without any Reason they imagine to be very dangerous If you desire a further Confirmation of the Truth of what I have said you may easily satisfie your Curiosity by making the following Experiment on a living Colt of small Value Separate the Skin from his Head and you will not only perceive the Communication of the two Nerves or Sinews but that the Optic-Nerve will appear stiffer and more stretch'd assoon as you cut the other which you may find without much difficulty tho' it lies deep and near the Bone But they who dare not venture on this Operation may content themselves with taking up the Eye-Vein I 'm confident you will not find this Remark in any other Author and I 'm fully satisfy'd of its Justness and Solidity since 't is not only agreeable to Reason but confirm'd by many and succesful Trials both in the Case of Rheums and Moon-Eyes If both the Eyes be affected you must perform the Operation on each Side The most frequent Causes of the Loss of a Horse's Eye are in my Opinion the too great Abundance of Nourishment and the Defect of Visual Spirits both which are remov'd by the two above-mention'd Operations For the cutting of the Nerve promotes the Course of the Spirits and the taking up the Vein keeps back the superfluous Nourishment which will be yet more effectually perform'd and the Cure hasten'd by taking up the two Jugulars commonly call'd the Neck-Veins When a Horse is troubl'd with Rheums you must give him something to cool his Blood Thus an Ounce of Sal Prunellae in Powder mix'd every day with his Bran will allay the Heat and lessen the Defluxion but if you perceive that this weakens his Stomach too much and makes him forsake his Meat you may substitute Liver of Antimony instead of it till he recover his Appetite and then give him Sal Prunellae again till the Cure be compleated To what has been said I shall add a very rare but true Observation I saw a Horse who had so good Eyes that 't was impossible to find any Defect in 'em being one Day under his Master in the Field a great Thunder-clap depriv'd him of both his Eyes in an instant and he remain'd blind ever after A Remedy for Rheums in the Eyes If the Eye be swoll'n hot clos'd up and red or blood-shotten you must immediately prepare a restringent Charge to stop the flowing of the Humours Take common Bole-Armenic in Powder mix it with Vinegar and the Whites of two Eggs till it be reduc'd to a kind of Paste which you must apply Morning and Evening about the Eye for half a foot round and bathe the Eye with Aqua-Vitae or use that which follows Take a new-laid Egg boil'd hard and having taken off the Shell cut it thro' the middle and take out the Yolk in the place of which put a piece of white Vitriol about the bigness of a Nut then join the two halves of the Egg and wrapping it in a piece of clean and fine Linnen infuse it in half a Glass of Rose-Water for the space of six hours after which throw away the soak'd Egg as useless and reserving the Water pour eight or ten Drops of it into the Horse's Eye with a Feather Morning and Evening which will quickly perfect the Cure If you make use of Aqua-Vitae you must bathe the Eye with a little fine Sponge soak'd in it five or six times a day and Experience will convince you that you cannot chuse a better Remedy either for Rheums or Blows If the Distemper require a present Remedy you may instantly prepare that which follows Take the White of a new-laid Egg an equal Quantity of Rose-Water white Vitriol in fine Powder the bigness of a small Nut beat 'em well with a stick Some of this being put into the Eye will divert the Rheum and take away the Heat These Waters will not keep good above seven or eight days at most after which they turn sharp Their Virtue is to allay the Heat and stop the Humour that flows into the Eyes and the Smarting which they cause is inconsiderable and lasts but a Moment They are also very useful for Men. If the Distemper will not yield to this Remedy make use of the following Water You ought to make choice of a good Medicine at first and not change it lightly afterwards for nothing retards the Cure more than the Change of Remedies Every one thinks his own best but when you have begun with one and find Benefit by it you ought to stick to it afterwards An Eye-Water for Horses Take the Herb Ale-hoof or Ground-Ivy which grows in shady Places and is altogether different from common Ivy for its Leaf is smaller thinner and less shining but of a stronger smell besides it dies in the Winter whereas the creeping Ivy resists the cold Weather and therefore they are guilty of a very great Errour who instead of this make use of Ivy that creeps on the Ground Take I say four Handfuls of true Ground-Ivy beat it in a Marble Mortar with the Whites of six hard Eggs then add half a Pint of very clear White-Wine Rose-Water a quarter of a Pint Sugar-Candy and white Vitriol of each an Ounce and a half Beat 'em all together and incorporate 'em very well with the Pestle strewing upon 'em an Ounce of white Salt then cover the Mortar and place it in a Cellar after it has stood there five or six Hours pour the whole Composition into a Hypocras-Bag of clean white Sâ—rge and set a Vessel under it to receive the Water that drops thro' which must be preserv'd in a Glass-Bottle and every Morning and Evening pour some of it into the Horses Eye There are few Rheums which this Water will not cure but if there remain a white Film or Skin upon the Eye you must consume it with the Powders that shall be afterwards describ'd Another eye-Eye-Water Infuse a Piece of blue or Cyprus-Copperas in any one of the following Waters which are all endu'd with a sigular Virtue to cure Rheums in the Eye viz. the Waters of Plantane Fonnel Eye-bright Rue Celandine Roses Chervil or for want of these you may use common Water The Infusion will be of a bluish Colour drawing towards green and impregnated with the volatil Salt of Vitriol which is quieting sweet balsamic and astringent and consequently excellent for Redness and Inflammations of the Eyes nor can it offend that tender Part by reason of its Substance which partakes of Copper for 't is of too close a Contexture to be penetrated by a simple Water which is not a true Menstruum or Dissolvent The Poor may safely use this Remedy for Diseases in the Eyes for 't is both cheap and good And at the same time you must apply the following Ointment An Ointment to divert the Rheum from the Eyes Take of the Oinment call'd Album Rhasis one Pound Salt of Lead extracted in preparing the Oil according to the Method prescrib'd
time Take eight large or ten small Nutmegs put 'em upon the Point of a Knife and hold 'em over a Candle till they be burnt to a red Coal then cast 'em into a Quart of Claret breaking 'em with your Fingers and after they have stood in Infusion all Night strain out the Wine in the Morning and make your Horse drink it blood-warm keeping him bridl'd two Hours before and as long after I have given this Remedy with very good Success to Men that were troubl'd with a Dysentery for the Salt of burnt Nutmegs being dissolv'd in the Wine stops and allays the Ebullition that causes the Flux A Binding Clyster Take Plantane Leaves in Summer or the Seeds in Winter and dry Provence Roses of each a sufficient quantity boil 'em in three Quarts of Beer and add to the Straining Catholicum two Ounces Rhubarb and Seal'd Earth of each four Ounces This Clyster binds moderately and being twice or thrice repeated stops a Super-Purgation in a Horse Another Potion Take two Quarts of Milk in which you have quench'd a Piece of Steel five or six times two Ounces of the Stones of Roasted Grapes an Ounce and a half of Shavings of Hart's-Horn calcin'd and beaten to a very fine Powder Mix for a Potion CHAP. CLXV Another Remedy for a Flux proceeding from a cold Cause DIssolve four Drams of Roman Vitriol reduc'd to Powder in five Pints of River-Water and let the Solution stand all Night to settle In the Morning pour out the clear Liquor throwing away the yellowish Sediment that remains at the Bottom Give your a Horse a Pint of it with a Horn heating it luke-warm in Winter and repeat the Dose every six Hours keeping him bridl'd an Hour before and as long after You may make the Remedy a great deal more effectual by adding to each Quart of the Liquor a Dram of Anniseeds and the like Quantity of Coriander-seeds both beaten to Powder If the Horse's Appetite be not spoil'd this Remedy will cure a Flux proceeding from the Ebullition of hot Humours if you continue the Use of it for some Days but the Cure may be hasten'd by injecting the following Clyster Take half an Ounce of dry Provence Roses and a Dram of Anniseeds boil 'em in two Quarts of this Water or Solution of Vitriol and after one Waum strain out the Liquor thro' a Linnen-Cloth and adding three Ounces of liquid Conserve of red Roses with a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter Make a Clyster to be injected at the same time that the Potion is given inwardly and repeat the same twelve Hours after if you perceive that the Violence of the Disease is abated But if the Flux continue to torment the Horse you must repeat the Clyster every six Hours with the Potion If the Flux proceed from a cold Cause that is from flegmatic or pituitous Humours after the Clysters mention'd in the preceding Chapter you must give the following Potion A Potion for a Flux proceeding from a cold Cause Take the Yolks of six Eggs and an Ounce and a half of old Treacle dissolve 'em in three Pints of thick Claret in which you have quench'd a Piece of Steel heated red-hot three or four times You may afterwards repeat the Clysters if need require A Binding Clyster Take the Roots of Bistort and Tormentil grossly beaten of each two Ounces the Leaves of Mouse-Ear and Cypress of each one Handful Boil 'em in two Quarts of Claret and a Quart of rain-Rain-Water and dissolve in the Straining two Ounces of fine Catholicum and twenty Grains of Opium A Potion for a Flux proceeding from a hot Cause Take of Conserve of Roses two Ounces Opium thirty Grains new Treacle half an Ounce succory-Succory-Water and plantane-Plantane-Water of each a Pint. Mix and make a Potion In the mean time you must rub your Horse's Belly with astringent Baths or Fomentations which are proper for all sorts of Fluxes whether they proceed from hot or cold Caufes Astringent Baths for a Flux Take Leaves of Plantane and Knot-Grass of each four Handfuls Comfrey and Horse-Tail of each one Handful Gall-Nuts Cypress-Nuts and Acorns of each two Ounces red Roses and Leaves of white Mullein of each three Handfuls Boil 'em in a large Pot in an equal Mixture of Claret and Water first putting in the Nuts and Acorns beaten then the Leaves and last of all the Flowers and after they are sufficiently boil'd add a Pint of Vinegar and half a Pound of Oil of Quinces With this Decoction you must bathe your Horse's Belly fomenting it with warm Linnen-Clouts as I order'd in the Cure of a Shoulder-Sprain and you may also anoint your Horse's Belly with a Mixture of equal quantities of the Oils of Quinces and Myrtles The Use of this Bath may be repeated as often as you shall think fit 'T is also very profitable for great Swellings in the Belly occasion'd by Spur-Galling Swellings of the Cods Thighs or Houghs provided the Tumour proceed not from the Biting or Stinging of a venomous Beast You may also anoint the Belly with the Countess's Ointment and foment it with this Bath chusing such of the above-mention'd Remedies as you shall think most convenient or profitable CHAP. CLXVI Of the Falling of the Fundament SOmetimes a violent Flux the Piles or such like Distempers make the Horse strain so violently and with such an intolerable Pain that the Fundament falls out and appears visibly out of its Place And the same Accident is sometimes occasion'd by a Strain and very frequently by cutting off the Tail This Malady ought never to be neglected for it may be attended with dangerous Consequences and therefore you must anoint the Place with Oil of Roses blood-warm and afterwards endeavour to put it up But if you perceive no Amendment after two or three successless Attempts you must have recourse to the following Remedy Beat six Drams of Salt of Lead with half a Pint of Goat's-Milk or for want of that of Cow's-Milk till they be well incorporated You must first beat the Salt of Lead in a Mortar and pour on the Milk by Degrees beating and mixing 'em together all the while till they be reduc'd to the Thickness of a liquid Ointment Sometimes the Salt of Lead imbibes a larger quantity of Milk than at other times and therefore you must pour into the Mortar only what is sufficient to bring it into the above-mention'd Form Put a Tent into the Fundament dipt in this Ointment and anoint all the Part with it repeating the Application from time to time 'T is to be observ'd that when the Falling of the Fundament is occasion'd by the Cutting off of the Tail and accompany'd with a great Swelling the Horse is in a very dangerous Condition for 't is almost always a Sign of a Gangrene in the Tail that spreads towards the Back And therefore after a successless Tryal of this Remedy you may give him over for lost Another Remedy Take Powder of burnt Oyster-Shells two
the Wane of the Moon 't is of shorter continuance and less violent for the Humours decrease with the Moon and the Horse recovers speedily If these Observations be not attentively consider'd by those who undertake the Cure of Horses they will hardly be able to make a certain Judgment concerning the length and dangerousness of their Distempers or to prescribe a successful Method of Cure This Assertion is grounded on a certain knowledge of the Causes The way of curing a Cold is the same with that which I prescrib'd for the Strangles For you must cover the Horse's Neck with a Furr'd Skin keep him warm give him the Electuary of Kermes put Baggs with Assa-Foetida into his Mouth thrust Feathers into his Nose Syringe him and proceed in all other respects as in the Cure of the Strangles If you perceive that your Horse has not wholly lost his Appetite you may give him the Cordial Powder every three days or rather the Electuary of Kermes And when the Disease is attended with a total loss of Appetite you cannot give a better Remedy than that Electuary in a Pint of Spanish Wine once in two days if he has not a Fever or if he have a Fever you may give him the Cordial Waters with Clysters both before and after The Arman describ'd Chap. VII is very good in this case It may be given five or six times in the day tying it to the Bit and will be found to be a Sovereign Remedy Take the sick Horse's Urine while 't is yet hot mix it with an equal quantity of Wine about a Pint or a Pint and half of each and make him drink it all up then cover him and let him stand Bridl'd two hours Repeat the same several times If you cannot have his Urine hot take a Pint of Flesh-Broath without Fat or Salt and as much Wine mix 'em for a Draught Repeat the same three or four days and if he Sweat not after the first Dose add to the Draught an Ounce of the Cordial-Powder and cover him well Continue after the same manner for some days For a Cold accompany'd with a violent Cough Take Honey of Roses and Juice of Liquorice of each four Ounces Fenugreek-seed Grains of Paradice Cummin-seed Cinnamon Cloves Ginger Gentian Birthwort-roots Anni-seed and Coriander-seed of each two Drams Reduce all the hard Ingredient into Powder and give the whole to the sick Horse in a Pint of White-Wine with six Ounces of carduus-benedictus-Carduus-Benedictus-Water Let not this Composition offend those who are only pleas'd with Cooling Remedies for Horses must not be us'd like Men. If you cool 'em too much when they are troubl'd with this Distemper you will stifle em and therefore beware of purely cooling Medicines You will quickly be sensible of the good effects of This which contains many hot Ingredients but since they are agreeable to the nature of Horses they do not inflame 'em and cause only so much Heat as is necessary to strengthen the Parts Experience will convince you of the Truth of my Assertion for the Remedy will succeed and I shall take occasion hereafter to demonstrate that there is need of a great deal of Prudence to administer cooling Remedies to a Horse with safety and success You must also walk him frequently in the Sun-shine if it be Summer and observe the same directions that I prescrib'd in the case of Want of Appetite Chap. VI. and also in the Chapters of the Strangles A Draught for a Cold join'd with a Palpitation or Beating in the Flank When the sick Horse is troubl'd with a Cough a vehement Beating in his Flank and even Palpitation of the Heart you cannot assist him more effectually than by giving him two Clysters and then the following Draught after he has stood two hours in the Morning with a watering Bit in his Mouth 'T is composâ—d of the Waters of Scorzonera Carduus Benedictus Scabious Roses and bitter Succory of each half a Pint Give the Horse a Quart of these Waters with an Ounce of Zedoary and two Drams of Saffron both in fine Powder then rinse the Horn with the half Pint that remains and make him drink that also After which let him stand four hours with a Waterbit in his Mouth and as soon as you unbridle him lay moisten'd Bran before him leaving him to eat at his pleasure till Night and then give him a good Clyster with an Ounce and an half of Sal Polychrest Take Assa-foetida and Powder of Savin of each half an Ounce and tie 'em in a Bag to the Bit let the Horse stand two hours then unbridle him and after two hours more put in the Bag again For besides that this Bag gives him an Appetite it eases his Head by making him void a great quantity of Water and bitter Flegm Instead of the Zedoary and Saffron you may mix an Ounce of the Confection of Hyacinth without Musk or Amber-grise with the Cordial Waters and the same may be repeated two or three times if need require and if you found any Benefit by the first Dose for that which gives Ease may if continu'd perfect the Cure The main part of the Cure consists in giving the Horse one or two softening Clysters with Sal Polychrest every day A Softening Clyster Take Leaves of Mallows Violets Herb-Mercury Pellitory of the Wall of each three Handfuls Annis-seeds one Ounce or a Handful of green Fennel if it be in the Summer let 'em boil half an hour in a large Pot or Kettle in three Quarts of Water for a little Horse or four for a large one adding an Ounce and a half or two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in fine Powder After the Decoction is half-cold press it out and add to the strain'd Liquor four Ounces of Lenitive Electuary and a Quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter Mix and make a Clyster which must be injected after you have rakâ—d the Horse then put him again into the Stable and let him stand half and hour bridl'd If these Remedies be apply'd with Prudence when the Occasion requires and without either Rashness or Negligence the Horse will certainly be eas'd by 'em unless the Disease be extremely violent CHAP. XVI The Vniversal Cordial-Powder TAke Sassafras Zedoary Elecampane Gentian Carlin-Thistle Angelica Cubebs Spanish Scorzâ—nera Master-Wort and Marsh-Mallows of each half a Pound Birth-Wort round and long Bay-Berries Bark of Oranges and Citrons Savin of each four Ounces Cardamoms Liquorice Myrrh Shavings of Hart's-Horn and Ivory Coriander-Seed Seeds of Carraway Cummin Annise and Fennel of each two Ounces Cinnamon an Ounce Cloves Nutmeg and Oriental Saffron of each half an Ounce all fresh and gather'd in due time for a Root dug up in Summer is of no Value and therefore they must be gather'd in the Spring when they begin to shoot forth or about the time of Advent before the Frost The Medicine will be more effectual if you add a Pound of the Grains of Kermes but since they cannot be kept without
of the Rheum appear of a faint yellow Colour below and almost never above This being suppos'd as 't is certainly true 't is plain that by cutting out this kernelly Flesh you take away the Receptacle of the Humours which therefore must take another course and fall upon the Neighbouring Parts such as the musculous Flesh less tender and delicate than the Eye where Nature will be sufficiently able to digest and concoct ' em And from what has been said you may reasonably conclude that this Operation can only preserve the Eye in its present Condition but not restore it to its former Perfection Besides when you take up the Eye-Vein you may cut the Nerve that lies under it for the Reasons alledg'd before How to cleanse the Eye above To perform this Operation you must cut the Skin in the middle of the hollow part above the Eye with a Launce and with a Hook pull out the Fat which is contain'd in that part and may be easily separated from it After you have taken out the quantity of a Walnut wash the Wound with warm Wine and fill the empty space with fine Flax smear'd with Aegyptiacum tying it on with two threads fasten'd to the Lips of the Wound Dress the Sore every day with warm Wine and Aegyptiacum till it be heal'd and in the mean time great care must be taken to preserve it from the least blast of Wind which might produce dangerous Consequences But after all I never found this Operation beneficial to the Eyes and therefore I slight it as much as I esteem the other Since all Men are not fond of Knives and Launces I shall proceed to describe other Remedies for Moon-Eyes among which Purgation is usually reckon'd which must not be administer'd till the Eye be wholly freed from the Rheum for otherwise it will do more harm than good Pills for Lunatic or Moon-Ey'd Horses Take of fine or bright Aloes two Ounces Agaric half an Ounce Troches Alhandal which is a Preparation of Coloquintida three Drams If the Horse be of a middle size this Dose will be sufficient to purge him but if he be large you must add another Dram of the Troches Alhandal Reduce all the Ingredients to a gross Powder and mix 'em with a handful of Betony-Leaves beaten and a Pound of fresh Butter Make up the Mass into Pills of the bigness of a Tennis-Ball which you must give the Horse in Wine and walk him half an hour after Or without giving your self the trouble to prepare a Medicine expresly for that purpose you may make use of Pilulae Aureae or Lucis of which you must give at least two Ounces having injected a Purging Clyster the day before And since Aloes is the true Purgative for Horses and enters into the Composition of all those Pills it will not be improper to subjoin the following Preparation of it which must not be esteem'd the worse because 't is common The Preparation of Aloes Take of the best clear Aloes which is finer than the Succotrin reduc'd to Powder four Ounces Infuse pale Rose-Leaves in Water four and twenty Hours then strain out the Water and add fresh Rose-Leaves and repeat the Infusion three several times Sprinkle your Aloes with this Water and dry it in the Shade moisten and dry it a second and third time after which 't is duly Prepar'd It will be better if you wash it with Juice of damask-Damask-Roses both which Preparations are known by the name of Aloes Rosata The Aloes thus Prepar'd will produce the desir'd effect in a less quantity It purges and strengthens the Stomach and the Brain and resists the Corruption of the Humours for which reason 't is usually made the Base of Purging Pills Tho' Aloes is render'd more effectual and much improv'd by this Preparation nevertheless I propose it only for the satisfaction of the Curious For if you can procure fine and clear Aloes it will purge your Horse certainly and safely and I know no better Purgative than this nor any so agreeable to the Nature of a Horse Agaric by being reduc'd to Troches is freed from two defects it s too great lightness which hinders it from falling to the bottom of the Stomach and its slowness in Operation Nevertheless 't is frequently given to Horses without any Preparation 'T is prepar'd with Malmesy and Ginger After Purgation you must wait till the Twentieth day of the Moon and then proceed to the use of the Cautery or Fire if the Eyes be pretty clear CHAP. XXXV How to Cauterize or burn the Parts above the Eyes ON or about the Twentieth Day of the Moon draw a Line with a Red-hot Knife from one Ear to the other under the Head-stall of the Bridle to conceal the Mark left by the burning and draw the Knife backwards and forwards till the Line it makes be of a Cherry-colour then burn a Star over the Eye-Veins without piercing the Flesh for the Scar would never wear out After the Scab is fall'n off bathe the Sore with Aqua-Vitae Morning and Evening and tho' you neither apply Pitch nor Butter there will seldom remain any Scar But if you pierce the Skin you must bathe the part every Morning and Evening with Aqua-Vitae mixt with Honey I have seen Moon-Ey'd Horses cur'd by this way of burning And the worst that can happen is that you may preserve one Eye by putting out the other For if both the Eyes be subject to this Infirmity the visual Spirits of that which is lost retire to the other and strengthen it And besides you may preserve the Eyes for some time by taking up the two Veins in the Neck call'd the Jugulars All Lunatic and Moon-Ey'd Horses at last grow Blind unless that Disaster be prevented by the Methods above prescrib'd or by putting out one Eye which must be thus perform'd Thrust a threaded Needle into the worst Eye making the Point come out in the part opposite to that where it enter'd and leave the Thread hanging at it seven or eight days during which time the Eye will continually cast forth Water till it grow dry Then take out the Thread and by degrees the visual Spirits which pass to the other Eye will strengthen and preserve it from the like Infirmity and the pierc'd Eye will be dry'd up I have seen a Horse who had an Eye of Enamel or Glass put in the place of one of his Eyes which had been put out ot preserve the other This is a hereditary Distemper and therefore great care must be taken to chuse Stallions that have good Eyes It may be also occasion'd by the Foal's eating Oats with his Dam when he is but one Year Old or younger for by their straining and endeavouring to chew the Oats the Veins above and about their Eyes are stretch'd and distended and consequently draw too much Blood to those Parts which by the too great quantity of Nourishment are heated and render'd obnoxious to Defluxions either to that kind which
Roses two Ounces Confection of Alkermes without Musk or Ambergrise one Ounce Treacle half a Dram Powder of Oriental Saffron six Grains Mix all the Ingredients in a Glass-Vial and give to your Horse with a Horn rinsing the Horn the Vial and your Horse's Mouth with a Mixture of the Waters of Carduus Benedictus Succory and Scabious of each an Ounce and half This Water or Julep allays the Heat of the Fever Inject a Clyster about Four a Clock in the Afternoon give the Remedy at Six and keep your Horse bridl'd till Eight The next Day at Four in the Afternoon administer one of the above-mention'd Clysters at Six let your Horse blood in the two Plate-Veins of the Thighs keeping him bridl'd two Hours after You may repeat the Dose of the Remedy two or three times but not the Bleeding without Necessity In the mean time the Horse must eat little Hay you must frequently wash his Mouth with Verjuice Salt and Honey of Roses and oftentimes inject one of the above-mention'd Clysters Since I have often observ'd that the Apothecaries ask an excessive Rate for this Remedy I thought fit to advertise those who may have Occasion to use it that the highest Price of it does not amount to above * About 6s Three Livres and Ten Sous for the Confection of Alkermes is without either Musk or Ambergrise This Remedy ought to be highly esteem'd by those who are Masters of good Horses for by the Use of it in less than a Month I cur'd Four Horses of Value after they were past Hope of Recovery For your Horses Ordinary Drink You may dissolve in a Pailful of Water the Remedy for Fevers consisting of Salt of Tartar Sal Armoniac c. describ'd in Chap. CXXXVI If that cannot be procur'd you may infuse in a Pailful of Water the Dough of a Peny-Loaf ready to be put into the Oven which makes the Water white cools the Body of the Horse and affords some Nourishment and is infinitely better than Flower which is commonly us'd on this Occasion This is an excellent Remedy for simple Fevers and almost for all Horses that are troubl'd with a violent beating in the Flanks proceeding from a hot Cause and I have even given it with good Success to Morfounded Horses when the Disease was accompany'd with a beating in the Flanks for tho' in this case hot Remedies are requir'd to strengthen Nature and enable her to expel that which offends her yet since the Fever is augmented by the heat of the Medicins we must find out and exhibit a good Remedy that strengthens without much Heat which is the peculiar Character of the above-mention'd Julep or mixture of Waters When the Fever is violent the Sick Horse either does not lie down at all or if he does starts up again immediately by reason of the difficulty of Breathing that oppresses him when he lies and therefore if in this case your Horse lie down and remain long in that Posture you may conclude him to be in a hopeful Condition nor must you reckon it a bad sign tho' he complain more when he lies than when he stands for even the soundest Horses are wont to complain when they are in that Posture This is an important remark in the case of all Horses that are extreamly Sick and a diligent observance of it will enable you to make a better Judgment of the Nature of the Distemper A Potion or Drink for a Founder'd Horse that is very Sick either with or without a Cough Take two Pints and half of the Four Cordial Waters viz. of Scorzonera Queen of the Meadows Carduus Benedictus and Scabious dissolving in the same an Ounce of Confection of Hyacinth without Musk or Ambergreece and one Treacle-Pill in Powder Give this Mixture to your Horse in the Morning and rinse the Pot and Horn with half a Pint of Wild succory-Succory-Water which you must make him drink after you have wash'd his Mouth with it Keep him Bridl'd three Hours before and two Hours after and at Night give him the following Clyster Take Powder of Sal Polychrest an Ounce and a half Pulp of Coloquintida without the Seeds half an Ounce boil 'em in five Pints of Beer half a quarter of an Hour and in the strain'd Liquor dissolve a quarter of a Pound of good Populeum make a Clyster to be injected Lukewarm If this Remedy prove ineffectual you may conclude that your Horse's Life is in danger but if you perceive any signs of Amendment you must frequently repeat the Clyster which will very much promote the Cure I have sometimes given with Success a Dose of Stinking Pills to Horses troubl'd with this Distemper for tho' that Medicine seems at first to encrease the beating in the Flanks it quiets all those disorders afterwards tho' I must confess the same Remedy has disappointed me at other times The Lieutenant's Decoction for a Horse that is Founder'd and very Sick Take Carduus Benedictus and Hyssop of each one handful Juice of Liquorice two Ounces Roots of Gentian stampt in a Mortar one Ounce boil the Ingredients in a Pint and a half of Water for the space of half an Hour and as soon as you remove the Vessel from the Fire pour into it half a Pint of White-Wine straining out the Liquor Add as much Saffron as you can lift between your three Fingers and make a Decoction for one or two Doses according to your Horse's Strength or his Aversion to the Medicine The next Day let him Blood in the Flanks and keep him in a temperate place Since Horses in this Condition are wont to eat very little they must be nourish'd with cleans'd Barley without Butter or Fat or with Bread if you can persuade 'em to eat it or Bran c. For more particular directions in this Case you may consult the Sixth Seventh Eighth and Ninth Chapters of this Book and therefore I shall content my self at present with putting you in Mind that you must frequently put a Bit into your Horses Mouth and remember always to offer him Meat when you unbridle him CHAP. CXXV Crocus Metallorum TAke the best Crude Antimony or that which is fullest of Points and Nitre or Salt-Petre of each an equal quantity beat 'em severally to Powder and mix 'em in a Crucible Then set 'em on Fire with a Match or live Cole and as soon as the Flame is extinguish'd and the Matter cold you will find the Liver of Antimony under the Scoriae which are also of good use in certain Cases Separate the Liver and reduce it to a very fine Powder then throw it into Water and beat again in the same Mortar that which the Water cannot dissolve continuing after the same manner till the whole Matter be reduc'd to an impalpable Powder then suffer the Water to settle and you will find at the bottom a Liver-Colour'd Powder which you must continue to wash by pouring on fresh Water till the Salt of the Nitre that
the Horse to his wonted Strength and Vigour The Stinking Pills are of excellent use in this case to prepare the Horse's Body if you give him a Dose every two Days repeating the Medicine two or three times A Clyster Boil a sufficient quantity of the five softening Herbs in two Quarts of Beer and a Pint or a Pint and a half of the Urine of a Cow or for want of that of a sound Man who drinks a great deal of Wine In the strain'd Liquor dissolve half a Pound of Honey prepar'd with the Herb Mercury and a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter make a Clyster to be injected luke-warm in the Evening Continue the daily use of Liver of Antimony for fifteen Days and inject the Clyster once every three Days For his ordinary Drink dissolve a Pound of Honey in a Pail-full of Water give him no Oats and dissolve two or three Ounces of Polychrest in a Pail-full of Water to moisten his Hay After twenty Days lay aside the use of the Powder and Clysters and suffer the Horse to repose seven or eight Days at the end of which you may order convenient Fomentations continuing all the while to give him moisten'd Hay and Water mixt with Honey CHAP. CXXVII Of Sal-Polychrest or Fusible Sulphur 'T IS an undeniable Maxim founded on Reason that fusible Remedies are more effectual than others thus if Scammony were render'd fusible 't wou'd make an excellent Purgative and the same may be said of Tartar and several other Medicines 'T is generally acknowledg'd that Sulphur or rather the Flowers of it are the Balsam of the Lungs and 't is plain that if it be render'd fusible it will exert its force more effectually by cleansing opening purifying and even loosening the Belly since it penetrates more easily when 't is dissolv'd and is more capable of effecting the Operations that are ascrib'd to it than if it were indissoluble and lay like a heavy lump of Earth at the bottom of the Stomach 'T is thus Prepar'd Set a Crucible or Iron-Pot in the midst of a heap of live Coals till it be all over red-hot even at the bottom then cast into it with a Spoon a Mixture of Sulphur and fine Nitre both in Powder about half an Ounce of each and the Matter will take Fire and break out into a Flame as soon as it touches the Crucible As soon as the Flame disappears stir the Matter at the bottom of the Crucible and cast in the rest of the Sulphur and Nitre by Spoonfuls as before stirring the Matter at the bottom with some Iron Instrument that the Fire may penetrate it more effectually after you have cast in three or four Spoonfuls you must stir the Matter for some time and continue after the same manner till all the Sulphur and Nitre be cast into the Crucible then cover it and lay Coals on the top and every where round the sides suffering it to cool of it self After 't is cold beat the Matter to Powder which if the Operation be rightly perform'd and the Nitre very fine will be of a pale Rose-Colour if not 't will be white as Snow and fit for use or grayish and of no value Four Pounds of Matter will yield a Pound and half of Sal-Polychrest which is endu'd with qualities opposite to those of ordinary Sulphur for it dissolves in Water and grows red in the Fire without consuming That which resembles the colour of a Rose is better than the white tho' I must confess that supposing the Operation to be perform'd with the utmost exactness and the Nitre to be pure and fine 't is not always possible to produce that Rosie Colour which in some measure seems to be the effect of Chance This Remedy cools very effectually and even sometimes too powerfully for such Medicines as are moderately cold are most proper for Horses and for this reason 't is seldom or never given alone and not often internally You may correct it with Juniper-Berries or Nutmegs mixing an Ounce of the Powder with half an Ounce of the Berries or scrapings of Nutmeg in moisten'd Bran or if the Horse will not eat it so you may Infuse it all Night in a Quart of Wine and in the Morning heat it luke-warm and make the Horse drink it up fasting You may easily perceive by the first or second Dose whether your Horse's Condition requires a cooling Remedy for if not he will lose his Appetite and his Hair will bristle and stare especially in the Flanks and therefore if these signs appear you may conclude that his Body ought rather to be heated with good Cordial Powders than cool'd with Sal-Polychrest 'T is the general Opinion that sick Horses ought to be treated as Men who for the most part stand in need of cooling Medicines by reason of their Passions and inordinate Desires which together with their Intemperance heat the Blood and consequently all the Parts of the Body but Horses are free from those disorderly Motions and Vexations that disquiet Men so that their Blood and Humours are not so apt to be heated and inflam'd and consequently they stand rarely in need of cooling Remedies You may give from one to two Ounces of Polychrest in a Clyster to appease the beating of the Flanks and allay the heat of the Intestines for tho' his Dung be dry and bak'd three or four of these Clysters will reduce it to its natural Temperament and Consistency This is also an excellent Remedy for Men and might be us'd with very good Success by those who are troubl'd with a stoppage in their Lungs and spitting of Blood or to prevent the ill consequences of a fall from a high place but besides the above-mention'd Directions it must be dissolv'd in Water filter'd boil'd till there appears a Film on the top put into a Wooden Vessel and set to Crystallize in a Cellar The Crystals are of a square Figure almost like that of common Salt and must be kept in a Glass close stopt for Men but the first Preparation is sufficient for Horses 'T is also exhibited in Obstructions of the Liver Spleen Pancreas and Mesentery it loosens tough Matter and purges gently by Stool The Dose is from two to four Drams and it may be successfully given after this manner Take four Drams of Sal-Polychrest in Crystals one stalk of Liquorice beaten Flowers of double Damask Roses either fresh or dry two Pugils or instead of these Violet Flowers put 'em into an Earthen Pot with a Quart of boiling Water and let 'em stand in Infusion all Night In the Morning drink a large Glass-full of the Water and an Hour after another for it purges very gently and without heating the Body or you may make a Diet-Drink to be us'd even at Meals by dissolving half an Ounce of this Salt in two Quarts of Water I am so sensible of the excellency of this Medicine and of its usefulness to those who live in the Country at a distance from
the Method prescrib'd in the Sixth and following Chapters Since the Oil of Rue is a good and cheap Remedy it will not be improper to insert the true description of it Oil of Rue Take a Pound of Oil-Olive and two handfuls of Rue chop'd small boil 'em slowly in a Skellet and strain out the Oil throwing away the Herbs Then add two handfuls of fresh Rue and boil and strain as before Repeat the same Operation a third time and preserve the Oil which is indu'd with a Virtue to cut and digest thick and tough Humours Being dissolv'd in a Clyster it helps the Colic and asswages Pains in the Belly Kidneys and Bladder and it may be successfully us'd in outward Applications for the Cure of several cold Diseases It resolves hard and cold Tumours that resist the efficacy of ordinary Remedies but by reason of its Heat you must never use it when you have reason to fear an Inflammation CHAP. CXXXIII Of Palpitation of the Heart THE beating or palpitation of the Heart is a quick and violent Motion of that noble Part by which it endeavours to expel something that oppresses it 'T is usually occasion'd by a malignant Steam or Vapour proceeding partly from a Melancholic Humour that stagnates in the Veins and insinuates it self into the great Artery hard Riding violent Exercise corrupt Water bad Nourishment and every thing that is apt to produce Heat or Obstructions are the remote Causes of this Distemper The Palpitation of the Heart is visible to the Eye for when the Disease is violent the Heart beats with so much force against the Horse's sides that you may plainly perceive the motion of the Skin at every stroke and if you lay your Ear to the Part you may hear as it were the Blows of a Hammer within the Horse's Body on both sides together Some Horses in this Condition retain their Appetite better than others and are not troubl'd with an extraordinary beating in the Flanks Remedies that strengthen the Heart cherish and revive the Spirits dispel thick Vapours and resist their Malignity are proper in this case Bleeding is the sovereign Remedy of this Distemper and it may be safely repeated oftner than once in one Day if the violence of the Palpitation be not abated This Distemper is sometimes very vehement and impetuous but not usually Mortal unless it be accompany'd with a Fever which does not happen very often The Cure is almost always successfully perform'd by the frequently repeated use of convenient Clysters Bleeding and Cordial Remedies As for Cordials you have the Electuary of Kermes the Cordial-Powder the Lieutenants-Powder and the Cordial-Balls which must be methodically exhibited and the Dose repeated two or three times according to the violence of the Distemper If the Palpitation be accompany'd with a vehement beating in the Flanks you must give your Horse a Quart of a Cordial Mixture of the Waters of Scorzonera Scabious Carduus Benedictus and Roses with an Ounce of Confection of Hyacinth without Musk or Ambergreese and one of the Cordial Balls reduc'd to Powder rinsing the Pot and Horn with half a Pint of the same cordial-Cordial-Waters The Cordials must be repeated every Day or at least once in two Days They who cannot procure any of the above-mention'd Remedies may prepare the following Potion A Remedy for the Palpitation of the Heart Take Bugloss Bawm and Borage of each a handful boil 'em in a sufficient quantity of Water for the space of half a quarter of an Hour till the Water be reduc'd to a Pint Then removing it from the Fire add two handfuls of Sorrel and let it stand till it be cold Dissolve in the strain'd Liquor an Ounce and a half of Conserve of Roses half an Ounce of Confection of Hyacinth without Musk or Amber-greese and ten Grains of Saffron make your Horse drink it luke-warm and two Hours after give him the following Clyster A Clyster for the Palpitation of the Heart This Clyster dispels and removes Obstructions and consequently is very proper for a Horse opprest with such a Distemper as this that proceeds from Vapours and Wind. Take the five softening Herbs Mugwort Cammomil Rue and Melilot of each two handfuls Powder of Sal-Polychrest an Ounce and a half boil 'em for the space of half a quarter of an Hour in a sufficient quantity of Water to three Quarts then press out the Water and throw away the Herbs After which add to the strain'd Liquor Linseed and Fenugreek-seed beaten to Powder of each two Ounces Boil about a quarter of an Hour longer and add to the straining Oil of Bay and fresh Butter of each three Ounces Cow's Urine one Pint if it can be procur'd Repeat the Clyster every six Hours and the Potion once a Day Keep your Horse to a spare Diet feed him with moisten'd Bran give him no Oats and walk him frequently at a foot pace As soon as you perceive the Palpitation to be perfectly allay'd and your Horse restor'd to his former Health 't will be highly convenient to exhibit the following Purgative Take an Ounce and a half of Aloes for an ordinary Horse or two if he be of a very large size an Ounce of Agaric in Powder and a like quantity of Flower de luce of Florence make a Powder and give it to your Horse in a Quart of Milk keeping him Bridl'd five Hours before and four Hours after The next Day the Medicine will begin to operate and you must walk your Horse from time to time till the evacuation be stop'd after which you may give him his usual allowance of Oates This Purgation attacks and subdues the cause of the Distemper and quickly perfects the Cure A Clyster to dispel Wind. Take of the usual softening Decoction three Quarts and three or four Ounces of the Carminative and Purgative Oil prescrib'd for the second kind of Colic or a quarter of a Pound of Oil of Bay and two Ounces of Butter Mix and make a Clyster The preceding Remedy I mean both the Potion and Clyster are universally useful in all the various kinds of Palpitation but if you can certainly discover the cause of the Disease you may observe the following Directions If it be Summer and you have reason to suspect that the Distemper proceeds from the excessive Heat of the Horse's Body let him Blood in the Neck-Vein and make him stand in Water up to the Neck for an Hour during which time you may prepare this Potion Take the Waters of Scorzonera Scabious Roses and bitter Succory as much of each as a common Drinking Glass will contain Cream or Crystal of Tartar in Powder one Ounce Syrup of the Juice of Sorrel or for want of that of Violets four Ounces Mix and make a Draught And you may give him an Ounce of Sal-Polychrest in a Quart of Wine and walk him an Hour or somewhat less according to his Strength and afterwards give him one of the following Clysters You may mix the Febrifuge describ'd in
