The historie of foure-footed beastes Describing the true and liuely figure of euery beast, with a discourse of their seuerall names, conditions, kindes, vertues (both naturall and medicinall) countries of their breed, their loue and hate to mankinde, and the wonderfull worke of God in their creation, preseruation, and destruction. Necessary for all diuines and students, because the story of euery beast is amplified with narrations out of Scriptures, fathers, phylosophers, physitians, and poets: wherein are declared diuers hyerogliphicks, emblems, epigrams, and other good histories, collected out of all the volumes of Conradus Gesner, and all other writers to this present day. By Edward Topsell.

[ 30] Of the paine in the teeth and gums, of the Wolfes teeth, and Iaw-teeth.

A Horse may haue paine in his teeth, partly by discent of humors from his head, down into his teeth and gums, which is to be perceiued by the ranknesse and swelling of the gums, and partly hauing two extraordinary teeth called the wolfes teeth, which be two little teeth growing in the vpper iawes, next vnto the great grinding teeth, which are so paineful to the Horse, as he cannot endure to chaw his meat, but is forced either to let it fal out of his mouth, or else to keepe it stil halfe chawed, whereby the Horse prospe∣reth not, but waxerh leane and poore, and he wil do the like also when his vpper Iaw-teeth be so far growne as they ouerhang the neather Iaw-teeth, and therewith be so sharp, as in [ 40] mouing his iawes they cut and race the insides of his cheeks, euen as they were raced with a knife. And first as touching the cure of the paine in the teeth, that commeth by meanes of some distillation: Vegetius saith, it is good to rub al the outside of his gums with fine chalke and strong vineger mingled together, or else after that you haue washed the gums with vineger, to strew on them of Pomegranate piles. But methinkes that besides this, it were not amisse to stop the temple vains, with the plaister before mentioned, in the chap∣ter of weeping and waterish eies. The cure of the Wolfes teeth, and of the iaw-teeth ac∣cording to Martin is in this sort. First cause the horsse head to be tyed vp to some rafter or post, and his mouth to be opened with a cord, so wide as you may easily see euery part thereof.

[ 50] Then take a round strong iron toole, half a yard long, and made at the one end in al points like vnto the Carpenters gouge, wherewith he maketh his holes to be bored with a wimble or augor, & with your left hand set the edge of your toole at the foot of the wolfs teeth, on the outside of the iaw, turning the hollow side of the toole downward, holding your hand steadily, so as the toole may not slip from the foresaid tooth: then hauing a mallet in your

right hand strike vpon the head of the toole one pretty blow, and therwith you shal loosen the tooth, and cause it to bend inward: then staying the midst of your toole vpon the hor∣ses neather iaw, wrinch the tooth outward, with the inside or hollow side of the toole, and thrust it clean out of his head: that done, serue the other Wolfes tooth on the other side in like manner, and fill vp the empty places with salt finely braied. But if the vpper iawe-teeth do also ouerhang the neather teeth, & so cut the inside of his mouth as is aforesaid, then keeping his mouth stil open, take your toole and mallet, and pare al those teeth shor∣ter, running alongst them euen from the first vnto the last, turning the hollow side of your toole towards the teeth so shal not the toole cut the inside of his cheekes, and the backe or [ 10] round side being turned toward the foresaid checkes, and that doone wash all his mouth with vineger and salt, and let him go.

Notes

• Blundevile