot swallow it down but lets it lye halfe chawed betweene his iawes and sometimes when he hath chawed his meate he will thrust it out of his mouth againe and his breath will sauour very strongly chiefly when the horse is fasting This disease proceedeth oftest from some vnnaturall heate comming from the stomacke and sometimes from the venome of filthy foode The cure is as the oldest Farriers instruct vs to take allome half a pound of hony a quarter of a pint of collombine leaues of sage of each a handfull boyle all these together in three pints of running water vntil one pint be consumed and wash all the soare places therewith so as they may bleede and do thus once euery day vntill it be whole
Now for the cure you shall cause him to be let bloud in all the lower parts of his body to draw the bloud from his head as namely on the shackell veines the spurre veines the plat veines and the thigh veines and you shall let him bloud aboundantly then giue him this drinke Take the roote of wild cowcumber or where that cannot be gotten take a handfull of rue and mints and a handfull of blacke elleborus and boyle them in strong red wine and giue it luke warme to the horse in a horne Some vse to giue mans dung with wine three mornings together and also to rubbe his body ouer with a friction at least twice a day and not to faile to giue him moderate exercise Other vse to pierce the skinne of his head with a hot yron to let out the ill humours Others as the most certaine of all medicines vse to geld him of both or one stone at the least but I like it not for mine owne part the cure I haue euer vsed for this griefe was either to make him swallow down hard hens dung or else to giue him to drinke the root of Virgapastoris stâ—mpt in water and for his ordering during the cure I would haue his stable quyet but not close and his foode onely warme mashes of malt and water yet but a very little at one time for the thinnest dyet is best CHAP. 31. Of the Sleeping euill or Lethargie in horses THe sleeping euill is an infirmity which maketh a horse to sleepe continually depriuing him thereby both of memory appetite and all alacrity of spirit It is most incident to white and dunne horse because it proceedeth only from flegme cold grosse which moysturing the braine too much causeth heauinesse and sleepe There needes no other signe more then his sleeping onely The cure is to keepe him waking whether he will or no with great noises and affrights then let him bloud in the necke and the palate of the mouth and giue him to drinke water luke warme wherein hath bene boyled camomill mother woort wheate branne salt and vinegar you shall also persume his head and make him neese and annoynt the palate of his mouth with hony and mustard mixt together it shall not be amisse if with the ordinary water which he drinketh you mixe either parsley seede or fennell seede for that will prouoke vrine you shall also bath his legges and stop his houes with bran salt and vinegar boyled together and applyed as hot as may be and his stable would be lightsome and full of noyse CHAP. 32. Of a Horse that is taken or of shrow running THose horses are supposed by Farriers to be taken or as some call it planet strooke which are depriued of feeling or of mouing not being able to stirre any member but remaineth in the same forme as he was at his time of taking Some hold it proceedeth from choler and fleame when they are superaboundantly mixt together or of melancholy bloud which being a cold dry humour doth oppresse and sicken the hinder part of the braine Other ancient Farriers hold it cometh of some extreme cold or extreme heate or raw disgestion striking into the empty veins suddainly or else of extreme hunger caused by long fasting The signes thereof are numbnesse and want of motion before spoken of as for the cure it is diuers for first you must note whether it come of cold or heate if it come of cold you shall know it by the stuffing and poze in the head which euer is ioyned with the disease if of heate by the hotnesse of his breath and cleare fetching of his winde Now if it proceed from cold you shall giue him to drinke one ounce of Lacerpitium mixt with sallet oyle and muskadine luke warme if it proceede of heate you shall giue one ounce of Lacerpitium with water and hony luke warme but if it proceede of crudity or raw disgestion then you shall helpe him by fasting and if it proceede of fasting then you shall heale him by feeding him often with good meate as with wholesome bread and dry oates yet but a little at a time that he may euer eate with a good stomacke Now for the French Farriers as Monsieur Horace and the rest who call this disease Surprius they hold it cometh onely from cold causes following hot accidents and they vse for their cure to let him bloud on the breast veines and then put him into a sweate either by exercise or multiplicity of clothes but many clothes is better because the horse is not capable of labour and sometimes they will bury him all saue the head in an old dunghill