suffer so great a distention neither can it be full of Arteries because it wants a continual pulsation neither can it consist of Nerves because they having no hollowness cannot be extended and loosned as it must of necessity happen to the Yard It is therefore necessary that the Yard should have such a substance as is not peculiar to any part of the body It is to be understood that there do concur to the framing of the Yard two nervous bodies the passage for the Urine which is called Urethra the Glans or Nut of the Yard four Muscles the Vessels and the skin Here doth arise a question why the Yard hath not any fat Which is in brief thus because that there should be no hindrance to the perfect sense of the Yard which could of necessity not be avoided if that member were subject to any obesity the fat being subject to be melted by frication CHAP. XIV Of the several parts constituting the Yard AMONG the parts that compose the structure of the Yard is that skin which with its cuticle and fleshly pannicle is common not only to this but to other members only it hath this peculiar to it self that it may be reflexed and drawn back from the Nut of the Yard This skin that turns back is called the Praeputium because that part in circumcision was cut away with which prepuce the Nut of the Yard is covered The Glans or Nut of the Yard is a fleshy part soft thin repleat with blood and spirits endued with an exquisite sense something sharp and acute at the end This is fastned to the prepuce at the lower part by a certain ligament which is therefore called the bridle or the filet which commonly is broken in the first venereal assaults which are for the most part the most furious The greatest part of the Yard is constituted by two nervous bodies on both sides one which terminate both together in the Nut. They rise from a two-fold original leaning or resting upon the Hip under the Share-bone whence as from a sure foundation they go on till they arrive at the nut of the Yard They consist of a double substance the first is nervous hard and thick the inner part black loose soft thin and spongy It is called the Nervous pipe These two bodies are joyned together by a certain membrane thin yet nervous which is strengthned by certain overthwart fibres being there placed in the likeness of a Weavers shuttle and though in their original they are separated the one from the other that there might remain some certain space for the Urethra yet they are joyned together about the middle of the Share-bone where they lose about the third part of their nervous substance The interiour substance which is wrapt about by the exteriour nervous substance hath this worthy observation That there appears stretched through the whole length of it a thin and tender Artery proportionable to the bigness of the body which is diffused through the whole loose substance of the Yard reaching as far as the root of the Yard Besides these two there is another body which lies between these two as proper or rather more peculiar to the Yard than they are This is a pipe placed at the inferiour part of the Yard being called the Urethra though it be a passage as proper to the Seed as to the Urine which is encompassed by the two fore-mentioned bodies This is a certain Channel produced in length and running through the middle of those nervous bodies consisting of the same substance that they do being loose thick soft and tender every way equal from the neck of the bladder to the nut of the Yard saving that it is a little wider at the beginning than it is toward the place where it ends which is at the head of the Glans or nut of the Yard At the beginning of this Channel there are three holes one in the middle and something bigger than the other two arising from the neck of the bladder the other two on both sides one being something narrower proceeding from the passage that goes out of the seminary vessels and conveighs the Seed into this Channel This is further to be noted in this place that in the Channel where it is joyned to the Glans together with the nervous bodies there is a little kind of cavern in which sometimes either putrid Seed or any other corroding humour happens in the Gonorrhaea being collected it is the cause of ulcers in that part the cause of very great pain and it many times also comes to pass that there is a certain little piece of flesh which grows out of this Ulcer that oftentimes stops the passages of the urine To the structure of the Yard there do moreover occurr two pair of Muscles one more short and thick proceeding from a part of the Hip near the beginning of the Yard and being of a fleshy substance The use of these two Muscles is to sustain the Yard in the erection and to bend the fore part of the Yard which is to be inserted into the womb the other pair is longer and rises from the Sphincter of the Fundament where they are endued with a more fleshy substance being in length full as long as the Yard under which they are carried downward ending at the sides of the Urethra about the middle of the Yard Their use is to dilate the Urethra both at the time of making water and at the time of Conjunction lest it should be stopped up by the repletion of the nervous bodies and so stop up the passage of the Seed They are also thought to keep the Yard firm lest it lean too much to either side and also to press out the Seed out of the Prostatae or Forestanders There are Vessels also of all sorts in the yard first of all certain Veins appearing in the external parts and in the cuticle which do branch themselves out from the Hypogastrium In the middle between the space of the fibres they send out certain branches from the right side to the left and from the left to the right These veins swelling with a frothy blood and spirit erect the Yard There are also certain nerves which scatter themselves from the pith or marrow of the Holy-bone quite through the yard bringing with them the cause of that pleasure and delight which is perceived in the erection of the yard CHAP. XV. Of the Action of the Yard THE main scope of Nature in the use of the Yard was the injection of Seed into the womb of the Woman which injection could not be done till the Seed were first moved neither could the Seed be moved but by frication of the parts which could not be done till it were sheathed in the Womb nor that neither till the Yard were erected This distention is caused by repletion which is caused by the plenty of Seed Secondly by superfluity of wind which if it
usual in Dropsies In this case the natural heat is not able to concoct the nourishment and to drive out that which is superfluous for this sort of swelling make a bath of Camomile Melilot and Lavender and the Ashes of Vines afterwards foment with Aromatic Wine and in it dip compresses to be laid on and to be repeated three or four times a day But usually these swellings go off of themselves when the Woman is delivered the whole Body being cleansed by the Child-bed purgations Many big bellied Women are subject to the piles because the courses that were wont to be evacuated monthly are collected in a great quantity and flow back upon the Body They are also occasioned by the Costivness of the body they are painful Swellings and Inflamations occasioned by a Flux of humours to the Fundament Some are internal some external some small and with little or no pain and some very big and painful It is easy enough to prevent their further growth by remedies which hinder and turn the Flux from those parts when they are small and without pain but the greatest care is to be taken when they are large and painful First therefore you must endeavour to ease the pain for as long as that remains the Flux is ever increased and if Bloud abounds she may be blooded in the Arm-once and again if the case require it to divert the humours and to lessen them If Costiveness be the cause an emollient Glister must be injected made of the decoction of Mallows Marshmallows Violets and sweet Butter or Oyl of Almonds but you must be sure to add nothing that may fret or provoke the parts least the disease should be increased thereby especially when the piles are within Some put the small end of a pullets gut upon the end of the Glister-pipe that it may be the easier injected You may else anoint the swellings with Galen's cooling Oyntment mixed with an equal part of Populeon or you may use the hot stroakings of a Cow or you may foment with a Decoction of Marshmallows and linseed Oyls of sweet Almonds Poppies and water Lillies well beaten together with the Yolk of an Egg and ground in a leaden Mortar give great ease A cooling Diet must be ordered and the woman must keep her Bed till the Flux of the Humours is gone If the Swelling do not abate upon the use of these things Leeches must be apply'd But it is to be noted that in Women with Child the bleeding of the Piles may be beneficial if the Bleeding be moderate and without pain But if it flow in too great quantity the Mother and Child will be weakened thereby therefore if so it will be necessary to apply an astringent Fomentation made of a Decoction of Pomgranate Peel Province Roses Granat Flowers and a little Allom and to turn the Blood bleeding in the Arm is requisite Women with Child are subject to several Fluxes viz. a Looseness the Flux of the Courses and Floodings There are three sorts of Loosenesses a Lientery wherein the meat passes through raw and undigested a frequent Ejection of Excrement and Humours Lastly the Bloody Flux which together with the Evacuation of Humours and Excrements voids Blood with violent pains But whatever sort of Flux it is if it be much and of long continuance the Woman is in danger of miscarrying for in a Lientary the Mother and Child are much weakened that being cast out by Stool which should be the Nourishment and the Strength and Spirits are much weakened by a common Looseness but the bloody Flux is most dangerous because the frequent endeavours to go to Stool greatly disturb the Womb. As to the Cure of these Fluxes whereof great Care ought to be had in time for they occasion Miscarriages the Woman afflicted with a Lientery ought to use meat of easie digestion and little at a time that so her Stomach may be able to concoct it and she ought to drink Claret mixed with water wherein Iron hath been quenched and before and after Meals a little burnt Wine or good Canary may be drank or a little Marmalade of Quinces may be eat If it be only a loosness and is gentle and is not of long continuance it needs not be much regarded and therefore ought to be left to Nature but if it continues five or six days some gentle purging Medicine ought to be used as Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb or the like But great care ought to be taken in the bloody flux lest by its continuance it should cause miscarriage In this case the ill humours must be first purged off with Syrup of Succory and Rhubarb or the like and Broaths made of Veal and Chicken with cooling herbs in them must be used to qualifie the Acrimony of the humours and she must drink Claret wine and Water wherein Iron has been quenched or half a Spoonful of Syrup of Quinces may be mixed with Water and every other Night at Bed time after purging she may take fifteen or 20 Drops of liquid Laudanum and Glisters may be injected made of Calves Head or Sheeps head Broath and to prevent the frequent Endeavours of going to Stool a Glister made of Milk and the Yolk of an Egg mixed may be now and then injected When a Woman is with Child generally speaking she ought not to have her Courses because their ordinary passage is stopt and also because the Blood is then employ'd for the Nourishment of the Child yet some big bellied Women have their monthly purgations till the fifth Month and yet go out their time and do very well A Woman having her courses thought she was not with Child and because she found her self indisposed she advised with a Physician who by Bleeding and purging her made her miscarry after she had bin three Months gone with Child It is to be noted that when Women with Child have a Flux of Blood you must carefully consider whither it be the ordinary Courses or a real Flooding if if it be the ordinary Courses the Blood comes at the accustomed times and flows by degrees from the Neck near the inward Orifice of the Womb and not from the Bottom of it as may be perceived if trying with a Finger you find the inward Orifice quite closed which could not be if the Blood issued from the Bottom It must be likewise considered whether the Courses flow by reason of the Superfluity of the Blood the Acrimomony of it or the weakness of the Vessels If abundance of Blood be alone the Cause there being more than enough for the Nourishment of the Child it injures neither Mother nor Child but is a Benefit to both provided it be moderate But if there be not abundance of Blood and if the Woman use to have but a small quantity of her Courses before she was with Child it is a sign that the Flux proceeds from the Heat and Acrimony of the Blood or the Weakness of the Vessels To prevent this Flux when
Precipitat and the Eschar was dressed with Basilicon and the other openings with Diapompholigos and the Cerate of Marsh-mallows over all After a more full-separation of the Eschar observing the Fungus to rise more large a Stupe was applied wrung out of a decoction of the tops of Worm wood Rue Mint the Flowers of red Roses and Balaustines made in Wine and Water and Chalcanthum was applyed upon the Fungus and pledgets of the Ointment of Tutty over the Ulcerated parts The second day after the Dressings were took off and the Eschar was found to be made by the Catheretick which was thrust off and it was dressed again with the same and the use of the Escharoticks was continued during these applicationss a Plaister of Bole was applied over the Breast to restrain the fluxion yet notwithstanding the fungus encreased and raised the swelling between that and the other Orifices and therefore a large Caustick was applied upon the swelling which laid some of the Orifices into this the Eschar was divided and dressed up with lenients and the Fungus was cover'd with escharoticks wherever it began to thrust out by which it was kept down But after the separation of this latter Eschar the Fingus appeared great and the way of extirpating it by Escharoticks being slow the Surgeon thrust his Finger under it and at once broke it and pulled it out in pieces and then filled up the place with Parâ—celsus's mundificative upon Pledgits sprinkled with red Precipitat and the foresaid Plaister being applied over the whole Breast it was bound up The second day after it was opened again and by this method often repeated the remainder of the Fungus was subdued and a firm basis raised on which to incarn with an addition of powders of the roots of orris myrrh and Sarcacoll to the fore-mentioned Mundificative and Agripa's Cerate was applied over the breast and in a few days it was cicatrized with a smooth Cicatrix the lips falling in by the benefit of Nature which was assisted the while by traumatick decoctions and the like When one of the Breasts has been Cured it happens often that the other swells from the abundance of Milk and grows hard and apostuntats sometimes both Breasts are thus diseased at one time A Gentlewoman had both her Breasts swelled a long time and afterwards they apostumated by reason of the pain several abscesses were made and the matter discharged by such openings In process of time the Ulcers became sinuous and callous with hardness of the glands the Cure was begun by Fomentations and discussing and resolving Pultesses made of the roots and leaves of Marsh-mallows henbane the tops of hemlock mint rue the flowers of elder the seeds of fenugreek flax and the like and with the meal of lentiles barly hogs-lard ducks and goose grease and the like and dilating the orifices and cleansing with paracelsuses mundificative red precipitat and allom while the Surgeon was endeavouring by the methods abovesaid new troubles arose within which forced him to lay such places open by caustick as might best serve for the discharge of matter after separation of the Eschar he again cleansed and healed them Of windy Tumours in the Breasts THE flatuous Tumour of the Breasts is caused by a thick vapour which rises from the menstrual blood which is retained or corrupted in the Matrix The causes of which are first the suppression of the flowers or when the flowers are not discharged into their proper place and in their proper time as also from the corruption of the humours by which are ingendered divers bad fumes and vapours for this being received into the Breasts causes a distention much like a true swelling The sign by which it is known is the pain which it brings along with it which is sharp and prickling causing a distention of the part The heart is not a little out of order by reason of the windinesses which lye so near it and commonly the left Breast is mow swoln communicating its pain to the arm shoulder and ribs of the same side And the signs differ from those of a Cancer for in this distemper the Breast is white and shining by reason of the distention and if you touch it it sounds like a drum And if you press it with your hands you will find that it is swelled in all parts alike and not in one more than another This is Cured first by a good order of diet taking little victuals whereby crudities may be avoided that do afford matter to the obstructions and increase windiness For which cause she must also drink little and that water boyled with Cinamon Aniseed and rind of Citrons The next remedy is by using things which are good to provoke the Courses among which use this Receit strain Celandine stampt into posset-ale and drink it four days before the new-moon and four days after And it will not be amiss to let blood three or four times in the year about the time that the Courses ought to begin For by this means you may provoke the flowers and hinder the increase either of a Scirrhus or of a Cancer to which purpose baths and frictions are not a little to be used In the next place you must prepare the humours that foment this windiness both in the Matrix and in the Veins and that by Syrups which do expell flegm and melancholly after which you must purge your Patient for which purpose you may use this gentle Apozem Take of the root of Tamarinds Cypress Bugloss of each an ounce and a half flowers of Borage Epithymum Sena of each half a handful flowers of Balm one handful Raisins one ounce Prunes in number twelve boyl them in a sufficient quantity of water and then in a pint of the water dissolve four ounces of the syrup of Violets make of this an Apozem clarified according to Art and sweeten it with a sufficient quantity of Sugar giving four or five ounces at a time In the next place you may use Topicks to attenuate and resolve to which purpose you may bathe or foment the Breast with a Sponge dipt in Lye and then lay upon it a linnen cloth dipt and moystned in Aqua-vitae and dryed in the shade or else dipt in fresh butter that hath boyled a good while or in oyl of Lillies or in oyl both of the root and seed of Angelica or you may foment the Breast with this Decoction Take wheat-bran two handfuls leaves of Dill and Melilot of each half a handful Aniseed Fennel and Cumin-seed of each two drams Camomile-flowers one handful boyl all these in a sufficient quantity of water and white-wine and let them boyl to the consumption of the third part In this decoction you may wet a sponge and wash or foment the Breast therewith After you have fomented the part you may put this Oyntment upon the part affected Take oyl of Lillies and Elder of each an ounce and a half of the best Balsom half an ounce powder
