one and much seldomer three or four The scituation of the stones in men is without the Midriff at the root of the yard under the belly and that for two causes to keep men more chaste it being observed that those creatures which carry their stones within their bodies are more salacious and bring forth in greater numbers Their bigness is not always alike in all creatures but in men as big as a Pigeons egg or as a small Hens egg and commonly the left is bigger then the right In the Anatomy of the stones divers things are to be considered Their Tunicles or the skins in which they are wrapt as well those which are common to both as those which are particular to either next the muscles then the substance of which they are composed and lastly the vessels which are dispearsed through the body of the stones CHAP. V. Of the Tunicles of the stones THe Testicles are wrapt up in divers coverings about the number of which there hath been great dissention But they are now reduced to five whereof two are common and are called Scrotum and Dartos three particular the names of which are Elytroydes Erythroides and Epididymis The first of these which is like a satchel or purse and is common to both consists of a skin and a cuticle This contains the two stones like a purse and is obvious to the touch The skin of this part differs from any other part of the skin which covers the body for whereas that is stretched out and spred close over the whole body this is more loose and made to stretch out or to be wrinkled up together as occasion is that is as the stones either ascend or descend they ascend commonly in the time of conjunction they descend in febers weakness of the Testicles or by reason of old age The second Tunicle The second is called Dartos because it is easily separated from the others In this the testicles lie as it were in a nest wrapping them about more close then the Scrotum doth It takes its Originall from the fleshie Pannicle which though it be thinner hereabouts then in any other part of the body yet is it full of little Veines and arteries The proper Tunicles The proper Tunicles are first the Elytroides which is also called Vaginalis by reason it supplyes the office of a sheath It takes its originall from the production of the Peritoneum for where the spermatic vessells pass they do not at all bruse the Peritoneum but carie it downe to the stones and so constitute or make this Tunicle To know this Tunicle and the original of it is very necessary for Physick because that hollowness which the Processess of the Peritoneum do make for the passage of the spermatic vessels is somtimes dilated as far as the beginning or source of this Tunicle and both the small guts and the caule fall down upon the Testicles which is the cause of that kind of birstness which by the Physitians is called Enterocle This Tunicle grows to that which is called Dartos being ioyned to it by many nervous fibres Underneath this is the Tunicle called Erythroides or the red Tunicle so called from the multitude of red veines which are sprinkled up and down in it It rises from the other membranes and is encompassed without by the first proper tunicle The third and that which immediately compasseth the stones is that which is called Epididymis it is white thick and strong to preserve the soft and loose substance of the stones It riseth ftom the Tunicle of the seminal vessels being the thickest of all the Tunicles and hath some few veines scattered up and dovne in it CHAP. VI. Of the suspensory Muscles TO keep the stones from oppressing or stretching over much the passages of the seminal vessels Nature hath provided them two Muscles for them to hang by on both sides one in form oblonge and slender These Muscles derive their original from a thick membrane which is joyned to the hanch bone in the further part of that region where the hair grows The original of these Muscels and is fastened to this bone with certaine fleshie and straight fibers where the oblique Muscles of the Abdomen or Mideriff 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 enclosed 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 sundrie vessels dispersed through them Now although the substance of the Testicles be most soft and moist yet doth not this moistness constitute a uniforme or homogeneal body for the substance of the stones is wholly dissimilar and full of fibres These fibres also seeme to be of a different substance from that of the stones being only cloathed which the flesh of the stones as the fibres of the Muscles are inwardly nervous but coverd over which the flesh of the Muscles These fibres again differ in this that the fibres of the Testicles are hollow but the fibres of the Testicles full and substantiall These fibres are said to come from the spermatick vessels and thence branch themselves forth through the Testicles by which that part of the seed which is over and above what serves for the nourishment of the testicles as drawn forth and kept for procreation As concerning the Temper of the stones they would sooner be thought cold then hot if that Maxime were true that all white things are cold and all red things hot Nothwithstanding because nature is known to abhor all coldness in the work of generation Therefore we must presume to affirme the temper of the stones to be hot for they always abound with blood and a pure spirit that can never be whichout heat Besides that heat is required for the concoction of this blood and the changing it into seed yet is it very temperate as appeares 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 is not alike in all for in some they are far colder then in others And therefore these who have hot testicles are more salacious and prone to venereal actions having the places neer about much more hairie and their testicles much harder then 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 veine and the great Artery the left colder because it receives a more inpure and serous bloud from the Emulgent veine CHAP. VIII Of the Actions of Testicles THe action and use of the Testicles is to Generate seed a gift which
some certain space for the ureter 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 The Ureter 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 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 then they are This is a pipe placed at the inferiour part of the yard being called the Vreter 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 then 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 The holes of thâ— Ureter and something bigger then 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 Note there is a little kind of cavern in which sometimes either putrid seed or any other corroding humour as happens in the gonorrhaea being collected 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 up the passages of the urine To the structure of the yard The Muscles of the Yard there do moreover concur 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 ureter about the middle of the yard Their use is to dilate the ureter 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 should lean too much to either side and also to press out the seed out of the prostatae or forestanders The vessel of the Yard 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 branch themselves out from the Hypogastrion In the middle betwen 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 bloud 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 distension is caused by repletion which is caused by the plentie of seed Secondly by superfluitie of wind which if it be too violent is the cause of priapisme A Third cause proceeds from the abundance of urine contained in the bladder Somtimes the heat of the reines is a cause thereof CHAP. XVI Of the use of the Yard in general THe Yard is scituated under the midriff over against the womb And is also placed between the thighes for the greater strengthning of it in the act of copulation Neither is this the only strength which it hath for at the lower part it appears more fleshie which flesh is altogether muscly for the greater strength thereof Neither is it only contented with this Musclie flesh it having too muscles also for the same purpose on both sides to poise it even in the act of erection which though they are but little yet are they exceeding strong The figure of the yard is not absolutly round but broader on the upper side lest it should be hindered by the convexity of the superior part in the casting forth of the seed Concerning the biggness of the yard it is by most estemed to be of a just length when it is extended the bredth of nine thumbs CHAP. XVII Of the use of the parts constituting the Yard THe first thing in the constitution of the yard that offeres it self to view is the skin which is long and loose by reason that the yard which is sometimes to be extended somtimes to fall downe againe so requires it The extremity of the skin is so ordered that it somtimes covers the glans and somtimes draws back that whilst it covers the nut of the yard it may defend the yard from frication or provoking the motion of the seed Moreover this skin in the act of copulation shuts up the mouth of the womb and hinders the ingress of the cold air Concerning the two nervous bodyes constituting the substance of the yard their use is for the vital spirit to run through the thin substance of them and fill the yard with spirits Moreover by their thicknesse they doe prevent the two hastie empting and flying out of the spirits which are to stay in for the greater and longer erection of the yard The use of the Ureter is for the passage of seed and urine through it The substance of the Ureter is much the same with the two former bodys the inside being more thin and loose the outside more nervous and thick which is so ordained that it may be more apt to be erected with the yard It goes forward
toward the womb if necessity requires that it should be done more then 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 hamm or heel must be done after purgation 3 or 4 or five dayes before the time that the accustomed evacuations of the Woman ought to come down Cupping-glasses also are to be applyed first to the more remote places as to the thighs and then to the neerer 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 flegme 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 Medecines are commended Agaric Aloes with the juice of Sabina and these pilâ— Take Aloes Succotrine three drams the best myrrh one scruple extract of Calamus Aromaticus Carduus Benedictus 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 scruple at evening before supper In the fourth-place by an obstructing the humour by those things which provoke the flowers of which these are most to be commended the decoction of Rosemary with flowers of Cheiri Peny-royal water twice distilled and mingled with Cinamom water Extract of Zedoar 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 Eele Colubrina with the distilled water of Savine and in the fift place by the discussion of the dreggs and relicks that remaine by sudorificks or things that provoke sweat with a potion made of a Chalybeat 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 humors mixed with the blood and coming either from some hot distemper of the womb which dissipates the sharp and subtile humors and leaves behinde 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 subtile humors happen to be dissipated then at the time of the monthly purgation the party affected feeleth a great pain in the loyns and parts adjoyning and if any thing come down it is slimy 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 dyet 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 knwn from the relation of the sick person The blood in this case is to be drawn to the lower parts by Frictions and Baths or from internal causes as fatnes or swelling of the womb or of the lower parts in which case Medecines must be applyed 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 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 secundines 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 principall 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 externall causes as overmuch exercise affrights terrors sadnesse bathes overmuch sweating which do consume the serous quality of the blood or through internall 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 drynesse 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 medecines 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 dayes together drop by drop This happens both from externall causes as over-hard labour c. And sometimes from the drossinesse 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 weaknesse of the retentive faculty there being at that time great plenty thinnesse and serosity of the blood In this case there is no pain Medecines that binde and corroborate the stomack 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 signes of this are gathered from the relation of the sick person who is then much troubled with pain in the head stomack and loyns 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 then married women because the veins of the womb are lesse open in them then in those who have 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 great pain long before the flowers begin to come down The cure of this is performed by attenuating medecines Sometimes from the sharpnesse 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 medecines that temper the sharpnesse 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