the Hundred thirty sixth Chapter with his ordinary Drink A Clyster for the Palpitation of the Heart accompany'd with Heat Take an Ounce and a half of Sal-Polychrest in Powder with a sufficient quantity of the five softening Herbs the Roots of Sorrel and Bugloss the Seeds of Cucumbers Gourds Citruls and Melons grosly beaten and a small quantity of Anniseed Boil the Ingredients in Water to three Quarts add a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter four Ounces of Powder-Sugar and half a Pound of Oil of Roses Mix and make a Clyster Another cooling Clyster Boil a sufficient quantity of the softening Herbs with two Ounces of Anniseeds in Powder for half a quarter of an Hour in the Whey of Cow's Milk to two Quarts and to the strain'd Liquor add the Yolks of six Eggs a quarter of a Pound of Butter half a Pound of Honey of Violets and an Ounce of Sal-Gemmae in Powder or for want of that of common Salt Make a Clyster If you perceive no sings of an excessive Heat in your Horse's Body or if he be seiz'd with the Distemper during the Winter you must not let him Blood unless there be a great Oppression For in that case you may open the Veins of the Thighs or that in the Brisket and prepare the following Potion Some of the Clysters and Potions prescrib'd for a Palpitation accompany'd with a violent Heat may serve to cool Horses that are over-heated tho' they be not troubl'd with a Palpitation but you must take care not to cool 'em immoderately I have often advertis'd the Reader that the Constitution of Horses is different from that of Men and you may conclude that their Condition does not require cooling Remedies when after the use of those Medicines the Hair begins to bristle and stare when they lose their Appetite or are seiz'd with a shivering Fit If any of these signs appear you must lay aside the use of cold Remedies and give 'em Cordial Powders or the following Cordial Potion A Cordial Potion for the Palpitation of the Heart Take Carduus Benedictus Sage and Rosemary of each half a handful boil 'em for half an Hour in a Pint and a half of Water to the consumption of half a Pint To the strain'd Liquor add of White-Wine one Pint Juniper-Berries round Birthwort Myrrh and shavings of Ivory of each one Dram Galingal Cinnamon and Cloves of each a Scruple Saffron six Grains all in fine Powder Make your Horse drink this Potion luke-warm then walk him half an Hour and two Hours after give him the above-mention'd Clyster for the dispelling of Wind. Continue in a diligent observance of this Method according to the varietie of Seasons and other Circumstances For his ordinary Food you may give him Bran Hay and Wheat-Bread The Distemper is sometimes very violent but rarely Mortal and Horses that are once seiz'd with it are usually subject to it afterwards CHAP. CXXXIV Of Fevers A Fever in Horses is a preternatural and unusual Heat in the Body proceeding from an Ebullition or violent Fermentation of the Humours which weakens the natural Heat and renders it unfit for the regular discharge of its Functions I cannot explain its nature better than by comparing it to the Ebullition of Wine in a Cask where that Liquor is agitated heated dilated and fermented and if it be straiten'd or have no vent it breaks impetuously thro' all obstacles spreads is Steams and Vapours all around and appears so troubl'd and muddy that we cannot discern the least drop of Wine in the Vessel But after these disorderly Motions all the Impurities that were contain'd in the Wine are separated the Lees fall to the bottom a sort of Scum floats on the top and the Concavity of the Vessel is cover'd with a crusty Substance This is the true Idea and representation of a Fever When an unusual Ebullition or Fermentation happens in the Mass of the Blood from what ever cause it proceeds the Blood is agitated and put into a disorderly Motion it swells and breaks out of the Vessels that are no longer able to contain it it acquires a Heat that is obvious to Sense and fills the whole Body with Steams and Vapours which stupifie the Head and the Mixture of it is so extreamly perverted that when you open a Vein that which runs out of it seems to be corrupt Matter rather than Blood When Nature gets the Victory over her Enemy she separates and expels the impure and superfluous Humours And 't is this struggle of Nature that occasions the burning Heat extream Thirst heaviness of the Body difficulty of Breathing excessive beating of the Arteries and Heart and all that numerous Train of Symptoms which usually accompany Fevers and discover the Nature of the Distemper ' Twou'd be an Undertaking of more Labour and Ostentation than Profit to engage in a long Dissertation concerning the Causes Differences and Effects of Fevers I am resolv'd neither to give my Reader nor my self so much Trouble since few Persons are willing to employ their Time in such nice Enquiries and perhaps their want of Curiosity in this Case ought not to be esteem'd a Fault But I shall omit nothing that may serve to promote the Cure of this dangerous and oftentimes fatal Disease Some pretend to discover by a diligent Observation of the Urine the Progress of Nature in her Conflict with the Distemper and the true State of the Body But this Method is hardly practicable in the Diseases of Horses by reason of the Difficulty of procuring their Urine to make Observations of that Nature The various Distinctions of Fevers into Quotidians Tertians Quartans c. are of no Use in this Case and therefore I shall only take Notice of three Kinds of ' em A simple Fever A Simple Fever is neither attended with a Putrefaction of the Humours nor with any considerable Disorder in the Parts of the Body It proceeds from a slight Ebullition of the over-heated Blood and is easily Cur'd by reason of the few Symptoms that accompany it 'T is frequently seated in the Substance of the Heart or in the Lungs Spleen Liver or Stomach It may be Cur'd without much Difficulty by a seasonable and methodical Application of convenient Remedies A putrid or humoral Fever The second kind is accompany'd with a Putrefaction of the Humours and with a remarkable Indisposition of some part of the Body either internal or external 'T is usually Mortal and since Horses are not very subject to Fevers we may reasonably conclude that so dangerous a kind of 'em proceeds from a violent Cause only it must be acknowledg'd that Beasts have this Advantage over Men that their Natural Appetites are less inordinate and their Food more simple and agreeable to Nature Besides their Brains are not disturb'd with Drinking and their Exercise contributes to the Preservation of their Health A pestilential Fever The pestilential Fever makes a prodigious Havock in a little time It overturns and destroys the Strength of
is an excellent Remedy to ripen Matter in any part of the Body where the Skin is broken and when the circumstances of the Disease require the Sore to be kept open You may apply either of these Remedies according to the greatness of the Swelling Vegetius in the Eighth Chapter of his Third Book where he treats of the Swelling of the Stones orders 'em to be anointed Morning and Evening with the Powder of Burnt-Barley mixt with Hog's-Grease adding that a Dog's-Gall is of admirable efficacy in this case These Remedies are cheap and safe but I cannot recommend 'em from my own Experience CHAP. CLXIV Of the Lask Looseness or Flux of the Belly THis Disease is so frequently Mortal I mean when it attacks Horses that it ought never to be neglected when it comes without a manifest Cause But a Horse may be seiz'd with a Looseness without any considerable Danger after the drinking of cold Water in Summer or of melted Snow and after the eating of tender Grass or other Aliments and Medicines that may be rather said to produce a good Effect by loosening the Horse's Belly and expelling part of the Impurities that are lodg'd in his Body But this is not the Disease treated of in this Chapter The Lask or Flux is caus'd by the Weakness of the Stomach that cannot digest the Nourishment which consequently passes thro' the Guts and is voided at the Fundament almost without any Alteration It proceeds also from the Corruption of the Humours that are either gather'd in the Stomach or flow thither from the neighbouring Parts and by disturbing Nature in the Performance of her important Work of Concoction provoke her to a vigorous Endeavour in order to their Expulsion These Humours are not always raw and cold for oftentimes the Guts are scowr'd by an Inundation of Choler which may be call'd a Natural Clyster This kind of Flux is rarely dangerous and even not unfrequently profitable It is an ill Sign when the Aliments are voided entire without the least Mark of Digestion For 't is absolutely impossible for Nature to repair her Losses and regain her wonted Vigour without fresh Supplies of Nourishment and 't is plain that she receives not any considerable Advantage from the Nourishment when it only passes thro' the Body without undergoing any Change Besides these Internal Causes this Distemper may be occasion'd by eating too much Provender in which Case it may be easily cur'd by diminishing the usual Allowance of Food Sometimes 't is caus'd by eating mouldy or rotten Hay frozen Grass and other unwholsome Nourishment as also by drinking very cold Water and by immoderate and fatiguing Exercise This Distemper may also proceed from want of Exercise drinking immediately after the eating of a great quantity of Oats excessive Fatness feeding on Rye Straw and an ill Disposition of the whole Body To discover the Nature of the Humour that causes and foments the Disease you must consider the Excrements that are voided for if they boil and ferment upon the Ground you may conclude that the Distemper proceeds from over-heated Choler if they be white 't is a Sign of Crudity if they be watery they denote a great Weakness of the Stomach A Remedy for the Flux If the Excrements be mixt with small Pieces or Scrapings of the Guts you have reason to fear an Ulcer in those Parts which usually proves fatal if the Danger be not speedily prevented by a seasonable Cooling of the Entrails which may be effected by the following Remedy Take Barley and the Roots of Marsh-Mallows beaten of each two Ounces Powder of Sal Prunellae an Ounce Boil 'em in three Quarts of Water to one Quart The Dose is a Pint two or three times a day This Decoction allays the Inflammation of the Entrails sweetens the Acrimony of the Humors reduces the Choler to its natural State and destroys the preternatural Heat that occasions the Fever If this Distemper be caus'd by Flegm you must strengthen the Stomach evacuate the redundant Humours and bind and strengthen the relax'd Parts These Indications require the Use of the Cordial-Powder or Pills the Electuary of Kermes Treacle and other hot Remedies that are endu'd with a Virtue to strengthen and corroborate the Parts The Cure of this kind of Flux is easier than in the other Cases The Looseness of the Belly or Flux is frequently an Effect of a vigorous struggle of Nature to throw off and expel a troublesome Load of Humours But if it continue longer than three Days and be attended with the Loss of Appetite it may produce dangerous Consequences for sometimes Horses are founder'd by the long Continuance of this Distemper Therefore you must endeavour to prevent the Danger by the seasonable Application of convenient Remedies and by keeping the Horse to a regular Diet. You must not suffer your Horse to eat Oats but feed him with Bran moisten'd with Claret if he have not too strong an Aversion against it Barley parch'd on a Peel at the Fire and then ground is very good in this Case and you must also chuse the best Hay To proceed to the Use of Remedies you may begin with this scowring Clyster A Scowring Clyster Take Wheat Bran well sifted and whole Barley of each two Handfuls red Roses a Handful true Opium slic'd small half a Dram Boil 'em in Whey or steel'd Water for the space of a quarter of an Hour then add the Leaves of wild Succory Agrimony Beets white Mullein and Mercury of each one Handful In two Quarts of the Decoction dissolve the Yolks of six Eggs Honey of Roses and brown Sugar of each four Ounces Mix and make a Clyster After this Clyster has scowr'd the Guts and expell'd part of the corrupt Matter that was lodg'd in 'em you may give your Horse two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in moisten'd Bran or half an Ounce of the Golden Sulphur of Antimony persisting in this Method for a considerable Time For these Medicines strengthen the Entrails allay the Ebullition or Fermentation of the Humours and contribute very effectually to the Cure of this Distemper This done you may inject the following Clyster A Cooling and Binding Clyster Take Knot-Grass or instead of that Shepherd's Purse and white Mullein of each one Handful Leaves of Plantane two Handfuls Flowers of wild Pomegranates half a Handful the Seeds of Myrtles Lettuce and Plantane of each two Ounces Beat the Seeds and boil 'em in three Quarts of Beer or Barley-Water with half a Dram of good Opium cut into thin slices then put in the Herbs and afterwards a Handful of dry'd Roses Add to the Straining half a Pound of Honey of Roses and four Ounces of Sugar of Roses Mix and make a Clyster to be administer'd after the usual Manner A Potion for the Flux If the Flux be not stopp'd or at least abated by the above-mention'd Preparations of Antimony after these two Clysters you must give the following Potion continuing to repeat the Clysters from time to
Jecur vel Hepar Lung wort or liverwort otherwise middle Comfrey Consoude moyen Pulmonaria M M M MAce Macis Macis Madder Garance Rubia Tinctorum Magistery of Lead Magister du Saturn Magisterium Saturni Maiden-hair Herbe de Capillaire ou Polittic Adianthum vulgare vel Polytrichum Male Incense or Frank-Incense Oliban Olibanum Malmsey Wine Malvoise Vinum Arvisium vel Malvaticum Mallow common Mauve Malva vulgaris Manna Manne Manna Marjoram sweet Marjolaine Marjorana hortensis Marrow of a Hart Mouelle de Cerf Medulla Cervi Marsh Mallow Guimove Althaea Master wort Imperatoire Imperatoria Mastick a Gum Mastic Mastiche vel lentisciresina Meadsweet Reine de Prez Regina prati seu Vlmaria Mechoacan Mechoacan Mechoacanna Medlar or Open arse Nefle ou Nesple Mespilum Melilot Melilot Meâ—ilotus Melon Melon Melo Mercury the Herb or French Mercury Mercuriale Mercurialis Mercury red or Red sublimate Mercure rouge Mercurius dulcis subli matus rubrus Milfoil or Yarrow Mille Feuilles Mellefolium Milk Lait Lac Millet Millet Milium Mint Menthe ou Mente Mentha vulgaris Mint broun or red Menthe à coste rouge Mentha rubra Misseltoe of the Appletree Guis de Pomier Viscum Malinum Misseltoe of the Oak Guis de Chesne Viscum Quercinum Mouse ear Aureille de soury ou Piloselle Auricula muris Mucilage plaster Emplastre de Mucilages Diachylon simplex Mugwort Armoise Artemisia Mules fat or grease Axunge de Mulet Axungia-Muli Mullain white or Male Boullon blanc ou Molene Verbascum vel Tapsus Barbatus Mummy or embalmed man's flesh Mumie Mumia Muscle shells Coquilles de Moules Musculorum Conchae Musk Musc Moschus Mustard seed Grain de Moutard Sinapi Mutton sewet Suif de Mouton Sevum Ovillum Myrabolans of five kinas viz. Citrinae Chebulae Indicae Emblicae Bellericae Myrabolans de cinq sorts c. Myrabolanae Citrinae Chebulae c. Myrrh Myrrhe Myrrha Myrtle berries Mirtilles Myrti Baccae N N N Nettle Ortie Vrtica Night-shade-water Eau de Morelle Aqua Solani vel Morella Nitre or salt-petre Nitre ou Sal-pestre Nitrum Nutmeg Muscade Nux Moschata vel Myristica O O O OAts Avoine Avena Oat meal course or rather Groats Avoine gruée ou gruau d'Aveine Farina Avenacea vel Avenarum chondri Onion Oignon Cape Opium or the condensed juice of black poppy-heads Opium Opium Opoponax a Gum Opoponax Opoponax Orange Orange Aurantium Orange peel Ecorce d'Orange Aurantiorum Cortex Organy or wild-Marjor am Origan Origanum Orpiment Orpiment Auripigmentum Orpine Orpin Telephium Orrice common or ordinary flower de luce root Iris commun Jris Vulgaris Orrice root of Florence Iris de Florence Jris Florentina Orvietan Orvietan Electuarium Orvietanum Oxycrat or a composition of water and vinegar Oxycrat Oxycratum Oxycrotium-plaster Emplastre Occicrocium Emplastrum Oxycrâ—cium Oil Huile Oleum Oil of bitter Almonds Huile d'Amandes ameres Oleum Amygdal amar Oil of sweet Almonds Huile d'Amandes douces Oleum Amygdalarum dulcium Oil of Amber Huile d'Ambre Oleum Succini Oil of Bays or Lawrel Huile de Laurier Oleum Laurinum Oil of Castor or Castoreum Huile de Castor Oleum de Castoreo Oil of Cloves Huile de Giroffles Oleum Caryophillorum Oil of Earth-worms Huile de Lumbris Oleum Lumbricorum Oil of Hemp seed Huile de Chenevis Oleum Cannabis Oil of Hypericon or St. John's wort Huile de Hypericon ou mille pertuis Oleum Hyperici Oil of Lillies Huile de Lis Oleum Liliorum Oil of Linseed Huile de Lin Oleum seminis Lini Oil of Myrtles Huile de Mittles Oleum Mirtinum Oil of Olives Huile de Olives Oleum Olivarum Oil of Petre or Petrolium Huile de Petrole Oleum Petrae vel Petrolaeum Oil of Quinces Huile de Coins Oleum Cydoniorum Oil of Roses Huile Rosat Oleum Rosaceum Oil of Turpentine Huile de Terebentine Oleum Terebinthinae Oil of Walnuts Huile de noix Oleum Carynum Oil of Wax Huile de Cire Oleum Cerae Oil of Vitriol Huile de Vitriol Oleum Vitrioli Ointment of Agrippa Onguent Agrippa Vnguentum Agrippae Ointment of the Apostles Onguent des Apostres Vnguentum Apostolerum Ointment of Marsh-Mallows Onguent d'Althea Vnguentum Dialthaeae Ointment Martiatum or of souldiers Onguent de Soldats Vnguentum Martiatum Ointment Oppodeldoch Onguent Oppodeldoc Vnguentum Oppodeldoch Ointment of Pompholix or nothing Onguent Ponpholix Vnguentum Diapompholigos vel nihil Ointment of Poplar buds Onguent de Populeon Vnguentum Populneum Ointment Resumptive or Restoring Onguent Resumptif Vnguentum resumptivum Ointment of Roses Onguent Rosat Vnguentum Rosatum Oyster shells Eâ—â—illes des Huistres Ostrearum conchae P P P PArmacity Sperma Ceti Sperma Ceti Parsley Persil Petroselinum Parsnip Pastenade Pastinaca Patience or Monks rhubarb Patience Patientia vel Hippolapathum Peach tree Peschiet Arbor Persica Pearls Perles Margaritae Pease Feverolles Fabulae vel pisa Pellitory of Spain Peretre ou Pyrethre Pyrethrum Pellitory of the Wall Parietaire Parietaria vel herba muralis Pennyroyal common Pouliot Pulegium hortense seu Puleium Pennyroyal wild Pouliot sauvage Pulegium Sylvestre Pepper Poivre Piper Pepper long Poivre long Piper longum Pepper white Poivre Blanc Piper Album Periwinkle Pervenche Vinca pervinca Petrol or oil of petre Petrole Petrolium Phagaedenick water Eau phagedenique Aqua Phagaedenica Pine Kernels of the Indies Pignons d'Inde Nuclea pini Indicae Pine-tree Pin Pinus Pine-tree-bark Ecorce de pin Cortex pini Pine tree-Gum Gomme de pin Pint Gummi Pitch black or common Poix noire Pix nigra seu sicca Pitch of Burgundy Poix de Bourgogne Pix Burgundiae Plantain Plantin Plantago Plantain water Eau de plantin Aqua Plantaginis Polypody Polipode Polypodium Pomgranet Grenade Malum granatum Pomgranet blossoms or flowers Ballaust Balaustium Pomgranet skin Ecorce de Grenade Cortex Mali granati Poppy of the Corn or corn-Corn-Rose Coquericot Papaver Rhaeas Poppy white Pavot blanc Papaver album Potters clay Terre à potier Argilla vel terra figulina Powder of Cornachinus Poudre de Cornachini Pulvis Cornachinii vulgaris Praecipitate red Precipité rouge Praecipitatus rubrus Praecipitate white Precipité blanc Praecipitatus albus Pulp or fleshy part of any Fruit Poulpe Pulpa Purslain Pourpier Portulaca Q Q Q QVick silver Argent vif ou Mercure courant Argentum vivum Quâ—â—ces Coins Mala Cydonia Quitch-grass or Dog-grass Ghien dent ou gramen Gramen Caninum R R R RAdish Raifort ou Rave Raphanus Rain water Fau de pluie Aqua pluvialis Rasins or dryed Grapes Raisins sees Vvae passae Rape seed Navette Semen rapi oblongi Reed Aromatick of the Shops Calamus Aromatique Calamus Aromaticus Regulus of Antimony Regalle d'Antimoine Regulus antimonij Rennet Apple Pomme de Reynette Petitium Malum Rest harrow Acutelle Anonis vel Aresta Bovis Rhubarb Rhubarbe Rhabarbarum Rosemary Romatin Ros marinum Rose Rose Rosa Rose Damask or pale Rose Rose de Damas Rosa Damascena vel Pallida Rose red common Rose rouge Rosa rubra Rose red double or Province Rose de provins Rosa rubra
people do it but the most skilful do it not and if the reasons I have given cannot satisfie you I referre it to experience which is the Mistress of Art and finally as I am not so much taken with my own opinion as to oblige all people to yeild to it so I consent that you do not beleive me but that for your fancy you spoil your horse rather then submit to reason CHAP XXXII A Charge or Bath to preserve horses Legs and prevent their spoyling either upon Travel or by hunting IF you have a horse CHAP XXXII A Bath to prevent horses legs spoiling upon Travel which is worth your care and paines to preserve his 〈◊〉 after Travel so soon as ever he is arrived in the evening and put in the Staâ—â— you shall cause make some Cow or Ox dung very thin with Vinegar so thaâ— be but of the consistence of thick Broth and adding to it a good handfull of siâ— Salt cause Rub and charge his fore-legs from the knees and hind-legs from 〈◊〉 Hams or Gambrells by chaffing them well with and against the hair that so 〈◊〉 remedy may penetrate and adhere to them and that they may be all covered 〈◊〉 with it and thus leave him till next morning neither wetting his legs nor removeâ— him out of his place but giveing him his water for that evening in a Pail The next Morning you shall cause lead him to the River if there be any thaâ— his Legs may be wash't or otherways you may cause make them clean with a wisâ— wash them with well water which is also very good this remedy is both cheap 〈◊〉 excellent is astringent and strengthens the parts oppressed and being continued 〈◊〉 renewed every Evening will preserve the Legs so neat and sound that a Horse at the end of a long Journey will as to his Legs appear as if he had not stirred out of 〈◊〉 Stable it will be somewhat difficult to perswade many people that so small and â—â—vial a thing as this can produce so wonderful an effect for the remedy is most 〈◊〉 and all those to whom I have recommended it have found a great deal of good by because this charge doth not only refresh a Horse's legs but restricts their swelling so that it is a great deal better than many of those Charges which Farriers sell at a very dear rate for the same use When the Salt is left out it is not altogether so good although it never fails even then to produce a good effect and many times when I have had no Vinegar I have made use of simple Water in it's place and the charge hath notwithstanding had a very good operation This method of chargeing and Bathing a horse's Legs was found out by a meer reasoning and the first time I made use of it it succeeded much better than I could have imagined If you have therefore big and large Horses to conduct and take care of during a long Journey and which are either to be led in the hand or otherways you are to make use of this remedy which is easy and cheap and requires but a very little pains to prepare and apply it and you will at the end of your Journey be sensible how good and profitable a thing it is You are also to grease or anoint the fore-feet of such Horses as have them brittle and dry and that at their first arrival at night although it should be with nothing else but fresh butter Oyl or swine-seame but if with the Oyntment of Roses so much the better that so the Cow dâ—ng falling down upon their hoofs may not dry them for I assure you that Cow-dung contrary to the opinion of many people spoileth a horses feet it doth indeed moisten the Sole but it dryeth up the hoof which is of a different nature from it if you observe this method you will find a great advantage by it Those who to recover their horses feet cause make a hole which they fill with moistned Cow-Dung and so keep their fore feet in it during the space of a Moneth or so do very badly because although the continual moisture which is amongst the Dung causes the hoof to grow yet it drys and shrinks in so extremely being out of that place that is spleets and breaks like Glass and the foot immediatly straitens In fine Cow Dung is good and profitable for the sole but alters Burns and spoils the hoof by drying it up too much Therefore to recover a horses feet you are rather in place of Cow-Dung to fill a hole full of wet blew clay and oblige the horse to keep his fore-feet amongst it for a moneth I will not here omit another remedy which unwearyeth and takes away the swelling of the Legs and also supples and renders them neat it is abundantly sufficient to practise it from time to time but for the preceeding charge although you should make use of it every evening I assure you you will neither lose your time nor labour The Baths which I have discoursed of in the second part composed of the Lees of Claret-Wine good Herbs and Honey do mightily refresh and supple horses Legs as also to cause rub them at your first arrival in the evening with Vinegar and Salt or Brandy or even with warm Claret-Wine in which there is dossolsed a little old Hogs Grease all this unwearies supples and refreshes horses legs But if they are swelled or gorged as it many times happens in the hind-legs of such horses which are fatigued then you are to cause wash and bath them with cold water and an hour after to cause anoint them with Honey and while the Honey is yet upon them to cauffse chaff them with good Brandy above it and without taking any of the Honey away and continuing this every day you will not only take away the swelling but strengthen and fortify his Legs upon his Travel You shall also unweary and refresh your horses Legs if you charge and bath them well with the cold Lees of Claret-wine the remedy is both good and procured at an easy rate CHAP. XXXIII How to take away the Swelling or Gourding from horses Legs and to unweary them with quench'd Cinders YOu must cause boil some water in a Kettle CHAP XXXIII How to take away the gourding from horses legs with quenched Cinders and then take from the fire the red Cinders which are made of the best wood you can procure such aâ— Vine Branches Walnut-tree Oak or Beech for the Cinders of white and soft Woods are not proper for this use no more than that which hath been long aâ— floating upon Water if nevertheless you can have no better you are to mix with this eight Ounces of the Ashes made of the burnt Lees or Dregs of Wine you may have them at the Grocers or from the common Washers throw any of the Cinders of these Woods being red hot amongst the Boyling water for the more of them yâ—â— throw
whereby in the night time the Vapours and exhalations which are called the Excrements of the third concoction and which should evacuate are detained in the body to the great prejudice of his health for horses produce a great many of these vapours which should transpire and insensibly evaporate through the Pores especially in the night time which is most manifest by the quantity of dust which is found upon a horse's skin and which people take daily away with the Curry comb now if you hinder this transpiration which should be made in the night time you will prejudge him especially if he hath wrought hard and fatigued much all the day long I shall therefore conclude That a horse which hath swett much and is dry will be mucâ— the better of being Curried a quarter or half an hour in the Evening and if he be 〈◊〉 dry to have his Body rubbed all over very well for the like space with good Straw I will here set down an observation for the Curious and such as desire to be instructed in the least particulars relating to Horses it will be useful to them when their hoâ—es are either sick or very low and that they would recover and make them up again it may prove also very beneficial to them when Travelling that so they may prever all the inconveniencies which may hinder their horses to perform chearfully their Journey You are then to look to your horses dung thereby to judge of his inward disposition that so you may prevent the inconveniences which may befall him if 〈◊〉 dung be too thin it may be a sign that either the water which he drunk was too 〈◊〉 and peirceing or that he hath drunk too greedily of it if there be amongst his dâ—â— whole grains of Oats perhaps the horse hath either not grinded or chaw'd the well or that he hath a weakenss in his Stomack and if his dung be black dâ— or come away in very small and hard pieces then it is a token that he is overhâ—â—ed in his body Sect 3. Now according as you have judged by these remarks of his inwâ—â—â— constitution so you shall administer that to him which you shall think most propeâ— and which is taught you in many places of this book the Ancients it seems 〈◊〉 this method for I have read in a very old Author viz Galen Veneti et Prasâ—â— fludiosi spectatores equorum stercora quo intelligant quemadmodum alimenta coxerint odâ—â— tur tanquam ex eo omnem eorum bonam habitudinem cognituri Where by the word odorantur I think he can mean no other thing but that they lookt attentively and carefully to the dung and not that they smelled it for if it was smelled at 〈◊〉 was certainly only by the commoner sort of people who were notwithstanding 〈◊〉 Curious When horses are arrived at the Inn and tyed up to the Rack a man should besâ— they are unbridled cause lift their feet to see if they want any of their shoes oâ— those which they have do not rest upon their soles and cause pick and clear thâ— of the earth and gravel which may be got betwixt their shoes and soles and 〈◊〉 also stop them with Cow-dung if the horses be worth that pains as I have alâ—â— ordered you or that the Master be so careful as to cause do it If you water them abroad so soon as they return from the River if you 〈◊〉 stop their feet with Cow-dung it will ease the pain in their feet and take away tâ— heat and benumb'dness which may have been occasioned by the hard earth and 〈◊〉 dung remain in their feet all night which will keep them soft and in a good â—â—dition by expelling the heat There are many Horses which so soon as they are unbridled do instead of eaâ— lay them down to rest because of the great pain which they have in their feet that a man is ready to judge them either sick or very much harassed but if he look their Eyes he will see they are lively and good and if he cause offer meat to the as they are lying they will eat it very willingly yet if he handle their feet he 〈◊〉 find them extremly hot which will discover to him that it is in that part they â—â—fer therefore you are to cause observe if their shoes do not rest upon their for which is somewhat difficult to be certainly known without unshoeing them but you cause take off their shoes then look to the insides of them and you will obâ—â—â— that those parts of them which rest upon the soles are more smooth and shining the any other you are therefore in that case to cause pare their feet in those parts 〈◊〉 fix on the shoes again anointing their hoofs with ointment of Roses or some oâ— thing of that nature and causing also stop their soles with scalding hot black pâ—â— Tar or Ship-pitch which are all much about one and let it cool in them before yâ— suffer them to go to the ground this Pitch or Tar will nourish the soles take aâ— the painful heat and perfectly strengthen them at Paris people have the conveniâ— of geting Ship-Pitch which is nothing else but that mixture wherewith they pitch thâ— Boats and which strengthens sooner horses feet when applyed hot then almost 〈◊〉 other kind of application it is composed of old oyl or grease and black pitch whâ— they cause melt and mix togither and so keep it for their use Horses which have tender feet are commonly they which immediatly lay then selves down to rest so soon as they are unbridled and that because of the great pâ—â— which they have in their feet By tender-footed horses I here understand such a have low heels or whose feet have but a small body that is but a very little thicknâ— betwixt the sole and hoof in that part of the foot which is about two finger breadth or less above the Toe or fore part of it also those which have too little feet or which have cloven quarters or are hoof-bound or have their hoofs Circled and last of all those which have Flat-feet When People Travel in very warm and dry Weather their horses feet do many times alter and become dry and the hoof for lack of moisture spleets and breaks so that a man is in hazard of having his horse loss his shoes you are therefore before you take such horses to the Water in the morning to anoint their fore-feet just at the on-setting of the hoofs with the ointment of Roses or any other hoof-salve whereof I have given you a description in the 2d part sometimes also when the feet are much altered you should anoint them at twelve a Clock and it is particularly of such kind of horses you are to take the greatest care because of having their hoofs so very brittle when you are either Travelling in hot Countries or that you have a great difficulty to cause them keep their Shoes There are some horses
cauterized for having beâ—â— suffered to stand too long amongst their Dung and Urine also if People are in a â—â—venient place to send them once a day to the River to wash their Legs it willâ— very well There are few Grooms who will be of this Opinion because they 〈◊〉 very glad to have so much spare time from dressing their horses having in a maâ—â— during that space nothing else ado but to throw their meat before them CHAP. LII How to Fatten horses with Grass or green Barley WHen people would fatten young horses which are very low CHAP. LII How to fatten horses with grass or green Barley with grâ—â— Barley they are in the first place to give them tuice a day dry brank if they be reasonably plump then there is no need of giving it the twice for once will be sufficient and that about mid day and seeing horses wâ—â— eat green Barly have frequently their teeth set on edge by it I have found out a 〈◊〉 thod which will make them eat it with ease Cool them purifie their Blood and â—â—vent that Corrnption which is engendered by worms in the bodies of such horses 〈◊〉 are thus at soyl You are therefore once a day when you give your horses Bran to mix with it two ounces of the Liver of Antimony in fine Pouder it is alwayes supposed that you have moistned the bran a little before hand with water that so the pouder because of it's weight may not fall to the ground for in that case the horse would not eat it and it is likewise to be supposed that the horse to whom you give it is young continue to cause your horse eat it after this method so long as he is eating either cut grass or green barley and he will recover more in one Month with it then he would do otherwayes in Six The method of making the Liver of Antimony or Imperial Pouder is set down in 67 Chap of the 2d part Sect. 14. Don't apprehend this remedy at which so many people are afraid for it is nowise Purgative to horses but cordial and sometimes Diuretick and for the most part worketh all its Effects by insensible transpiration I know the success of it so very well having given it after so many different fashions that I can assure you you will receive a great deal of satisfaction from it I shall not enlarge here upon the good effects which Antimony hath upon horses according to its different preparations but shall discourse of it hereafter however I am the first who ever made use of it for horses and discovered the great advantage it bringeth them You are to bleed your horses which have ate green barley so soon as you put them again to their hard meat that is to Hay and Oats I shall here give an advice to those who cause their horses eat green winter barley That there are some years in which there happeneth cold Brizes which proceed from the North winds during that time of year they are at soyl so that if they do not take care to cover them well and to keep the Stable very warm they will become foundered now if there happen any to founder while they are eating their green Barley or grass immediatly Blood them in the Neck and afterwards give them of the stinking pills described in the 85. Chap. of the 2d part Sect. 3. and according to the directions there set down neither are you to forbear the giving them their green Barley for I assure you they will recover and be restored again to their health which I have had proof of many a time I have known some years in whch there were more then fifty horses foundered in one little Village near Paris called La Vilette where people commonly graze their horses and that by reason of a cold wind which happned while they were a grazing If you are in a place where you have the conveniency of turning your horses to grass they will be very much the better of it if they be young there are some also which agree very well with eating green Barley after they are done with grazing About Parts where the green winter Barley can be easily had a man may give it to his horses before they be turned to Grass because that is a great deal sooner ready than this but where he can get no other Barley than that which is sowen in the Spring then the grass is many times in a condition and ready to be given before the Barley which is commonly later To give a young horse Methodically grass in the feilds until he be seven or eight years old you are first to bleed him in the neck and then to turn him to grass two dayes thereafter taking care that it be alwayes so well grown that the horse may feed heartily upon it and you shall there leave him both night and day for a Mouth and more without either Currying or dressing him and without giving him any other kind of food but his grass Grass charged with dew purgeth a Horse by evacuating all the bad humours which he may have in his Body and then it afterwards fattens the dew also besides this contribures to the recovery of spoilt legs by drying up all the superfluous humours which they may have in them and if a horse have any kind of itch or mange the grass will recover him In fine there are few diseases in young horses for which grass is not a soveraign remedy except the Farcy Glanders and Pursyness to which it is a great Enemy as Experience will discover to you contrary to the opinion of many Grass is whole some and profitable for young horses but Coldeth those which are Aged When a horse is at grass he should have water given him only at Twelve a clock and in the Evening In excessive hot weather the grass becometh hard and is no longer wholesome and in hot countreys the flies do so mightily incommode them in the Meadows that they cannot with ease remain in them however notwithstanding of both these People 〈◊〉 not scruple to give their horses grass while in the Army but there they can do 〈◊〉 better besides that such grass with Oats is a pretty good food The Reguain as the French call it or second growth of Grass is worth nothing 〈◊〉 borses neither green nor in hay those who give it to them do wrong and it may 〈◊〉 be the occasion of several bad accidents It is an old Maxim that the dew of Mâ—â— fattneth the horse but macerates the Ox and that upon the contrary the dew of Angâ—â— fattens the Ox but macerates the horse Every horse which hath either eaten cut green Barley grass or hath been turned 〈◊〉 graze in the Fields should eat hay and oats ten or twelve dayes at least before he 〈◊〉 put to any violent exercise immediatly when horses are taken from Grass they should be bled and afterwards brought to their wind by degrees after they come from
and were it not for its dearth people might give six or seven Ounces of it to a horse at a time Agarick Attenuats Opens and purges gross Phlegm and also Choler it draws them from the Brain Nerves and Muscles and people might say that it would be one of the best Medicaments we have for horses were it but purgative enough it is sometimes Trochiscated or made into Troches which corrects it and it may be given from four to five Ounces which will however but purge very gently the only ill of this Remedy is that if it be not prepared into Troches it is too gentle Turbith purges but weakly gross viscuous and corrupt Phlegm it draws it from the Remote parts and is corrected with Ginger it may be given from two to four Ounces at most Hermodacts are a kind of Bulbows Roots they purge gently Phlegm visâ—â—â—â—â— Humours and draw them powerfully from the Joints they are corrected 〈◊〉 Spicknard and Cinnamon and may be given from three to four Ounces Mechoacan which is a Root so called from the Country where it groweth 〈◊〉 hath almost the same vertue as Jallap only that it is white whereas the Jallap is black Purges Phlegm and Watery Humours is good for an old Cough Colick 〈◊〉 Farcy it is corrected with Cinnamon Anniseeds and Mastick and its dose is 〈◊〉 Ounces Colocyâ—th or Coloquintida is a very light kind of fruit which purges phlegm 〈◊〉 other gross and viscuous humours from the most remote parts as the Brain Nerâ— Muscles Joynts and Lungs it is excellent for to carry away that vitrified Phleâ— which adheres to the Internal superfice of the Guts which causes violent Coliâ—â— and is a great Enemy to the Stomack and Intestines when it cleaves to them peâ—â—â—â— correct it by making it into Troches called Alâ—andal or with Oyl of Sweet Aâ—â—â—â—â— and Gum Tragacanth This is the common Purgative of the Farriers because it costs but little aâ—â— worketh strongly I have proposed a good preparation for Colocynth as you may in the 23 Chap. Sect. 3. of the 2d Part its Dose is from four to six Drams at 〈◊〉 given either in Butter Lard of Bacon or fresh Swines Seam Opoponax purges viscuous Phlegm from the remote Parts as the Joints howâ—â—â—â— it hath but a gentle operation it is corrected with Spicknard Ginger Cinnamon 〈◊〉 the Roots of Elecampane its Dose is four Ounces Gum-Sagapen or Sagarenum is somewhat of the nature of the preceeding Gum 〈◊〉 more proper for preparing and inciding or attenuating Humors than for purging Euphorbium is the gummy juice of a Tree which purges gross Phlegm and â—ther watry Humours but with such violence that I don't advise any man to give 〈…〉 his Horses inwardly by reason of its excessive Heat unless it be mixed with Cassia 〈◊〉 Example to four Ounces of Cassia add two Drams of prepared Euphorbium To prepare it you are to dissolve it either in distilled Vinegar or in the juice of Limons in Balnâ—â— Mariae or in a panful of warm Water over the fire then while it is warm pass it through a double linnen Cloath and evaporate its humidity 〈◊〉 it be dry its Dose is two or three Drams when it is thus prepared To compose a Remedy that will purge Phlegm you may take of Diacarthâ—â—â— â— Ounce A remedy to purge phlegm Agarick in Troches two Drams Turbith and Hermodacts of each an Ouâ—â—â— Spikenard Cinnamon and Ginger of each a Dram Coloquintida a Dram and 〈◊〉 make all into a Powder and mixing it with an English Quart of White Wine 〈◊〉 it to the Horse A man may also make use of the purging Pills which he will find ready prepâ—â—â—â— in the Apothecaries Shops by giving from one to two Ounces of them the 〈◊〉 which purge Phlegm are Ptlulae coâ—ciae foetidae majores Mesuae de agarico de hiera cum 〈◊〉 de sarcocolla de Colosynthide If your Horse be lean it will be more proper to give him 〈◊〉 purging Electuaries than Pills the Electuaries are the Diaphenicon or Electuary 〈◊〉 Dates the Diacarthamum Benedicta laxativa Nicolai hiera piâ—ra Galeni Electâ—â—â—â— Jndum majus Mesuae the Dose of any of these is from four to six Ounces Noâ— a man may of any number of the foresaid Medicaments which purge Phlegm â—â—pole a purgative Remedy proper for it by either mixing them with the above â—â—â—tioned Pills or Electuaries or other solid Medicaments according to their true 〈◊〉 and his own Judgement CHAP. LXI Of Medicaments which purge Melancholy SEvé possesses the first place amongst purgative Simples CHAP. LXI Of Medicaments which purge Melancholy it is a little Panchamagog or universal Purger the Physicians are so much taken with it that they make it enter into all their purgative Medicaments Fernel a Physician in Paris and one of the most skilful since Galen's time discourses thus of it in the fifth book of his Method Chap. 10. Sené purges very successfully the adust melancholick Humor Bile and gross Phlegm not immediatly from the remote parts but chiefly from the Spleen and other inward Parts from the Hypocondria and the Mesentery which is the real drain or sink of all the Excrements of the Body for there is no other Remedy which draws so powerfully the putrified and corrupt Humors from these parts or which penetrating unto the very cavities of the Veins does so well remove their old obstructions It is corrected with Spikenard Ginger and Cloves c. and its Dose is to four Ounces at most Polypody is rather a preparative than purgative people corrrect it with Liquorice and to assist its tardive Vertue with Ginger Anniseeds and Fennel it is given from eight to ten Ounces but never alone because of it self it hath not strength enough to purge a Horse Black-Hellebor is a root which purges Melancholy and other adust Humors which are opiniater or obstinate and is therefore excellent for Melancholick Constitutions it is corrected by first washing it well with Water then infusing it four hours in strong Vinegar after which it is to be dryed before a gentle fire the Dose is from six Drams to an Ounce and people may add to it Cinnamon Anniseeds and Fennel Lapis Armeniâ—s or the Armenian Stone is a stone found in the Silver-Mines both of Germany and Armenia from which last it hath derived its Name The Painters make use of it it is first beaten into fine Powder and then washt in Rose or Bugloss-waters its Dose is from four to five Ounces Lapis Lazuli or the Azure Stone is much of the nature of the former and hath the same vertues A remedy to purge Melancholy To compose a remedie which will purge Melancholy Take of the leaves of Sem an Ounce and a half Black-hellebor washt in Vinegar two Drams Crystal of Tartar half an Ounce Lapis Armenius washt six Drams Anniseeds Fennel and Cinnamon of each a Dram and a half beat all coursly and make a drench of it in an English