also sulphury and drying baths as also the use of Sudorificks or things that provoke sweat may be very profitable as the decoctions of Lignum sanctum China Sarsaparella and Mastick wood Of the narrowness of the Vessels of the Womb. THE signs of the narrowness of the vessels of the Womb are partly the retention of the Flowers so that they cannot flow as also the hindrance of conception by reason that the passage of the blood is intercepted The causes are partly external as from astringent baths and medicines which is known from the relation of the party affected it is cured more easily by moistning and mollifying Medicines The other causes are internal as from Flesh or Membrane clinging to the orifice of the Womb or by a closing up of the orifices of the veins by reason of some violent extraction of the Secondines which is commonly incurable the only cure which may be tryed is by mollifying applications Another cause is deduced from obstruction which arises from certain thick viscous and copious humours flowing from other parts of the Body the heat of those places not being able to attenuate them or else gather together in the Womb it self by reason of the weakness of the heat of that part it is discerned by the same signs as the cold Distemper there being also a slimy matter which now and then comes down from the Womb It is cured as other obstructions by sharp and bitter Medicines and steel-wine as also baths made with opening and mollifying things Sometimeâ— this narrowness arises from a compression of the parts occasioned either by some swelling or Schirrus either within or without the Womb if this be there do appear manifest signs of swelling It is an evil for the most part incurable many times it is occasioned by an over-fatness of those parts which is plain to the sense Of the puffing up of the Womb. THE puffing up of the Womb is a windy swelling of that part occasioned from cold flegmy and flatulent matter which is increased through the defect of natural heat in the Womb. This is called the windy Mole it giving hopes of a conception The signs of this are a distention of the Womb not far from the Midriff which is now increased now diminished sometimes extending it self to the Navel sometimes to the Loins and Diaphragm It differs from the Dropsie partly because the swelling is not so great and the party affected is not much troubled with thirst by the increasing and diminishing of the tumor and by the upper part not being so lean It is distinguish'd from the Dropsie of the Womb by the fore apprehension of the causes that beget those windy vapors by the sound and less ponderosity as as also by a feeling of an extensive and pricking pain in the womb and parts adjoyning It is also distinguished from the inflammation of the intestines because here is no great pain neither is the Patient hard bound yet the Flowers are suppressed and the feet and hollow of the eyes do swell and the colour of the body is changed the woman draws her breath short and is sad and when she awakes is fain to lift up her head to take breath It differs from a Mole because there is not that heaviness and ponderosity in the womb besides the woman doth not feel the burden of her womb tumble from one side to the other It is distinguished from conception by the sound and by the increasing and decreasing of the swelling and by the deadness of the motion not unlike that of a dead Infant for if the Midriff be violently compressed the wind being then compelled to the part adjoyning there is a kind of palpitating motion perceived through all the Midriff The matter of this distemper is generated either in the Womb it self or by reason of the suppression of the Courses or by the interception of due purgation after delivery Many times it comes through the veins and seminal vessels Now the weakness of the heat proceeds sometimes from the external air sometimes from hard Delivery from the suppression of the Courses from abortion c. The Cure is performed after the same way that other Cures are managed among those things that purge Species Hierae and Diaphaenicon with Castor are most commended for Fumes Nutmeg is counted the best for Potions Nutmegs bruised and boyled with the roots of Mather and drunk in six ounces of wine and two drams of Sugar Sometimes this wind gets into the cavity of the Womb and then the neck and orifice of the Womb is closed so that nothing can go forth when the woman is moved or when the Midriff is pressed down with her hand and then a kind of noise and sound is perceived Sometimes the wind gets into the tunicles of the Womb and then the mouth of the Womb may be open by reason of the shutting up of the windy vapours in a narrow place there goes a noise forth and the pain grows greater and extends farther This is more hard and difficult to be cured than that which is in the concavity of the Womb. Of the inflammation of the Womb. THE inflammation of the Womb is a swelling of the same through the putrefaction of blood which is fallen down into its substance having many symptoms and now tending to a Scirrhus now towards an Apostem The signs are various there is a swelling in the Womb with heat and pain and a retraction of the Womb to the more inward parts the neck of the Womb appears red with little veins scattered up and down in it like the web of a Spider There is sometimes a difficulty of breathing with some kind of Pleurisie because the interior tunicle of the Womb being extended which rises from and is joyned to the Peritonaeum thâ— parts also to which that coheres are stretched The excrements of the belly and bladder are detained by reason of the heat and driness of the belly and the compression of the passages Sometimes the whole body of the belly seems empty or filled with water and the Navel hangs forward and the mouth of the womb is made very slender and close and upon a sudden few depraved courses come down then happens a burning Fever by reason of the great sympathy with the womb and the heart occasioned through the Arteries and great Vessels There is a pain in the breasts with a swelling in them by reason of the consent and agreement between the groyns the hips the septum transversum claviculare and the forepart of the head which is extended to the roots of the eyes as also from vapours which rise from the putrified blood to the head through the Arteries that run along through the neck passing by both parts of the infundibulum into the fore part of the head The cause of this consists in the blood which is sometimes with Choler and sometimes with Melancholy The Cure is difficult if the blood in that part be wholly putrified for that causeth a sordid
Frictions and Baths or from internal causes as fatness or swelling of the Womb or of the lower parts in which case Medicines must be applied that asswage the swelling There is another difference which is in the hardness of the skin which happens either from the first Nativity and then the disease is not easily taken away or long after from some cold and dry distemper Concerning which look the former Chapters Another difference there is when there happens a closing up of the skin which is caused after Cicatrising of an Ulcer or by reason of some skin or Membrane growing to the Vessels of the Womb or by reason of frequent Abortion after which these Veins to which the Secondines adhere do grow together so close that they cannot be afterwards opened Another difference of this Disease there is when it happens through want of Blood which is not generated either by reason of external causes as Famine over much evacuation Issues and such like or through internal causes as a frigid Constitution of the principal parts old Age and Fevers or when it is converted to other uses as before full growth to the nourishment of the Body In Women with Child to the nourishment of the Birth In those that give suck to the increase of Milk And in fat people to the augmentation of the Fat Or when it is consumed either by External causes as over much Exercise Affrights Terrors Sadness Baths overmuch Sweating which do consume the serous quality of the Blood or through Internal Causes as are hot and dry Diseases or over-great evacuations in other parts of the Body Sometimes another difference of this Disease proceeds from the dryness of the Blood which happens to Women who in the Winter time do too much heat their lower parts by putting Coals under their Coats For the cure thereof you must use refrigerating and moistning Medicines Of the dropping of the Flowers and the difficulty of their coming down THE dropping of the Flowers is when they are coming down for many days together drop by drop This happens both from external causes as over hard labour c. And sometimes from the drossiness of the blood the passage not being wide enough For the cure of this it is convenient to open a Vein in the Arm with gentle purging as in the former Chapter Sometimes from the weakness of the retentive faculty there being at that time great plenty thinness and serosity of the blood In this case there is no pain Medicines that bind and corroborate the Stomach here must have place The difficulty of the Flowers is when they come down with pain and trouble either through defect in the Veins or in the Blood The signs of this are gathered from the relation of the sick person who is then much troubled with pain in the Head Stomach and Loins and lower parts of the body And they do either flow altogether or drop by drop as in the former disease It is a Disease more incident to Maids than married Women because the Veins of the Womb are less open in them than in those who brought forth Children It happens sometimes from a corruption of the blood that is from the drossiness and thickness thereof and then the blood clots together and there is a great pain long before the Flowers begin to come down The Cure of this is performed by attenuating Medicines Sometimes from the sharpness and acrimony of the Blood which proceeds from a mixture of sharp humours with the Body and then the genital parts do itch It is cured by those Medicines that temper the sharpness of the Humour as the four greater Seeds Violets and Flowers of Nenuphar Sometimes from windy Vapours and then the pain comes by intervals and is suddenly exasperated rumbling up and down and when the wind is forth the pain ceaseth The cure hereof is procured by evacuation of the matter and dispelling of the wind as is before declared Of the discolouring of the Flowers THE discolouring of the Flowers is when their right colour which ought to be red declines either to paleness whiteness greenness yellowness or blewishness through some defect or vitiousness of the blood The signs are apparent by the sight of the blood besides that it is accompanied with an ill smell many times also it is the cause of Fevers trembling of the body loathing of the meat pain in the stomach c. The differences of this disease consist first in the vitiousness of the blood which is caused through some distemper either of the whole body or some part thereof Sometimes the blood is affected by reason of some stoppage thereof and then the Flowers are suppressed which causeth pains in the Breast and strong beating of the Breast and if the woman begin to amend the Blood flows out with a stinking putrefaction which continues 'till the eighth day or it may be because the Blood is foul'd by the Womb being full of excrements and then you may perceive the signs of a foul Womb. Sometimes the difference of this disease consists in the mixture of the Blood with other vitious humors The Cure consists in preparation and evacuation but care must be had that because the thick humors need attenuation and that over attenuating things do melt the serous humor that you therefore do not use over attenuating things as Vinegar c. Another difference is when the Flowers decline to a whitish colour which ' proceeds from abundance of Flegm or from Putrefaction and then Ulcers follow in the Womb and barrenness follows unless the womans Flowers do happen to flow for seven or eight days together by which the woman is freed from the disease or else they break out to the parts above the groin without any tumor and burst forth a little above the Hypochondrium and then the woman seldom lives or else there will appear after some few days a great swelling in the Groyn without a head of a red colour because the Flesh is there filled up with the Blood When it inclines to yellowness or greenness the distemper comes of Choler when to a blackness and blewness from Melancholy Of the inordinate Flux of the Flowers THE disorderly Flux of the Courses is either the coming of them down before their time or else the stoppage of them for some time after the usual course of Nature They come down sometimes before their time partly by reason of internal Causes and partly by reason of external Causes as falls blows and such like casualties that open the veins Or from the expulsive faculty of the Womb too much provoked First by the plenty of blood which is known by this that the blood which is sent to the womb from all part is fluid and of its natural constitution signs of a Plethora or fulness of blood are apparent in the Woman It is Cured by blood letting if the blood abound by good diet and frequent though gentle exercise Secondly it proceeds from the Acrimony and sharpness of
have happened when the Egg being received out of the stone into it has been stopt in its passage to the womb either from its own bigness or some obstruction in the tube The substance of the tubes is not nervous as Fallopius affirms but membranous for they consist of two membranes the outer and inner the inner springs from or at least is common with that which covers the inner substance of the womb But whereas it is smooth in the womb it is very wrinkled in the tubes the outer is common with the outmost of the womb and this is smooth The capacity of these passages varies very much for in the beginning as it goes out of the womb it only admits a bristle but in his progress where it is most capacious it will receive ones little finger but in the extremity where it is jagged it is but about a quarter so wide their length also is very uncertain for they sometimes increase from four or five to eight or nine fingers breadth long Their use is in a fruitful Copulation to grant a passage to the finer part of the man's Seed or of a seminal fume towards the stones to bedew the Eggs contained in them which Eggs one or more being thereby ripened and dropping off from the stone are received by the extremity of the tubes and carried along their inner cavity to the womb Two objections may be made against this use First That the end of the tube not sticking close to the stone when one of the Eggs drops from the stone it would more probably fall into the cavity of the belly than light just pat in the mouth of the tube Secondly when it is received by it its passage is so narnow that it is hard to imagin how it can pass by it But as to the first the same objection may lye against the use of the oviduct in Hens for in them it does not join quite close to the Ovarium and yet it is certain that the rudiments of the Eggs do all pass by them to the womb Moreover it is probable that when all the other parts of the Genitals are turgid in the act of Copulation these tubes also may be in some measure erected and extend their open mouth to the stones to impregnate the Eggs with the seminal fume thro' their passage and if any one be ripened and separate to receive it afterwards by its orifice As to the second objection against the narrowness of these tubes he that considers the straightness of the inner orifice of the womb both in maids and in women with Child yet observes to dilate so much upon occasion as to grant a passage to the Child out of the womb cannot wonder that to serve a necessary end of Nature the small passages of the tubes should be so far stretched as to make way for an Egg seeing its proportion to their passage is much less than of the Child to the usual largeness of the said orifice CHAP. X. Of the Actions and Uses of the Genital parts in Women IN the privie part are seen the Pubes the mountains of Venus the two lips the orifice under which the two wings lye hid the little knobs of flesh resembling Myrtle-berries the passages of the Urine and the Clytoris As for the Pubes and the Mountains of Venus they serve for this use that the great Orifice might be the better shut and to avoid compression in copulation for which cause they are beset with hair and are covered with a hard kind of fat the great Orifice receives the Yard and gives passage to the Urâ—ne and the birth The use of these Wings or knobs of flesh like myrtle-berries are for the defence of the internal parts shutting the Orifice of the neck lest cold air dust or any other annoyances should hurt it from without and while they swell up they cause titillation and desire in those parts Lastly the passages of the Urine being shut up by the knobs of flesh resembling myrtle-berries hinders the unvoluntary passage of the Urine CHAP. XI Of the Action of the Clytoris THE action of the Clytoris is like that of the Yard which is erection which erection is for the motion and attraction of the Seed CHAP. XII Of the action and use of the Neck of the Womb. THE action of the neck of the Womb is the same with that of the Yard that is to say Erection which is occasioned divers ways First all this passage is erected and made streight for the better conveyance of the Yard to the Womb Then while the whole passage is erected it is repleted with spirit and vital blood whereby it becomes narrower for the more streight embracing of the Yard The causes of this erection are first because if the womb were not erected the Yard could not have a convenient passage into the womb secondly it would hinder convenient affrication without which the Seed could not be drawn forth Lastly it hinders any hurt or damage which might be done by the violent force of the Yard CHAP. XIII Of the uses of the vessels running through the neck of the Womb. FIRST it is required that there should be a concurrence of divers Veins and Arteries for the nourishment of that part and though that part it self being full of Membranes does not require much nourishment yet by reason that it is to suffer Erection that could not be done but by blood and spirits which are contained in these vessels Besides although the substance of this part be of a cold temperament being notwithstanding still heated by the act of Copulation that heat would soon consume a slender nourishment which nature hath supplied by the concourse of these Vessels Another cause of the plenty of these veins is nourishment of the Birth and the exclusion of flowers CHAP. XIV Of the actions of the Womb. THE first use of the Womb is to attract the Seed by a familiar sympathy just as the Second use is to retain it which is properly called Conception The third is to cherish the Seed thus attracted to alter it and change into the Birth by raising up that power which before lay sleeping in the Seed and to reduce it from power into act The fourth action of the Womb is to send forth the birth at the time prefixed the apt time of expulsion is when the expulsive faculty begins to be affected with some sense of trouble that is when the Birth afflicts and oppresses the Womb with its own weight Besides these uses it hath these moreover To nourish the Birth and to dilate it self which it doth by the help of Veins and Arteries which do fill more and more with matter as nature requires The chiefest action of the Womb and most proper to it is the retention of the Seed without which nothing of other actions could be performed for the Generation of man CHAP. XV. Of the Utility of the Womb. FIRST it is the most fit place for Copulation as being in
evacuation downward is apt to occasion miscarriage The Womans mind ought to be kept sedate and quiet all melancholly news and frightful objects must be removed far from her nor must any thing that may cause sorrow be suddenly told her She must moderate her passions and excessive anger must by all means be avoided for the passions do wonderfully affect the Child and often cause miscarraige some have been born dumb others have had a continual shaking of their Limbs and the like when the Mother has been suddenly and violently surprized or frighted wherefore it is best to be discoursing of such things before big-bellied Women as may moderately rejoyce them and that such objects be presented as may please and divert them and if it be absolutely necessary to acquaint them with sorrowful things great care and caution must be used and the misery must be discovered piece-meal Some Women are so very vain that they will lace themselves hard with Bodice stifned with Whale-bone to preserve their shapes forsooth but they do not consider what injury they do themselves for their Breasts being prest too much are apt to be inflamed and impostumated and the growth of the Child is hindered and the Limbs of it too often disfigured thereby and sometimes miscarriage happens They ought therefore at this time to have their Cloaths more loose and easie Some Women have also a custom to bleed once or twice when they are with Child tho' they have no need of it but this is certainly an errour for Women with Child ought not to bleed but upon necessity some having miscarried by bleeding but once a little too much blood being taken away tho' others I confess having blouded nine or ten times whilst they were with Child and yet have not miscarried Now seeing all are not of the same constitution they must not be all treated alike Those that have most blood can best bear bleeding If Purging be thought necessary gentle things must be only used as Manna Rhubarb or the like Women with Child are subject to many accidents the first is Vomiting whereby they often judge they are breeding it is not always occasioned by ill humours in the stomach but sometimes from a sympathy betwixt the Stomach and the Womb by the nerves inserted in the upper Orifice of the Stomach which have communication by continuity with those that pass to the Womb. Now the Womb which has a very exquisite Sense because of its membranous composition beginning to wax bigger feels some pain which being at the same time communicated by this continuity of nerves to the upper Orifice of the Stomach cause there these Vomitings for Women that were in good health before they conceived Vomit from the first day of their being with Child tho' they have no ill humours in their Stomach If the Vomiting continues a long while it weakens the Stomach very much and hinders digestion tho' it oftentimes continues till the Women are quick and then they recover their Appetite but in some it does not go off till they are delivered and some are most afflicted with it towards the end of their reckoning and this sort seldom ceases before they are brought to Bed Vomiting at the beginning if it be gentle and without great straining is not much minded and sometimes it is beneficial but if it continue after the third or fourth Month it ought to be remedied because the nourishment being daily Vomited up the Mother and the Child will be much weakened and moreover the continual subversion of the Stomach causing great agitation and compression the Belly occasions miscarriage It is very difficult to prevent wholly this Vomiting yet it may be much lessened by a good Diet and by eating little at a time and to strengthen the Stomach let her eat her meat with the juice of Oranges or the like Marmalade of Quinces is also very good being eaten after dinner or after meals and she ought to drink Claret-wine with water and it is convenient to quench Iron in her drink She must forbear fat Meats and Sauces for they much soften the membranes of the Stomach which were too weak and relaxed Sweet and Sugar Sauces are also injurious But if the vomiting continue tho' regular diet has bin used the corrupt humours must be purged off by stool by some gentle purge made of Mallows Cassia Rhubarb and the like but if the vomiting continues tho' the woman observes a good diet and tho she has bin purged we must do no more for there is great danger of miscarriage There are sometimes great pains in the back reins and hips especially the first time the woman is with child by reason of the dilatation of the womb and the compression it makes by its greatness and weight on the neighbouring parts The ligaments as well round as large cause these pains being much straightened and drawn by the bigness and weight of the womb namely the large one of the back and loins which answer to the reins because these two ligaments are strongly fastned towards these parts the round ones cause pains in the groins and thighs where they end they are some times so violently extended by this extream bigness and great weight of the womb that they are torn especially if the woman happen to stumble which causeth violent pain and much mischief A woman being six Months gone with Child upon stumbling felt something crack in her belly near the loins and she presently felt great pain in her back and in one side of her belly she vomited violently and the next day was seized with a continual Fever this lasted seven or eight days without sleeping or resting an hour and all the while she vomited up all she took and she was also very much troubled with Hicoughs and had great pains like those of labour But by keeping her bed twelve days and by bleeding in her arm thrice and by the use of a grain of laudanum divers times and by corroborating cordials she was somewhat eased and all the symptoms went off by little and little and she went her full time and indeed there is nothing that will mitigate the pains of the back and reins better than rest in bed and bleeding in the Arm especially if they were occasioned by the ligaments broke or two much extended it may be convenient to keep up the belly with a broad swaith if the Woman cannot keep her Bed Oftentimes when a Woman has conceived the courses being stopt a great quantity of blood flows to the Breasts which makes them swell and be painful therefore to prevent inflammations Women ought to take great care that they are not strait-laced so as to compress the breasts and this is all that needs to be done at the beginning only she must be sure that she receives no blows upon them but it 's better to bleed in the Arm after the third or fourth Month if a great deal of blood flow to the Breasts then to endeavour to repel