till throuh the heate thereof his limbs receiue such feeling that he begins to struggle out of the same All which cures are not much amisse yet in mine opinion this is the best easiest and surest way First to let him bloud in the necke and breast then to annoynt all his body with oyle Petrolium then giue him this drinke Take of malmsey three pints and mixe it with a quarterne of sugar cynamon and cloues and let him drinke it luke warme then take old rotten wet litter and for want thereof wet hay and with clothes sursingles and cords swaddle al his whole body ouer with the same of a good thicknesse and renew it once in three daies till he be whole let his stable be warme his exercise moderate and if he grow costiue let him first be raked and after giue him either a glister or a suppositary according to his strength There is also another kinde of taking and that is when a horse is planet strooke or stricken with thunder but it is vtterly vncurable and therefore I will omit to speake further of it The last kinde of taking is when a horse is shrow runne that when a horse lieth sleeping there is a certain venemous field mouse called a shrow whose head is extraordinary long like a swines head and her feete shorter of the one side then the other This mouse if she happen to runne ouer any of the limbes of the horse presently the horse leeseth the vse of that limbe she ranne ouer and if she runne ouer his body he commonly leeseth the vse of his hinder loynes and these accidents hauing bene often found vnexpected common Farriers haue held the horse to be taken or planet strooke As for the cure thereof the best is to seeke out a bryer which groweth at both ends and take the horse or beast that is thus vexed and draw him vnder the same and it is a present remedy For mine owne part I haue heard much both of the infirmity and of the cure but I haue had no experience of it but only in one yong foale which being suddainly lame was as suddainly helped to my much contentment CHAP. 33. Of the Staggers THe staggers is a dizzy madnesse of the braine proceeding from corrupt bloud or grosse tough and heauy humours which oppresse and make sicke the
according to the opinion of ancient Farriers from a continuall crudity oâ— raw disgestion of the stomacke from whence grosse vapours ascending vp into the head doe not onely oppresse the braine but all the sensitiue parts also Now for my part I rather hold it an infirmity of the stomacke and inward bowels which being cloyed with much glut and fat doth in the night season so hinder the spirits and powers from doing their naturall office that the beast hauing as it were his breath strangled doth with an vnnaturall struggling in his sleepe put his body into an extreme sweat and with that passion is brought to much faintnesse of which I haue had much and continuall experiâ—nce onely in horses exceeding fat and newly taken from the grasse but especially from such horses as are either fatted vpon eddish grasse which in some countries is called after-maths or such as are taken vp fat in the winter season The signes to know this disease is that in the morning when you come early to your horse you shall finde him all of a great sweate and his body something panting or perhaps you shall but only find him sweat in his flankes vpon his necke and at the rootes of his eares either of both are signes of this sicknesse especially if at night when you litter him you finde that he is dry of his body and giueth no outward signe of inward sicknesse Now there be some that will obiect against me and say that this infirmity is not the night-mare but an ordinary infirmity ingendred by superfluity of cold grosse and vnwholesome food got in the winter season which nature through the helpe of warme clothes and a warme house expels in this manner in the night season To this obiection I answer that if they do disallow this sicknesse to be the night-mare that then without all contradiction there is no such disease as the night-mare at all and that it is but only a name without any substance or consequence but forasmuch as this sicknesse is not onely very vsuall but also carrieth with it all the effects and attributes ascribed vnto the night-mare and that it is as yet a disease vnnamed I do not think I can giue it a more proper terme then to call it the night-mare The cure whereof is euery morning and euening both before and after his water to giue the horse some moderate exercise as to make him go at least a mile and more for his water and after he is watered to gallop him gently on the hand a good space then when he is brought into the house and well rubbed to giue him his prouender being oates and to mixe therewith a handfull or better of hempseede onely in this cure you must be carefull that your exercise do not enforce him to sweate nor shall you haue need to vse it longer then you finde that he sweateth much in the night season This exercise and medicine will not onely cure this infirmity but also any cold that is newly gotten whatsoeuer