or four ounces of the Catholicoâ—â—â— horses Glysters described in the 76 Chap Sect. 5. of the second part and let it be given luke-warm to your horse Take an English Quart and an half An astringent orbinding Glyster of that Water wherein Smiths quench their hot Iron boyl in it two handfuls of Plantaine Knot Grass or Centinodia and white Mullain strain this decoction and mix amongst it an English quart and an half of Milk in which you shall have quenched small red hot White pebble stones for six or seven times then add to it fine Bole and Starch of each two ounces with half a dozen Yolks of Eggs you may also if you will make use of the seeds of Garden Sâ—â—â—â— White Poppy the Oyl of Roses the Oyl of Quinces and many others where with you may make a Glyster either stronger or weaker according to your intention Ane Anodyne Glyster An Anodyne Glyster is that which asswageth pain by the agreeable temper it 〈◊〉 with the nature of the parts To compose which Take three English pints of Milk and a quart of Water mix amongst it a poâ—â— of Linseed meal with the soft of a penny Loaf which must be well dissolved in it then take of the Flowrs of Camomil and Melilot and causing all boyl together 〈◊〉 or six Walmes pass it through a double linnen Cloath squeezing it very strongly afâ—â—â— which dissolve in it half a dozen Yolks of Eggs four ounces of the Oyl of Roses a Violets and half a pownd of Butter or if you have the marrow of a Hart or Deer thâ— fat of a Fox Goose or Hen they will be better than the Butter and therefore you 〈◊〉 make use of any of them in its place A man may also make an Anodyne Glyster of the broath of Tripes only adding to 〈◊〉 the herbs and dissolving therein the Anodyus before mentioned People call that Diuretick A Diuretick Glyster The five opening Roots which expells the watery humors and serosities contained in the body by Urine you shall then cause boyl the five aperient or opening 〈◊〉 Viz Smallage Fennel Asparagus Parsly and Radishes with Barley and the â—â—ent herbs and having strained the Decoction dissolve amongst it two ounces of â—â— prunella otherwayes called Chrystal Mineral or which is more proper an ounce as a half of Polychrest in powder with half a pound of common Turpentine in which yâ—â— are to dissolve three Yolks of Eggs then mixing with all some propper Electuaâ— such as the Catholicum for horses and Diaprunum solutivum or Electuary of pruns pâ—â—ing about three or four ounces together with an English pint of Emetick Wine whiâ—â— Clyster being given to your horse will cause him piss more then all the Galeâ— Diureticks A man may compose many other kinds of Glysters by the knowledge I have give him of the Simples and of the manner they are to be made use of for example whâ— you would purge Bile then you are to put in the Glysters those Electuaries whâ— purge it and so of the rest which purge the other humors as well Simples as Electuaries which are all ranked in their proper Classes You will find in the 22 Chap. Sect. 5. of the 2d part a Carminative and Purgagative Oyl to be put in Glysters which is excellent as also in the 76 Chap. Sect 5. of the said part a Catholicum for the same purpose and which is particularly composed for horses CHAP. LXVI After what manner a Glyster is to be administred to a horse THe Common Farriers CHAP LXVI How to give a Horse a Glyster don't give to horses above an English quart or three pints of Decoction for a Glyster neither have they generally a great effect for besides that the liquor is given in too small a quantity they also spare the Drugs and commonly mix nothing with the Decoctions but salted water honey and Oyl however it is not but if People would pay them as they desire they would perhaps make them good My opinion is that there is required for a Glyster at least two or three English quarts of Decoction because being in a less quantity then that it but moistens and washes little for as a horse drinks ten times more then a man and that People give also twenty times more then the doze for a man to purge him it follows that the same proportion should be observed for his Glysters A Glyster being prepared after this manner should not be given till the horses great Gut be cleared of its dung which by Farriers is called Raiking and is performed by first anointing your hand well with a little Oyl or Butter and then thrusting it up into his Fundament taking care not to scratch the Gut with your Nailes and with it drawing forth all the dung you can conveniently bring away or otherwayes thrust up into it about the bigness of a large Hens Egg of Castile Soap anoynted with Oyl to make it enter with the more ease half an hour after which the horse will empty so that using this you need not thrust up your hand to Raik him because the Soap will do it sufficiently of it self having thus Raik't or caused your horses to empty you are next to place him with his fore-parts a little lower than his Croupe and thrusting in to his Fundament a horn made for that purpose open at the small end pour into it by degrees the Glyster which must be but Milk-warm and if it should stop in the born without passing down you are to make the horse move his Tongue and then strike him gently with the palm of your hand upon the Reins which will make it enter after which you are to put your horse in the stable again tyed up to the Rack without moving him afterwards contrary to the common practice for the Farriers ordinarly cause walk a horse while the Glyster is yet in his Guts It is also fit that your horse by tyed up to the Rack two hours before he take his Glyster and that he also eat none untill he hath rendered it or about an hour after he hath taken it People should also endeavour as much as possible to give horses their Glyster with a Seringe as they do men but then it must be made so large as to contain the whole Glyster and the hollow of its pipe which enters his Fundament should be so big as that a man may put his finger into it this method is better than that with a horn for it is both quicklier done and the horse receives it better without so much as needing to be taken out of the stable and therefore as he is less moved after receiving it so he will have the less cause to render it too soon this method is at present much in fashion and with a great deal of reason seeing it is the only one that is good 〈◊〉 may see the form of such a Seringe in the upper part of the 6 Plate Those who cause walk
painâ— nor diligence to compose it exactly therefore if you design to have it well made either prepare it your self or see it prepared or at least be sure that the person to whom you trust its composition be honest and faithfull The powder is as followeth Sect. 2. The Lieutenants Powder which is a Preventer as well as Curer of Diseases THis powder should be prepared rather in Summer as in Winter take the Leaves of Sage Sect. 2. and Carduus benedictus dryed in the shade of each thâ—â—â— Ounces Roots of long Birth-wort and Leaves of Fluellin in Laâ—â— Veronica of each two Ounces dryed also in the shade beat all into course powder and putting them into a Glazed earthen pot imbibe or soak them well with gâ—â— Spirit of Wine after which cover the earthen Vessel with another lute well the joyning and then expose it to the Sun if in Summer or set it in a warm place if Winter such as the heat of a stove or of an oven when the Bread new drawn When the powder is perfectly dry reimbibe it with new Spirit of 〈◊〉 which must be done for three times keeping the Vessels exactly closs luted and â—â—ing it well after every time as I have told you while you are a doing this prepâ— the rest as followeth Take of the juice of Liquorish roots of Elecampane and of the Missle-toe of 〈◊〉 or in place of it Zedoary of each three Ounces of Gentian four Ounces of 〈◊〉 berries Anniseeds and Cummin-seeds of each two Ounces Angelica-roots of Bohemia two Ounces of Cross-wort or Devils-bit and if you can get neither of these take in their place of China-root two Ounces Beat all into powder and mix them well puting them also into a Glazed Vessel to be imbibed as the preceeding ingredients with the following decoction taking alwayes care that the two vessels be exactly well luted Take of the missle-toe of Pear-tree Apple-tree or Oak Sect. 2. and of the roots of Mallows bruised as much of the one as of the other then half as much of the Herb Lung-wort or that of Colts-foot all gathered fresh if possible make of all a decoction with Old White-wine causing the roots to boyl in it about half aâ— hour before you throw in the Leaves then having Squeized out the Liquor imbibe with it the last mentioned mixture of powders until it be all throughly wet then cover the Glaized earthen Vessel in which you have put it with another exactly adjusted to it and luteing well their joynings set it in the Heat of the Sun or in the moderate heat of a stove until it be perfectly dry after which reimbibe it a Second time with the same decoction letting it dry again the Vessels being still kept closs and well luted but the Third time you shall soak and moisten this powder with the Spirit of wine letting it also dry with a moderate heat in the Luted earthen Vessels as before when it is dry mix the First powder and this very well together all which being throughly dryed shall be exactly well beat together and mixed and kept very closs pressed in either a glass Vessel or leather bag as a precious and excellent Powder Now when a Man would preserve a horse from any indispositions which might befall him he should every third month or at least every sixt give his horse in two measures of Bran two Spoonfulls or an Ounce and a half of this powder the Bran being first a little moistned with water that so the powder may cleave to it after which he is to tye him up for two hours to the Rack without suffering him to eat and this he is to continue for five or six dayes which will prevent and stop the course of many diseases If a horse be disgusted give him a Dose of this powder in the manner following The use of the Lieutenâ— powder Let him fast six hours and then mixing two ordinary Spoonfuls or an Ounce and a half of this powder with half an English pint of White-wine and as much of a healthfull Childs Urine give it to the horse which should also be kept after taking it six hours without eating If a horse's Eye be dull his Hair stareing or that he be not according to his usual custom hearty then give him a dose of this powder It is excellent for all kinds of Colicks for the Vives and for the Grips and pains in the Belly by administring a dose so soon as the indisposition is discovered It is good for Colded horses which cast and cough For Rhumes Strangle and False-strangle For the diseases in the head it cures them infallibly if it be given in the begining of the distemper and so soon as a man perceives the horse to forsake his meat or loss his Appetite For horses which have suffered much in the Army or which cannot be made easily up and fatned it performs wonders upon them In fine for all diseases which proceed from a cold cause crudities or indigestions it is excellent giving it either amongst moistned Oats wet Bran or more properly amongst White-wine and Childs Urine as I have already ordered This powder hath many other Vertues which its use will more fully discover to you CHAP. LXXIII The Names and Vertues of Ointments Emplasters Oils and distilled Waters commonly made use of for Horses Sect. 1. THe four hot Ointments are the Ointments of Aregon Martiatum Aâ—â—â— and Agrippa CHAP. LXXIII The Names and Vertues of Ointments Emplasters c. comonly made use of for horses The Vnguentum Aregon hath derived its Name from its effects see Aregon in Arabick signifies helpfull Its vertues are to heat Attenuate and digest and is therefore excellent in the cold distempers of the Nerves The Martiatum takes its Name from the person who invented it It is gâ—â— for coldness in the brain and particularly to mollify hard Swellings as also 〈◊〉 the cold affections of the Nerves and joynts The Althaa hath its Name from its Basis or fundation which is the 〈◊〉 Mallow The four hot Ointments It Heats Moistens Lenifies Digests expells the intemperatness of Câ—â—â— is profitable for hardned Nerves corrects what is too dry and rectifies the 〈◊〉 humors which are contained in the Muscles The Agrippa derives its Name from one Agrippa King of Judea it is pâ—â—â— for softning as also it Attenuates and incides or cuts powerfully discusses 〈◊〉 or insensible Phlegmatick tumors and is good for all inveterate painsâ— the Nerves The four cold Ointments The four cold Ointments are the Album Rhasis Mesu's Ointment of 〈◊〉 the Populneum and the Vnguentum Refrigerans Galent The Album Rasis is good for heats excoriations and blistering of the 〈◊〉 for Galling and Ulcers proceeding from heat intemperatness or too great 〈◊〉 in any part and other imperfections of the skin The Ointment of Roses appeases inflammations and the Erysiely or 〈◊〉 Authony's fire The Populueum continues no longer good than a year because its cooâ— Vertue
and is good for pricks Street-nails c. it also fortifies resolves and attenuats or makes this Viscuous and thick humors it is also good for the Nerves and all pains proceeding from a cold cause The Oil of Petrolaeum is more penetrating than the Gabian and hath the same effect only it causes a greater Inflammation and Swelling it is good for the strains of 〈◊〉 shoulders and Haunches and other fleshy parts where there is a necessity for the Mâ—â—cament to soke through the Flesh that so it may dissipate the Humors the Gathered The Oleo Dysasso is a kind of Petrolaeum clear as Essence it is found in the Tetories of the Duke of Modena and is commonly also sold at Parma as well as in Moles it is a kind of Petrolaeum which is rare in France and is as penetrating as any â—eâ— composed of very subtile parts it is admirable for all cold pains and resolves poweâ—fully but it must be used with discretion because it is extreamly hot The Essence or Oil of Turpentine is excellent for the Nervous parts and strains in the joynts but then it must not be often applyed to one part for it would burn the Skin and make it fall away in pieces There are several other kinds of Oils but because it would be Tedious to set down here all their Vertues therefore if you desire to know them and which is more to compose them look to the Alphabetical Table at the end of the second Part or otherwise read the Authors I have already cited as also Joubert Rondelet and others Sect. 4 Of the distilled Waters commonly made use of for Horses FOr the Infirmities of the Eyes people make use of the Waters of Celandin Sect. 4. Eye bright Fennel Roses and Honey-suckle For the Breast and Lungs that of the Burr-dock Camomil Elecampane Colts-foot and Violets The cordial-Cordial-Waters are those of Carduus benedictus Borrage Bugloss Roses The cordial waters and Flowers and Violets these four last are the four Cordial Flowers As also the Waters of Spanish Scorzonera Mead-sweet Scabious and others where of the use is admirable in Horses Fevers The Waters for the Liver are those of Agrimony and the Sharp poynted Dock The Waters which provoke Urine are those of Parsly Roots Radishes Juniper berries Pellitory of the Wall and Gromel Those which provoke Sweat are the Waters of Carduus benedictus Mead-sweet and Butter-burr The Vulnerary Water and second Water in French Eau Seconde are good for Wounds which have false proud and spongeous Flesh growing about them because they take away its itching quality These are in short the Ointments Plaisters Oils and Waters which people make most commonly use of for Horses as also those which are expresly appropriate to the temperature of Horses as you may see more at large in the 2d Part. CHAP. LXXIV How to dy the Manes and Tails of Horses of either a Scarlet or Gold Colour which will continue fresh and lively for a long time as also to make a White Star in a Horses Fore-head Sect. 1. SInce the third Impression of this Book CHAP. LXXIV How to Dy the Manes anâ— Tails of Horses c. People have begun to Dy their Horses Manes and Tails of a Scarlet Colour as is practised by the Hungarians Polonians and Cravats which Colour maketh a pretty enough show upon White Horses I therefore fancyed it would not be disagreeable to the Reader that he here find an easy Method to perform it which I have many times experimented and with very 〈◊〉 Charges It is to be observed that they are only the white Manes and Tails 〈◊〉 can receive this Colour and of whatever Colour the Horse be it matters not I providing his Mane and Tail be white they will take on the dye but the hairs 〈◊〉 are black will continue so and receive no other Colour but the natural The Secret 〈◊〉 is this Take two Ounces of a Root which you will find in the Druggists called Mâ—dde Latine Rubia Tinctorum beat it coursly and put it into a glazed Pot which willâ— dure the fire with an English Pint and a half of Claret Wine and a small Glasfullâ— Olive or Walnut Oil put the hair of the Horses Tail or Mane into the Pot stoppe it all closs about with a course Cloath or Wisps of Hay or Straw that none of it 〈◊〉 evaporate then hold beneath the pot a Chafin-dish full of burning Charcoal Coal-cinders blowing it with a pair of Bellows and keeping it so until the Liâ— hath boiled about a quarter of an hour Sect. 1. and that the Horse may not feel the heâ—â— the Fire you are to cause hold a Board betwixt the Chafer and Horse taking 〈◊〉 care that there be only the hair in the Pot and nothing of the Horses Dock beâ—â— he could not suffer it when it hath boiled about a quarter of an hour take 〈◊〉 the Mane or Tail out of the Pot and wash it immediatly in a Pail of clean Water 〈◊〉 which it will be of a beautiful Scarlet Colour but if it should not prove to be 〈◊〉 deep enough Dy then close it up in the Pot a second time and make it boil 〈◊〉 some fresh Liquor for a quarter of an hour as before after which wash it again 〈◊〉 Water this colour will remain so long as the hair continueth although the 〈◊〉 Mane should be washt once every day I beleive the Root of Alkanet or Orchanet would perform the like effect howeveâ— never made tryal of it but seeing it hath the Quality to dy Red as well as Mâ—â—â— there is a great probability that it would succeed it is easie to make tryal of it Sect. 2. How to Dy the Mane and Tail of a Yellow or Gold-Colour THere is a Root called Terra Merita which being made use of as the fore will in all probability tinge the Mane and Tail of a Yellow or Goldâ— lour Sect. 2. however I will not be positive in it having never experimentâ— but the trial of it will not cost much if you use it after the same method 〈◊〉 Wine and Oil as you did the Rubia Tinctorum Sect. 3. How to make a White Star in a Horses Fore-Head I Promised to give in this Book Sect. 3. a Method for making a Star or white Maâ— Horses fore-head but I have observed it to succed so ill that I do not adviâ—â— to rely much upon it nor to trouble your self to enquire after other methods for it because the Hollanders who practise it daily to make their Horses which are â—â—ly black resemble those who have naturally Stars in their Fore-heads do thereby ny times render them more ugly than beautiful therefore without warranting any thing relating to it if you have such a design I shall tell you that they cause rost a large Onion amongst hot Embers or Ashes and being almost throughly rosted they divide it in two and dip it into scalding hot Walnut Oil after which they immediatly
sayeth our Author they have Horses which are only designed and kept for performing of great Courses and they delight so much in this Divertisement that they dyet Horses expresly for it so that their Horses who are naturally well Winded and extreamly swift are put into such a Condition by this manner of Preparation that they perform Courses which are Incredible and that not at a slow or round Gallop as our Horses but at full speed so that people who have never seen it can scarsely be perswaded that any Horse could endure and hold out with the violence of such Courses for five or six miles and yet many Horses in that Kingdom are known to furnish Carriers of that length I have never put this Method I am going to show you in practise my self and therefore shall only insert it at the end of this Book upon the honest Word and Recommendation of a brave Cavaleer who assuren me he had it in England from a person whose only Imployment it was to prepare and dyet Running Horses which Horses are neither charged with fat nor too much flesh but are so vigorous and hearty that they can scarsely be paralleled if your Curiosity lead you to make tryal of this Method I hope that observing exactly what followeth you shall find Contentment To choose then a Horse for Running he should be somewhat long Bodyed Nervous of great Mettle and very swift and who also besides ahving a good Wind should be sensible of and obedient to the Spurrs and have a good Appetite the Horse likewayes notwithstanding of all these Qualities should be of an English Bread a Borb or at least of a little size having pretty small Leggs but the back sinews well detached and separate from the bone short Jovnted and neat and well shap'd feet for bigg feet are not at all for this Imployment Now to prepare a Horse after this Method for a Match you must give him neither Hâ—â— nor Oats but cause make Bread for him of half Barly and half Beans baking them in form of large and pretty thick Cakes and not giving them to the Horse until they be a few dayes old and rather hard and stale then new three pound at sixteen ounces in the pound at twelve aclock and three pound at night is sufficient for him in twenty four hours and that in place of his Oats or provender in stead of Hav let him have Wheat-sheaves 〈◊〉 and with the eats upon 〈◊〉 luke warm water to drink upon which you shall throw a handâ— full or two of Bean and Barley meal mixed together keep him well covered with a sheet and covering above it in a Stable where he hath no light and let him be well littered and kept warm night and day Having thus nourished and fed him for four dayes upon the morning of the fifth day having keept him upon the bridle for three hours before give him balls made of a pound of fresh Butter at sixteen ounces in the pound That is so soon as ever the Cream is turned to Burter and before it be washt or salted then put to it twenty five or thirty Cloves of Garlick bruised and being all well mixed make balls of the bigness of large Wall-nuts which you shall make your horse swallow with an English quart or Scots chopin of white Wine afterwards keep him tyed up in the bridle his bead pretty high for three hours then feed him according to your ordinary custome with his Bread warm Water and Wheat sheaves but with the Wheat sheaves only moderately because you are not to fatten him but upon the contrary by diminishing and hardning his flesh to augment and encrease his Wind and Vigour Upon the seventh day that is the second day after the taking of his pills or balls Air him abroad just after Sun rising for the space of an hour and as much at night before Sun set sometimes racking or steping and sometimes galloping him but if he continue too far then you must take him abroad in the morning an hour before Sun rising and in the evening keep him also abroad for an hour after the Sun is set then bringing him back to the stable rub and cover him well and give him his ordinary portion of Food And thus continue to Air and Exercise him every day giving him alwayes every fifth day his pound of butter made up with garlick into balls And also observing not to Air or take him Abroad neither the day that he taketh his balls nor the day following When he hath taken three dozes of his Garlick balls that is fifteen days after you first begun to put him in keeping you are to Exercise him for two hours in the morning and as much at night sometimes at full speed then at a good gallop and afterwards at a step that so he may again recover his Wind Remembring and taking care as I have already told you neither to Air him that day he taketh his Balls nor the day thereafter but upon the other dayes when you have Gallopt him hard you are to dismount and lead him home in your hand well covered and when you are come to the stable rub and wipe him all over until he be perfectly dry then let him stand upon his Bridle his head being tyed up for three Hours after which give him his Water to drink which must be made more as look warm then feed him as at other times and thus you are to order and keep him for a month giving him alwayes his Pills or Garlick Balls every fifth day but the last five or six dayes of the Month you are to run and Gallop him as sharply as his wind will allow him giving him Listenings now and then in running to take his wind and continue also his exercise but only for two hours in the Morning and as much at night leading him alwayes back to the Stable in your hand having first covered him well with a Sheet and Covering and then rubbing and drying him well let him have his water and meat as I have already shewed you If after all this you observe that his Dung is still slimy and viscous it is a signe that he is not as yet well prepared you are therefore in that case to continue his dyet Pills and former exercise until you find that his dung come from him pretty dty and without humidity and then will your Horse be in a condition to make and perform what Courses you have a mind for Two nights before the Match he shall be put in the Muzzel all night and about two a Clock in the Morning you shall give him three English Pints or three Scots Mutchkins of Sack in which you must beat twenty or twenty five Yolks of new laid Eggs then ty him up to the Rack for two full hours after he hath taken it after which mount his back and immediatly put him to a gentle Gallop then to a full speed as long as his wind will allow it afterwards to
of Knowledge and Study is not always attended with Success And those Diseases that might have been crush'd in the Beginning are oftentimes render'd incurable for want of a timely Discovery of their Nature and Causes These Practitioners pass for Men of Knowledge tho' they are acquainted only with External Distempers and Manual Operations which nevertheless they perform after a very indifferent Manner and are perfect Strangers to the Fundamental Principles of the Art they profess Si constitutionem ab initio non cognoscat id quod in corpore dominatur non poterit ea quae animali conducunt offerre These Words which I have borrow'd from Hippocrates contain the Sum of what I have said on this Occasion and those who understand 'em will be of my Opinion Another Essential Reason why even the most expert Farriers are frequently unsuccessful is because they husband their Drugs lest they shou'd not be sufficiently paid for 'em For Instance suppose they shou'd give a Remedy to a Horse to the Value of four or five Shillings they must expect to be laugh'd at for demanding such a Price The same may be said of Cordials that ought to be given in Fevers which are so dear that one single Potion wou'd cost Six or Eight Shillings People are not accustom'd to see such Remedies given and wou'd refuse to pay for ' em And therefore the Farriers make their Drenches with old Drugs which are to be had at low Rates and prepare such Cordials as are apt rather to encrease than allay the Heat and Inflammation People are generally pleas'd when they see their Horses void a great deal of Matter without considering the Quality of the Matter that ought to be evacuated and think their Horses well purg'd which is directly opposite to the true Method of Cure if we may give Credit to Hippocrates Si talia purgantur qualia purgari oportet confert leviter ferant sin minus contra But this Errour proceeds rather from Avarice than Want of Skill Nevertheless in all my Practice I never observ'd any Horses to recover that were seiz'd with a continual Fever without any Intermission for Eight and forty Hours even tho' they were committed to the Care of the most Skilful Farriers For to speak plainly Physicians themselves as well as others are strangely puzzl'd about the Cure of these Fevers Nature is neither able alone to overcome 'em nor we to assist her upon occasion I will not pretend to prescribe a Method for the Cure of continual Fevers since they are not to be conquer'd by the best Medicines yet the sick Horse may recover if the Disease be nipp'd in the Bud by a Remedy timely administred and the Heart be preserv'd sound without inflaming it by such Cordials as are usually given For Farriers are wont to compose their Cordials of the most common and cheapest Drugs Propose the Cordial Powder to 'em which you will find describ'd in this Book 't is too dear they 'll tell ye and in the mean time they suffer the Horses to perish For a Cordial Remedy should strengthen by a Specific Virtue and not by a fiery Heat and all Cordials for Horses ought to be compos'd of Simples that strengthen without Inflammation The Cordial Waters of Scorzonera Carduus Benedictus Scabious Roses and other Plants are admirable for they both moisten and corroborate but one Horse must have three Pints of 'em with some good Confection such as that of Hyacinth or Alkermes without either Musk or Amber which then are not so dear as 't is commonly believ'd or with half a Dram of the Grain that is us'd in dying Scarlet with the Roots of Zedoary Contra-yerva Elecampane Cubebs c. The Essence of Vipers is the Basis of true Cordials able to preserve the Heart from the Venom and extraneous Heat of a continual Fever and to relieve the sick Horse if it be given assoon as the Fever appears These Cordials and Bleeding are the proper Remedies of Fevers as we shall afterwards declare when we come to treat of these Diseases I have often observ'd that the Feverish Heat has been extinguish'd by another greater which being agreeable to Nature is assisted by her to destroy that strange Fire which consumes her But this is not applicable to Men who have a very different Constitution from that of these Animals The Theriacal Salt of Vipers is also an Excellent Cordial and all the Parts of the Viper are endu'd with an admirable Vertue to preserve the Heart of a Horse from the Malignity caus'd by a Fever But since these Remedies ought to act quickly the most excellent Cordials are such as are liquid or compos'd of Volatil Salts for they penetrate immediately and exert their Force assoon as they are put into the Mouth I have preserv'd an infinite Number of Horses from Head-Achs by the Help of a Mineral or Powder describ'd in this Book but there is no certain Remedy for the Cure For after the Disease has taken Root the Cure sometimes succeeds and sometimes fails and never any hitherto cou'd boast of an Infallible Remedy in this Case tho' these that I have propos'd are very good But since these Diseases change and do not still continue the same we must also invent new Remedies CHAP. II. Observations concerning the Signs of Sickness in a Horse TO proceed with Success in the Cure of the Distempers of Horses we must not only have a general Idea of their Diseases but also consider them attentively to discover their particular Ails The first Sign that a Horse gives of his Indisposition is his Loathing his Food then you must observe whether he has a wild and hagard Look for the Eye of a Horse is as it were a Glass thro' which you may discern the inward Disposition of his Body whether his Ears be cold his Mouth hot and foamy or clammy the Hair on his Flanks rough and staring and paler than usually about the Ends his Dung hard and black or greenish and his Urine clear and undigested like Water There are also other Signs which denote Sickness his Eyes weep his Head is heavy and hangs down he is apt to stumble as he walks he is slow and dull tho' he was vigorous before he never troubles other Horses contrary to his former Custom he rises often and lies down in the Stable looking towards his Flanks which are doubl'd or folded in his Heart beats which may be felt by laying your open Hand between the Shoulder and Sengle on the left Side he takes no notice of what is done to him besides several other Signs which shall be particularly describ'd in their proper places When a Horse that has been long sick pisses without striding and even without thrusting forth his Yard letting his Water drop into the Skin or Sheath it is almost always a Sign of Death unless in such Horses as have the same Custom when they are in Health in which Case you must draw no Conjectures from this Sign
Nature has already taken that course and we only assist her to shake off the load that overwhelms her Immediately after the taking of the Remedy the Horse seems just ready to expire by reason of the violent Beating which it causes in his Flank but that Storm is quickly appeas'd 'T is by no means convenient to administer this Remedy to Horses that have lost their Appetite for they are not able to bear the violence of its Operation Nor can it be given in very cold Weather without hazarding the Horse's Life for all extraordinary Evacuations are equally dangerous in extreamly Cold and Hot Seasons When any of the noble or principal Parts are vitiated you may save the Charge and Trouble of a tedious Sickness by giving this Medicine which will hasten the Horse's Death For t is impossible that he should subsist long when one of the noble Parts is corrupted and since you must lose him the sooner you are rid of him 't is the better This Remedy should be given rather in the Wane than in the Encrease of the Moon For when 't is administer'd during the Encrease it makes such havock and so disorders the Oeconomy of Nature that it cannot be restor'd to its wonted course in a long time after but in the declination or Wane it does not produce such violent Disturbances It ought not to be given on the day of the Full-Moon but it may be administer'd with very good Success the next day after These Observations are very useful and may be cautiously observ'd when the disposal of the Time is in our Power There is a certain Salt in the Matter that is evacuated which is grateful to the Horse's Taste and makes him lick and swallow it But since 't is sharp and biting it may ulcerate his inward Parts and therefore you ought to wipe his Nose with Hay as oft as you can Besides you must never suffer him to drink raw Water but instead of that give him Water that has been boil'd mixt with a little Bran or rather Flower If you could make him drink it hot it would be so much the better but few Horses will drink any Liquor that is not either cold or at least only luke-warm You must never forget to separate the Horse during the time of his Evacuation from all other Horses For not only this is a contagious Distemper but a sound Horse may catch the Glanders from one that is troubl'd only with the Strangles and even tho' he should not lick the Matter that flows out of his Companion 's Nose which he will certainly do if he can because the very Smell is sufficient to communicate the Disease which may be also propagated by drinking out of the same Pail I shall propose other Remedies to promote Evacuation by the Nose in my Discourse of the Glanders which may be us'd upon occasion tho' that which I have already describ'd is of excellent use when there is not an Ulcer in the Bowels If the violence of the Evacuation caus'd by this Medicine make the Horse abstain from Eating which happens very rarely give him the Electuary describ'd in the preceding Chapter or some Cordial Powders and if after all his aversion to his Food continue make him chew the Balls propos'd in the Eighth Chapter CHAP. XIII Of the False or Bastard Strangles SOmetimes the Humours are not dispos'd to produce the Fermentation that causes the Strangles at the usual time which defect of Fermentation may proceed either from the strength or weakness of Nature so that in such cases the agitation of the Humors is imperfectly and weakly perform'd for want of proper Remedies from whence 't is plain that the noxious Matter cannot be fully expell'd but a Ferment remains in the Body which in its proper time will agitate the Humours that are dispos'd to follow its Motions and cause a sort of Fermentation which will oblige oppress'd Nature to renew her Endeavours to cast forth the Remainders of those Impurities which she could not fully evacuate before Sometimes in this kind of Strangles she expels 'em by the Nose and sometimes also by Swellings under the Throat as in the true Strangles When the Horse is old the Humour is usually discharg'd by a large Swelling at the side of the Jaw-bone in the same part out of which the Vives are drawn which suppurates and breaks at the age of Ten Twelve or Fifteen Years These Horses must be very diligently assisted for they are hardly able to expel the venomous Matter for which purpose I make use of the Treacle-Balls which I have frequently repeated six or ten times and some softening Clysters when the Disease was accompany'd with Loss of Appetite for Clysters are never hurtful in any Case whatsoever Usually these Horses void no Matter by the Nostrils but the whole Malignity is evacuated by the Humour that is drawn out of the Swelling and after 't is wholly expell'd I make 'em eat two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in Powder mix'd with Bran till they have consum'd two Pounds to compleat their Recovery for they are commonly very much worn and extenuated by their Disease Sometimes the False Strangles are known by the same Signs that denote the Disease properly so call'd which are much different from the Glanders only the last mention'd Distemper begins not with a great Beating in the Flank and difficulty of Breathing as the False-Strangles do And when after the use of Remedies a Swelling appears at the side of the Jaw-bone in the part from whence the Vives are drawn you may certainly conclude that the Horse is troubl'd with the False-Strangles which are rarely evacuated by the Nostrils in old Horses but almost always by a Tumor at the side of the Jaw-bone tho' sometimes when they are not above six or seven Years old the Swelling breaks forth between the two Jaw-bones in which case they also void Matter by the Nose and 't is plain by their Age that their Distemper is not the Glanders This Distemper makes the Horses a great deal more sick than the true Strangles and sometimes they die for want of due Assistance or the Disease generates to the Glanders And therefore great care must be taken to keep 'em warm and to administer effectual Remedies You may give the sick Horse once in two days a Dose of the Electuary of Kermes or of the Lieutenant's-Powder Cordial-Powder Cordial-Balls or Pills and some Clysters then Syringe him and put Feathers into his Nose and Bags into his Mouth as in the cure of Strangles When he slights his Food and eats little you must not give him any Powders but good softning Clysters after which give him the cordial-Cordial-Waters of Scorzonera Bugloss Carduus Benediclus and Roses of each half a Pint with an Ounce of the Confection of Al-Kermes without Musk or Amber-grise or of the Electuary of Kermes and the same Evening a good Clyster with Sal Polycrest repeating the same every two days But if he is only troubl'd with a
luke-warm Water to drink and in the Evening the following Clyster A Clyster for Diseases of the Head or the Fiery-Evil Make a good Decoction according to the usual manner with Polycrest or mix an Ounce of Polycrest in Powder with five Pints of Beer put 'em into a brazen Pot with a cover and boil 'em half a quarter of an Hour with an Ounce of Coloquintida slic'd small Add to the strain'd Liquor half a Pound of Honey of Violets and give the whole Blood-warm by way of Clyster to the Horse in the Evening for two days together A Bag to give the Horse an Appetite If your Horse refuse to eat take Angelica and Assa-foetida both in Powder of each half an Ounce tye 'em to the Bit in a Linnen-Bag and let the Horse champ on it two hours after which let him Eat two Hours then put in the Bit again and continue after the same manner This will purge the Horse's Head and make him cast forth a great deal of slimy Matter after which he will feed more heartily The same Bag is very useful for all sick Horses or such as have lost their Appetite A Remedy to prevent Diseases of the Head I propose this Remedy for those Diseases of the Head which continu'd to infest some Horses in the Year 1672. and it will certainly succeed if you resist the Disease in the beginning but if the Distemper has made any progress it will not yield to this Remedy And therefore you must prepare the Medicine as soon as you have the least suspicion that your Horse is seiz'd with this Distemper for 't is better to make it in vain four times than once to neglect the opportunity of making it since it always produces some good effects As soon then as you perceive the least sign of this Disease For example if the Horse be dull heavy and refuse his Oats give him an Ounce of burnt Allom in Powder with an Ounce of Salt of Glass or Axungia vitri and two Ounces of Sugar-Candy in a Quart of White or which is better Spanish-Wine Then keep him Bridl'd two Hours after which unbridle him and you will certainly find him free of the Distemper And even tho' he be not troubl'd with that Disease this Remedy will do him good by consuming the Phlegm in his Stomach and giving him a good Appetite A Charge for Diseases of the Head Take about two Pounds of Blood out of the sick Horse's Neck-Vein receive the Blood into a convenient Vessel stirring it with your hand to hinder it from coagulating then set it on the Fire stirring it continually with a Wooden Slice and add to it three quarters of a Pound of Oil-Olive and two Glasses of Vinegar Boil 'em to the consistence of an Ointment with which luke-warm Charge his whole Head leaving only his Eyes open This Charge will dissolve the Matter that is gathered in the Passages and make it run besides it will strengthen and bind the Parts and hinder the Defluxion from falling upon ' em The frequent use of Clysters will also divert the Humours and make a Revulsion and you must give one at least every day Besides you must apply black Hellebore as you were taught before and make a second application two days after if the first do not cause a swelling CHAP. XXVI An excellent Remedy for the Disease in the Head call'd The Spanish-Evil HItherto there have been but few good Remedies prescrib'd for the Disease of the Head callâ—d I know not why the Spanish-Evil You may know it by the Horse's staggering or reeling as he goes which is caus'd by the motion of the Vapours in their ascent to the Brain which make him so giddy that he cannot walk straight forward Besides he has a strong aversion to his Meat his Mouth burns his Heart and Flanks beat violently and by viewing him attentively you may easily perceive that he suffers extreamly and can hardly escape without timely assistance Take one of those Beer-Glasses which are very large and yellow reduce it to Powder and strain it thro' a fine searce Or rather which is far more effectual take four Ounces of Salt of Glass which is white and may be found in Druggists-Shops beat it very small and afterwards beat a handful of Salt mix 'em with three Pints of cordial-Cordial-Water in a Pot and heat 'em till the Salt be dissolv'd that is as much of it as can be dissolv'd The common Salt will open the Body of the Salt of Glass and make the Cordial-Water penetrate it for Salts do not act unless they be dissolv'd Then strain out the Liquor and while it boils infuse in it two Ounces of good and fresh Thea for six or eight Hours during which time you must keep the Water luke-warm Strain again and throwing away the Thea as useless keep the Water that is impregnated with the Salt and with the Tincture of the Thea. Afterwards give the whole quantity of the Liquor to the Horse pouring it into his Throat with a Horn then cover him and keep him three Hours Bridl'd in the Stable If the first Dose do not cure him give him another four and twenty Hours after and every day inject a Clyster of two Quarts of Emetic Beer or instead of that take an Ounce of Sal Polycrest as much Coloquintida slic'd small two Drams of Anni-seeds beaten and two Quarts of Beer mix 'em and let 'em stand in Infusion six hours on hot Ashes then boil 'em a little strain and adding a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter inject it luke-warm There is a great deal of Malignity in this Distemper for 't is accompani'd with a preternatural Heat which destroys that which is natural and oftentimes before a Man thinks of giving this Remedy some noble Part is seiz'd with so violent an Inflammation that the Fire cannot afterwards be extinguish'd till the whole part is consum'd which fatal event may be occasion'd by the neglect of one day Thus the Horse's Death must not be imputed to the insufficiency of the Remedy which is certainly very effectual but to the untimely application of it By virtue of the Fix'd Salts of which it is compos'd it puts a stop to the subtilty or if I may use that expression the great Volatility of the sharp and subtle Spirits which by reason of their lightness are carri'd to the Brain and by their malignant and poysonous sharpness change and vitiate its Substance And since a Fix'd Salt when 't is stronger and in greater quantity is able to fix a volatil Salt and unite the same to its own Substance the two Salts that compose this Remedy will fix those Saline Spirits that rise with the Vapours and occasion all the Disorders that are observ'd in Horses when they are seiz'd with this Distemper This is a very probable Hypothesis and I wou'd insist longer upon it if it cou'd be understood without some Knowledge in Chymistry Besides what I have said concerning the Effect of those