have to make water p. 89. of the inflammation of the Almonds of the eares p. 90. of vomiting ibid. of the Hicquet p. 91. of the pain of the belly in children ibid. of the small pox in children p. 92. Certain other instructions grounding upon practicall observations fit to be known by all Midwives and child-bearing women c. p. 95. A Second observation of a Woman that had been in Travail nine dayes p. 99. of a Woman here in Town that bare her Child eleven Moneths and could not be Delivered p. 101. of the common opinion that a woman seven moneths gone ought to walk very much and of the accidents that happen thereby p. 1â—3 of a child which they thought sick of the Epilepsie occasioned by the sicknesse of the Mother and of the cause p. 106. of a young woman who being struck upon the belly by her Husband with his foot was in great pain could not be brought to bed without the help of a Chirurgion p. 108. of two Deliveries of one Woman p. 109. of a Woman that because she would not be ruled in her Lying in died p. 111. of certain Women that bear children and lye in before their time and others at their full time who grow big and full of humors which causeth the death of the child presently after their Delivery their children being nourished in their Bellies like fish only with water p. 113. The observation of a woman who was thought unable to bear any more Children yet contrary to expectation was delivered of one and the reason thereof p. 114. A good observation in the choice of Nurses p. 115. of a Woman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two children proceeding from several causes p. 117. Instruction of a famous and dying Midwife to her Daughter touching the practice of this Art p. 119. The natural forme of a child lying in the womâ— To be sold by N Brooke at the Angel in Cornhil G. F. 〈◊〉 THE COMPLEAT MIDWIFE HER PRACTICE Of the Genitals or vessels dedicated to Generation in Men and Women THe consideration of these things is so necessary for the purpose of this book that they require not onely a deep meditation but the praeeminence to take up the first thoughts of those who would arrive to the knowledg of a thing so much needful to all mankinde And it may be lawfully feared that many women do miss their design because they know nothing but the outside of things so that in matters of extremity because they are ignorant of the structure of the parts they cannot tell how to go about their work We shall therefore begin with an easie Anatomy of the privy parts both of men and women so far as shall be requisite to the gaining of so great a skill In the first place therefore we shall begin with man in whom those things which are called the vessels of preparation are first to be considered CHAP. I. Of the vessel of preparation AMong the Spermatic vessels are to be considered first two veins and two arteries these are carried downward from the small guts to the Testicles and are much bigger in men then they are in women The original of these veines is not alwayes the same for commonly the right vein riseth out of the hollow veine a little below the source or original of the Emulgent but the least takes his original from the lower part of the Emulgent it self Yet sometimes it hath a branch carried to it from the trunk of the hollow vein The middle part of these veines runs directly through the Loyns resting upon the Lumbal Muscle a thin Membrane only intervening and thus having gone about half its journey it branches out and distributes it self to the near adjoyning filmy parts of the body The uttermost part of these vessels is carried beyond the Midriff to the Stones yet do they not pass through the Peritonaeum but descends with a small nerve and the muscle called Cremaster through the Duplicity of the Midriffe when it approaches neer the stones it is joyned with an artery and now these vessels which were before a little severed one from the other are by a film rising from the Peritoneum closed up and bound both together and so twisting up like the young tendrils of a vine they are carried to the end of the stones fig 1. fig 2. CHAP. II. Of the Parastatae or vessels where the bloud is first changed THese four vessels after many ingraftings and knittings together seem at length to become onely two bodies full of little crumplings like the tendril of a vine white and in the form of a Piramid resting the right upon the right stone the left upon the left stone These are called Parastatae which as they stand pierce the tunicles of each stone with certain fibers or extraordinary small veines which afterwards dispearse themselves through the body of those stones The substance of these Parastatae is between that of the stones and that of the preparing vessels for they neither altogether consist of Membranes neither are they altogether Glandulous or kernelly CAAP. III. The use of the preparing vessels THe use of those vessels which are called the vessels of preparation is chiefly to attract out of the hollow vein or left Emulgent the most pure and exquisitely concocted bloud which is most apt to be converted into seed which they contain and prepare giving unto it a certain rude form of seed in those parts that lie as it were in certain pleights or folds which they do by a peculiar property bequeathed to them Another use of them is gathered by their scituation for as they are now scituated that is to say the right vein coming from the hollow vein and the left from the Emulgent this inconvenience is avoided that the left vein is not forced to pass over the great artery and so be in danger of breaking by reason of the swift motion of the artery Moreover there being a necessity that male and female should be begot it is fit that there should be seed proper for the generation of both sexes whereof some must be hotter and some must be colder and therefore nature hath so ordered it that the hotter seed should proceed from the right vein for the generation of man and the colder from the left for the generation of females The left vein hath also this property to draw from the Emulgent the more serous and less pure bloud to the intent that the serous humour might stir up venery by its salt and acrimonius substance and therefore it is observed that those who have the left stone bigger are most full of seed and most prone to venery The use of the Parastatae is this to contain the bloud and stay it in their windings and wrinkled bodies and by power received from the stones to change the colour of the bloud CHAP IV. Of the Testicles in general THe stones are in number two very seldome
they obtaine from an inbred qualitie which nature hath bestowed upon them For the bloud being received by the spermatic vessels and there beginning to change it's colour is by and by received by the deferent vessels or the vessels which carry the bloud 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 onely efficient causes of the seed is not here to be disputed being onely a nice point and no way profitable we shall rather with silence adhere to that opinion which affirmes the function of the testicles to be the generation of the seed which is the most likely and proceed to the next CHAP. IX Concerning the Vtilitie of the Testicles and their parts THe structure of the Testicles being thus known It remaines that wee shew you their use This is first discovered from their situation For of those creatures that have stones some have them in their bodyes as all Fowl others have them without though not pendent others have them hanging downward as men Men therefore have their Testicles without their bodys for two causes first because it is required that the Testicles of the male should be bigger and hotter then those of the female so that it were impossibe for them to be contained with 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 then could be contained in the Testicles were they placed within the body for the seminarie passages must have bin less and the veines themselves would not have afforded such plentie of matter as now they doe The motion of the Testicles is also to be considered by which they move somtimes upward and somtimes 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 happening without the laxitie of the muscles the Testicles through their own weight falling downwards These muscles are called Cremasteres their use being to draw up the Testicles to shorten the way for 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 Latines 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 coates or tunicles 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 veines 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 east forth the seed THat passage which comes from the head of the testicles to the root of the yard is called the Ejaculatorie vessel This as I said before rises from the head of the testicles and joyning downward to the testicle descends to the bottome and thence being reflexed again and annext to the preparing vessel it returns againe to the head of the testicle from thence it proceeds upward from the Testicle till it touch the bone of the small guts still keeping close to the preparing vessel till it pierce the production of the Hypogastrium Thence tending downward through the hollowness of the hip it slydes between the bladder and the streight gut till it reach the glandulous Prostatae or forestanders and fix it self at the foot or root of the yard and there end It is not all one at the beginning and at the end for at the beginning while it remains among the tunicles of the testicles it is full of windings and turnings neer the end it hath many little bladders like to warts Now we must understand that these seminarie vessels doe not onely containe the seed but they perfit and concoct it having a seminifie or seed-making qualitie which they borrow from the Testicles There are other uses of these seminary vessels for neer the original of this vessel that is to say the head of the testicles many small passages or as it were conduit-pipes do stretch themselves forward into the body of the testicle into which the genital seed that remaines is remitted and also drawn or sucked from those passages this seminarie passage is at length wound above the testicles adjoyning all along but no where incorporated into the body of the Testicle unless at the bottom in which place it is thought that the seed doth again insinuate it self into the testicles through those hollow fibres being thence propagated and continually making supply to the stones It is to be noted also that these vessels while they move to the Root of the yard do not go by streigth passages which would be then very short but by crooked windings and turnings make the passages as long as may be that they may have longer time to containe and prepare the seed CHAP. XI Of the Seminarie bladders AT the end of the deferent vessels on both sides are certain little bladders knit and joyned together and placed between the bladder and the right gut the last of which together which the seminarie vessels is terminated in the prostatae or forestanders by a little channel These bladders have two several uses for they doe not only striengthen the seminarie vessels where they end but also seem to be the stores and magazines of the seed They are many that every time a man uses the act of venerie he may have a new supply of matter from these several vesicles Thus that which is next the yard being first disburdened the second is the next time emptied and so till all the store is spent and were it not for these vesicles a man could not lye which a woman more then once In these vessels such is the propensitie of nature to propagate let the body be never so much emaciated there is always found a lesser or greater quantitie of seed They are hollow and round to containe a greater quantitie of seed they are also full of membranes that they may be contracted or extended as the plenty of seed requires they are crooked and full of windings and turnings that the seed contained may not easily slip out CHAP.