CHAP. 36. Of the Apoplexie or Palsey THese palseyes or apoplexies which happen vnto horses are of two sorts the one generall the other particular The generall palsey is when a horse is depriued of all sense and mouing generally ouer his whole body which is seldome or neuer found out by our Farriers because the mortality and suddainnesse of death which pursues the disease takes from them all notes obseruations of the infirmity and indeed for the generall palsey there is no cure and therefore there needs no description of signe or cure For the particular palsey that is when a horse is depriued but of some part or member of his body and most commonly it is but the necke onely as both my selfe and others haue found by dayly experience The disease procedeth from foulnesse of foode or from fenne feeding which breedeth grosse cold and tough humours which ioyning with crudities and raw disgestions oppresse the braine violently altogether it also cometh many times by meanes of some blow or wound giuen vpon the temples of the head The signes to know the disease are the gathering together of his body going crookedly and not straight forward but seldome and holding his necke awry without motion yet neuer forsaking his prouender or meate but eating it with greedinesse and much slauering The cure is to let him bloud on his necke veine and temple veine on the contrary side to that way he wryeth then annoynt all his necke ouer with the oyle Petroleum and with wet hay ropes swaddle all his necke ouer euen from his breast to his eares but hauing before splented his necke straight with splents of wood made strong smooth flat for the purpose then for 3 mornings together giue him a pint of old muskadine with two spoonefull of this powder to drinke Take of Opoponax two ounces of Storax three ounces of Gentian three ounces of Manna Suâ—carie three ounces of Mirre one scruple and of long pepper two scruples beate all these into fine powder Now there be some Farriers which for this disease vse to draw the horses necke on the contrary side with a hot yron euen from the necke to the shoulder and on the temple of his head of that side also a long strike and on the other a little starre in this maner and from his reines to his midde backe small lines in this maner But I that know this sicknesse proceedeth from the braine and sinewes cannot conceiue how any helpe should come from burning of the skinne because it is the sinewes themselues and not the skinne that is drawne vp and straightned and therefore I would wish euery Farrier to forbeare this tormenting vnlesse he apparantly see that the skinne it selfe through dislike and weaknesse is shrunke also and then the cure is not amisse CHAP. 37. Of the generall Crampe or conuulsion of sinewes THese generall crampes or conuulsions of sinewes are most forcible contractions or drawings together of the sinewes and muscles and they happen sometimes generally into many parts of the body somtimes particularly as but into one member and no more when they are generally diperst in horses they proceede commonly from some wound wherein a sinew is halfe cut and no more and so there runneth a generall contraction ouer the whole body by degrees When they are particular as but in one member then they proceede either from cold windy causes or from the want of bloud For the generall contraction which cometh by a wound you shall reade the cure thereof in the booke of Surgery following where the sinew being cut in two peeces the contraction ceasseth For the particular where but one member is grieeued you shall know it by these signes the member will be starke and stiffe insomuch that neither the beast nor any man will be able to bow it the sinewes will be hard like stickes and the horse being downe is not able to rise during the time of the contraction he will also halt
Mirre beaten to powder Others strong ale Myrre â—allet oyle and twenty graines of white pepper and in stead of the ale you may take the decoction that is the water wherein sage rue hath bene sodden it will soone make the horse fat Others take sodden beanes well bruised and sprinkled with salt adding to the water foure times so much beane flowre or wheat bran and giue that to the horse and it will fat him suddenly Wine mixt with the bloud of a sucking pigge made luke warme or wine with the iuyce of featherfeaw or an ounce of sulphur and a peny waight of Myrre well made into powder together with a new layed egge will raise vp a horse that languisheth Barley dryed or barley boyled till it burst either will fat a horse But the best way of faâ—ting a horse for most of the wayes before prescribed are not to breede fat that will continue is first to giue your horse three mornings together a pint of sweete wine and two spoonefull of Diapente brewed together for that drinke will take away all infection and sicknesse from the inward parts then to feed him well with prouender at least foure times a day that is after his water in the morning after his water at noone after his water