continuance of those Diseases for tho' the Cure is oftentimes very tedious it will be perfected at last if you persevere in the application of convenient Remedies If you cannot procure Lapis Mirabilis take half a Pint of Plantane Fennel or Rose-Water or a third part of each or if none of these can be had the same quantity of Common Water White Copperas an Ounce and a half Powder of the Roots of Flower-de-Luce of Florence two Drams suffer 'em to stand about an hour in a Glass Bottle in a cold Infusion then wash your Horse's Eye with it two or three times a day This is a very good Remedy If after one or two Applications you perceive that it makes the Eye smart too much 't is a sign that the Infusion is too strong and therefore you may temper it with half a Glass of Water This is a very excellent and cheap Remedy and good both for Rheums and Blows I have often us'd it with Success when Lapis Mirabilis cou'd not be had All the Remedies prescrib'd for Rheums are also good for Blows the only difference is in Bleeding which is proper in the latter but hurtful in the former Cases After you have us'd Restringent Applications or Charges for some days the Disease being now at its greatest heighth take Ground-Ivy and Leaves of Celandine beat 'em and press out the Juice which being settl'd and strain'd thro' brown Paper you may put into the Horse's Eye Morning and Evening This Remedy cleanses drys and clears the Eye which otherwise might remain charg'd with a Webb or Film CHAP. XXX Of Lapis Mirabilis or the Wonderful Stone THE Effects of this Stone are exactly suitable to its Name 't is compos'd thus Take White Vitriol two Pounds Roch Allum three Pounds fine Bole-Armenic half a Pound Litharge of Gold or Silver two Ounces Reduce all the Ingredients to Powder and put 'em into a new glaz'd Earthen Pot with three Quarts of Water Boil 'em very gently over a small Fire without Smoke set equally round the Pot till the Water be wholly evaporated and the Matter at the bottom perfectly dry then remove the Pot from the Fire and suffer the Matter to cool which ought to be hard and will still grow harder the longer 't is kept Put half an Ounce of this Stone in a Glass-Bottle with four Ounces of Water it will be dissolv'd in a quarter of an hour and make the Water white as Milk when you shake the Bottle You must wash the sore Eye Morning and Evening with the Water or Solution This Liquor thus prepar'd may be kept twenty days Some Apothecaries keep this Stone in their Shops and make use of it for Men And as for me I use it for Horses nor ever seek any other Remedy for Rheums Blows or Moon-Eyes Every Man that is Master of a Horse ought to keep some of it by him for it will keep good very long and there are few Remedies for the Eyes that are not inferiour to it When this Stone is reduc'd to Powder and blown into the Eye it causes too much Pain tho' afterwards it produces good Effects and therefore I dare not advise you to make use of it till it be dissolv'd in Water lest otherwise it should occasion some considerable Disorder If you dissolve two Drams of it in three Ounces of Water it will dry a Wound or Sore and allay the Heat if you wash 'em twice a day with the Solution and apply a Linnen Clout dipt in the same to the griev'd part Take the quantity of a Walnut of this Stone and infuse it in a Bottle capable of containing an ordinary Glass or half a Pint of Water This Solution apply'd as before is excellent for Rheums and Moon-Eyes and you may fill up the Bottle with fresh Water according as you have occasion to empty it that it may be still kept full till the end of the Cure for 't is not necessary that it should be so strong at last as it was at first You must always remember to shake the Bottle before you pour any Water into the Eye If by reason of the violence of the Blow the Eye remain cover'd with a white Film after you have taken away the Heat and stopt the flowing of the Humour with proper Remedies you must in the next place endeavour to remove the white Film by the following Method After you have wash'd the Eye with Wine make one of the Assistants immediately open the Eye-lids and taking up some Wheat-Flower with your Thumb stroke the Eye gently with it This way of putting Powders into the Eye with your Thumb is a great deal better than the usual Method of Farriers who blow Powders into the Eye with a Leaden-Pipe for after you have blown 'em in two or three times the Horse is so afraid that he will do any thing rather than suffer you to serve him so again whereas if you put 'em in with your Thumb tho' they make his Eye smart extreamly he cannot so soon perceive whence the Pain comes The Wheat-Flower frequently apply'd will consume the Film But if you perceive that it has not the desir'd effect you must use White Vitriol or Sal Prunellae in fine Powder which is an excellent Remedy and consumes the Film and even a Webb without heating the Eye which is the common inconveniency of other Powders To consume a White Film on the Eye Besides the Remedies already propos'd there is nothing so effectual as Sal-Armoniac beaten and put into the Eye and constantly repeated till the Cure be compleated You must not be surpriz'd tho' the Film continue twelve or fifteen days but persist in the use of the Remedy Or Put a little Salt into your Mouth in the Morning fasting and after 't is dissolv'd wash the Horse's Eye with your Spittle This is an easie Remedy and perhaps will prove effectual Or Beat common Salt which is always at hand very fine and put it into the Eye This exceeds all other Remedies save only Sal-Armoniac Salt of Lead commonly call'd the Salt or Magistery of Saturn is an excellent Remedy to consume a white Film that is caus'd by a Rheum 'T is easily made and not very sharp and by its coldness it repels the Heat occasion'd by the Defluxion If you are desirous to know its Composition See Beguin's Elements of Chymistry Book II. Pag. 344. where you will find it describ'd And Glazer in his Treatise of Chymistry has very distinctly explain'd the way of making the Chrystallin Salt and other Preparations of Lead which are very good for the Eyes of Horses CHAP. XXXI Of Lunatic or Moon Eyes THE Eyes of those Horses that are troubl'd with this Distemper are darken'd by a Rheum at certain times of the Moon whereas at other times they appear so bright that you would conclude they were perfectly sound The Defluxion is usually most violent in the Wane of the Moon sometimes about the Full-Moon and it oftentimes ends in
Fellow may hurt the great Gut with his Nails the safest way is to thrust a large Tallow Candle or rather a Piece of Soap into his Fundament which will be quickly dissolv'd and bring out with it the Excrements contain'd in the great Gut When you have either taken out or rotted the Vives an hour after you have given the above-mention'd Draught it will be convenient to administer the following Clyster to divert the Defluxion and make an entire Revulsion A Clyster for the Vives Boil five Pints of Beer with an Ounce and a half of Sal Polychrest in fine Powder remove it from the fire add two Ounces of Oil of Bay and inject it blood-warm If Beer cannot be had take equal Quantities of Wine and Water Another Take the five opening Roots of each one handful beat 'em grosly and boil 'em in three Quarts of Water for a quarter of an hour add the softening Herbs Mallows Violets herb-Mercury and Pellitory of the Wall of each one handful boil 'em again as before then strain out the Liquor and add a Pint of Emetic Wine or the same quantity of the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum Honey of the Herb-Mercury half a Pound fresh Butter four Ounces Oil of Rue describâ—d in the CXXXIId Chapter two Ounces Make a Clyster to be injected after you have rak'd your Horse Or you may make a very good Clyster by boiling two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in fine Powder over a strong fire for half a quarter of an hour in a common Decoction then strain out the Liquor and add half a Pound of Honey and a quarter of a Pound of Oil. Another Remedy for the Vives Give your Horse an Ounce of Orvietan or rather of Treacle in a Quart of Red-Wine or in a Pint of Aqua-Vitae if the Disease be violent and at the same time prepare a Clyster of the softening Herbs with an Ounce and a half of Liver of Antimony in Powder adding to the strainâ—d Liquor two Ounces of Orvietan or the same quantity of Treacle with a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter Thus you must give Treacle both above and below and you will â—arely meet with any Instance of this Distemper that will not yield to this Remedy You will find in the XLVIIIth Chapter the Description of a Remedy compos'd of the Spirits of Nitre and Wine distill'd together till they be thorowly united which is very useful in this Case if it be administer'd according to the Directions prescrib'd in that Chapter All Horses have a sort of Knob like a Chesnut hard as Horn above the Knees and under the Hams cut off a little of this and casting it into a Chafing-Dish make a Horse receive the Fume of it at his Nose covering his Head with a Bag. CHAP. XXXIX Of the Colic Fret or Gripes THis Disease is occasion'd by the Sharpness of the Humours which boil and ferment in the Entrails by reason of some Salt and Spirituous Liquor that falls into those Parts and sometimes it proceeds from Wind or Crudities which Nature is not able to digest You may conclude that a Horse is troubl'd with this Distemper when he tumbles tosses lies down and starts up again suddenly for tho' it may attack a Horse that is not troubl'd with the Vives yet the Vives never appear without the Colic It will not be improper to give a large Account of this Distemper since 't is not only dangerous but sometimes fatal to Horses Clysters are very effectual in this Case especially one sort of 'em which shall be particularly describ'd To accommodate my Discourse to the Capacity of the Reader I shall divide the Colic into several Kinds according to the various Causes from which it may proceed and after the Description of every kind subjoin its proper Remedies Qui bene distinguit bene docet CHAP. XL. Of the First Kind of Colic I Shall first consider that sort of Colic which is occasion'd by eating too much Provender for the Stomach being unable to digest so large a quantity of Food is fill'd with Crudities which in a manner stifle the natural Heat tho' not without a considerable Struggle which raises windy Vapours that either fall upon the Guts or remain in the Stomach causing violent Pains in whatever part they attack This defect of Digestion rarely proves Mortal unless as it has been sometimes observ'd the Horse be so gluttonous as to eat till he burst when he meets with a convenient Opportunity A great quantity of Rye eaten unboil'd is apt to occasion these Pains by reason of its Windiness Wheat is not so dangerous because more easily digested Beans that are usually given to Horses to fatten 'em breed this Distemper if they be eaten in too great abundance and the same effect is produc'd by too large a quantity of Oats eaten at one time The Cure of this sort of Colic is perform'd by assisting Nature to digest the Aliments after you have empty'd the Guts with a convenient Clyster for you must never give Vomits to Horses because instead of easing them they overturn the whole Oeconomy of Nature and never procure Vomiting The Clyster must be compos'd of a Decoction that is endu'd with a vertue to discuss Wind to which you must add a Quart of Emetic Wine or a convenient quantity of the Infusion of Crocus Metallorum Assoon as the Clyster is rejected make the Horse drink a Pint of Aqua-Vitae with an Ounce of Treacle and as much Saffron as you can lift with the ends of your Fingers If the Distemper continue after the use of these Remedies walk him abroad in his Cloaths without suffering him to lie down and after you have put him up in the Stable hold a Warming-Pan full of live Coals under his Belly for a quarter of an hour or half an hour keeping him well cover'd Since Orvietan is not always to be had it will not be improper to give a faithful description of it for it may be profitably given to Men to Horn'd Cattle and especially to Horses It must be prepar'd by a skilful Apothecary CHAP. XLI Of Orvietan TAke of Sage Rue Rosemary and Goat's-Rue of each one handful Carduus Benedictus Dittany of Crete Roots of Masterwort Bohemian Angelica Bistort Birthwort round and long white or bastard Dittany Galingal Gentian Costmary Aromatic-reed and Parsley-seed of each one Ounce Bay-berries and Juniper-berries of each half an Ounce Cinnamon Cloves and Nutmeg of each three Drams Seal'd Earth prepar'd with Vinegar and old Treacle of each one Ounce Powder of Vipers four Ounces Walnuts cleans'd and dry'd Crum of Wheat-Bread dry'd of each eight Ounces clarifi'd Honey seven Pounds Make an Electuary according to Art Chop the Walnuts and beat 'em with the Bread then strain 'em thro' a Searce turn'd upside down adding the Powders and other Ingredients and at last the Treacle and Honey which serve instead of Leven to ferment the rest This is the exact description of Orvietan which I dare warrant
Strugglings which produce those cruel and intolerable Pains that accompany this Disease The Horse endeavours in vain to dung he sweats in the Flank and Ears and when he voids any Excrements they are in little quantity and for the most part only Phlegm that cannot be separated from the Guts without Pain after which he has a moment of Ease and seems to be perfectly cur'd but his Torments return in an instant During the raging Violence of the Pain the Horse frequently lies down and suddenly starts up again he looks upon his Flanks and refuses to eat If he be also assaulted by a Fever he is in great danger of being over-power'd by so unequal a Force unless by the Application of timely Remedies the Beating or Heaving of his Flank be asswag'd This Distemper is often preceded by a Looseness which lasts a whole day and carries off all the gross Excrements in the Horse's Body but the tough and glewy Humours stick to the Guts and do not quit their hold so soon nor at last without a great deal of Pain REMEDIES Take two Quarts of Milk or of Tripe-Broth Oil-Olive and fresh Butter of each four or five Ounces the Yolks of six Eggs and two or three Ounces of Sugar Mix 'em for a Clyster which allays the Sharpness of the Humours but removes not the Cause and therefore must be repeated every three hours adding two Ounces of good Diaphoretic Antimony to dissolve the rebellious and stubborn Humours All Purgatives given at the Mouth are hurtful for they encrease the Agitation of the Humours redouble the Pain by violently plucking away the tough Slime flay the Guts add new Torments to a Part that was hardly able to support those it suffer'd before and cannot be administer'd without endangering the Horse's Life and besides they do not begin to operate till four and twenty hours after they are taken during which time the Horse either dies or recovers And therefore instead of purging Medicines that are usually prescrib'd in this Case I advise you to have recourse to Clysters which must be often repeated and chang'd according to the various Circumstances of the Disease for sometimes you must give a softening Clyster to asswage the Pain sometimes add Antimonium diaphoreticum to melt the Humours and if the Distemper be of long continuance inject one of Milk or Tripe-Broth It will also be convenient to give the following Mixture at several times take Oil of Roses and common Oil of each one Pound fine Sugar eight Ounces rose-Rose-water a Pint Mix 'em and pour a Glass-full down his Throat with a Horn every three hours This easie and familiar Remedy will open and scour the Guts cut the thick Humours allay the Pain and by its Slipperiness gliding thro' the Intestines qualifie the Sharpness and Heat of the Humours After every Dose walk the Horse gently a quarter of an hour without heating him lest the Humours be further enrag'd When you perceive that the Horse is freed of his Pain feed him with Bran seven or eight days after which since this Distemper is only appeas'd but not perfectly cur'd you must endeavour to remove the Cause and expel those Impurities from whence the Colic proceeds by a convenient Purgation The following Oil is endu'd with a peculiar Virtue to drive out the tough and glassy Phlegm that occasion'd all the above-mention'd Disorders in the Intestines CHAP. XLVI An excellent Purging Oil. THE administring of purging Medicines to a Horse is one of the hardest parts of a Farrier's Task and therefore I thought my self oblig'd to use the utmost Diligence and Application to find out a safe and successful Method of Purgation but notwithstanding all my Endeavours to prevent the Inconveniencies that attend the Use of those Medicines I observ'd an extreme Repugnancy in the Nature of Horses to yield to their Operation and I found by Experience that purgative Remedies are succeeded by such an universal Disorder in the Oeconomy of Nature that the Horse cannot be restor'd to his wonted Temper for a considerable time afterwards I will not trouble my Reader witha particular Account of those Inconveniencies but content my self with assuring him that I have seen more Horses than one kill'd by purging Remedies that had been successfully administer'd to others for want of a due Preparation of their Bodies according to that Maxim of Hippocrates Concocta medicamentis aggredi oportet movere non cruda I shall treat of this Preparation in a more convenient place and now proceed to acquaint you that I have seen some Horses founder'd by the Use of Purgatives and others continue to purge ten Days and as many Nights during which time they were in perpetual danger and those who tended 'em and I my self sometimes were forc'd to pour down their Nourishment with a Horn. So many unsuccesful Trials have taught me Circumspection and I never purge a Horse without fear tho' Necessity often obliges us to make use of those Remedies and a due observance of the true Method of administring 'em may prevent their fatal Consequences I have consider'd these things with the utmost Attention and after a careful Examination of all Circumstances I find Van Helmont's Opinion to be very reasonable and I 'm persuaded that his Arguments are infinitely more convincing than all that had been urg'd by others before him But since I am not Master of a sufficient Stock of Learning to explain his Maxims and reduce 'em to Practice and cannot attempt to overturn the receiv'd Method of Practising Physic without invading a Province that does not belong to me I must even content my self with following the Multitude till some Person of greater Judgment and Authority shall undertake the Reformation of Medicine by extirpating all Purgatives and substituting some powerful Diaphoretic in their stead which may produce the same Effects we expect from the others and destroy that preternatural Heat which is the Root of all these Disorders However I thought my self indispensably oblig'd to enquire into the safest Methods of Purging Horses and I 'm convinc'd that the following Oil is one of the most proper Remedies hitherto known to move a Horse's Belly without Disturbance Take Oil-Olive three Pounds Claret-Wine a Pint Pulp of Coloquintida five Ounces Flower of Lin-seed an Ounce and a half three Lilly-Roots cut into round slices Missleto of the Apple-Tree beaten an Ounce Cammomil-flowers a handful Put all the Ingredients into a Pot cover'd exactly with another somewhat less and lute the Junctures of the Vessels with Clay temper'd with a little Hair or Wool after the Clay is dry'd boil the whole Composition gently till the Wine be consum'd that is eight or ten hours then remove it from the Fire and when 't is half cold strain it thro' a Linnen Cloth and give one half luke-warm to the Horse for the whole quantity is sufficient to purge two Horses but if he be naturally hard to be wrought upon by purging Medicines give him more of it afterwards
by reason of its excellent Virtues but because Horses are frequently seiz'd with the Colic at a distance from any place where they may have Assistance and at unseasonable Hours If you suspect that the Disease is occasion'd by Worms since many are possess'd with groundless Prejudices against Mercurius dulcis I shall propose another Remedy which will produce the same Effect but I must first acquainnt you that you may infallibly kill all the Worms in a Horse's Body by giving him an Ounce and a half of the above-mention'd Powder mix'd with half an Ounce of Mercurius dulcis If this Preparation of Mercury cannot be had or if you be afraid to use it you may give the following Purgative above two days at least after the Fit is over A Purging Medicine to destroy Worms Take of fine Aloes an Ounce Coloquintida and Agaric of each three Drams Turbith half an Ounce Mix 'em all in a gross Powder with an Ounce of the Powder describ'd in the beginning of this Chapter and give the whole to your Horse with a quarter of a Pint of the Gail of an Oxe and a Quart of White-Wine then cover him well and walk him for a quarter of an hour This Medicine will both purge the Horse and kill the Worms that are in his Body Eight Hours after the taking of this Remedy give him a Clyster of Cow's-Milk Whey or Tripe-Broth adding half a Pound of clarifi'd Honey with the Yolks of six Eggs to allure the Worms to the straight Gut You must not give this Medicine to a Horse that is naturally squeamish and apt to forsake his Meat for 't is only proper for great Eaters Neither must you give it to those that are troubl'd with Worms during the Fit of the Colic but two or three days afterwards as I intimated before A Powder for the Colic If you have not the above-mention'd Powder ready made you may prepare another of common Parsley-Roots dry'd in the Shade two Pounds Grains of Paradise and Barks of Oranges dry'd and reduc'd to Powder of each one Pound Pigeon's Dung half a Pound Beat all the Ingredients to a gross Powder mix and keep it in a Leathern Bag well tied The Dose is an Ounce or two Ounces for a large Horse in a Quart of Wine then cover him well and walk him gently This is a good and cheap Remedy and more easily prepar'd than the first Another Remedy for the Colic This is an excellent Remedy but 't is only fit to be propos'd to those who are willing to spare no Pains for the preservation of their Horses And besides it must be prepar'd by one that is curious and is not altogether unlearned Take of Spirit of Nitre about half a Pound pour it drop by drop upon a like quantity of the best Spirit of Wine to prevent too violent an Ebullition after the agitation ceases put the whole Liquor in a Cucurbit with its Head and Receiver and distil with a gentle Sand-heat cohobating four times that is repeating the distillation of that which comes over into the Recipient four several times after which the Spirits will be united and if you taste 'em you will perceive that they have lost their Acidity and become Sweet Give your Horse a Dram and a half or two Drams of this Spirit of Nitre dulcifi'd in White-Wine and an Ounce and a half or two Ounces of it in an ordinary Clyster This is a cheap sure and durable Remedy and any Apothecary that has the least Tincture of Chymistry may prepare it Another If you have try'd several Remedies in vain as Bleeding Clysters Treacle Orvietan and others give your Horse two stinking Pills in a Pint of Wine and an Hour after a Clyster If the Pain still continue give him two Pills more in another Pint of Wine and if need require repeat the Dose a third time interposing the same space of time as between the first and second But you must not begin with this Remedy as I have seen some do with ill success Only you may give it after some of those Medicines I have prescrib'd have been unsuccessfully us'd CHAP. XLIX Of the Fifth Kind of Colic HOrses are very frequently troubl'd with this kind of Colic in which they cannot Stale or Piss 't is occasion'd either by Obstructions in the neck of the Bladder and Urinary Passage or by an Inflammation of the Bladder or tho' very rarely by Sand or Gravel This is a very dangerous Distemper and without timely assistance Mortal by reason of the violent Pains caus'd by the stoppage of Urine You may know it by these Signs the Horse lies down and rises tumbles and offers to Stale but cannot oftentimes his Body swells and sometimes he Sweats about the Flanks You must begin the Cure with a Clyster prepar'd with the five opening Roots and Sal Polycrest proceeding as you were directed in the Forty third Chapter Or thus A Clyster to provoke Urine Take the Decoction of the five softening Herbs viz. Mallows Marsh-Mallows Mercury Violet-Leaves and Pellitory of the Wall with an Ounce of Grommel-Seed in Powder Strain and add half a Pound of common Turpentine dissolv'd in the Yolks of six Eggs three Ounces of the Oil for Clysters describ'd in the Forty fourth Chapter or for want of that of common Catholicum Inject the whole by way of Clyster after you have walk'd your Horse half an hour If you put the Turpentine into the Water before you beat it with Yolks of Eggs it will grow hard as a Stone and communicate no Virtue to the Clyster But to avoid the trouble of dissolving it you may mix two Ounces of Spirit of Turpentine with the Clysters which provokes Urine more effectually Assoon as the Clyster is rejected give your Horse two Ounces of Powder of Colâ—phony in a Pint of White-Wine then walk him and he will certainly Stale Or Boil two Ounces of Anni-seed in a Quart of Water add the weight of a Crown of Wood-Lice in Powder and give it luke-warm This is an easie Remedy and does not heat the Horse If all these Remedies prove in effectual anoint his Sheath and Stones with Garlick beaten and mixt with Oil-Olive that is take five or six Heads of Garlick beat 'em and make an Ointment with a sufficient quantity of Oil with which rub his Sheath and Stones If he be a Gelding let his Yard be drawn gently out of the Sheath and after all the Filth is wash'd off with luke-warm Water rub the whole outside of the Sheath with the Mixture of Garlic and Oil which will give him a desire to Stale if he can for some Horses have an Inclination to Piss but cannot If this Application do not provoke Urine mix Powder of Wood-Lice dry'd without burning and reduc'd to the form of an Ointment with Oil and anoint as before after which the Horse will Stale A Quart of Emetic White-Wine given with a Horn will certainly make the Horse Piss if he be walk'd after it both
Success that are to be found in many Physical Books It must indeed be acknowledg'd that there are some Authors who only write their own Experience but their Number is inconsiderable and 't is a hard task for an ordinary Reader to distinguish 'em from the Multitude CHAP. LII Of the Sixth Kind of Colic call'd by some the Red Gripes FEW Horses are attack'd by this Distemper and few that are attack'd escape If you be not acquainted with the Constitution of your Horse you will hardly be able to distinguish this from the other Kinds of the Colic And a Mistake in this case is very dangerous for all the Remedies already prescrib'd for the Colic are hot and therefore no more fit to cure this Distemper which proceeds from a Heat caus'd by the Fermentation of the Bile than Oil is to quench fire since the Natural Heat would soon be overcome and stifl'd by that of those Remedies But the Cure is still more difficult than the Knowledge of this Disease because it consists in a Fermentation of the Bile which seldom or never yields to Medicines Nevertheless to proceed methodically in the first place bleed your Horse in the Neck and an hour after in the Flanks after which give him a Clyster of the warm Blood of a Lamb or at least of a young Sheep in order to which bring a Lamb young Sheep or Calf into the Stable by the sick Horse and having cut its Throat receive its Blood into the Clyster-Bag which must be warm'd at the Fire that the Blood may not be coll'd and so lose its Spirits Assoon as all the Blood of the Animal is extracted it must be immediately injected after you have rak'd the Horse without the least Mixture and hot as it comes out of the Vessels This Clyster tempers the Sharpness of the Humour contain'd in the streight Gut and eases the Horse wonderfully who will not void it till the first time he dungs in case he recover for Nature makes use of it and at last discharges it with the Excrements in form of great Clots like Balls Instead of this Clyster which ought never to be omitted when it can be procur'd you may use the Decoction of Purslane Lettuce Succory half a Cucumber if the Season permit and an Ounce and a half of the Scoriae of Liver of Antimony in fine Powder let the Ingredients boil only half a quarter of an hour and dissolve in the Straining six Ounces of Honey of Roses to help Nature to separate and discharge the offending Matter If you perceive that the Horse is still tormented notwithstanding the Use of those Remedies cast him on his Back with his Legs up and spread four Napkins moisten'd in luke-warm Water over all his Belly without touching his Flanks Hold him in this Possure for a quarter of an hour during which time repeat the moistening of the Napkins twice after which some Horses are either cur'd or eas'd whereas others receive no Benefit but sink under the Violence of the Distemper If you are loth to give your self the trouble of casting the Horse you may observe the following Directions If the Horse be seiz'd with this Distemper in Summer order him to be bath'd and keep him as long as you can with his Belly half under-water letting him drink as much as he pleases If you cannot conveniently bathe him dissolve four Ounces of Crystal-Mineral in a Pail-full of Water and give it him to drink But above all give him frequent Clysters for the Choler occasions such violent Disorders in a little time that the Horse cannot hold out above six and thirty Hours at most If he begins to desire Food 't is a Sign that the Distemper abates but you must not give him any I thought fit to propose these Remedies though very few recover from this Disease which almost always seizes on vigorous Horses If all your Endeavours prove unsuccessful you must lay the blame on the Violence of the Distemper If all the above-mention'd Remedies produce no Effect give the Horse two stinking Pills in a Pint of Beer and half an hour after a Clyster thus prepar'd Boil an Ounce and a half of the Scoriae of Liver of Antimony in five Pints of Beer or if that cannot be had of Whey and after five or six Waums remove it from the fire and adding a quarter of a Pound of the Ointment call'd Populeum inject it blood-warm Half an hour after give him another Dose of Pills and continue after the same manner till he has taken three Doses and receiv'd as many Clysters If it be in the Power of Remedies to recover the Horse these Pills will certainly answer your Expectation but if the Horse die after all you must not imagine that the Pills kill'd him but only blame the extreme Violence of the Distemper Farriers call it the Red Gripes which is the common Name they give to all Mortal Diseases that are unknown to 'em It will perhaps be objected that 't is contrary to the Rules of Art to give hot Remedies as the stinking Pills in a Disease of this Nature but it must be consider'd that 't is impossible to allay such an Ebullition or Fermentation by the usual cooling Medicines which are altogether useless in this Case That Effect can only be expected from Alkali's which resist and destroy the acid Liquor that occasions the Heat from whence the Ebullition proceeds Now Assa-foetida contains a great deal of Alkali and from the Union of that Salt with the Acid there results a sort of friendly and balsamic Salt that acts jointly with the Liver of Antimony which is very agreeable to the Nature of Horses and strengthens it extremely And even that Medicine alone fixes and thickens the Bile that ferments in the Intestines and being rather cold than hot tempers the Heat of the Bay-Berries So that 't is plain from what has been said on this Occasion that the Mixture of these three Drugs in a convenient Proportion strengthens the natural and destroys the adventitious Heat that causes this Distemper CHAP. LIII Of the Stavers HOrses are subject to a certain Distemper call'd the Stavers or Staggers which deprives 'em of the Use of their Senses to such a degree that they are almost wholly stupefy'd and besides it makes 'em stagger and beat their Head against the Walls It proceeds from hot sharp and thin Vapours which rising from the Entrails disturb the Brain and hinder its Functions more or less according to the degree of their Sharpness and the measure of their Quantity The Causes of this Distemper are hard Riding or Labour in hot Weather noisome Smells in the Stable long Races wheeling about or quick Turns too often repeated excessive Eating and above all the Abundance of hot and sharp Humours in the Stomach which ferment and boil over and leaving their natural place deprave all the Concoctions The Signs of this Disease are obvious for the Horse reels and staggers as if he were drunk beats
his Head against the Walls with extreme Violence lies down and rises but with greater Fury than in the Colic for you would think he had quite lost his Sight and he knocks his Head so violently against the Walls and Manger that he is every moment in danger of killing himself To proceed to the Cure bleed the Horse in the Flanks and in the plait-Veins of the Thighs then give him a Clyster of two Quarts of Emetic Wine luke-warm with a quarter of a Pound of the Ointment Populeum after which suffer him to repose a while You must frequently repeat the use of Clysters and about an hour or two after the first is voided give him that which follows Boil two Ounces of the Scoriae in fine Powder in five Pints of Beer After five or six Waums remove it from the Fire and adding a quarter of a Pound of Unguentum Rosatum inject it luke-warm and repeat the same frequently In the mean time rub his Legs strongly with a Wisp of Straw moisten'd in warm Water to make a Revulsion feed him with Bran or Wheat-Bread and walk him from time to time in a temperate place By a careful observance of these Directions you may cure this Distemper if it be not accompani'd with a Fever But if the Disease still continue give the sick Horse an Ounce either of Treacle Orvietan or Diatessaron dissolv'd in a Quart of the four Cordial Waters that is of Scorzonera Bugloss Carduus Benedictus and Queen of the Meadows or some other Cordial-Waters and at the same time prepare this Clyster Take two Ounces of Sal Polycrest and a like quantity of the Medicine prescrib'd for the Potion that is either Treacle Orvietan or Diatessaron Dissolve 'em in two Quarts of a Decoction of the softening Herbs with a quarter of a Pound of Oil of Rue make a Clyster to be injected luke-warm immediately after you administer the Potion Horses are also troubl'd with another Distemper of the Head which is not so dangerous as the Stavers and may be cur'd with once Bleeding It proceeds from Fulness and too great abundance of Blood when the Horse has been kept long in the Stable without Airing Assoon as you take him out he falls down suddenly and rises up again so dizzy-headed as if he were troubl'd with the Stavers But you may easily perceive that 't is a meer Giddiness for he is brisk and eats heartily while he remains in the Stable and falls down only when he is taken out whereas a Horse that is troubl'd with the Stavers falls in the Stable as well as abroad and his Eyes look wild which is not observ'd when a Horse is only dizzy This Disorder is caus'd by the too great abundance of Fumes that rise from the Blood which throwing off Obedience to Nature oppress the Horse and make him reel and at last fall The Remedies for this Giddiness are first a Clyster then Bleeding which must be repeated two days after And to preserve the Horse from this Inconveniency give him moderate Exercise and less Food that Nature may not produce more Blood than she is able to govern CHAP. LIV. Of a Shoulder-wrench Shoulder-pight and Shoulder-splait SInce these Accidents happen so frequently it will not be improper to consider all the Circumstances that attend 'em for many Horses are Lam'd and render'd wholly useless for want of a distinct Knowledge of the nature of the Grief and a timely and methodical Cure That you may comprehend the Infirmities mention'd in the Title you must know that the Shoulders of a Horse and other four-footed Cattle are not fasten'd to the Body by large Bones but only apply'd to the Extremity of the Side and held in their proper Situation by Ligaments which fasten 'em to that part So that by a Slip false Step or undue Posture of the Leg a Horse may be easily Shoulder-pight or Splaited that is some part of his Shoulder may be separated from his Body which cannot be done without stretching the Ligaments In all the moveable parts of the Body there are certain glewy Waters or Humours which facilitate the motion of the Joints Now these Waters slip out of their proper place where they are fix'd by Nature in order to the more easie performance of their Functions and are spread thro' the parts that are dilated or torn by the Wrench of the Shoulder where they immediately grow thick and hard and instead of facilitating the motion of the part according to their primitive Institution hinder it and cause that Pain which makes the Horse Lame more or less according to the greatness of the Wrench The Pain is occasion'd both by the stretching of the Nerves and by that slimy Matter encreas'd by the Humours which flow thither from the Neighbouring Parts You must endeavour to attenuate these Humours and afterwards expel 'em by insensible Transpiration and by strength'ning the part to restore it to its former Soundness 'T is hard to discover where the Lameness lies if you did not see him get it and if the Horse does not cast his Leg outwards or make a Circle with it instead of advancing it straight forward for that is an almost infallible sign that the Grief is in the Shoulder But if the Horse be Lame and yet be free of the above-mention'd Infirmity in his Gate turn him short on the Lame side and observe carefully how he treads for if the Grief be in his Shoulder he will set his Foot on the Ground hardily and endeavour to favour his Shoulder If you cannot discover the part affected this way take hold of his Fore-leg and make him go backwards and forwards that you may perceive how he moves his Shoulder and whether he does not complain and shrink when you put him on these Motions 'T is to be observ'd that a slight Strain or Wrench without a Shoulder-splait will make a Horse halt before but such a Lameness is not very considerable The usual way to know whether the Grief be in the Shoulder or Foot is to observe whether the Lameness be encreas'd or abated by exercise For if it be in the Shoulder the Horse will halt least while he is heated with Riding but if it be in the Foot he will halt most when he is ridden When you perceive your Horse to be Lame in the first place you must unshoe him and order his Foot as shall be afterwards directed when we come to speak of Pricks in the Foot If you cannot discern any Hurt in his Foot feel whether there is not a Swelling in the Pasterns or whether the Lameness be not occasion'd by Rat-Tails or Clefts afterwards feel the Fetlock-joint and all along the Master or back Sinew to discover whether there is not a Sprain and at last handle the Shoulder pretty roughly to see whether the Horse will complain of any Grief in that part A Lameness may be occasion'd in the Shoulder not only by a Shoulder-splait but when the Horse receives an external
Hurt by a Blow from another Horse by a Fall or when his Shoulder is bruis'd by the Saddle In all which cases you must in the beginning order the Sorance as if it were a proper Shoulder-splait There are several other ways to know whether Horses be Shoulder-splaited but there are few or none of 'em who do not draw their Leg or cast it a little outwards And the surest way is to observe how they tread when you turn 'em short for with a little practice and attention you may easily discover whether the Grief be in the Shoulder A Remedy for a Strain Blow or any other Hurt in the Shoulder When you perceive that the Grief is in the Shoulder if the Weather be not Cold and the Horse halt but a little lead him to a Pond or River and make him Swim half a quarter of an hour in the Morning and as long at Night At his coming out of the Water rub the part with Aqua-Vitae and if the Hurt be small it will be cur'd without further trouble Thus by the rolling of a Stone under a Horse's Foot when he is Galloping his Shoulder may be strain'd or a Shoulder-wrench may be occasion'd by a false Step In such cases if the Hurt be small the Cure may be perform'd by bleeding him in the Neck swimming him Morning and Evening and rubbing his Shoulder with Aqua-Vitae at his coming out of the Water as I intimated before If this Remedy prove ineffectual bleed him in the Neck receiving the Blood in a Vessel and stirring it with your Hand to prevent its curdling then mix half a Pint of Aqua-Vitae with the Blood and charge the Shoulder rubbing it hard with your Hand to make the Aqua-Vitae penetrate the Skin which with the astringent and strength'ning quality of the Blood does frequently perform the Cure without any other Remedy But you must keep the Horse shackl'd if he walks awry or describes a crooked Line with his sore Leg. If the Lameness continue still you may conclude that the Hurt is greater than you imagin'd But there is no Hurt so great either in the Shoulder or Hip that may not be cur'd with the Ointment of Montpelier apply'd after the following manner The day after you let the Horse Blood and charg'd his Shoulder with Blood and Aqua-Vitae put a Patten-Shoe on the contrary Foot if he does not lean on his Sore Foot and fetter his two Fore-feet if he walk sloping from side to side then chafe the Shoulder very hard first with Spirit of Wine and then with black Soap to make 'em pierce the Skin rubbing in half a Pint of the former and about half a Pound of the latter and leave the Horse in that-condition four and twenty Hours after which chafe him every day with Ointment of Montpelier keeping him shackl'd and shod with the Patten-Shoe about ten days if need require at the end of which take off the Patten-Shoe and trot him out gently to see how the Cure goes on If he Halt a little still continue to rub him every Morning with the Ointment of Montpelier and at Night without taking off the Ointment or any part of it chafe him with Spirit of Wine Continue thus till he Halt but a very little or only yield or feign and then make a Bath or Fomentation of convenient Herbs with Lees of Wine and Honey bathing and chasing the Shoulder with it every day After the Lameness is quite gone suffer him to remain in the Stable for a considerable time without either Walking or Riding him all the while for nothing but Rest can make him perfectly Sound And 't is a general Rule that Repose is absolutely necessary in all Hurts of the Shoulder that Nature may have leisure to repair the Disorders caus'd by the Strain Ointment of Montpelier Several Apothecaries make use of Tallow colour'd red with Alkanet and wash'd in rose-Rose-water to give it a Smell and sel it for Ointment of Roses But the true Unguentum Rosatum is made of Roses from which it takes its Odour for the Colour is a meer Trifle since it adds no Virtue to the Composition And the like abuse is frequently committed in making the Ointment Populeum by adding Verdigrise to give it a bright green colour and make it more saleable Take then of the true Ointments of Roses Marsh-Mallows Populeum and Honey of each one Pound mix 'em cold and keep 'em in a Pot close cover'd This is the true Description of that famous Ointment so highly esteem'd by Lovers of Horses for its manifold Virtues for it strengthens without Heat and is proper in all cases when there is occasion for Charges or Ointments CHAP. LV. The Baron's Ointment for Strains in the Shoulders or Hips TAke of new Wax Resin Pitch and common Turpentine of each one Pound Oil-Olive two Pounds Grease of Capons Badgers Horses and Mules and the Marrow of a Stag of each five Ounces Oils of Turpentine Castor Worms Commomil St. John's-Wort Linseed and of Foxes of each four Ounces Oil of Gabian or if that cannot be had Oil of Peter two Ounces Put the Oil-Olive in a Bason over a clear Fire with the Wax Resin and Pitch beaten together stir 'em over the Flame till they be dissolv'd then add the Fat 's and Stag's Marrow and afterwards the Turpentine incorporating all together over a very gentle Fire in the last place pour in the Oils stirring the whole Mixture half a quarter of an Hour after which remove it from the Fire and continue to stir till it be cold This Ointment is good for Shoulder-splaits Sprains Pricks Hip-shot Wrenches in the Hough or Thigh Wringing Surbating bruised Legs Sinews sprung or sprain'd and for all manner of Defluxions and Feebleness in any part of the Body Before you apply it you must heat the part by rubbing it with a wisp of Straw or with your Hand then chafe it with the Ointment as hot as the Horse can bear it holding a Fire-shovel red-hot near the part to make the Ointment penetrate and repeat the same Application once every two days till the Horse be cur'd If the Grief be in the Shoulder you may put Pasterns on his Legs and a Patten-Shooe on the sound Foot if need require You must not be surpriz'd at the Swelling which will happen in the Part for after the Pain is remov'd you may easily take away the Tumour with convenient Baths or Fomentations You may cure even Old Hurts by this Method but since the Ointment is not always to be had you may use the following Remedies In the first place you must let the Horse blood and charge his Shoulder with Blood and Aqua-Vitae as before The day following apply the Honey-Charge which you will find describ'd Chap. 57. renewing it daily for three or four Days and the Disease must be very stubborn and deeply rooted if it yield not to this Remedy You must not be surpriz'd if the Honey-Charge raise a Swelling for that is a good Sign
