_A new method for the husbandly curing of all manner of Cattels
diseases._
[Sidenote: The reason for this Chapter.]
Of this Theame I haue written a whole (or as some will suppose many)
Histories, yet doubtlesse nothing too much, the cause is so necessary
and commodious: yet this I must let euery Reader vnderstand, that what
I haue herein formerly done, I did for a general and vncontrollable
satisfaction to the whole Kingdome, both the learned and vnlearned, and
as well to satisfie the nicest and most curious opinion, as the simple
and playne dealing creature: whence it came that I waded Artfully
and profoundly into the vttermost secrets of this knowledge, leauing
nothing vnsearcht, or vnset downe, that might any way tend to the
satisfaction of any iudiciall Reader, and therefore tooke liberty to
make a large progresse, without sparing any paynes, to make my worke
absolutely most perfect. But now, hauing onely to doe with our honest
playne English Husbandman, who eyther cannot much read, or else hath
little leasure to read, at most but a little memorie to bestow vpon
his readings; I haue here for his ease both of memory, readings, and
other verations, drawne him such a method for the curing of all the
diseases in cattell, as was neuer yet found out by any man or Authour
whatsoeuer: and is worthy to be preserued to all posterities for euer
and euer.
[Sidenote: Horses diseases to be cured with twelue Medicines.]
To beginne then first with the Horse, which is the Husbandmans
principallest creature, you shal vnderstand that he hath, of my
knowledge, one hundred and odde diseases or infirmities, besides other
hurts and blemishes, for all which, I haue seuerally shewed seuerall
cures, as may appeare by the volumes which are much too great for any
Husbandman to carry in his braynes, and therefore for his ease I haue
drawne all those hundred and odde sicknesses or sorrances, into twelue,
and will assure euery Husbandman that with these twelue medicines
following, hée shall perfectly cure all the diseases in a Horse,
whatsoeuer.
[Sidenote: Of inward sicknesse.]
[Sidenote: The first Medicine.]
To procéede then in an orderly manner to the cures: Euery husbandman
must know that all diseases in a horse are inward or outward: inward
as offending the vitall parts, or outward as troubling the members:
to speake then first of inward sicknesse, I will diuide so into two
branches, that is, eyther it offends the heart, or the brayne: If
it offend the heart, we call them, Feauers, Yellowes, _Anticor_,
consumption of lungs, Liuer, Splene, Gall or other intrals, Wormes,
Fluxes, Belly-bound, and diuers other of like nature: For any or all
which, you shall first let your Horse bloud in the neck-veine, and
then giue him, during his sicknesse, to drinke, eyther in swéete Wine
or strong Ale or Béere, if Wine a pinte, if Ale or Béere a quart, two
spoonefull of the powder called _Diapente_, made of _Aristolochia_
root, _Gentiana_, _Myrrhe_, _Eboni_ and _Bachi lauri_, of each equall
quantitie, and let it be well brewed together, and doe thus euery
Morning fasting, and let the Horse fast two houres after it.
[Sidenote: The second Medicine.]
If it offend the brayne we call them Appoplexies, Palsies, Staggers,
Colds, Glaunder, Coughes, mourning of the chyne, Migrims, dizzinesse,
and a world of such like: and the cure is to take _Assafeteda_, and
dissoluing it in Vinegar dip hurds therein, and stop it hard into his
eares for two Mornings together after you haue taken from him great
store of bloud at his necke-veine, and then giue him to drinke, during
his sicknesse, euery Morning a quart of Milke, wherein the white and
rough cankerrous Mosse of an old Oake pale hath béene sodden till
the Milke grow thicke, then strayned & so giuen luke warme, and if
you finde that no heauinesse or dizzinesse appeare in his head, then
you may forbeare the bloud-letting, and the _Assafeteda_, but not
otherwise, in any case; and thus assuredly these two medicines alreadie
declared will cure all the inward diseases in a Horse, whatsoeuer.
