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. X. Of the Strangles.

FEW or nor Horses that are foal'd in this Country escape being troubl'd with the Strangles, which is a Throwing forth or Evacuation of superfluous Humours ga∣ther'd in the Bodies of Foals, either according to the usual Method of Nature thro the Nostrils, or by Swellings or Boils under the Throat between the two Jaw-bones. They seem to differ from the Small-Pox in Children, only with respect to the Place where the Humours are expell'd.

I know there are various Opinions concerning the Cause of this Distemper: For some look for its Original in the Mare's Womb, from whence (they think) the Foal brings the Seeds of it, which some Years after, when the natural Heat is consi∣derably augmented, break forth, and agitate the Humours, which by degrees are discharg'd on some part of the Body, where they usually come to Suppuration. Others are of Opinion that the Change of Nourishment, that is, of Milk to more solid Food, makes a notable Alteration in the Body, both in the Humours, and in the Parts that are nourish'd by 'em, which is follow'd by a Fermentation, that obliges Nature to make an Attempt to expel the Remainders of the first Nourishment, which serve for a Fer∣ment in this Distemper. And in the last place there are some who believe that all Li∣quors have their peculiar times of Fermentation, as Wine, Beer, Cyder, and Syrups boil, cast forth a Scum, and are purify'd, some sooner, and others later, according to the various Constitutions of the Liquors; and from hence they infer that the Blood of Animals has different times of Purification, for which reason Men are seiz'd with the Small-Pox at diverse Periods of their Age, but there not being the same Variety in the Constitution of Horses, they are usually troubl'd with the Strangles about the Third or Fourth Year of their Age. But the Consideration of the Cause of this Distemper is of no great Importance for the Cure: and 'tis much more necessary to know the way by which Nature expels the Humour, which, as I intimated before, is oftentimes evacu∣ated by Swellings under the Throat, or by the Nostrils. Sometimes the Horses dis∣charge the Humour visibly by these Boils; whereas it happens not unfrequently that the Swellings are never ripen'd, the Humour being resolv'd, and insensibly transpiring thro' the Skin. But the Cure is always most certain, when the Swellings come to Sup∣puration.

Sometimes the Humour is evacuated by several Parts of the Body, as the Shoulders, Hams, the Parts above the Kidneys, the Feet, and generally whatsoever Member is weaker than the rest.

Thus 'tis voided by such Parts as have been hurt or wounded: for when Nature is ir∣ritated by her Enemy she makes an Attempt to drive it out; and 'tis certain that the stronger Parts cast their Load on the weaker. But if the Part that receives the Humour be either cold, nervous, or of small Capacity, 'tis never able wholly to discharge its unequal Burthen, but ever afterwards remains weak and infirm.

When there is only an imperfect Evacuation of the Humour, the Horse is frequently troubld with False-Strangles at the Age of Six, Ten, or Twelve Years; which being neglected degenerates to the Glanders. When the False-Strangles take their Course thro' the Nose (which rarely happens) the Horse is much more troubl'd with Sickness, than when they find another Passage: And in the general 'tis certainly the best and sasest Evacuation that is perform'd by the Kernels or Swellings under the Throat, for when they are open'd the Horse is out of danger, and even those who void the Humor by the Nose, are very much eas'd by 'em.

The most favourable time for Horses to be seiz'd with this Distemper, is when they are Foals, and run in the Meadows; for their Heads being continually bow'd down to feed on the Grass, the Evacuation is perform'd with less Trouble and Pain; and besides Grass being a moist Aliment, increases the Fluidity of the Humours, and by making

'em run out more easily, hastens the Cure. But you must not conclude from hence that Grass is good for this Distemper: the Strangles require hot Medicines, and Grass is cooling; but the Foals that are troubl'd with 'em in the Meadows have a sufficient Stock of natural Heat and Strength to expel the Humour; and therefore they do not stand in need of additional Supplies of Heat, since notwithstanding the Coolness of the Grass, they are able of themselves to conquer the Disease. But Horses that are us'd to dry Food must not be turn'd out to Grass, which wou'd cool 'em too much, and perhaps turn the Strangles to the Glanders.

None of all the Italian and Spanish Authors, who write of the Diseases of Horses, take notice of the Strangles: and 'tis very improbable that le Ruiny, who has describ'd all their other Distempers so exactly, wou'd have omitted this, if he had known it. But in those Southern Countries the Horses are either never troubl'd with the Strangles, or dis∣charge the Humour by the way of insensible Transpiration. Pascal Caracciolo does not mention this Distemper in his large and excellent Treatise, Entitled, Gloria del Cavallo, which deserves to be translated by some skilful Hand: And therefore I think my self oblig'd to insist the longer on this Subject.

