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 mourning of the Chine.

THis word mourning of the Chine, is a corrupt name borrowed of the French toong, wherein it is cald Mote deschien, that is to say, the death of the backe. Because many do hold this opinion that this disease doth consume the mar∣row of the backe: for remedy whereof, they vse strange kinds of cures. For some taking it to be a rheume, go about to stop it, by laying a strictiue, or binding char∣ges to the nape of the necke. Some againe, do twine out the pith of the backe with a long wire thrust vp into the horsses head, and so into his necke and backe, with what reason I [ 40] know not. Well, I know that few horsses do recouer that haue this disease. Some againe thinke that the lungs of the horse be rotten, and that the horse doth cast them out at his nose. But Martin saith, that he hath cut vp diuers horsses which haue been iudged to haue dyed of the mourning of the chine, but he could find neuer either back or lungs to be pe∣rished, but onely the liuer, and most commonly that side of the liuer, which answeareth the nostrill whereat he casteth, whereof we will talke in his proper place, when we come to speake of the diseases in the Liuer. The Italians do call this disease Ciamorro, the olde Authors do cal it the moist malady, whereof Theomnestus maketh two differences. For in the one the matter which he doth cast at the nose is white, and doeth not smell at all: and in the other, that which he casteth is filthy and sticking corruption. They proceed both of cold humors congealed in the head, but more abounding in the one then in the other; [ 50] by reason perhaps that the horsse was not cured in time: for of colde first commeth the Pose, and the cough, then the Glanders, and last of all the mourning of the chine. When the horse casteth matter at the nose that is not stinking, he may easily be cured by such re∣medyes as haue beene before declared in the chapter of the Pose: but if the matter be ve∣ry

filthy and stincking, then it is very harde to cure. Notwithstanding, it shall not grieue me to write vnto you heere, the experience of Theomnestus, and of Laurentius Russius. Theomnestus cure is thus. Take of Water and hony called of the Physitians Hydromel, a quart, and put thereunto three ounces of oyle, and powre that into his nostrill euerye morning the space of three daies: and if that do not profit him, then let him drinke eue∣ry day, or once in two daies, a quart of olde wine, mingled with some of the medicine or rather the precious meate, called of the olde writers Tetraphramacum, and that will re∣store him to his former estate. Laurentius Russius saith, that of al diseases ther is non more perillous, nor more to be suspected, th••n the rheume which commeth of cold, for hor∣ses [ 10] haue large Conduites, and are full of moisture, and therefore if colde once enter, it findeth matter inough to worke on, to breede continuall distillation, as well outwardly at the nose, as inwardly, descending downe to the vitall part in such sort, as it doth not suffocat the same.

The signes according to the said Russius be these, the horse doth cast matter continu∣ally at the nos••, sometime thinne and sometime thicke, his nostrils, eares, and al his out∣ward parts, wil be cold to the feeling, his eyes, head, and all his body heauy, and he will cough, and haue smal appetite to his meat, and lesse to his drinke, and sometime he will tremble and shake: his cure is in this sort. Purge his head, partly by perfuming him, and partly by making him to neeze in such sort, as hath beene before taught in the chapter of the pose, which waies of perfuming and purging his head as they bee good, so doeth [ 20] Russius praise these two heere following to be most excellent: the first is this: Take of the stalkes of Vitis alba otherwise called Brioni, or wilde Vine, two or three good hand∣fuls, and being brused, put them into a linnen bagge, and fasten the bagge to the hor∣ses head, so as he may receiue the scent vp into his nostrils, without touching the hearb wi••h his mouth, and this will cause the humors to run downe aboundantly. The second medicine; Take of Euforbium beaten into fine powder, three ounces, of the iuice of Betes one pound, of Swines blood halfe a pound, boile al these togither vntil they bee thr••ughly mingled togither, and liquide like an ointment, and then take it from the fire and put thereunto one ounce more of Euforbium and mingle them againe thoroughly togither, and preserue the same in a box, to vse at needefull times in this sort: Make two [ 30] stiffe long rowles or tampins of linnen clowtes, or such like stuffe, sharpe pointed like su∣ger-loues: which tampins are called of the physitians in Latine Pessi, and being annoin∣ted with the ointment aforesaid, thrust them vp into the horsses nostrils, and let them a∣bide therein a pretty whilk, then pul them out, and you shal see such abundance of mat∣ter ••••me forth at his nose, as is marueilous to behold: Russius also praiseth verye much this medicine heere following.

Take as much of the middle barke of an Elder tree, growing on the water side, as will fil a new earthen pot of a meane size, putting thereunto as much cleere water as a pot wll hold, and let it boile vntil one halfe be consumed: and then to be filled vppe againe with fresh water, continuing so to doe three times one after another, and at the last time that [ 40] the one halfe is consumed, take it from the fire, and straine it throgh a linnen cloth. Then take two partes of that decoction, and one part of hogges greace, or Butter, and being warmed againe togither, giue the horsse to drinke thereof one horneful, and poure ano∣ther hornefull into his nostril that casteth, and whensoeuer you giue him this medicine, let the horse bee empty and fasting, and keepe him without meat also two or three hours after, for this is a very good drinke for anye sicknesse that commeth of cold. Moreouer, open the skinne of his foreheade, and of his temples, and also of his taile with a sharpe hot yron, that the corrupt humours may yssue outward. That done, take hot brickes, or else a pan of fresh burning coales, and hold it nigh vnto his belly and flankes, to the en∣tent [ 50] that they may bee thoroughly warmed, and being so warmed annoint them al ouer with oyle de Bav, or Dialthea, to defend his body from the cold, and let his head be well couered, and al his bely kept warme. Yea and it were good to bath his head sometime, as Russius saith, with a bath made of Rew, Wormewoode, Sage, Iuneper, Bay leaues, and Hysop. And let his drinke be warme water mingled with Wheat meale; yea, and to make it the more comfortable, it were good as Russius saith, to put thereunto some Cinamon,

Ginger, Galingale, & such hot pieces. And his meat in Winter season would bee no other but sodden corne, or warme mashes, made of ground Malt and wheat bran: in summer season if he went to grasse, I think it would do him most good, so that he go in a dry warm ground, for by feeding alwaies downeward, he shall purge his head the better as Russius saith. Thus much of the Glanders, and mourning of the Chine. Now we wil speake som∣what of the strangullion, according to the opinion of the Authors, though not to the sa∣tisfaction perhaps of our English Ferrers.