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 purging with Purgation, or Glister.

PVrgations is defined by the Physitians, to be the emptiyng or voiding [ 30] of superfluous humors, annoying the body with their euill quality. For such humors bring euill iuyce and nutriment, called of the Physitians Cacochimia, which when it will not be corrected or holpen with good dy∣et, alteration, nor by the benefit of nature and kindly heat, then it must needes be taken away by purgation, vomit or Glister. But forasmuch as Horsses are not wont to be purged by Vomit, as men be, I will speake heere onely of Gli∣sters and purgations. And first because a Horse is grieued with many diseases in his guts, and that nothing can purge the guts so well as a Glyster, and especially the thicke guts, I wish that our Ferrers would learne to knowe the diuersity of Glysters to what end they▪ [ 40] serue, and with what drugs or simples they should bee made, for as the disease requireth, so must the Glister bee made, some to allay griefes and sharpnesse of humors, some to binde, some to loosen, some to purge euill humors, some to clense Vlcers: but our Fer∣rers vse Glisters, only to loosen the belly and for no other purpose: yea, few or none do that vnlesse it be Martin, and such as he hath taught, who is not ignorant that a Glister is the beginning of purgation. For a Glister, by clensing the guts, refresheth the vital parts and prepareth, the way before. And therefore whensoeuer a Horse is surfeted and full of euill humors, needing to be purged and specially being pained in the guts, I would wish you to begin first with a Glister, least by purging him by medicine vppon the sudden, you [ 50] stir vp a multitude of euill humors, which finding no passage downeward because the guts be stopt with wind and dregges, do strike vpwardes, and so perhaps put the horse in great danger.

But now you shall vnderstand that Glisters be made of foure things, that is to say, of de∣coctions, of Drugges, of Oyles, or such like vnctious matters, as butter and soft grease, and fourthly of diuers kindes of salt to prouoke the vertue expulsiue. A decoction is as

much to say as the broath of certaine hearbes or simples boiled together in water till the third part be consumed.

And sometime instead of such decoction, it shalbe needfull parhaps to vse some fat broth as the broth of Beefe or of Sheeps heads, or Milke, or Whay, or some other such like li∣quor, and that perhaps mingled with Hony, or Sugar, according as the disease shall re∣quire, the Glister to be either Lenitiue, that is to say, easing paine: or Glutinatiue, that is, ioyning together: or else Abstersiue, that is to say, cleansing or wiping away filthy mat∣ter, of which decoction of broath being strained, you shall need to take three pintes or a quart at the least. And then into that you may put such drugges as shall bee needefull to the weight of three or foure ounces, according as the simples shall bee more or lesse vio∣lent. [ 10] Of Oyle at the least halfe a pinte, and of Salt two or three drammes, and then to bee ministred Luke-warme with a horne or pipe made of purpose, when the horse is not alto∣gether full panched, but rather empty, be it either in forenoone or after-noone. And as touching the time of keeping glisters in the body, you shal vnderstand, that to glisters ab¦stersiue halfe an houre or lesse may suffice: to glisters Lenitiue a longer time if it may be and to glisters Glutinatiue, the longest time of all is most needfull.