well as prevents a Swelling I cur'd a Swelling in one of the hinder Legs which had continu'd a whole Winter by charging it seven or eight times with Cows Dungs mix'd with Spirit of Wine CHAP. LXII A Honey-Charge or Remolade for a Blow or to asswage a Swelling in the Legs THO' this Charge consists of few Ingredients 't is good not only for Blows or Stroaks with another Horse's Foot and Swellings of the fore and hinder Legs but for all sorts of Swellings Bruises and Hurts in any part of the Body Mix a Pound of Wheat-flower with White-Wine to the Consistence of Gruel and boil it over a gentle Fire stirring without Intermission till the whole be united then melt a Pound of Burgundy Pitch in a Skillet adding a Pound and a half of Honey and a Pound of common Turpentine and incorporating all together which must be mix'd with the Gruel moderately hot After you have remov'd the Vessel from the Fire add two Pounds of fine Bole in powder the Oriental is best and make a Charge which must be apply'd hot and repeated till the Swelling be asswag'd They who know but one Remedy are expos'd to frequent Disappointments by missing some of the Ingredients and therefore it will not be improper to subjoin some others Another Remedy for a Swelling in the Legs occasion'd by a Blow Bathe the Part with strong Aqua-Vitae chafing it hard and then charge the whole Leg with common Honey The next day chafe the Part again with Aqua-Vitae and apply a new Charge without taking away the old Renew the Application once every Day six or seven times then send your Horse to a River or wash him well in a Pond twice every Day and the Swelling will certainly disappear in a little time Swellings have been often asswag'd by this easie Remedy Take half a Pint of good Vinegar half a Pound of Tallow and an Ounce of Flower of Brimstone Mix and anoint the Swelling till it be dissolv'd You may take away a small Tumour by applying a Mixture of common Bole Honey and Water CHAP. LXIII The Duke 's Ointment for Swellings and Bruises accompany'd with Heat and for Inflammations in any Part of the Body TAke clear and pure Linseed-Oil one Pound Flowers of Brimstone four Ounces Put 'em into a Matrass or Glass Vial with a long Neck letting it stand in a moderate Sand-heat for the Space of an Hour after which augment the Heat and keep it up to the same degree till the Flowers be perfectly dissolv'd In the mean time before the Oil grow cold lest part of the Brimstone fall to the Bottom melt a Pound of Tallow or of Boar's Grease in another Vessel with two Ounces and a half of white Wax instead of which if you can procure Horse's Grease the Remedy will be more effectual but then you must take four Ounces of Wax because Horse's Grease is not so thick as Boar's Grease The Grease and Wax being wholly melted pour in the Linseed Oil and removing the Vessel from the Fire stir the Ointment with a Slice of Alkanet Root till it be cold It resembles Ointment of Roses for tho' you may discover the Brimstone by the Smell you will hardly be able to perceive it otherwise as being so perfectly dissolv'd This Ointment is apply'd cold 't is a good Resolvent and both eases Pain and asswages all sorts of Swellings in any part of the Body tho' they be accompany'd with Heat Swellings are frequently occasion'd in the Withers Hams and other parts of the Body by Bruises Blows and other Causes so that if the Inflammation be not remov'd the Humours will flow to the Part and make the Cure very difficult but this Ointment takes away the Inflammation and dissolves the Humours that are already lodg'd in the Part. And therefore assoon as the Withers are swell'd and like to come to a Head instead of applying astringent Remedies with Bole which do more Harm than Good rub the griev'd Part with this Ointment Morning and Evening and cover it with a Lamb's Skin the woolly side inwards The continu'd Application of this Remedy does oftentimes dissolve such Tumours without Suppuration but if the Inflamtion encrease you must open the Swelling in due time with a red-hot Iron in one or more parts And thus the Cure will be perform'd safely surely and pleasantly For the Swelling of the Sheath and Stones tho' the Tumour spread it self under the Belly about the Thickness of two Fingers Bleed your Horse and rub his Sheath and the Swelling under his Belly with the Duke's Ointment every Morning and Evening then walk him softly half an hour and after some time wash off the Ointment with warm Wine and Butter When the Part is dry apply the Ointment again and above all forget not to walk the Horse half an Hour or a whole Hour and tho' the Swelling reach between his Legs even to his Brisket fear not for it will certainly be asswag'd Sometimes notwithstanding of the Application of this Ointment the Tumour will suppurate and come to Matter and you may know whether it has a tendency that way by its Softness and by the lasting Impression that it keeps when you press it with your Finger as if it were Butter in which Case you must open it in several places with a red-hot Bodkin or sharp-pointed Iron to let out the red Water then chafe the Part with the Ointment and walk the Horse If only the Sheath be swell'd the Cure is not very difficult for it may be quickly perform'd in Summer by keeping the Horse an Hour every Day in the Water and in cold Weather by anointing with the Duke's Ointment and then walking him These Tumours are occasion'd by the Heat of the Stable and Want of Exercise The same Remedy may be apply'd to all hot Swellings for it will certainly take away the Inflammation and dissolve the Humour if it be not too hard and stubborn It wonderfully helps all Swellings of the Hams or Legs occasion'd by Blows with another Horse's Foot Falls and other Accidents which are usually accompany'd with Heat by Reason of the Pain caus'd by the Contusion in the Nervous and Sinewy Parts As for Blows or Kicks on the Muscle of the Thigh which are attended with such troublesome Symptoms this Ointment will certainly promote the Cure and at least allay the Heat and Inflammation CHAP. LXIV Of Old Swellings in the Legs occasion'd by an ill-cur'd Sinew-sprain SOmetimes Sinew-Sprains or Sinew-Sprungs are so unskilfully handl'd that tho' the Pain be so far remov'd that the Lameness ceases yet the Humours gather'd in the part not being dissolv'd there remains a Swelling which grows so hard that it seems impossible to cure it without Burning Nevertheless on such Occasions I have seen the cure perform'd by the following Remedy Take of Linseed-Flower and Bean-Flower of each one * A Measure containing somewhat above a Pint. Litron the strongest Aqua-Vitae a Pint and an half Mix and boil 'em over
accompany'd with a sort of Scab which is bigger or less according to the various degrees of the Malady The Selenders breed on the bending of the Hough they proceed from the same Causes that breed the Malenders and are known by the same signs but they happen not so frequently and are consequently more dangerous as denoting that there is a great quantity of Humours in the Hough which continually discharge upon the Leg those malignant Waters that at last rot and corrupt it We must not attempt a compleat Cure of either of these Sores but only endeavour to allay the Humour and qualifie its sharpness by the use of Alkali's which blunt and deaden the too sharp Acid for they who absolutely dry up the Sore may be justly compar'd to those who shut the door of the Sheep-coat to keep the Wolf in And therefore you must content your self with keeping the part very clean that is you must wash and scour off the filth and corruption that sticks on the Hair or Skin with Black-Soap which is an Alkali and rub the Malenders with it then wash the part with Urine or a good Lye or rub the Chink with Butter fry'd till it grow black The surest way to cure either Malenders or Selenders is to mix equal quantities of Linseed-Oil and Aqua-Vitae stirring and shaking 'em till the mixture grow white and to anoint the Sores with it once a day This will dry a little and allay the sharpness of the Humours so that the Malender will neither cause a Swelling nor Pain The same is an excellent Remedy for Coach-Horses when they begin to be troubl'd with Red-Waters Chinks and Mules accompany'd with Heat and Swelling Sometimes the Selenders cause a Swelling which grows hard and hinders the motion of the Hough and since the situation of the Part is very inconvenient for the Application of Remedies you must proceed to the give the Fire as I once saw done with very good Success to a Spanish Horse who was cur'd without the least ill consequence Anoint the Malenders with Oil of Nuts mixt and shaken with Water after you have rub'd 'em with Black-Soap The Ointment for the Feet describ'd in the Eighty Fifth Chapter is also very proper in this Case Album Rasis dries a Malender when it grows too big and asswages the Inflammation The Ointment of Roses is also an excellent allayer of Sharpness if it be faithfully Prepar'd for that which is commonly Sold as I intimated before is not made of Roses but consists only of Hog's-grease melted with a little White-Wax to give it a Body These Impostors stir it while 't is hot with a Root of Alkanet to dye it red and wash it afterwards in rose-Rose-Water to make it smell of Roses Meer Tallow is not at all inferiour to this pretended Ointment with which so many People are cheated CHAP. LXIX Of Splents YOu will find a large Account of these Excrescences in the Second Part and therefore I shall content my self at present with giving this short Account of a Splent that it is a Callous hard and insensible Swelling which breeds on the Shank-Bone and spoils the shape of the Leg when it grows big The Splent is usually occasion'd by a Blow or other Hurt on the Shank-Bone which offends the Periosteum or Skin that surrounds the Bone for the Humour gathering by degrees on that part forms a Tumor or Excrescency A Horse may be also troubl'd with this Infirmity if he be over-ridden or hard wrought when he is too Young before his Legs be strong enough and his Bones of a sufficient solidity and firmness to bear the Fatigues of Travelling For by straining of that part 't is render'd subject to Defluxions or the falling down of Molten Grease and if the Humour slip between the Bone and its Membrane it breeds a hard Lump that by degrees encreases and draws its Nourishment from the Bone which I have seen full of Holes like a Sieve in that part To protect the weakest part of the Bone against the Humour Nature fences it with a Callus which we call a Splent and if the Excrescency be augmented by Travelling and ascend to the Knee it makes the Horse Halt and is more difficult to Cure than the other kind I advise those who undertake the Cure of a Splent never to consume it with violent Caustics which often scale the Bone and dry up the Sinew 'T is true these Medicines take away the Splent but they weaken the Leg so extreamly that it were better to let the Swelling remain If the Horse be old you will find the Cure very difficult and the Splent can hardly be remov'd whereas it may be easily taken away from a young Horse and in the general 't is certain that a large Splent may be sooner remov'd and with less trouble when the Horse that bears it is young than a small Excrescency in the Leg of an old Horse You shall hardly meet with one that pretends to understand Horses who will not acquaint you that he is Master of an infallible Receipt for the Farcin and another for Splents tho' upon trial you will find his performance come far short of his Promises When the Splent is an effect of the deprav'd Shape of the Shank-Bone 't is to be esteem'd a Blemish or Deformity rather than a Disease For 't is the same with that which Physicians call Apophysis and does not admit of a Cure A Remedy for the Splent Shave away the Hair and beat or rub the Swelling with the handle of a Shooing-Hammer till it be soften'd then burn three or four Hazel-sticks while the Sap is in 'em and chafe the Splent with the Juice or Water that sweats out of both ends applying it as hot as you can without burning the Part after which rub or bruise the Swelling with one of the Sticks and continue frequently to throw the hot Juice upon the Part but not so hot as to burn it rubbing it still till it grow soft Then dip a Linnen-Cloth five or six times doubl'd in the Hazel-Juice as hot as you can endure it upon your Hand and tye it on the Splent suffering it to remain four and twenty Hours In the mean time keep your Horse in the Stable without permitting him to be led or rid to Water during the space of nine Days at the end of which the Splent will be dissolv'd and the Hair will come again some time after If the Hazel be not in its full Sap it will not operate so effectually nevertheless it may be us'd but the part must be rub'd and bruis'd more strongly If the Splent be not quite taken away but only lessen'd repeat the operation a Month after Another Remedy Shave the Hair knock rub and soften the Splent as before then take a piece of the Skin of Bacon not very fat and lay it on the part with the fat side outwards Afterwards apply a flat Cautery or red-hot Iron of the bigness of a Shilling holding it
Success For I relate things with all possible exactness and sincerity and shall never be guilty of cheating my Readers by over-strain'd Commendations of any Remedy Sometimes a Swelling remains after an old Sinew-sprain tho' the Horse be freed from his Lameness In which case if the Tumour be not very hard it will be resolv'd and dissipated by one or at most two Applications of this Ointment but you must not proceed to the second till you perceive what may be expected from the first To resolve a Farcin-Knot you must shave off the Hair and besmear the part with this Ointment which will draw forth Red-water and afterwards a Scab Repeat the Application and the Swelling will be quite dissipated or the same effect may be perform'd by a Retoire The following Ointment is not so Caustic as that of Beetles but it operates sufficiently on soften'd Splents CHAP. LXXI Ointment of Worms for Splents Wind-galls Water-Farcy and other Swellings THis Ointment in some measure performs the effect of Fire without making the Hair fall off and is proper not only for Splents which it cures in twelve or fifteen Days but for all Swellings in the Houghs if they can be throughly soften'd as also for Wind-galls c. It draws forth a Red-Water which in time turns to a Scurf or Scab and after that is fall'n off the part remains as sound and free from Swelling as if you had apply'd a Retoire Some Meadows are almost wholly cover'd with a sort of Bulbous Crow-foot that has a Root not unlike to a Pistol-Bullet About the end of April and in May you may find under these Herbs about the Foot of the Stalk and never higher nor under Ground a little black longish Insect not bigger than a small Bean without Wings but furnish'd with Legs and so hard that you can hardly bruise it between your Fingers Gather three or four hundred of 'em and mix 'em with old Hog's-grease in a Pot then cover the Pot very close till they are quite dead and stamp 'em with the Grease to an Ointment which will be more effectual the longer 't is kept If the Horse be troubl'd with a Splent rub and crush the Tumour with the handle of a Shooing-Hammer till it be soften'd then prick it and apply the Ointment about the thickness of a French Penny holding a red-hot Fire-shovel over it to make it sink in Then tye up the Horse so that he may not be able to reach it with his Teeth and keep him thus nine Days without taking him out to Water during which time the Tumour will discharge a certain Red-Water After the nine Days are expir'd there will appear a certain Scurf or Scab which will afterwards fall off and carry away the Splent or lessen it very considerably without taking off one Hair or in the least hurting the Sinew CHAP. LXXII To soften a Hard Swelling BEfore you apply the Ointments of Beetles or Worms or any other Retoire to a Wen or any Hard Swelling you must always take care to soften the Part for otherwise the Application will produce no effect Thus having shav'd off the Hair you may apply some of the usual Softners as Gum-Ammoniacum Galbanum Bdellium and Storax mixt with Oil of Lillies Violets Worms Linseed or Flower de Luce the Ointment of Marsh-mallows Resumptive Ointment Plaister of Mucilages and other Remedies of the same Nature Or make a Pultiss thus Take Roots of Lillies and Marsh-mallows of each two Ounces Leaves of Mallows and Violets of each two handfuls Dill Wild-marjoram and Wild-Penny-royal or Cornmint of each a handful Boil the Roots about an Hour in a sufficient quantity of Water mixt with about three parts of Oil then add the Herbs and after they are well boil'd stamp all together to a mash and apply it warm to the part you intend to soften If you perceive by the extreme hardness of the Swelling that there is need of a powerful Softner add Lin-seed and Fenugreek-seed with the Oils of Lillies and Dill and also Goose-grease Besides you may add the above-mention'd Gums dissolv'd according to Art that is take a sufficient quantity of the Gum dissolve it in Vinegar with a very gentle Heat then strain boil and evaporate to the thickness of Honey stirring it now and then over a clear Fire The Red-Snails that appear in wet Weather chop'd beaten and then apply'd help to soften the part very effectually Or take equal Quantities of the Resumptive Ointment and Ointment of Marsh-Mallows or the Red Honey-Charge Ointment of Marsh-Mallows and Oxycroceum of each a like quantity Melt 'em together and lay 'em on warm with Flax and a Cover over all applying a new Lay of the Ointment over the old once every twenty four Hours for eight or ten Days tying it up as before Or instead of these take Plaister of Mucilages which is a very powerful Softner for besides the Mucilages of the Seeds it contains several Gumms that are endu'd with a singular Virtue to soften and resolve and after you have us'd this Plaister for some time apply the Ointment of Beetles or that of Worms which will infallibly take away the Tumour without making the Hair fall off CHAP. LXXIII Of Wind-Galls WInd-Galls are soft and yielding Tumours of the bigness of a small Nut more or less without Pain caus'd by thin and serous Humours and seated on either side of the Fetlock-Joint on the Skin between the Sinew and the Bone At the side of the Fetlock-Joint on the Inside of the Leg and sometimes on the Outside not far from the place where the Wind-Gall usually appears but lower and more towards the Side there is oftentimes a little Bone that resembles tho' 't is not really a Wind-Gall and rarely occasions Lameness tho' I have seen some Horses after long and hard Riding lam'd by it The only Remedy in this Case is to give the fire drawing Lines all over the part and two fingers breadth about it and afterwards applying a good Plaister for the Fire dissipates the Humours and Scurf that are join'd to the Bone without which it rarely makes the Horse halt Take Ashes of Vine-Twigs two Parts Ashes of Tartar one Part and make a Lye with which while 't is hot wash the Fetlock-Joint then apply the Ashes and bind 'em on This Remedy will dissolve the Wind-Gall and cure gourdy Legs A Wind-Gall may be also dissipated by washing it often with Spirit of Wine or it may be perfectly cur'd by applying the Ointment of Beetles or the Retoire describ'd in the following Chapter Tho' this Swelling be not very dangerous it makes the Horse halt in frosty Weather and is a certain Sign that either he has been over-ridden or that his Pasterns are too long or his Legs too slender and feeble to support the over-proportion'd Weight of a bulky and fleshy Body Rest cures Wind-Galls in the Beginning Or make the Horse once every day stand up to the Knees in Water in the midst of a Stream
Remedies for 'em in the same Order Remedies for simple Scratches The simple Scratches are cur'd by taking out the Piece of Rotten Flesh that lies between the Flesh and the Skin In order to that end take the quantity of an Egg of Leaven made of Rye-Meal two or three Heads of Garlick beaten and as much Pepper as you can lift with the Ends of three Fingers temper 'em with Vinegar and apply the Mixture to the sore place This is certainly a very good Remedy for in four and twenty hours it brings forth the corrupt Piece of Flesh without leaving any Foulness at the Bottom of the Sore If you cannot procure Rye-Leaven take Leaven made of Wheat-Dough or prepare the following Remedy Take the Bulbs of two or three Leeks or for want of these two white Onions beaten incorporate 'em with the bigness of an Egg of Hog's Lard and as much Mustard-seed as you can take up with the Ends of your Fingers Apply this Remedy to the Swelling renewing it once a day and the rotten Flesh will quickly come forth then wash the Part with Aqua-Vitae and apply to the Sore the above-mention'd Ointment of Honey and Verdigrease by which Method continu'd for some time the Cure will be speedily perfected If the Scab or Scurf that falls off be very large as sometimes it is you must cleanse the Sore with fine Flax and apply the already-mention'd Ointment which is very excellent for this Purpose or rub the Part with the Herb call'd Greater Celandine which grows always in shady places and has a yellow Juice You must beat it and squeeze out the Juice to rub the Part and bind the bruis'd Herbs upon it for there is not a more powerful Dryer in the World Or you may take out the Corrupt Flesh thus Chop two or three Onions boil 'em in Water with Mallows and Ground-sell of each one handful strain out the Water and throw it away then add a handful of raw Sorrel to the other Ingredients beat 'em all together to a Paste which must be thicken'd with Flower of Linseed to the Consistence of a Pultiss Spread it on Lint and apply it hot to the Scratches If the Tumour be very hard add a little Hog's Grease or Basilicum before you put in the Linseed and apply as before renewing the same once in four and twenty Hours if there be Occasion for one or two Applications will take out the rotten piece of Flesh leaving a Hole which must be dress'd as before Young Horses are very subject to this Kind of Scratches I shall name several Remedies that are good for it that every one may chuse which he pleases Old Oil Butter the Fat or Grease of Hens Geese Ducks and Hogs the Marrow of Stags and Oxen which may be made up with Rye-flower and Crums of Bread These are also very good and cheap Remedies and easily prepar'd and besides you may use the Plaister call'd Diachylum that of the Mucilages or Basilicum CHAP. LXXXI Of Sinewy Scratches THE above-mention'd Remedies will not produce any considerable Effect in the Cure of the first Kind of sinewy Scratches which lie so deep that they cannot ripen for the Sinews that cover 'em hinder the Operation of the Remedies The white Honey-Charge which you will find describ'd in the Hundred eighty fourth Chapter will more effectually soften the Part if you add Turpentine and Linseed and apply the Remedy round the Pastern charging the whole Leg with cold Lees of Wine to prevent the falling down of the Humours If there be any Appearance that the Swelling is dispos'd to come to a Head in any part of it you must pierce the Skin with a hot Iron round the part making eight or ten Holes according to the Largeness of the space in form of a Circle and sometimes beyond the part according to the Room you have and the Probability of drawing the Matter by opening these Passages If the Matter appear in any part apply a Rowler of soft Linnen moisten'd with Basilicum and over that a Pultiss of the white Honey-Charge as I intimated before keeping the Leg always charg'd with the Duke's Ointment or Lees of Wine and continuing to dress the Sore every day till the Scabs fall off or till you perceive that 't is fit to apply repelling Remedies for Example if the Skin between the two Holes be loosen'd from the Flesh and the Matter flow too abundantly you must lay aside the white Honey-Charge and make use of the following Remedy Heat a Pound or two of common Turpentine in an Earthen Pot by degrees stirring it all the while with a wooden Slice thicken it with very fine Soot stirring always over a gentle Fire till it be reduc'd to the Thickness of a Honey-Charge Then spread it on Flax and apply it warm to the Part but you must first wash the Sore with Aqua-Vitae This Charge is in some measure Restringent it takes away the Heat and hinders the Humours from flowing too abundantly to the griev'd Part. As often as you heat the Restringent Charge you must stir it all the while 't is near the Fire for otherwise 't will turn knotty Let the Horse feed on moisten'd Bran and make him wholly abstain from Oats This Sort of Scratches must never be neglected for all your Care and the most powerful Remedies you can apply or imagine will hardly be able to ripen it I shall in the next place proceed to propose some Remedies for the Scratches that breed upon the Sinew and tho' without any Danger make the Horse halt before the Corruption come forth You may chuse which you please Remedies for the Second Kind of Sinewy Scratches These Scratches grow in the Pastern upon the Sinew they are accompany'd with extreme Pain and make the Horse halt but yield to the effectual Operation of proper Remedies First you must rub the swoll'n Leg daily with the Duke's Ointment and afterwards bring forth the Corruption or rotten Bit of Flesh with one of the Remedies describ'd in the last Chapter as that made of Rye-flower and Garlick or that which is compos'd of Leeks and old Hog's Grease or one of those that follow Take fresh Butter and Oil-Olive of each four Ounces heat 'em with half a Pint of common Water and thicken 'em with two Ounces of Linseed-flower Then boil as if you were going to make Gruel adding a little before you take the Skellet from the fire two Ounces of Pigeon's Dung in powder and charge the Sore warm having first clipp'd off the Hair with Scizzars If that do not answer your Expectation take Leaves of Colt's-foot long Sorrel and Mallows of each one Handful bake 'em under the Embers then beat and incorporate 'em with salt Butter This Remedy being apply'd hot will draw forth the Rotten Piece of Flesh but if it fail Bake or roast four Lilly Roots under the Ashes beat and add Hen's Grease or any other convenient Grease three Ounces Linseed-Oil two Ounces the Yolks of two
of Remedies you are at last oblig'd to give the Fire but since some Men will not be perswaded of the incredible effects of this Remedy and others cannot procure it when they have occasion to use it I shall communicate the description of an Ointment for Wounds that will advance the Cure more in one Day than other Ointments do in a considerable space of Time CHAP. CV The Hermit's Ointment for Wounds in Horses TAke the green Leaves of Long-Birthwort Paul's-Betony and Sage of each a handful and half Sanicle one handful Roots of Marsh-mallows and Comfrey dry'd in the Shade of each an Ounce slice the Roots very small and boil 'em in a Skillet with a Pint of Cream for the space of a quarter of an Hour after which add the Leaves chopt small and boil 'em so long till you can perceive nothing in the Skillet but a pure Butter produc'd by the boiling of the Cream then strain it out into a Pot and put into the same Skillet a quarter of a Pound of the Lard of a Hog fed with Acorns cut into Slices and mixt with the remaining Herbs and Roots boil all together about a quarter of an Hour and strain out the melted Lard upon the Butter in the next place boil two Ounces of Oil-Olive in the Skillet with the same Herbs and Roots for the space of a quarter of an Hour and strain it out into the Pot with the Butter and melted Lard after which squeeze out all the Juice and Fat of the Herbs and Roots in the same Pot and while they are still hot add an Ounce of melted Tar and an ounce and a half of Burnt-Allom in Powder incorporating the whole Mass and stirring it till it be cold When you have occasion to apply this Ointment melt a little of it in a Spoon and with a soft Pencil anoint the Wound very lightly covering it gently with Flax or Powder of old Ropes and renewing the Application once a Day The Wound will be quickly heal'd by this Method if Nature the principal Operator assist the efficacy of the Remedy by Sodering Gluing Nourishing Preserving and Restoring the Part to its proper Temperament and Condition Besides the Application of the Ointment you must consider diligently whether there be any unnatural or extraneous Substance in the Wound which must be taken out and if you perceive Excrescencies of spongy Flesh you must either give the Fire or consume 'em with White-Vitriol dissolv'd in Spirit of Wine which is of admirable use in this case and after the Scab is fall'n or rather the Swelling asswag'd apply the Ointment If you have occasion to cleanse any part in the Wound which you cannot see and dare not burn for fear of hurting the Sinews you may use the following Water which is an admirable Cleanser Lime-Water or the Yellow-Water Those who love to disguise Trifles with hard and lofty Names call this the Phagedenical-Water You may easily prepare it thus Take two or three Pounds of unslak'd Lime newly made put it into a large Bason of fine Tin and pour upon it by degrees five Quarts of Rain-Water then set the Bason in a convenient place for two Days stirring the Water often after which suffer the Lime to fall to the bottom pour off the Water by inclination strain it thro' brown Paper and to three Pints of it add half a Pint of good Spirit of Wine an Ounce of Spirit of Vitriol and as much Corrosive Sublimate in fine Powder Mix and preserve it for use in a Glass-Vial If you perceive a great deal of Corruption in the Wound or any appearance of a Gangrene add to the whole quantity of the Water an Ounce of Arsenic diminishing the Dose proportionably according to the quantity of the Water I shall take this occasion to give a brief Account of the signs and cure of a Gangrene Of a Gangrene A Gangrene may be consider'd in two different respects for in its Progress 't is only a tendency to Mortification whereas it ends in a Sphaceâ—â—s or confirm'd Mortification The signs of it are a sudden loss of Sense and consequently an insensibility of Pain lividness and afterward blackness of the Part affected a noisome Smell resembling that of a dead Carcass and an extraordinary softness in the Part that was before hard and distended The Cure of a confirm'd Gangrene is impossible and ought not to be attempted but while 't is in the beginning and even in its progress the Case is not altogether desperate As soon as you perceive any part of a Wound to be seiz'd with a Gangrene you must immediately scarifie it to the quick with your Fleam wash it with Sea or Salt-Water and cover the whole Wound with Flax steep'd and soak'd in the strongest Lime-Water dressing it twice a Day after the same manner A Detergent and Cleansing Water for a Gangrene If the Lime-Water be too weak you may prepare another thus Take crude Allom one Pound German-Copperas grosly beaten half a Pound Verdigrease in fine Powder three Ounces boil all together in a Gallon of strong Vinegar to the consumption of one half then without straining the Liquor reserve it for use in a Glass-Vial The use of this Water is the same with that of Lime-Water shake the Bottle as often as you have occasion to apply the Liquor and if after the first Application you find that it is too weak add two Ounces of strong Aqua-Fortis to each Quart shaking 'em well together Another cleansing-Cleansing-Water Take very strong White-Wine two Pints and a half Aqua-vitae half a Pint Spirit of Vitriol two Ounces mix them in a Glass-Bottle capable of containing two Quarts and an Hour after add two Ounces of Verdigrease in fine Powder White-Vitriol four Ounces and Green Copperas one Pound the two last grosly beaten stop the Bottle very close with a Cork and Hog's-Bladder then let it stand in Infusion on hot Embers twenty four Hours shaking it every six Hours after which preserve it for use shaking it every time and applying it according to the Directions prescrib'd for the use of Lime-Water It may be kept three Months without losing its Virtue The greatest simple Wound may be quickly cur'd by a prudent and diligent observation of the Method and Directions prescrib'd in this and the preceding Chapters When a Horse's back is Gaul'd during a Journey the best way is to take out a little of the stuffing of the Pannel over the Swelling then sow a piece of white and very soft Leather on the inside of the Pannel anoint it with Salt-Butter and every Evening wipe it clean rubbing it till it grow soft and anointing it again with Butter or for want of that with Grease Wash the Swelling or Hurt every Evening with cold Water and Soap and strew it with Salt till the Horse be Sadl'd in the Morning The Sea-rush that is usually wrapt about Glasses that are brought in Chests from Venice is of admirable efficacy for the cure of Saddle-Gauls during
cover the Sore place with a Lamb's-Skin laying the Woolly side next the Part and continue to anoint it thrice every Day which Method is infinitely more natural than the Application of Defensives which produce no effect if there be a great Swelling and Heat preceded by a violent Contusion but if the Swelling continue accompany'd with Heat Distension and Beating so that you have reason to believe that there is already Matter generated or that the Tumour tends to Suppuration you must alter your Method and wash off the Ointment with luke-warm Oxycrate mixt with a handful of Salt and as soon as the Part is dry chafe it with an Ointment made of half a Pound of Populeon a quarter of a Pound of Honey and the like quantity of Black-Soap mixt cold and diluted with a large Glass of Spirit of Wine This Ointment being apply'd gently to prevent a further Contusion of the Part will dissipate the Humours and take away the Heat after which the Sore place must be cover'd with a Lamb's-Skin to promote the Operation of the Ointment Note That the Application must be renew'd at least four times a Day to divert the Humour and prevent any danger of Corruption In the mean time give your Horse a Dose of Cinnabar-Pills for two Days together keeping him Bridl'd two Hours before and as long after every Dose two Days after administer the Pills again repeating the same Dose from time to time for they are endu'd with a wonderful efficacy to assist Nature in the Expulsion and Concoction of the Matter contain'd in the Withers from whence 't is plain that they are very proper to promote the Cure if you persist in the use of 'em till you perceive the Matter to be already generated To draw and ripen a Swelling When Nature requires your assistance to digest the Humour and hasten Suppuration if you cannot procure the above-mention'd Ointments prepare that which follows Take the Powders of Cummin-seed and Linseed of each an equal quantity boil 'em in Cow's-Milk with a sufficient quantity of Pigeon's-Dung in Powder rather too much than too little and make a Pultess which will ripen the Swelling and asswage the Pain Or Take four Ounces of the Roots of Marsh-Mallows beaten boil 'em in Water and afterwards add Leaves of Mallows and Brankursin of each a handful After they are well boil'd beat 'em to a Mash adding Oil-Olive and Butter of each two Ounces Flower of Fenugreek-Seed as much as may suffice to thicken the whole and apply it warm to the Part. When you have brought the Tumour to Suppuration that is when the Matter is generated and ready to be let out make one or more Holes in the lower part of the Swelling with a red-hot Iron about the bigness of the end of your Finger and having prest out the Matter dress the Holes with soft Tents besmear'd with the Duke's Ointment which will both make the Tents stick and prevent an Inflammation Or you may put in Tents of Hog's-Lard reaching from one Hole to the other and carry on the Suppuration so long as it shall be necessary but above all you must take care to make the Holes in the lower part of the Swelling and leave no boggy or hollow place underneath that the whole Matter may be evacuated and if you perceive that there is some Matter left or that the Skin is separated from the Flesh below the Holes you must immediately pierce the Skin with a red-hot Iron at the end of the hollow Place for without that Precaution the Skin would never be united to the Flesh Then put in Tents moisten'd with the Duke's Ointment from one Hole to another to draw out all the Matter Note That the Tents must be rowl'd hard lest they hurt or bruise the Part. Having put in the Tents you must take care to keep the Swelling moist with the Duke's Ointment to allay the Inflammation continuing to dress the Holes and to renew the Tents till the Cure be compleated And besides if there be a large hollow within you must inject with a Syringe some of the Waters for Gun-shot Wounds or the Yellow-Water if there be a great deal of Putrefaction Swellings upon the Withers are sooner cur'd by this Method than by Incision for the Flesh that is cut or touch'd with the Razor rots and falls away the Part remains deform'd and not unfrequently the Sore is very much enlarg'd without necessity You may safely use this Method when the bottom of the Sore is sound and when the Bones are not infected with any Caries or Corruption But if you perceive that there is a Scale to be separated or a Felander or such like putrefy'd Matter sticking to the Bone the surest way is to cut off all that is Corrupted and even the Mane if there be occasion without touching the Nerve that runs along it discovering at once the bottom of the Sore and piercing to the Quick You must not leave any high or swelling Lips 〈◊〉 cut the Sore sloping and above all you must take care to give the Matter a Vent 〈◊〉 keep it from stagnating The Operation must be heedfully perform'd for the cutting of the Neck-Sinew wou'd certainly spoil the Horse and therefore you must carefully separate the corrupt Flesh from the Sinew Having thus freed the Sore from all Impurities and cut off all the corrupt and putrefy'd Flesh strew the place with red-hot Ashes taken out of a burning Fire continuing to cast on the Ashes till the Blood be stopt Let the Sore remain untouch'd till the next Day and then wash it with the Water of a Smith's-Forge luke-warm or with warm Wine Urine or the Second Water and powder it again with hot Ashes Repeat the same two or three times once in twenty four Hours after which you will find the Sore in a very hopeful condition without Swelling Heat or any other symptom that may retard the Cure for the Salt contain'd in the Ashes is heated and melted by the moistness of the Sore and being a kind of Alkali it destroys the Acid and Corrosive Humour that falls by way of Defluxion upon the Part and that being destroy'd the Swelling abates and the Heat vanishes This is an excellent Method but since 't is not always easie nor sometimes possible to procure Ashes especially in an Army you may observe the following Directions After you have made the Incision take a sufficient quantity of Vitriol or Green Copperas that of Germany is cheapest dissolve it in Water till the Water be fully saturated and incapable of dissolving any more and with this Solution bathe the Wound or Sore applying afterwards Flax dipt in the same Water and binding it on carefully Forty eight Hours after take off the Dressing and if you perceive any Inflammation or Swelling renew the Application of the Flax dipt in the Solution of Vitriol which will certainly asswage the Heat and Swelling Then wash the Sore with the Water of a Smith's-Forge lukewarm and after that with
