Page 309
Of the falling sicknesse which happeneth to hawkes as well as to men, and other living things.
THe chiefe Falconers say, that the falling sicknes hapneth to hawkes through a fuming heat that ascendeth vp frour the liuer to their heads, and maketh them to fall down vpon ye sodaine. M. Mallopin sayth, that to remedy this disease, the hinder part of their head must be perused and sought, where a man shall find two litle pits which must be cauterized with a wyer of brasse. And if that help not, then must you cauterize her daintily vpon the head wt the foresaid round yron, or else you may hap to kill her. This done, drie red Lentils in an ouē, and make them into fine powder: then take the filing of yron the finest of it, as much of the one as of the other, & mingle thē both together with hony, & make it in little bals of the bignesse of a pease. Then giue your hawk two or thrée of them, putting them as far into her gorge as you can, and hold her vpon your fist at the fire, or in the sun till she haue made a mute or twain, and let her haue no meat till noone, and then serue her of a Pi∣geons wing, dealing so with her seuen or eight daies together: In the night let her be kept alwayes abroad, and in the day times in the darke with water continually before her.
M. Amê Cassian teacheth another medicin: that is to witte, that the skin of their heads must be launced right ouer against the foresaid pits, where there are little veynes which must be taken vp with a silke thréed, and annointed ouer with the bloud of a chicken. Which being done, yée must giue her the foresaid pils seuen or eight dayes together, taking good heed that yée set her not neare any other hawkes, and that your hawking gloue bée very cleane. For that kind of disease is cō∣tagious, and will soone passe from one hawke to another by feeding on the gloue whereon another hath béene fed before. And by night let her stand in the wind and open ayre, & by day in darke places, with water alwayes afore her, as is already taught you.