[Sidenote: Of outward diseases.]
[Sidenote: The third medicine.]
Now for outward diseases, they are eyther naturall or accidentall: If
they be naturall, they eyther grow from the generation, or bréede, from
whence a Horse is descended, or else from corruption of foode, or other
vnwholesome kéeping; If they grow from the bréede and generation of
the Horse, we call them the Viues, Wens, Knots, or Swellings about the
throat: and for the cure thereof, take a peny-worth of Pepper, beaten
into powder; a spoonefull of swines-grease, the iuyce of one handfull
of Rew, two spoonefuls of Vineger, and mixe them together, and put this
equally into both the Horses eares, and so tye them vp and shake the
eares, that the medicine may sinke downe, and take good store of bloud
from the Horses neck-veine, and temple veines, and vse this medicine
two or thrée mornings together.
[Sidenote: The fourth Medicine.]
If they procéede from corruption of foode, or any other vnwholesome
kéeping which corrupteth the bloud, then we call them Impostumations,
Byles, Botches, Fistulaes, Polemill, and such like: and the cure is, to
take the loame of an old mudde wall, strawes and all, but let there be
no Lime amongst it, and boyle this loame with strong Vineger, till it
be like a Pultus, and as hot as the Horse can abide it, apply it to the
sore place, and it will not onely draw it to a head, and breake it, but
also draw it, search it, and heale it.
[Sidenote: The fift Medicine.]
There be also other diseases which procéed from naughtie foode, and
the corruption of blood, and we call them Farcies, Scabs, Mangie,
Scratches, Paynes, Mallanders, Sellanders, and all of such like nature,
and the cure is first to slit the hard knots, or rubbe off the scurfe,
and make the sore places raw: then take yellow _Arsnicke_ beaten to
powder, and mixe it well with fresh grease, and then therewith annoynt
the sore places all ouer, which done, tye vp the Horses head, so as he
may not knappe or bite himselfe, and so let him stand an houre or two:
then take strong old Pisse warmde, and therewith bathe and wash the
Horse all ouer, and so put him to his meat: and in this manner dresse
the Horse or beast thrée or foure mornings, and it will be sufficient;
onely you must not fayle to take from him good store of bloud at his
necke vaine.
[Sidenote: The sixt Medicine.]
Now if his diseases procéed from accidentall causes, as from wounds,
Bruises, Straynes, Galles, hurts in the Eyes, excretions, or broken
bones, then you shall to euery one of these take these seueral
medicines which follow: as first, if they be wounds, in what sort
soeuer taken or receiued, you shall take _Turpentine_, Waxe, and
hogs-grease, of each a like quantity, and melting them together into a
salue, dresse the wound therewith, and it will heale it, how great or
little soeuer.
[Sidenote: The seuenth Medicine.]
If they be bruises, whether gotten by stroake, naughtie Saddles, or
other rushes, from whence procéedeth many times old, putrified & most
ranckorous vlcers, you shall first if the tumor be onely swelled and
not broken, apply vnto it the fourth medicine of Loame and Vingar, but
if it be an open old ranckorous vlcer, you shall take Hogs-grease,
Turpentine, Waxe, and Verdigrease, of each a like quantitie, and being
well mixt, and incorporated together, dresse the sore therewith, till
it be whole, for this medicine will abate and kéepe downe any spungie
or naughtie dead flesh which arises and kéepes the sore from healing,
and may therefore alwayes be vsed in such like cases, whether the sore
be new or old.
[Sidenote: The eight Medicines.]
If they be straynes eyther of ioynts or sinewes in what part or member
soeuer it be, old or new, take strong Vinegar, Patch-grease, and
Wheat-branne, and boyle them together till they be thick like a Pultus,
and then apply it very hot to the strayne, Morning and Euening, and it
is a most certayne cure, and will kéepe the member from growing foule,
knotted, or gourded, and will also take away all swellings or paynes of
the limbes whatsoeuer.