in the euening and after his water at nine of the clocke at night Now you shall not let his prouender be all of one sort but euery meale if it may be change as thus if in the morning you giue him oates at noone you shall giue him bread at euening beanes or pease mixt with wheat branne and at night sodden barley and so forth and euer obserue of what food he eateth best of that let him haue the greatest plenty and there is no question but he will in very short space grow fat sound and full of spirit without either mislike or sicknesse CHAP. 52. Of the Breast-paine or griefe in the breast THough most of our Farriers are not curious to vnderstand of this disease because it is not so common as others yet both my selfe and others find it is a disease very apt to breed and to indanger the horse with death The Italians call it Granezza di petto and it proceedeth from the superfluity of bloud and other grosse humors which being dissolued by some extreme and disorderly heate resorteth downeward to the breast and paineth the horse extremely that he can hardly go The signes are a stiffe staggering and weake going with his forelegges and he can very hardly or not at al bow down his head to the ground either to eate or to drink and will groane much when he doth either the one or the other The cure is first to bathe all his breast and foreboothes with the oyle of Peter and if that do not help him within three or foure dayes then to let him bloud on both his breast veines in the ordinary place and then put in a rowell either of haire corke horne or leather of all which and the maner of rowelling you shall reade in a more particular chapter hereafter in the booke of Surgery Now there be other Farriers which for this sicknesse will first giue the horse an inward drench as namely a pint of sweet wine and two spoonfull of diapente then bathe all his breast and legges with wine and oyle mingled together and in some tenne or twelue dayes it will take away the griefe CHAP. 53. Of the sicknesse of the heart called the Anticor THis sicknesse of the heart which by the ancient Farriers is called Anticor as much as to say against or contrary to the heart is a dangerous mortall sicknesse proceeding from the great abundance of bloud which is bredde by too curious and proud keeping where the horse hath much meate and little or no labor as for the most part your geldings of price haue which running all the Summer at grasse do nothing but gather their own food and such like where the maisters too much loue and tendernesse is the meanes to bring the horse to his death as we find dayly in our practise for when such naughty and corrupt bloud is gathered it resorteth to the inward parts and so suffocateth the heart The signes whereof are the horse will many times haue a small swelling rise at the bottome of the breast which swelling will encrease and rise vpward euen to the top of the necke of the horse and then most assuredly it kils the horse he will also hang his head either downe to the manger or downe to the ground forsaking his food and groaning with much painfulnnesse This disease is of many ignorant Smiths taken somtimes for the yellowes and sometimes for the staggers but you shall know that it is not so by these obseruations First neither about the whites of his eyes not the inside of his lips shall you perceiue any apparant yellowes and so then it cannot be the yellowes nor will he haue any great swelling about his eyes nor dizzinesse in his head before he be at the poynt of death and so consequently it cannot be the staggers The cure thereof is two-fold the first a preuention or preseruatiue before the disease come the second a remedy after the disease is apparant For the preuention or preseruatiue you shall obserue that if your horse liue idly either at grasse or in the stable and withall grow very fat which fatnesse is neuer vnaccompanied with corruptnesse that then you fayle not to let him bloud in the necke veine before you turn him to grasse or before you put him to feede in the stable and likewise let him bloud two or three moneths after when you see he is fedde and at each time of letting bloud you must make your quantity according to the goodnesse of the bloud for if the bloud be blacke and thicke which is a signe of inflammation and corruption you shal take the more if it be pure red and thin which is a signe of strength and healthfulnesse you shall take little or none at all There be others which vse for this preuention to giue the horse a scouring or purgation of malmsey oyle and sugarcandy the making and vse whereof you shal reade in the chapter of purgation this would be giuen immediatly when you put your horse to feede and as soone as you see his skin full swolne with fatnesse Now for the remedy when this disease shall be apparant you shall let him bloud on both his plat veines or if the Smiths skill will not extend so farre then you shall let the horse bloud on the necke veine and that he bleede abundantly then you shall giue him this drinke Take a quart of malmsey and put thereunto halfe a quarterne of sugar and two ounces of cinamon beaten to powder and being made luke warme giue it the horse to drinke then keepe him very warme in the stable stuffing him round about with soft wisps very close especially about the stomacke least
