12 Of Curef Phyfical. Lib. I. 



crave ftrong Purges, and the outward Sharp and Corroding Medicines. Im- 

 moderate Reft, which is, when a Horfe doth ftand long ftill without any 

 Exercife, feeding foul and grolly, is as great an Enemy to a Horfe's 

 Health as the other : For it congregateth and bindeth together all forts 

 of ill Humours, breeds Corruption in the Blood, Rottennefs in the Fleih, 

 and generally as many Difeafes as any ill Diet whatfoever. 



The Sleep or Watch of a Horfe, (which is the fourth thing in our 

 Compofition,) is fo neceffary a comfort to a Horfe, that he cannot live 

 without it : It is the greateft mover of Digeftion, and fo confequently 

 gives comfort to the whole Body. For whilft the Horfe deeps, the 

 Powers- Animal do take their Reft, which otherwife would be over-wea- 

 ried ^ and neither able to difcharge their Duties nor to continue their 

 Adions and Operations, which is the giving of Feeling and Moving on- 

 ly : And while a Horfe doth Sleep, the Powers-Natural have more Li- 

 berty to do their Work, in conco£ting the Meat and comforting the Body, 

 infomuch as I account Sleep to be the only quieting of the Senfes, or- 

 dained by Nature to ingender Strength. Sleep is begotten by fweet, 

 fatty and grofs Vapours, (and not by their contraries) which are raifed 

 from the Heart to the Brain, with the coldnefs of which Brain, thole 

 Vapours being congealed and thickned together, do ftop the Pipes of the 

 lenfitive Spirits, fo as they cannot refort to the Inftruments of the Senfes, 

 to give the feeling and moving, whereby the Body at that time is depri- 

 ved of thofe Motions. And according as thofe Vapours do more or lels 

 fill the Pipes, fo is the Horfe's Sleep more or lefs found and undifturbed ^ 

 but when this Sleep JhalV at any time grow into ex.cefs, and you ihall per- 

 ceive a Horfe to fleep beyond both Nature and Cuftom^ then you ihall 

 know that fuch Sleep cometh from an evil Habit of the Body, and is a 

 iign either of a Lethargy, and a Numbnefs of the Spirits, or elle that he 

 hath fome inward Grief and Pain in his Limbs, when he ftandeth ; which 

 being eafy by lying, makes him covet a continual Reft and Sleeping. 

 Now for the Watch of a Horfe, becaufe it is the meer contrary to Sleep, 

 there needs little to be faid more than this •, that as the excefs of the one 

 fheweth the want of the other,fo the natural wanting of either fhews the 

 evil State of a Horfe's Body, and gives the Farriers warning to exped en- 

 fuing Sicknefs. 



Now for Emptinefs and Fulnefs, (which is the fiifth and Natural Com- 

 pofitor) forafmuch as it is only in adding to, and taking away :; fome 

 Farriers have held Opinion, that all Phyfick belonging to a Horfe's Body, 

 confifteth in them two only ^ and truly I am of this Mind, that whofo- 

 ever can take away Corruption, and add Perfeftion, fhall without doubt 

 ever keep an able and fubftantial Body. But to our purpofe ; of this 

 fulnefs there are two forts, the one fulnefs by excefs of Humours, the 

 other fulnefs by excefs of Meat ; either of which perturbing the Spirts, 



are 