[Sidenote: The ninth Medicine.]
If they be Galles, of what kinde or nature soeuer, whether on the
backe, limbes, or any other outward part of the bodie, you shal take
first fresh Butter scalding hot, and with it first bathe and wash the
sore, then take thicke Creame, & mixing it with the Soote of a Chimney
till it be thicke, like a salue, with the same annoynt the sore place
Morning and Euening, and it will cure it without any feare of dead
flesh: if you doe strow vpon the sore the powder of Rossen it will be
good also.
[Sidenote: The tenth Medicine.]
If they be any hurts in the eyes, as strokes, inflamations,
Pinne-webbe, Canker, or any other mischiefe whatsoeuer, you shall then
take true ground-Iuie, which otherwise is called of some Ale-hoofe, and
beating a good handfull thereof in a morter, with a spoonefull or two
of white Rosewater, or the water of Eye-bright, then strain it through
a cleane wet cloath, and with that water dresse the sore eye Morning
and Euening: or if you can conueniently thrée or foure times a day,
for the oftner is the better, and it will without all fayle cure any
sore eye in the world whatsoeuer, eyther of man or beast, or any other
creature.
[Sidenote: The eleuenth Medicine.]
If they be excretions of bones, as Splents, Spauens, Curbs, Ringbones,
or such like, in what part or member soeuer they be, you shall then
take white _Arsnicke_, beaten or ground to fine powder, and making
a little slit vpon the head of the excretion, the length of a Barly
corne, or very little more, yet in any waies downe déepe to the
excretion, & then with the poynt of your knife put the _Arsnicke_ vpon
the excretion, and so let the Horse stand with his head tied vp for two
houres at least, for in that time the greatest anguish will be gone,
and then put him vnto his meate, and in thrée or foure dayes after the
excretion will fall away of it selfe; and then with a little swéet
Butter you may cure the sore, which will not be great.
[Sidenote: The twelfth Medicine.]
If they be broken bones, or bones out of ioynt, you shall after you
haue placed them in their due place, first annoynt them with the Oyle
of Mallowes, or for want of it with warme Patch-grease, and then clap
about them a plaster made of Pitch, Rossen, and Masticke, and so with
soft and flat splents, so splent the member, as it may not moue, and
so let it rest nine dayes ere you dresse it againe, and in any case
so sling the Horse or Beast that he may not during that time, put his
member to the ground, which a little diligence and payne will easily
doe.
[Sidenote: Diseases in the feete.]
If your Horse haue any infirmitie in his hooues as quitter-bone,
ouer-reach, pricke, crowne scabbe, rotten frush, or any such vlcerous
disease, you shall first lay it open, and then heale it with the
seuenth Medicine. But if it be foundring, fretteshing, or such like,
then you shall first pare all his hooues cleane ouer, so thinne that
you may discerne the quicke all ouer, then let him bloud at the toes,
and take great store of bloud from him, but in any case cut not the
veine in sunder: then take the sixt medicine and, being boyling hot
(after hollow shoes haue béene tackt on his féete) with Flaxe hurds
dipt therein, stoppe all the soales of his féete vp hard, and thus
doe twice in sixe dayes, and it will bring his féete to their full
perfection againe, without any great losse or trouble.
[Sidenote: Diseases in the priuie parts, or for stifling.]
As for the common infirmities in a Horses priuy parts, which are
swellings, inflammations, incording, & such like, you shall but only
swimme your horse in cold water Morning and Euening, and it is a
present helpe, both for them, or the stifling of a horse in his hinder
ioynt: Thus you sée these twelue medicines will sufficiently cure all
the diseases in Horse or Beast whatsoeuer, which who so will not carry
in his memory, he is worthy now and then to be punisht for his sloath,
and sometimes to suffer losse, which may make him more industrious to
studie for his owne good and profit. And thus much for the cure of
diseases.
_FINIS._