any winde do annoy him and let his ordinary drinke be warme mashes of malt and water his foode only that whatsoeuer it be which he eateth with the best stomacke Now if you see any swelling to appeare whether it be soft or hard then besides letting him bloud you shall strike the swelling in diuers places with a steame or launcet that the corruption may issue forth and then annoynt it with hogges grease made warme for that will either expell it or bring it to a head especially if the swelling be kept exceeding warme There be other Farriers which for this disease vse first to let the horse bloud as is aforesayd and then to giue him a quart of malmsey well brewed with three spoonfull of the powder called Diapente and if the swelling arise to lay thereunto nothing but hay well sodden in old vrine and then to keepe the same dyet as is aforesayd Others vse after the letting of bloud to giue the horse no drinke but onely tenne or twelue spoonefuls of that water which is called Doctor Stephens water and is not vnknown to any Apothecary and then for the rest of the cure to proceede in all things as is before specified questionlesse I haue seene strange effects of this practise CHAP. 54. Of tired Horses SInce wee are thus farre proceeded into the inward and vitall parts of a horses body it is not amisse to speake something of the tiring of horses and of the remedies for the same because when a horse is truly tyred as by ouer extreme labour it is questionlesse that all his vitall parts are made sicke and feebled For to tell you in more plainesse what trying is it is when a horse by extreme vncessant labour hath all his inward and vitall powers which should accompany reioyce the heart expelled and driuen outward to the outward parts lesse deseruing members leauing the heart forlorne and sicke insomuch that a generall and cold faintnesse spreadeth ouer the whole body and weakneth it in such sort that it can endure no further trauell till those liuely heates faculties and powers be brought vnto their naturall and true places backe againe and made to giue comfort to the heart whom their losse sickned Now for the tiring of horses though in truth it proceedeth from no other cause but this before spoken yet in as much as in our common and vulgar speech we say euery horse that giueth ouer his labour is tyred you shall vnderstand that such giuing ouer may proceede from foure causes the first from inward sicknesse the second from some wound receiued either of body or limbe the third from dulnesse of spirit cowardlinesse or restinesse and the fourth from most extreme labour and trauell which is true tirednesse indeede Now for the first which is inward sicknesse you shall looke into the generall signes of euery disease and if you finde any of those signes to be apparant you shall straight conclude vpon that disease taking away the cause thereof haue no doubt but the effects of his tiring will vanish with the â—ame For the second which is by some wound receiued as by cutting or dismembring the sinewes ligaments or muscles or by straining or stooming any bone or ioynt or by pricking in shooing or striking nayle yron stub or thorne into the sole of the horses foote and such like Sith the first is apparant to the eye by disioyning the skinne the other by halting you shall take a suruey of your horse and finding any of them apparant looke what the griefe is repaire to the latter part of this booke which intreateth of surgery and finding it there vse the meanes prescribed and the tiring will easily be cured Now for the third which is dulnesse of spirit cowardlinesse or restinesse you shall finde them by these signes if he haue no apparant signe either of inward sicknes or outward griefe neither sweateth much nor sheweth any great alteration of countenance yet notwithstanding tireth and refuseth reasonable labour then such tyring proceedeth from dulnesse of spirite but if after indifferent long trauell the horse tire and then the man descending from his backe the horse runne or trot away as though he were not tired the man then mounting againe the horse vtterly refuse to go forward such tyring proceedeth from cowardlinesse but if a horse within one two or three miles riding being temperately vsed and being neither put to any tryall of his strength nor as it were scarcely warmed if he in his best strength refuse labour and tire it proceedeth onely from restinesse and ill conditions Then for the cure of any of all these proceding from dulnesse fearefulnesse and vnwillingnesse you shall take ordinary window glasse and beate it into fine powder then take vp the skinne of each side the spurre veine betweene your finger and your thumbe and with a fine naule or bodkin make diuers small