54 THE MASTER OF GAME houndis pat pei lese not her clees is pat pei soiourne not to moche for in longee soiournyng pei lees here clees and her feet, and perfore pei shuld be lad iii tymes in pe weke on huntyng and at pe leest twyes. If pei han soiourned to moch kitte ye a litel of pe clees ende wip pynsours, or pei goo on huntyng so pat pei mow not breke her clees in rennyng. Also whan pei be at soiourne men shuld lede hem out euery day a myle or ii vpon grauel or vpon right an hard pathe bi a revere syde bicause pat her feet may be harder, houndes somtyme ben refraied } as hors, whan pei han ronne to longe and comen hoot in some watir or ellis whan pei come to rest hem in some cold place ban pei goon al for uome and may not ete ne may not wel go pan men shuld late hem blood on the iii legees of pe forlegges in be joyntis withinne the legge, of pe hynder legges men shuld lat hem blood in pe voynes pat gon ouerwerte abouyn pe hokkes in pat oper side, and in pe hynder legges men may wel see cleerly pe veynes pat I speke of an also in pe forleggis, and pus he shal be hool and 3eue hym oon day soppes or sum ober pingges comfortable to pe morowe or anoper day. Houndes also the han a siknesse in here yeerd pat men calle Cancre and many byn lost perby, men shuld take soche an hounde and hold hym fast and vprightes and bynde hys inoute and his iii legges also and pan men shuld take pe yarde bakwarde ny the ballokis and put hym vpward and anoper man shal drawe wel pe skyn in maner pat pe yarde may al come out and pan a man may take away pe Cancre wip his fyngres for if it were take away pe Cancre with his fyngres for if it were take away men myght sheerde hym and pan men shuld wassh it with wyne mylk warme and pan putt perynne hony and salt by cause pat pe syknesse shal not come agayn, and pan putt ayen pe yeerde withinne his skynne as it was bifore, and euery weke pat pe siknesse come not agayn and take it alle way out if oughte come perto in to pe tyme pat it be hool. And in be same wise a man shuld do to a bitche if suche a siknesse were itake in her nature. And in pis siknesse many houndis and bitches deyen for defaute of pise cures wherof alle hunters han not ful knowyng. Some tyme pei han a siknesse pat pei mowe not pisse and byn ilost therbi, and also whan pei mowe not scombire* ban take the Roote of Coolwort* and put it in oyle doliff and putt it in his foundement, so that he leue some of pe eende without in so moche pat it may be drawe out whan itis nede. And if he may not be hool berby make hym a Clistre as men doon 1 Chilled, from Fr. refrotdir. do to hounds that they lose not their claws is that they sojourn not too long, for in long sojourning they lose their claws, and their feet, and therefore they should be led three times in the week a-hunting, and at the least twice. If they have sojourned too much, cut ye a little off the end of their claws with pincers ere they go hunting, so that they may not break their claws in running. Also when they be at sojourn, men should lead them out every day a mile or two upon gravel or upon a right hard path by a river side, so that their feet may be hard. Hounds also sometimes be chilled as horses when they have run too long, and come hot in some water, or else when they come to rest in some cold place, then they go all forenoon and cannot eat, nor cannot walk well, then should men let blood on the four legs. From the forelegs in the joints within the leg, from the hinder legs men should let blood in the veins that goeth overthwart above the hocks on the other side, and in the hinder legs men may well see clearly the veins that I speak of, and also in the forelegs, thus he shall be whole. And give him one day sops or some other thing comfortable till the morrow or other day. The hounds also have a sickness in the yerde that men calleth the canker, and many be lost thereby. Men should take such a hound and hold him fast and upright and bind his mouth and his four legs also, and then men should take his yerde backward by the ballocks and put him upward, and another man shall draw the skin well in manner that the yerde may all come out, and then a man may take away the canker with his fingers, for if it were taken away with a knife men might cut him. And then men should wash it with wine, milk warm, and then put therein honey and salt, so that the sickness shall not come again, and then put again the yerde within the skin as it was before, and look every week that the sickness come not again, and take it always out if aught come thereto until the time that it be whole. And in the same wise a man should do to a bitch, if such a sickness were taken in her nature. In this sickness many hounds and bitches die for default of these cures, whereof all hunters have not full knowledge. Sometimes the hounds have a great sickness that they may not piss, and be lost thereby and also when they may not scombre.? Then take ye the root of a cabbage and put it in olive oil, and put it in his fundament so that ye leave some of the end without, so much that it may be drawn out when it is needful. And if he may not be whole thereby make him a clyster ? Scumber, to dung. 3 Cabbage. OF SICKNESSES OF HOUNDS 55 to a manof Malowes? and beetes and of Mercurie an handfulle of eueryche, and of Rve and of sence pat alle pise pingis be boilled togidre in watire and putt, and putt brynne wipinne and lat passe