Of the dry Spauen.
THe dry Spauin called of the Italians Spauano or Sparauagno, is a great hard knob as [ 10] big as a Walnut growing in the inside of the hough, hard vnder the ioynt, nigh vn∣to the maister vaine, and causeth the horse to halt, which sorance commeth by kind because the horses parents perhaps had the like disease at the time of his generation, and sometime by extreame labour and heat dissoluing humors which do descend thorough the maister vaine, continually feeding that place with euil nutriment, and causeth that place to swel. Which swelling in continuance of time becommeth so hard as a bone, and therefore is called of some the bone-Spauen. It needeth no signes or tokens to knowe it because it is very much apparant to the eie, and therefore most Ferrers doe take it to be incurable.
Notwithstanding, Martin saith, that it may bee made lesse with these remedies heere [ 20] following. Wash it with warme water, and shaue off the haire so farre as the swelling ex∣tendeth and scarifie the place, so as it may bleed. Then take of Cantharides one dozen, of Euforbium halfe a spoonefull, breake them into powder, and boile them togither with a little oile de Bay, and with two or three feathers bound togither, put it boiling hot vpon the sore, and let his taile be tyed vp for wiping away the medicine; and then within halfe an houre after, set him vp in the stable, and tie him so as he may not lie downe al the night for feare of rubbing off the medicine, and the next day annoint it with fresh butter, con∣tinuing thus to do euery day once the space of fiue or sixe daies, and when the haire is growne againe, draw the sore place with a hot yron. Then take another hot sharpe yron like a Bodkin, somewhat bowing at the point, and thruste it in at the neather end of the [ 30] middle-line, and so vppeward betwixt the skinne and the flesh to the compasse of an inch and a halfe.
And then taint it with a little Turpentine and Hogges-greace moulten together and made warme, renewing it euery day once the space of nine daies. But remember first im¦mediately after his burning to take vppe the maister vaine, suffering him to bleed a little from aboue, and tie vp the vper end of the vaine, and leaue the neather end open, to the intent that hee may bleede from beneath vntil it cease it selfe, and that shal diminish the Spauen, or else nothing wil do it.