the Second Water or with Lime-Water and besmear it with Ox-Gall covering it very softly with Flax or Powder of old Ropes which being remov'd the next Day will leave the Sore fair and clean Wash it again with the Second Water or with Lime-water to allay the Itching that usually obstructs the Cure and afterwards anoint it with Ox-Gall and cover it softly with Flax or Powder of old Ropes as before continuing after the same manner till it be heal'd If you perceive any corrupt or bruis'd Flesh apply Spirit of Vitriol or one of the above-mention'd Caustics or which is the surest way burn the Part and after the Scab falls off anoint it again with Ox-Gall and continue as before till it be perfectly heal'd To consume Proud-Flesh since 't is not always convenient to apply Caustics you may strew it with the Powder of white Vitriol which will quickly eat it away If the Application of the Ox-Gall do not answer your expectation you may have recourse to one of the Ointments prescrib'd for the Cure of Wounds especially the Hermit's Ointment applying sometimes Aegyptiacum or Powder of Colcothar to consume the corrupt Flesh I have already intimated and I cannot too often repeat it that as soon as you perceive corrupt Flesh in a Wound or Sore or fleshy Excrescencies that rise like Buttons above it you must burn 'em with a hot Iron or apply the Powder of Colcothar that is common Vitriol calcin'd till it grow red and after the falling away of a very little Scab the Wound will remain fair and clean During the cure of Hurts in the Withers or other Parts of the Body you may wash the Part with the Vulnerary Water which heals cleanses and allays the Itching and the same Effects are also produc'd by the Second Water If these Ointments be not strong enough powder the Sore with white Vitriol and lay a convenient Ointment over it continuing to dress it after that manner till the Flesh be sufficiently firm CHAP. CVII The Vulnerary Water 'T Is to be observ'd That the Spirit of Vitriol which is usually sold is only Aqua-Fortis mixt with Water nor can this Cheat be discover'd by the common Method of trying true Spirit of Vitriol for if you put a piece of blue Paper into Aqua-Fortis mixt with Water the Paper will be dy'd red as if it had been put into Spirit of Vitriol and therefore the surest way is to buy the Spirit of those that distil it and to prove the Goodness of it dip a new Pen into it and write some Letters on white Paper then heat the Paper and that which makes the blackest Characters is the best Spirit Having thus made choice of true Spirit of Vitriol put a Pint of it into a Glass-Vial with an Ounce of good Opium cut into small and very thin slices let it stand cold twenty four Hours during which time it will acquire a brown Colour and you will find a Sediment at the bottom like Slime pour off the clear and keep it for use This Water far from causing any Inflammation allays and tempers the heat of a Wound and besides it does not occasion any considerable Pain for the Opium benumbs the Sense of Feeling and blunts the sharpness of the Spirit of Vitriol It strengthens and promotes the growth of a new Sole and there cannot be a better Remedy for Quitter-bones Pricks with a Nail or Stub False-Quarters Proud-Flesh Scab'd-Heels and in one word for all sorts of Wounds and Sores if the Bones do not appear uncover'd It allays the Itching of Hurts in the Withers and other Parts of the Body and so prevents the Inconveniencies that are occasion'd by tying up the Horse so short that he cannot lie down to hinder him from scrubbing the Sore If you wash the Part with this Water every Day and apply a convenient Ointment the Wound or Sore will be quickly heal'd without that troublesome Itching which retards the Cure The Cure of great Wounds is also obstructed by Felanders which breed in 'em and therefore you must burn 'em to the very Bone and apply a Digestive to hasten the falling of the Eschar If the Vulnerary Water do not cleanse the Wound sufficiently from all Corruption dip a little Cotton in the Liquid Caustic describ'd in the Eighth Chapter or in pure Spirit of Salt and apply it to the part of the Wound that is to be separated Sometimes the ends of the Tendons and Sinews are hurt and weaken'd by the Contusion that accompanies the Wound or are corrupted by the long continuance of the Matter or even by the violence of the Remedies and in these cases there remains so much weakness in the Nervous Parts that the Horse continues ever afterwards less fit for Service than formerly As soon therefore as you perceive the Wound to be fair and clean and wholly free from foul and corrupt Flesh take two Ounces of Aloes and one Ounce of Myrrh in Powder and put them into a large Matrass with half a Pint of Spirit of Wine stopping the Vessel very close and setting it on hot Ashes till the Spirit be sufficiently Impregnated with the Tincture of the Substances this Tincture being apply'd cold on Bolsters of Flax to the Tendons and Nerves asswages Pain promotes the healing of Wounds destroys Corruption and prevents a Gangrene and therefore it ought to be apply'd to all sorts of Wounds when there is any sign or fear of a Mortification The Powder of Lime and Honey describ'd in the beginning of the following Chapter is excellent for incarnating and drying up Wounds and when they are almost clos'd if there remains no Swelling or Deformity you may rub the Lips of the Wound with Unguentum Aureum mixt with the Emetic or Angelical Powder once wash'd which is of great efficacy to joyn and renew the Skin when the Cure is already brought to such a degree of Perfection that the Application of Remedies seems to be altogether useless I have often with very good Success anointed the Scar with Oil of St. John's-wort which makes a fine smooth Cicatrice without the least appearance of any Lips unevenness or any other Deformity which are the usual effects of the ignorance of the Farrier If you have no Angelical Powder you may use instead of it the Golden Sulphur of Antimony or if that be also wanting with a little Colcothar mixt with Unguentum Aureum anoint the Callous Lips of the Wound for these Applications will take away the Callus and make a fine Cicatrice 'T is to be observ'd That a Horse will put himself into all manner of Postures to rub the Wound when it begins to heal and sometimes thrust his Head under his Flank to bite and scrub it These Inconveniencies must be prevented with all possible Care lest after you have left the Wound fair and clean you find it at your return bloody foul and bruis'd and be oblig'd to begin the Cure again for all the Flesh that is rubb'd will certainly
Schmit's or the Doctor 's Ointment using your utmost Diligence to prevent a Gangrene in the Summer for during the Winter Wounds are not so much subject to that fatal inconveniency Lapis Mirabilis is good to resist Corruption as also the above-mention'd Vulnerary-Water and for want of that the Yellow-Water but the Spirits of Vitriol or Salt are better besides several others all these Remedies ought to be apply'd in case of Necessity when the Matter that runs out appears of a Black Colour which is one of the greatest signs of Corruption If you cannot stop the Blood after the opening of an Abscess sear the part for besides the conveniency of stanching the Flux of Blood the falling away of the Scab will promote the Cure and at last when 't is time to compleat the Cure the regular application of the Hermit's Ointment will quickly perform the Work An excellent Digestive Take fine Turpentine and Honey of each two Ounces the Yolks of four Eggs half an Ounce of Myrrh and an Ounce of Alloes in Powder mix all the Ingredients cold and you will have a Digestive that hinders the Corruption of the Flesh and takes away all the Pain occasion'd by the violence of the preceding Remedies The usual Digestive of Farriers is compos'd of Turpentine incorporated with the Yolks of Eggs to the thickness of an Ointment of a pale Citron Colour which is a good Remedy but inferior to the former When the Wound appears fair and clean and fit to be clos'd you may apply several sorts of Ointments That which follows is esteem'd good and is thus prepar'd The Hunter 's Ointment for deep Wounds Tho' I have already communicated the description of the Hermit's Ointment which is one of the most effectual Remedies for Wounds and cures 'em very speedily without the least ill Accident I thought fit also to insert that which follows since 't is a good easie and cheap Remedy Take Hog's Grease and Oil-Olive of each one pound melt the Grease in the Oil and after they have boil'd a little add two handfuls of the fresh Roots of Sharp-pointed Dock beaten and slic'd small Continue to boil for the space of half an Hour stirring from time to time after which add two handfuls of Self-heal and boil half an Hour longer then squeeze the Substances thro' a Linen Cloth in a Press and throwing away the Dreggs put the strain'd Liquor in a Bason over a gentle Fire with a pound of common Turpentine and as soon as they begin to incorporate add four Ounces of Verdigreese reduc'd to a fine Powder boiling and stirring 'em over a slow Fire then remove the Vessel from the Fire and add two Ounces of Borax beaten very small and six Ounces of unslak'd Lime in very fine Po wder stirring 'em till they be quite cold This Ointment will be of a lovely Green Colour When you have occasion to use it apply it cold to the Wounds and strew 'em with the Powder of old Ropes powdering the Tents with the same It cleanses heals consolidates and cicatrizes the Wound without hurting it Experience will convince you of its Excellency CHAP. CX Of Waters for Gun-Shot Wounds or Vulnerary Potions 'T IS not always convenient to make large Incisions in Gun-shot Wounds especially in the Army during the Heat of the Summer where there are no places to shelter the Horses either from the Sun or from Flies To discover the bottom and depth of these Wounds you must search them with a long Iron Probe placing the Horse in the same posture he was in when he receiv'd the Shot The Wounds by a Musquet Bullet are usually so deep that 't is impossible to reach the bottom of 'em with Ointments or Powders and therefore 't was necessary to invent certain Remedies in form of VVaters to be injected several times a day There is also a moistn'd Tent put into the Wound to keep it open the Hole is covered with a wet Linnen Cloth and half a pint of the same VVater is given inwardly to the Horse once a day Thus several Wounds are happily cur'd that wou'd have certainly prov'd fatal without the assistance of these Remedies 'T is true this Method is not always attended with success but at least a man has the satisfaction of thinking that his Horse did not perish by his neglect If the Horse be seiz'd with a Fever you must administer Clysters prepar'd with the Scoriae of Antimony and abstain from the inward use of the above-mention'd VVaters which are compos'd of hot Ingredients and wou'd consequently augment the heat and agitation of the humours and precipitate 'em on the wounded part But 't is frequently observ'd that very large Wounds in Horses are not accompany'd with a Fever nor must we condemn these Medicines for Horses tho' the use of 'em be almost intirely abolish'd for Men unless among the Switzers where they are still in great Credit A Simple Water for Gun-shot Wounds Take an Ounce and a half of the Raspings of round Birth-wort put it into a new Varnish'd Pot with three Quarts of small White-Wine and boil 'em over a gentle Fire to the consumption of a Quart then add six Ounces of fine Sugar and as soon as that is melted remove the Vessel from the Fire and strain out the Liquor Make the Horse drink half a Pint of this Water or rather Wine every Morning and wash or syringe the Wound with it twice every Day Another more Compound Take the Leaves of Comfrey Self-heal Speedwel and Sow-Bread slic'd small of each two handfuls Crab's-Eyes in fine Powder four Ounces put 'em into a Stew-Pot with four Quarts of the thinnest White-Wine lute on the Cover exactly and set the Pot on a gentle Fire Digest three Days after which boil half and Hour and strain out the Water or rather Wine Make the Horse drink half a Pint of it every Morning keeping him Bridl'd two Hours before and as long after wash and syringe the Wound with it and apply Tents moistenâ—d in the same Liquor This Water is more effectual than the former Another Take Mace Crab's-Eyes and Zedoary of each half an Ounce Mummy and Galingal of each three Drams Nux Vomica two Drams and half beat 'em grossly and put 'em into a large and strong Glass-Bottle slightly stopt with three Quarts of White-Wine Digest six Hours in a moderate Heat and without stirring the Iâ—quor pour out a large Glass-full every Morning to give the Horse and wash or syringe the Wound twice every twenty four Hours If this Water be too dear for a Horse it cannot be thought too chargeable for Men. A Compound Wine for curing Wounds in a Horse This Composition is more easily prepar'd and less chargeable than the former I shall insert the Names of several Vulnerary Simples that you may choose such of 'em as can be most easily procur'd but the more Ingredients you take the more effectual will your Remedy be Sow-Bread Savin Vervain Comfrey Lung-Wort Arsmart
that none of the Remedy may be lost then let the Horse stand two Hours bridl'd and renew the Dose once every two Days for the space of a Month till the Cure be perfected Or you may with less trouble give half an Ounce of the Powder every Morning in moisten'd Bran for fifteen or twenty Days Whatever Method you think fit to take for administring the Powder you must always remember to walk your Horse gently an Hour or two every Day and even you may make him perform his usual Service only you must neither ride him too hard nor make him sweat too much The Angelical Powder may be exhibited very safely and with good Success to Men for the curing of Intermitting Feavers The Dose is from two to six Grains in any convenient Vehicle or from two to four Ounces of its Infusion in Wine It cures the Plague being given in Substance when the Disease begins to appear before the Patient's Strength be wasted CHAP. CXIX The Yellow Pills for short-winded Horses THis is an excellent Remedy and infallibly performs the Cure if it be not absolutely impossible Take half an Ounce of Gum Tragacanth one Dram of Oriental Saffron in Powder infuse and macerate 'em in a Pint of colts-foot-Colts-Foot-Water till it turn to a Gelly Then take two Pounds of Glass of Antimony very transparent and of a Citron Colour beat it to a fine Powder and mix it in a Mortar by degrees with the Gelly or Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth beating and incorporating them with the Pestle till they be reduc'd to a Mass that will retain any Figure Make it up into Pills weighing nine Drams each and having dry'd 'em on the bottom of a Strainer turn'd upwards keep 'em in a Box. These Pills are incorruptible Make your Horse eat one of 'em every Day reduc'd to Powder and mixt with moistne'd Bran and in the mean time you may ride him and if he forsake his Meat forbear repeating the Pills till he begin to recover his Appetite If the heaving in his Flanks be encreas'd instead of being abated 't is a Sign that the Lungs are incurably ulcerated and therefore you must entirely lay aside the use of the Pills which in this Case wou'd only hasten his Death The same Dose may be also given in a Pint of White-Wine after the Horse has stood bridl'd two Hours You must also keep him bridl'd two Hours after and in the mean time may give him his usual Allowance of Food observing the above-mention'd Directions concerning the Heaving or Palpitation of the Flanks and the loss of Appetite If you perceive that he begins to relish his Meat again repeat the Dose for thirty Days together observing still that if the Palpitation of his Flanks be augmented the use of the Pills must be absolutely discontinu'd But if neither that Symptom be increas'd nor his Appetite quite lost you must continue the use of the Pills till the whole quantity that was prepar'd be consum'd for as I intimated before the most stubborn Pursiveness will yield to this Remedy if the Disease be not altogether incurable At first your Horse perhaps will grow lean and seem to be wasted but he will afterwards recover his Flesh and grow fatter than before This Remedy must never be administer'd to Horses that have weak and tender Stomachs for even the greatest Feeders are wont sometimes to forsake their Meat on this Occasion and will neither taste Bran nor Oats in which Case you must forbear giving 'em any more Pills till their Appetite be restor'd but many Horses undergo the whole Course without losing one Stroak of their Teeth When the Lungs are ulcerated or putrefi'd these Pills will certainly kill your Horse if you continue the use of 'em after he has lost his Appetite but when the Disease is incurable as 't is in this case the best way is to dispatch him speedily The Glass of Antimony may be also prepar'd and exhibited after this manner Mix half a Pound of it with two Pounds of the Dough of a Loaf kneading 'em together till the Powder be throughly incorporated with the Dough then bake the Loaf and two Days after give the Horse an eighth part of it repeating the same Dose every Morning till he has eaten two Pounds if he do not lose his Appetite and if the heaving in his Flanks be not augmented This Remedy removes obstructions and opens the Passages very effectually cooling the Lungs that were heated for want of Air and the Natural Temperament of that Part being restor'd the Horse will recover his Health and Breath without any Difficulty The Charge of the two Pounds of Pills will not amount to above Seven Livres allowing a moderate Gain to him who prepares 'em for Glass of Antimony is sold very cheap at Paris Tincture of Sulphur for Short-winded Horses Since Sulphur is the Balsam of the Lungs the Tincture containing its pure Substance or Essential Salt must certainly be a very effectual Remedy in this Case for this Distemper being accompany'd with a Redundancy of putrefi'd tough and viscous Humours requires a powerful cutting Medicine and 't is certain that the Operation of Minerals is more effectual than what can be expected from Vegetables The Remedy is thus prepar'd Take Powder of Brimstone and unslak'd Lime of each one Pound put 'em into a glaz'd Earthen-Pot capable of containing fifteen Quarts placing it in a Furnace full of live Coals and stirring uninterruptedly till the Matter break forth in a bluish Flame which proceeds from the Sulphur then pour in about twelve Quarts of boiling Water stirring the Matter perpetually to prevent its growing hard After six or seven Waums the boiling Water will be ting'd with the Colour of the Brimstone and after it has boil'd half a quarter of an Hour it will be impregnated with the Tincture and must be pour'd off from the Matter Take four Pints and a half of this Tincture and boil it for the space of half a quarter of an Hour in a large Pot with three handfuls of the Leaves of Colts-Foot chopt small three Roots of Ellecampane stampt in a Mortar and three Stalks of Liquorice beaten then infuse them in hot Ashes all Night and in the Morning set it over the Fire till it grow hot after which strain out the Liquor and make your Horse drink it up keeping him bridl'd two Hours before and as long after and walking him gently for the space of half an Hour Repeat the Dose five Days together after which let him rest two Days then give him his Potion five Days as before and after two Days of Intermission finish the Course by exhibiting the Remedy five Days longer at the end of which the Horse will recover his Health if the Disease be not absolutely incurable If during the use of this Remedy your Horse forsake his Meat you must suffer him to rest till he recover his Appetite and then proceed as before The Tincture may be exhibited alone with very good Success
breaking 'em all together in a Mortar till they be reduc'd to a hard Mass or Paste Make Pills weighing ten Drams each and dry 'em in the Shade on a Hair Sieve turn'd upside down When you intend to give your Horse this Remedy let him have his usual Allowance of Meat and then make him swallow a whole Pill in a Pint of Red or White Wine 'T is not absolutely necessary to keep him Bridl'd before you exhibit the Medicine but 't is certainly most convenient to let him stand Bridl'd an Hour before You must always remember to walk him about an Hour after and then you may ride him and in the mean time you may either work or ride him or put him in a Coach or if not you must keep him Bridl'd two Hours after the Dose Continue after the same manner to give him a Pill once a-day till the Cough be wholly cur'd if the Distemper be inveterate the Cure will at least require twenty Doses The same Pills may be also beaten and mix'd with moisten'd Bran. They may be kept very long and never grow moudly tho' they are almost always moist Tho' your Horse be not troubl'd with the Cough to preserve him from accidental Inconveniencies you may give him one of these Pills in the Morning before Hunting or hard Riding CHAP. CXXII Of. Châ—st-Foundering and Foundering accompany'd with a Fever THis Kind of Foundering is a preternatural Heat caus'd by the Fermentation of Humours in the Guts and Passages of Respiration and is accompany'd with the same Signs that denote Pursiveness but the Symptoms are more violent Only there is this difference between these two Distempers that there are few Horses troubl'd with Pursiveness at the Age of six Years whereas there are many founder'd This Distemper is often occasion'd by riding a Horse from his Wind and beyond his Strength It frequently accompanies the Melting of the Grease and sometimes 't is occasion'd by the Application of a violent Caustic or giving the Fire too roughly for the Cure of Diseases in the Feet but in this last Case the Distemper is not dangerous since it may be easily Cur'd by injecting one or two Clysters with Sal Polychrest Sometimes this follows some other Distempers when the Humours that fomented 'em are not entirely evacuated and continue to send up sharp hot and malignant Vapours which irritate the Lungs and cause the extraordinary Motion that is observ'd in ' em Horses are also Subject to this Distemper if they be suffer'd to feed on corrupt Provender when they are Young as Grass frozen in the Meadows during the Winter which putrefies in the Body and breeds a Ferment that occasions either this or some other dangerous Distemper 'T is caus'd by an Obstruction in the Passages of the Lungs which hinders Respiration if this Obstruction be newly generated or proceed from hot and subtil Matter it may be easily cur'd by the Application of convenient Remedies if it be not accompany'd with a Fever in which Case 't is frequently Mortal The Remedies prescrib'd for the Cure of this Distemper ought to be temperate and rather inclining to Cold than Heat to allay and stop the Fermentation and Ebullition of the Humors whereas the Medicines that are prescrib'd to pursive Horses must be rather Hot than Cold. In the Cure of this Distemper we must endeavour to allay the Heat that occasions the Boiling of the Humors prescribing all the Medicines in a liquid Form to dilute and qualifie the Heat of the Ingredients The Electuary prescrib'd in the preceding Chapter for the Cough is very useful in this Case and will certainly perform the Cure if it be administer'd regularly and repeated for a considerable Time If your Horse eat heartily you may cure him of his Distemper by giving him every Day from one to two Ounces of Liver of Antimony mix'd with moisten'd Bran but if he be naturally squeamish or has lost his Appetite on this Occasion 't will be in vain to attempt this Method If the Horse be Young and not troubl'd with a Fever the surest and easiest Method of Cure is to turn him out to Grass when the Herbs begin to spring forth and to leave him in the open Fields under the Dew during the Months of April and May for the young dewy Grass will scowre his Body and open the Passages Green Barley is also an excellent Remedy for this Distemper If this Method be impracticable by reason of the Inconveniency of the Place or of the Season of the Year you may observe the following Directions Feed your Horse with Wheat-Sheaves and Barley without allowing him either Hay or Oats Let him blood in the Flanks at the New Moon and the next Day give him a softening and opening Clyster which may be thus prepar'd Take of the five opening Roots beaten that is the Roots of Grass Madder Eringo or Sea-holm Capers and Rest-Harrow of each an Ounce Sal Polychrest half an Ounce boil the Ingredients in five Pints of Water for a Quarter of an Hour after which add the five softening Herbs namely Mallows Marsh-Mallows Mercury Violets and Pellitory of the Wall of each a Handful Boil 'em a quarter of an Hour longer then strain the Decoction add half a Pound of Honey prepar'd with the Herb Mercury and inject it by way of Clystâ—â— in the Evening repeating the same five or six Days together The Day after the administring of the last Clyster take White Mullein and Coltsfoot of each two Handfuls Chop 'em and boil 'em in three Pints of Water for a quarter of an Hour with half an Ounce of Sal Polychrest in Powder Assoon as you remove the Vessel from the Fire add three Handfuls of fresh Corn-Poppy Flowers or half an Ounce of the same Flowers dry'd and covering the Pot let 'em stand in Infusion till the Liquor be half cold then strain and adding an Ounce of Juice of Liquorice give the whole Decoction to your Horse with a Horn at Night inject the Clyster and next Morning repeat the Decoction Administer the same Remedies once every two Days for the Space of twelve Days but if during that time the Horse forsake his Meat you must endeavour to restore his Appetite by making him champ on a Chewing-Ball two Hours in the Morning and as long after Dinner and forbear the Use of the Decoction till he begins to eat heartily but this Inconveniency may be prevented notwithstanding the Use of the above-mention'd Remedies by giving him two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in Bran every Day when he is not oblig'd to take the Decoction which will not only preserve his Appetite but promote the Cure If these Remedies prove ineffectual and the Disease continue for a considerable Time it may at last degenerate to Pursiveness to prevent which if your Horse be of a phlegmatic Constitution Slow and Lazy you may give him the following Remedy to expel the thick and slimy Phlegm but if he be of a dark Sorrel Colour or
fiery and full of Mettle this Medicine wou'd make him extremely sick tho' a Couple of Clysters administer'd in the Height of the Sickness might perhaps prevent the ill Effects of it if you take care in the mean time to walk him frequently And besides 't is to be observ'd that this Remedy must not be given to a Horse either in the Beginning of the Disease or when 't is accompany'd with a Fever for it wou'd purge his Life out of his Body Take two or three Pounds of Fat of Bacon cut into thin Slices steep it in Water till it be fresh changing the Water five or six times once every two Hours in the mean time take red Colewort not a headed Cabbage and white Mullein of each two large Handfuls Carduus Benedictus one Handful Chop 'em small and beat 'em to a Mash in a Mortar with the fresh Fat of Bacon Form this Mass into Pills like Tennis-Balls and roll 'em up with Powder of Liquorice that they may not stick to your Fingers when you put 'em into the Horse's Mouth After the Horse has taken six or seven of these Pills give him a little Wine with a Horn or even after every Pill if you perceive that your Horse swallows 'em with Difficulty and after he has taken all the Pills wash his Mouth with a Pint of Wine and afterwards pour it down his Throat besides which you must allow another Pint to be taken with the Pills The Horse must stand bridl'd four Hours before and as long after If this Remedy be attended with Success to compleat the Cure you must begin the former Course with the Decoctions and Clysters but if it proves ineffectual administer the following Remedy Take the Leaves of Red Colewort not headed Cabbage which is not only useless but hurtful and Carduus Benedictus of each three Handfuls White Mullein and Colt's-foot of each three Handfuls Juniper-Berries one Handful Boil 'em half an Hour in two Quarts of Water then remove the Vessel from the Fire and add to the boiling Decoction two Handfuls of fresh Corn-Poppy Flowers or one Handful of 'em dry'd Cover the Pot immediately and when 't is almost cold strain out the Liquor adding as much Saffron as is sufficient to tinge it with a yellow Colour with two Ounces of Liquid Conserve of Roses and having given your Horse a Clyster the Day before make him drink up this Decoction repeating the same Clyster in the Evening and continuing after the same manner for twelve Days if your Horse's Stomach be not disorder'd in which Case you must forbear the Use of the Remedies till his Appetite be restor'd After the twelve Days are expir'd if his Flanks be sound without any Palpitation you must not overwhelm Nature with a Heap of Remedies but allow her Time to compleat the Victory and utterly to destroy her Enemy that is already weaken'd by the Medicines Since usually the preternatural Heat which causes the Distemper is augmented by the Remedies and the internal Parts heated and wasted 't will be necessary to restore the Natural and destroy the Preternatural Heat and to remove the remaining Obstructions by giving the Horse every Day an Ounce of Sal Prunellae in Powder and two Nutmegs grated and mixt with moisten'd Bran. The Use of this Remedy must be continu'd for a long time unless the Horse forsake his Meat in which Case instead of Sal Prunellae 't will be convenient to give him two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in Powder which procures an Appetite without cooling the Body so much as the other CHAP. CXXIII Remedies for Obstructions of the Lungs caus'd by Foundering A Young Horse who had so great an Oppression in the Flanks that he was thought to be Pursive and given over for lost was perfectly cur'd by the following Remedy Take Carduus Benedictus Mossie Lung-wort chopt small of each one Handful Missleto of the Oak beaten an Ounce Roots of Marsh-Mallows and Elecampane stampt in a Mortar half an Ounce Hyssop two Handfuls boil the Ingredients about half an Hour then press out the Liquor and add half an Ounce of Juice of Liquorice an Ounce of Liquorice beaten to Powder Anniseed and Fennelseed reduc'd to fine Powder of each half an Ounce a Scruple of Saffron half a Pound of Clarify'd Honey and a Quart of White Wine Mix and make a Decoction to be given blood-warm to the Horse at two Doses who must stand bridl'd six Hours before and after you have walk'd him an Hour must be kept bridl'd four Hours longer This Decoction must be exhibited four Days together then intermit three Days and afterwards give him four Doses more This Remedy will ease him very considerably and even absolutely cure him if he be Young But if you perceive no Benefit by the Use of it you may exhibit the Purging Medicine describ'd in the preceding Chapter observing diligently all the Circumstances and Directions mention'd there And afterwards give him the following Powder which may be also given safely and with good Success without any preceding Evacuation Take three Pound of Linseed dry'd in a Furnace according to the Method describ'd in one of the preceding Chapters Gentian three Ounces Fenugreek two Ounces Elecampane an Ounce and a half Sage and Hyssop of each three Ounces Brimstone half a Pound Mix and make a Powder The Dose is two Spoonfuls mixt with Bran every Morning till the whole Powder be taken and the Horse must stand bridl'd an Hour and a half after every Dose If the Disease continue still give him a Clyster for tho' it will not perfect the Cure it may perhaps give him Ease if it be frequently repeated And afterwards suffer Nature to act for she will quickly subdue her Enemy if you assist her with a well-regulated Diet. The most dangerous Kind of these Distempers is that which is accompany'd with a Fever which not only torments the Horse extremely but makes so quick a progress that it will not admit of so long a Delay as is requir'd for the administring of the above-mention'd Remedies You must begin the Cure with one of these two Clysters Make a Decoction of the softening Herbs chopt small and dissolving half a Pound of Honey in the strain'd Liquor inject it luke-warm Or you may give one of these Clysters in the Morning and the other in the Evening if you think fit Boil an Ounce of Crocus Metallorum reduc'd to fine Powder in five Pints of Beer for half a Quarter of an Hour then suffering it to settle pour off the Liquor strain it thro' a Linnen Cloth doubl'd add a quarter of a Pound of Butter inject the whole luke-warm and the next Day exhibit the following Remedy CHAP. CXXIV A Remedy for a Founder'd Horse that is troubl'd with a Fever and very sick TAke the distill'd Waters of Carduus Benedictus and Sccbious of each six Ounces Water of the Herb call'd Queen of the Meadows Cinnamon Water and Succory Water of each four Ounces Liquid Conserve of
Disease to the Eye and besides 't is accompany'd with a Palpitation of the Heart and very often with a violent Fever The sick Horse is heavy and sad hangs down his Head and sometimes falls to the Ground and Swoons away This dangerous Distemper destroys the Appetite and few escape when it enters into the Body And even it proves oftentimes fatal tho' it never enter into the Body by reason of the redundancy or malignity of the Humours The usual Ripening or Suppurating Remedies are of little use in this case for the Venom contain'd in the Tumour wou'd infect the Heart by its malignant Vapours before it cou'd be expell'd by the Medicine You must begin the Cure with a Clyster prepar'd after this manner Boil two handfuls of Barley and two Ounces of Sal-Polychrest reduc'd to a fine Powder in the Quarts of Water for the space of a quarter of an Hour Add to the strain'd Liquor a Pint of the Urine of a Cow or for want of that of a healthy and robust Boy with a quarter of a Pound of fresh Butter and a like quantity of Oil of Rue Repeat the Clyster twice every Day or oftner if need require Then shave away the Hair in the lower part of the Swelling and anoint the Part with one of the Retoires describ'd in Chap. LXXIV two or three times successively till the Medicine penetrate which will draw forth a reddish Water and so either ease the Horse or ripen the Tumour or at least mark the place where you make an Incision If the Anticor come to Suppuration and the signs of the Concoction of the Matter appear you may conclude that your Horse is in a hopeful way of recovery The method of Cure commonly us'd by Farriers is not so sure as that which I have already communicated They draw a Circle with a hot Iron round the Swelling and divide it equally by two Brass Lines then they pierce the Skin with an actual Cautery or red-hot Iron with a Button of the breadth of an Inch at the end of it making seven or eight Holes besides within the compass of the Circle Afterwards they chafe the place once every Day with the following Ointment apply'd warm Melt four Ounces of Basilicum with two Ounces of Turpentine and adding four Ounces of old Treacle and two Ounces of Oil of Rue incorporate 'em well together over the Fire The Oil of Rue is endu'd with an excellent Virtue to draw or dissolve these Tumours and besides it separates the Escar or Scab and makes the corrupt Humours flow abundantly out of the Holes made with the hot Iron Before you proceed to give the Fire you must endeavour to make a Revulsion by taking about a Pound and a half of Blood out of the Neck-Vein on the right side taking care not to exceed that quantity least Nature be weaken'd by an immoderate expence of Blood at a time when all her force is scarce sufficient to resist the Malignity of the Humour The next Day if the Distemper be not accompany'd with a Fever or an extraordinary beating in the Flank give your Horse the following Potion A Comforting Potion for the Anticor Take Bay-Berries Juniper-Berries Galingal and Zedoary Roots of each two Ounces Roots of Gentian and Angelica of each an Ounce and a half Cubebs and Myrrh of each half an Ounce Saffron one Scruple Make a Powder Give your Horse two Spoonfuls of this Powder 〈◊〉 a Pint of Spanish-Wine with two Ounces of Conserve of Roses and two Drams of old Treacle then walk him half an Hour and keep him fasting two Hours before and as long after which you may easily do for if the Disease be violent you 'll find it a hard task to make him eat any thing Instead of this Powder you may use the Treacle Powder or the Electuary of Kermes thus you may give him an Ounce of the Treacle Powder with a like or even double quantity of Confection of Hyacinth in a Quart of Wine or two Ounces of the Electuary of Kermes with half an Ounce of Assa-foetida in Powder Or if none of these Medicines can be procur'd you may content your self with an Ounce of good Treacle dissolv'd in a Quart of a Cordial Julep compos'd of the Waters of Scabious Cinnamon Scorzonera and Carduus Benedictus rinsing the Pot and Horn with a little of the same Water and even in some respects I preferr this Potion before all other Remedies whatsoever since it may be safely exhibited and repeated two or three times when the Distemper is accompany'd with a Fever or beating in the Flanks The same Evening give your Horse a Clyster with an Ounce and a half of Sal-Polychrest which will allay the beating in the Flanks None of the other Remedies can be given without manifest danger when the Disease is attended with a Fever or when there is a violent beating in the Flanks I know some that are wont with very good success to begin the Cure with this Potion preceded and follow'd by a Clyster You may also observe the following Method Make an Incision with your Fleam or Lancet in eight or ten several places on the Swelling and thrust into the Holes between the Skin and the Flesh a piece of the Root of black Hellebor of the bigness of the Tag of a Point If the Tumour be very large you may use white Hellebor and in either case you must remember to chafe the Part frequently with an Ointment consisting of equal parts of Treacle and the Ointments of Agrippa and of Marsh-Mallows The Roots of Hellebor raise the Swelling to a vast height and draw forth the Venom and Malignity of the Humour which is the true design of the Application and the Ointment ripens that stubborn and malignant Humour The next Day give your Horse a Clyster of two Ounces of Sal-Polychrest boil'd in two Quarts of Beer adding a quarter of a Pound of Oil of Bay after the Decoction is remov'd from the Fire And two Hours after the Injection of the Clyster give him one of the Cordial Potions If the Disease be very violent 't will be convenient to open a Vein a second time taking away about a Pound of Blood and to continue the frequent use of Clysters as before You must also walk your Horse from time to time to provoke the natural Heat to expel the offending Humour The Retoire is more effectual than the Roots of Hellebor tho' the last Method is not to be despis'd but in either case the vehemency of the Disease does frequently prevent the Operation of external Remedies and therefore the Cure chiefly depends on the timely and regular use of proper Cordials The Essence of Vipers is a noble Remedy if half an Ounce of it be mixt with a Pint of Spanish-Wine Since the Horse has usually few or no intervals of ease and his Appetite is quite destroy'd by the violence of the Distemper you must either give him an Armand or feed him with cleans'd Barley and observe
a Horse in a Moment and finds so little Resistance that it comes very speedily to a Period It proceeds either from the Biting or Stinging of a venomous Creature from the Eating of poisonous Food or from the Infection of the Air which is sometimes so Violent and Contagious that it kills all the Horses in a Stable CHAP. CXXXV Of the Causes and Signs of a Fever FEvers are usually occasion'd by all those things that promote the Ebullition and Fermentation of the Humours and particularly every thing that heats the Body as violent Exercise and the use of hot Aliments especially in Summer to which we may add whatever is apt to breed Fulness or Repletion in the Body which oppresses Nature and renders her unable to subdue those rebellious Humours that stagnate in the Vessels where they are putrefy'd and fermented Sometimes a Fever proceeds from Obstructions in the excretory Passages especially those in the habit of the Body which are very numerous or by a stoppage of the free and natural Motion of the Blood that performs so many Rounds every Day passing from the Heart thro' the Arteries to the Veins and from thence returning to the Heart Thus if a Horse that is heated by hard Riding or any violent Exercise be suddenly expos'd to the cold Air or drink very cold Water the least tendency to a Fever will discover it self and actually break forth into a Distemper which perhaps lurk'd in his Body before And to conclude the least Disturbance in the natural Disposition of the Body is apt on some Occasions to produce a Fever The Signs of a Fever are these A violent Beating in the Flanks Heat of the Mouth Tongue and all the rest of the Body Swelling of the Veins and Beating of the Heart against the Sides The sick Horse breathes thick and with Difficulty reels frequently as he goes seldom lies down and when he is laid starts up suddenly because the Difficulty of Breathing is increas'd by that Posture forsakes his Meat entirely or eats only by Starts takes no notice of those who come near him nor turns his Head tho' you make a noise behind him Takes no care of himself and at last remains immoveable as if he were perfectly stupid and depriv'd of all his Senses His Lips and Ears hang down his Eyes seem sad and shining a sharp and piercing Heat is spread over all his Body and all the Symptoms of a violent Oppression of Nature appear I shall proceed to lay down some general Rules to be observ'd in the Cure of all Sorts of Fevers And first You must keep your Horse to a very spare Diet for if the Fever continue three Days without Intermission you may conclude that he is in extreme Danger and therefore he may well fast or at least be contented with a very small Quantity of Nourishment in so short a time and Hippocrates tells us in his Aphorisms That when a Disease is at the Height 't is absolutely necessary to observe a very thin Diet. Thus you may easily perceive the dangerous Errour of those who if a Horse be troubl'd with a Fever and fast twenty four Hours immediately give him Milk and Yolks of Eggs which is a very unwholsome kind of Nourishment in this Case and encreases the Distemper Besides it must be given with a Horn and the Violence of that Method of Feeding him augments the Difficulty of Breathing and disturbs him when he stands most in need of Rest You must therefore content your self with endeavouring to make him eat something of his own Accord for a small quantity of Nourishment given after this Manner will produce a better Effect than all that you can pour into his Mouth with a Horn. 'T is a Rule of great Importance in the Cure of Fevers never to exhibit a purging Medicine for in so great a Confusion of the Humors it 's impossible for Nature to evacuate those that offend her till she has separated 'em from the rest of the Mass and 't is plain that the Execution of so laborious a Work requires a considerable space of Time And besides the Operation of a purgative Medicine heats the Body and causes a Pain in the Guts which may not improbably breed an Inflammation 'T is also convenient to keep the sick Horse always bridl'd unless for so long time as must be necessarily allow'd him for Eating Of the Cure of a simple Fever If your Horse be troubl'd with a simple Fever you have no reason to dread the Event since the Cure may be easily and almost infallibly perform'd by a careful Observance of the following Method Assoon as you perceive any Signs of a Fever open the Neck-Vein on the right Side and take out about three Pounds of Blood The same Day give him the following Clyster A Clyster Boil two Ounces of Sal Polychrest and two Handfuls of whole Barley in three Quarts of Water and after one Waum add Blites Mercury Leaves of Violets and Pellitory of the Wall of each three Handfuls boil for the space of half a quarter of an Hour then remove the Decoction from the Fire and after 't is half cold strain out the Liquor and adding three Ounces of the Lenitive Electuary with a quarter of a Pound of Oil of Roses make a Clyster to be injected luke-warm An Hour after he has voided the Clyster tye a Chewing-Ball to his Bit and give him two Ounces of Powder of Liver of Antimony in a Quart of Beer or a Ptisan which may expel the Humours by Urine without heating the Body The next Day after rubb his whole Body with a Wisp of Straw or Hay to open the Pores of the Skin that the Steams or Excrements of the third Concoction may exhale which if they were suffer'd to remain in the Body wou'd oppress the Blood that stands in need of a free and unobstructed Motion His ordinary Drink may be thus prepar'd Melt four Ounces of Sal Prunellae in a sufficient quantity of Water and after 't is cold mix it with a little Flower and let your Horse drink as much as he pleases for this Drink allays the Heat of the Entrails resists Corruption and opens the Passages Besides it stops that Ebullition or Fermentation which is the usual Cause of all Fevers and evacuates the Humours by Urine which is the right Passage thro' which they shou'd be expell'd As for his Food you must give him Leaves of Succory Lettuce Dandelion or of Vines but little or no Hay and less Oats for either of these are apt to heat the Body constipate the Belly and harden the Excrements If you consider the short continuance of the Disease you will not be troubl'd at the small quantity of Nourishment that your Horse is allow'd to take If it last above three Days take Assa-faetida and Savin grossly beaten of each half an Ounce Sugar and Raspings of Liquorice of each an Ounce Tie 'em to the Bit in a Linnen Bag and make him champ upon it
