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 Hydebound.

[ 40] HIdebound, is when the skinne cleaueth so fast to the horsses backe, that a man can∣not pul it from the flesh with his hand, which Ruellius calleth Coriago: it commeth meth for the most part of pouertie, or els when the horsse after some great heate hath beene suffered to stand long in the raine or wet weather, for that wil cause the skinne to shrinke, and to cling to his ribs. It is knowne by the leannesse of the horsse, and gantnes of his bely, and by fast sticking of the skin vnto the ribs when you pul at it with your hand. The cure according to Martin is thus. Let him blood on both sides the bellie in the flanke vaines betwixt the flanke and the girding place: that done, giue him this drinke. Take a quart of white Wine, or els of good Ale, and put thereunto three ounces of good sallet oyle, of Cummin one ounce, of Annis seedes two ounces, of Licoras two ounces, bea∣ten [ 50] al into fine powder, and giue it him luke warme with a horne. And when he hath drunk let one standing at his huckle-bone, rub him hard with his hand along the back, and ouer∣thwart the ribbes the space of halfe an houre: that done, set him in a warme stable, and let him stand in litter vp to the belly, and couer all his backe and ribs with a sacke first tho∣roughly soked in a tub of cold water, and then well and hard wroung, and ouer that caste

another cloath, and girde it fast with a surcingle, stuffing him well about the backe with fresh straw, continuing thus to doe euery day once the space of a weeke, during which time giue him no cold water but luke warme, and put therein a little ground mault. The wet sacke wil cause the backe to gather heat it selfe, and the skin to loosen from the flesh, and if you will bestow more cost, you may annoint all his body with wine and oile min∣gled togither, according to the opinion of the old writers, which no doubt is a very com∣fortable thing, and must needs supple the skinne, and loosen it from the flesh.