46 THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



" Outwardly it dries running heads, and other scabs (the 

 ashes sprinkled on)." Wittughby, book ii., p. 157. 



More medicinal properties are added ; so that a good Hen 

 seems to be a perfect walking doctor's shop. Aldrovandi has 

 filled more than sixteen large folio pages with an account of the 

 medicinal uses of Fowls and their Eggs, both for man and 

 beast, which we do not quote here, as they would meet with 

 little more serious attention than the foregoing. Hens were 

 sacrificed by the ancient pagans to -ZEsculapius, the God of 

 Medicine, on account of the services they were supposed to 

 render to the health of mankind. Fever, dysentery, melan- 

 choly, epilepsy, cough, colic, all yielded to some preparation 

 from gallinaceous materials. Even the surgeon was super- 

 seded by their virtues. A plaister composed of white of egg 

 and white frankincense cured broken bones; the albumen 

 alone was a sovereign vulnerary. Oil of eggs regenerated hair 

 more surely than Rowland's Macassar. Other preparations 

 were remedial against poison, corns on the toes, the bites of 

 mad dogs and vipers, and frenzy. In short, every one who 

 had a tolerable stock of poultry, had only himself to blame 

 if he did not repel the usual ills to which mortal flesh is 

 subject. 



It can, therefore, be no trifling amount of intrinsic excellence 

 which has earned for them such a universal good opinion. 

 Independent of all considerations of profitableness, they are 

 gifted with two qualifications, which, whether in man, beast, 

 or bird, are sure to be popular; those are, a courageous temper, 

 and an affectionate disposition. Add to these, beauty of ap- 

 pearance and hardiness of constitution, and it is no wonder 

 that each old wife thinks her own stud of Fowls invaluable. 

 It is recorded of Catherine the Second of Russia, who was 

 great in more senses than one, that she compelled a rival to 

 her throne to amuse himself with tending poultry, and "other 

 imbecilities." The story was meant to tell against her ; but 



