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Of the diseases belonging to the Bladder and Urine of a Horse.

HIerocles saith, that a Horse is subject to three kinde of diseases incident to the Bladder or Urine, the first is called Stranguria; the second Dysuria; the third Ischuria. Stranguria, otherwise called in Latine, Stillicidium, and of our old Farriers, according to the French name Chowdepis, is, when the Horse is provoked to stale often, and voideth nothing but a few drops, which cometh, as the Physi∣tians say, either through the sharpness of the urine, or by some exulceration of the bladder, or else by means of some Apostume in the liver or kidnies; which Apostume being broken, the matter resorteth down into the bladder, and with the sharpness thereof causeth a continual provocation of pissing.

Dysuria is when a Horse cannot piss but with great labour and pain, which for difference sake I will call from hence forth the pain-piss. It may come sometime through the weakness of the blad∣der and cold intemperature thereof, and sometime through the abundance of flegmatick and gross humors, stopping the neck of the bladder. Ischuria, is when the Horse cannot piss at all, and there∣fore may be called the piss-supprest, or suppression of urine, whether you will: me thinks always that the shorter and the more proper the name is, the better and more easie it is to pronounce.

It may come, as the Physitians say, by weakness of the bladder, or for that the Water conduit is stopt with gross humors, or with matter descending from the liver or kidnies, or with the stone: yea and sometimes by means of some inflamation or hard knob growing at the mouth of the conduit, or for that the sinews of the bladder is nummed, so as the bladder is without feeling: or it may come by retention, and long holding of the water, most of which causes Hierocles also reciteth, adding thereunto that it may chance to a Horse through over-much rest and idleness, and also by means of some extream cold, and especially in Winter season; for the which, warmth of the fire is a present remedy. But now mine Authors do not shew for every one of these three kindes of diseases several signes; but only say, that when a Horse cannot stale, he will stand as though he would stale, and thrust out his yard a little; and also for very pain, stand beating his tail betwixt his thighes.

Neither do they seem to appoint several cures, but do make a hochpoch, mingling them all toge∣ther: some of them praising one thing, and some another: For some say it is good to mingle the juyce of Leeks with sweet smelling Wine and Oyl together, and to pour it into his right nostril, and then to walk him up and down upon it, and that will make him to stale. Some say it is good to give him Smallage seed, or else the root of wilde Fennil sodden with Wine to drink; or to put fine sharp Oni∣ons clean pilled, and somewhat bruised into his fundament, and to cha••e him immediately upon it, either by riding him or otherwise, and that shall cause him to stale presently. It is good also to bathe all his back and loins with warm water.

The scraping of the inward parts of his own hoofs beaten into powder and mingled with Wine, and poured into his right nostril, will make him to sta••••; if you chafe him upon it, and the rather as Hierocles saith, if you cary him to some Sheeps cot, or other place where Sheep are wont to stand, the smell of whose dung and piss, without any other medicine, as he ••aith, will provoke him to sta〈…〉〈…〉

Some will give the Horse white Dogs dung 〈…〉〈…〉ed and mingled with Salt, Wine, and Ammoniacum to drin〈…〉〈…〉 some Hogs dung only with Wine, and some the ••regs of Horse pi••s with Wine, and many other medicines which I leave to rehearsed, for fear of being too tedious, and especially, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Martins experience doth follow here at hand; agreeing in all points with Laurentius Russius cure, which is in this sort: First, draw out his yard, and wash it well in white Wine, and scour it well, because it will be many times stopped with durt and other baggage together, and hardned like a stone▪ and then put a little Oyl of Cam〈…〉〈…〉 into the condu••t; with a wax Candle and a brui••ed clove of Garlick, and that will provoke him to stale. And ••f that will not help: Take of Par∣sley two handfuls, of Coriander one handful, stamp them and strain them with a quart of white Wine, and dissolve therein one ounce of Cake-sope, and give it luke-warm unto the Horse to drink, and keep him as warm as may be; and let him drink no cold water for the space of five or six days; and when you would have him to stale, let it be either upon plenty of straw, or upon some green plot, or else in a Sheeps cot, the savour whereof will greatly provoke him to stale, as hath been aforesaid.