holes through the skinne then rubbe glasse powder very hard into those holes which done mount his backe and do but offer to touch his sides with your heeles and be sure if he haue life in him he will go forward the greatest feare being that he will still but go too fast but after your iourney is ended and your allighted you must not faile because this powder of glasse will corrode and rot his sides to annoynt both the sore places with the powder of Iet and turpentine mixt together for that will draw out the venom and heale his sides againe There be others which vse when a horse tireth thus through dull cowardlinesse or restinesse to thrust a burning brand or yron into his buttockes or to bring bottels of blazing straw about his eares there is neither of the cures but is exceeding good But for the true tired horse which tireth through a naturall faintnesse drawne from exceeding labour the signes to know it being long trauel much sweat and willingnesse of courage during his strength the cure thereof according to the opinion of some Farriers is to powre oyle and vinegar into his nosthrels and to giue him the drinke of â—heâ—pes beades mentioned in the chapter of the consumption of the flesh being the fiftieth chapter of this booke and to bathe his legges with a comfortable bath of which you shal finde choyce in the chapter of bathes or else charge them with this charge Take of bole armony and of wheate flowre of each halfe a pound and a little rosen beaten into fine powder and a quart of strong vinegar mingle them well together and couer all his legs therwith then if it be in Summer turne him to grasse and he will recouer his wearinesse Others vse to take a slice of fresh beefe hauing steeped it in vinegar lappe it about your bit or snafle and hauing made it fast with a threed ride your horse therewith and he will hardly tire yet after your iourney is ended be sure to giue your horse rest much warmth and good feeding that is warme
of strong beere or ale and giue it the horse to drinke Others vse after raking bloud letting to take the iuyce of Iuy leaues mingling it with wine to squirt it into the horses nosthrels and to let him drinke only cold water mixt with vitrum and let his foode be grasse or new hay sprinkled with water Thus you haue seene I dare well affirme all the best practises which are at this day knowne for this disease where they all faile there is no hope of cure yet let me thus farre further informe you This disease of the yellowes or iaundise if the keeper or maister be not a great deale the more skilfull and carefull will steale vpon you vnawares and as I haue often seene when you are in the middest of your iourney remote and distant farre from any towne that can giue you succour it may be your horse will fall downe vnder you and if you should let him rest till you fetch him succour questionlesse hee will bee dead In this extremity you haue no helpe but to draw out a sharpe poynted knife dagger or rapier for a neede and as neare as you can opening the horses mouth strike him bloud about the third barre of the roofe of his mouth and so letting him eate and swallow his owne blood a good while then raise him vp and be sure he will go as fresh as euer he did but after you come to place of rest then bee sure to bloud him and drench him as aforesayd or else there will a worse fit come vpon him Now to conclude for the blacke iaundise which of some Farriers is called the dry yellow though for mine owne part I hold it to be incurable yet there be other Farriers which are of a contrary humour and prescribe this physicke for the cure thereof first to giue the horse a glister made of oyle water and nitrum after his fundament is raked then to powre the decoction of mallowes mingled with sweete wine into his nosthrels and let his meate be grasse or hay sprinkled with water and a little nitre and his prouender dryed oates hee must rest from labour and be often rubbed Now there be other Farriers which for this disease would onely haue the horse drinke the decoction of wilde cole-worts sodden in wine the effects of all which I onely referre to experience CHAP. 66. Of the Dropsie or euill habit of the body WHereas we haue spoken before of the consumption of the flesh which proceedeth from surfaits ill lodging labour colds heates and such like you shall also now vnderstand that there is another drinesse or consumption of the flesh which hath no apparant cause or ground and is called of Farriers a dropsie or euill habite of the body which is most apparantly seene when the horse by dislike doth leese his true naturall colour as when baynesse turnes to dunnesse blackes to duskishnes whites to ashinesse and when he leeseth his spirit strength and alacrity Now this cometh not from the want of nutriment but from the want of good nutriment in that the bloud is corrupted either with fleame choler or melancholy coming according to the opinion of the best Farriers either from the spleene or the weaknes of the stomacke or liuer causing naughty disgestion