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.

The medicines of the Ram.

Euen as the skins of other sheep newly plucked from their backs and applyed warm, do take away the ach swelling, and paines of stripes and blowes from bodies, so also haue the skins of rams, the same property. Arnoldus commendeth a plaister made of a rams skin [ 10] for burstning and falling downe of the guts, and this is found ready prepared in many Apothecaries shops, and the happy successe therof is much commended by Alysius. If a man take the stones of a fighting cocke, and anoint them with Goose grease, and so weare them in a peece of a rams skin, it is certaine that it will cohibite and restraine the rage of venerial lust, and a woman wearing about her the right stone of dunghill cocke, in a rams skin, shall not suffer abortement. The washed fleece of a ram wet in cold oile, putryfieth the inflammation of the secrets, and likewise the blacke wooll of a ram wet in water, and then in oyle, and so put to the sicke places, keepeth the fundament from falling, and also asswageth the paine. Also the wooll of a fighting ram taken from betwixt his hornes, and perfumed into a smoke, easeth the pain, and some take the powder thereof in vineger for that Malady. The say that Lais and Salpe cure the bitings of mad dogs, and also Tertian & [ 20] quartan Agues, with the menstruous purgation take in a peece of rams wooll, and inclu∣ded in a bracelet of siluer. Also they write that a woman shall haue an easie treuaile if shee weare in the wool of a ram, seede of wild Cucumber about her loines, not knowing therof, so as it be presētly after the deliuery cast out of doores. Also Marcellus saith, that if one take the wool from a rams forehead, and burne in the couer of a new pot, and afterward beat it to powder in a morter, and so put into vineger, and therewithal the forehead being anoin∣ted, it easeth the head-ach Also the dust of rams wooll mixed with water, cureth the paine in the yard. The matter of the liuer sod, hath the same operation: & Sextus writeth, that if the wooll be taken from the head, ribs, and cods, and also worne by him that hath a ter∣tian ague, it perfectly cureth him, and if a mans fingers ends and toes be tyed with the vnwashed wooll of a ram, it will stanch the bleeding at any part, especially the Nose. Al∣so [ 30] if you burne the greasie wooll of a very fat ram, and in water wash the same, it will help all euils in the yard of a man, if it be rubbed therewithall.

The broath of the rumpe of a ram is commended against blisters. The flesh of a ram be∣ing burnt and annointed vpon the body of any leprous person, or any whose body is trou∣bled with ring-wormes or itches, is very effectuall to cure them. The same force hath it against the bites of Scorpions, and stingings of Serpentes, and Algerarat: it also being taken in wine, good for the bitinges of mad dogs, and healeth the white skins in the eies. The fat of a sheep or Weather hath the same in it, as Porke-greace, and cureth the suffo∣cation of the womb, and all other diseases incident vnto the secret parts, and also helpeth places in the body being burnt by fire. The fat of a ram being mingled with red Arsenicke [ 40] and annointed vppon any scaull or scab, the same being afterward pared or scraped, doth perfectly heale it. It doth also being mixed with Allum, helpe those which are troubled with kibes or chilblanes in their heeles.

The sewet of a ram mingled with the powder of a pumise stone and salt, of each a like quantity, is said to heale fellons and inflammations in the body. The lunges of smal cattel, but especially of a ram, doth restore chaps or scarts in the body to their right collour. The same vertue hath the fat of a ram being mingled with Nitre. The gal of a ram mingled with his own sewet, is very good and profitable for those to vse who are troubled with the gout or swelling in the ioynts. The horne of a ram being burned and the dust of the same mixed with oyle, and so pounded together, being often anointed vpon a shauen head, doth [ 50] cause the haire to frisle and curle. A comb being made of the left horn of a ram, and com∣bed vpon the head, doth take away all paine vpon the left part thereof, if likewise there be paine in the right side of the head, the right horne of a ram doth cure it. For the curing of the losse of one wits springing from the imperfection of the braine, take the head of a ram neuer giuen to venery, being chopped off at one blow, the hornes being onely taken away and seeth it whole with the skin and the wooll in water, then hauing opened it, take out the braines,

and adde vnto them these kinds of spices, Cinamon, Ginger, Mace, and Cloues, of each one, halfe an ounce: these being beaten to powder, mingle them with the braines in an earthen platter diligently tempering of them by a burning cole, not very big, for feare of burning, which might easily be done, but there must great care be had that it be not too much dryed, but that it might be so boyled that it be no more dryed then a calfes braines being prepared for meate.

