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 diseases in the Spleene.

BY reason that this is a deuouring beast, and through want of Water, it is many times sicke of the Spleene, for the cure whereof you must giue them Prewnes of Tameriske [ 50] pressed into water, to be drunke by them when they are a thirst, this disease commeth for the most part in the summer, when they eat of sweet and greene fruites, according to this verse;

Strata iacent passim, seuia quae{que} sub arbore porna.

The vertue of these Prewnes of Tameriske is also very profitable agaynst the diseases of the Melte, and therefore it is to be giuen to men as well as to Beastes,

for if they do but drinke out of pots and cups made out of the wood of the tree Tameriske, they are easily cleared from all diseases of the Spleene: and therefore in some Countries of this great tree they make hog-troughes and mangers, for the safegard of their beastes, and where they grow not great, they make pots and cups. And if a Hog do eat of this Ta∣meriske but nine daies together, at his death hee shall be found to bee without a Spleene, (as Marcellus writeth.) When they become loose in their bellies, which happeneth to them in the spring time by eating of greene Hearbes, they either fall to bee leane, or else to dye, when they cannot easily make water, by reason of some stoppage, or sharpnesse of Vrin, they may be eased by giuing vnto them spurge-seed. And thus much for the dis∣eases of Swine. For conclusion whereof I will adde heereunto the length of a Swynes [ 10] life, according to Aristotle and Pliny, if it be not cut off by sicknesse or violent death; for in their daies they obserued that Swyne did liue ordinarily to fifteene yeares, and some of them to twenty: And thus much for the natvre of Swyne in generall.