Of the Itch, Scab, and Manginess in the tail, and falling of the tail.
IN Spring time Horses many times are troubled with the Troncheons in their fundament, and then they will rub their tail, and break the hair thereof, and yet in his tail perhaps, shall be neither * 1.1 Itch, Scurffe nor Scab; wherefore if you rake the Horse well with your hand anointed with Sope, and search for those Troncheons and pull them clean out, you shall cause him to leave rubbing and if you see that the hair do fall away it self, then it is a sign, that it is either eaten with Worms, or that there is some Scurffe or Scab fretting the hair, and causing such an itch in his tail as the Horse is alwayes rubbing the same. As touching the wormes, Scurffe or Scab, it shall be good to anoint all the tail with Sope, and then to wash it clean even to the ground with strong lie, and that will kill the Wormes, and make the hair to grow again. And if much of the tail be worn away, in shall be needful to keep the tail continually wet with a spunge dipt in fair water, and that will make the hair to grow very fast. But if the Horses tail be mangy, then heal that like as you do the manginess of the mane before rehearsed. Again, if there breed any Canker in the tail (which will consume both flesh and bone, and as Laurentius Russius saith, make the joints to fall away one by one) it shall be good, as Mar∣tin saith, to wash all his tail with Aqua fortis, or strong water made in this sort: take of green Coppera•• of Allum, of each one pound, of white Copperas a quartern. Boyl of all these things together in three quarts of running water in a strong earthen pot, untill one half be consumed, and then with a little of this water being made luke warm, wash his tail with a little clout, or flax bound to the end of a stick, continuing so to do every day once untill it be whole.