The parfait mareschal, or Compleat farrier. Which teacheth, I. To know the shapes and goodness, as well as faults and imperfections of horses. II. The signs and causes of their diseases, the means to prevent them, their cure, and the good or bad use of purging and bleeding. III. The way to order and preserve them, when upon travel, to feed, and to dress them. IV. The art of shoeing, according to a new design of shoes, which will recover bad feet, and preserve the good. Together with a treatise, how to raise and bring up a true and beautiful race of horses: as also instructions, whereby to fit all kinds of horses with proper bits, whereof the chief draughts are represented in copper-plates. / Written originally in French by the Sieur de Solleysel Escuyer, sometime one of the overseers of the French Kings Royal Academy of Riding, near to the Hostel de Conde in Paris. And translated from the last Paris impression, by Sir William Hope of Kirkliston Kt. Lieutenat Governour of the Castle of Edinburgh. By whom is also added as a supplement to the first part, a most compendious and excellent collection of horsemanship, taken from the best and most modern writers upon that subject, such as Mr. De la Brow, Pluvinel, and the Great Duke of Newcastle. Part I.

CHAP. CIV. Cinnabar Pills for Wounds, Worms, Mange, and Farcin, and for the shedding of the Hair from the Head and Neck.

TAke of the finest and cleanest Assa-foetida, Bay-berries of Provence or Italy, and Cinnabar, all in fine Powder, of each a Pound, incorporate 'em in a Brass-Mortar, with a sufficient quantity of strong Aqua-vitae, and make up the Mass into Pills weighing fourteen Drams each, which must be laid in a convenient place to dry. Give two of these Pills to the Wounded Horse, once in two Days, or once every Day, till he has taken eight or ten, according to the greatness of the Wound; and that he may swallow 'em the more easily, you may give 'em in a Pint, or three half Pints of Wine; making him stand Bridl'd two Hours before, and as long after the taking of every Dose.

These Pills may be kept twenty Years: They promote the Cure of a Wound, by pu∣rifying the Blood, and resisting Corruption. They contribute also to the Cure of Gauls and the Farcin, and drive Worms out of the Body. This Remedy is highly useful in an Army, where the Wounds of Horses must be cur'd with all Expedition; and it may be truly said, that the effects of it are wonderful, and almost incredible.

Sometimes the Hair falls away from the Head and Neck, by reason of the excessive heat of the inward Parts. The usual Remedy in this case is Bleeding, but since that alone is not sufficient, it will be very convenient both to administer a Dose of these Pills for three Days together, and to rub the bare places twice a Day with good Lime-Water. If the Disease continue still, repeat the whole process, and afterwards give your Horse Flower of Brimstone in moisten'd Bran, beginning with a small quan∣tity and augmenting the Dose by degrees, till it arise to half a handful every Day; during which time you may ride your Horse. For the Cure of those eating Scabs that are so troublesome and hard to be rooted out of the Mane and Tail, after you have Bled and Purg'd your Horse, give him three or four Doses of two Pills each, and the external Application of Lime-Water will quickly perform the remaining part of the Cure; if not, you must reiterate the whole course. The same Pills may be profitably Administer'd to Horses that are troubl'd with running Sores in their Legs, or the Pains, Warts, or Bunches, Quitter-bones, and such like stubborn Distempers; for they facilitate the Cure by intercepting and diverting the Humour that causes and fo∣ments the Disease.

After the description of those Pills which are of such excellent use in the Cure of Wounds, I could not forbear subjoining a brief Account of their other Virtues, and I hope this digression will neither be useless nor unwelcome to those Readers who are willing to be Instructed. And to satisfie those Critical Gentlemen who may peruse this Book with a design rather to pick Quarrels with the Author, than to improve their Knowledge, I am willing to own, that the end of this Chapter had perhaps been a more proper place for the description of these Pills than the beginning of it; but withal I must beg leave to acquaint 'em, that I am not so much in love with For∣mality, as to give my self the trouble of making an alteration of so little Im∣portance.

Since Tents are necessary in the Cure of all sorts of Wounds, and those that are made of Hog's-Lard are very convenient for most of 'em, it will not be improper to give a short hint of their Preparation and Use. Cut the Lard into long Pieces, and put one of 'em into the Wound; when you draw it out again you will find it half melted, and must suffer it to cool, that it may recover its usual firmness and con∣sistency, after which put it in again, if it be not grown too short.

