The booke of falconrie or havvking for the onely delight and pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen : collected out of the best authors, aswell Italians as Frenchmen, and some English practises withall concerning falconrie / heretofore published by George Turbervile, Gentleman.

Of the Pantas.

ONe speciall disease among others that bée lurking and se∣cret within the breast and couert parts of a Hawke, is the Pantas, a very dangerous euill, and familiar to hawkes: for lightly few escape that are once encombred with this infir∣mity.

This mischiefe procéedes when the lungs and those brea∣thing members by excessiue heat are ouerdried, and baked in such sort, as they cannot by any meanes freely draw the ayre to them, nor yet vtter it well being once receyued, for the bet∣ter cooling of the heart, whose bellows the lungs are, by nature ordayned for that speciall purpose and office, wherby the hart waxeth inflamed, and by a necessary consequent, the hawke of force must perish.

Beside that, the humidity and moisture of the head distil∣ling from aboue vpon those breathing parts, & there encrassed and waxen thicke, is wont also to bee a great furtherance to this mischiefe, and bréed difficulty of breathing. Wherefore it shall be very necessary to regard it at the first, before the dis∣ease haue taken too déepe roote: for that then, (for any thing I know) there is no remedy in the world to be had for the Pan∣tas, which is commonly tearmed Asma.

You may iudge of the beginning of this griefe, and know it by this. Your Hawke laboureth much in the panell, mo∣uing her traine often vp and downe, at each motion of her panell, and cannot many times mewte or slise: and when shée doth slise, she droppes fast by her, and makes a small round burnt mewt: these are apparant proofes that shée hath the pan∣tas growing on her.

Againe, you may perceyue it by the more violent motion of her gorge then custome was, but the other are the most assu∣red signes that you can desire, and infallible. Moreouer, when your hawke doth oftentimes open and close her clappes and

beake, then is the disease very neare confirmed. And looke how much the more shée doth it, y^e more is the Pantas rootes on her, and then is the cure desperate, and not to be hoped for.

The best remedie that euer I could finde for the Pantas, was to scowre the Hawke with good oyle oliue,* 1.1 well washed in sundrie waters, so long, vntill it became cleare and white.

* 1.2My accustomed manner of washing it was, to put it in an earthen potte, that had a litle hole in the very bottom of it, of purpose made rounde, whereby it might the better bée stopte with the toppe of my finger: then do I conuey into this potte that quantitie of Oyle, which I meane to washe in it, and with cleare water do there coile it together with a wood∣den platter, or a spoone, that the water waxeth somwhat dark with it: after which remouing my finger, the water passeth away by the hole, the Oyle remaining behinde, and swim∣ming aloft, as it is the nature of it to do. And thus do I fixe, seauen or eight times: so long vntill I perceiue the Oyle to haue no filth left in it at all. Then of this Oyle thus prepa∣red, I bestowe vppon my Hawke that hath the Pantas, filling therewith a chickens gutte washt very cleane, of an inch long and somwhat more, for a Falcon and Goshawke: but for other lesse Hawkes of a lesse length, fast knit at both endes with a threed, to the end the Oyle may not issue out, which gutte I conuay into the Hawkes throte, after she hath cast: and is emptie aboue and in the pannell both, holding her on the fiste till she make a mewte: and one houre after she hath left mewting, then I féede her with some slipper flesh, as the heart of a Calfe, or a Pullets legge, refusing to vse olde Pigeons and Sparowes, because they are ouer hote meate, vnlesse happily the Hawke were very low and poore, but being hie and full of flesh, those other meates aforesaid, are not alone holesome, and sufficient for her, but they will be much better, being washt in water of Buglosse, and wroong drie in a linnen cloth, and then minged with the powder of

Sugar Candie, vsing this order sixe or eight dayes, or more, euery other day till my Hawke recouer: giuing her euerie third or fourth day a cotton casting with Cubebes, & cloues, to scowre and discharge her of such moist humors as distilleth from her head, which sometimes (as I haue said before) is the chiefe and originall ground of this disease.

Besides this remedy, there is one other very good, and that is butter, and Larde well slised, and washed in sundry Wa∣ters, till they become very cleane, and White, which you may kéepe in Rose-water, vntill you haue occasion to vse it.

Of these being thus prepared and conserued, you may take as you haue néed, for euery scowring such a quantity, as will serue to make a pyll or pellet, so great as you may well conuey into your Hawkes throat, vsing it in maner and time aforesaid: giuing her now and then among that scowring of Cubebs and Cloues, as well for the reason already allead∣ged, as also because of her liquid meat and slipper féeding vpon those hearts, so bathed and stéeped in water. For Cubebs and Cloues will greatly comfort the stomacke and gorge of your Hawke.

I haue found by experience that oyle of swéete Almonds is of wondrous efficacy in the cure of this disease, giuing it in a chickens gut as aforesaid.

If these remedies which I haue shewed doe not preuaile, nor performe the perfect cure of your diseased hawke, ne yet do make her mewte, which hapned at no time to mée in all my experience and practise. But when there is no remedy to bée had at all, I can well allow the vse of Agaricke with a cotton casting, because Agaricke is of great force to cause a Hawke to slise. But if for all this, the griefe doe dayly procéed and in∣crease, then doe I thinke good that you bestow a Cantery vp∣on your Hawkes head, betwixt her eyes, & eake at her nares, specialy if there be any imperfection in them. Some men are of opiniō, y^t for the cure of y^e Pantas you should giue your hawk

two inches of a Lucerts tayle, newly cut off, conueying it into your hawkes gorge, and afterwards setting her in some dark place, till shée haue cast, and then to giue her goats milke with the bloud of a Doue. Othersome Writers doe will and ad∣uise to let the hawke bloud in the necke.

But I for my part haue neither tried the one nor the other, if I shall tell you the truth of the matter, because I doe not at all like of these deuises: but doe assure you, that with those o∣ther remedies and receits, which I haue taught you in this Chapter of the Pantas (I meane the scowrings, and the cau∣terie) I haue done very much good, and recouered my hawks of this disease, and therefore doe recommend you to them, as vndoubted experiments.

Betony reduced into the forme of an Electuarie with hony is a very good remedie for this griefe, as well in men, as in Hawkes.

One other remedy which I find in an Italian Author, is this. Take Mummy, Rheubarbe, Saffron, & Sugar Candy, make all these into powder, giuing it to your Hawke, for the space of eight dayes at least in a chickens skinne, if shée will take it, if not, force it into her. And while you minister this medicine vnto her, all that time let her not be borne on the fist: and withall among sometimes, giue washt fresh butter with sugar candy, and sometimes a cotton casting with incense within it. But I doe more commend to giue her Bole Armo∣niacke in a Pill with hony.

These remedies no doubt are very good and soueraigne a∣gainst the Pantas of a Hawke. Make you choice of them, but let the cautery be the last refuge, for that is an extremity. Re∣member this rule of Phisicke, that euer it is best to begin with the weakest: for if they will profite and do sufficient good, in vaine it were to charge nature with the strongest receites, which are rough and churlish in working.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The cure of the Pantas.
• * 1.2

  The way to wash oyle.