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. XXXVII. Of the Stag's Evil, or Palsie in the Jaw.

I Know not whether Stags are also troubl'd with this Disease, as the Name seems to import, but it proves oftentimes fatal to Horses. 'Tis a kind of Rheumatism, which keeps their Neck and Jaws so stiff that they cannot move 'em, not so much as to eat; and besides they turn up the Whites of their Eyes from time to time, as if they were just ready to expire. They are also seiz'd at uncertain Intervals of time, with such a violent Palpitation of the Heart, and Heaving or Beating in the Flanks, that you wou'd certainly conclude they cou'd not live two Hours; and these Fits return sooner or later without any fix'd Order. If you feel their Neck, you will perceive it to be stiff and stretch'd out, the Skin is dry, and sometimes the whole Body is stiff, and the hinder Parts as much affected by the Distemper as the fore Parts; in which Case few or none escape, especially if the Fever be continual, as almost always it is.

This Disease is not absolutely Mortal when tis not an universal Rheumatism, spread over all the Body, or when the Horses have brought it upon themselves by violent striving and drawing against the Halter, by which unruly Motions they strain and stretch the Muscles of the Neck, so as to draw the Humours to 'em. But that is not the usual Cause of this Distemper; for 'tis almost always occasion'd by the Horse's being unseasonably expos'd to Heat or Cold, or by his being cool'd immediately after he has been over-heated; which sudden Change stirs the redundant Humours, and breeds many Obstructions, that hinder the Motion of the affected Parts, and cause a Pain not only in these, but also in the neighbouring Parts, or such as have a Commu∣nication with 'em.

Tho' the Beating of the Flank and Heart be very violent, yet when it intermits for a considerable space of time, the Horse recovers a sufficient measure of Strength to re∣sist the Distemper: but (which is very dangerous) the Defluxion on the Jaws is some∣times so strong, that the poor starv'd Creature dies merely for want of necessary Suste∣nance; and the natural Heat not finding any Aliments to employ its Force in their Digestion, grows sometimes so violent, that it inflames the Blood, augments the Fe∣ver, and at last kills the Horse: to prevent which, you must give him softening Clysters, Morning and Evening, let him Blood frequently, and even once in two Days, till you see some Signs of Amendment; for upon this the Cure principally depends, tho' since it must be so often repeated, it will be sufficient to take every time onely half the Quantity of Blood that is usually taken from Horses.

For his Food mix a little Bran with a great quantity of Water, that it may be as thin as Broth, and leave it before him the whole Day: for he will stir it with his Lips, and in his best Intervals endeavour to swallow a little of it; but he can very hardly, or not at all eat any Hay or Straw, being unable to open his Jaws, and you may give him luke-warm Water to drink. After the Use of Clysters and Bleeding, take equal parts of Spirit of Turpentine and Aqua-Vitae, mix 'em in a glass Vial, and shake 'em to∣gether, till they be perfectly united: With this Liquor anoint his whole Neck, upon the Muscles, and all about the Jaws, chafing the Parts very hard with your Hand, to make the Liquor penetrate, which will heat the Muscles that are cool'd and stiffen'd by the Defluxion; and two hours after rub the same Parts with the Ointment of Marsh-Mallows, chasing 'em hard as before, which will not only heat the Parts, but help to loosen the Jaws, and supple the Neck. Afterwards rub the Parts affected every Morn∣ing with the Ointment of Marsh-Mallows, and every Evening with Aqua-Vitae. And besides,

If the Disease affect the whole Body, rub the Horse's Reins with Ointment of Marsh-Mallows and Spirit of Wine, and cover 'em with a Cloth dipp'd in Lees of Wine heat∣ed, and put his usual Cloaths above all. Repeat the Anointing and Fomentation every day, and let him be put into a hot Stable; for being thus carefully tended, he may perhaps recover, if his Fever intermit.

You must also give him three or four good softening Clysters every day; and if the disease be very violent, you may inject one in the Morning, consisting of two Quarts of Milk, eight Yolks of Eggs, and two Ounces of Sugar, to sustain, and in some measure satiate the Animal Hunger of the Parts that have a Communication with the great Guts. The rest of the Clysters must be compos'd of softening and cooling Ingredients.

Some thrust a red-hot Iron thro' the Neck near the Main, in three or four several places, and others cut the Nerves: I look upon these Methods not only as unworthy to be recommended, but I think my self oblig'd to dissuade you from the Use of 'em; for the Horse endures so much misery already, that we ought by no means to encrease his Torments, without the least Prospect of future Relief.

If they cou'd be made to swallow any thing, it would be convenient to give 'em some Doses of the Cordial-Powder or stinking Pills, or some other proper Medicine; but that is impossible, and you can only administer external Remedies, which are seldom able to save the Horse's Life.

If you perceive some encouraging Signs, or if the Horse be in greater danger of dying of Hunger than of his Distemper, because he is unable to take any Nourish∣ment, and if there be long and frequent Intermissions of his Fever, you may take the Advantage of one of those Intervals, to prepare and exhibit the following Liquor. Mix a Pound of fine Barley-Flower with a sufficient quanityt of Water, as if you de∣sign'd to make Gruel, boil it till it begin to thicken, then add the quantity of an Egg of Sugar, and while 'tis moderately warm, inject it into the Horse's Nose, one half into each Nostril.

Since the Passages of the Nose end in the Mouth, you will perhaps be surpriz'd that I do not prescribe this Nourishment to be given to the Horse in the Beginning of the the Disease, when he stands so much in need of it, as not being able to take any Food at the Mouth: but I consider that every thing that a Horse takes by the Nose does ex∣tremely fatigue and torment him, and therefore even the most cooling sorts of Nourish∣ment, such as Barley, given after that manner, might increase his Fever, if he has any, or throw him into a Fever tho' he were free of it before. For tho' this Fever be only accidental, and not much to be dreaded, 'tis nevertheless impossible to give any Nou∣rishment by the Nose without manifest hazard; and therefore I think we ought not to have recourse to that Method, till the Horse be in danger of starving; in which case 'tis better to make an Attempt to save his Life tho' with some hazard, than to suffer him to die of Hunger.