Markhams maister-peece, or, What doth a horse-man lacke containing all possible knowledge whatsoeuer which doth belong to any smith, farrier or horse-leech, touching the curing of all maner of diseases or sorrances in horses : drawne with great paine and most approued experience from the publique practise of all the forraine horse-marshals of Christendome and from the priuate practise of all the best farriers of this kingdome : being deuided into two bookes, the first containing all cures physicall, the second whatsoeuer belongeth to chirurgerie, with an addition of 130 most principall chapters and 340 most excellent medicines, receits and secrets worthy euery mans knowledge, neuer written of nor mentioned in any author before whatsoeuer : together with the true nature, vse, and qualitie of euerie simple spoken of through the whole worke : reade me, practise me, and admire me / written by Geruase Markham gentleman.

CHAP. 87. Of the ringbone.

THe ringbone is a sorrāce, which appeareth aboue vpon the cronet of the hoofe, being a certaine hard gristell going sometimes round about the same: it proceedeth as some Farriers hold opinion either either from some blow of an other horse, or by stri∣king the horses foot against some stubbe, or stone or such like accident: but surely I hold that it also procee∣deth from some imperfection innature; for as much as I haue seene many foales foaled with ringbones on

their feete. These ring-bones do breed a viscous and slimy humour, which resorting to the bones that are of their owne nature cold and dry, waxeth hard, and cleaueth to some bone, and so in processe of time be∣cometh a bone. The signes of the sorrance are the ap∣parant sight of the sorrāce, being higher then any part of the cronet, the staring of the haire, & the halting of the horse; & the cure, according to ancient Farriers, is first to scarifie the skin aboue the ring-bone with a lancet; then take a great onion, & picke out the chore: then put into it verdigrease & vnsleckt lime: then co∣uer the hole, and rost the onion soft, then bruise it in a mortar, & so very hot lay it to the ring-bone: do thus 4 daies together, and it will cure it. Others of the old Farriers vse first to wash the sorrance with warme wa∣ter, and shaue away the haire: then scarifie it lightly with the point of a razor so as the bloud may issue forth: then dresse it with Cantharides & Eu••orbium in such sort as hath bene taught for the splent, vsing him, & curing him after the same manner; but when the haire beginneth to grow againe, then draw the soare place with a hot drawing iron in strait lines, from the pastorn down to the coffin of the hoofe, in this maner

[illustration]

and let the edge of the drawing iron be as thick as the backe of a meate knife, and burne him no deeper then that the skin may looke yellow: that done, couer the burning with pitch and rosen molten together, and clap thereon floxe of the horses owne colour, and about three daies after lay againe some of the last mentioned plaister, and also new floxe vpon the old, and there let them remaine till they fall away of themselues.

Others vse to shaue off the haire, and to scarifie the

soare with a launcet till it bleed: then strew vpon it the powder of Tartar, and salt, of each a like mixt together, and binde it straite: then after annoynt it with fresh grease; or else soften the ring-bone with the skinne of old bacon, the fat being scraped off, that you may see through the skinne, and layd to after it is shauen and made bleede: after launce it and let out the ring-bone. Others vse to launce the skinne with a razor; then opening the skinne with a cor∣net, pricke the ring-bone. Lastly, strew vpon it the powder of vitriolle, and binde it on so as it may not stirre for nine dayes; then thrust out the matter which is dissolued. Lastly, wash it with salt, with vrine, and vinegar mixt together. Other Farriers doe vse after they haue shaued it, to lay vnto it a plaister made of bran, & hony, with the yong leaues of worme-wood, pellitory, and Branke-vrsine min∣gled with swines grease, and beaten together, and boyled, and vsed as hot as the horse can suffer it. This medicine will not onely cure the ring-bone, but any other hard swelling whatsoeuer. Also a plai∣ster of the leaues of smallage being beaten to peeces, is not onely good for this sorrance, but for any wind∣gall also. To wash a ring-bone continually with strong vinegar will abate it: or else to shaue away the haire, and take halfe a lemmon, and sprinkle ars∣nicke thereupon, and lay it to the ring-bone, and it wil eate it away off; if twice or thrice a day you bind a hard egge burning hote vnto the ring-bone, it will take it away. Lastly, if you take Euforbi∣um, and mingle it with the oyle of Giniper, salt, and pepper, and so apply it to the ring-bone, it will in a very short space consume the ring-bone quite

away; alwaies prouided that you keep the horse from any wet during his cure.