If the Wound be foul, or the Flesh corrupt, it must be wash'd with the Yellow-Water at every Dressing; but if you perceive that neither that, nor any other of the usual Detergents are sufficient to cleanse the Wound, or if it be pester'd with Proud-Flesh, add an Ounce of Arsenic in fine Powder, to the whole Dose of the Lime-Water that shall be describ'd in the following Chapter. And if even that be too weak, you must burn the whole Wound with a red-hot Plate of Iron; for if you take care not to touch the Skin, Tendons, and Sinews, there will not the least mark of Burning appear after the Cure. As soon as you have given the Fire, anoint the burnt Part with Oil of Bay, covering the whole Wound (if possible) with Flax, and continue the use of the Oil, which must be apply'd warm, till the Scab or Escar be loosen'd, and ready to fall off; after which 'twill be more convenient to anoint the Part with Basilicum or Tallow, till the Scab be quite separated, and you will find the Skin fair underneath, without the least mark of Burning; for this Method of giving the Fire excels the best Applications of Powders and Ointments.

The common Detergent and cleansing Remedies are, in my Opinion, too weak for Horses. They are usually compos'd of Honey, Vinegar, Bean-flower, Barley-flower, the Juices of Plantane and Agrimony, Flower-de-luce Roots, Turpentine, Rosin, &c. These Medicines are only Medicamenta levioris Armaturae, with respect to the Wounds of which I'm treating: But Unguentum Apostolorum, Aegyptiacum, and the Neat-herds Oint∣ment, are very proper in this case. We must not play with Horses Wounds, nor vainly expect to Cure 'em with such feeble Remedies as the Golden Ointment, the Plaister de gratia Dei, and Betony-Plaister; for 'tis certain, that Salt-Butter is more effectual for keeping Wounds clean, than all those Compositions. And therefore the surest Me∣thod is to wash the Wound with Urine, or the Yellow-Water, and afterwards to anoint it with Salt-Butter, strewing the Powder of Old-Ropes upon it: And to apply Aegypti∣acum, if there be a great deal of corrupt Flesh.

The Pain occasion'd by the Application of Aegyptiacum ought not to be made an Argument against the use of it, since 'twas never observ'd, that any Horse pin'd away on that occasion: And to give the Reader a clearer view of the nature of that usual Detergent of Horses, I thought fit to subjoin the Description of it.

Unguentum Aegyptiacum.

Take a Pound of common Honey, and a Pint of Aqua-vitae, boil 'em over a gentle Fire in a glaz'd Pot or Bason, stirring 'em frequently with a Wooden Slice, till they be perfectly united, and the Aqua-vitae disappear. Then add two Ounces of Burnt-Allom, beaten small, and four Ounces of Powder of Verdigrease searc'd, stirring and incorporating 'em with the other Ingredients. At last put in an Ounce of Sublimate in fine Powder, stirring and boiling as before, till the whole be reduc'd to a due Consistency: After which remove the Pot from the Fire, and continue stirring till the Ointment be cold, which must be kept in a cover'd Pot for use.

I have already communicated a description of Schmit's Ointment, which I use in∣stead of Aegyptiacum, when I have none of the latter ready Prepar'd; for it cleanses and consolidates; and some Farriers, to whom I gave it, having try'd it on certain occasions, have wholly laid aside the use of Aegyptiacum.

The Doctor's Ointment, and the Ointment Apostolorum are also very good, and pro∣duce almost the same Effects; only the Doctor's Ointment is stronger than Aegypti∣acum.

When you have occasion for a more powerful Cleanser, especially when there are any signs of a Gangrene or Putrefaction, mix two Ounces of Aqua-fortis with the Aegyptiacum. If you desire a Caustic to eat away corrupt Flesh, exerting its Force only upon that, without hurting the Nerves or Muscles, you may safely apply that which I describ'd under the Name of the Liquid Caustic, putting it into the Sore with a little Cotton, and keeping it in till the Part grow white and mortifi'd. 'Tis to be observ'd, that the Liquid Caustic never produces any considerable Effect when 'tis simply apply'd to the Flesh, but it operates with at least a double efficacy, when 'tis prest on

with a Bandage: You may renew the Application till you perceive, that the Medi∣cine has sufficiently penetrated the Part, and after the falling off of the Scab, if it be not large enough, you may touch the Part again with the Caustic, to extirpate all the cor∣rupt Flesh, and make the Sore fair and clean. As often as you dress a Wound or Sore, the surest way is to wash it with the Second Water, or rather with the Lime or Yellow Water, or with Black-Soap mixt with unslak'd Lime, which cleanses very effectu∣ally. If you put in a Tent anointed with Aegyptiacum, to cleanse the bottom of a Sore, it will be of a green Colour when you take it out, which is not an effect of the Matter contain'd in the Sore, but of the Verdigrease that enters the Composition of the Medicine.