frequentlty This Medicine will purge the Brain and make him eat of his own Accord which is absolutely the best way of Feeding afterwards you may give him moisten'd Bran with Liver of Antimony in Powder which will infallibly restore his Appetite If his Aversion to his Meat continue you must have recourse to the Horn and give him cleans'd Barley without the Addition of Butter or Salt which will nourish and moisten his Body The Barley must be boil'd in Water for the space of five Hours over a gentle Fire then strain and mix it with a convenient quantity of Sugar Take a Pound and a quarter of Barley-flower well boulted and separated from the Bran boil it in two Quarts of Water to the Consistency of thick Broth then add two Ounces of Sugar and give it to your Horse luke-warm This Draught will serve to sustain him twenty four Hours at the end of which it may be repeated If the Violence of the Distemper be not abated you may bleed your Horse a second time The continu'd Use of Clysters and frequent rubbing of the Body are always very profitable in those Cases The Knowledge of the Cause is of very great Importance for the right Management of the Cure and therefore if the Fever be occasion'd by exposing your Horse to the Cold or Night-Air you must keep him cover'd rubb his Body frequently and continue the frequent Use of Clysters If the Distemper proceed from hard Labour and violent Exercise you must boil the Water that serves for his ordinary Drink and mix it with Barley Meal feeding him with Vine Leaves if they be in Season and if you can make him eat 'em without Reluctancy or with Panado or Bread bak'd with Sugar without Fat Butter or Salt If the Fever be caus'd by unwholsome Food 't will be convenient to repeat the Bleeding and to inject Clysters compos'd of a sufficient quantity of a Decoction of the softening Herbs with a Handful of Pigeon's Dung beaten small half a Pound of salt Butter and a Pint of Emetic Wine I have always observ'd the Efficacy of Emetic Wine in Clysters but you must take care not to abuse so useful a Remedy for since Fevers are very dangerous and oftentimes Fatal 't is the usual Custom to lay the Blame of the Horse's Death on the Medicines without taking notice of the Violence of the Distemper By this Method you may certainly cure any Fever that continues simple But these Distempers degenerate oftentimes to putrid Fevers CHAP. CXXXVI Of the Cure of Putrid Fevers THis Kind of Fever commonly attacks young Horses especially those who are vigorous and of a slender Make. It may be easily known by these Signs The sick Horse hangs his Head as if he were quite stupid is hardly able to keep his Eyes open and reels as he goes by reason of the Ascent of Vapours to the Brain his Tongue and Roof of his Mouth are blackish rough and dry there is a great Heat over all his Body his Eyes are red his Breath hot and sharp and his Flanks beat violently You must immediately let him blood sometimes in the Neck Temple or Eye-Veins and sometimes in the Brisket Flanks or Veins of the Thighs The Bleeding ventilates lessens the Redundancy and facilitates the Motion of the Humours It prevents the Breaking of the Vessels allays in some measure the Ebullition tempers the Heat and by taking away part of the Cause of the Distemper gives Nature an Opportunity to subdue the rest You must allow him no more Nourishment than is just sufficient to keep him from starving Green Barley Dandelion and the Tops of Vine Leaves are very proper in this Case or for want of these a little moisten'd Bran Bread and a very small quantity of Hay For his ordinary Drink boil two Ounces of white Tartar beaten to fine Powder in two Quarts of Water for a quarter of an Hour then pour the Decoction into a Pailful of Water with a Handful of Barley Flower and let him drink as much as he pleases You may also mix the following Febrifuge with his Drink which is an excellent and cheap Remedy A Febrifuge or Remedy to drive away Fevers Put a Quart of Water with two Ounces of Salt of Tartar in a Brazen Pot with a Cover and set it over the Fire till the Salt be dissolv'd then pour the Water into a Pail and after the same manner dissolve an Ounce of Sal Armoniac beaten to Powder in another Quart of Water Mix this last Solution with the former and fill up the Pail with common Water if your Horse refuse to drink it add a little Barley Flower to qualifie the unpleasant Taste This Drink will allay the Heat of the Fever quiet and stop the Fermentation and Ebullition of the Humours provoke Urine powerfully and wonderfully ease the sick Horse And therefore you must always pour a little of this Febrifuge into the Water you give him to drink neglecting the Use of Sal Prunellae since 't is not expedient to confound Remedies and the Febrifuge excels all the rest that can be prescrib'd Take Assa-faetida and Savin both in Powder of each half an Ounce tye 'em in a Bag to your Horse's Bit and never unbridle him unless when you think fit to suffer him to eat or drink There are no other internal Remedies useful in this Case but the Cordial Waters which by Virtue of their Essential Qualities strengthen the Heart and inable it to resist the Malignity of the unnatural Heat that opposes and endeavours to destroy that which is Natural and besides by reason of their Moisture they allay and temper that internal Heat which causes the Fever Take three Pints of the Waters of Scabious Carduus Benedictus Scorzonera and Queen of the Meadows with an Ounce of the Confection of Alkermes Make your Horse drink up the whole Mixture and repeat it the next Day if need require Above all you must continue and frequently repeat the use of Clysters injecting three or four every Day if there be occasion For there is no Remedy gives greater ease and relieves the Horse more effectually A Clyster for a Fever Boil two Ounces of the Scoriae of Liver of Antimony reduc'd to fine Powder in five Pints of Whey made of Cow's Milk and after two or three brisk waums remove the Decoction from the Fire and immediately add two Heads of Coloquintida slic'd small and after 't is half cold press out the Liquor add to the straining a quarter of a Pound of Butter and inject it luke-warm This Purgative Clyster will give ease to the Horse without heating his Body Yet it must not be us'd daily but that which follows may be repeated several times every Day Another Clyster for Fevers Take a sufficient quantity of the emollient or softening Herbs and Fennel-seed beaten with an Ounce and a half of Sal-Polychrest and two handfuls of whole Barley boil 'em and add to the strain'd Liquor Oil of Roses and Violets of each
four Ounces Benedicta Laxativa two Ounces or extracted Cassia three Ounces This Clyster evacuates the Impurities contain'd in the Intestines and comforts the superiour Parts You may also rub your Horse against the Hair to open the Pores and let out the Fuliginous Vapours contain'd under the Skin I have observ'd some Horses cur'd by the use of these Remedies and I have seen the same Medicines given to others without Success When the Fever continues three Days without intermission I lay aside the use of Remedies and immediately order the Horse to be thrown upon the Dunghil for I never observ'd in all my Practice that any Horse escap'd after that fatal Period tho' sometimes they linger out five or six Days longer because during the three Days of the uninterupted continuance of the Fever the Liver is quite burnt and consum'd by the violence of the Heat as it appears evidently by the Dissection of Horses that dye of a Fever CHAP. CXXXVII Of a Pestilential Fever THE Cure of this Fever is different from that of the last and is perform'd by strengthning Nature in correcting the malignity of the Poyson that causes the Disorder For the removal of the Cause is the most probable way to put an end to the Distemper For this purpose you must inject Clysters frequently and give repeated Doses of the Cordial Pills or the Electuary of Kermes observing almost the same Directions that are prescrib'd for the Cure of the Anticor I once observ'd a great Mortality of Horses in Germany few escaping that were once seiz'd with the Distemper Almost all of 'em voided a great quantity of Water at the Eyes they were troubl'd with a Fever and a strong Aversion to their Meat the tips of their Ears were cold and a certain yellow and greenish Matter dropt constantly from their Nose At first several Remedies were try'd in vain but at last I invented one that perform'd a great number of Cures As soon as the Disease appear'd the Horse was let Blood before he was suffer'd to Drink but if he had already Drunk the bleeding was delay'd till the next Day He was kept Bridl'd two or three Hours after then the following Remedy was exhibited after which he stood Bridl'd two Hours longer and a Man was order'd to walk him half an Hour Take new Treacle not above three Months old and Aloes Hepatica in Powder of each one Ounce Confection of Hyacinth and of Alkermes without Musk or Ambergreese of each half an Ounce dissolve 'em in a Decoction made with Scabious Carduus Benedictus and Speedwel of each a large handful 'T was observ'd that the Distill'd Waters of those Herbs when they cou'd be procur'd were more effectual than the Decoction The next and the following Days Clysters were Injected and if the violence of the Distemper did not abate the Remedy was repeated taking only one half of the prescrib'd Doses of the Treacle Aloes and Confections but the quantity of the Liquor was not lessen'd This Remedy cur'd all the Horses to whom it was exhibited but perhaps would not succeed so well on another occasion I order'd new Treacle to be us'd because that Medicine acquires a great deal of Heat by being long kept and all the cooling Virtue of the Opium that enters its Composition vanishes Mithridate Orvietan the Treacle Diatessaron the Electuary of Kermes the Confections of Hyacinth and Alkermes without Musk or Amber-greese are excellent Remedies against Pestilential Fevers as are also the Cordials describ'd above If the Disease be occasion'd by the Contagion of the Air as soon as you perceive your Stable to be infected remove instantly all your sound Horses without permiting 'em to enter into it again till you have perfum'd it with equal Parts of Sulphur and Salt-Petre and double quantities of Antimony and Pitch Or you may make an excellent Perfume by burning a Faggot of green Juniper-Wood the Doors and Windows being shut And you must also whiten the Walls wash the Rack and make the whole Stable clean For the biting of Venemous Beasts you may consult the Hundred and thirteenth Chapter If your Horse has swallow'd Poyson make him drink a great quantity of Oil and give him Orvietan Treacle or the Electuary of Kermes and the Cordial Pills are also proper in this case When a Horse happens to swallow Arsenic if his Stomach be void 't is impossible to prevent his Death if he be not assisted in less than an Hour for during that time the Arsenic is able to burn and utterly consume the Part to which it sticks The only Remedy in this case is to make him Drink two Pounds of good Oil-Olive to blunt and deaden the Acrimony of the Arsenic and two or three Hours after give him another Pound of the same Oil. Of the Method to be observ'd after a Horse's Recovery from a Fever When a Fever actually prevails you must not exhibit a Purgative Remedy for that wou'd be a no less preposterous attempt than if you shou'd endeavour to separate the Lees from the Wine during its Fermentation There are only two cases in which a Purging Remedy can be administer'd with safety or success in a Fever In the first place it may be given for the evacuation of corrupt Humours floating in the Stomach and Guts and it must be acknowledg'd that the removal of those Humours wou'd be advantagious to the Horse But since they are not the cause of the Disease that advantage wou'd be very inconsiderable with respect to the damage which Nature cou'd not avoid receiving by the heat and acrimony of the Remedy and by the violent and unusual Motion excited by it The other case in which Purgation is not only useful but necessary is when Nature after the agitation of the Humours during the Fever separates the corrupt from the pure Humours for she is often so weaken'd and render'd so lazy by the violence of her late Conflict that she contents her self with the Victory she has gain'd and is either unable or unwilling to attempt the utter overthrow and expulsion of her Enemy who seems to be perfectly quieted but may afterwards return to the assault with a more dangerous Fury than before As soon therefore as you perceive a remission or cessation of Arms you must take hold of that occasion to assist Nature to compleat the ruine of her Adversary 'T is true Purgatives are repugnant rather than agreeable to Nature but 't is certain she receives an accidental benefit by 'em for when they are in the Body they irritate and offend he Parts thro' which they pass and Nature perceiving those new Commotions endeavours to expel the cause of 'em and in the struggle drives forth the remainders of the Humours that not long before had almost overwhelm'd her as if the Operation of the Medicine had rouz'd her and put her in mind of her Duty You must not wait for the Marks of the Concoction and separation of the Humours from the Urine or Excrements of
Horses For 't is impossible to perceive the least sign of Nature's Victory in 'em But you may confidently and safely proceed to the use of Purgatives as soon as you see the Tempest succeeded by a Calm In the mean time 't will be convenient to administer cooling Remedies for some Days such as Sal-Polychrest in Wine to extinguish the latent Fire that lies bury'd in the Embers after the Flame is seemingly quench'd and to recruit the Horse's strength by a good and wholsome but spare Diet for 't is a dangerous Error to imagine that the abundance or large quantity of Nourishment repairs the decay'd Vigour of the Horse's Body For if the Stomach be over-loaded with Food it cannot duly perform the work of Digestion without which the Aliments are not only useless but very hurtful After you have spent some time in endeavouring to strengthen and cherish Nature you may give such a Purging Remedy as you have reason to believe is least apt to disturb her There is a great variety of those Medicines but we shou'd be taught by Experience to reject those that are usually observ'd to occasion Disorders in the Body and to make use of such as are most likely to answer your Design and Expectation 'T is in my Opinion a very hard Task to discover the peculiar Nature and Properties of the offending Humour and to choose Specific Remedies for the evacuation of Choler Flegm or any other particular Humour Sal-Polychrest purges gently and almost insensibly And I have successfully us'd the following Remedy which I recommend as one of the best and most effectual Medicines that can be propos'd in this case A Purging Remedy for a Horse after his Recovery from a Fever and generally in all other Cases Take Powder of white Tartar and fine Nitre of each two Ounces put 'em in an Earthen Dish and kindle 'em with a live Coal After the Matter is sufficiently burnt and cold beat it to a fine Powder put it into a Quart of Water with a like quantity of White-Wine and four Ounces of Sena and let 'em stand all Night in a cold Infusion Take of fine Powder of Scammony half an Ounce for an ordinary Horse or five Drams for one of a very large size incorporate it in a Mortar with half a Pound of Honey prepar'd with the Herb Mercury Then pour on your strain'd Infusion stiring it gently with the Honey and Scammony with the Pestle and give the whole quantity to your Horse keeping him Bridl'd four Hours before and three Hours after Give him moisten'd Bran instead of Oats and twenty four Hours after walk him gently for the space of an Hour to facilitate the Operation of the Medicine 'T is a peculiar Excellency of this Remedy that it Purges effectually without heating the Body For tho' Infusions are generally free from the excessive heat of Medicines even in Substance they rarely procure a plentiful Evacuation But this Remedy operates powerfully tho' the Sena be not given in Powder for the Scammony and Honey of Mercury produce the desir'd effect because the Salt of Tartar opens the Body of the Sena and enables the Decoction to extract its essential Salt in which its Purgative quality is lodg'd This Medicine may be safely administer'd to Horses of a hot and fiery Constitution when they are extreamly fatigu'd with violent Exercise and on all other occasions when they stand in need of Purgation without any danger of heating and inflaming their Bodies CHAP. CXXXVIII An excellent Catholicum for Clysters TAke of the Roots of Flower de Luce of Florence half a Pound Sena fine Aloes and Hermodactyls of each four Ounces black and white Hellebor of each two Ounces Indian Pine-Nuts an Ounce Beat all the Ingredients to a gross Powder and put 'em into a large Pot with three Quarts of Water an Ounce of Spirit of Vitriol and four Ounces of Sal-Prunellae in Powder let 'em stand in a cold Infusion three Days and as many Nights stirring 'em from time to time then strain out the Liquor thro' a very thick Canvas-Bag and evaporate it with a gentle Heat over a clear Fire till there be about a Quart remaining to which add a Pound and half of good common Honey and boil it to the thickness of a Syrup then put in Jalap and Turbith of each four Ounces Coloquintida and Gum-Gotte of each two Ounces Scammony one Ounce green Anniseed and Fennel-seed of each two Ounces all beaten to a fine Powder and well sears'd Boil to the thickness of an Electuary stirring perpetually The Dose is from three Ounces to three Ounces and a half dissolv'd in any of the usual Decoctions for a Clyster without Honey Oil or any other addition It operates very effectually and is an universal Purger of all bad and corrupt Humours I must acknowledge that I cou'd never yet administer a Purging Remedy without dreading the event even after a hundred successful Tryals For certainly the Motion occasion'd by those Remedies is contrary and even oftentimes destructive to Nature and there are so many Aspects and Oppositions of the Stars that may occasion great Disorders after the use of those Remedies that I never give 'em without an absolute necessity And it has been frequently observ'd that for want of a regular Preparation of the Horse's Body or perhaps of a due observation of the Heavens several Horses have been Founder'd and even kill'd by Remedies that have been given with success a hundred times before But since according to the usual Proverb Necessity knows no Law we are sometimes oblig'd to break thro' all those Considerations choosing the least dangerous Medicines and observing all possible Precautions Nevertheless Clysters are safe and gentle Remedies for the most powerful Purgatives perform their Operation without the least disturbance when they are injected at the Fundament And this is a true Catholicum that is an universal Remedy fit or rather necessary for all those that go to the Army where many Horses perish for want of a duly prepar'd Clyster CHAP. CXXXIX Of the Farcin THE Farcin is a Swelling that frequently appears with an Ulcer caus'd by the corruption of the Blood and that by a certain Poyson which is more or less Malignant and consequently makes the Horse's condition either hopeful or altogether desperate When any Part that is necessary or of considerable use and importance for the regular performance of the Vital Functions fails in the discharge of its Office by reason of some defect in its Temperament Figure or Contexture the economy or disposition of the Body must unavoidably suffer a great and dangerous alteration If the Part be necessary for Sanguification the mixture of the Blood is disturb'd and perverted and according to the vitiated constitution of the Part affected it receives a noxious Impression and oftentimes acquires an acid hot and corrosive quality that eats and consumes the Parts where it stagnates as it appears evidently in the Farcin which spreads almost over the whole
is the true Method of curing the Farcin by purifying the Blood destroying the Poyson and strengthning Nature Another easie Method Bleed your Horse abundantly and give him every Morning three Pints of Emetic Wine or Beer which some Horses will drink like Water for it tastes only of the Wine Continue the use of this Wine or Beer till your Horse be sound This is a very convenient Remedy in those Countries where Wine is cheap and for those that have Horses that drink Wine since the making it Emetic costs little or nothing and the same may be said of the Beer The Horse must eat nothing but Bran and may be moderately ridden When the Knots break strew 'em with Powder of Sublimate Hellebor Roots or apply a Caustic If your Horses Legs be swoll'n you may chafe 'em with the following Ointment If he refuse to drink the Emetic Wine or Beer pour it down his Throat with a Horn and make him fast about two Hours before and after These Methods of Cure are in my Opinion to be preferr'd before giving the Fire But for the satisfaction of several Persons who are fond of that Operation I shall briefly show the manner of performing it CHAP. CXLII To cure the Farcin by giving the Fire IF this Operation be accompany'd with good inward Remedies it may be administer'd with good Success for the cure of the Farcin To proceed methodically in the beginning of the Disease you must surround the Knots with a Line drawn with a hot Iron without piercing the Skin which frequently puts a stop to the Farcin As soon as you perceive that the Knots are full of Matter I mean such as are capable of Suppuration open 'em boldly with a red-hot Iron wheresoever they are seated not excepting even the Hough nor the Master-Sinew of the Fore-Leg For if you thrust in your Instrument no farther than till it reach the Matter you can never do the least Injury to the Part but only assist Nature to expel what offends her And the opening of the Tumour prevents those Disorders that might have been occasion'd if the Matter had been longer retain'd As soon as you have surrounded and stop'd the Cords and Knots with the Rases of Fire open a Vein taking away a great quantity of Blood and give your Horse a Purging Medicine mixt with Mercurius Dulcis or Cinnabar If afterwards new Knots appear you must let 'em ripen and if they will not come to Suppuration burn 'em with a red-hot Iron When the Scab falls off if new pieces of Flesh spring up like Mushrooms 't is a certain sign of the danger of the Distemper and difficulty of the Cure and the Flesh must be consum'd either by a repeated Application of the red-hot Iron or of one of the following Caustics When you have burnt the Knots or Swellings that come to Suppuration you must wash 'em every Day after the Scab is fall'n off with Urine and dress 'em with the Ointment of Portugal The Ointment of Portugal for Farcin-Knots Take Verdigrease and Realgar of each one Ounce Arsenic two Ounces Camphire two Drams beat the Arsenic Camphire and Verdigrease severally to a very fine Powder then mix 'em together pouring on six Ounces of Oil by degrees and incorporate 'em with the Pestle after which add the Ounce of Realgar in fine Powder Mix and make a Liquid Ointment having cleans'd the Sores and even wash'd 'em with the Second Water or hot Urine if you think fit Anoint 'em every Day with a Pensil made of Hog's Bristles dipt in the Ointment till they be dry'd up Several Horses have been cur'd by this Ointment without giving the Fire or using any other Remedy but Bleeding It serves also to cleanse and dry the Sores after the Escar occasion'd by giving the Fire is fall'n off Bleeding is useful in the beginning and end but not in the middle of the Cure After you have burnt several Knots if you find that there are some of 'em situated where you cannot safely give the Fire you may apply Caustics which will produce the same effect A Cautery or Caustic Take Powder of Sublimate mixt with Spirit of Wine and apply it to the Part where you wou'd raise an Escar Four or five Days after anoint it with Basilicum to hasten the falling away of the Escar Another Take Corrosive Sublimate and Red Precipitate of each half an Ounce Verdigrease and Vitriol of each an Ounce Powder of Cantharides half an Ounce Arsenic an Ounce incorporate 'em with four or if you wou'd have a gentler Caustic with eight Ounces of Basilicum This Caustic burns the Part to which 't is apply'd in twenty four Hours and the Scab or Escar falls off three or four Days after There are a hundred several sorts of Caustics The Caustic-Stones that are sold by Apothecaries produce the same effect but they are not strong enough for Horses In the Composition of a Caustic we must not only regard the raising of a large Scab but endeavour to prevent the Swelling Heat and other Disorders that are the usual and inconvenient effects of the ill-proportion'd Doses of the Ingredients The following Ointment raises a sufficient Escar without any considerable Swelling or Inflammation The Ointment of Naples which alone Cures the Farcin Take Realgar and Sublimate of each two Ounces Arsenic and Euphorbium of each one Ounce beat 'em to fine Powder and incorporate 'em without Heat with half a Pound of pure Oil of Bay not mixt with half the quantity of Grease as 't is Sold in many Shops at Paris Keep the Ointment in a glaz'd Pot and when you have occasion to use it open the Knots or Swellings with a Lancet and put into the Hole a little Cotton dipt in this Ointment without heating it in the least The next Day if you perceive that 't is fall'n away you must put in a little Cotton with some fresh Ointment but if it stick one Application will suffice This Ointment is also good for Warts Quitter-bones and in all cases that require the raising of an Escar An Italian Groom who communicated to me the description of this Ointment as a great Secret cur'd many Horses of the Farcin without applying any other Remedy I have seen with Amazement the unexpected Cures he perform'd before he imparted his Medicine to me and I Religiously observ'd the Promise I made him never to publish it during his Life CHAP. CXLIII The Remedy of a German Farrier for the Farcin 'T IS a very considerable conveniency to be furnish'd with variety of Remedies for dangerous Distempers for some Medicines are not duly Prepar'd and others that cannot be accus'd of that defect are nevertheless found to be ineffectual and besides every one may gratifie his Inclination in the choice of a Remedy among so great a number Whatever Method you follow in the Cure of the Farcin you must always observe the above-mention'd Directions concerning your Horse's Diet You must also Bleed him and Purge him too if
you think fit but whether you purge or not you must begin with Bleeding Then Take Sarsaparilla and China-Roots cut small of each three Ounces Roots of Avens two Ounces Leaves of Agrimony two large handfuls Scordium a handful and a half boil 'em gently in four Quarts of Water to a Quart and a half in a cover'd Vessel then strain and adding a Pint of White-Wine make a Decoction for five Doses to be given five Mornings together adding to every Dose an ordinary Glass-full of Urine Substance in the Top and in the Neck of the Vial. Thus you have a sweet Sublimate which if it be rightly prepar'd will not discover the least Acrimony when you touch it with your Tongue for all the sharp and biting Salts that made the first Sublimate corrosive are evaporated thro' the Neck of the Vial which must be always kept open during the Sublimation and even part of the first Corrosive Sublimate is carry'd off with the Salts so that there remains only the sweet Sublimate or Mercury which may be kept for several Uses 'T is to be observ'd that all the Preparations of Mercury may be reviv'd and restor'd to their natural Form and Fluidity with Filings of Steel or unslak'd Lime which by the Assistance of the Fire attract and retain all the Spirits that kept the Mercury in a manner imprison'd in so many various Forms according to the Diversity of the Preparations for several Uses Thus Cinnabar which is only Mercury sublim'd with Sulphur may be reduc'd to fluid Quick-silver with Filings of Steel and the same may be said of all the other Preparations of Mercury such as the Precipitates Turbith Mineral c. CHAP. CXLIV Remedies for the Farcin that resembles a Hen's Fundament THE Humour that foments this Kind of Farcin partakes so much of Melancholy that the Knots are seldom or never brought to Suppuration sending forth a sort of foul and proud Flesh that can hardly be curb'd or extirpated by Remedies The Difficulty of the Cure ought to heighten our Diligence and convince us of the Necessity of using the most potent Remedies to expel the Cause of the Distemper such as these that follow Since black Hellebore is one of the principal and most effectual Remedies for the Cure of this Disease great Care shou'd be taken to correct its ill Qualities by an exact Preparation Take a sufficient quantity of the Roots of true black Hellebore wash'd and dry'd infuse 'em twenty four Hours in Vinegar of Roses and throwing away the Vinegar dry the Roots at a very gentle Fire Pills for the Farcin Take Sena Leaves and Salt of Tartar of each an Ounce Turbith Aloes and Mercurius dulcis of each half an Ounce black Hellebore prepar'd three Drams Rhubarb two Drams Ginger and Nutmegs of each a Dram and a half Anniseed and Fennelseed of each half a Dram Beat all the Ingredients to a gross Powder and with a Pound of fresh Butter make 'em up into Pills keep your Horse bridl'd six Hours before and as long after and assoon as he has taken the Pills walk him gently for the space of half an Hour well cover'd Note That you must bleed your Horse the day before you give him the Pills You may purge a Horse for the Farcin with two Ounces of the Catholic or Imperial Pills of Fernelius mix'd with half an Ounce of Mercurius dulcis made up into one or two Pills and exhibited in a Pint of White-Wine As soon as you perceive that your Horse has recover'd a good Appetite and that the Operation of the Purgative is over give him the following Ptisan CHAP. CXLV The German Ptisan for the Cure of the Farcin TAke the dry Roots of Angelica Gentian Valerian Avens round Birthwort and Marsh-Mallows of each an Ounce and a half or a double quantity of the green Roots Leaves of Agrimony two Handfuls Beat the Roots grossly boil all the Ingredients in a close-cover'd Pot in three Quarts of Water to the Consumption of one half Then press out the Liquor thro' a Linnen-Cloth and add to the Straining before it grow cold half an Ounce of Juice of Liquorice and White Wine an equal quantity to the whole Decoction and afterwards add two Pugils of Oriental Saffron in Powder Three Days after the Purgation when the Evacuation is over and the Horse's Appetite restor'd let him stand bridl'd from Five a Clock in the Morning to Eight then give him the fifth Part of the Decoction keeping him bridl'd three Hours after Repeat the Decoction after the same Manner for five Days together If his Appetite be not fully restor'd in the limited time after the Purgation you must wait four five or six Days till you are convinc'd that he feeds as heartily as he did before you gave him the purging Medicine During the time of his taking the Decoction if the Weather be not too hot walk him gently half an Hour every Day after Dinner These five Doses of the Decoction are usually sufficient for perfecting the Cure without any other Remedy and the Cords Knots and Tumours are heal'd and dry'd up Moderate Exercise is convenient in the beginning but afterwards you may travel him as if he were perfectly sound If you perceive new Knots to arise at the first New Moon you may conclude that the Disease is not perfectly extirpated and therefore you must prepare and exhibit the Ptisan as before but without Bleeding or Purging If the Tumours break forth again the Case is altogether desperate for it has been frequently observ'd that when the Farcin is inveterate and has long resisted the Efficacy of the best Remedies especially when corrupt Flesh breaks out of the Tumours instead of Matter that the Malignity of the burnt and corrupted Blood has so heated the Substance of the Lungs that there are Ulcers generated in several parts of 'em And therefore since 't is impossible to restore a consum'd Part those Ulcers that waste the Lungs are the infallible Messengers of Death The Truth of this Observation is confirm'd beyond Contradiction by the Diffections of those Horses that die of the Farcin for their Lungs are almost always found to be corrupted and putrefy'd and sometimes the Liver is over-spread with Ulcers and part of it wasted and turn'd to Putrefaction Now I wou'd willingly know of those confident Pretenders to infallible Secrets for the Farcin whether their Remedies are able to restore a rotten and wasted Liver If not 't is in vain to expect the Horse's Recovery for the putrefy'd Liver will still continue to vitiate the Blood and hinder the Cure of the Farcin which is occasion'd by the Corruption of the Blood How ridiculously do those Boasters betray their Ignorance for want of Experience Since all that the most skilful and expert Farrier can promise in this Case is That he will cure the Farcin if it be curable for sometimes the Liver is ulcerated at the first Appearance of the Distemper and is the very Cause of the Disease in
which Case 't is certainly incurable And I have already intimated that an inveterate Farcin may infect and waste the Substance of the Lungs And how a Remedy apply'd to the Fore-head put into the Ear hung at the Tail or Mane or Ointments spread on the Knots can heal an Ulcer in the Lungs I confess is very much above my Capacity to comprehend Only thus much I know and dare confidently maintain That so long as those Ulcers remain the Farcin that is caus'd and fomented by 'em must necessarily subsist From what has been said I may reasonably conclude That those Infallible Gentlemen are very little acquainted with the Nature of the Disease they pretend to cure and perhaps never made an Experiment of the Virtue of their Remedies The Farcin seems to have a very near Resemblance to the French Pox Leprosie and King's Evil. CHAP. CXLVI Of an inveterate Farcin YOU will sometimes meet with Farcins of so long a standing and so deeply rooted that the Cure is extremely difficult and even sometimes impracticable if the Substance of the Liver or Lungs be wasted and corrupted But since 't is impossible to divine whether those Parts be infected 't wou'd be a very unreasonable Inference from what I have said on this Subject to pretend that when a Horse is troubl'd with an inveterate Farcin he must be suffer'd to perish without Assistance And besides these Parts are oftentimes only heated dryed or so slightly ulcerated that they may be easily heal'd and restor'd to their wonted Temperament by the Use of convenient Remedies But I shall never advise any Man whatever Tryal he may have made of his Remedy to promise the Cure of an inveterate Farcin when the Knots send forth great Pieces of Flesh like large Mushrooms especially after an unsuccessful Application of other Remedies For such Attempts are oftentimes attended with Shame instead of Honour and Success especially when the Farcin is accompany'd with a Running at the Nose or seizes on the Kernels as it happens frequently in inveterate Farcins which degenerate into the Glanders according to the Vulgar Saying That the Farcin is Cousin-German to the Glanders Before you proceed to the Application of Remedies you may try this easie Experiment Spread about two Ounces of Assa-foetida on a Stick and wrapping a Cloth about it put it into the Horse's Mouth and make him champ upon it twenty four Hours together without suffering him to eat or drink all the while This will draw forth a prodigious Quantity of filthy Humours and if the Lungs be not consum'd or the Liver ulcerated perhaps the Horse will recover You must not be afraid of the seeming Violence of the Remedy for a Horse may fast twenty four Hours without any Danger Neither do I blame the Custom of those who put a second Stick with fresh Assa-foetida into the Horse's Mouth after twelve Hours The Decoctions of Guaiacum Sassafras Sarsaparilla and China Roots are very proper on this Occasion and may be given every Morning for seven or eight Days before Purgation For Example If the Horse's Body be full of raw tough and viscous Humours to which Inconveniency fleshy Horses are very subject the Decoction of Guaiacum will cut attenuate and prepare the Humours to be expell'd by Nature or evacuated by a Purging Remedy If the Horse be Lean and Dry full of Hot and Choleric or Melancholic Humours the Decoction of China will prepare 'em without augmenting their Heat for it may be conveniently given in a Consumption and ill Habit of Body The Decoction of Sarsaparilla is of a middle Nature between the other two The Decoction of Guaiacum is proper for those thick and bulky Dutch Horses that are over-loaded with Flesh and full of Moisture and running or watery Sores The Decoction of Guaiacum Infuse ten Ounces of the Shavings of Guaiacum Wood or for want of that of Box Wood in nine Pints of Water and after they have stood twelve Hours in Infusion on hot Ashes Boil 'em with a gentle Heat in a cover'd Vessel to the Consumption of the third Part of the Water Then strain out the Liquor and give your Horse a Quart every Day for eight Days together keeping him bridl'd three Hours before and three Hours after every Dose You may Purge him afterwards with one of the above-mention'd Remedies The Decoction of China Take four Ounces of the Roots of China cut very small put 'em into a large Glass-Bottle well stopp'd with nine Pints of Water and after they have stood fifteen Hours in Infusion boil 'em over a gentle Fire to the Consumption of one half taking care to prevent the Evaporation of the thinner Parts of the Medicine Then strain out the Liquor and give your Horse a third part of it every Morning keeping him Bridl'd two Hours before and as long after This Decoction must be drunk luke-warm and prepar'd every three Days because 't is apt to turn sowre After eight Doses 't will be convenient to exhibit a Purging Remedy The Decoction of Sarsaparilla This Decoction is prepar'd like that of China only the quantity must be larger because 't is adapted for the Preparation of thicker Humours For Example instead of four Ounces of China you must take six of Sarsaparilla Continue the use of this Decoction six or eight Days to prepare the Humours that cause and foment the Farcin and to purifie the Blood After such a Preparation the Purging Remedy operates more effectually and procures a more plentiful Evacuation whereas the Purgatives that are given without any Preparation or consist of ill chosen Ingredients increase the Distemper instead of abating it and even augment its Malignity After Purgation repeat the Decoctions to dry the habit of the Body and to drain the source of those Malignant Humours that foment the Disease This Method is also very proper for Coach-Horses that are troubl'd with the Pains or filthy Sores in their Legs for otherwise 't is hardly possible to stop the course of the Humours and dry up the source of those noisome Ulcers since they usually break forth again three Months after they are dry'd up and at last are succeeded by hard Swellings like Warts which render the Disease incurable To prevent those dangerous Relapses while your Horse is Young after you have observ'd twice or thrice his Legs to be over-run with Sores you must take two Pound of Blood from him then give him the Decoctions of Guaiacum or for want of that of Box-Wood and afterwards purge him and dry up those watry Humours If the Sores break forth again make him drink the Decoction ten Days then purge him and after the Evacuation is ceas'd and his Appetite perfectly restor'd give him the Decoction for ten Days longer which in all probability will put a final stop to the course of the Humours Instead of the Decoctions of Guaiacum China and Sarsaparilla you may exhibit two Ounces of the Powder of either of the three in a Quart of White-Wine and observe the
this Distemper for the Farcin and put themselves to needless Trouble and Charge for the Cure of it 'T is occasion'd by a Redundancy of Blood over-heated by several Accidents and other Causes already mention'd For the thinnest and most subtil part of the Blood penetrating the Substance of the Flesh causes external Tumours resembling the Farcin And long Rest and want of Exercise are usually the occasional Causes of this Distemper by hindering the Dissipation of superfluous Humours You may easily cure this Distemper by Bleeding your Horse plentifully once or twice in the Neck-Veins These Tumours are distinguish'd from the Farcin both by the suddenness of their Appearance and of the Cure for sometimes they overspread the Body in one Night And besides they are neither hard nor fasten'd to the Flesh These Swellings are oftentimes repell'd and driven inwards by unseasonable Bleeding and the Horse is seiz'd with a Fever in which Case you must immediately give him a Clyster and an Hour after an Ounce or two of Treacle or Diatessaron in Wine which by driving out the Humour will give Ease to the Horse and at last cure him Some Horses are troubl'd from time to time with little Knots or Bunches in several parts of their Body occasion'd by the Boiling or rather excessive Heat of their Blood for the most subtle and choleric Particles being driven outwards to the external Parts of the Body form these little Tumours part of which break and disappear and the rest are dissolv'd by insensible Transpiration The general and most effectual way to cure all these Ebullitions is to mix with your Horse's Bread those Remedies that are endu'd with a Virtue to cool and purifie the Blood Thus Liver of Antimony given to the quantity of an Ounce and a half every Day will safely and quickly dissolve all those Knots and sweeten your Horse's Blood Three or four Doses of the Cinnabar-Pills are also very effectual in this Case You may prevent this Distemper by giving your Horse Sal Prunellae in his Bran which will expel those Bilious Serosities that usually cause these Symptoms and perhaps drive 'em out by the Urinary Passages The same Remedy allays the Heat of the Blood and Intrails and prevents the Farcin and other Distempers occasion'd by the Heat of the Blood For the Satisfaction of the Curious I shall insert the Preparation of Sal Prunellae which is a very useful Medicine both for Men and Horses CHAP. CL. Crystal Mineral or Sal Prunellae THis is only Nitre or Salt-Petre fix'd with Sulphur to prevent its Solution Take Salt-Petre of the fourth Solution melt it in a Crucible or Iron Pot and when you perceive that 't is entirely reduc'd to a liquid Form throw a little Brimstone upon it Assoon as the Flame ceases cast some more Brimstone into the Crucible continuing after the same manner till you have thrown in an Ounce of Flower of Brimstone for every Pound of Salt-Petre which must be kept in Fusion during the whole Operation Then take out the Salt-Petre with an Iron Spoon and put it into a little Copper Bason which being plac'd in a Pailful of cold Water the Mineral will congeal at the Bottom and appear as white as Snow An Iron Pot is more fit for this Operation than Crucibles which are usually pierc'd and crack'd with the Salt-Petre unless you can procure a good German Crucible For the better understanding of a Passage in the Beginning of the preceding Description it will not be amiss to acquaint the Reader that Salt-Petre is found congeal'd into Chrystals in the Water which is pour'd for that purpose on Lime and Plaister taken from the Ruines of old Buildings and mixt with Ashes This Water is afterwards boil'd till a Scum appear on the Top and then set in a cold place in Woodden Vessels where Chrystals of a long Figure and rusty Colour are form'd which is Salt-Petre of the first Solution Then dissolve these Chrystals in clean Water strain it thro' a Woollen Cloth boil it as before and when 't is cold the Salt-Petre of the second Solution will appear in Chrystals which are proper for the making of Gun-Powder Liver of Antimony and several other Preparations For if the Nitre were too fine and violent it wou'd carry off part of the Antimony that is mixt with it If you wou'd have your Salt-Petre more pure and refin'd dissolve it in Water filtrate boil and chrystallize as before to procure Salt-Petre of the third Solution repeating the same Operation as often as you think fit for if the Salt-Petre be not very pure 't is impossible to make fine Sal Prunellae Crystal Mineral is not only fix'd by the Sulphur but purg'd of those Arsenical Spirits of which it was full so that 't is entirely freed of all Sharpness and Malignity It purifies and cools the Blood and Intrails allays and stops the Ebullition of the Humours in Fevers powerfully opens all Obstructions opens and incides the Body of Medicines that their Virtues may be the better extracted and in one Word 't is a very cooling Remedy without Acrimony or Biting You may give an Ounce and a half of it every Day in moisten'd Bran mixt with half an Ounce of Juniper-Berries beaten or dissolve three or four Ounces of it in a Pailful of Water for your Horse's ordinary Drink and it may be also conveniently mix'd with purging Medicines Every Author extols the Virtues of this Remedy but I have only insisted on its Usefulness for Horses So Cooling a Medicine ought to be cautiously administer'd to Horses whose Constitution is different from that of Men And therefore when you give it in moisten'd Bran 't will be convenient to add half an Ounce of Juniper-Berries beaten to qualifie and correct the extreme Coldness of the Remedy which notwithstanding its great Usefulness in other Respects oftentimes destroys the Horse's Appetite and makes his Hair stare But some Horses have the Advantage of such strong Appetites that the Use of this Medicine tho' administer'd alone produces not the least ill Effect upon their Stomachs And I have made some Horses eat three or four Pounds of it without disordering their Stomachs or making 'em forsake their Meat CHAP. CLI Of the Shedding of the Hair from the Head accompany'd with the Mange And of the Falling of the Hair from the rest of the Body especially about the Neck and hinder part of the Thighs THE Heat that occasions these Disorders is not always an Effect of Distempers in the Intrails but sometimes proceeds from a Corruption of the Humours and is the more dangerous because it may degenerate into a Fever The remote Causes of this Heat are immoderate and violent Exercise too hot Nourishment such as Clover Beans c. Fatness of the Body and a hot or choleric Constitution The Signs are evident for the Hair sheds and falls off from several parts of the Body the Horse is tormented with a violent Itching and several other Symptoms are visible Marks
