256 



ANIMALS OF 



cine, in nervous and hysteric disorders ; and 

 is found in such cases to be the most powerful 

 remedy now in use : however, the animal that 

 furnishes this admirable medicine, has been 

 very variously described, and is known but 

 very imperfectly. 



The description given of this animal by 

 Grew, is as follows : " The musk animal is 

 properly neither of the goat nor deer kind, for 

 it has no horns, and it is uncertain whether it 

 ruminates or not ; how r ever, it wants the fore- 

 teeth in the upper jaw, in the same manner as 

 in ruminating animals ; but, at the same time, 

 it has tusks like those of a hog. It is three feet 

 six inches in length, from the head to the tail; 

 and the head is above half a foot long. The 

 fore-part of the head is like that of a gray- 

 hound ; and the ears are three inches long, 

 and erect, like those of a rabbit ; but the tail 

 is not above two inches. It is cloven-footed, 

 like beasts of the goat kind ; the hair on the 

 head and legs is half an inch long, on the belly 

 an inch and a half, and on the back and but- 

 tocks three inches, and proportionably thicker 

 than in any other animal. It is brown and 

 white alternately, from the root to the point ; 

 on the head and thighs it is brown, but under 

 the belly and tail white, and a little curled, 

 especially on the back and belly. On each 

 side of the lower jaw, under the corners of the 

 mouth, there is a tuft of thick hair, which is 

 short and hard, and about three quarters of 

 an inch long. The hair, in general, of this 

 animal, is remarkable for its softness and fine 

 texture ; but what distinguishes it particu- 

 larly are the tusks, which are an inch and 

 a half long, and turn back in the form of 

 a hook ; and more particularly the bag which 

 contains the musk, which is three inches 

 long, two broad, and stands out from the 

 belly an inch and a half. It is a very fear- 

 ful animal, and, therefore, it has long ears ; 

 and the sense of hearing is so quick, that 

 it can discover an enemy at a great dis- 

 tance." 



After so long and circumstantial a descrip- 

 tion of this animal, its nature is but very little 

 known ; nor has any anatomist as yet ex- 

 amined its internal structure ; or been able to 

 inform us whether it be a ruminant animal, or 

 one of the hog kind ; how the musk is formed, 



or whether those bags in which it comes to us 

 be really belonging to the animal, or are only 

 the sophistications of the venders. Iiuif-ed, 

 when we consider the immense quantities of 

 this substance which are consumed in Europe 

 alone, not to mention the East, where it is in 

 still greater repute than here, we can hardly 

 suppose that any one animal can furnish the 

 supply ; and particularly when it must be kill- 

 ed before the bag can be obtained. We are 

 told, it is true, that the musk is often deposited 

 by the animal upon trees and stones, against 

 which it rubs itself when the quantity becomes 

 uneasy ; but it is not in that form which we 

 receive it, but always in what seems to be its 

 own natural bladder. Of these, Taverner 

 brought home near two thousand in one year; 

 and, as the animal is wild, so many must, 

 during that space, have been hunted and taken. 

 But as the creature is represented very shy, 

 and as it is found but in some particular pro- 

 vinces of the East, the wonder is, how its bag 

 should be so cheap, and furnished in such 

 great plenty. The bag in common does not 

 cost (if I do not forget) above a crown by re- 

 tail, and yet this is supposed the only one be- 

 longing to the animal ; and for the obtaining 

 of which, it must have been hunted and killed. 

 The only way of solving this difficulty, is to 

 suppose that these bags are, in a great mea- 

 sure, counterfeit, taken from some other ani- 

 mal, or from some part of the same, filled with 

 its blood, and a very little of the perfume, but 

 enough to impregnate the rest with a strong 

 and permanent odour. It comes to us from 

 different parts of the East ; from China, Ton- 

 quin, Bengal, and often from Muscovy : that 

 of Thibet is reckoned the best, and sells for 

 fourteen shillings an ounce ; that of Muscovy 

 the worst, and sells but for three ; the odour 

 of this, though very strong at first, being quick- 

 ly found to evaporate. Musk was some years 

 ago in the highest request as a perfume, and 

 but little regarded as a medicine ; but at pre- 

 sent its reputation is totally changed; and 

 having been found of great benefit in physic, 

 it is but little regarded for the purposes of 

 elegance. It is thus that things which become 

 necessary, cease to continue pleasing ; and 

 the consciousness of their use, destroys their 

 power of administering delight. 