from the place where it begins to the end of the spermatick vessels and the neck of the blader and the warty forestanders where There arises a thin and tender membrane which the Chirurgions ought to take a great deale of care least they break while they thrust their siringes toward those parts It is endued with an exquisite sense to stir up pleasure and venereal desire As to tbe substance of the Glans The use of the Glans it is the same with that of the yard only it is not envelop'd with any nervous body For this ought to be repleted and increased but not hardened lest it should injure the bone of the womb by rubbing too hard upon it The figure of the Glans is such that at the top where it is most acute it hath a hole for the issuing forth both of seed and Urine which part coming to the mouth of the wombe casts the seed into that concavitie at which time the neck of the wombe with her overthwart fibres seems to take hold and embrace the glans and that it might take the better hold nature hath framed a round Circle at the bottom of the yard for that purpose with a convenient jeting out round about from the body of the yard by the benefit of which circle the seed is kept in the womb and not suffered to flye out Lastly the Glans is so constituted as if all the actions of the yard consisted in the Glans whether in the act of erection or copulation or as to the pleasure which a man perceives that lies all in this place SECT II. CHAP. I. Of the Genitals of Women AT the lower part of the belly appears the pubes or the region of the hair Under this place are as it were lips of flesh which in women that are ripe for man are clad with hair at the upper part because of the heat and moisture of the place and this part is that which is most properly called the privy member being the exteriour orifice into which the yard of the man enters In the middle it hath a cleft on both sides of which are two fleshy protuberances beset with hair being two soft oblong bodies composed of skin and a spungy kind of flesh CHAP. II. Of those parts called Mymphs and Clytoris THe Nymphae or wings are a membraine or filmy substance soft and spungy and partly fleshy they are of a ruddy colour like the comb of a Cock under his throat they are two in number though in the beginning they are joyned together by an acute Angle where they produce a carneous substance like the preputium which cloaths the Clytoris Sometimes these wings so far encrease that there is many times need of incision a disease common among the Egyptians The Clytoris The Clytoris is a certain substance in the upper part of the great cleft where the two wings concur This in women is the seat of venereal pleasure It is like the yard in scituation substance composition and erection and hath something correspondent both to the prepuce and to the glans in men Sometimes it grows out to the bigness of the yard so that it hath been observed to grow out of the body the breadth of four fingers This Clytoris consists of two spungie and sinewy bodies having a distinct original from the bone of the pubes The head of this is covered with a most tender skin and hath a hole like the glans though not quite through in which and in the bigness it differs only from the yard CHAP. IV. Of the fleshie knobs and the greater neck of the womb PRresently behinde the wings before we go far inward in the middle of the cleft there do appear four knobs of flesh being placed in a quadrangular form one against the other they are said to resemble Myrtle berries in form In this place is inserted the orifice of the bladder which opens it self into the fissure to cast forth the Urine into the common channel Now lest any cold air or dust or any such thing should enter into the bladder after the voiding of the Urine one of these knobs is seated so that it shuts the urinary passage The second is right opposite to the first the other two collateral They are round in virgins but they hang flaging when virginity is lost The lipps of the womb being gently separated the neck of the womb is to be seen The neck of the womb in which two things are to be observed the neck it selfe or the Channel and the Hymen which is there placed by the neck of the womb is understood the Channel which is between the said knobs and the inner bone of the womb which receives the yard like a sheath the substance The substance of it is sinewie and a little spungie that it may be dilated In this concavitie there are certaine folds or orbicular pleights these are made by a certain tunicle so wrinkled as if a man should fold the skin with his fingers In virgins they are plaine in women with often copulation they are oftentimes worn out sometimes they are wholy worn out the inner side of the neck appeares smooth as it happens to whores and women that have often brought forth or have bin over troubled with their fluxes In old women it becomes more hard and grisly Now though this channel be somthing writhed and crooked when it falls and sinkes downe yet in time of the flowers and copulation or in time of travel it is erected and extended and this over-great extension in women that bring forth is the cause of that great pain in child-bed CHAP. V. Of the Hymen THe Hymen The Hymen is a membrane not altogether without blood neither so tender as the rest but more ruddie and scattered up and downe with little veins in a circular form it is placed overthwart and shuts up the cavity of the neck of the womb In the middle it hath a little hole through which the menses are voided This at the first time of copulation is broken which causes some pain and gushing forth of some quantity of blood which is an evident sign of virginitie for if the blood do not flow there is a suspition of a former deflowring CHAP. VI. Of the vessels that run through the neck of the womb BEtween the Duplicitie of the two tunicles that constitute the neck of the womb there are many veines and arteries that run a long arising from those vessels that descend on both sides to the thighs and are inserted into the side of the neck of the womb the great quantity and bigness of them deserves admiration The cause of the largness of the vessels for they are much bigger then the nature and openness of the place seems to require The cause of this is two fold first because it being requisite for the neck of the bladder to be fil'd with abundance of spirits to be extended and dilated for the
better taking hold of the yard there is required a great heat for these kind of motions which growing more intense by the act of frication doth consume a great quantitie of moisture so that great vessels are requisite and onely able to make that continual supply that is needfull There is another cause of the longness of these vessels which is this because that the monthly purgations are poured through those veines for the flowers must not come onely out of the womb but out of the neck of the womb also whence it happens Note that women with child do somtimes continue their purgations because that though the wombe be shut up yet the passages in the neck of the womb are open The two holes or pits near the lips of the pudendum This is also further to be noted in the neck of the womb that as soone as ever your sight is entered within the female fissure there do appeare to the view two certaine little holes or pits where in is contained a serous humor which being pressed out in the act of copulation doe not a little add to the pleasure thereof This is the humor with which women doe moisten the top of a mans yard not the seed but a humor proper to the place voided out by the womb CHAP. VII Of the fabrick of the womb TO the neck of the womb the wombe it self is adjoyned in the lower part of the Hypogastrion where the Hips are widest and broadest which are greater and broader thereabouts then those of men which is the reason also that they have broader buttockes then men have The womb The womb is placed between the bladder and the straight Gut being joyned to the bladder and leaning upon the streight Gut where it lies as between two cushions this situation of the wombe was fittest that so it might have libertie to be stretched or contracted according to the biggness of the fruit contained in it The figure The figure of the wombe is round and not unlike a Gourd that lessens and growes more acute at the one end the bottome of the womb is knit together by Ligaments of its own which are peculiar The neck of the womb is joyned by its own substance and by certaine membranes to the share bone and the sacred bone As to the bigness The bigness of it that varies according to the age constitution of the body and use of venerie For it is much greater in women that have brought forth then in those that are with child and after the birth for the most part it exceeds the bigness of the bladder but in virgins it is for the most part equal to the bladder It is of a substance so thick as that it exceeds a thumbs bredth in thickness which after conception is so far from decreasing that it increases still to a greater bulk and proportion This substance the more to confirme it is interweaved with all manner of fibres The fibres streight oblique and overthwart The Vessels of the womb are Veins The veins Arteries and Nerves There are two little veines which are carried from the spermatick vessels to the bottom of the wombe and two greater from the Hypogastricks which go not onely to the bottom but to the neck The mouth of these veines pierce as farr as the inward concavitie in which place the extremities of them are called Acetabula which in the time of the flowers gape and open themselves by reason of the great plenty and stream of bloud that powres it selfe from thence and therefore they are at that time most conspicuous In women with Child that which is called the Liver of the wombe is joyned to them that it might draw blood for the nourishment of the child at which time these veins doe so swell but especially in the time of neer deliverie that they are as bigg as the Emulgent veines or at least half as thick as the Hollow veines It hath two Arteries The Arteries on both sides the Spermatick and the Hypogastrick which every where doe accompany the veines The womb hath also divers little Nerves knit together in forme of a net which are carried not only to the interior part of the bottom of the womb but also to the neck and as far as the privities themselves and that cheifly for sence and pleasure for which cause there is a great sympathy between the womb and the head This is also further to be noted Note 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 joyned to the bone it self so that it somtimes happens that through those holes of the Peritonaeum which give passage to these ligaments being loosned either the Omentum or Call or the Entrailes doe swell outwardly and cause the burstness either of the Caule or of the Guts and sometimes it happens by reason of the loosnes of those ligaments that the womb is moved with such a force that it falls down and in the act of Copulation is moved up and downe somtimes it moves upward that some women doe affirme that it ascends as high as their stomach Now though the womb be one continued body yet is it divided into the mouth and the bottom The bottom of the womb is called all that which by still assending 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 entrailes 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 selfe orbicular and round the Circumference very thick and of an exquisite feeling and if this mouth be out of order and be troubled with schirrus 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 moistened may be the more easily opened For in the deliverie 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. VI. Of the preparing vessels in women THe spermatick preparing vessels The vessels are two veins and two arteries differing not at all from those of men either in their 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 trunk of the hollow vein descending the left from the left Emulgent There are two arteries The Arteries also on both sides one which grows from the Aorta these both
