THe Arabians only have written of him among the old Writers.* 1.1 The later Greeks, as Aetius, and Paulus Aegine∣ta, have borrowed what they have from them. Call him Wild, or Goat, or In∣dian, or out-landish, or eastern Gazella, or Goat of Moschus, it skills not much. Some call him Moschus from Musk, S. Hierome reckons his skin for the most delicate of per∣fumes, and calls him an outlandish Mouse. Gesner saith,* 1.2 the Musk lies in a bag in him. Writ∣ers differ in describing him, and some that have seen him, they say: But all agree, that he is a kind of Goat. Men report that he feeds all on sweet herbs, especially Nard; and that the sweet musk is a blood gathered about the navil. They are so swift, that they are seldome taken alive. He bites at his pursuers with a fury. Take his longer teeth out, and you may tame him. In the Province Thebet they hunt them with dogs: Some say, they are found in Persia, Afri∣ca, Egypt. The perfume we call musk; per∣haps because of old they use the mosse of the Cedars and white Poplar, &c. in composition of perfumes and thickning oyntments. I have seen the like growing on beasts. The bags in this Gazella are full of musk; He is of a middle nature, between a Hee-goat and a Calfe, and yellowish,* 1.3 which the Greeks call Moschus; whence musk may have the name, or from the likenesse the bag bears with the small cups on Ovian-tops where the seed is, which the Gr. call Moschai; or as Etimologists will have it, because it lies En Mesu, the middle, or the na∣vell: Not to say it comes from the Verb Moo, because all desire it; or from Ozoo, smelling, senting, of the Original writers differ. And as much about the choosing of it.* 1.4 Platearius likes not the black, but that that is coloured like Spikenard Brasavolus holds that the black∣ish hath the best sent, that brought out of Ca∣taia. Some prefer Tumbascin musk, because of the abundance of pasture there, which is ripe in the bag, and better then that that is hanged up in the aire: The unripe, though in the beast, smells not well. The Antebian musk is better then the Abensin, then the Jurgian; next the Indian by the Sea-coasts.
That of Elluchasis among the Tacuini is thin, and the bag thin: The Gergerian quite con∣trary, and not so aromatical. That of Charua is a middle sort; The Salmindian, not so good. For the proof of Musk, see Aldrovand. It is many wayes adulterated, especially the black, and reddish; by mixture of a little goats-blood a little rosted, and stamped, three of four parts for one musk: But rosted bread makes it moul∣der; the goats-blood broken is bright, and clear within.* 1.5 The Saracens vent it oft, bag and all, but sophisticated. Some falsifie it with a kids-liver dried, and birds muting. Some in∣crease it with Angelica-root. It will loose the sent, if you adde any sweet thing to it. It is best kept in a thick glasse-bottle, waxed over. It recovers the lost sent, if you hang it in an open pot in a house of office.
For the use of Musk, Authours differ about the temper of it. Averroes holds it hot, and dry in the end of the second degree; Sethus in the third. All confesse it to be a thin substance. It drawes out blood, put to the nose; and opens the vessels of the body. It is besides used to strengthen, and against trembling, fainting, wind; to purge the head in sweet-balls, and wash-balls; in censing, in pomanders, and sweet-oyntments. Yet it is ill for the mother to some women; as the Venetian, and Nor∣thern women.