Copy 1

Markham's master-piece. Containing all knowledge belonging to the smith, farrier, or horse-leach / [Gervase Markham].

  • Markham, Gervase, 1568?-1637
Date:
1710
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Markham's master-piece. Containing all knowledge belonging to the smith, farrier, or horse-leach / [Gervase Markham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    55/420 (page 41)
    CHAP. XXXVI. Of the Night Mare. THis Difeafe whi^h we call the Night-mare, is an infirmity which only troubleth the Horfe in the Night-*feafon, flopping the drawing of his breath, in fuch violent fort, that with the ltmggling and ftriving he will be driven into a great fweat,and fainMiefs: It pro¬ ceeded, according to the opinion of ancient Farriers, from a continual Crudity, or raw Digeftion of the Stomach, from whence grofs Vapours afcendingup into the head, do not only opprefs the Brain, but all the Senfitive parts alfo. Nowfor my part, I rather hold it an infirmity of the Stomach and inward Bowels, which being cloyed with much Glut and Fat, doth* in the Night-feafon fo hinder the Spirits and Powers from doing their Natural Office, that the Beaft having, as it were, his breath ftrangled, doth with an unnatural liruggling in his deep,put his Body into an extream fweat, and with that prihon is brought to much faint- nefs ^ of which 1 have had much and continual experience not only in Hurfea, exceeding fat, and newly taken from the Grafs, but efpecially from fiich Horfes as are either fatted upon Eddifh Grafs, which in Come Countries is called After Mathes $ or fuch as are taken up fat in the Winter- feafon. Thefigns to know this Difeafe, is, that in the Morning when you come early to ymur Horfe, yon fhall find him all of a great fweat, and his body fomething panting^ or perhaps }rou ffiall but only find himfweatr in his flanks, upon his Neck, and at the Roots of his Ears: Either or both are fig ns of this ficknefs, efpecially if at Night when you litter him, if you find that he is dry of his Body, and giveth no outward fign of inward ficknefs. Now there be fome that will object againft me, and fay, that this infirmity is not the Night mare, but an ordinary Infirmity ingendered by fuperfiuity of cold, grofs, and unwholefome Food, got in the Winter-feafbn ^ which Nature, through the help of warm Cl oaths, and a wurmHoufe, expels in this manner, iniheNight- Teafon. To this Objection I anfwer, That if they do difallow this fick¬ nefs to be the Night-mare, that then without Contradiction, there is no fuch Difeafe as the Night mare at all, and that it is but only a name without any fubftance or confequence $ but forafmuch as this ficknefs is not only very ufuaf, but alfo carneth with it all the Effects and At¬ tributes afcribed unto the Night-mare, and that it is as yet a Difeafe un¬ named, I do not think I can give it a more proper Term than to call it the Night-mare. The Cure whereof is, Every Morning and Evening, both before and after his Water, to give the Horfe fome moderate Exer- cile, as to make him go at leaft a mile, and more for his Water * and after he is watred, to gallop him gently on the hand a good fpace * G 2 then