bring vital bloud 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 wrinkled they are much more wreathed and contorted then in men for the way being shorter in women then in men nature required that for stretching out of these vessels that they should be more wrinkled and crankled then in men that the bloud might stay there in greater quantity for the preparation of the seed These vessels The insertion of the 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 varicous or winding body and those wonderful inoculations 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 bottome 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 peritoneum neither make they such passages as in men neither reach they to the share bone CHAP. VII 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 scituation Their scituation 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 Loynes and this for that cause that they might be more hot and fruitful being to elaborate that matter which with the seed of man engenders man In this place arises a question not trivial A doubt 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 that it receives the perfection of that power from the seed of man The stones of women differ from mens also as to their figure 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 kernels were mixed together There is also another difference as to the subject because they are softer and moister then those of men being more loose and ill compacted The bigness and temper Their magnitude and temperament do also make a difference for the stones of women are much colder and lesser then mens which is the reason that they beget a more 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 cloth'd over with the Peritoneum CHAP. VIII Of the deferent or ejaculatory vessels THe deferent vessels are two blind passages on both sides one nothing differing in substance from the spermatick veines They rise in one part from the bottom of the womb neither doe they reach from their other extremitie either to the stone or to any other part but are shut up and unpassable adhering to the womb just as the the blind gut adheres to the Colon but winding halfe way about the stones are every waies remote from them no where touching them onely are tied to them with certaine membranes not unlike the winges of Bats through which certaine veines and arteries being produced from the stones doe run and end in these passages where they begin at the bottom of the womb they are hollow and large but as they proceed further on they grow narrower till near their end they do again obtain a larger bigness these two passages thus running from the corners of the womb to the stones are taken only to be certaine ligaments by which the stones and the womb are strongly knit together and these ligaments in women are the same things with the Cremasteres in men CHAP. IX Of the Actions and Uses of the Genital parts in Women IN the privie part are seen the Pubes the mountaines of veins the two lipps the Orifice under which the two wings lye hid the little knobs of flesh resembling myrtle berries the passages of the Urin and the Clytories 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 avoyd compression in copulation for which cause they are beset with haire and are covered with a hard kind of fat the great orifice receives the yard and gives passage to the Urine and the birth The use of the wings or knobs of flesh like Myrtle berries are for the defence of the internall parts shutting the orifice of the neck least cold aire 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 unvoluntarie passage of the Urine CHAP. X. 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. XI 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 repleated with spirit and vital bloud 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. XII 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 bloud and spirits which are contained in these vessels besides although the fubstance 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
let her be brought to the bed and anointed with this oyntment Take oyle of sweet Almonds Hens fatt Oyle of Lillies Muscilage of Althoea of each halfe an ounce Mingle all these with as much wax as is sufficient and make an oyntment This being done give her this little doss Take two yolkes of egges and boyle them in ould wine then mix with them these spices Cinamon half an ounce rind of Cassia two drams or you may leave out the Cassia and instead thereof put in the more Cinnamon saffron halfe ascruple Savine Betonie Venus-haire Dittanie Fenugreeke Lawrel berries Mint of each one dram The bone of the heart of a Hart Pearles prepared Mingle all these with sugar and make a thick pouder and give it If the secondine come before the child and hinder the egress of the child it is to be cut of and this following pessarie to be put up Take Marsh-mallows with the rootes two hand fulls Mother wort one handfull Rue one ounce and a half Fenugreek Line-seed of each an ounce ten figgs make of these a decoction with as much water as is sufficient and when you have streined it add this to it Oyle of Lillies oyle of Line of each two ounces Musk one graine In this decoction let the pessary be dipt and put up she may afterwards use this electuarie ℞ Take Myrrh Castor Calamum Arom of each two dramms Cinamon one ounce saffron halfe a scruple Mace Savin of eace a scruple clarified hony halfe a pound you may also make an electuary with the water of Thyme and mother worte wherein have bin boyled Fenu-greek Line-seed Graines of Iuniper of each one spoonful Now after that the woman hath bin weakned with these impediments you may give her in broth species Loetificans or Manus Christi or Diamargaritont CHAP. XXVII How the secondines are to be hastened out THe secondines afore that the Infant is born may be many ways hindred first by the debilitie or weaknes of the Matrix which happens by the frequent motion and endeavouring of the Infant as also by reason of the difficultie of the birth or by reason that the womb doth not continue distended or because it is many times streightened by which the womb is so weakned that by its own force it is not able to expell the secondines Besides the secondines may inwardly stick close to the womb which happens many times through the abundance of superfluous humors that are retained in the matrix by reason of which Glutinous humors the secondines stick to the Matrix These are noe way else to be pulled away but by the hand of the midwife Thirdly the secondines are hard to come away if all the waters come away with the Infant for then the secondines being left without moisture cannot come away by reason of the drines of the womb besides that the Matrix and the neck of the womb are rougher by reason of the driness therof for these waters render the way slipperie and easie both for the infant and for the secondines which being slipped away the womb is to be anoynted with juices and oyles Fourthly when the mouth of the Matrix by reason of the paines of child-bearing swells as often happens unless there be a provident care taken to prevent it Fiftly when the neck of the Matrix is streighter and more close and for that reason fat women travaile with much more difficultie Therefore when the secondines doe make any extraordinary stay the Midwife is to use all her endeavour to make way for them for that retention causes suffocation and divers other evils for being long detained they putrifie and cause an evil smell which ascending up to the heart liver stomach diaphragma and so to the brain cause pains in the head and lungs shortness of breath faintness cold sweats so that there is great danger and also Apoplexies and Epilepsies are not a little to be feared Now in all the time of their stay the women are to be refreshed with convenient food to add strength to them giving them sometimes the yolks of eggs boyled in old wine with Sugar and sprinkled over with Saffron and Cinamon or some broth made of Capon or Hen seasoned with Cinamon and Saffron It may not be amiss to make certain perfumes for the woman to receive up into her womb made of Saffron Castor Myrrh annd Cinamon of each the quantity of a bean and care must be had that the fume pass no further then the Matrix and this may be done till the fume of these spices shall cease After this a little sneezing-pouder is to be put into her nostrils composed of Hellebore or such like the woman shutting her mouth hard and keeping her breath If these things prevail not give her this following potion ℞ Trochisch of Myrrh ʒ j ten grains of Saffron one scruple of Cinamon Peny-royal two ounces make of this one draught and give her after she hath taken this and rested a little while let a pessary of Hellebore and Opoponax wrapt up in pure wool be thrust up into the neck of the womb This will certainly bring down the seconds for it is of so great vertue that it is efficacious in expelling the child which is dead together with the seconds Take Mallows Hollihock Wormwood Mugwort Calamint Origanum an M. j. make a bath and let her sit therein up to the navel and stroke ever downwards with her hands and give her inwardly Myrrh ℈ i j. Cinamon pouder'd in Nutmeg-water or wine or drink Calamint or Penyroyal in wine Neither will it be amiss to anoint the Matrix with the oyntment called Basilicon if this doth nothing avail toward the bringing down of the seconds and that the woman is in great danger of her life then with the consent of her husband and kinred give her seven of the following Pils which being taken let her lie still till the vertue of them do provoke new pains for they are of so great vertue also that they do expel the dead child together with the secondines yet herein it will not be amiss to consult the skilful Physician The Pills are these ℞ Of Castor Myrrh Liquid storax of each a scruple the bark of Cinamon or Cassia and Birthwort of each half a scruple Agaric half an ounce Diagridion six grains Saffron Siler of the mountain Savin of each three graines Thebaic Opium Assa faetida of each one grain mingle all these with as much extracted Cassia as is sufficient and make of them certain Pils as big as pease and give them to the woman in a small quantity of Peny-royal-water It may be also expedient to apply this ensuing plaster ℞ one part of Coloquintida boyled in water and as much of the juce of Rue with these mingle Line-seed Fenugreek Barley of meal of each a spoonful let them all boyl together and the plaster made of these must be laid upon all that part from the navel to the privities CHAP. XXVIII Of Cases of Extremity