It shall be sufficiently boiled when you shall wel mingle them at the fire, then keep it hid, and for three daies giue it daiely to the sick person fasting, so that he may abstain from meat and drinke two houres after. It may be taken in bread, or in an Egge, or in whatso∣euer the sicke party hath a desire vnto: but there must be regard that he be not in a cleare [ 10] place, and that hee vse this forty daies space, which they are wont to vse whose blould is with drawne or fled away: and let him abstaine from wine assayng his head.

There are those which are holpen in a short space, some in sixe or eight weekes by this Medicine being receiued. But it is conuenient that it be required for three months, and then it will haue the more power therein. The lunges of a Ramme while they are hot applyed vnto woundes wherein the flesh doeth to much encrease, doth both represse and make it equal. The lungs of smal cattel, but especially of Rams being cut in smal pieces & applyed whiles they are hot vnto bruised places, do very speedily cure them and reduce them to the right collour.

The same doth cure the feete of such as are pinched through the straightnesse of their [ 20] shooes. The lunges of a Ram applyed vnto kibed heeles or broken vlcers in the feet, doth quite expell away the paine, notwithstanding the exceeding a chor pricking thereof. One drop of the liquor which is boyled out of a Rams lungs put vpon the small nailes vpon the hand, doth quite expell them. The like operation hath it to expell Wartes being annoin∣ted thereupon. The corrupt bloud of the lungs of a Ram vnroasted, doth hele all paines in the priuy members of man or woman, as also expell warts in any place of the body. The iuyce of the lungs of a ram while they are roasted vpon a Gridiron being receiued, doth by the vnction thereof purge and driue away the little blacke warts which are wont to grow in the haire or priuy parts of any man.

The liquor which distilleth from the lunges of a ram being boiled, doth heale Tertian [ 30] Agues, and the disease of the raines which grow therein. The lungs of a Lamb or ram be∣ing burned, and the dust thereof mingled with oile, or being applyed raw, doe heale the sorenesse of kibes, and are accounted very profitable to be bound vnto vlcers. The lungs of a ram being pulled forth and bound hot vnto the head of any one that is frenzy, wil pre∣sently help him. Against the pestilent disease of sheepe: take the belly of a ram and boile it in wine, then being mixed with Water, giue it to the sheepe to drinke, and it wil bring present remedy. The gall of a ram is very good for the healing of those which are trou∣bled with any pains in the eares, comming by the casualty of cold. The gal of a ram ming∣led with his owne sewet, doth ease those which are troubled with the gout. The gall of a Weather mingled with the wool and placed vpon the nauell of young children, doth make them loose in their bellies. The stones of an old ram being beaten in halfe a penny waight [ 40] of water, or in 3. quarters of a pint of Asses milk, are reported to be very profitable for those which are troubled with the falling sicknesse. The stones of a ram being drunke in water to the waight of three halfe pence, cureth the same disease. The dust of the inward parts of a rams thighs being lapped in rags or clouts, washed very exactly before with womens milk, doth heale the vlcers or runnings of old sores. The dust of the hoofe of a ram mingled with hony, doth heale the bitings of a Shrew. The dung of Weathers mingled with vineger and fashioned in the forme of a plaister, doth expel black spots in the body, and taketh away al hard bunches arising in the flesh. The same being applyed in the like manner, cureth S. Anthonies fire, and healeth burned places.

The fil••h or sweat which groweth between the thighs of a ram being mingled with Mirrhe and the Hearbe called Hart-wort, and drunke of each an equal parte, is accounted a very excellent remedy for those which are troubled with the Kings euill. But Pliny commen∣deth [ 50] the filth of rams eares mingled with Myrrhe, to be a more effectuall and speedily re∣medy against the said disease.

Notes

• Auicenna
• Sextus
• Marcellus
• Marcellus
• Sextus
• Aesculapius
• Marcellus
• Pliny
• Sextus