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 incording and brusing.

THis terme incording is borrowed of the Italian word Incordato, which in plain En∣glish is as much to say as bursten, and might be more rightly tearmed of vs vncod∣ded. For when a horse is bursten, his guts falleth downe into the cod making it to swell. The Italians as I take it did cal it Incordato because the gut followes the string of the stone called of them Ilcordone, or Lachorda, whereof Incordato seemes to be deriued with some reason. According to which reason we should cal it rather instringhed than inchor∣ded, [ 20] for Chorda doth signifie a string or chord. Notwithstanding, sith that incording is al∣ready receiued in the stable, I for my part am very well content therewith, minding not to contend against it. But now you haue to note, that either man or beast may be bursten di∣uersly, and according to the names of the partes greeued, the Physitians doe giue it di∣uers names: for you shall vnderstande, that next vnto the thicke outward skinne of the belly, there is also another inward thin skin couering al the muscles, the Caule, and the guts of the belly, called of the Anatomists Peritoneum, which skin commeth from both partes and sides of the backe, and is fastened to the midriffe aboue, and also to the bot∣tome of the belly beneath, to keepe in al the contents of the neather belly. And therefore [ 30] if the skin be broken, or ouer sore strained or stretched, then either some part of the caule or guts slippeth downe, sometime into the cod, sometime not so farre.

If the gut slip downe into the cod, then it is called of the Physitians by the Greek name Enterocele, that is to say, gut-bursten. But if the caule fall downe into the cod, then it is called of the Physitians Epiplocele, that is to say, Caule-bursten. But either of the diseases is most properlie incident to the male kind, for the femal kind hath no cod. Notwithstan∣ding they may be so bursten, as either gut or caule may fal downe into their natures, han¦ging there like a bag: But if it fal not downe so lowe, but remaineth aboue nigh vnto the priuy members or flankes, which place is called of the Latines Inguen, then of that place the bursting is called of the physitians Bubonocele, whereunto I knowe not what English [ 40] name to giue, vnlesse I should cal it flanke-bursten: Moreouer the cod or flanke may bee sometime swollen, by meanes of some waterish humour gathered together in the same, which is called of the physitians Hydrocele, that is to say, water-bursten, and sometime the cod may be swollen by meanes of some hard peece of flesh cleauing to the thin skins or panicles of the stones, and then it is called of the physitians Sarcocele, that is to say, flesh-bursten.

But forasmuch as none of mine Authors, Martin nor anie other Ferrer in these daies that I knowe, haue intermedled with anie kind of bursting, but onely with that wherein the gut falleth downe into the cod: leauing all the rest apart, I wil onely talke of this; and that according to Martins experience, which I assure you differeth not much from the [ 50] precepts of the old writers: But first you shal vnderstand, that the gut bursten, and flanke bursten, doth proceed both of one cause, that is to say, by meanes that the skinne, called before Peritoneum, is either sore strained, or else broken, either by some stripe of another horse, or els by some strain in leaping ouer an hedge, ditch, or pale, or otherwise: yea and many times in passing a carier, through the carelesnes of the rider stoping the horse so∣denly without giuing warning, wherby the horse is forced to cast his hinder legs abroad,

so straineth or bursteth the skin aforesaid, by meanes whereof the gut falleth downe into the cod. The signes be these. The horse will forsake his meat, and stand shoring and lean∣ning alwaies on that side that he is hurt: and on that side, if you search with your hande, betwixt the stone and the thigh vpward to the body, and somewhat aboue the stone you shall find the gut it selfe big and hard in the feeling, whereas on the other side you shal find no such thing. The cure according to Martin is thus. Bring the horse into some house or place that hath ouer head a strong balk or beame going ouerthwart, and strew that place thicke with strawe: then put on foure pasternes with foure ringes on his feete, and then fasten the one end of a long rope to one of those Ringes, then thread all the other rings with the loose end of the Rope, and so drawe all his foure feete togither, and cast him on [ 10] the straw.

That done, cast the rope ouer the baulke, and hoise the horse so as he may lye flatte on his backe, with his legs vpward without struggling. Then bath his stones well with warme Water and Butter molten togither, and the stones being somewhat warme, and wel mol∣lified, raise them vp from the body with both your hands being closed by the fingers fast togither, and holding the stones in your hands in such manner, worke downe the gut in∣to the body of the horse, by striking it downward continually with your two thumbs, one labouring immediately after another, vntill you perceiue that side of the stone to bee so so smal as the other, and hauing so discorded, that is to say, returnd the gut into his right [ 20] place; take a list of two fingers broad throughly annointed with fresh butter, and tie his stones both togither with the same so nigh as may bee, not ouer hard, but so as you may put your finger betwixt. That done, take the horse quietly down, and lead him faire and softly into the stable, whereas he must stand warme, and not be stirred for the space of 3. weekes. But forget not the next day after his discording to vnloosen the list and to take it away, and as wel at that time as euery day once or twice after, to cast a dish or two of cold water vp into his cods and that wil cause him to shrinke vppe his stones and thereby re∣straine the gut from falling downe, and at the three weekes end be sure, it were not amisse to geld the stone on that side away, so shall he neuer be encorded againe on that side. But let him not eat much nor drinke much, and let his drinke be alwayes warme.

Notes

• Blundevile