upon them and upon those another handful of Herbs covering the platter with a close cloth that the woman may receive the smoak this is a remedy which hath been much approved and experimented To remedy the fall of the Fundament in Infants TAke of the green shrub whereof they make â—rooms and cut it small and lay it upon the Coals and set the Child over the smoak thereof and it will certainly cure it Of the diseases of Women and first of the inflammation of the breast THe Inflammation of the Breasts is a hard swelling together with a beating pain redness and shooting The chief cause of this is the abundance of blood drawn up together in that place though there be sometime other causes also as the suppression of the courses the Haemorrhoids or a blow received upon the Breasts The signs of it are easie to be known that is to say a certain redness and burning heat oft-times joined with a Fever For the cure of this there are four sorts of remedies First the order of diet which must be comforting and moistning as Broth of Pullets where Endive Borage Lettice and Purslain may be boyled also she may drink the Juyce of Pomgranates or Barley water with Anniseeds boyled in it the use of Wine and all sorts of Spices are very dangerous and if the Woman go not freely to the stool there is nothing better than a Lenitive Clysteâ— she may sleep much and must not disturb her self with any passion The next way of Remedy is by diverting the humours which is done by frictions letting blood in the foot scarrification of the legs or veficatories applied to those places especially if the flowers are stopped or ready to come down if not it will be expedient to open a vein in the arm You may also prepare the humour to void it out of the place affected by opening either the middle vein or the Basilic or the Vena Saphena which may be done two or three times as occasion serves after blood-letting purge but let this be done with gentle Medicines such are Cassia Manna Tamarind Syrup of Roses or Violets Solutive having a little before used certain Syrups which may asswage and temper the humours Take syrup of Roses and Purslain of each one ounce Endive water and Plantain-water of each an ounce give this to the Patient neither will it be amiss to give her Syrup of Succory or Endive or such like for these Syrups have a cooling and refreshing faculty especially being mingled with Plantain or Endive-water or such like or the decoction of the said Herbs now when the humour is thus prepared you may give her some gentle Purges As for Example take of the pulp of Cassia and Tamarinds of each six drams of this make a little Bolus with some Sugar and give it to the Patient or with this Potion Take of the Leaves of Italian Orach three drams of Aniseed one scruple infuse these into four ounces of the foresaid waters Into this being strained infuse an ounce of Cassia and into the streining of this dissolve an ounce of Solutive Syrup of Roses of this make a Potion and give it The fourth way of cure consists in Topicks such as may drive back and repress the humour though care must be had that they be not over-strong lest you thereby do cool the heart too much and thereupon drive the humour upon the heart it self And therefore temperate Medicines are chiefly to be chosen and such especially as are to digest and dissolve the humour Wherefore it shall not be amiss to apply a linnen cloth dipt in white strong vinegar and a little cold water which must be applied to the Breasts and often changed Or else you may dip linnen cloaths also in a decoction of Camomile-flowers and Violet-flowers with a small quantity of Oyl of Roses and a drop of vinegar or two or you may use this Fomentation Take of the juyce of Night-shade and Oyl of Roses of each an ounce and a half of the decoction of Fenugreek Camomile and Line-seed two ounces vinegar one ounce This Medicine you may use by dipping a spunge therein and so washing and fomenting the Breast therewith Or you may apply this Cataplasm take of the leaves of Night-shade and Mellilot half a handful of each let them be boyled and extracted through a course cloth then add to them Bean-meal two ounces Oxymel and Oyl of sweet Almonds of each one ounce of this make a Cataplasm and apply it If the Disease be be more prevalent you must use more forcible Remedies and among the rest this Fomentation Take of the leaves of Mallows Violets Dill of each one handful flowers of Camomile and Mellilot of each a small handful and a half boyl these together adding to them a little Wine and Oyl of Dill or Mustard first let the Breast be fomented with this and afterwards with an Oyntment composed of equal parts of new butter Oyl of Violets and Hens fat But if these things avail not to dissipate the humour you must observe whether the inflammation tend either to a suppuration or induration If you find that it tends to a hardness you must try all means to hinder it by the way of mollifying Plaisters among which this is not a little experimented Take the Marrow of a Calves leg two ounces Sheeps-grease one ounce Saffron four Scruples Cumin-seed bruised two Scruples mingle all these and make a Plaister If the inflammation doth not harden but doth altogether tend to a suppuration which may be known by these signs that is to say the increasing of the tumour the beating and excessive heat and pain which rages about those parts so vehemently that they do not admit them to be touched But now the suppuration is to be hastned with hot and moist Medicines which have an Emplastick faculty for which purpose this is much commended Take the leaves of Mallows one handful roots of Marsh-mallows one ounce boyl these together and when they are mashed draw them out and add to them Bean-meal and Fenugreek of each one ounce the whites of two Eggs Myrrh and Assa faetida of each one dram Saffron one scruple mingle all these together and make a Cataplasm for your use to this you may either add Capons-grease Hogs-grease or fresh butter If these Remedies do not suddenly bring the inflammation to a suppuration you must then take of the shels of Snails bruised and lay them upon the Cataplasm in such a manner that the Snail-shells may come to touch that part of the tumour which is most elevated and pointed whence it appears that the matter will first issue if these Remedies avail not it will be necessary to open the said Aposthume with a Lancet and this must be done when you are sure that the matter is ready to come forth which may be known by these signs when the beating ceases when the Fever the pain and the Heat of the part do begin to diminish when you perceive the
the hand to take away the root of the disease but this is not to be done 'till you have used all other means to soften and dispell the humour which may perhaps be done by the use of Diachylon or by a plaister of melilot to which you may add half an ounce of Ammoniach an ounce of Oly of Lillies and an ounce and an half of the root of Flower-deluce of Florence Neither may this following Plaister be amiss Take of the roots of Marsh-mallows two ounces boil them and strain them and add to that Oyl of Lillies Ganders-grease of each an ounce burnt Lead and roots of Orrice of each an ounce and an half mingle all these together and make of them an Emplaister If this avail not the operation of the Hand must be used in which the skill of the Surgeon must be very able and ready Of the Scirrhus of the Breasts THE Scirrhus of the Breasts is a hard swelling without pain Of this there are two kinds the one ingendred of a Melancholy and produced by a feculent and gross blood or else from a thick Flegm now this exquisite Scirrhus is without pain in which it differs from the other The other is not so exquisite an hardness perhaps because it is not yet come to its full maturity or else because it hath certain other humours mixt with it This exquisite kind of Scirrhus is ingendred either because the Spleen is obstructed and cannot purge away the melancholy Blood which for that reason abounding in the Body discharges and empties it self upon the Breasts or by reason of the supression of the Courses which causes the feculent and gross humour to disgorge it self upon the Breast gathering together in the Veins and Flesh of the same Many times the ignorance of the Surgeon is the cause of it when they apply an unreasonable company of refrigerating Medicines to the inflammations of the Breast or too many resolving and heating Medicines to it in case the Breasts be over-hard This Scirrhus is known by its hardness without pain from the unevenness of the Body and the colour of the part either inclining to black or brown Now though the cure of these hardnesses be something difficult yet is there great hopes that they may be overcome which is to be done two ways by mollifying diligently that which is hard and by taking that away which remains hard and knotty in the Breast And first of all care is to be had to keep good order of diet to which purpose she must use Wheaten bread rear Eggs Pullets Capons Partridge Veal and Mutton which must be boiled with Spinage Bugloss and Borage she must abstain from Beef Venison Hares-flesh and Brawn from Pease and Beans and unlevened Bread from all Salt and Smoaked Meats as also from all things that have a sharp biting quality also she must abstain from all care and sadness immoderate exercise and going in the Winds If the monthly Courses be stopt you must seek to provoke them gently which may be done by letting Blood in the Foot or to let blood with Horse-leeches In the next place it will not be amiss to purge well with Sena and Rheubarb to which you may add Catholicon or Triphera Persica if you find that the Disease needs a more strong purgation Between every purge it will not be amiss to take good Cordial and Comfortable things as Confection of Alkermes Triasantalon Electuarium de gemmis conserve of the Roots of Borage Conserve of Orange-flowers You may after all this use Topicks that is to say such Medicines as heat and dry moderately being hot in the second degree and dry in the first such are Sheeps grease especially that greasie substance that grows upon the flank of a Sheep Wax Oyl of sweet Almonds Oyl of Camomile Oyl of Dill Capons-grease Goose-grease Hogs-grease Bears-grease c. Veal-marrow Deers-marrow Emulsions of Mallows Lillies and other things of more force As liquid-pitch Liquid Storax Galbanum Cummin-seed Rue-seed Broom-flowers and Dill-seed If this swelling come of a hard Flegm which is known because it yields not so much to the touch as the other you must use the same Topicks to this as to the watry tumour before rehearsed If melancholy be the cause of it you may use a Fomentation of the leaves of Mallows and Marsh-mallows of each a handful and a half of Fenugreek and Lineseed of each two drams Cucumbers Bears-foot of each two ounces boil them in as much water as is sufficient and Foment the breast with this twice or thrice a day After that take this Oyntment Take of the root of Mallows one ounce when it is boiled and bruised take it out and add to it Sheeps grease and Capons-grease of each two ounces and with a little Wax make an Ointment This you may use for some few days after which you may if need require use this Ointment Take Hysop-leaves Dill-leaves and Thyme-leaves of each half a handful roots of Mallows and Fenugreek-seed of each half an ounce boil them in as much Wine and Vinegar as is sufficient 'till half be boiled away then take of the aforesaid Vinegar Goose-grease Ducks-grease and the marrow of the leg of a Hart of each two ounces boil it to the Consumption of half the Vinegar You may add to this two drams of Diachylon and make it into the form of a Plaister You may also use for this purpose plaisters of Melilot or Oxycroceum At length if all remedies fail the operation of the hand must be the last succour which we leave to the Surgeon In the Cure of a Scirrhus three intentions are required the first is the regulation of Diet and manner of living the second is the preparing and evacuating the antecedent or peccant Humour the third is the application of external Medicines in order to the first the Air ought to be clear and temperately hot and moist their Food such as may breed good blood as new laid Eggs Chicken Pullets Mutton Veal Lamb Kid and these boyled with Spinage Borrage Endive Succory Lettice Sorrel and the like their Bread ought to be of good Wheat and well baked their Drink a well boiâ—ed small Ale or small white Wine Rhenish or the like their exercise and sleep must be moderate their minds must be chearful and their bodies soluble by Glisters or otherwise The second intention is the evacuation of the Humour which abounds in the Body whether flegm or Melancholy be the cause of the Scirrhus or whether it proceeds from obstructions of the Courses or a suppression of the Hemorrhoids if from any of these causes blood abounds and be feculent bleeding is allowed but if Bloud do not abound forbear bleeding and proceed in preparing and evacuating the humours the Antients used for preparatives the Syrrups of the juice of Borrage Bugloss of Hops of Apples and the Bizantine Syrup and the like and also the destill'd waters of the same Plants or Whey The following are also used Gerion's decoction of
within side with Oil of Henbane-seed Of the defect abundance and coagulation of the Milk THE defect of Milk arises from a double cause for either it is a defect in the blood which is dried up by reason of some hot maladies of the body either through intemperancy of the Liver through fasting or too much evacuation If the deficiency of milk come from these causes it may be increased again either by prepared Crystal The leaves also root and seed of Fennel do avail much in this particular and the powder of Earth-Worms prepared and drunk in Wine as also the Electuary called Electuarium Zacuthi There is another cause which proceeds from the Lactifying quality which is many times so weak that it can neither attract nor concoct the Blood by reason of some outward refrigerating and astringent qualities or by reason of some other Diseases The Cure of which being looked after in their respective places much conduceth to the restoring of that defect The redundance of milk proceeds from too great a plenty of blood and a strong lactifying quality In the cure of which the increase of blood is to be impeded which is done by drying up that humour and diversion to which blood-letting conduceth much Medicines also that drive it back are to be put upon the Breasts towards the Arms to which purpose Hemlock boiled in Chervil-water and Vinegar avails Curdling of the milk is when the thinner part of the milk exhales and the more gross and heavy part stays behind which many times is the cause of tumours kernels and Aposthumes In this case the Infant is not to suck the part affected though that Breast is also to be suckt for fear lest the milk which is newly generated should be curdled and knotted by that which is there already and so that part of the coagulated milk may be hindred from putrifying To the dissolving of the Milk it much conduceth to wash the Breast with Water Wine and Vinegar mixt together as also a Fomentation made of the decoction of Marsh-mallows Fenugreek and Melilote and then anointing them with a liniment of Oil of Roses Oil of sweet Almonds juice of Parsley and Vinegar wherein let the Gall of a Hare be first dissolved Hemlock water in this case also is not a little commended Of the Diseases of the neck of the Womb and first of the Disease called Tentigo TENTIGO is a Disease in Women when the Clitoris increases to an over great measure the subject of this Disease is the Clytoris or nervous piece of flesh which the lips or wings of the privities do embrace and which suffers erection in the act of Venery The signs of it are evident for it hangs below the orifice of the Privities as big as the neck of a Goose The causes hereof are a great concourse of Humours or nutriment by reason of the laxity of it which happens by often handling The Cure is performed by the diminution of the blood and drawing out of the other humours A slender and refrigerating diet is also necessary and such things as have a discussive faculty as the leaves of Mastick-tree and the leaves of Olive-tree In the next place by taking away the excrescence to which purpose gentle Causticks may be first applied as Allum and the Aegyptiack Ointment and that Lie whereof Sope is made being boiled with Roman Vitriol to which at last you may add some Opium and form the composition into Trochisques which being afterwards made into a powder is to be sprinkled upon the fleshy excrescence At length the flesh is to be out away either by binding hard or by section care being taken that you avoid an inflammation There is another Disease which is called Cauda which is a carnous substance proceeding from the mouth of the Womb which sometimes fills up the privy parts and sometimes thrusts it self outwards like a tail The Cure of this is the same with the former only if it come to Section it may be done either with a Horse-hair or a silken thread wound about it being first dipt in Sublimat water or else with a Knife Of the narrowness of the neck of the Womb. THIS narrowness is either of the Womb it self or of the Orifice of the Womb the signs are the stoppage of the Courses followed with a depressing and weighty pain The cause is partly natural from the Nativity and partly varies according to the differences of the Disease The difference is in this it hapning sometimes that this streightness consists in the exterior orifice whereby neither the Flowers have free passage neither can she enjoy coition or conceive with Child because she cannot receive either the Man or the Seed Sometimes the narrowness is in the interior orifice of the Womb into which the flowing retires back again to the absolute hindrance of Conception sometimes it is occasioned by way of compression when the Caul being fatter than ordinary lies upon the neck of the Womb. Sometimes the splaying of the thighs stone in the Bladder or some tumour in the straight gut Sometimes it happens by the clinging of other parts together which happens either from the Birth and then either the Flesh which appears red and is soft to the touch intercepts the passage or else the Membrane which seems white feels hard being touched In the Cure of this the use of moist Fomentations is very prevalent and an insection is to be made perpendicularly great care being taken for fear of hurting the neck of the Bladder The Humour is next to be provoked forth and a Tent dipt in some suppurating Plaister is to be put up the next day it is to be washed with water and Honey and cicatrizing Plaisters to be applied if it come after the Birth it is either occasionâ—d by an Ulcer and then either the sides of the neck cling together in which case either incision or cauterization is to be used or else there is a brawny substance which is to be cut away with a Pen-knife or else some spongy and luxuriant flesh in which case drying and dâ—â—cuâ—â—ng Medicines â—re to be used as Birthwort Frankincensâ— Myrrh and Mastick afterwards you may apply things to eat it away and last of all to cut it away by incision Of Wheals Condyloma's of the Womb and of the Hemorrhoids THE Wheals of the Womb are certain risings in the neck of the womb which by their acrimony excite both pain and itching The signs of them are an itching pain and full of scurf from that part for the better searching of which the Instrument called speculum Matricis is to be used The Causes of this are certain cholerick sharp and adust humours and thick Among the preparing Medicines Syrup of Fumitory is much commended and Chichory with a decoction of Lupines Topicks also are useful that discuss and mitigate the humour as Baths and insessions and the washing of the place with Wine and Nitre which is often to be used These Wheals are divided into gentle and
