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 Cricke in the necke.

BEcause a Cricke is no other thing but a kind of conuulsion, and for that we haue spo∣ken sufficiently bofore of al kinds thereof in the chapter of conuulsion: I purpose not heere therefore to trouble you with many wordes, but onely shewe you Russius opinion, and also Martins experience therein. The cricke then called of the Italians Scima or Luter∣do [ 30] according to Russius, and according to Martin is, when the Horsse cannot turne his neck any maner of way, but hold it stil right forth, insomuch as he cannot take his meate from the ground but by times, and that very slowly, Russius saith it commeth by meanes of some great weight laid on the horsses shoulders, or else by ouermuch drying vp of the sinnewes of the necke. The cure whereof according to Martin is in his sort. Draw him with a hot iron from the root of the eare on both sides of the necke, through the midst of the same euen down to the breast, a straw deep, so as both ends may meet vpon the breast: then make a hole in his forehead, hard vnder the fore-top, and thrust in a cornet vpwarde betwixt the skin and the flesh a handfull deepe, then put in a Goose feather, doubled in the midst and annointed with Hogs-greace to keepe the hole open, to the intent the matter [ 40] may run out the space of ten daies. But euery day during that time, the hole must be clen∣sed once, and the feather also clensed and fresh annointed, and so put in again. And once a day let him stand vpon the bit one houre or two, or be ridden two or three miles abroad by such a one as wil beare his head, and make him to bring it in. But if the Cricke be such as the Horsse cannot holde his necke straite, but cleane awry, as I haue seene diuers my selfe: then I thinke it not good that the Horsse be drawne with a hot iron on both sides of the necke, but onely on the contrary side. As for example, if he bend his head toward the right side, then to draw him as is a foresaid onely on the lefte side, and to vse the rest of the cure as is aboue saide, and if neede bee you may splent him also with handsome staues meete for the purpose to make his necke stand right. [ 50]