Hoofs were not loosen'd shou'd never turn away a Customer since 't is folly to endeavour to make him fit for any thing but the Plow unless you resolve to bestow more upon the Cure than the worth of the Horse ever did or will amount to A Horse that is quite Founder'd can neither walk forwards nor backwards he cannot without extream difficulty move his Legs he is scarce able to put his Feet to the Ground either absolutely forsakes his Meat or at best eats very little he is Hide-bound and dull and oftentimes all these accidents are accompany'd with a great Palpitation or beating of the Heart and Flanks Some Horses are only Founder'd in the Fore-Legs But they are certainly in a very dangerous Condition that are Founder'd both before and behind A Remedy for Foundering You must endeavour to hinder the Humours that are spread thro' the Sinews of the Legs from falling upon the Feet for that Defluxion either loosens the Hoof spoils the Bone of the Foot or makes the Feet irrecoverably Feeble and Lame Farriers pretend to prevent the falling of the Humours on the Feet by binding a sort of Garters very streight about the Legs above the Knees and the Houghs But this is so pernicious an Invention and so contrary to reason and good Sence that the most skilful Farriers have entirely laid aside the use of it This Ligature draws the Humour to the Legs instead of diverting it from ' em For 't is the usual Custom to bind a Man's Arm above the Elbow to make the Vein swell when there is occasion to let him Blood and even the whole Arm swells when the Ligature is too streight and the same effect is produc'd by the Garters that are ty'd about a Horse's Legs besides the Pain that is already so violent is encreas'd by the Ligature Nor are the Consequences less dangerous of another absurd practice of Farriers in this case who force the poor tormented Horse to walk tho' he can hardly stir a Leg without suffering such intolerable Pain as wou'd doubtless make him Founder'd if he were not so before To proceed Methodically in the Cure of so dangerous a Distemper you must in the first place bleed your Horse in the Neck receive his Blood in an Earthen Pot and mixing a Pint of Brandy with it Charge his whole Legs to the Hough Then pour boiling Oil of Bay into his Feet with Flax and Splents to keep it in applying the same round the Cronet with Flax and a convenient Bandage Half an Hour after give him two Ounces of good Treacle and four Ounces of Salt of Tartar in a Quart of White or for want of that Red Wine keeping him Bridl'd two Hours without stirring from the place Then give him a Clyster with two Ounces of Sal-Bolychrest and two Hours after another Unbridle him an Hour after the last Clyster giving him Bran and Straw to eat and the white-White-Water to Drink and suffer him not to lye down for the space of forty eight Hours Renew the Application of Oil of Bay to his Feet every eight or ten Hours and if he be not sound the next Day repeat the Potion and Clysters but not the Bleeding The Moors and Turks that inhabit Barbary bleed their Founder'd Horses and give 'em a Pint of the Juice of white Onions mixt with a little Juice of Garlic repeating the same two Days after This is a good Remedy but not so effectual in this Country Other Remedies for Founder'd Horses Assoon as you perceive your Horse to be founder'd bring him to the Bank of a River and open his Neck-Vein slack'ning the Cord that he may not bleed then lead him into the Water up to the middle of the Belly and tye the Cord till the Blood come forth slackening it again after you have taken away about four Pounds of Blood and keeping him in the Water half an Hour after the Blood is stopp'd Assoon as he comes into the Stable stuff his Fore-Feet with boil'd Barley apply'd hot with Splints to keep it in and make him drink the following Potion Take six large white Onions cut into slices and boil 'em a quarter of an Hour in two Pints and a half of Wine then strain out the Liquor squeezing the Onions very hard add two Ounces of Assa-foetida in Powder and make your Horse drink the whole An Hour after give him this Clyster Boil two Ounces of the Scoriae of Liver of Antimony reduc'd to fine Powder in five Pints of Beer and after one Waum remove the Vessel from the Fire and dissolving the quantity of an Egg of fresh Butter in the Liquor make a Clyster to be injected luke-warm Let your Horse stand bridl'd an Hour after he has voided the Clyster and then give him another of the same stopping his Feet with fresh Barley as before Then unbridle him giving him moisten'd Bran and Straw to eat and the white Water to drink Litter him well and suffer him not to lie down for the space of two Days Afterwards repeat the Clysters and renew the Application of hot Barley to his Feet from time to time Or proceed as follows Bleed your Horse in the Neck-Vein charge his Shoulders and Legs with his own Blood and half an Hour after make him drink a Quart of Water with two Pounds of Salt An Hour after give him a Clyster and stop his Fore-feet with Pidgeon's-Dung fry'd with Oil of Walnuts and apply it hot not only to his Feet but also about the Cronet with Tow and a convenient Bandage If the Horse be not cur'd the next Day repeat the Potion and above all inject Clysters frequently and renew the astringent Application both within his Feet and about the Cronet The following Method has been frequently try'd with Success Bleed your Horse plentifully in the Neck and rub his Fore-Legs very hard with strong Vinegar mixt with a large quantity of Salt for the space of half an Hour Then wash the menstruous parts of one or two Smocks which may be easily procur'd among the Landresses at Paris with three Pints of Wine and dissolving in the same Wine the Excrements voided at one time by a Child of six or seven Years of Age make your Horse drink the whole and two Hours after give him a Clyster of Sal Polychrest stuffing his Feet with boiling Oil of Walnuts bound up with Flax and Splints and applying a restringent Charge about the Cronet After he has stood bridl'd two Hours give him another Clyster and assoon as that is voided unbridle him that he may eat and drink but you must not suffer him to lie down for the space of forty eight Hours Continue to inject Clysters as long as he is troubl'd with a Beating in his Flanks and renew the Application both of the hot Oil and of the restringent Charge Before all other Remedies I think my self oblig'd to prefer the Stinking Pills which I use after this manner I order the Horse to be let blood all his four Legs
too great a Heat in the Body without causing a plentiful Evacuation And therefore you may content your self with observing his Method of Bleeding and administer one of the Purging Medicines prescrib'd in the Cure of the Farcin which I only use in this case After Bleeding and Purgation repeated if need require give your Horse two or three Doses of the Cinnabar Pills two Pills for a Dose This Medicine purifies the Blood and expels the malignant serous Humours so that afterwards you may easily Cure the Mange with any common Ointment If your Horse be seiz'd with this Distemper in the Spring or about the end of the Winter after you have bled him plentifully in the Neck turn him out to Grass letting him run Night and Day in the open Fields If he continue still Mangy you must have recourse to the Ointments which you will find afterwards describ'd but Grass is certainly one of the best Remedies for the Mange If your Horse grow Mangy in the Summer you must take away a large quantity of Blood and then give him moisten'd Bran for without necessity he ought not to eat Oats mixt with convenient Herbs chop'd small Thus you may give him Scabious sharp pointed Dock Fumitory and Wild-Succory of each one handful and half an Ounce of Brimstone well mixt with his Bran every Morning and Evening for eight Days together If the Mange appear in the Winter take the Roots of the same Herbs If he will not eat 'em make a Decoction of the Herbs or Roots in three Pints of White-Wine and pouring off a Quart of it add an Ounce of Brimstone in Powder and make him drink it in the Morning keeping him bridl'd two Hours before and as long after This Decoction prepares the corrupt Humours that are in the Body for Evacuation If you have not the conveniency to put your Horse to Grass in the Spring or if he have too strong an aversion to the Cinnabar Pills you must first bleed and purge him and afterwards give him every Day two Ounces of Liver of Antimony in Powder mixt with moisten'd Bran. This Remedy will drive all Impurities out of the Body and afterwards the least Ointment Balls or Compound Water will suffice to dry up the Mange The Golden Sulphur of Antimony describ'd in Chap. CXXIX will produce the same effect if it be given for fifteen Days together These Remedies cure the Mange radically in any season of the Year but not so easily in Winter as in Summer Purging Pills for the Mange Take common Turpentine one Pound Aloes and Sena beaten to a gross Powder of each an Ounce Agaric and black Hellebor wash'd in Vinegar of each two Drams Hermodactyls five Drams Cinnabar an Ounce Reduce all the dry Ingredients to a gross Powder and make 'em up into Pills with the Turpentine If the Mass be not of a sufficient consistency you may thicken it with Barley-Flower and roll the Pills on the same Flower that they may not stick to your Fingers when you thrust 'em into the Horse's Mouth as other Pills are usually given in a Pint of White-Wine These Pills provoke Urine powerfully and therefore ought not to be given to very lean Horses in which case you may prepare the following Drench A Drench or Potion for the Mange Take of Sal-Prunellae one Ounce Tamarinds four Ounces Polypody beaten two Ounces Anniseeds half an Ounce and six Cloves Infuse 'em all Night in three Pints of Whey boil 'em in the Morning and after six or seven waums strain out the Liquor then add while the straining is yet hot Juice of Liquorice half an Ounce Sena one Ounce Agaric and Coloquintida of each two Drams Mechoacan and Turbith of each half an Ounce Pulp of Cassia two Ounces Mix all these Ingredients in Substance with the Straining and give the Potion to your Horse in the Morning keeping him Bridl'd five Hours before and four after If the Preparation of the Ingredients seem too troublesome you may give the Purgative prescrib'd for Horses after their recovery from a Fever in Chap. CXXXVII for 't is always an excellent Remedy in this case Suffer your Horse to rest one Day after the operation of the Purgative is over and then procceed to the use of the following Bath A Bath for the Mange Take a large Pot full of good Lye made of the Ashes of the Green-Wood and strain'd thro' a Linnen-Cloth a sufficient quantity of green Broom-Tops Roots of sharp-pointed Dock greater Celandine of each one handful Roots of white Hellebor half a Pound boil 'em all together and having chaf'd the Mangy Places till they grow hot wash 'em with this Decoction and rub 'em with the hot Herbs and Roots continually after the same manner for five or six Days You may also make a Bath thus Boil a large quantity of wild Hellebor cut into pieces about the length of your Finger in a strong Lye for the space of an Hour and wash the infected places with the Decoction once every Day for five or six Days together For you will seldom meet with a Mange so inveterate and deeply rooted that will not yield to this Remedy But 't is always to be observ'd that such Applications are to be preceeded by Bleeding and Purgation Another Bath and Water for the Mange in Horses and Dogs Take half a Pound of true Brasil-Tobacco untwist it as if it had never been made up into Rowls infuse it twenty four Hours in a Gallon of very strong Vinegar with a handful of Salt and afterwards boil about half a quarter of an Hour Rub the Mangy places with a Wisp bathe 'em with this Decoction warm once a Day and the Horse will certainly recover When the Liquor begins to fail put in fresh Vinegar and boil it again that it may be impregnated with the Virtue of the Tobacco Note That this Bath is also proper for Mangy Dogs and that in the use of this as well as of all other Remedies you must still begin with Bleeding and Purgation If you infuse the Tobacco in Spirit of Wine the Bath will be more effectual especially for the Mane and Tail but the Infusion must not be heated You may also very effectually cure the Mange by washing the Parts once a Day with the Yellow-Water after Bleeding and Purgation but if you perceive that it dries not up the Mange sufficiently you may double the Dose of the Sublimate that enters the Composition If you make use of this Remedy you will certainly prefer it before most others but you must patiently expect the Success renewing the Application daily till the Cure be perfected which oftentimes requires fifteen or twenty Days The following Remedy is also very effectual in this case Scrape a large quantity of the Roots of white Briony and boil it in Vinegar for the space of half an Hour Then rub the Mangy places two or three Days together with the Vinegar and Roots luke-warm after you have bled and purg'd the Horse An
an Ounce or an Ounce and a half if the Horse be of a large Size Bole Armenic and Mummy of each half an Ounce Make a Potion to be given to the Horse assoon as you perceive that his Back is strain'd and apply the Oils and Ointment of Montpelier with the Addition of Powder of Galls after which bathe and foment as before Some pretend to cure a Strain in the Back in the Summer by making the Horse swim but this Method is not sufficient for the Cure of great or violent Strains You must take Care not to ride your Horse immediately after his Recovery for tho' he be not lame the least Excercise will put him in a worse Condition than before if you allow not a sufficient Time for the Back to recover its wonted Vigour To avoid this Inconveniency assoon as the Horse seems to be sound 't will be convenient to walk him to the Water and not to take his Back for a Month after the Cure of a violent Strain and a space of Time proportionably less for slight Strains and every Day when he returns from walking chafe his Back with good Brandy or Spirit of Wine If the Horse be not cur'd by the Application of the above-mention'd Remedies as it happens not unfrequently you must separate the Skin from the Flesh on the Reins or lower part of the Back that is behind the Saddle which I suppose to be little for a large Saddle covers a great part of the Reins You must I say make two or three Incisions on each side with a large Iron Slice and separate the Skin about the breadth of half a Foot on each side of the Back-Bone till you come to the Hip-Bone Then stop the Holes with Slices of Hog's-Lard of the thickness of half a Crown and two or three Fingers breadth long and broad to hinder the Skin from growing to the Flesh Rub the separated Skin with an Ointment made of equal parts of Populeum and the Ointment of Marsh-Mallows covering the whole Part with a Lamb's-Skin the woolly side inwards and laying a Saddle-Cloth over all Then hang up the Horse or fix him in such a Posture that he may not be able to stir and at Night give him a Clyster of Sal-Polychrest repeating the same every Day for eight Days together and in the mean time give him at the Mouth once a Day an Ounce of Assa-foetida in Powder mixt with a Pint of Wine After forty eight Hours uncover the sore place and you will find it very much swoll'n as it must be in order to the Cure Take out the slices of Lard and press out the reddish Water and Matter that are in the Sore putting in fresh slices of Lard and chasing the whole Part with an Ointment made of Populeum and the Ointment of Marsh-Mallows Then cover it up as before and dress it after the same manner once in forty eight Hours for the space of twelve Days after which you must not put any slices of Lard into it but only dress it with the Duke's Ointment keeping it cover'd and dressing it every Day till the Skin be re-united to the Flesh and the Sores heal'd Ten Days after you begin to lay aside the use of the slices of Lard take away the Lamb's-Skin for the Cure ought to be compleated in that time but the Horse must not stir for ten Days longer or thirty two Days after the beginning of the Cure after which you may walk him a little observing whether he continues to halt then lead him to the Water and accustom him to Travel by degrees Or instead of separating the Skin you may if you think fit give the Fire piercing the Skin with a red-hot Iron and making holes all over the same Part at the distance of an Inch from each other Then apply a good Plaister and over that two Sheets of Paper after which hang up your Horse or fix him so that he may not be able to move for the space of a Month. When the Scabs are fall'n dress the Sores with the Duke's Ointment and proceed as before These are the last Remedies in this case some prefer the latter before the former but 't is my Opinion that they are equally good if the Operation be duly perform'd tho' I must confess the last is the easiest CHAP. CLXI Of Hip-shot or a Strain in the Hips HOrses are not only obnoxious to Strains in the Back but also in other Parts of the Body as particularly in the Hips in which case they are so Lame that their Legs are not able to sustain their Body These Strains are occasion'd by Slips or Falls and the Bone that joyns the Thigh to the Body is oftentimes dislocated or remov'd out of its right place at other times the Humour contain'd in that Part and appointed by Nature for facilitating the motion of the Joint either falls out or hardens and consequently causes Pain and binders the motion of the Hip-Bone If the Hip-Bone be extreamly relax'd or put out of its place you may feel the hollow Part where the Bone was with your hand or perceive it with your Eye as the Horse moves his Legs He is also extreamly Lame and cannot sustain the weight of his Body upon the griev'd Leg. In these cases 't is the usual custom of Farriers to tye one end of a Leathern Thong about the Horse's Pastern and the other to an yielding Bush or Shrub and then by whipping the Horse to make him struggle with all his force till the Bone return to its proper place This Method is not only rarely successful but very dangerous if it be not perform'd with a great deal of Judgment and Circumspection and by a very sagacious and understanding Person and therefore 't will be safer to observe the following Directions In the first place and even tho' the former Operation has already been perform'd with success chafe the griev'd Part with a mixture of Oil of Turpentine and Spirit of Wine rubbing it in with your Hand and two Hours after apply the Ointment of Montpelier The next Day bleed your Horse and two Hours after chafe the part with the Essences and then with the Ointment of Montpelier two Hours after the Application of the Essences as before At Night if there be occasion chafe the Part again with the Essences and as soon as they have perform'd their Operation that is when you perceive that the Pain is over by the Horse's ceasing to complain cover the griev'd Hip with a Plaister made of Rosin Mastic Olibanum and Sulphur with a large quantity of Burgundy-Pitch melted together and apply'd moderately hot laying Saddle-stuffings over it and putting a Patten-Shooe on the contrary Foot to make the Horse lean on the sore side He must not be suffer'd to lye down till the Plaister fall off after which make a convenient Bath for his Hips If the Strain be not very considerable apply the same Remedies that were prescrib'd for Shoulder-sprains If there be only a
were going to shooe him and bend his Hough forcibly tho' it must be acknowledg'd that this does not prevent the return of the Distemper What has been said on this Subject may suffice for the curious Reader For 't wou'd be a needless piece of Formality to enumerate the signs of so obvious a Distemper CHAP. CLXXI. Of the Hough-Bony THis is a Tumour generated of Cold and Flegmatic Matter that grows hard by reason of its toughness and seldom causes any considerable Pain It grows on the top or elbow of the Hough and appears separated from the Bone 'T is occasion'd by hard Riding and never grows very big It comes after Fatigues or by rubbing the place against some hard Body which occasions a defluxion of the Humours 'T is easily curable at its first appearance but when 't is inveterate it grows painful and can be hardly cur'd without giving the Fire and even that violent Remedy is not able to dissolve it entirely or to prevent its growing again after immoderate Exercise In order to the Cure you must foment the Swelling with a mixture of two parts of Brandy and one part of Oil of Walnuts rubbing it in diligently with your Hand Then shave off the Hair and apply the Plaister describ'd in Chap. CLXXIV or that which follows A Resolvent Plaister Take of Galbanum one Ounce Gum-Ammoniacum three Ounces Opoponax an Ounce and a half infuse 'em in a Pint of Vinegar for the space of two Days stirring 'em often Then boil away one half of the Vinegar and strain what remains thro' a Linnen-Cloth while 't is hot Set it again upon the Fire till it begin to thicken then adding black Pitch and Rosin of each four Ounces Turpentine two Ounces mix and make a Plaister to be apply'd to the Part and renew'd once in nine Days till the Swelling be consum'd You may also dissolve the Tumours by a long continu'd Application of the Resolving Ointment describ'd in Chap. XLVIII and the same effect is produc'd by the Oil of Walnuts If the Tumour be not consum'd by these Remedies take Sal-Armoniac Salt-Petre and Gum-Ammoniacum of each an Ounce melt 'em by the Fire in a Pint of a very strong Vinegar then add four Ounces of Honey and remove the Vessel from the Fire Anoint and chafe the Part twice a Day with this Composition but if the Tumour be inveterate hard and big it will not yield to the Remedy These Swellings are more offensive to the Eye than hurtful to the Horse tho' when they are old and hard his Body is usually wasted by reason of the Pain and at last he begins to Halt And I have even seen some Horses irrecoverably Lam'd but this happens only in Manages where the Horses are kept to harder Exercise and Diet than they are able to bear If all these Remedies prove ineffectual you must have recourse to the Fire making the Figure of a Star with a red-hot Knife the Lines or Rases being very near one another and surrounding the Tumour Then with a Pencil dipt in Spirit of Vitriol touch the burnt Parts and as soon as they are dry apply hot Pitch with Saddle-stuffings or shavings of Cloth over all You must wait till the Spirit of Vitriol sink into the burnt Part for the Pitch will not stick if it be apply'd before the Part be dry After the Scabs are fall'n off chase the Sore every Day till it be heal'd with Brandy and the Tumour will vanish by degrees but if after the Cure you make the Horse lean too much on his hinder Parts he will grow irrecoverably Lame CHAP. CLXXII Of Wind-Galls THE Wind-Gall is a soft Swelling caus'd by a cold flegmatic and serous Humour If you press it with your Hand it yields and moves towards the opposite side These Swellings are usually occasion'd by violent and immoderate Exercise when a Horse is young the smallness weakness and fleshiness of the Hough and by being kept too long on a sloping Floor which raises the fore-part of a Horse much higher than the rest of his Body Sometimes they grow on both sides of the Hough but in the beginning they appear only on the out-side The Cure is difficult in either place The Tumour is soft and without Pain of the bigness of a little Apple more or less seated between the great Sinew of the Hough and the end of the Thigh-Bone This Disease is often Hereditary and deriv'd from the Stallion When the Tumour is hard and inveterate there is little hope of dissolving it by any other Method than by giving the Fire but the Cure may be perform'd by the Application of Remedies before the Swelling grow hard and big Shave away the Hair and apply such Remedies as are endu'd with a Virtue to soften and afterwards to dissolve the Tumour In order to the softening of the Swelling take the Roots of Briony and wild Cucumber or for want of the latter common Flower-de-luce of each two Ounces beat 'em grossly and boil 'em in an equal mixture of Oil-Olive and Hog's-Grease till they begin to soften Then beat 'em to a Mash and press 'em thro' a Hair-Sieve Mix the Straining with the Oil and Grease adding Turpentine and Rosin of each four Ounces Resumptive Ointment half a Pound and after the whole is melted thicken it with a sufficient quantity of the Flower or Powder of Linseed or Fenugreek-seed mix and make a Pultiss to be apply'd with Flax sowing a Piece of Cloth about the Part. Renew the Application once in forty eight Hours This will soften the Tumour and you must afterwards endeavour to resolve it You may with less trouble but at least equal Charge soften these Tumours with a Plaister made of equal quantities of Oxy-croceum and Melilote Plaister To Resolve a Tumour Quench four or five pieces of unslak'd Lime in three Quarts of strong Vinegar and after it has stood two Hours to settle strain out the Vinegar and put into it two Handfuls of the hot Ashes of Vine-Branches let it stand till it settle and pour off the clear Liquor into another Pot. To a Quart of this Vinegar add dry Pigeon's-Dung and Oil of Peter of each four Ounces burnt Allom and Brimstone of each two Ounces Oil of Castor four Ounces boil all together for the space of a quarter of an Hour and anoint the Tumour once every Day which will probably be dissolv'd in seven or eight Days If the Horses Skin be thin and tender this Remedy will break it and draw forth a reddish Water without raising a Scab but if the Skin be hard and dry it produces a sort of Scurf which must be anointed that it may fall off The Plaister of Walnuts is a powerful Resolver but can hardly be made to stick to the Part. After the Tumour is dissolv'd take up the Veins above and under the Hough which may also be done in the beginning I might easily name a great number of Simples that are endu'd with a softening rarefying and
as I have ordered This is what I thought needful to show you concerning the preparation of the â—â—mors before purging lest it might prove prejudicial to Horses which have 〈◊〉 reluctancy and aversion to it and from which if they be not well prepared for it the many times receive great dammage I have here said a little concerning the Purgation of Horses which before 〈◊〉 hath never been treated of by any to the end people might both receive because by it and that I might also by this small Swatch or Pattern give an opportunity 〈◊〉 the Curious to dive deeper into the Medicine and Physick of Horses than hath 〈◊〉 been done hitherto and which is extremly neglected by those that are capâ—â—â— because they absolutly rely upon the skill of such who can scarcely read their 〈◊〉 and therefore do many times loss their Horses by their negligence and ignorâ—â—â— and for lack of a little Reflection and Study CHAP. LXV Of Glysters THe Word Glyster is derived from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to wash CHAP. LXV Of Glysters from whence it is sometimes called also a Wathing because the Guts are cleansed by the injection that is made into the intestines it is proper for provocking the excretion or voiding of the Excrements to soften their hardness or to correct some intemperature or to abate some great pain or excessive beating of the flanks to expell Wind to stop the immoderate fluxes of the Belly and to kill the worms which are contained in the intestines Glysters also produce a great many other good effects because there is almost no part of the Body which does not receive some relief by them and that by reason of the correspondence that all its parts have with the lower belly or Guts which being fred of their impurities give the more liberty to other parts to discharge themselves of those humors which are prejudicial to them People compose them different wayes and according as they intend to treat the Horse as I shall show you all along the second Part when I discourse of the several Diseases but those which are most in use are the Emollient An Emollient Glyster which are called common Glysters People make a decoction of Mallows March-Mallows Violets Herb Mercury Pellitory of the Wall and Bears-breach causing boyl two or three handfulls of each in three English quarts and a half of water with two ounces of bruised Anniseeds if it be in winter but if it be in the summer then there may be added for cooling the seeds of Cucumbers Gourds Pumpkins Wild-gourds Melons and an ounce or two of Polychrest they afterwards strain all through a cloath and according to their intention add some kind of Electuary to it especially the Catholicum for Horses which is described in the 76 Chap. Sect. 5. of the Second Part or otherwise they make use of Honey or the like Beer or Ale is a decoction ready made in which a man may cause boyl two ounces of the Scorte or refuse of the Liver of Antimony in fine powder or otherways if he intend to make use of Purgatives then Colocynth Sene or any other according to the intention he hath to purge and after having strained the decoction from them he shall then dissolve in it some proper Electuary or other Medicament as he shall think fit However for the conveniency of those who are altogether ignorant of their composition I shall here set down the models of all kinds of Glysters whereby they may be instructed to make any of what nature and operation soever People to expell and drive the wind out of a Horses body A Carminative Glyster make Carminative Glysters of some of the emollient Herbs to which they add Organy or Wila Marjoram Calamint the flowers of Melilot and Camomil of each two handfulls with an ounce and an half of Polychrest in powder they make about two English quarts and a half of a decoction and after having strained it add four ounces of good Oyl of Bays or in place of it two ounces of the Catholicum for Horses or of the Electuary of Bay-Berries an ounce and an half and of all this they compose a Glyster which they administer to their Horse Or in the place of the Electuary of Bay-berries a man may take two ounces of the Oyl of Dill or otherways an English pynt of Emetick Wine in place of either There are many other wayes of composing Carminative Glysters of which I shall give you a description when I discourse of those diseases for which they are proper but particularly where I treat of Colicks occasioned by Wind. Make an ordinary decoction of the Emollient Herbs and Polychrest A purging Glyster then dissolve in two English quarts of what is strained from them an English pynt of Cows Urine being mixed with it two ounces of the Catholicum for Horses and eight ounces of Mercurial Honey and if you will increase its purgative vertue mix with it an English pynt of the infusion of the Liver of Antimony which I shall show you hereafter to make and which is Emetick Seing this Honey is most proper to be given as well in Glysters for the better pâ—â—ging of Horses as in many other preparations I shall therefore here show you iâ— Composition Take three pounds of Herb Mercury well pickt and cleansed wâ—â—â— four pounds of Honey mix and boyl them together now and then skimming theâ—â— until they come to the consistence of a Syrup The Composition of Merurial Honey this being put amongst Glysters wâ— cleanse and purge and people put commonly about eight ounces of it at a time iâ— Glyster or more if they judge it proper there are Books stuffed with the Vertues this Mercurial Honey you may read if you please Renould Bauderon La Franâ—â— siere c. You are to observe That when you intend to purge a horse exactly with Glyster you must put no kind of fat into them because Oyls and Greases adhere to the Vâ—ves or Partitions of the Intestines and so hinder the effect of the purgatives therefore upon the contrary people rather add Common Salt Salt Gem Polychrest or waâ—â— Urine all which prick and irritate the expulsive faculty whence it is that thâ— Countrey Farriers make commonly their Glysters of the Water in which Cod-fish Herring have been steeped which costs but little and because of its saltness causeth horse to empty well To make a Glyster somewhat purgative a man may infuse 〈◊〉 night in a proper decoction an ounce of Sene or otherwayes one or two Colâ—â—yâ—â— Apples cut very small and next morning giving it all a little Boyl shall afterwards strain it to make a Glyster A Glyster to appease a great beating in the Flanks You are to take of the ordinary herbs for decoctions and to put among the◠〈◊〉 or two ounces of Polychrest in powder and in two English quarts of this decoction mix eight ounces of Violet-honey and two three
II. Hyssop is a very common Herb and hot in the second Degree it attenuates Humours and being joyn'd to Purgative Medicines augments their Virtue t is one of the Specifics for Diseases of the Breast helps Respiration and strengthens the natural Heat III. Coltsfoot call'd in Latin Tussilago grows in moist sandy and cold Places and is cold and moist in the first degree It cures Inflammations being externally apply'd and is a specific Medicine for the Lungs that are dry'd by a preternatural Heat which causes a Cough You will find a large account of its Virtues in Dioscorides IV. White Mullein grows every where in the Fields but its commonness does not lessen the excellency of its Virtue It sends forth a high Stalk set round with yellow Flowers 't is cold and moist in the second degree and Cures Fluxes of the Belly caus'd by Choleric Humours 't is an excellent Remedy for the Cough and allays the heat of the Breast it may be given either Green or dry'd and reduc'd to Powder and cures the Cough in Horses without any other Remedy V. Fenugreek call'd by Hippocrates Epiceras is a Seed commonly us'd for the Cure of the Diseases of Horses whom it also fattens 'T is almost Temperate it softens hard Swellings and expels Wind. Galen affirms that it cures Inflammations that are hard and not very hot by Digestion it provokes Sweating and Urine and makes a Horse void by the Nose the Humours that are lodg'd in the Wind-Pipe You must not be deceiv'd by the Smell which might incâ—ine you to believe that it is of a hot Nature VI. The Juice of Liquorice is made of the Roots of that Plant which at present is very common in France 't is somewhat moist but temperate as to Heat or Cold. 'T is a specific Remedy for the Breast sweetens and allays the sharpness of Humours and helps Nature to expel ' em And to conclude it is an excellent Remedy for all Diseases of the Breast and Lungs VII Juniper is so well known that it does not stand in need of a description The Berries are indu'd with admirable Virtues they continue green two Years before they come to Maturity and are hot in the third Degree They provoke Urine are good for the Stomach and Breast resist Poyson and expel Wind. The efficacy of these Seeds can never be sufficiently prais'd and this Simple alone is worth a multitude of Drugs VIII Elecampane grows in sandy places the Leaf is of no use and the Root alone is commended by Physicians 't is hot in the third degree and of an Aromatic Smell it provokes Urine very powerfully resists Poyson helps the Cough is good for the Breast strengthens the Heart and cures spitting of Blood and the biting of Venemous Creatures IX Flower-de-luce grows plentifully in wet places but that which is brought from Florence is most effectual the Root is very odoriferous hot in the second degree comforts the Breast and consumes superfluous and excrementitious Moisture It purges watry Humours if a large quantity of it be given and its Smell chears and comforts the Brain It enters the Composition of Waters for the Eyes and it is an excellent internal Medicine for Horses X. Cardamoms are hot they chear and comfort the noble Parts strengthen the natural Heat expel Wind and promote the digestion of Aliments XI Gentian has its name from Gentius King of Sclavonia the Root is commended by all Authors Renodaeus says That 't is a famous Preservative against the Plague that it resists Putrefaction and is an Antidote against Poyson It comforts the Stomach kills Worms and is an excellent Remedy for the biting of Venemous Beasts XII The Birthworts round and long are dedicated to the Spleen they dispel Vapours resist Poyson and Putrefaction heat and dry up superfluous Moisture close and heal Ulcers in the Lungs and other internal Parts and asswage Pains in the Kidneys XIII Anniseed is one of the four great hot Seeds and according to Galen is hot and dry in the third degree 'T is a powerful Resolvent provokes Urine and expels Wind. Dioscorides in the Sixty second Chapter of his Third Book says That none of the Seeds that are usually eaten are more agreeable to the Stomach XIV Cummin-seed is hot and dry in the second degree 'T is a good Remedy for Griping of the Guts caus'd by Wind it dries up Milk and strengthens the Stomach 'T is prescrib'd to correct Purgative Medicines XV. Fennel is hot in the second degree it strengthens the Stomach discusses Wind dispels Vapours that cause the Head-ach and provokes Urine XVI Cinnamon is an odoriferous Bark very much in use and considerably hot 'T is endu'd with an admirable faculty to rejoice the Heart it helps Digestion and ripens tough and viscous Matter ' Twou'd be needless to trouble the Reader with a particular description of two Simples that are so generally known as Cinnamon and Nutmeg XVII Brimstone is a fat unctuous and inflammable Mineral found in the Bowels of the Earth either pure or mixt and sometimes separated by Art from certain Waters We call that Live Brimstone which is found in certain Mines where 't is Refin'd and afterwards brought to us in Rolls 'T is the Balsam of the Lungs a singular Remedy for the Cough and shortness of Breath and purifies the Blood 'T is a vulgar Error that 't is of a hot Nature because 't is easily Inflammable If you examine this Account of the Drugs that enter the Composition of the above-mention'd Powder you 'll find that they are all agreeable to the Stomach and that some of 'em attenuate thick Humours and assist Nature to expel what offends her You may make the Powder more durable by reducing it into the form of an Electuary Boil a sufficient quantity of Honey that is about six times the weight of the Powder to half the thickness of a Syrup then mix the Powder with the Honey while 't is moderately hot without setting it again upon the Fire The Dose is four Ounces in a Quart of Wine That you may proceed with more exactness in preparing the Electuary you may consult the description of that which follows in the next Chapter When the Matter is tough and clammy it sticks too fast and when 't is very thick it resists too long so that notwithstanding Nature's endeavours to expel it it sinks and falls down again by its own proper weight and especially if the Passages by which Nature usually throws it forth are obstructed And therefore if Nature be not assisted by a powerful Remedy such as this Powder the Disease will be of long continuance and at last degenerate to Pursiveness CHAP. CXXI An Electuary for a Cough caus'd by Preternatural Heat TAke Sal-Polychrest and ripe Juniper-Berries of each one Pound Roots of Marsh-Mallows and Elecampane and Juice of Liquorice of each half a Pound Zedoary and Sassafras of each four Ounces Speedwel dry'd two Ounces beat all the Ingredients severally to Powder then
take a sufficient quantity of the Leaves of Coltsfoot White-Mullein and Red Maiden-hair boil 'em in Water to four Quarts strain out the Liquor and add ten Pounds of Honey boiling 'em to half the thickness of a Syrup till two Quarts of the Decoction be consum'd and skimming all the while mix the Powders with the Honey while 't is half cold till they be well incorporated and reduc'd to an Electuary which must be set to ferment in a Pot for the space of twenty or thirty Days in Summer but in cold Weather the Fermentation will require a longer time and you must never use the Electuary till it be duly Fermented Electuaries and Confections are more effectual than Powders by reason of the Fermentation that Concentrates and afterwards exalts the Virtues of the Ingredients Avicen was certainly of this Opinion for he expresly affirms That the Virtue or Efficacy of a Medicine is doubl'd by Fermentation And besides a Remedy may be kept longer in this form without losing its Virtue 't is more easily swallow'd and sooner wrought upon by the natural Heat in the Stomach This Electuary does very powerfully allay the boiling and preternatural heat of the Stomach and therefore is an excellent Remedy for fiery and mettlesome Horses that pine away after hard Labour or violent Exercise even tho' they be not troubl'd with a Cough In this case you must take away their Oats feed 'em with hot Bran and give 'em a Dose of this Electuary once every Day for fifteen or twenty Days after which they will be in a thriving Condition For the satisfaction of the curious I shall in few Words explain the Nature of Fermentation It derives its Name from Fermentum or Leven which is a Contraction of Fervimentum from Fervere to be hot or to boil It may be thus defin'd Fermentation is a Motion by which in a Mixture of different Substances those that are most subtil agitate and dilate the rest We may see Examples of it in Dough in Wine and several other Substances Golden or Red Maiden-hair is one of the Ingredients of the Syrup call'd the Syrup of the Capillary Herbs Marsh-Mallow Roots are common at Paris but those who cannot procure 'em may take double the quantity of the dry'd Leaves of Coltsfoot The Dose is four Ounces for Coach-Horses infus'd all Night in three Pints of Beer and drunk luke-warm in the Morning The Horse must be kept Bridl'd two Hours before and as long after the Dose and in those Countries where there is no Beer to be had the Medicine may be Infus'd in an equal mixture of Wine and Water This Electuary is endu'd with all the Virtues of the above-mention'd Powder and besides allays the preternatural Heat that usually accompanies the Cough But if that Distemper be occasion'd by cold tough and flegmatic Humours you must not administer so cooling a Remedy and therefore if after the first and second Dose you perceive that his Hair begins to stare or that he forsakes his Meat or Shivers you must give him the Powder instead of the Electuary but if none of these signs appear persist in the use of the latter which will effectually cure the oldest and most inveterate Cough It happens not unfrequently that after seven or eight Doses of the Electuary the Horse begins to scour as if he had taken a purging Medicine but you must still continue to give him a Dose once a Day for it 's a sign that the Remedy operates effectually You must persist in the daily use of the Electuary till the Cough be perfectly cur'd 'T is a singular Remedy for those Horses whose Lungs are dry'd up by excessive Heat for it moistens the Part and restores it to its natural temper But since the Cure of this Distemper may be sometimes perform'd with less Charge and Trouble I shall propose some other Remedies Other Powders for a Cough Take Femugreek and â—â—â—wers of Brimstone of each an equal quantity and mix 'em with moisten'd Oats Brimstone alone may be given with Oats but the Flowers are better A Pound of Honey put into a Pail-full of Water and us'd for ordinary Drink is excellent for a Cough as I intimated before I have already describ'd a Cordial Powder for the Cure of this Distemper A small handful of Hemp-seed mixt with Oats and given to a fat and fleshy Horse cures the Cough if the use of it be long continu'd The same quantity of Hemp-seed may be beaten and infus'd in White-Wine all Night and both the Wine and the Seed given to the Horse in the Morning A Cough may be also cur'd by giving the Horse a handful of Juniper-Berries every Day for a considerable time Take the Wood and Leaves of Tamarisk either dry or green tho' the latter is best stamp 'em and give 'em to your Horse with moisten'd Oats or Bran beginning with a small quantity and augmenting the Dose every Day to a large Spoonful A Remedy for the Cough Take a Pound of newly churn'd Butter before 't is wash'd and a like quantity of Honey with two Ounces of Juniper-Berries beaten mix and make Pills rolling 'em up with Powder of Liquorice Give your Horse a Dose with a Pint or a Pint and half of White-Wine keeping him Bridl'd two Hours before and three Hours after Repeat the same two or three times interposing a Day or two between the Doses Another Remedy Take of clear Oil of Walnuts newly drawn one Pint common Honey a Pound and thirty Grains of White-Repper beaten Incorporate 'em all together and give the whole quantity to the Horse Repeat the Dose if there be occasion and the second will perfect the Cure Grate two or three Nutmegs and give 'em to your Horse with half a Pint of Brandy One Dose of this Remedy has often cur'd the Cough but if the Horse be old you must repeat it or prepare that which follows Take a small Porringer of dry Pigeon's-Dung beat it and infuse it all Night in a Quart of White-Wine in the Morning heat it till it begin to boil then strain out the Liquor add two Ounces of Juice of Liquorice and make your Horse drink it up Repeat the same thrice interposing one Day between the Doses after which the Cough will probably be cur'd The English Pills for an Old Cough An Inveterate Cough is one of the most stubborn Distempers incident to Horses I have already propos'd several Remedies that have been often but not always attended with Success The following Pills cur'd Horses that were troubl'd with this Distemper six Months and sometimes a whole Year after a fruitless Tryal of other Remedies Take Flower of Brimstone four Ounces Annisâ—eds beaten two Ounces Liquorice dry'd in the shade and beaten four Ounces Bay-Berries in fine Powder four Ounces brown Sugar-Candy six Ounces good Treacle four Ounces Oil-Olive eight Ounces Tarr two Ounces Beat 'em in a Mortar till they be well incorporated and mix 'em with four Eggs beaten in a Dish without the Shells