out of the Womb and the pain is fixed chiefly about the orifice of the Womb the right Gut and the Bladder being affected by reason of the continual desire of expelling forth the humor In the Cure first you must seek to dissolve the clotted blood which is done by the use of Treacle dissolved in wine and then to evacuate which is performed with Agaric Aloes with the juice of Savin decoction of Rosemary with the Flowers of Cheiri in Wine Sometimes it is caused by the menstruous blood when the vessels are more open or the blood too thick which happens through the over-much use of cold drink especially when the woman is hot The cure may be found in the cure of the suppression of the Flowers Sometimes it is caused by other vitious humours collected in the concavity of the womb or adhering to the other Vessels and then these humours are to be removed with purging and evacuating Medicines Sometimes windy vapours are the cause hereof arising from the heat of the vitious humors caused by copulation It is cured by things that discuss the wind to which purpose it may not be amiss to use a Clyster made of Malmsey and Oyl of Nuts of each three ounces of Aqua vitae one ounce of Oyl of Juniper and distilled Rue of each two drams and applied warm or a mixture of spirit of wine and spirit of Nitre of each half a dram or two scruples exhibited in the spirit of Wine Sperma ceti with Oyl of sweet Almonds or a Plaister of Caranna and Tachamahacca applied to the Navel Sometimes it is occasioned by the retention and corruption of the seed For the Cure look the Chapter of the suffocation of the Matrix Of the Suppression of the Flowers THE suppression of the Flowers is the retention of the menstrual blood either by reason of the narrowness of the vessels or through some corruption of the blood The signs are evident from the relation of the Woman Yet if they are loth to confess it may be discerned by this for in Virgins the suppressed blood wanders up and down the Veins and begets obstructions changing the colour of the Body and causing Fevers In Women because the blood is carried down to the Womb where it begets many diseases it is distinguished from retention after Conception because women with Child find no alteration of affections of the mind and retain the native colour of their bodies and in the third month they shall perceive the motion and situation of the Infant and lastly the mouth of the womb is closed up The Causes of this distemper are the narrowness of the Veins and the vitiousness of the blood The Cure of this must be hastened because this suppression if it stay long begets many more diseases as Fevers Dropsies Vomiting of blood and the like The Cure is hard if it be of any continuance and if it stay beyond the sixth month it is almost incurable especially if it happen through any perversion of the neck of the Womb for then the woman is troubled with often swooning and vomiting of blood and a pain seizes the parts of the Belly the Back and the Back-bone which is attended with a Fever and the excrements of the Belly and Bladder are suppressed a weariness possesses the whole Body because of the diffusion of the retained blood through the whole body and especially the hips and thighs because of the sympathy of those parts with the veins of the Womb. In the first place the letting of blood is commended for the blood which every month stays in the body and sticks in the Veins is to be provoked downward to the Womb and therefore a vein is to be opened in the heel for so the plenty of blood is diminished and the motion of the blood is made toward the Womb if necessity requires that it should be done more than once one day a vein must be opened in one thigh and another day in the other and that which is opened for evacuation must be first opened that which is opened in the ham or heel must be done after Purgation three or four or five days before the time that the accustomed evacuations of the Woman ought to come down Cupping-glasses also are to be applied first to the more remote places as to the thighs and then to the nearer parts as to the hips Ligatures or bindings and frictions at the time of the coming down of the Flowers after Purgation of the whole body are not to be omitted In the second place the matter is to be prepared for which purpose in bodies troubled with Flegm the decoction of Guaiacum with Cretan Dittany doth much avail without provoking sweat In the third place evacuation is to be made at several times Among evacuating Medicines are commended Agaric Aloes with the juice of Savin and these Pills Take Aloes Succotrine three drams the best Myrrh one scruple extract of sweet smelling Flag Carduus Saffron of each three drams Roots of Gentian and Dittany of each five grains make them up with Syrup of Laurel-berries taking the quantity of one scrupâ—e at evening before supper In the fourth place by opening obstructions by those things which provoke the Flowers of which these are most to be commended the decoction of Rosemary with Flowers of Cheiri Pennyroyal-water twice distilled and mingled with Cinnamon-water Extract of Zedoary Angelica and Castor and the Earth which is found in Iron Mines prepared in the same manner as Steel spirit of Tartar the fat of an Eel Colubrina with the distill'd water of Savin And in the fifth place by the discussion of the dregs and relicks that remain by sudoroficks or things that provoke sweat with a potion made of a Chalybeate decoction with spirit of Tartar c. The differences of this Disease arise partly from the obstruction of the Veins of the Womb caused by a cold and thick blood and thick slimy humours mixed with the blood and coming either from some hot distemper of the Womb which dissipates the sharp and subtil humours and leaves behind the gross and earthy parts or from the cold Constitution of the Liver and Spleen especially if at the time of the menstrual Flux at what time the Flux of Blood is more violent those subtil humours happen to be dissipated and then at the time of the monthly Purgation the Party affected feels a great pain in the loins and parts adjoining and if any thing come down it is slymy whitish and blackish The whole Body is possessed with a numness the Colour pale a slow Pulse and raw Urines The Cure is the same with the former great care being taken of a gross and ill diet There is another difference of this Disease when it happens by Compression which arises from external causes as the Northern wind and long standing in cold water which may be known from the relation of the sick Person The Blood in this case is to be drawn to the lower parts by
the blood which is known by the hot temper of the body the blood it self is more thin and yellowish It must be Cured by evacuating Medicines as Rheubarb and such things as temper the blood whereof we have already spoken It comes also when the retentive faculty of the womb grows lank which may be known by the looseness of the Vessels of the Womb besides a moist and faint habit of the body In the Cure beware of things which are too Astringent baths wherein the force and strength of Iron may be effectual may with safety be used The subsistence and stay of the Courses beyond the accustomed time proceeds from a frustration of the expulsive faculty as when there is small store of blood which is known by this that the Woman is not troubled with the stay of the Courses and especially if she have over-exercised her self or used a spare diet before Secondly the thickness of the blood which is known by the whiteness and clamminess thereof In the performance of the Cure you must purge before too much blood be gathered together Next the Courses are to be attenuated for the performance of which Calamint and Mercurialis are to be most commended In this Case scarification of the heels is not amiss There is another difference of this Disease which arises from the weakness of the expelling faculty caused either by the frigid distemper of the Womb of which we have spoken already or by a kind of numness thereof of which we shall speak anon Of the over abundance of the Courses THE over much flux of the Courses is either a more abundant or a more lasting Purgation of the Courses through some defect either in the blood or the womb or the veins of the womb The signs are evident viz. want of Appetite Crudities a bad colour in the face a swelling in the feet and the rest of the body a waxing lean of the body and in brief a general ill habit of body The Cure if it be of any continuance is difficult if it happen to an aged woman there is none at all It requires a revulsion or drawing back of the blood interception and incrassation or thickning thereof and a closing up of the Vessels by astringent Medicines Yet observe that they must be stopt by degrees To this effect you may take this Powder Take of the seed of White Henbane red Coral of each half a dram white Camphor half a scruple and give the quantity of half a dram at a time powder of Amber Dragons-blood Bloodstones Red Coral Lettice seed of each one dram Balaust two scruples Bole armoniack two drams given in three ounces of Plantain-water Asses milk heated with Steel You may externally also apply a girdle made of the bruised leaves of Bares-foot Of this Disease there are many differences Sometimes it happens from the blood which is derived from the bottom of the Womb where for the most part lies the blackest and most clotted blood or from the neck of the Womb which is more red and fluid Another difference ariseth from the plenty of blood which appears by this that the Vessels are either broken or much opened especially in those women who have had a stoppage in their Courses for a time which presently break out again The signs of this are evident that is to say a fulness of blood in the body besides that the blood which comes forth easily curdles In the Cure you must have recourse to blood-letting which if you do for evacuation it must be done in the Hepatick Vein If the woman be weak in Salvatella of both hands In the next place the use of Cupping-Glasses is to be commended being applied with scarification to the back c. Or without scarification to the Breast being used again when the woman is troubled with difficulty of breathing In the third place ligatures and frictions of the Arms are to be used Another difference of this disease arises from a sharp blood which is known by the gnawing of the humor upon the Vessels In the Cure you must purge with syrup of Roses solutive or with leaves of Sena a pessary of Sows dung and Asses dung which is made up with Plantain water and the muscilage of the seed of Quinces is here of use if need require Another difference arises from a serous and watry blood for either the Liver is weakned or the Veins so debilitated that it cannot attract the serous or wheyie humour in the blood in this case the blood flows not forth in such a quantity nor is easily curdled If a Cloth be dipped in it and then dried in the shade it presently discolours In the Cure hereof you must look to the rectifying of the weakness of the Reins and Liver with convenient remedies for which purpose the Livers of Foxes Calves Hens c. are very good Sometimes from a Rupture of the Veins which proceeds either from a fulness of blood or from Causes that do vehemently stir up the blood especially from hard labour if it be needful you must let blood and apply conglutinating Medicines Or from a gnawing of the Vessels which is known by this that sometimes there flows forth little blood and that purulent and full of the wheyie or serous humor It arises from a sharp and corrupt blood and sometimes from the use of sharp Medicines Among the astringent Medicines the root of Filipendula is much to be commended or a decoction of the same Root Of the Whites and Gonorrhea in Women THE Whites is an inordinate eruption of an excrementitious humour collected together through some vitiousness of the blood It affects Women chiefly and sometimes also Virgins of which there are Examples Yet it is more often in women especially if they be of a moist constitution and live an idle and delicate life eating such things as are cold and moist Old women also are affected herewith through the abundance of Flegm and the weakness of the concoctive faculty It differs from the Gonorrhea because in that the seminal matter is white and thicker and flows by long intervals and issues forth in a lesser quantity from a nocturnal pollution for that is joyned with venereal imaginations and only happens in the time of sleep It differs from the discolouring of the Flowers for they though not exactly do always observe their times of Flowing Besides they happen not to Women with Child or such whose Courses are stopped It differs from the putrid humour that issues from the Ulcers of the Womb because that is joyned with the signs of an Ulcer and the putrefaction is thicker and whiter if it be mattery it is coloured with blood and issues forth with pain The Cure of this must be hastned because in a short time it endangers the making of women barren causing them to be lean to fall into a Consumption Melancholy the Dropsie fall of the Womb Swoonings and Convulsions which is the cause that though it be not hard to be cured in
go before it is impregnated with saline particles whereby the Citron colour is to be imparted to it whereof we have daily experiment in those that drink much especially of thin and attenuating Liquors for then their Urine is very clear in which case the blood being over-power'd by that quantity of serum and being wholly unable to retain it puts it off quite clear not yet died by the juice of the Body by reason of its too short stay As to the Cold by which the external parts are so often chilled it is very manifest that that happens because the Spirits forsaking their stations too officiously intrude themselves into this or that part Nor is it to be doubted that weeping and laughing fits which often seise hysterical women without any occasion are procured by the Animal Spirits forcing themselves violently upon the Organs that perform these Animal functions And now I suppose it is manifest that this whole Disease is occasioned by the Animal Spirits being not rightly disposed and not by seed and menstruous blood corrupted and sending up malignant Vapours to the parts affected nor from I know not what depravation of the juices and congestion of acrid humors as others think but from those Causes we have assignâ—d for that the fomes of the Disease does not lurk in matter will plainly appear by this one instance viz. A Woman that used to enjoy perfect health being delicate and of a thin habit of body if she chance to be weakned and exhausted by some error or by some strong Vomit or Purge will certainly be afflicted with some one of those Symptoms that accompany this Disease which would rather be removed than occasioned by such Vomiting or Purging if the fomes of the Disease was contained in matter The same may be said of a great loss of blood whether it is taken away by opening a vein or flows immoderately in Labour or of emptiness or too long abstinence from Flesh all which would rather prevent hysteric Diseases than occasion them if the fomes of them was involved in some matter whereas on the contrary nothing does so constantly occasion this Disease as these evacuations But tho' it is apparent enough that the Original fomes of this Disease is not lodged in the humors yet it must be confessed that the confusion of the Spirits produces putrid humors in the Body by reason the function as well of these parts which are distended by the violent impulse of the Spirits as of those which are deprived of them are wholly perverted and most of these being as it were separatory Organs designed for the reception of the impurities of the blood if their functions are any way hurt it can not be but a great many feculencies will be heaped up which had been elimmated and so the mass of blood purified if the Organs had performed their office which they had certainly done if a due Oeconomy of the Spirits had invigorated them To this Cause is to be attributed great Cachexies loss of appetite a Chlorosis and the White Fever in young Women which is a species of hysteric Diseases and the source of many miseries From what has been said it is very manifest that that is the chief indication in this Disease which directs the corroboration of the blood that is the Fountain and Origin of the Spirits which being done the invigorated Spirits can preserve that tenure that is agreeable to the Oeconomy of the whole body and the particular parts and therefore when the confusion of the Spirits has vitiated the humors by long continuance it will be proper first to lessen those humors so corrupted by bleeding and purging if the Patient has sufficient strength before we endeavour to corroberate the blood and which indeed we can scarce do whilst a feculent heap of humors lies in the way But forasmuch as Pains Vomiting and Looseness are sometimes so very severe that they will not bear a truce so long until we have satisfied the first intention of fortifying the blood therefore sometimes we must begin the Cure by quieting the effects the cause being let alone a little while with some anodyne Medicine and then we must endeavour to rectifie the Spirits whose infirm constitution is the cause of this Disease by which we may again endeavour to Cure such kind of Symptoms And because experience teaches that there are many stinking things that will repell the inordination of the Spirits and contain them in their places which are therefore call'd hysterics we must make use of them when we would answer such intentions According to what has been said I order the Sick to be blooded in the arm and that after bleeding she be purged three or four Mornings following The Woman thinks her self worse of those days she is blooded and purged for these evacuations promote the confusion of the Spirits which I take care to forewarn her of that she may not despair the Disease of it self being apt to incline her so to do But however those ill humours heapt up by the long continuance of the Disease are in some sort to be evacuated before we can well answer the prime intention After these evacuations some steel Remedy must be prescribed to be taken about a Month to comfort the blood and so consequently the Spirits that proceed from it and nothing will more certainly answer your intention in this case than steel for it raises a volatile ferment in the vapid and languid blood whereby the weak Spirits are roused that before were kept down by their own weight and this is very manifest for as often as Chalybeats are given in the Green Sickness the Pulse are presently greater and quicker and the outward parts grow warm and the pale and dead Countenance is changed and becomes fresh and lively But here we must take notice that bleeding and purging must not always be used before Chalibeats or when the Woman is weak and almost worn out by the long continuance of the Disease they may and ought to be omitted and you must begin with steel which must be well minded I think steel is most conveniently given in substance and as I never observed nor heard that so taken it ever injur'd any person so I have been fully satisfied by frequent experience that the bare substance performs the Cure sooner and better than any of the common Preparations of it for busie Chymists make this as well as other excellent Medicines worse rather than better by their perverse and over-officious diligence I have also heard and if it be true it much strengthens our assertion that the crude Mine as it is digg'd out of the Earth is more effectual in curing Diseases than Iron that has pass'd the Fire and bin purified by fusion So the Author affirms but I have not yet try'd whether it be so or not This I certainly know that there is no excellent and powerful Remedy which has not received its chief Vertues from Nature Upon which account grateful Antiquity