it is often seen that children do partake more of the conditions of the Nurse then the Mother and therefore care must be taken that the Nurse be good conditioned good teeth brown hair of a healthy generation that neither she nor her husband may have had the French disease that she be not peevish nor cholerick that she have milk in abundance and a good fleshy breast that her breast be not over-fleshy that she be not too fat and above all that she be not of too amorous a humour and desirous to be with her husband for that is perfect venome to the milk What is to be done in the extream pains of the childe IF a child have extream throws presently after it be born you must rub it with Pelitory and fresh butter or Spinach or else with Hogs grease and apply it upon the navel having first a great care that it be not too hot Or else make a little cake of eggs and oyl of nuts and apply in the very same place if this avail not give it a little Glyster of milk the yolke of an egge and a little Sugar this easeth the pain of the intestines What is to be done with those children that are troubled with flegme THere are some children born of ill constitution'd women or else of women that have not used good nourishment in the time of their being with child who are very full of flegme these you must lay upon one side and sometimes upon the other for if you lay them upon their backs you may perchance choak them you must be sure to keep their bellies soluble causing them to void that bloud kept in the entrails from the time of their being in the womb by giving it a little suppository of black soap well rubbed in fresh butter to take away the Acrimony of it then give it a spoonful of syrrup of violets this causes the flegm to pass down if you perceive that the Infant hath not much heat you may mix with it half the quantity of oyl of sweet Almonds and half of the syrrup of violets and continue it stroaking the stomach and the belly of the Infant with fresh butter every time that they undress him That which ought to he done to children that have their cods full of wind VVHen Infants have their cods full of wind ye must examin whether it be with wind or water if it be water by rubbing and chafing the skin with fresh butter the waters will sweat out if it be wind the children must be stirred and swung gently mingling in their drinke the decoction of aniseeds How to take away the canker from the mouths of Infants THere have been known certaine children which have been nourished with cold milk which hath bin thick and in great quantity which a few days after its birth hath heated the mouth of the infant in such a fashion that it caused a white canker which presently possessed the tongue palate the gums the throat and all the mouth whereupon it was taken with a fever and it could no longer suck all the assistance that could be was still applyed and when no other medicine did avayle there was found one a particular remedie which was half a handfull of sage a handfull of cherveil brused a little and boyled in a sufficient quantitie of water a bout a dozen seethings to which you must add a spoonfull of vinegre when you have streined it you must put to it an ounce of mel rosatum then you must have a little hooked stick with a little peice of scarlet tyed at the end then putting the water in a sawcer dip the end of the stick where the scarlet is tyed and then rub the place affected gently and you shall find the cancer to asswage by little and a little What is to be done to children whose intestines are fallen THere are a great many infants whose great gut fals which is a thing very easily remedyed at the beginning and therfore you must put it up againe first lay the child with his head lowermost then you must have a thick cushion soaked in smiths water then you must have an emplaister made of the roots of great Consound scraped and put upon it as an oyntment then looking to it every day taking care that it crie but little and never unbind him but as hee lyes lest the gut tumble down againe and so the cure be delayed as the child grows big the hole lessens and the Intestine grows big This is an experienced way To make an oyntment to strengthen the thighs and leggs of a child and make him goe TAke Sage Marjoram Dwarfe Elder-bruise them a good while together till you have beaten out a good deale of juice then put it into a glass viol till it be full and stop up the hole with past and round the sides also put the said past put it then in an oven to bake as long as a good bigg loafe then draw it forth and suffer it to coole then breake the past which is round the viol breake the bottle and keep up that which is with in which you shall find turnd to an oyntment and when you would use it you must add to it some of the marrow of the hoofe of an oxe melting it all together and when you have so done you must rub the hinder part of the leggs and thighs of the child This hath been done to a child whom a famous Physitian after three yeares having in hand gave over saying that it would never goe Of the relaxations of the Matrix and the cause There are many causes of the relaxation of the Matrix the one proceeding from great fluxes which fal down upon the ligaments thereof causing them to wax loose Others come to this disease by some falls others by reason of carring in their womb too great burdens others by streining themselves in travaile before their time and because the orifice of the womb is not open somtimes and very often by reason of the midwifes who putting up their hands into the womb teare downe they know not what which is often times apart of the Matrix to the bottom of which the secondines adhere drawing down part of the womb which they take to be the secondines which is often times brought also to a worse condition when the unskilfull women force her to the remedies for bringing down the secondines as holding baysalt in her hand streining to vomit and the like For remedie wherof all these relaxation of the Matrix by the same remedies except those which are occasioned by strong fluxes for in this case other remedies are not sufficient being that you are to take away the cause of those defluxions before you can proceed to the cure of the relaxation Among the rest I will relate one that hath been found very profitable and experienced which is this astringent Take Gall nuts Cypress nuts and Pomegranate flowers Roche Alum of each two ounces Province Roses four ounces
which proceeds of thick flegme or else of a thick mattrie blood hardned under the skin they are caused many times by the detention of the flowers the bloud often times mounting up into the breast The cure of these is undertaken two waies by softning the hard tumor and preventing the Canker and then also a strict diet is to be observed which must be moderately attenuating by keeping themselves warm which is performed by moderate exercise before meales as also by using sulphury bathes but ful Diet ease idleness and meats of hard digestion are very dangerous and indeed in all respects beside the cure is the same as is set down in the foregoing Chapter But if the kernel be swelled up with a sharp humour those topicks are to be used that are prescribed also in the foregoing Chapter onely in case the fluxion remain any time you may mingle those things which do a little more refresh such are oyl of Roses and oyl of violets When the flux of humours ceases you may then add oyl of Camomil and Lillies and other such like things to dissolve and dissipate the humor If you find that this kernel is become a kind of Kings Evil you must then use stronger Medecines adding to the forementioned purgation a dram and a half of the root of Mechoacan or three drams of Diaturbith For topicks you may use such as do soften and dispel but such as are stronger then these we have expressed in the former Chapter You must at length when all other waies do fail use the operation of the hand to take away the root of the disease but this is not to be done til you have used all other means to soften and dispel the humour which may perhaps be done by the use of Diachylon or by a plaister of Melilot to which you may adde halfe an ounce of Ammoniack an ounce of Oyl of Lillies and an ounce and a half of the root of Flower deluce of Florence neither may this following Plaister be amiss Take of the roots of Althea two ounces boile them and straine them and add to that oyl of Lillies Ganders grease of each an ounce burnt lead and roots of Iris of each an ounce and a half mingle all these together and make of them an Emplaster if this avail not the operation of the hand must be used in which the skil of the Chirurgion 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 grosse blood or else from a thick flegme now this exquisite Scirrhus is without paine in which it differs from the other The other is not so exquisite an hardnes perhaps because it is not yet come to its ful maturity or else because it hath certain other humours mixt with it This exquisite kinde 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 suppression of the courses which causes the feculent and grosse humor to disgorge it self upon the breasts gathering together in the Veins and flesh of the same Many times the ignorance of the Chirurgion 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 hardnesse without pain from the unevennesse 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 wayes 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 reare egges pullets capons partridge veale and mutton which must be boyled with Spinage Bugloss and Borage she must abstain from Beefe Venison Hares flesh and Brawn from Pease and Beans and unleavened bread from all salt and smoked meats as also from all things that have a sharp biting quality also she must abstain from all care 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 hors-leeches in the next place it will not be amisse to purge well with Sene and Rheubarb to which you may adde Catholicon or Triphera Persica if you find that the disease needs a more strong purgation Between every purge it will not be amisse to take good cordiall 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 moderatly 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 oyle of sweet Almonds oyle of Camomil oyle of Dill Capons grease Goose grease Hogs grease Bears grease c. Veale marrow Dears marrow emulsions of Mallows Lillies and other things of more force as liquid pitch liquid Storax Galbanum Cumin seed Rue seed Broom flowers and Dill seed If this swelling come of a hard flegme which is known because it yeelds 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 halfe of Fenugreek and Lineseed of each two drams Cucumbers Bears foot of each two ounces boyle them in as much water as is sufficient and foment the breast with this twice or thrice a day After that take this ointment take of the root of Mallows one ounce when it is boyled 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 dayes 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 boyl them in as much wine and vinegar as is sufficient til halfe be boyld away then take of the aforesaid vinegar Goose grease Ducks grease and the marrow of the leg of a Hart of each two ounces boyl 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 faile the operation of the hand must be the last succour which we leave to the Chirurgion Of the Canker in the