Of Windgalles.

THe windgall called of the Italians Galla, is a bladder full of corrupt ielly,* whereof some be great and some bee small, and do grow on each side of the ioynt, and is so painfull, and especially in summer season when the wether is hot and the waies hard, as the horse is not able to trauell but halteth downe right. They come for the most part [ 40] through extreame labor and heat, whereby the humors being dissolued, doe flow and re∣sort into the hollow places about the neather ioynts, and there be congealed and couered with a thin skin like a bladder. They bee apparant to the eie and therefore neede no other signes to know them. The cure whereof according to Martin is thus. Wash them with water and shaue off the haire, scarifie them with the point of a rasor, and dresse them with Cantharides in the selfesame manner as the splent in the knee was taught before, and an∣noint them afterward with butter vntil the skin be whole. And if this will not heale it, then draw them with a hot iron like a ragged staffe. That done slit the middle line which passeth right downe through the windgall with a sharpe knife, beginning beneath and so vpward the length of halfe an inch, to the intent you may thrust the ielly out at that hole, then lay vnto it a little pitch and rozen molten together, and made lukewarme, and put a few floxe [ 50] on it, and that will heale him. And you may dry vp the windgall in such manner as heere followeth. First chop off the haire so far as the windgall extendeth, and hauing striken it with a fleame, thrust out the ielly with your finger. Then take a peece of red wollen cloath and clap it to the place, and with a hot broad searing iron seare it, so as the iron may not burne through the cloth, which is don to dry vp the humors.

Page  410Then hauing taken away the cloth, lay vnto the place a peece of shoomakers waxe made like a flat cake, about the breadth of a testorn, and with your iron not made ouer hot, streek softly vpon it too and fro, vntill the said wax be throughly melted into the sore. Wherup∣on lay a few flox, and let him go. Which flocks will afterward fall away of their owne ac∣cord.