Sometimes after old and neglected Sores, especially in the Feet, the Bones remain bare, without any Flesh to cover 'em; in this case you must have recourse to Sarcotic Medicines, that is, such as are endu'd with a Power to make the Flesh grow, as Aloes, Sarcocolla, and Birthwort, which may be either apply'd in form of Powders, or mixt with Turpentine, Honey of Roses, or some other proper Ointment. Nothing con∣tributes more effectually to make Flesh grow upon a Bone than Monsieur Curtis's Oint∣ment, if it be melted and mixt with a like quantity of Oil-Olive. The following Pow∣der is also of excellent use in this case.

Take true Dragon's-Blood and fine Bole-Armenic, of each half an Ounce; Mastic, Olibanum, and Sarcocolla, of each three Drams; Aloes, Round-Birthwort, and Roots of Flower-de-Luce, of each a Dram and half, mix and make a Powder. It may be apply'd alone with very good Success, but the best way is to mix it with Syrup of Roses, Tur∣pentine, or Juice of Wormwood. It makes the Flesh grow beyond all expectation; and that which is mixt with Turpentine succeeds best, and is most proper for the Feet.

When a Wound appears fair and clean, the Cure may be easily compleated with the usual Drying Powders; but great care must be taken to keep the Lips clean and moist, and to clip away the Hair for two Finger's breadth round the Sore. But since the speediness of the Cure is of great Importance in an Army, where Gnats and other Insects are so troublesome, and the Sores so very apt to putresie: I know not a more effectual Remedy in those cases than the Powder of Sympathy, which produces such wonderful effects, that they who either have not try'd it, or are not capable of so nice an enquiry, cannot be perswaded that they proceed from natural causes.

The Sympathetic Powder.

Take a convenient quantity of good common Vitriol, (the Roman is best, the German may be also us'd, but that of Cyprus is not at all fit for this purpose) put it in a flat-bottom'd Earthen Pan, and expose it in the open Air to the hottest Rays of the Sun, removing it always at Night, and in moist Weather, till the Vitriol be Cal∣cin'd and reduc'd to a white Calx. In the mean time you must stir it every Day with a Wooden-slice, for it must never be touch'd with Iron, which is apt to weaken it, and deprive it of its Virtue, especially when the Sun has open'd its Body, and begun the Calcination, the time of which is uncertain. As soon as you perceive, that it has acquir'd a perfectly white Colour, take it out of the Pan, and preserve it care∣fully in a dry place, for this is the true Powder of Sympathy. Take a Cloth stain'd with some Blood from the Wound, and strew this Powder upon it, then lay it in a temp'rate place, powd'ring it every Day; and if there be Matter in the Wound, re∣ceive some of it upon a Cloth, and strew it with the same Powder.

If the Wound require Suppuration, lay the Cloth in a moist place; if to be dry'd in a dry place; and if you are oblig'd, by reason of the depth of the Wound, to make use of Tents, put 'em in clean and dry, and strew the Powder on 'em when you take 'em out, continuing to observe the same Method, till the Wound be heal'd. I have seen the Solution of this Powder apply'd to Men with extraordinary Success for Wrenches and Sinew-strains; for many Persons have been cur'd very speedily and more effectually, than if they had us'd all other Remedies, by binding a Linnen-Cloth, five or six times doubl'd, and dipt in this Solution, about the Part, and re∣newing it twice a Day. 'Tis true, this is not the effect of Sympathy, but those who are cur'd by it are very well satisfy'd, tho' they are ignorant of the cause to which they owe their recovery; and 'tis certainly more effectual in these cases, than either the Imperial or Angelic-Water, or that of the Queen of Hungary, and even than all Balsams, Oils, and Ointments whatsoever. By the same Method you may cure

Horses of such dangerous Wrenches and Strains in the Houghs, that make 'em unfit for Service, till after the succesless tryal of a vast number of Remedies, you are at last oblig'd to give the Fire; but since some Men will not be perswaded of the incredible effects of this Remedy, and others cannot procure it when they have occasion to use it, I shall communicate the description of an Ointment for Wounds that will advance the Cure more in one Day, than other Ointments do in a considerable space of Time.