Breasts THe Canker is a venemous tumour hard and very much sweld hot and durable more exasperated oftentimes by remedies then asswaged The Canker proceeds from a feculent and grosse humour vvhich being gathered together in the spleen is chased away from thence after it growes too hot vvhich vvhen Nature cannot void it most commonly in Women empties it self upon the breast by reason of this cavernous and spongy nature the matter of it is a hot melancholy blood and it is known by the crooked vvinding and retorted veins that are about it stretching out long roots a good vvay from it being sometimes blackish and sometimes inclined to black and blew It is soft to see to but it is very hard to the touch extending the pain as far as the shoulders It wil sometimes remain for two years together no bigger then a bean afterwards it grows to be as big as a nut then to the bigness of an Egg and after that increasing daily to a larger size When the skin breaks there issues out a great deal of pestilent mattier thin and blackish and having a very bad smel The ulcer it self is very unequal the lips orifice thereof being sweld with hardness and inverted a light fever possesseth the body and often swoonings And many times the pestilencie of the humor having corroded a vein there issues out a great deal of blood If the canker be ulcerated or in any inward part of the body no medicine can prevail for remedies do more exasperate then help it To burn it with iron is pestilent and if it be cut with a penknife it returns again as soon as it is but skind over But if it be an exulcerated canker which is easily known arises from a more sharp matter for then the flesh is corrupted sending forth a very noysom mattier being very irksom to the sight and accompanied with a gentle Fever and swooning and issuing out of blood The cure of this is to be done by drying refrigerating medicines or by incision to the quick expression of the corrupted blood afterwards after which the wound must be wel cleansed for which purpose the powder which is called Hartmans blessed powder is very prevalent The diet must be of meats that moisten refrigerate blood-letting also is profitable as also preparatiō of the humor w th the juice of sweet smelling Apples and extract of Ellebore and often purgation with Lapis Lazuli pills and particularly if the Canker be not ulcerated you may apply this ointment Take Litharge one ounce beat it in a marble mortar with a leaden pestle incorporating into it two ounces of Rose water and oyle of Roses In case the pain be great use this remedy Take white poppy-seed one ounce oyle of Roses four ounces Henbane-seed and Opium of each a dram and a halfe gum Arabick halfe an ounce a little wax of which you may make an ointment If the Canker be already ulcerated take this water Take of the juices of Nightshade Housleek Sorrell Scabious Honysuckles Mullein Figwort dropwort Plantain Linarum Agrimony of each halfe a pound juyce of green Olives one pint the flesh of Frogs and river Crabs of each a pound and a half the whites of six Eggs Alum three ounces Camphire one dram let all these be distilled in a leaden Limbeck with the distilled water foment the part affected Take also Alum as much as a Nut Hony two peny worth red wine a pint seeth them together till the fifth part be spent strein it through a cloth and wash the Canker therewith Of the greatness of the Breasts THe greatness of the breasts is very unsightly the cause of their greatness is often handling of them store of windy vapours and retention of the monthly courses the cure of them is not to be neglected because the lesser the breasts be the less subject they are to be cankered they are cured by diet first wherein the use of astringent meats is to be recommended so that they be not windy by repercussion of the humors and bloud which flow to that part such are the juice of hemlock and the anointing of the place with partridge eggs or you may use this following cataplasm Take of the juice of hemlock three ounces of white lead Acacia and Frankincense of each three drams of Vinegar one ounce mingle all these together to which you may add powder of spunge burnt alum burnt lead Bole Armoniack and of these with a sufficient quantity of wax and myrtle make a very profitable ointment Thirdly by the discussion of that which is gathered together in that part for which purpose you may make an ointment in this manner Take of the mood or lome found in molis Tonsorum two ounces oyl of myrtle one ounce Vinegar half an ounce or thus take of the same lome and Bole Armoniack of each an ounce white lead two drams oyl of mastick two ounces and a halfe of the emulsion of henbane-seed one dram and a halfe anoint the breast with this and then upon that put a linen cloth dipt in the decoction of Oke Apples 4ly By compression of the part which is done by using a kind of plate of lead upon the breast anointed within side with oyle 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 intemperancie 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 chrystal the leaves also root and seed of Fenel 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 blood 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 humor and diversion to which blood-letting conduceth much Medicines also that drive it back are to be put upon the breasts toward the arms to which purpose Hemlock boyld in Chervile water and vinegar avails Curdling of the milk is when the thinner part of the milk exhales and the more grosse and heavy part stayes behinde which many
times is the cause of tumors kernels and Apostems 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 hindered 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 Oyl of Roses Oyl 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 Clitoris or nervous peece of flesh which the lips or wings of the privities do imbrace and which suffers erection in the act of venery the signes of it are evident for it hangs below the orifice of the privity as bigg 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 bloud and drawing out of the other humors A slender and refrigerating dyet 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 applyed as Alum and the Aegyptiac oyntment and that lye whereof sope is made being boyled 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 fleshieexcrescence at length the flesh is to be cut 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 fils up the privy parts and sometimes thrusts it self outwards like a tayl The cure of this is the same with the former onely 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 sublimate 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 signes are the stoppage of the Courses followed with a depressing and weighty paine 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 then ordinary lies upon the neck of the Womb. Sometimes the splaying of the thighs stone in the bladder or some tumor in the streight 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 feare 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 occasioned 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 brawnie substance which is to be cut away with a penknife or else some spungie luxuriant flesh in which case drying and discussing Medecines are to be used as Birthwort Frankincense Myrrh and Mastick afterwards you may apply things to eat it away and last of all to cut it away by incision Of Wheals condylomas of the Womb and of the Hemorrhoids THe Wheals of the VVomb are certaine risings in the neck of the womb which by their acrimony excite both paine and itching The signes of them are an itching paine and fall of scurf from that part for the better searching of which the instrument called speculum Matricis is to be used The cause of this are certain cholerick sharp and adust humors and thick which falling upon these moist and loose places do there easily make their way The cure depends upon the consideration of the causes Among the preparing Medecines syrup of Fumitory is much commended and Cichorie with a decoction of Lupines Topicks also are useful that discuss and mitigate the humor 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 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 flowr 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 Condylomas are certaine swelling wrinkles in the neck of the Womb with pain and heat There is no need to tel the signes of these for they are apparent to the eye the wrinkles are like those which appear in the hand when you close the fist but are much bigger when the courses flow they are caused by adust and thick humors some of these are with an inflamation which have more paine and heat and the swelling is hard In the cure of which you must use insessions and fomentations that ease paine sometimes they come without any inflammatiō which if they be new come are to be dryed up if they be old they are first to be softned afterwards to be digested and dryed up for which purpose you may use powder of Egg-shels burnt or this Ointment Take of the Trochisques of steel one dram powderd mixt with a little Oyl of Roses and wax with half an ounce of the juice 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 VVomb are little protuberances 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 signes 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 bloud 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 humor first by letting blood in the arm secondly by drawing it to another part as by letting blood in the heel Sometimes these Hemmorrhoids are very painful and are distinguishd from that menstruous effuxion by the pain which they bring they are cured by mitigating and asswaging insessions as also by opiates carefully applyed Others are without pain to which the foresaid Remedies may be applied Others are open and do sometimes run moderately and then nature is to be let alone or violently 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 Myrobalans Tamarinds and Rheubarb and at length you must apply those things which cease the blood Others are termed blinde 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 humor such are an Ointment made of the pith of Colocynthis and Oyl of sweet Almonds or the juice of Capers mixt with Aloes neither is the applying of Hors-leeches amiss Of the Vlcers of the neck of the Womb. THe signes of these Ulcers is a paine and perpetual twinging which increases if any thing that hath an abstersive quality be cast in the issuing out of putrid humors and mattier with blood if the Ulcer be great or the flowers come down often making water and the water hot as also a paine in the fore part of the head toward the roots of the eyes as also some kinde 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 paine Chalybeated milk is very much conducing 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 labour and violent coiture or from internal causes as the corruption of the secundines the courses reteined and the uterine flux a virulent Gonorrhea the pox inflammations turned into Apostemes 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 medecines others deep and must be come at only with injection for which purpose use this following Take whites of four Eggs beat them wel and put to them an equal quantity of Rosewater and Plantain-water as much in quantity as they come to Camphire Ceruse Litharge of gold and Bole