Others thinke it cometh from fowle feeding or much idlenesse but for mine owne part albeit I haue had as much tryall of this disease as any one man and that it becometh not me to controll men of approued iudgements yet this I dare auerre that I neuer saw this disease of the euill habite or euill colour of the body spring from any other groundes then either disorderly and wilde riding or from hunger or barraine woody keeping Betwixt it and the dropsie there is small or no difference for the dropsie being diuided into three kindes this is the first thereof as namely an vniuersall swelling of the body but especially the legges through the aboundance of water lying betweene the skinne and the flesh The second a swelling in the couering or bottome of the belly as if the horse were with foale which is onely a whayish humour abiding betwixt the skinne and the rimme and the third a swelling in the same place by the like humour abiding betwixt the great bagge and the kell The signes of this disease are shortnesse of breath swelling of the body or legges losse of the horses naturall colour no appetite vnto meate and a continuall thirst his backe buttockes and flankes will be dry and shrunke vp to their bones his veines will be hidde that you cannot see them and wheresoeuer you shall presse your finger hard against his body there you shall leaue the print thereof behind you and the flesh will not rise of a good space after when he lyeth downe he will spreade out his limbes and not draw them round together and his haire will shedde with the smallest rubbing There be other Farriers which make but onely two dropsies that is a wet dropsie and a windy dropsie but being examined they are all one with those recited haue all the same signes and the same cure which according to the ancient Farriers is in this sort First to let him be warme couered with many cloathes and either by exercise or otherwise driue him into a sweate then let his backe and body be rubbed against the haire and let his foode be for the most part cole-worts smallage and Elming bowes or what else will keepe his body soluble or prouoke vrine when you want this foode let him eate grasse or hay sprinckled with water and sometimes you may giue him a kinde of pulse called Ciche steeped a day and a night in water and then taken out and layed so as the water may drop away There be other Farriers which only would haue the horse to drinke parsley stampt and mixt with wine or else the roote of the hearbe called Panax stampt and mixt with wine Now whereas some Farriers aduise to slit the belly a handfull behinde the nauell that the winde and water may leasurely issue forth of mine owne knowledge I know the cure to be most vile nor can it be done but to the vtter spoyle and killing of the horse for a horse is a beast wanting knowledge of his owne good will neuer be drest but by violence and that violence will bring downe his kell so as it will neuer be recouered Now for these dropsies in the belly although I haue shewed you the signes and the cures yet are they rare to be found and more rare to be cured but for the other dropsie which is the swelling of the legges and the losse of the colour of the haire it is very ordinary and in howrely practise the best cure wherof that euer I found is this Take of strong ale a gallon set it on the fire skum off the white frothwhich riseth then take a handfull of wormwood without stalke and as much rue in like manner
to a mare great with foale but if I finde her to be troubled with wormes as is easie to be done by the stinking of her breath by the sliminesse of her mouth and by the greatnesse of the worme veines vnder her lips then presently I do nothing but let her bloud in the roofe or palat of her mouth and make her eate her owne bloud for that I know will both kill worms and help most inward maladyes But leauing mares with foale let vs returne againe vnto horses There be other Farriers which vse to take a handfull of new hens dung a quart of stale ale and braying them well together then take a handfull of bay-salt and put two egges to it and hauing mixt them all well together giue it the horse to drinke Others vse to take a halfe peny worth of saffron and as much allum and mixe them with a pint of milke and giue it the horse to drinke or else giue him greene willow and greene reede to eate Others vse and thinke it the best of all other medicines to take the guttes of a young hen or pidgeon and rolle it first in a little blacke sope then in baysaylt and so force it downe the horses throate Others vse especially for the Truncheons to let the horse drinke hennes dung mints sage and rue with beere or ale and to let him bloud in the nosthrels To conclude except you see the horse very much pained you shall need to giue him nothing but rosen and brimstone mixt together and blended with his prouender hauing care that euer you giue it fasting and long before the horse do drinke CHAP. 74. Of paine in the horses Kiddneyes There is no question but the same infirmities