for them to hang by on both sides one in form oblong and slender These Muscels derive their original from a thick membrane which is joyned to the Hanchbone in the further part of that region where the hair grows and is fastned to this bone with certain fleshy and straight fibres where the oblique Muscles of the Abdomen or Midriff end thence reaching down upon the superiour Members of the Testicles they are extended through the whole length of that round Body These Muscles are never seen in Women being altogether useless because their Stones are not pendent but are inclosed within their bodies CHAP. VII Of the substance and temper of the Stones THE substance of the Stones is glandulous or kernelly white soft loose spongy and hollow having sundry vessels dispersed thorow them Now although the substance of the Testicles be most soft and moist yet doth not this moistness constitute an uniform or homogeneal body for the substance of the Stones is wholly dissimilar and full of fibres These fibres also seem to be of a different substance from that of the Stones being only cloathed with the flesh of the Stones as the fibres of the Muscles are inwardly nervous but covered over with the flesh of the Muscles These fibres again differ in this that the fibres of the Testicles are hollow but the fibres of the Stones full and substantial These fibres are said to come from the spermatic vessels and thence branch themselves forth thorow the Testicles by which that part of the Seed which is over and above what serves for the nourishment of the Testicles is drawn forth and kept for procreation As concerning the temper of the Stones they would sooner be thought cold than hot if that Maxim were true that All white things are cold and all red things hot Notwithstanding because nature is known to abhor all coldness in the work of generation Therefore we must presume to affirm the temper of the Stones to be hot for they always abound with blood and a pure spirit that can never be without heat besides that heat is requir'd for the concoction of this blood and the changing it into seed yet it is very temperate as appears by the softness of the substance for as coldness and driness is the cause of hardness so heat and moisture is the cause of softness Nevertheless we are to understand this that the temper of the Stones are not alike in all for in some they are far colder than in others And therefore those who have hot Testicles are more salacious and prone to venereal actions having the places near about much more hairy and their Testicles much harder than others Those that have their Testicles cold find every thing contrary The greatest heat is in the right Testicle because it receives more pure and hotter blood from the hollow Vein and the great Artery the left colder because it receives a more impure and serous blood from the Emulgent Vein CHAP. VIII Of the Actions of the Testicles THE action and use of the Testicles is To generate Seed a gift which they obtain from an inbred quality which Nature hath bestowed upon them For the blood being received by the spermatic Vessels and there beginning to change its colour is by and by received by the deferent Vessels or the vessels which carry the blood so prepared to the Testicles where it is for a while contained and afterwards being carried to the Stones is by them made Seed and the last work perfected And it may with more easiness be affirmed that the Seed is generated by the Stones because every like is said to generate its like now the substance of the Testicles is very like the Seed it self that is white moist and viscous Whether the Stones are the only efficient cause of the Seed is not here to be disputed being only a nice point and no way profitable We shall rather with silence adhere to that opinion which affirms the function of the Testicles to be the generation of the Seed which is most likely and proceed to the next CHAP. IX Concerning the Utility of the Testicles and their parts THE structure of the Testicles being thus known it remains that we shew you their use This is first discovered from their situation For of those Creatures that have Stones some have them in their bodies as all Fowl others have them without though not pendent others have them hanging downward as men Men therefore have their Testicles without their bodies for two causes first because it is required that the Testicles of the Male should be bigger and hotter than those of the Female so that it were impossible for them to be contained within the body because of their quantity Besides the Seed of the Male being the effective original of the Creature and therefore hottest it is also required that the Seed should be more abundant than could be contained in the Testicles were they placed within the body for the seminary passages must have been less and the veins themselves would not have afforded such plenty of matter as now they do The motion of the Testicles is also to be considered by which they move sometimes upward and sometimes downward The one of these motions which is made upward is voluntary as being made by the Muscles but the motion downward is a forced motion not hapning without the laxity of the Muscles the Testicles through their own weight falling downwards These Muscles are called Cremasters their use being to draw up the Testicles to shorten the way of the Ejaculation of the Seed as also to keep the vessels from being distended too far by the weight of the Testicles The use of the Tunicles is now to be spoken of and first of that which is outermost and is called by the Latins Scrotum being the purse wherein the Testicles are contained It is made to wrinkle it self up and to let it self loose that it may be large enough for the Testicles when they swell with plenty of Seed and to wrinkle up again when the Testicles being emptied and so becoming less are drawn upward The other Coats or Tunicles are also made for the defence of the Stones but so thin and light that they should not oppress the Stones with their weight that which is called Erythroides hath many veins for the nourishment of the adjacent parts The Epididymis was made to wrap the Testicle round about lest the Humid matter of the Testicle should flow about and consequently be wasted CHAP. X. Of the Vessels that cast forth their Seed THat passage which comes from the head of the Testicles to the root of the Yard is called the Ejaculatory Vessel This as I said before rises from the head of the Testicles and joyning downward to the Testicle descends to the bottom and thence being reflected again and annext to the preparing Vessel it returns again to the head of the Testicle from thence it proceeds upward from the Testicles till it
far as the privities themselves and that chiefly for sense and pleasure for which cause there is a great sympathy between the Womb and the Head This is also further to be noted that the Womb in its situation is not fixed and immoveable but moveable by reason of two ligaments which hang on both sides from the Share-bone and piercing through the Peritonaeum are joined to the bone it self so that it sometimes happens that through those holes of the Peritonaeum which give passage to these ligaments being loosened either the Omentum or the Entrails do swell outwardly and cause the burstness either of the Caul or of the Guts and sometimes it happens by reason of the looseness of those ligaments that the womb is moved with such force that it falls down and in the act of Copulation is moved up and down sometimes it moves upward that some Women do affirm that it ascends as high as their Stomack Now though the Womb be one continued body yet it is divided into the Mouth and the Bottom The Bottom of the Womb is called all that which by still ascending stretches it self from the internal Orifice to the end being narrow toward the Mouth but dilating it self by little and little 'till it come at the entrails The Mouth of the womb is that narrowness between the neck and the bottom it is an oblong and transverse Orifice but where it opens it self orbicular and round the circumference very thick and of an exquisite feeling and if this mouth be out of order and be troubled with a Scirrhous brawn or over-fatness over-moisture or relaxation it is the cause of Barrenness In those that are big with Child there uses to stick to this Orifice a thick viscous glutinous matter that the parts moistned may be the more easily opened For in the delivery this mouth is opened after a very strange and miraculous manner so that according to the bigness of the birth it suffers an equal dilatation from the bottom of the womb to the privy member CHAP. VII Of the preparing Vessels in Women THE Spermatick Preparing Vessels are two Veins and two Arteries differing not at all from those of men either in the number original action or use but only in their bigness and the manner of their insertion For as to their number there are so many veins and so many Arteries as in men They arise also from the same place as in men that is to say the right from the trunck of the hollow vein descending the left from the left Emulgent There are two Arteries also on both sides one which grow from the Aorta these both bring vital blood for the work of Generation As to the Longitude and Latitude of these Vessels they are narrower and shorter in Women only where they are wrinckled they are much more wreathed and contorted than in men for the way being shorter in women than in men Nature required for stretching out these vessels that they should be more wrinckled and crankled than in men that the blood might stay there in greater quantity for preparation of the Seed These vessels in Women are carried with an oblique course through the small guts to the Stones being wrapt up in fatter membranes but in the mid-way they are divided into two branches whereof the greater branch goes to the Stone constituting the various or winding body and those wonderful inosculations the lesser branch ends in the womb in the sides of which it is scattered up and down and chiefly at the higher part of the bottom of the womb for nourishment of the Womb and of the birth and that some part of the flowers may be purged out through those Vessels now because the Stones of Women are seated near the womb for that cause these vessels fall not from the Peritonaeum neither make they such passages as in men neither reach they to the Share-bone The use of these Spermatic Vessels is to minister to the generation of Seed according to the ancient Doctrine but to the nutrition of the Eggs in the Stones according to the new and for the nourishment of the Foetus and of the solid parts and the expurgation of the courses in as much as blood is convey'd by the Arteries to all those parts to which their Ramifications come in which parts they leave what is to be separated according to the law of Nature the remaining blood returning by the Veins CHAP. VIII Of the Stones in Women THE Stones of Women although they do perform the same actions and are for the same use as mens yet they differ from them in situation substance temperament figure magnitude and in their Covering They are seated in the hollowness of the Abdomen neither do they hang out as in men but they rest upon the Muscles of the Loins and this for that cause that they might be more hot and fruitful being to elaborate that matter with which the Seed of man engenders man In this place arises a Question not trivial whether the Seed of Woman be the efficient or the material cause of generation To which it is answered that though it have a power of acting yet it receives the perfection of that power from the Seed of Man The Stones of Women differ from mens also as to their figure because they are not so round and oval as those of men being in their fore and hinder part more depressed and broad the external superficies being more unequal as if a great many knots and kernals were mixed together There is also another difference as to the subject because they are softer and moister than those of men being more loose and ill compacted Their magnitude and temperament do also make a difference for the Stones of Women are much colder and lesser than Mens which is the reason that they beget a thin and watry Seed Their coverings also do make a difference for mens are wrapt up in divers Tunicles because being pendent outward they were otherwise more subject to external injuries but the stones of women have but one tunicle which though it stick very close to them yet are they also half cloathed over with the Peritonaeum They have but one membrane that encompasses them round but on their upper side where the preparing Vessels enter them they are about half way involved in another membrane that accompanies those Vessels and springs from the Peritonaeum When this cover is removed their substance appears whitish but is wholly different from the substance of Mens Stones for mens are composed of Seed-vessels which being continued to one another are twenty or thirty ells long if one could draw them out at length without breaking but Womens principally consist of a great many membranes and small fibres loosly joined to one another among which there are several little bladders full of a clear Liquor thro' whose membranes the nerves and preparing Vessels run Galen and Hypocrates and their followers imagine the
a place furthest removed from the senses near which it were not fit to be by reason of the inconveniencies which would necessarily arise It is most fit to receive the Birth as being hollow in which concavity the birth may increase to its full proportion every way It is most fit for the exclusion of the Birth as being placed downward whereby the birth might help it self with its own weight and also by reason of the Muscles of the Abdomen which serve for compression and do help the endeavours of the mother CHAP. XVI Of the Utility of the preparing Vessels in Women THE Utilities of these Vessels are taken from their Original and from their Insertion the right Vein rising from the Hollow and the left from the Emulgent as in men that the more hot and purer blood might come from the right vein for the procreation of Males and the more serous and watry blood from the Emulgent for the generation of Women The Vessels also in women are shorter than in men because the way is not so far to the Stones which brevity of the Vessels is lengthned out by the many turnings and windings with which those Vessels are endued In the middle way those Vessels divide themselves like a Fork the greater part going to the Stones carrying the matter for Seed the lesser is carried to the womb where it scatters it self all along the sides of it for the nutrition of the Womb. As for the Arteries they afford the blood which is more full of spirits to perfect the Seed CHAP. XVII Of the Utility of the Stones THE use of the Stones in Women is the same as in men that is to say to prepare the Seed and to make it fit for procreation They are seated within that they should not want a continual heat to cherish them for the matter of Seed being colder in women than in men it requires a greater heat which it would of necessity want were the Stones placed outward like those of men and for that cause are they covered only with one Tunicle that the heat of those parts may more easily pass to them And therefore the Stones of women are softer than those of men because they should not perfect so substantial a Seed and that the heat of the adjacent parts should not be wholly taken up in the cherishing of them Their figure is not exactly round but depressed that the little Meanders of the veins dispersed through the Membrane from the Stones to the deferent Vessels might have more room to be incerted for the attraction of the Seed out of the whole substance of the Stones The inequality and ruggedness of them makes for the longer stay of the Seed in those crooked and winding Vessels SECT III. CHAP. I. Of the signs of Conception HAving thus shewed you the Anatomy and Use of the parts it will be requisite to discourse of the Conception it self which is the main and chief end of these Vessels And first of the signs of Conception The signs of Conception on the Mothers side are certain and apparent first if after she hath had the company of her Husband she hath received more content than ordinary Pains in the head giddiness dimness of the eyes all these concurring together portend conception the apples of the eyes decrease the eyes themselves swell and become of a dark colour the veins of the eyes wax red and swell with blood the eyes sink the eye-brows grow loose various colours appear in the eyes little red pimples rise in the face the veins between the Nose and the Eyes swell with blood and are seen more plain the vein under the tongue looks greenish the neck is hot the back bone cold the veins and arteries swell and the pulses are observed more easily the veins in the breast first look of a black colour but afterward turn yellowish the Teats look red if she drink cold drink she feels the cold in her breast she loaths her meat and drink she hath divers longings but her natural appetite is destroyed Continual vomitings follow and weakness of the stomach sour belches worms about her Navel faintness of the loyns the lower part of her belly swelling inward griping of the body the retention of the Seed 7 days after the act of copulation After which act there is a cold and trembling which seizes the external members the attractive force of the womb increases the womb dries up It is also a certain sign of conception if the Midwife touching with her finger the interiour neck of the womb shall find it exactly closed so that the point of a needle will not go between The womb waxeth round and swells the flowers cease to flow for the Veins through which they come down carry the blood to the nourishment of the birth the thighs swell with some pain the whole body grows weak and the face waxes pale the Excrements proceed slower out of the body The Urine is white a little cloud swimming at the top and many atoms appear in the Urine Take the Urine of a Woman and shut it up three days in a glass if she have conceived at the end of three days there will appear in the Urine certain live things to creep up and down Take also the Urine of a Woman and put it in a bason a whole night together with a clean and bright needle in it if the woman have conceived the needle will be scattered full of red speckles but if not it will be black and rusty Conception is an action of the Womb whereby the fruitful Seed of the Man and Woman are received and kept that a Child may be formed There are two kinds of Conception one true to which succeeds the generation of an Infant the other spurious and contrary to Nature in this case the Seed changes into water false Conceptions Moles or any other strange matter It is to be noted that there is no absolute necessity that all the Seed should be received and retained entire nor must we imagine that tho' all of it be not received into the Womb the Child formed out of it will want some Limb as an Arm or Leg or other member for want of sufficient matter for the least drop of Seed nay only a fume of it is sufficient to impregnate and form a Child But when the quantity of the Seed is small the Child may be the less and weaker for it or if the Man or the Woman be disâ—ased or the Womb stuft with ill humours the Child will be sickly or Moles or false Births or Dropsies of the Womb will be occasioned Tho' a Midwife may guess that a Woman has conceived when all the signs concur or most part of them together and successively according to their seasons yet many of these signs happen upon suppression of the courses and none of them are so very certain as not sometimes to fail us wherefore in trials of Women and upon giving physick to them great caution