Armoniack of each a little quantity green Copperas half as much as of any of them beat all to powder mix it and strein it through a cloth and make your injection til the part affected be whole and if there be any paine sometimes inject a little new warm milk Others are more gentle with a little stinking mattier flowing from them For the cure of which gentle abstersives are profitable as hony of Roses with Barly-water whey with sugar and the decoction of Lentils after these gentle astringents must be applied Others are sordid with much mattier flowing from them In which case stronger medecines must be appli'd Others do eat into the flesh having a colour'd green stinking mattier flowing from them For the cleansing of which Aloes and wormwood are very much commended or the foresaid injection There are another sort of ulcers little and long which eat the skin of the neck of the womb they are known by the pain and blood which they produce immediatly after congression they are seen also by looking into the neck of the womb being much like Childblains that come upon the hands in Winter-time They are caused divers wayes either by a difficult lying in or by a violent coiture and cured by an astringent Clyster or they are produced by some inflammation or Flux of sharp humors purgations are here needfull before Topicks be applied among which is much commended the grease that fries out of wooden ladles much used in Kitchins being held to the fire as also the ointment called Pomada Of the diseases of the Womb. Of the Womb being out of temper THe intemperance of the womb is when it hath lost its natural temper and is affected with a preternatural intemperancy arising both from inward and outward causes The one of these is hot and is known by the womans pronenesse to Venery by the small Flux of the monethly courses by their adustnesse sharpness inordinate and difficult flux Hence in processe of time they are very hypochondriack by early growing of the hairs about the privities by rednesse of the face and dryness of the lips and frequent pains of the head and abundance of cholerick humors in the body it ariseth either at first from the birth which causes women to be Virago's and to be barren or after their nativity from outward causes as the use of hot things overmuch Venery and such medicines as bring the heat and blood to the womb The cure consists in a contrary diet and cooling medicines both internal and external which are to be applied to the back and sides which must be very moderate that the heat which is necessary for conception may not be weakened and the cold and membranous substance of the womb come to any harm or lest the vessels which serve for the carrying away of the courses should be thickned and the nerves of the back and sides be any waies mischieved The next way of cure is performed by evacuating medicines namely Rheubarb and solutive syrup of Roses Manna also profits much the flower of Vitriol of Venus and Mars taken from three grains to six and put in any proper syrup purges the womb There is another intemperancy which comes of cold which is known by a lesser pronenesse to Venery and little pleasure taken in it a setling in the courses with a slimy and phlegmy matter mixed and an inordinate flowing of them by reason of the plenty of humors collected in the womb which causes obstructions by reason of abundance of windy vapours in the womb crudity and watrinesse of the seed which causes it to flow without any pleasure a pale colour in
the face it arises from causes contrary to the former it is cured by contrary diet by hot medicines applied to the womb among which the roots of Birthwort Clove-Gilliflowers Angelica and Eringos are very much commended The leaves also of Mercury Baulm Dittany Penyroyall Sage Rosemary Mugwort flowers of Centaurie Marigolds Sage Rosemary Borage and sundry spices as Nutmegs Cubebs Saffron and Cinamom These kinde of compounds are also very usefull as oyle of Mace oyle of Amber oyle of Myrrhe and of Cinamom There is another intemperancie of the womb which comes of moisture and is joyned most commonly with the cold intemperancie it is known by the plenty of the courses and by thinnesse and watrinesse of them as also the moistnesse of the privities by reason of the moistnesse of the excrements no pleasure in the act of venery and pronenesse to abortion by reason of the growth of the birth It hath the same original with the frigid intemperancie and happens most commonly to women who are lazy and sedentary it is cured with the same medecines as the former onely this may be added that a fume may be made of the shavings of Ivory and the decoction of Sage being received into those parts before supper is very much commended Baths of Sulphur do also profit much There is another distemper of the womb which is dry which is discerned by the want of seed and the defect of the courses by slownesse to venery drinesse of the mouth of the womb by a blackish colour of the lower lip which is alwayes chapt It sometimes arises from the very nativity which causes a dry and lean constitution of body sometimes through age and then women cease to bring children sometimes from inflammations and such like diseases sometimes from a defect of blood which ought to moisten the parts which happens either through a narrownesse and obstruction of the veins or else because it being voided out at the neck of the womb cannot pierce to the bottom The cure of this is performed first by a contrary diet where you must also avoid much labour watching hunger and sadnesse Secondly by the use of moistning things amongst which are most commended Borage Bugloss Mercury Mallows Violets Among outward means Bathes of sweet water and unctions with oyle of sweet Almonds oyle of white Lillies Hens-grease and the marrows of Calves legs The cure is the more hard if the driness have been of any long continuance There is another which is a compound distemper which is most often cold and moist which is discerned by comparing the signes of the simple distemperatures together It arises from flegmie humors The cure is performed by preparing the matter with hot things by evacuation of the matter with such Medecines as are most proper to purge flegme as also by a particular pargation of the Womb it self to which purpose pessaries do very much conduce as 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 Sarsaparilla and mastick wood Of the narrowness of the Vessels of the VVomb THe signes 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 Medecines 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 orifices 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 humors 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 Sometimes this narrowness arises from a compression of the parts occasioned either by some swelling or Scirrhus either within or without the womb if this be there do appear manifest signes 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 a cold flegmie 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 signes 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 loyns and Diaphragma 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 parts not being so lean It is distinguished from the Dropsie of the womb by the fore-apprehension of the causes that beget those windy vapours by the sound and less ponderosity as also by a feeling of an extensive and pricking pain in the womb and parts adjoyning It is also distinguished from an inflation 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 swel 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 like that of a dead infant For if the Midriffe be violently compressed the winde being then compelled to the part adjoyning there is a kinde 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 weaknesse of the heat proceeds sometimes from the external aire sometimes from hard delivery from the suppression of the
so firmly annexed to the right gut and to the privities it would necessarily follow that those parts should be also stretched And though it happen to be stretched and distended by the windy vapours yet it follows not that therefore it should be moved upward and whereas women do say that they do somtimes perceive a certain round body moving about the region of the navel that may rather be said to be the stones and that blind vessel then the womb Of the wounds of the Matrix this must be noted that they are very difficult to be cured Yet the cure is to be assayd five manner of wayes by the use of things which do evacuate the peccant humor which is done partly by a good order of dyet and living in a dry and temperate aire Longer sleep then ordinary and the avoiding of exercise in this case is to be observed and instead thereof to use moderate frictions all repletions and a loose Belly are naught the meat that she eats must be little and contrary to the humor that offends as reare eggs Milk Chicken Broths and the meat of them dry Raisins Almonds and Pistaches For her drink it ought to be chiefly the decoction of Barly or liquorice In the next place it will not be amiss to let blood in the Basilick vein let her take some convenient purge according to the humour which abounds Vomitings also and frictions may be used and the provoking of sweat by the decoction of Guaiacum Sarsaparil China root which are very proper to turn away the humors from the Matrix Sometimes this happens from an intemperancie of the womb which if it be cold the womb is not able to concoct sufficient quantity of nourishment and therefore heaps up together many excrements if it be moist it is not able to contain either the blood or the seed or the birth as it should do The cure of this is above touched in the chapter of Distempers There is another difference which is taken from the occult qualities which the womb is seen to have there being a sympathy and antipathy between that and divers things as to covet the seed of man and to love sweet things and then the affection arises from no evident cause there being no excesse of coldnesse or moisture to be apprehended The medecines which are to be applied for the cure of this must be proper in their whole substance Sometimes the difference ariseth in this that the naturall heat is either suffocated or dissipated this affection is something dangerous because it is a difficult matter to restore the naturall heat In the cure of this restoratives must be notwithstanding used such are Cinamom Nutmeg Species diaxyloaloes Aromaticum Rosatum Of the pain of the womb THere is no need to give other signes of this then the complaint of the woman it affects women that are both free and women that are with childe It happens sometimes from corroding humours especially caused by ulcers or vitious flowers The cure whereof is referred to these heads sometimes it happens from a distention caused either by some curdled blood sticking in the cavity of the womb and then there is a copious flux of blood 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 continuall 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 evacuation which is performed with Agaric Aloes with the juice of Savine 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 overmuch 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 then these humours are to be removed with purging and evacuating medecines Sometimes windy vapours are the cause hereof arising from the heat of the vitious humours caused by copulation It is cured by things that discusse the winde to which purpose it may not be amisse to use a Clyster made of Malmesey and oyle of Nuts of each three ounces of Aquavitae one ounce of oyle of Juniper and distild Rue of each two drams applied warm or a mixture of spirit of wine and spirit of Nitre of each half a dram or two scruples exhibited in spirit of wine Sperma Coeti with oyle 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 signes are evident from the relation of the woman yet if they are loath to confesse 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 minde and retain the native colour of their bodies and in the third moneth they shal 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 sixt moneth 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 paine 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 moneth staies in the body 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
