Zoologia: or, The history of animals as they are useful in physick and chirurgery.: Divided into four parts; the [brace] first treateth of the more perfect terrestrial creatures. Second third fourth of birds. fishes. insects. / By John Schroder, Dr. of physick.

XVII. Cervus, the Hart,

IS a beast of a very long life (living 100 years) most swift in running, casting his horns yearly in April, goeth to rut in August and September; and the female brings forth young the eighth moneth after.

From him we borrow for Physical practise,

• 1. The horn.
• 2. The skin.
• 3. Bone of the heart.
• 4. Pisle.
• 5. The testicles.
• 6. The bloud.
• 7. The teares.
• 8. The marrow.
• 9. The tallow.
• 10. The huckle bone.
• 11. The stone.

Their vertues in particular.

1. The crude horn and unprepared resisteth putre∣faction, correcteth malignity, provoketh sweat, strengtheneth mans Balsome, whereupon the use of it is profitable in the Measels, Small Pocks, putrid and malignant Feavers, and other diseases where there is need of sweating, (it may be boyled in De∣coctions, or infused in Infusions, because given in substance, it is in a manner cast out crude or un∣changed.)

N. That is commended which is gathered betwixt the two Lady days, viz. betwixt the 15. of August, and the 8. of September.

Preparation of the horn.

1. Harts horn burnt, till after blacknesse it be∣come white.

2. Harts horn prepared is made of the burnt, which is made smooth and small with some cordial water according to Art.

The vertues.

By its drying force, it resists putrefaction, it stayes fluxes of the belly, kills Worms, moves sweat, and it is a medicine very fit for Infants.

The Dose from a scruple to a dram and more.

3. Harts horn Philosophically calcined thus: The horns are hanged or put in the head, or upper part of a Bladder, which is filled with some quantity of water, then is there a fire put under, that the va∣pour being lift up by the force of the fire piercing the horns, may by little and little make them friable and white.

N. It is a work almost of three days.

It moves sweat, and helps malignant diseases.

The Dose to half a dram.

4. A Magistery. The rasped horns are dissolved in Vinegar, precipitated with Oyl of Tartar, or Vitriol, and made sweet by washing with water, then being dryed are kept for use.

N. 1. Others dissolve them with Spirit of Niter, which being again abstracted, they sweeten the Ma∣gistery left in the bottom. In the abstraction of the Spirit of Niter there is heed to be taken, lest the flame, which may easily happen, bring losse; therefore they proceed more warily, who on four ounces of the dissolution pour one measure of Fountain water, and filter it, and having filtred it, if need be, do preci∣pitate it by instilling Oyl of Tartar.

N. 2. Others dissolve them with Aqua fortis, pre∣cipitate them with Spirit of Vitriol, and sweeten them.

N. 3. The Magistery precipitated with Oyl of Tar∣tar, is yellow, on the contrary with any mineral Oyl, as of Vitriol, is white.

5. Gelly. Take shavings of Harts horn, digest them a while in common or some proper distilled

water, then boyl them and filter the liquor hot, and make it into gelly.

6. The liquor or Spirit which is drawn by a Retort luted, with the force of fire.

7. The Oyl.

N. See the description of the true Oyl of Harts horn in Kesler.

8. The Volatile Salt.

Some digest the Salt of Harts horn fixed two ounces, with one ounce of Spirit of Wine, rectified twelve days, and then abstract the Spirit of Wine to the half, and keep the remainder under the notion of the tincture of the Salt of Harts horn.

The Dose from 5 grains to 10.

The Extract of Harts horn is made by pouring upon the branches of the horns, a proper water, and extracting the Tincture by a Menstrual digestion.

9. Water of the new horns of a Hart.

Take the tender horns of a Hart, having a bloudy juyce in them, cut them into pieces, and distil them in Baln. M. or B. V. by themselves, or with a little good Wine until all the liquor be exhausted.

The vertues.

It is most profitable in burning malignant Fevers.

The Dose half a spoonful by it self, or with some proper water. Hartman.

10. The Oyntment of Harts horn anodyne.

Take a Harts horn cut into small pieces, let it be put into a kettle full of Wine, boyl it to the con∣sumption the of Wine, then casting away the grosser part of the horn, let the remainder be rubbed with thy hands, and add to it Oyl of Southernwood, Hype∣ricon, Dill, Scorpions, Earth-worms, Nuts, Bays, Rue, Spike, Savine, of each half an ounce, Mans grease one ounce and half, Castor two drams, Niter

one dram and half, Euphorbium one dram, mix them according to Art for an Oyntment.

The vertues.

It is very profitable in the most grievous pains of the Scurvy and Colick, as also in the Paralytick and Gowty, and other torments.

2. The hide, of it is made a girdlde which women use to gird their hips, and restrain the passions of the womb.

3. The bone of the Hart (there is a concourse of Arteries in the Bases of the Hart, which with age, and especiall in the time of their pride becomes harder and turn into a bone) it is especially good for the heart, and preserves it from malignity, it keeps the birth, and wonderfully helps those with childe.

4. The pisle is diuretick, provokes Venery, helps the Dysenterick and pained with the Colick (it is used both in powder and in decoction, yea it is good to give the water, wherewith the pisle is washed.)

5. The dryed testicles drunk in Wine stir up Ve∣nery.

6. The bloud fryed in a frying pan stayes the Dy∣sentery and Caeliack flux. It is also efficacious against poyson. It is commended in pain of the hip and side (boyled with Oyl).

Preparat.

Although out of Harts and Goats bloud, there may no lesse be drawn a Spirit, Oyl, and the like, than out of mans bloud; yet into Physical use chiefly come

A Balsome Antipodagrical prepared after the man∣ner which is given concerning Mans bloud.

N. Of the said Animals, if the inwards, viz. the lights, hart, and liver, be cut into pieces and infused in the bloud, their more excellent Essence is together drawn.

The vertues.

It is of very good use in mitigating the Gout (anoynted) in contractions of what cause soever they arise, because by the vertue of the Salt, it hath a great faculty of resolving. Gluchr.

7. The tears, viz. filth found in the corners of the eyes as hardened wax, of a smell somewhat grievous but at length fragrant (it is commonly called a stone) dry, bind, corroborate, move sweat, and are there∣fore highly commended against poyson and infectious diseases, and are said to contend even with the Bezoar in vertue.

Moreover they are profitable in the hard travail of child, and their vertue of late hath been found to drive out the dead child.

The Dose 3. 4. grains, vid. Casp. Bauhin. in his book of Bezoar, the 8. and 9. chapter.

8. The marrow is most to be commended of all, and excelleth above the rest in malignant Ulcers, and also in Ulcers of the legs.

9. The tallow is commended above others in molli∣fying tumors, astringing wounds, it healeth kibes, and mitigateth pains.

Preparat.

The distilled Oyl is made after the common manner.

The vertues.

It mollifies, it is a very great lenitive in the Gowt, once or twice anoynted on a day.

10. Talus the pastern bone is profitable to the Dys∣enterick.

11. The stone found in the heart, stomach, or in∣testines, is said to agree with the Bezoar in vertues: but chiefly the stone taken out of the matrix is re∣ported to be preservative to a woman with child, that she miscarry not.

N. 1. All things are accounted the best which are gathered from an Hart in his lust, which is about the beginning of September.

N. 2. The tayl of an Hart is poysonous.