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.

Of the Canker, called of the Italian Il Canero.

A Canker is a filthy creeping vlcer, fretting and gnawing the flesh in gret breadth. In the beginning it is knotty, much like a Farcine, and sprea∣deth it selfe into diuers places, and being exulcerated, gathereth togi∣ther [ 20] in length into a wound or sore. This proceedeth of a melancholy and filthy blood ingendered in the body, which if it be mixt with Salt humors, it causeth the more painefull and greeuous exulceration, and sometime it commeth of some filthy wound that is not cleanly kept, the corrupt matter whereof cankereth other clean parts of the body. It is easie to be knowne by the descrip∣tion before. The cure whereof, according to Martin is thus. Frst let him blood in those vaines that be next the sore, and take inough of him. Then take of Alum halfe a pound of greene Coporas and of white Coporas of each one quarterne, and a good handfull of Salt: boile all these things togither in faire running water, from a pottle to a quart. And this water being warme, wash the sore with a cloath, and then sprinkle thereon the pow∣der [ 30] of vnslecked lime, continuing so to do euery day once the space of fifteen daies: and if you see that the lime do not mortifie the ranke flesh, and keepe it from spreading any fur∣ther then take of blacke Sope halfe a pounde, of Quicke-siluer halfe an ounce, and beate them together in a pot, vntill the Quicke-siluer be so well mingled with the Sope, as you can perceiue none of the Quicke-siluer in it. And with an yron slice, after that you haue washed the sore with the stronge water aforesaide, couer the wound with this ointment, continuing thus to do euery day once, vntill the Canker leaue spreading abroad. And if it leaue spreading, and that you see the ranke flesh is mortified, and that the edges begin to gather a skin, then after the washing, dresse it with the lime as before, continuing so to vntil it be whole. And in the dressing, suffer no filth that commeth out of the sore, to re∣maine [ 40] vppon any whole place about, but wipe it cleane away, or else wash it away with warme water. And let the horse during this cure, be as thinly dieted as may be, and tho∣roughly exercised.

Notes

• Blundevile