which do belong vnto the liuer or spleene of a horse do also belong vnto the kidneyes as inflammations obstructions apostumes and vlcers and truly in opening of horses I haue found the kidney sometimes wasted which I imputed to some matter of inflammation I haue likewise found much grauell which was onely through obstructions and I haue seene the kidneyes as blacke as inke which could not come without an vlcerous apostumation But forasmuch as a horse is a beast who cannot tell the manner of his paine nor we so heedfull as we might haue bene to obserue the Symptome of euery griefe we are enforst to conclude all vnder one name which is paine in the kidneyes gotten either by some great straine in leading or by some great burthen bearing The signes are the horse will go rolling and staggering behind his vrine will bee blackish and thicke and his stones if he haue any will be shrunke vp into his body if he haue none you shall perceiue the sheath of his yard to be drawne backeward and the great veine which runneth vp the inside of his thigh called the kidney veine will flacke and beate continually The cure according to the opinion of the ancient Farriers is first to bathe his backe and loynes with oyle wine and Nitrum warmed together and after he is bathed couer him with warme clothes and let him stand in litter vp to the belly then giue him to drinke water wherein hath ben sodden dill fennell anise seedes smallage parsley spicknard myrre and cassia or as many as you can conueniently get of these simples The next morning fasting giue him to drinke a quart of ewes milke or for want thereof halfe so much sallet oyle and Deeres suet molten together or if you can get it the roote of daffadill boyled in wine and let his prouender bee dryed oates and in this dyet keepe him about tenne dayes and he will recouer CHAP. 75. Of the diseases belonging to the Bladder or Vrine and first of the Strangury ACcording to the determinate opinion of all the best ancientest Horse-leaches the bladder of a horse is subiect to three dangerous diseases as first the Strangury or Strangullion the second the Paine-pisse the third the Stone or Pissupprest Now for the first which is the strangury or strangullion it is when the horse is prouoked to stale often and auoydeth nothing but a few droppes it commeth questionlesse either by the heate sharpnesse of vrine caused either by great traueil or by sharpe and hot meates and drinkes or else by the exulceration of the bladder or by meanes of some appostume in the liuer and kidneyes which apostume being broken the matter resorteth downe into the bladder with the sharpnes thereof causeth a continuall prouocation of pissing The signes are as I sayd before a continuall desire to pisse yet auoiding nothing but a few drops those with such pain that he will whiske wry and beate his taile as he pisseth The cure whereof is to bathe the horses hinder loines with warme water and then take bread and bayes of Laurell and temper them together with May butter and giue him two or three balles thereof downe his throate three dayes together Others vse and I haue euer found it the best to take a quart of new milke a quarterne of sugar and brewing them well together giue it the horse to drinke sixe mornings together obseruing to keepe the horse from all sharpe meates as mow-burnt hay bran and such like CHAP. 76. Of the Paine-pisse or pissing with paine THis disease of Paine-pisse is when a horse cannot pisse but with great paine and labour and doth proceede sometimes from the weaknesse of the bladder and the cold intemperature thereof and sometimes through the aboundance of fleame and grosse humors stopping the necke of the bladder the signes whereof are the horse will stretch himselfe out as though he would stale and thrust out his yard a little and with the paine clap his taile betwixt his thighes to his belly and hauing stood so a good while in the end stale a good quantity The cure whereof according to the opinion of some Farriers is to take the iuyce of leekes sweete wine and oyle and mingling them together to powre it into his right nosthrel and walke him a little vp and downe vpon it or else to giue him to drinke smallage seede or else the roote of wilde fennell sodden with wine Others vse to put fine sharpe onions cleane pild and a little bruised into his fundament and then to chafe him immediatly vpon it either by riding him or running him in a mans hand or else to take the scraping of the inward parts of the horses owne houes beaten into powder and mingled with wine and powre it into his right nosthrell and then ride him vpon it Others vse to leade the horse to a sheepe-coate or sheepe-pen where great store of sheepe are wonted and making the horse to smell of the dung and pisse of the sheepe it will prouoke him to stale presently Others vse to giue the horse white dogges-dung dryed and mingled with Amoniacum salt and wine to drinke or else hogges dung onely with wine or the dregges of horse-pisse and wine CHAP. 77. Of the Stone