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 Sene 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 humor 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 dryed in the shade it presently discolours In the cure hereof you must look to the rectifying of the weaknes 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 medecines 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 humour It arises from a sharp and corrupt blood and sometimes from the use of sharp medecines Among the astringent medecines the root of Filipendula is much to be commended or a decoction of the same root Of the Whites Gonorrhea in women THe Whites is an inordinate eruption of an excrementitious humour collected together through some vitiousnesse 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 flegme and the weakness of the concoctive faculty If differs from the Gonorrhea because in that the seminal matter is white and thicker and flows by longer intervals and issues forth in a lesser quantity from a nocturnal pollution for that is joyned with venereal imaginations and onely 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 childe 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 signes of an ulcer and the putrefaction is thicker and whiter if it be mattrie it is coloured with blood and issues forth with pain The cure of this must be hastened 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 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 signes of an ill humour through the whole body In the cure of this you must avoid blood-letting for that the bad humours must not be recalled to defile the blood besides that the disease is a sufficient weakning and consuming of the body The humour is discussed by the decoction of Guaiacum and China and Lentisk wood For the drying up of the humour the root of Filipendula doth very much conduce For astringent medecines you may use chiefly the powder of dead mens 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 humours towards the womb Frictions also of the upper parts for the diversion of the humour Sometimes it is caused by the womb it self and then there will appear signes of the affection of the womb and the flux is not so great For the cure of this suffumigations of Frankincense Ladanum Mastick and Santalum are very requisite Of the Green-sicknesse THe Green-sicknesse is a changing of the colour of the face into a green and pale colour proceeding from the rawnesse of the humors The signes 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 vitiousnesse of the humours loathing of meat vomiting distention of the Hypochondriack parts by reason of the reflux of the menstruous blood to the greater vessels a swelling of the whole body by reason of the abundance of humours or of the thighs and legs above the heels by reason of the abundance of serous humours The cause is the crudity and rawnesse of the humour and quantity withall arising from the suppression of the courses through the natural narrownesse of the vessels or through an acquired narrownesse 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 humours are carried into the habit of the body or become habitual thereto 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 Cretan Dittany purging of the humour is performed with Agarick Aloes Succotrin with the juice of Savine for the unobstructing of the humour prepared steel the root of Scorzonera Bezoar stone and oyle of Chrystall in diet vinegar is utterly to be avoided Of the Suffocation of the Matrix THe signes of the suffocation of the womb are a wearines of the whole body with a weakness of the thighs a palenes and sadness of the face a nauseousness though seldom vomiting oftentimes a loathing and distast 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 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 Diaphragme is disturbed and hindred so that the breath is almost stopt the Patient living only by transpiration
thereon and renders them uncapable of conceiving One I have heard of who was afflicted with this disease and voided a great great deal of putrified blood by a certain fumigatio that I taught her was cured I can say this of a certainty that after this Woman had voided this putrefaction she came to see me with a very lusty child and was bigg of another for being discharged of the burden of putrified blood she found her self marvelously free for conception for the Matrix that began to be ulcerated was now fortified and strengthened again and the natural heat began to take possession there again A good Observation in the choice of Nurses THere be two sorts of Nurses which I have found the one is of such Women as are of an ill humor or juice which humors settle all in the milk for that is the place where these fluxes discharge themselves these Women are in a better condition being Nurses then when they are not Nurses and being not Nurses are subject to pains sometimes in the arms and sometimes in the shoulders sometimes in one of their leggs or Thighs or else they are subject to the watring of the eyes or swelling in the corner of the eye or nose these are good Nurses as long as children are fat but the fat is soft and the Infants dul sottish giving no great signs of vivacity coming to bear teeth are very sickly and do ordinarily dye by reason of the flux that pusheth out too great company of teeth at once The children that escape this are more il juic'd in their infancy then are their Fathers and Mothers in their old age If the flux that afflicts them be salt the milk is of a blackish and blewish colour if it be of choler it is more dangerous then the other for that is very dangerous and venemous to the children There is another sort of Nurses more dangerous then these I have now spoken of who presently after they have lain in that is three or four or five or six moneths are taken with their purgations a thing which never happens to good Nurses for this is the course of Nature that all the blood which is retained is dedicated to the nourishment of the Infants This is caused by an immoderate heat which is in their blood and to say truth as soon as ever this happens the Infant must be taken away for they are more apt to conceive then to nurse and if they continue Nurses they do but ruine the children this is too much experimented and I speak this to save the lives of a great many children when seeing them suck I have discovered their want of milk so that I may say there dies a third part of the children for want of taking care in this particular which seem fat and in good case This is the cause of great cholicks and vvindinesses in children vvhich kils them in a moment for the least Fever that takes them carries them avvay Bâ—side this there are some whose milk is so little but vvithall so thick that it sticks upon the tongue palate and throat which causes as it were a vvhite canker vvhich is more and more heated by reason of their forcible drawing in vain possesseth all the throat vvhereby they are hindred froÌ„ sucking These Nurses wil milk after this a drop or two out of their breasts crying look ye the child cares not for sucking I never knew more abuse in any thing then in Nurses for let them make vvhat excuse they vvill it is nothing but necessity that reduceth them to be such although the greatest part do say that it is to get acquaintance yet vvhen they have a childe vvhether they have milk or no yet they desire not to part vvith it no more then they do to drown themselves vvhereby the Parents are often deceived And therefore the mothers ought to have a great care and to make it their business to surprize the Nurses at their ovvn houses that if there be any miscarriage they may find it out And indeed it is very reasonable that the cause of these poor creatures that cannot complain should not be neglected and these she-murderers be made known that they may not go unknown Of a VVoman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two children proceeding from several causes I VVas called to lay a Woman who said she was gone her ful time she had the same pains that Women are wout to have in the time of Travail but her waters came not down at one forcible throw she cast forth a great membrane like a hoggs bladder all united within and without only that it had divers branches of veins as you shal see in a bladder which I presently cut and found therein a little Infant wel shaped swimming in black waters it had gone its ful time and was so lean that it resembled a meer picture it had the Navel-string holding fast to the bladder where it is to be supposed those smal branches of the veins do end here as I guess as long as it found any bloud it lay languishing but that beginning to fail it dyed and presently voided those excrements that were contained in the Intestines which being mingled in the waters made them black and as for the Woman her self she was the fullest of humor that ever I saw in my life Another time I brought the same VVoman to bed who was delivered of a child that came the ordinary way into the world with the head formost now I perceiving her in Labour found nothing at first but a certain softness as if the waters were coming down afterwards I perceived a certain bag with hair a thwart which I saw certain great knobs or heads the Infant being come forth was not yet formed the face and the head were like vizards more then any face it had the form of a nose but it was soâ—t like wool the head was ful of water and those knobs which appeared were nothing but the futures of the head which the too great abundance of water had disjoynd in the hands it had nothing but hair in stead of bones and the toes were of the same the VVoman her self was said to be extreamly cholerick and moist Instructions of a famous and dying Midwife to her Daughter touching the practice of this Art DAughter if the excellencies of what is to be known in this world are to be found not in one but in several Countrics certainly they are most able to instruct who have had the greatest experience and longest travel in the world which is the reason that in this small Treatise I have not tyed my self up to the rules solely of my own Nation but have searched the studies also of other Nations that thou mayest be bettered not only by my experience but by the labour of others In the first place therefore I exhort thee to be diligent and to leave nothing unsearched that may tend to the