In Gascoign and some Parts of Bearn, where the Climate is hot, and approaches to that of Spain, almost all the Horses die of the Strangles; for by reason of the Imperfect∣ness of the Evacuation, the Disease ends either in Blindness or Death; and I have seen some Spanish Horses at Paris, who were seiz'd with Blindness, because they had not voided the Humour that causes the Strangles. To return to Gascoign and Bearn, the Cli∣mate is not hot enough to resolve the Humour, and dissipate it entirely; and therefore since it ought to be expell'd by more open Passages, the Horses discharge it imperfectly and out of season; and if they be not powerfully assisted, the least dammage they receive by the Disease is the Loss of their Eyes. But in this Country we are not afraid of such Acci∣dents for our own Horses, because of the Temperateness of the Climate, which ena∣bles 'em to expel the Humour without any difficulty. This difference might be illustra∣ted by a common Observation, for 'tis well known that at Paris Blows on the Head are not at all dangerous, and Sores in the Legs are rarely cur'd; whereas a quite contrary Effect is observ'd in Provence and Languedoc.

A Remedy for the Strangles.

To make a Horse discharge the Humour perfectly, you must cover the Parts under his Throat with the Skin of a Lamb or Sheep, laying the woolly Side next his Throat. Keep him warm and well fenc'd against the Wind, and every day rub the Parts about his Jaws with the following Composition. Take Oil of Bay, and fresh Butter, of each an equal quantity, Ointment of Marsh-Mallows, the weight of both; Mingle 'em cold in a Pot, and besmear the Part with this Ointment, which will ripen the Kernels. As∣soon as you perceive that there is Matter within 'em, if it cannot pierce the Skin, (as it were to be wish'd it should) you must apply to each Swelling a red-hot Iron of a crooked Figure, for fear of hurting the neighbouring Gullet; and after the Scabs are fall'n away, apply a Tent cover'd with the Suppurative or Ripening Ointment, to the Hole that is left open. The Description of the Ointment follows.

The Suppurative Ointment, commonly call'd Basilicum.

Take Yellow Wax, Sheep's Sewet, Rosin, and Black Pitch, of each half a pound, cut 'em into small Pieces, then put five pounds of Oil-Olive in a Bason or Pot, set it over a pretty strong Fire, and when the Oil is hot, add the other Ingredients: after they are wholly melted, strain the liquid Mass thro' a Piece of Canvass or course Cloth, and then add a pound of Turpentine, stirring it constantly till it be cold: so shall you have an excellent Suppurative, call'd Basilicum.

You may either chafe the Parts that you would have ripen'd, with this Ointment, or anoint Tents with it.

It digests and ripens the Matter, and asswages the Pain that is caus'd by the Matter or Quittor when 'tis generated.

If you mix Verdigrease, and white Vitriol, both in fine Powder, with this Ointment, it will heal a Wound, and bring it to a Scar.

If the Flesh grow too fast, and stop the Hole that shou'd give passage to the Matter; or if the Flesh about the Hole be bloody or foamy, you must rub the Tents with

Aegyptiacum, which is an Ointment commonly us'd for the cleansing of Sores; 〈…〉〈…〉 Verdigrease and white Vitriol with the Basilicum.

If the Hole close up too soon, you must open it again with a hot Iron.

If the Horse void the Humour sufficiently by the Nose, you must not disturb Nature by endeavouring to assist her; only keep the Horse warm, and walk him every Morning and Evening: for there is no Danger after the Passage is open'd. But if his Nose be ob∣structed by hard or dry Matter, so that he can neither breathe freely, nor expel the Humour without Pain: you must inject into his Nostrils, with a small Syringe, a warm Liquor made of equal parts of Aqua-Vitae and Oil-Olive shaken together, which will loosen the Flegmatic Humour that stops the Passages, and help Nature to throw it out You will find great Benefit by the repeated Use of this easie Remedy.

If the Matter be evacuated in too small a Quantity, and Nature seem to be languid; you must endeavour to warm the Horse's Body with Cordial Pills, the Cordial Powder, or the Electuary of Kermes; or you may give him some Doses of the Lieutenant's Powder, describ'd in the Second Part: Or if none of these Medicines can be had, you may give him every Morning half an Ounce of Treacle mix'd with a Pint of Spanish Wine.

A large Quantity of the Herb Periwinkle chopp'd small and mix'd with moisten'd Bran, will make the Horse void the Humour plentifully.

Afterwards you may put Feathers into his Nose, in this manner. Take two large Goose-Quills, of those that grow in the middle of the Wing, anoint 'em with fresh Butter melted in a Plate, and assoon as they are cold, sprinkle the Ends of 'em with a little Powder of Pepper or of Tabacco: then thrust 'em up into the Horse's Nostrils, and to keep 'em from falling out, tye a strong Thread to the great Ends of the Quills, and fasten it to the Halter, leaving him in that Posture with a Bit in his Mouth for the space of two hours. This must be done two days, and on the third you must sprinkle the Ends of the Quills with Powder of white Hellebore, continuing after the same manner till all the Matter be evacuated.

It will be convenient to repeat the use of the Cordial Pills, or Powder, or the Lieute∣nant's Powder, as often as there shall be occasion: or you may use the following Ele∣ctuary.

When the Disease is stubborn, you must syringe the Horse's Nostrils from time to time.

The Electuary of Kermes is of excellent Use in this Case, and corrects the Corruption and Stench of the Matter.