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. LX. Of Medicaments which purge Pituite or Phlegm.

Carthamus or Bastard Saffron, is a seed wherewith people feed Parrats;* 1.1 people make use of its quintessence or finest substance, which purgeth Phlegm and watery humours; it is good for the Lungs, and is corrected with Anniseeds, Cinnamon, and Galingal, but alone it is weak; the composition of Dia∣carthamum or Electuary of Carthamus seeds, is very good, and were it not for its dearth, people might give six or seven Ounces of it to a horse at a time.

Agarick Attenuats, Opens, and purges gross Phlegm, and also Choler; it draws them from the Brain, Nerves, and Muscles, and people might say that it would be one of the best Medicaments we have for horses, were it but purgative enough; it is sometimes Trochiscated or made into Troches, which corrects it, and it may be given from four to five Ounces, which will however but purge very gently; the only ill of this Remedy is, that if it be not prepared into Troches it is too gentle.

Turbith purges, but weakly, gross viscuous and corrupt Phlegm, it draws it from the Remote parts, and is corrected with Ginger; it may be given from two to four Ounces at most.

Hermodacts are a kind of Bulbows Roots, they purge gently Phlegm, vis•••••••••• Humours, and draw them powerfully from the Joints; they are corrected 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Spicknard and Cinnamon, and may be given from three to four Ounces.

Mechoacan (which is a Root so called from the Country where it groweth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath almost the same vertue as Jallap, only that it is white whereas the Jallap is black Purges Phlegm and Watery Humours, is good for an old Cough, Colick, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Farcy; it is corrected with Cinnamon, Anniseeds, and Mastick, and its dose is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ounces.

Colocy••th or Coloquintida, is a very light kind of fruit, which purges phlegm 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other gross and viscuous humours, from the most remote parts, as the Brain, Ner•• Muscles, Joynts, and Lungs; it is excellent for to carry away that vitrified Phle•• which adheres to the Internal superfice of the Guts, which causes violent Coli•••• and is a great Enemy to the Stomack and Intestines when it cleaves to them; pe•••••••• correct it by making it into Troches called Al••andal, or with Oyl of Sweet A•••••••••• and Gum Tragacanth.

This is the common Purgative of the Farriers, because it costs but little, a•••• worketh strongly; I have proposed a good preparation for Colocynth, as you may in the 23 Chap. Sect. 3. of the 2d. Part; its Dose is from four to six Drams at 〈◊〉〈◊〉 given either in Butter, Lard of Bacon, or fresh Swines Seam,

Opoponax, purges viscuous Phlegm from the remote Parts, as the Joints, how•••••••• it hath but a gentle operation; it is corrected with Spicknard, Ginger, Cinnamon, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Roots of Elecampane: its Dose is four Ounces.

Gum-Sagapen, or Sagarenum, is somewhat of the nature of the preceeding Gum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more proper for preparing, and inciding or attenuating Humors, than for purging.

Euphorbium, is the gummy juice of a Tree, which purges gross Phlegm, and ••¦ther watry Humours, but with such violence, that I don't advise any man to give 〈…〉〈…〉 his Horses inwardly, by reason of its excessive Heat, unless it be mixed with Cassia; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Example, to four Ounces of Cassia, add two Drams of prepared Euphorbium.

To prepare it, you are to dissolve it either in distilled Vinegar, or in the juice of Limons, in Baln•••• Mariae, or in a panful of warm Water over the fire; then while it is warm, pass it through a double linnen Cloath, and evaporate its humidity 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it be dry; its Dose is two or three Drams, when it is thus prepared.

To compose a Remedy that will purge Phlegm, you may take of Diacarth•••••• •• Ounce,* 1.2 Agarick in Troches two Drams, Turbith and Hermodacts of each an Ou•••••• Spikenard, Cinnamon, and Ginger, of each a Dram, Coloquintida a Dram and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 make all into a Powder, and mixing it with an English Quart of White Wine, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it to the Horse.

A man may also make use of the purging Pills, which he will find ready prep•••••••• in the Apothecaries Shops, by giving from one to two Ounces of them: the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which purge Phlegm are, Ptlulae co••ciae, foetidae majores Mesuae, de agarico, de hiera cum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 de sarcocolla▪ de Colosynthide. If your Horse be lean, it will be more proper to give him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 purging Electuaries, than Pills: the Electuaries are the Diaphenicon, or Electuary 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dates, the Diacarthamum, Benedicta laxativa Nicolai, hiera pi••ra Galeni, Elect•••••••• Jndum majus Mesuae; the Dose of any of these is from four to six Ounces: No•• a man may of any number of the foresaid Medicaments, which purge Phlegm, ••••¦pole a purgative Remedy proper for it, by either mixing them with the above ••••••¦tioned Pills or Electuaries, or other solid Medicaments, according to their true 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and his own Judgement.

Notes

• * 1.1

  CHAP. LX Of Medica∣ments which purge Phlegm.
• * 1.2

  A remedy to purge phlegm.