the thighs and groyns grow lank and meager The belly waxes hard as happens to those who are troubled with the Dropsie and almost of an equal roundness with many pricking pains at the bottom of the belly which have scarce any intermission which is the cause that they can hardly sleep being encumbered with a heavy and dead burthen It may be known also by other signs for in the conception the Male-Infant begins to move at the beginning of the third Month for the most part and the Female at the beginning of the third or fourth Month now where any motion happens the woman ought to observe whether she have any milk in her breasts or no if she have milk in her breasts it is a sign of true conception if she have not it is a sign of false conception Besides in a true conception the Mother shall perceive her Child to move on all sides oftner though to the right flank than to the left sometimes up sometimes down without any assistance but in a false conception although there be a kind of motion which is not enlivened that proceeds from the expulsive faculty of the Mother and not from the Mole The Mother shall also perceive it to tumble always on that side she lies not having any power to sustain it self besides as she lies on her back if any one do push gently downward the burden of her belly she shall perceive it to lie and rest in the place where it was pushed without returning thither beside that which will confirm it more is when after the end of nine months the woman shall not come to her Travel but that her belly still swells and is puffed up more and more all the rest of the parts of the body growing thin and meager this is a sign of a Mole notwithstanding that many Women have been known to go ten or eleven months before their delivery The signs of the windy Mole are these when the Belly is equally stretched and swelled up like a Bladder more soft than when it bears the Fleshy mole and especially near the groins and small of the belly if it be struck on it sounds like a drum sometime the swelling decreases but by and by it swells more and more the woman feels her self more light it is engendered and encreases swifter than the fleshy mole or the Watry and it makes such a distention of the belly as if one were tearing it asunder For the watry and humorous mole the signs are almost the same the Belly increases and swells by little and little as the woman lies upon her back the sides of her belly are more swelled and distended than the middle or the bottom of the belly which grows flatter then by reason that the water and the humours fall down to the sides of the belly moving up and down on the belly as if it were a fluctuation of water there This distinction is to be observed in the Watry Mole that the flank and thighs are more stretched and swollen than in the humoral because that the waters flow thither oftentimes And that which comes forth through Nature's Conduit is as clear as Rock-water without any ill savour but that which flows out in the humoral distemper is more red like water wherein flesh hath been washed and is of an ill savour This is also to be marked in false conceptions that the flowers never come down and the Navel of the Mother advances it self little or nothing both which happen in true conceptions There are besides these above-written certain other Tumours which the Women do take for Moles These occasion a rotundity and swelling in the belly which are not discovered till the woman be opened and then they do appear though the body of the womb be clean and neat without any thing contained in it at one or both corners of the womb a quantity of water contained as it were in little bags in others are to be seen a heap of kernels and superfluous flesh clustered up together in the womb which cause it to swell Yet in these women it hath been observed that their purgations have been very regular which hath been a sign that the womb it self hath been in good temper There is also another Excrescency of Flesh which may be termed a pendent Mole which is a piece of flesh hanging within the inner neck of the womb which at the place where it is fastned is about a fingers breadth still increasing bigger and bigger toward the bottom like a little bell This flesh hanging in the interiour neck of the womb possesses the whole Orifice of the privy member sometimes appearing outward as big as the fist as hath been observed in some Women Of the cures of all these we shall treat in due place CHAP. VI. How Women with Child ought to govern themselves IN the first place she ought to chuse a temperate and wholesome air neither too hot nor too cold nor in a watry and damp place nor too subject to fogs and winds especially the South-wind which is a great enemy to Women with Child causing oft-times abortion in them The Northwind is also hurtful engendring Rheums and Catarrhs and Coughs which do often force a woman to lie down before her time Likewise those winds which carry with them evil odours and vapours for these being sucked with the air into the Lungs are the cause of divers diseases For her Diet she ought to choose meat that breeds good and wholsome nourishment and which breeds good juice such are meats that are moderately dry the quantity ought to be sufficient both for themselves and for their children and therefore they are to fast as little as may be for abstinence unless upon good occasion renders the child sickly and tender and constrains it to be born before its time to seek for nourishment as the over-much diet stuffs it up and renders it so big that it can hardly keep its place All meats too cold too hot and too moist are to be avoided as also the use of Salads and Spiced meats and the too much use of salt meats are also forbidden which will make the child to be born without nails a sign of short life Her bread ought to be good wheat well baked and levened Her meats ought to be Pigeons Turtles Pheasants Larks Partridge Veal and Mutton For herbs she may use Lettice Endive Bugloss and Burrage abstaining from raw Salads for her last course she may be permitted to eat Pears Marmalade as also Cherries and Damsins she must avoid all meats that provoke urine or the terms and such meats as are windy as Pease and Beans Yet because there are some Women that have such depraved stomachs by reason of a certain salt and sowre humour contained in the membranes of the stomach as that they will eat coals chalk ashes cinders and such like trash so that it is impossible to hinder them to such therefore we can only say thus much that they
it ought to be stopt the Woman must keep in Bed and forbear all things that may heat her blood and must observe a cooling and strengthening Diet and feed on Meat that breeds good Blood and thickens it as Broths made of Chicken Knuckels of Veal and the like wherein may be boiled cooling Herbs Rice Milk and Barley Broth is also very good and in all her Drink quench Iron She must forbear Conversation with her Husband And to comfort the Child which in this case is usually very weak Linnen dipt in strong Wine wherein Cinamon and Pomgranat Peel has bin infused must be applyed to the Mothers Belly Flooding is much more dangerous than a Flux of the Courses for the Blood comes from the bottom of the Womb with pain and in great Abundance and continues flooding daily without Intermission only sometimes Clods of Blood stop it for a while but afterwards it flows more violently and destroys both Mother and Child if not seasonably stop'd by the delivery of the Woman A false Conception or a Mole which the Womb endeavours to expel is usually the Cause when the flooding happens when young with Child whereby some Vessels at the bottom of the Womb continually cast forth Blood until the strange Body is ejected But when a flooding comes upon a woman that has truly conceived at whatsoever time it be it proceeds likewise from the opening of the Vessels of the bottom of the womb occasioned by some blow slip or other hurt and especially because the after-birth separating in part if not wholly from the in side of the womb opens all the Orifices of the Vessels where it was joined and for this reason a great flux of blood follows and never stops 'till after the delivery of the woman for if but part of the after-birth only be once loosened it never joins again to the womb and therefore the opening of the Vessels cannot be stopt 'till all that is in the womb is expelled and afterwards the womb like a spunge squeezed contracts it self and stops the Vessels But tho' it be necessary to deliver the Woman presently to stop a great flooding which manifestly endangers the womans life yet it is to be noted that when the flooding is small other things are to be first tryed for some small floodings have for sometimes bin suppressed by keeping quietly in bed by bleeding in the arm and proper remedies and perhâ—ps it may in a short time be found to be only an ordinary flux of the Courses if therefore the strength of the woman keeps up and the flux be not attended with ill symptoms it is best to leave the whole business to Nature but if the flux be very much and the woman is afflicted with Convulsions and Fainting she must be instantly delivered whether she has pains and throws or no. Sometimes women with child are oppressed with a great weight at the bottom of their bellies by reason the womb bears down and sometimes she cannot walk without pain and difficulty In this case the large ligaments of the womb are much relaxed either by the burthen upon them or by a fall shaking or great pains or bad labour in a former delivery Sometimes also a great many humours are the cause for they moisten and relax the ligaments This bearing down of the womb hinders coition and causes numness in the Hips and Thighs and difficulty of Urine and costiveness The best remedy in this case whatsoever is the cause of the bearing down is keeping the Bed for the ligaments are continually more and more relaxed by the weight when she is up but if her condition or circumstances are such as will not admit of continual rest in the bed she ought at least to keep up her belly with a swaith and if the weight causes a difficulty of rendring her water she must lift up her belly as oft as she has occasion to make water if humours be the cause of the relaxation of the ligaments of the womb a drying dyet must be constantly used and her meat must be roasted and the woman must be very careful when there is such a weight and relaxation of the womb from whatsoever cause it proceeds that she be not strait laced because thereby the womb is forced down but above all when she is in labour care must be taken that neither by means of the throws which strongly force down the womb nor by the birth of the Child nor the violent extraction of the Burthen she gets a precipitation instead of a bearing down as is seen often If a woman chance to be infected with the Venereal Disease during her pregnancy the case is very difficult for those Methods and Medicines that are proper for the Cure of it are apt to occasion a miscarriage and yet notwithstanding if she be infected at her first being with Child or if the symptoms are violent and dangerous when she is â—ear her time something must be done for should the disease lie unregarded upon her seven or eight Months her mass of blood would be corrupted and the venom imparted to the Child in her Belly and tho' she be near her time if the symptoms are violent she will be in great danger of being ruined if Medicines be not presently used to mitigate them If it be only a Gonorrhea or running of the Reins ten grains of Mercurius dulcis more or less according to her strength must be given at Bed time in form of a Bolus in conserve of Roses or the like and some gentle purge the next Morning and at Bed-time after the purge you must be sure to give some Anodyne to appease the commotion raised by the Purge The Bolus and Purge must be repeated twice a Week or oftner if the strength will permit and if no ill accident intervene If the Urine be very hot and sharp it will be convenient to use an emulsion to mitigate the pain and heat the following is of good use Take of blanched Almonds number 12 of the four greater cold Seeds each one dram and an half of the Seeds of Lettice and white Poppies each half a dram beat them in a marble Mortar and pour on them a sufficient quantity of barly Water make an emulsion for two Doses add an Ounce of Syrrup of Violets and half a dram of Sal Prunella If the privy parts are excoriated or swelled you must foment them with a decoction of Mallows and Fenugreek-seeds and afterwards anoint the excoriated parts with the white Ointment with Camphor but if the Disease arise to a confirm'd Pox a gentle Salivation must unavoidably be ordered Some venture to raise it with a Mercurial Ointment but I think it is much safer to do it by Mercurius dulcis inwardly taken and great care must be taken to prevent sickness of the stomach gripes and stools therefore as soon as ever you perceive any sickness of the Stomach faintness or gripes you must leave off the use of Mercury for a while 'till the
place pointed and raised and enclining to a blackish colour When the wound is open you must first apply to it a digestive composed of an ounce of Turpentine half an ounce of Oyl of Roses and the Yolk of an Egg. After this you must cleanse it with Honey of Roses Turpentine and Barly-meal or with the Oyntment of the Apostles or the Oyntment called Aegyptiacum then you may put on the top of the place the Oyntment called Basilicon or Paracelsus plaister which doth digest cleanse carnifie and cicatrize after a very extraordinary manner This is furthermore to be observed that an Ulcer in the Breast is not easily cured if the Milk be not dryed out of the other Breast and therefore the Milk is to be dryed up by keeping the Child from sucking and by putting upon the Breasts of the Woman cloaths dipped in cold water together with Bean Barly Vinegar and such other like remedies CHAP. XXX Of Swellings from Milk MILK is certainly the occasion of many tumours of divers kinds if the ferment of the Breast be over-active and vigorous it separates Milk with too great Violence causing thereby an over-fermentation of the parts which usually occasions an Inflammation if the Serum be hot or partake much of blood otherwise it raises a flegmatic Swelling or if the matter be disposed to coagulation the Kings-evil and these are the most frequent species of Swellings commonly supposed to arise from milk Any of these three may degenerate into a Scirrhus and that Scirrhus into a Cancer The signs are visible if the first happen there are all the Symptoms of an Inflammation namely Heat Redness Tension pulsation and the like If the second large Distension with pain but no heat If the Kings-evil then hard Kernels are easily felt Swellings made by the over eagerness of the milky Ferment go easily off if no other Symptom attend them sucking and drawing the breasts commonly discharges the Milk as fast as it can be made and then all the danger is over But if the fermentation occasion any disorder in the Blood the Patient is more or less endangered according to the quality of the swelling produced namely an inflammation occasions a Fever Flegmatick swellings are apt to grow Ulcerous and sometimes turn to the King 's Evil or a Scirrhus and require a long time for their Cure Abundance of Milk causes inflammations and apostumations and the like and therefore the Woman ought to use a slender diet and it ought to be of such a quality as may less dispose the Humours to ferment Panadoes Barly grewel and such like cooling and moistening Spoon-meat ought to be used Chicken Broth is the highest Dyet whilst the Humour is fermenting the Medicines proper to diminish the Milk are Lettice Purslain Endive Succory Smallage and the like the Milk is usually drawn out of the Breasts by the Infant 's sucking but if the Child be so weak it cannot suck or not sufficiently the Milk must be discharged by Whelps sucking or the Mother may draw her own Breasts her self by an Instrument sold for that purpose The swelling made by the Milk is restrained by the application of Night-shade Lettice Plantain Vine tops Bramble-buds Horse-tail and the like or Oyl of Roses Myrtles with Vinegar and the like The Tumour may be discussed by the application of Mints Cat-mints Rue the Seeds of Fenugreek Cumin Fennel and the like or dry'd up by applying Cloaths dipt in Lime-water or in a solution of Sacharum Saturni made in Frogs Spawn-water during which time fine Towe sprinkl'd with Ceruss may be applied to the Arm-pits When the Swelling is very painful a Cataplasm made of the Meals of Barly Beans and Lentils boiled in Oxymel is proper at the same time Towe dipt in Oxycrat may be applied under the Arms If the Inflammation be gone too far towards Suppuration it must be promoted with Suppuratives and opened by Incision or caustick When the Swelling is hard and not inflamed apply the following Cerate Take of the tops of Worm-wood powdered two drams of the Seeds of Lentils Fenugreek and Fennel each an ounce of the juice of Henbane and Hemlock each three ounces of ointment of Marshmallows two ounces of Ducks and Goose grease each one ounce of Deers Suet two ounces of liquid Storax half an ounce with a sufficient quantity of Wax make a Cerat Hemlock boil'd in Wine and beaten up with Hogs lard resolves the hardness in the Breasts but if it be applyed alone it stirs up Heat and occasions Ulcers in the skin Green Mints or Chick-weed are common applications and of good use either alone or mixed with other Medicines in all the hard Swellings of the Breasts occasioned by Milk All Plaisters applyed to the Breasts ought to have a hole snipt in them for the Nipples lest they be fretted by them especially that the Milk may be drawn forth while the Medicines lye on A young Woman after Child-birth was afflicted with a swelling in her Breasts one was called that perswaded her Relations it was a Cancer and treated her accordingly but her Breasts growing more painful and much danger being apprehended from such a Disease a Physician was advised with but he being wary in giving his judgment in Surgery where there might happen any dispute desired that a Surgeon might be fetched upon their view the Breast appeared big and inflamed it was apostumated and the matter perfectly digested and the skin thin and ready to break The Surgeon proposed the applying of a Pultess of white-Bread and Milk assuring them before Morning they should find a Porringer full of matter discharged they did so and the swelling broke and was cured by the use of Basilicon without any more trouble and indeed when the matter is well suppurated and a convenient opening made for discharge these Tumours generally heal of themselves if the Habit of the Body be good but where it is otherwise or the management ill the Cure is many times very troublesome A Young Gentlewoman after Child-bed being indisposed in her Health her left Breast became diseased and swell'd and after some days by ill management growing more painful and swelled one was called in who endeavoured suppuration and after some time opened it but the fluxion increased and other obcesses were raised and from the several Apostumations sinous Ulcers were afterwards made and so the work became difficult the abscess begun deep in the body of the Glands and thro' length of time corrupted them and rendred the swelling hard and the Tents stopping in the matter between dressings had occasioned a large discharge The method of Cure consisted in the enlarging of that Orifice where the matter seemed to be detained and then to proceed with detersives and the like a caustick was applied to the part round about the Orifice stoping the hole with Lint by which means in a short time a clear way was made for the matter as the Eschar separated a Fungus thrust forth which was sprinkled with red
venemous which are said to be contagious they are to be washed in a water thus made Take of Aloes the quantity of a Pea of the flower of brass the quantity of half a Pea powder these and mingle them in an ounce of white-wine Plantain-water and Rose-water of each an ounce which is to be kept in a glass vessel Condyloma's are certain swelling wrinckles in the neck of the Womb with pain and heat There is no need to tell the signs of these for they are apparent to the eye the wrinkles are like those which appear in the hand when you close the first but are much bigger when the courses flow they are caused by adust and thick humours some of these are with an inflamation which have more pain and heat and the swelling is hard In the cure of which you must use insessions and fomentations that ease pain sometimes they come without any inflammation which if they be new come are to be dried up if they be old they are first to be softned afterwards to be digested and dried up for which purpose you may use powder of Egg-shels burnt or this Oyntment Take of the Trochisques of Steel one dram powdered mixt with a little Oyl of Roses and Wax with half an ounce of the juyce of Mullein if this profit not the Warts are to be shaved away with a knife and an astringent powder laid upon them Hemorrhoids of the Womb are little protuberancies like those of the Fundament produced in the neck of the Womb through the abundance of feculent blood the subject is the neck of the Womb for where the Veins end there do grow these extuberancies just as in the Hemorrhoids The signs are evident and easily seen by the help of the Speculum Matricis The women who are thus affected look pale and are troubled with a weariness The cause is a feculent blood which flowing to these Veins before its season and setling there grows thicker so that it cannot pierce the orifice of the Veins They are cured by a revulsion of the humour First by letting blood in the Arm. Secondly by drawing it to another part as by letting blood in the heel Sometimes these Hemorrhoids are very painful and are distinguished from that menstruous effluxion by the pain which they bring they are cured by mittigating and asswaging inâ—eâ—â—ions â—s also by Opiates carefully applied Others are without pain to which the foresaid remedies may be applied Others are open and do sometimâ—s run moderately and then Nature is to be â—et alonâ— or violentâ—y so that thereby the strength of the person is impaired in which case a Vein must be opened in the arm two or three times purgation is also to be used by Myrobolans Tamarind and Rheubarb and at length you must apply those things which cease the blood Others are termed blind out of which there issues no blood they are cured by blood-letting the part is to be also softned and fomented with things that soften and open the orifices of the Veins and dispel the humour such are an Oyntment made of the pith of Coloquintida and Oyl of sweet Almonds or the juyce of Capers mixt with Aloes neither is the applying of Horseleaches amiss The Cure of these Excrescences at their first budding forth may be attempted by drying and astringent Medicines as with the tops of Brambles and Horse-tail with the Leaves and Berries of Myrtles and Sumach with the rind of Pomgranats Balaustins scales of Brass wash'd Lime Allom and the like made into fomentations or powder'd and mixed with Oyntments and applied upon Tow. If these do not check their growth you may cut them off with a Knife or Scizers and consume the remaining roots by Escharoticks or actual Cautery and then proceed in the cure by digestion and Epuloticks accordingly To prevent their growing again Authors commend the ashes of Vine and Bean-stalks mix'd with Vinegar to apply upon the part The Cure of Chaps or Fissures consists in removing the Callosity and Cicatrizing them smooth if moisture abound things that are dry must be used To which purpose Take of the flowers of Red-Roses of Myrtle-Berries of the tops of Brambles each one handful of the roots of Tormentil and Bistort each one ounce of Allom one dram boyl them in a pint and an half of Steel-water towards the end of boyling add four ounces of red wine wherewith foment the part then apply what follows Take of Litharge and Ceruse each three drams of Sarcocoal Mastick and Frankincense each one Scruple of Sealed-earth two Scruples of Oyl of Roses four ounces of Wax a sufficient quantity mingle them over the fire then beat them in a leaden Mortar for use If dryness be the fault you must dress them with Medicines that are moistening as Take of Calves fat of Ducks and Hens-grease each two drams of Litharge of Gold one dram mingle them in a leaden Mortar according to art The material cause of all these sorts of Excrescences is flegmatic or gross clammy blood thrust forth by the strength of the expulsive faculty out of the Pores of the skin and dry'd up into these forms in which you see them All these species of Excrescences are for the most part Symptoms of the French Pox. Of the Ulcers of the neck of the Womb. THE signs of these Ulcers is a pain and perpetual twinging which increases if any thing that hath an abstersive quality be cast in the issuing out of putrid humours and matter with blood if the Ulcer be great or the Flowers come down often making water and the water hot as also a pain in the fore-part of the head toward the roots of the eyes as also some kind of gentle Fever The Cure of this is hard because of its being in a place of so exquisite sense and moist and having such a sympathy with other parts of the Body For the easing of the pain Chalybeated milk is very much conducing and to the drying of them up drying baths are the best and most prevalent remedy These differ much coming either from external causes as rash Physick hard labours and violent coiture or from internal causes as the corruption of the Secondines the Courses retained and the Urine flux a virulent Gonorrhea the Pox inflammations turned into Apostems humors flowing from other parts of the body and there setling all which must be duly considered in the Cure Others are in the outward part and may be easily come at with Medicines others deep and must be come at only with injection for which purpose use this following Take whites of four Eggs beat them well and put to them an equal quantity of Rose water and Plantain-water as much in quantity as they come to Câ—mphire Ceruse Litharge of Gold and Bole-Armoniâ—ck of each a like quantity green Copperas half as much as of any of them beat all to powder mix it and strain it through a cloth and make your injection 'till the part infected be whole and if there be
