The experienced farrier, or, Farring compleated In two books physical and chyrurgical. Bringing pleasure to the gentleman, and profit to the countrey-man. ... For here is contained every thing that belongs to a true horse-man, groom, farrier or horse-leach, viz. breeding; the manner how, the season when, ... and what are fit for generation; the feeder, rider, keeper, ambler and buyer; as also the making of several precious drinks, suppositories, balls, purgations, ... and directions how to use them for all inward and outward diseases. Also the paring and shooing of all manner of hoofes, ... The prices and vertues of most of the principal drugs, both simple and compound belonging to farring, ... also a large table of the virtues of most simples set down alphabetically, and many hundreds of simples placed one after another, for the cure of all ... diseases, ... with many new receipts of excellent use and value; never yet printed before in any author. By E.R. Gent.

In what Causes to Cauterize.

* 1.1 Cauterization or giving of Fire is of two Natures, viz. Actual and Po∣tential. Your Cautery Actual is made by hot burning Instruments, with which you sear and burn those places which be requisite for the perfecting of the Cure you have in hand, which cannot be peradventure well Cured, but by giving of Tire; as in case of great Imposthumation, stenching of blood in Wounds, or in searing of Veins, Sinews, or the like, or else in case of dismembring, if other means be not at hand, whereby to stay the Flux of Blood without danger of bleeding to death. And if they that give Fire be not very skilful, I would advise them to practise upon Jades, and not Horses of price, to the end they may the better come to know how to carry their hand either lighter or harder, and also that they do make their Circles round, and their Lines streight and even. For this Actual Fire is a thing most necessary for them that do understand the Vertue thereof, and therefore ought to be very carefully applied, and never but upon very good Grounds; which in so doing, you shall find it to be a most Sovereign Remedy to hinder and stay all manner of Corruption, whereunto any Mem∣ber may be inclined; provided that in the handling of your Instrument you touch not Muscles, Arteries, Sinews, Ligaments, Chords, or the like; for so you may utterly lame, where you would set upright. For by this Actual Fire you shall Joyn and Conglutinate Parts and Members severed, dry up superfluous Moisture, and sick Members swelled, and bring forth all evil and putrefactious Matter, congealed and gathered into Knots, as, Wens, Biles, ••ustils, Exulceration, and the like: you shall also asswage old Griefs, and make perfect all such Parts of the Body as be any way Cor∣rupted: neither shall you need fear the encrease of any evil humours, by reason that the Skin being severed by means of the hot Iron, it doth Ripen and digest all manner of putrifaction and matterative stuff, whereby it venteth and passeth away much more easily, healing and qualifying all grief and pain, causing the Member which before was subject to Festering and to Gangreen, to become the sounder and stronger, and the worst that can be made thereof, will be but a little Eye-fore, by reason of a Scar which it leaves behind it. But then you must have a very great regard un∣to your Instruments, that they be made according to the nature and qua∣lity of the Place and Member which is to be Scared; for one fashion will not serve in all Causes: for as the Places which are to be Cauterized, are commonly different in shape and proportion, so ought the shapes and fa∣shions of your Instruments to be accordingly. You ought to have a care in the heating of them, for as they ought not to be too hot, so they ought

not to be too cold, for by that means you may inflame the place too much. Your Instruments are to be made of Iron or Steel, which are the best to work with, and to be preferred before Gold, Silver, Brass or Copper, be∣cause Steel or Iron will retain its own received heat longer then any other Metal, for the others, as they are the sooner made hot, so they are the sooner cold. Now Steel and Iron Metals are much more substantial and harder then the other Metals are, and though they are the longer a heat∣ing, yet they retain their heat the longer. Again, a man cannot tell when those other Metals are hot enough, as also when they be too hot, and if you put never so little water to them to allay their heat, they pre∣sently become too cold, the contrary whereof you shall find to be in the Nature of Iron and Steel.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Iron with a Button.

  The Drawing Iron.