al pat watire porgh a streynour, and perto putt ye ii dragmes of agarite” and of hony and oyle dolif, and al pis togiders put in his erys * and he shal scombire, and pan take v. cornys of Cata- pucia* and stampe hem and tempre hem with gootis mylk or with broth and put it in pe houndes throote pe mountenaunce of a verfull, And if he may not pisse take of lekes pe leeues and of an herbe pat is clepid marrubium album ® and of modirwort ° and of peritorie’ and morsus galline® and of netlis and percel leeues, as moche of pat oon as of pat oper, and stampe hem and swynes grece perwith, and make a play- stire perof, and make it a lityl hoot and ley it vpon pe houndes yeerd and along be his bely, and pat is hard to vndirstond 3e shul fynde att apoticaries be whiche knowyn wel alle pise pingis. Also to the howndis commen botches pat commen to hem in her prote or in oper parties of pe body pan take ye of be manys and of pe vnnanys and of pe white lilies® and kitte hem smal with a knyf and putt tep in a ladil of iren and menge pis erbis pat I of spak, and lay som vpon pe botches and pat shal make hem ripe, and whan pei be ripe slitt hem wip a sharpe knyff and whan thei be so broke lay vpon hem good drawyng salue and he shal be hool. Som- tyme pe houndes si3ten (sic) and biten eche oper and pan ye shul take shepis wolle vnwayssh and a litel oyle dolip and wete pe wolle in pe oyle and lay vpon pe houndes wounde, and bynde it vpon, and do so iii daies and pan aftir ii tymes eueryche as men do to a man, of mallows,! of beets, and of mercury, a handful of each, and of rue and of incense, and that all these things be boiled in water and put bran within, and let pass all that water through a strainer, and thereto put Ey) drachms of agrimony® and of honey and of olive oil, and all this together put into his anus and he shall scombre. And then take five corns of spurge * and stamp them and temper them with goat’s milk or with broth, and put it in the hound’s throat to the amount of a glassful. And if he may not piss take the leaves of leeks and of a herb that is called hore- hound® and of motherwort® and of wall pellitory’ and chickweed® and of nettles and parsley leaves as much of the one as of the other, and stamp them with swine’s grease therewith, and make a plaster thereof, and make it a little hot, and lay it upon the hound’s yerde and along his belly, and that which is hard to understand ye shall find at the apothecary’s, the which know well all these things. Also to the hounds cometh sores, that cometh to them under the throat or in other parts of the body. Then take ye of the mallows and of the onions and of white lilies,? and cut them small with a knife, and put them in a ladle of iron and mingle these herbs whereof I speak, and lay them upon the sores, and that shall make them rise, and when they be risen, slit them with a sharp knife. And when they be so broken, lay upon them some good drawing salve, and he be whole. Sometimes the hounds fight and bite each other, and then they shall take sheep’s wool unwashed, and a little olive oil, and wet the wool in the oil, and lay it upon the hound’s wound, and bind it thereupon, and do so three days, and then after twice each day anoint it with * Mawes. G. de F. mauve, Eng. mallows, Lat. Malva sylvestris and Malva rotundifolia. These plants have a mucilaginous and somewhat bitter taste, and the leaves are used as an emollient and demulcent medicine, a decoction of them being employed in cases of irritation of the pulmonary and of the urinary organs, and poultices made of them are very frequently employed to allay external inflammation. Mod. Eng. malive, Anglo- Sax. Maleve, mealewe. Mrs. Wedgewood shows that the Arabs still use mallows for poultices to allay irritation. (Skeat’s Dictionary.) * Agarys. G. de F. Wagret, probably agrimony, Lat. agrimonia. The whole plant has a slightly aromatic smell, and is bitter and styptic, and was much valued in domestic medicine; a decoction of it being used as a gargle and the dried leaves as a kind of tea, and the root as a vermifuge. € 3 Anus. Euphorbia resinifera, common spurge, exudes a very acrid milky juice which dries into a gum resin. Still used for some plasters. Was used internally as a purgative in dropsy like Elaterium, externally as a stimulant and counter-irritant. * Marrubium vulgare. G. de F. marrabre blanc, Eng. white horehound. This species is rather rare in Britain, but is common on the Continent except in the Northern regions. It enjoyed a great reputation as a stimulating expectorant employed in asthma, consumption, and other pulmonary affections. ° Leonurus cardiaca. G. de F. Artemise, Eng. Motherwort, Mod. Fr. armoise. A plant allied to the hore- hound as a vascular stimulant and diuretic uterine disorders. and a general tonic, employed in dropsy, gout, rheumatism, and ’ Parietaria. Eng. Wall pellitory. An old domestic remedy. It was supposed to be astringent and cooling, and used locally for inflammation, burns, heaps of rubbish. 8 Morsus gallinus. ® Lilies. The white lilies here mentioned are probabl erysipelas, and internally as a diuretic. It grows on old walls and y Lilium connalium (lilies of the valley). In an old book of recipes I find them mentioned as an antidote to poison. (Haus und Land Bib. 1700.) They have medicinal qualities, purgative and diuretic in effect. Dried and powdered they become a sternutatory.