humor which consumes the Patient with a continual Fever If it be an Erisypelas or St. Anthonies fire there is no cure at all because the Birth dies by reason of the excessive heat which causes abortion to follow which kills the Woman if it turn to a gangrene it is deadly it is cured as other inflammations which may be observed in the following Chapters Only observe that for revulsion you must not let blood in the veins of the thighs for that draws down the blood to the womb but in the arm the blood flowing from the Liver and the parts adjoyning For deriving of the matter you may cut a vein in the ham unless the Woman be with Child for that will cause abortion Refrigerating and moistning Topicks without any binding faculty may be well applied to which purpose the decoction of wild Thyme prepared with Chalybeat water and outwardly applied with a sponge is an excellent Remedy These inflammations sometimes affect the whole womb and sometimes either side of the Womb which causes the heat to descend into the Hip because of the ligaments of the Womb which are carred thither the thigh is difficultly moved and the groins are inflamed sometimes the inflammation possesseth the posterior part which causes the belly to be bound and a pain in the loins and back-bone sometimes it possesseth the forepart which because it coheres to the bladder the Urine is suppressed or made very difficultly and the pain is extended above the Privities Semetimes it possesses the bottom of the Womb which causes such a pain in the lower part of the Belly that it is hardly to be touched and the pain extends to the Navel There is another inflammation which degenerates into a Scirrhus whereall the symptoms are not so dangerous yet there is a great heaviness perceived in the parts adjoyning This evil is diuturnal and commonly ends in the Dropsie sometimes it turns to an Apostem swelling 'till it break In this case the body is troubled with a shivering especially towards the Evening when the Apostem is broken sometimes it empties it self into the concavity of the Womb wherein there is less danger and sometimes in other parts of the Body which causes sometimes a stoppage in the Urine and sometimes in the Belly with a swelling of the hairy parts and the feeling of something floating up and down Of the Schirrus of the Womb. THE Schirrus of the Womb is a hard swelling of the said part without pain begot by some thick earthly and feculent Humour the signs besides others that are general are these in particular The Flowers at the beginning are either wholly stopt or flow very sparingly the evil increasing there is a great flux of blood by intervals the mouths of the Veins being opened more than ordinary or because the Womb is not able to receive or to retain its wonted proportion of blood It is distinguish'd from the Mole because in that distemper the Flowers if they flow flow inordinately the Breasts swell with Milk which in the Schirrus grow very lank The cause of this is a gross feculent humour being a thick blood sometimes Flegmy sometimes melancholy which happens to those who decline in their age or to those who have been troubled with a squeamish and naughty stomach Often it arises from an ill cured Inflammation through the use of Medicines that cool too much The Cure is difficult either because having been dried for a long time they cannot be softned or because the natural heat in those places where the Schirrus is is for the most part extinct and then because while the humour is mollifying if it have conceived any putrefaction it easily turns to the Cancer For the cure it is the same as of the Breasts It differs either as being in and possessing the substance of the Womb which causes the Womb to lean downward upon the Hip and Back and there begets pain sometimes possessing the neck of the Womb which is discerned by touching it and is cured more easily than the former If it be in the upper part of the neck of the Womb the Woman is hindred in the lower part of the neck of the Womb the streight gut is affected Of the Dropsie of the Womb. THE Dropsie of the Womb is a distemper from water collected in the Womb either by some fault in the part it self or in the parts adjoining The signs of this are a loose swelling at the bottom of the belly extending it self according to the proportion of the Womb the fewness and naughtiness of the Courses a moistness and slenderness of the neck of the Womb softness of the Breast want of Milk a shivering in the Body and sometimes a Fever It differs from an inflammation by the symptoms above related and from an inflation in the defect of sound and distention from a Mole because in this there is a greater weight perceived at the bottom of the belly and the Breasts at the time of delivery are not without milk It differs from Conception because in the Dropsie the swelling is just according to the form of the Womb but in Conception it is always sharper In Women with Child the Flowers do not flow but in this Disease there flows such a certain bloody vitious humour without any order which ceases quickly It differs from the Dropsie of the Belly because the face of the Patient is coloured unless the Liver be any way affected the want of thirst and the ascent of the swelling from the lower part to the upper The cause of this is a water gathered there through some defect of the Liver or Spleen or through some weakness in the Womb by reason whereof it is not able to concoct or expel the Excrements or through a too immoderate defluxion of the Courses which oppresseth the natural heat or through a suppression of them which suffocates the heat The cure is to be performed by the eduction of the water and strengthening of the Womb for which purpose the use of Antimonial Pills is not a little to be commended Her diet must be of meats that breed good Juice she must drink little she must use instead of drink a Ptisan or Barly-broth made with Sassafras or Sarsaparilla if her Courses be stopt you may let her blood in the foot if the repletion be great then to let her blood in the arm will not be amiss The use of Clysters is not amiss and Fomentations are also very necessary made with the decoction of Broom wild Cucumbers Flowers of Camomile Melilot with Origan Cumin Fenel Aniseed of which you may make several injections Ointments also may be useful made of Oil of Lillies or Oil of Dill Then may you apply upon the Belly this Plaister Take of the emplaister of Laurel berries two Ounces Oil of Camomile and Melilot two ounces and a half Pigeons dung and Goats dung of each half an ounce mix them altogether and make a Plaister adding thereto a little Venice Turpentine Of the falling
the beginning yet it is afterwards very difficult for by this means the whole body accustoms it self to send forth its excrements this way and the Womb being now weakned gathers excrements apace Sometimes it proceeds from the whole body and then you may perceive the signs of an ill humor through the whole body In the Cure of this you must avoid blood-letting for that the bad humor must not be recalled to defile the blood besides that the disease is a sufficient weakning and consuming of the body The humor is discussed by the decoction of Guaiacum and China and Lentisk-wood For the drying up of the humor the Root of Filipendula doth very much conduce For astringent Medicines you may use chiefly the powder of dead men's bones the ashes of Capons-dung in rain water The Patient must avoid sleeping upon her back lest the heat of the Lungs should carry the humors toward the Womb Frictions also of the upper parts for the diversion of the humor may be used Sometimes it is caused by the Womb it self and then there will appear signs of the affection of the Womb and the Flux is not so great For the Cure of this Suffumigations of Frankincense Labdanum Mastick and Sanders are very requisite Of the Green-Sickness THE Green-Sickness is a changing of the colour of the Face into a green and pale colour proceeding from the rawness of the humors The signs of this appear in the Face to which may be added a great pain in the Head difficulty of breathing with a palpitation of the heart a small and thick beating of the Arteries in the Neck Back and Temples sometimes inordinate Fevers through the vitiousness of the humors loathing of Meat Vomiting distention of the Hypocondriack part by reason of the reflux of the menstrous blood to the greater Vessels a swelling of the whole body by reason of the abundance of humors or of the Thighs and Legs above the heels by reason of the abundance of serous humors The Cause is the crudity and rawness of the humor and quantity withal arising from the suppression of the Courses through the natural narrowness of the vessels or through an acquired narrowness of the vessels by the eating of Oatmeal Chalk Earth Nutmegs and drinking of Vinegar or from the obstruction of the other bowels Hence arises an ill concoction in the bowels and the humors are carried into the habit of the body or become habitual thereunto The Cure is performed by the letting of blood especially in the heel if the Disease be of any continuance by Purgation preparation of the humour being first considered which is performed by the decoction of Guaiacum with â—retan Dittany purging of the humor is performed with Agarick Aloes Succotrin with the â—â—ice of Savin for the unobstructing of the humor prepared Steel the root of Scorzonera Bezoarstone in diet Vinegar is utterly to be avoided The Cure of this Disease is performed by opening Obstructions by purging off vitious Humours by correcting the intemperies of the Bowels and by strengthening them First therefore a gentle purging Medicine must be given that is agreeable to the Constitution that the first region may be emptied and if the Belly be bound a Glister must be given first of all afterwards bleeding must be ordered unless the Disease is very inveterate and the Maid be inclined to a Cachexy But a Vein in the Arm must be opened tho' the Courses are stopt for at that time if you bleed in the Foot the obstructions of the Veins and of the Womb would be increased That quantity of Blood being taken away that is necessary proper purges must be used Take of the Pill Coch. major two scruples of Castor powdered two grains of Peruvian Balsom four drops make four Pills let her take them at five in the Morning and sleep after them if she can Let these Pills be repeated twice or thrice every Morning or every other Morning according to the strength of the sick and their operation After the purging Pills let her take the following Take of the fileings of Steel eight grains with a sufficient quantity of extract of Wormwood make two Pills to be taken in the Morning and they must be repeated at five in the Afternoon She must continue this Course for a Month drinking presently after the Pills a draught of Wormwood-wine If a Bolus be more pleasing Take of the conserve of Roman Wormwood and of the conserve of the inner peell of Oranges each one ounce of candied Angelica and Nutmegs candied and of Venice Treacle each half an ounce of Ginger candied two drams with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of Oranges make an Electuary take of this Electuary one dram and an half of the filings of Steel well powdered eight grains with a sufficient quantity of Syrup of Oranges make a Bolus to be taken in the Morning and at five in the Afternoon drinking upon it a draught of Wormwood wine Of the suffocation of the Matrix THE signs of the Suffocation of the Womb are a weariness of the whole body with a weakness of the Thighs a paleness and sadness of the Face a nauseousness though seldom vomiting oftentimes a loathing and distate of Meat and that sometimes with a grumbling and noise in the Belly and sometimes without The signs of the present Disease are that when the Vapours are carried up to the Heart and do there stop the vital Spirits a light swooning follows the Pulse changes and is little the Body grows cold all the spirits flying up into the Heart the Vapour being thrust up to the Head and Chaps the Chaps are many times set fast the Patient seeming to be stifled the motion of the Breast and Diaphragm is disturbed and hindred so that the breath is almost stopt the Patient living only by transpiration Sometimes there is joined with it a kind of Uterine fury with talking and anger Sometimes it causes other madness sometimes the Woman falls into a dead sleep which makes her seem as though she were dead It differs from the Epilepsie because in that the Convulsive motions are more general nor is there any memory of those things which happen about them after the Fit the Pulse is great and the Mouth of the Party affected fomes with a froth It differs from the Apoplexy because in that the Fit comes suddenly without any notice and the Patient is affected with a kind of snorting and there is such a Resolution of the parts that they feel not although they be pricked It differs from a Syncope in that there are no signs when the Fit will be the Pulse ceases to the apprehension and the Patient is troubled with cold sweats They differ from dead people by sneezing which may be provoked by putting something for that purpose into the Nose The cause of this is a venemous subtle and thin Vapour piercing in one moment through the whole body and carried up from the matter in the Womb corrupted after a peculiar manner either
by it self or from external means such are perfumes anger fear c. and not only ascending through the veins but also through all the other breathing holes and secret passages of the body The Cure is doubtful if it have possessed old Women for a time for it begets weakness consumes the strength and shews abundance of humour or if it possesseth Child-bearing Women either after a difficult Travel or after an Abortion or if it possesseth Women with Child because it induces fear of Abortion there is more hope if the act of Respiration be not too much impeded and if the Fits do not return too often The Cure regards first the time of the Fit being performed first by means of interception which may be done by binding the Belly under the Navel with a girdle made of the skin of a Hart killed in the very act of Copulation Secondly by keeping the natural Spirits awaked and rouzed up by painful friction by pulling the hairs of the Privities with violence and suffumigations made with Partridge feathers burnt as also Eel-skins the application of Assa faetida and Oil of Tartar to the mouth Thirdly by way of revulsion of the humour by Frictions and Glysters dispelling the winds and the application of Cupping-glasses with much flame first to the Thighs and then to the Hips putting sweet things into the Privities such as are Oil of Sivet half a scruple Oil of Nutmegs one scruple Fourthly by discussion of the humour which is performed inwardly by the Oil of white Amber with the pouder of Walnut Flowers extract of Castor externally by an Emplaister of the fat of a black Heifer Sclarea boiled in butter adding to it a sufficient quantity of Tachamahacca and Caranna After the fit is past evacuation is to be regarded first with purgation for which purpose it will not be amiss to use these ensuing Pills Take Siler mountain Pennyroyal Madder the innermost part of Cassia Pipe Pomegranate Kernels Piony roots and Calamus of each three drams Muscus and Spike of India of each half a dram then make Pills thereof with the juice of Mugwort of which she may take every day or every other day before Supper If the disease proceed from the terms let the Woman affected take an Ounce of Agarick poudered in Wine or honied water or a dram of Agnus Castus powder'd with an ounce of Honey of Roses The Womb is also to be strengthned by the internal and external application of such things as resist the malignity of the Disease among which are numbred Faecula Brioniae and Castor The difference of this Disease consists in this that sometimes it happens that it is occasioned by the retention of the Seed which is known by this that the symptoms of the Disease are more violent and after the fit is past there flows out of the Womb a matter like to that of the seed It is cur'd by evacuation of the seed such as are Rue and Agnus Castus and anointing with odoriferous salves especially if the woman be to live without the use of man If it come from the suppression of the terms which is known by the Courses being mingled with a melancholy blood take powdered Agaric a dram of Pioney seeds or the weight of a dram and a half of Triphera magna But take this for a secret that for a married Woman in case of the present suffocation there is nothing better than for the Man to anoint the top of his Yard with a little Oyl of Gilliflowers and Oyl of sweet Almonds together and so to lye with her for this assuredly brings down the Matrix again This Disease is very frequent the Procatartick or external Causes of it are either violent motions of the body or which is much oftner vehement commotions of the Mind from some sudden assault either of Anger or Grief or the like Passions Therefore as often as Women are troubled with this or that disorder of Body the reason whereof cannot be deduced from the common Axioms for finding out Diseases we must diligently enquire whether they are not chiefly afflicted with that indisposition which they complain of when they have been disturbed in their minds and afflicted with grief which if they confess we may be fully satisfied that this disorder proceeds from this Disease we are now speaking of especially if Urine as clear as Chrystal evacuated copiously some certain times makes the Diagnostick more manifest But to these disorders of the Mind which are usually the occasions of this Disease is to be added emptiness of the stomach by reason of long fasting immoderate bleeding and a Vomit or Purge that worked too much and certainly this Disease proceeds from a confusion of the Spirits upon which account too many of them in a crowd contrary to proportion are hurried violently upon this or that part occasioning Convulsions and pain when they rush upon parts indued with exquisite sense perverting the functions of the Organs both of that into which they thrust themselves and also of that from whence they departed both being much injured by this unequal distribution which is quite contrary to the Oeconomy of Nature The Origen and Antecedent Cause of this confusion is a weak constitution of the Spirits whether it is natural or adventitious for which Reason they are easily dissipated upon any occasion and their System soon broke For as the outward Man is framed with parts obvious to sense so without doubt the inward Man consists of a due Series and as it were a Fabrick of the Spirits to be viewed only by the eye of Reason and as this is nearly joyned and as it were united with the constitution of the Body so much the more easily or more difficultly is its frame disordered by how much the Constitutive Principles that are allotted us by Nature are more or less firm That the said Confusion of the Spirits is the cause of Hysteric Diseases will appear by Mother-Fits wherein the Spirits are crowded in the lower Belly and rushing together violently towards the Jaws occasion Convulsions in every region thro' which they pass blowing up the Belly like a great Ball which is yet nothing but the rowling together or conglobation of the parts seized with the Convulsion which cannot be suppressed without great violence The external parts in the the mean while and the Flesh being in a manner destitute of Spirits by reason they are carried another way are often so very cold not only in this kind but in all other kind of Hysteric Diseases that dead Bodies are not colder but the Pulse are as good as those of People that are well nor is the Womans life in danger by this cold unless it is occasioned by some very large evacuation going before And the inordinate agitation of the Spirits disturbing the blood is the cause of the clear and copious Urine for when the Oeconomy of the blood is interrupted the Sick cannot long enough contain the serum that is imported but lets it
Air more moist than dry and his diet must be the same The best and most approved remedy is to apply a cautery in the hinder part of the Head to the nook of the Neck between the second and third Vertebra which may be done to new born Children Frictions also of the Legs Back-bone and Thighs are very profitable as also Cupping-Glasses applied to the Thighs and Legs If the Convulsion come by reason of the Worms you may give him this Clyster Take of simple Hydromel four ounces new butter one ounce powdered Aloes half a dram and make a Clyster Or you may give him two drams of Earthworms killed dried and poudered Sugar poudered one ounce and let the Child take two drams of it every day in a spoonful of Lettice-water If any venemous Vapour be the cause hereof let him take six grains of Treacle or Mithridate in Mint-water Of the swelling of the Hypochondria in Infants WHICH causeth Children by reason of the narrowness of the Mouth of the Stomach to be troubled with a difficulty of breathing It ariseth from the greediness of the Infant which either sucks too great a quantity of Milk or of other Meats The inward Cure of this is performed by administring the Powder of the root of Orrice or Paeonie Of Costiveness in Children THIS proceeds from the unskilfulness of the Nurse in the Dieting of the Child or from a cold and dry Distemper of the Guts or from the hot and dry Distemper of the Bowels in this case the Belly may be well loosned with Cassia or with a liniment composed of new Oil of sweet Almonds Goose fat May butter Ointment of Marshmallows of each two drams Colocynth gr sixteen one scruple of Salt Species Hierae one scruple Diagridion four grains make of this an ointment and anoint the Navel Or it proceeds from a viscous Flegm which wraps about and holds the dregs which may be remedied by a suppository of Mouse Dung and Goats suet or by the use of an Emplaister of Aloes Bulls-gall Myrrh and May butter to be laid upon the Navel Of looseness in Children LOoseness of the Belly happens either in the time of Teeth breeding or out of the time in the time of breeding Teeth either by reason of the corruption of the nutriment or by reason of overmuch watching through the pain of the Teeth or by reason of a Fever and some unnatural heat It must not be suddenly stopt if it be not over copious and that the Infant can endure it the Belly must be afterwards cleansed with Roses solutive and afterwards stopped great observation being had whether the cause come from a hot or cold Distemper Of Burstness in Children BUrstness happens to Children either by reason that the Peritonaeum is burst through crying or falling or splaying with the Thighs For the Cure whereof the Child must be kept quiet and still from crying upon which after the part affected is well bound up you may give the Child inwardly of the essence of the greater Comfrey one spoonful with two drops of Balsam of Sal Gemma You may also foment the place with a fomentation made of the roots of the greater Comfrey and Osmund Royal the bark of Elm and Ash Knot-grass each half an ounce the leaves of Plantain Mullein Rupture wort Horsetail Flowers of Camomile red Roses and Melilot of each a handful and a half Balaust Cypress Nuts and Acorns of each two drams put these into two bags and boil them in equal parts of sowre Wine and Smiths water for a Fomentation to be used for a quarter of an hour then you may lay on a Plaister of the red drying Ointment eleven ounces pouder of Mastick Olibanum and Sarcocol Cyprest Nuts of each one dram with a little Wax and Oil of Mastick to make a Plaister which must be put upon the place affected and bound down with a little pillow Sometimes this burstness proceeds from a watry humour abounding in the Abdomen which descending into the Cods causeth them to swell for which you may use with good success this Ointment Take of Unguent Comitiss and the red drying Ointment of each two ounces Pigeons dung half an ounce live Sulphur three drams powder of Lawrel Berries and Mustardseed of each a dram Oil of Dill and Venice Turpentine of each three drams Wax as much as sufficeth This is also an extraordinary remedy for the burstness proceeding from Wind. Of the Inflammation of the Navel THE Inflammation of the Navel ariseth when the blood gathers thither by reason of some external hurt the danger is very great if it should Apostemate and so the Guts fall down and therefore suppuration must be hindred as much as may be Of the jutting forth of the Navel THIS differs from the Inflamation because here the Navel doth not give way to the touch neither is the colour of the Skin changed neither is there any very great pain or Pulse unless the Intestines are very much fallen it proceeds from the ill binding thereof at first which is incurable or when a greater portion than needs of the Navel string is left Secondly from a laxation of the Peritonaeum and then the tumour is equal nor doth the Navel jut forth very far In the Cure hereof you must let the Child abstain from all windy meats and from much crying Sometimes it is occasioned by the rupture of the Peritonaeum the swelling is hardly perceived when the Child lies upon his back but increaseth and swells forward when he walks sits cries and bawls In the Cure of this the Moss that grows upon the wild Prune Tree is very much commended or you may make little swathbands of Leather and anoint them with Oxycroceum Of the Stone in the Bladder THIS is known by the coming forth of the Urine by drops and with pain which is sometimes unmixed sometimes containing a kind of serous humour sometimes died with a little blood It is produced either by the Milk which is engendred of meats that do increase the Stone or through a hot distemper of the Liver which attracts the Chyle and sends it unaltered to the Bladder For the Cure you must use Baths among which this is commended to anoint the Bladder withal take Oyl of Scorpions Oyl of bitter Almonds Conies Grease and Hens Grease of each an ounce and a half and of the juice of Pellitory of the Wall two ounces Or take Sal Tartar one ounce Parsly-water a Pint mix them through a fine paper rubbed over with the Rinds of Oranges and give a small quantity thereof Of the not holding of the Urine THis ariseth either from the Muscle which shuts the orifice of the Bladder which is so disposed that it is loosed upon the least exciting of the Urine and grows so into a habit that it many times accompanies them to their Graves or from the stone in the Bladder or from the weakness of the Sphincter proceeding from a cold and moist distemper which is cured partly by
the said Sinus Pudoris and are connected together by certain Membranes or Ligatures which are each of them situated in the interstices or spaces between each Caruncle with which they are in a manner equally extended which Membranes being once dilacerated are an apparent sign of devirgination nor can it be denied but that this dilaceration may be caused by other accidents besides the accompanying with a man as by violent Coughing Sneezing or loud Vociferation all which may occasion a violent flowing down of humours to the breaking of those ligatures or membranes but as for any Stories of a Hymen as that it should be a transverse membrane situated now in the lower extremity of the Sinus Pudoris now in the midst of the concavity that it is perforated all about in the manner of a Sieve or in the middle only with one larger hole or that the breaking of this Hymen should be the only cause of Devirgination are all to be rejected as vain and Frivolous CHAP. X. Whether there may be a mutation out of one Sex into another and of Hermaphrodites BEfore any thing can be positively determined concerning this argument so much of uncertainty there is in it it will be convenient to recite what hath been delivered both as to the negative and the affirmative by Authors that have maintained each contrary opinion Severinus Pinaeus who holds the Negative writes to this effect viz. That the genital parts of both Sexes are so unlike each other in substance much more in composition situation figure action and use that scarce any thing can be found more unlike and by how much the more all other parts of the body excepting the Breasts which in women are more tumid because of their secondary use have an exact resemblance so much the more unlike are the genital parts of the one Sex compared with those of the other and if their figure be thus different much more is their use True it is indeed that both are appointed for generation but in a different manner for women contribute the matter but men the form The Venereal appetite also proceeds from different causes for in men it proceeds from a desire of emission in women from a desire of repletion In women also the chiefest of those parts are concave and apt to receive but in men they are only porous and in a manner solid These things considered I cannot but wonder saith he how any one can imagine that the Genital Members of Female Birth should be changed into those that belong to Males since by those parts only the difference and distinction of Sexes is made Nor can I well impute the cause of this vulgar error to any thing but a mistake of some not over-expert Midwives who have been deceived by the evil conformation of the parts which may have happened in some Male-births to have had so small a protrusion as not to have been discerned as appeared by the example of a Child Christned at Paris by the name of Joan as if it had been a Girl when as it proved afterwards a Boy And on the contrary the over-far extension of the Clitoris in female Births may have occasioned the like mistake But notwithstanding what hath been thus said in the Negative there have not been wanting some learned Physitians who have firmly asserted the affirmative part of which number Galen himself is one A man saith he is different from a woman in nothing else except in the having his genital members without his body And this is certain that if Nature having formed a man would convert him into a Woman she hath no other task to perform but only to turn his genital members inward and if a woman into a man to do the contrary And this however held for a Fable hath chanced many times in nature as well while the Creature hath been in the Mothers Womb as after the same hath been born For divers times Nature hath made a Female Child and she hath so remained in her Mothers belly for the space of one or two Months and afterwards plenty of heat growing in the genital Members upon some occasion they have issued forth and the Child hath become a Male but yet retaining some certain gestures unbefitting the Masculine Sex as a shrill voice womanish actions and the like Contrariwise Nature hath often made a Male and cold growing on and turning the genitals inward it hath become a Female yet still retaining a manlike fashion both in voice and gesture Now to give an impartial judgment of these two opinions I cannot but hold that the latter of them carrieth a greater semblance of truth with it for as to what Pinaeus affirms of the great difference of figure in the genital members of each it will not be of so much force if we consider that the inversion of them is that which chiefly occasioneth this difference of form the reason of which is evidently deduced from the contrary natures of heat and cold heat enlarging and extending all things and cold retaining and closing them up Now as to the business of Hermaphrodites or those that enjoy both Sexes in one person many there are that will not afford any belief or at the least doubt whether or no there are any such things in nature but although there cannot be so apparent a reason given for this as for the mutation of Sexes yet in this we may suffer our selves to be guided by the same Criterium as in the business of Specters and Apparitions of Spirits concerning which although it hath puzled many learned men to find out what should be the true causes and reasons that such things come to pass yet it argues much indiscretion not to give credit to them both in regard Histories have abounded with frequent examples of them in all ages and also considering the daily reports we have of such things both from the mouths and pens of serious and judicious men Perhaps it may be judged by some to have been more decent that these things should have been delivered in the Latin than in the vulgar Tongue that so the secrets of Nature might not have been prostituted to every unworthy Reader that makes use of such things only for a mockery and a May-game and to promote idle and lascivious discourse yet forasmuch as they are written for God's Glory and the benefit and help of mankind and intended only for the use of sober pious and discreet Matrons and that the want of skill and knowledge in these mainly important Secrets hath been the occasion of very many mistakes to the great misery oftentimes of Women in travail and prejudice of the poor Infant the concealment of them had been much more inexcusable than the publishing can be Exod. 1.17 But the Midwives feared God verse 20 Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives Deo Gloria RARE SECRETS Brought to LIGHT Which for many years were locked up in the Breast of that most Famous and Learned Physician Sir Theodore
may have any ill will or whose presence may breed any thing of shame in her be at that time in the room because any such accident as that retards Nature but let them be such as she loves sociable merry and helpful towards her It is also necessary for a Woman in Travel to sneeze and cough which are great means to force down the Infant to the lower parts And as to the Midwifes duty she ought to anoint the lower parts with oyl of Hemp-seed or Nuts if the waters which should precede the Birth do not come forth or if they be come down a good while before the Birth to the intent to make the said parts slippery to ease the coming forth of the Child If the Child descend not easily the Midwife may with her hand gently press the top of the belly to the intent to make the Child descend with more hast As soon as the Woman is delivered and that the Secondines are likewise come away it shall be convenient to wrap her in a warm sheep-skin which must be flead near the Chamber for that purpose which must be done with as much expedition and as near a great fire as may be that there may be nothing of coldness when the Woman is wrapt therein In this the Patient must continue twelve hours This will much help the Matrix in its natural purgation when you take it away you must apply warm Cloths in the stead and above all things take great care that no air do enter into the Matrix which often-times is the cause of very great evils Or you may apply warm to the belly of the Patient Tow dipt in the whites of Eggs wherein the pouders of Cloves Pepper and Nutmegs shall be mingled which must be bound close to the body with swath-bands Great care is to be taken how you apply astringent things to the Womb presently after delivery unless after perfect purgation of the Secondines for fear of very great mischiefs Now if you use the said sheep skin and that you find the woman notwithstanding tormented with very great pains and that the said skin doth not at all appease them let her take an ounce and a half more or less according to the height of the distemper of oil of sweet Almonds drawn without fire the same day and two hours after let her take the weight of half a crown of this following powder either in white-Wine or Capon broth Take of the root of great Comfrey dryed two drams kernels of Peaches Nutmegs each one dram yellow Amber and Saffron of each one scruple Amber greese half a dram make a powder of all this For besides that it asswages the Throws it corroborates and fortifies the body weakened by reason of those great evacuations After you have taken away the sheep-skin if there be any excoriation in the privy parts by reason either of the bigness of the Child or the streining of the woman you must anoint the said parts with this following oyntment which is infallible Take of Oil of St. John's wort well made one ounce Sperma Coeti half an ounce balsom of India two drams white Wax two drams This ointment doth consolidate all the parts But if together with this excoriation any thing of the Secondines remain in the Womb Oil of St. Johns-wort only will suffice or for want of that oil of Nuts If the evacuations after the Secondines be too much so that they cause too great a weakness you must apply to the Navel this following plaister Take of Treacle one dram and a half Bean-meal one dram Venice-Turpentine one dram and thereof make an emplaister to be spread upon thin Leather If all be well and that only the lower parts be prejudiced after you have anointed them with Balsom of the Indies together with oil of St. Johns-wort you must foment the said places with the following fomentation Take of Sage four little handfuls wild Pomgranate flowers Myrtle berries Acorns Cypress nuts of each two ounces let them be well bruised together red Roses four handfuls Roche-allum one ounce put all these into two little bags and let them boil in Smiths water or in water where iron hath been often quenched when one bag is cold apply another The Sheep-skin being taken away if the patient be afraid of any wrinckles in the skin which now is as much relaxed as it was before extended let her anoint the belly with this following ointment Take of Sperma Caeti two ounces oil of Myrtles of Mastick and St. John's-wort of each one ounce white wax an ounce and a half Turpentine of Venice washt in Vinegar of Roses one ounce of these make an ointment over a gentle Fire with which you must anoint the belly once a day continuing so to do for ten or twelve days laying when you have done upon the place so anointed a linnen cloth dipt in the following ointment Take oil of sweet Almonds oil of Nuts Sperma Coeti each four ounces white Wax four ounces melt these together and dip therein a good large towel big enough to wrap about the belly when you do these things great care is to be taken that the patient do not take any cold If the patient have no mind to nurse her Child and desires to dry up her milk then do as follows some six or seven hours after the Delivery Tak a linnen cloth cut round about the bigness of the breasts making a little hole in the middle for the Teat to come through then dip the clothes in the following ointment and lay them upon the breast not taking them off again 'till the end of ten or twelve days Take Venice Turpentine four ounces washed in one half part of Rose-water and one half part of Vinegar Populeon one ounce mix them together and apply them as is before said If the milk doth not dry up for all this make the Cataplasm as follows Take Bean-meal four ounces Bole-amoniack one ounce juyce of Plantain three ounces Vinegar of Roses two ounces Fountain water half a pint let them boil 'till they come to the thickness of a Cataplasm adding toward the end two ounces of Populeon spread this on a linnen cloth and apply them to the breasts without washing them changing the Cataplasm twice a day The juice of Chervile boiled with Bean-meal and a little Populeon worketh the same effect Because the difficulty of Child bearing proceedeth from the loss of those waters that break forth before the Child therefore to supply that defect and to render the places slippery let her use these following remedies Take Marsh-mallows with the roots one handful Mugwort Savine of each half a handful Hempseed and Fenugreek seed of each four ounces Cummin seed one ounce and a half boil all these in water then take four ounces of this decoction and add thereto oil of Hempseed two ounces Mosch gr 2. and inject it into the neck of the womb Then take this following pouder Take of the bark of Cassia