or two of red Rose sirrup or of Pomegranates with Mint water may do much good or beat some Sorrel-seeds to powder and give it to eat with the yolk of a roasted Egg or bruise the seed and boil it in fountain water and let the child drink of it twice a day If the child be costive and cannot go to stool this comes oftentimes from a cold and dry distemper of the Guts from the birth or form slimy flegme that sticks to the Guts and wraps up the Dung this last comes from the milk when the Nurse drinks little or eates hard meats or astringent diet or else it may come from a hot distemper of the Kidneys and Liver that drieth the excrements or want of choler to provoke expulsion A dry distemper of the Guts is not easily helped when there wants choler the body looks yellow and the dung is white because the choller is gone some other way When the child is bound the Head will ache and there is pain in the belly wherefore it is more healthful if the belly be loose so it be moderate A hot distemper is remedied by bathing it often in a bath of boiled Lettice and Succory to mosten and cool it In a hot cause use coolers in a moist drying things let the nurse abstain from binding meats in dry causes as from Quinces Medlars Pease Beans and annoint the stomach and belly of the child with fresh butter oyl of Lillies hens grease if the child be grown give it the decoction of red Coleworts with a little Honey and salt Flegme is cured with sirrup of Roses or with Honey and to cool sirrup of Violets is effectual or emulsions of the four cold seeds When choler will not come from the Gall to the guts to move the expulsive faculty let it drink a decoction of Grass roots Maiden-hair Fennel and Sparagus if it will not yet void the Excrements make a suppository of Honey boiled hard let it be as big as a date stone or a little bigger and as long as your little finger or you may make it of the stalks or roots of Beets or flower de Luce dip them in oyl and thrust it up into the Fundament lay a piece of wool dipt in oyl to the childes navel and give it the quantity of a Pease of good honey When the child sucks give the Nurse a gentle purge to loosen the belly if soluble meats will not do it you may safely lay a plaister over the childes belly made of Mallowes and Marshmallowes of each one handful Holyhocks two ounces ten Figs Fenugreek and Linseed of each one ounce boil all in water and then stamp them in a mortar make it up with butter and hens-grease of each two ounces Saffron one scruple spread it on a Linnen Cloath or apply to the navel a walnut shell full of hens-grease and Oxe Gall and anoint the belly with softning things as with oyl of sweet Almonds and of Linseed bran with the juyce of Dwarf Elder will make a loosning Poultis for the belly VI. The child may be troubled with worms that breed in their Guts some like mites of Cheese and some like earth worms and some children have been observed to have them in their Mothers bellies for they have voided them so soon almost as they were born but the chief cause is by mingling milk with other meats when the constitution is hot and moist or from Summer Fruits and sweet Meats that worms love These worms are broad and small or round and long you may know when they have worms when their Mouthes water much and their breath stinks when they gnash their teeth and start in their sleep and cry when they have a dry cough loath their meat are very thirsty when they vomit and hicket when their bellies swell and they are much bound or very loose when they make thick white water with pain when their belly is empty and the worms want meat their face is covered with a cold sweat and their cheeks flush with red colour and suddenly become pale by this you may know what worms they are for these signs shew round worms commonly rather than flat sometimes children have no great hurt by it when they have worms till the worms grow too strong and then dangerous symptomes follow Long round worms are worst for they will eat quite through the belly and when there is a Feaver the danger is greater Those that do least hurt are white but the fewer and smaller the worms are the less is the danger It is best to eat meats of good juice with Oranges and Pomegranates forbearing all slimy sweet fat meats Fish and milk and Summer fruits and to take some powder of harts-horn and drink thin wine mingled with Grass and Sorrel waters these will keep worms that they breed not which is better than to let them breed and drive them out afterwards Keep the childs belly loose with Glisters when you know they have worms or give them the decoction of Sebestens before meat Scordium and Wormwood are good but children will not be perswaded to take bitter medicaments wherefore you may give them Grass water with juice of Lemmons or one or two drops of Spirit of Vitriol These things following will kill Worms and cast them forth eight grains of Mercurius Dulcis steept all night in Couch-grass water strain it finely and give nothing but the water Wormseed Harts-horn or Coralline are good lay Peach-leaves bruised to the Navel or a little Ox Gall Saint Johns wort and Wormwood Knot-grass water drank with milk Ox Gall and Cummin-seed laid to the Navel are good against great worms mingle with your juice of Wormwood and Ox Gall of each two ounces of Coloquintida one ounce made into a Cataplasme with Wheat meal lay it over the Belly and Navel If there be a Feaver withal use such cooling remedies as are here prescribed against a Feaver you must use several medicaments for the worms will quickly grow familiar with any medicament and will not stir for it the best time to administer your remedies is about the new or full of the Moon for then they will sooner move than in the quarters let the child be fasting and go to stool first if he can and give the medicament to destroy the Worms when they are hungry and the time the child that is of age is wont to eat his breakfast for the worms will look for it VII Sometimes children have Convulsion Fits and the Falling-sickness it is natural to some from their birth but others have it by accident the nurses ill milk may breed it let her cleanse her body and not use too much moist and cooling diet nor let the child suck too much at one time to over-charge the stomach The Male-Peony root hanged about the childs neck and a small quantity of the powder of the same given to the child in any convenient way with milk or pap or broth or drink is much commended and so is the
seed it is good for the child to smell to Rue and Assafaetida and sometimes rub the Nostrils with a drop of oil of Castor or of Costus it may proceed from ill milk in the childs stomach or by consent from other parts or from worms in the Guts or from ill vapours that ascend where bad humours abound These prick the Films of the brain and cause the childs distemper it may be originally bred in the brain or arise from some sudden fright or from breeding of teeth this last will be gone when the pain of the teeth is over Many young children die of this disease it may come with the Small Pox or Measles and when they come forth it will be cured if nature be strong the Nurses good diet is a great furtherer to the cure in the fit you may give Peony or Lavender Water and rub the Nape of the neck with a drop of oil of Amber and touch the Nose with it an Elks hoof or an Emrald are useful to hang about the neck and may be given inwardly If it proceed from corrupt milk in the stomach dip a feather in oil of Almonds and thrust it down the Throat to cause vomit The Florentines with a hot Iron burn the child in the nape of the neck to dry the brain and Celsus maintains it to be the very last remedy But Paulus Aequineta saith It would be sure to kill him with waking pain he would scarce be able to sleep after it To prevent this mischief so soon as the child is born give him this following powder male-Peony roots one scruple gathered in the Moons decreasing magistery of Coral half a scruple with Leaf God VIII Convulsion Fits come when the brain labours to cast off what offends its many die of it for the cause lieth in the nerves and marrow of the back wherefore wash the body and back with a decoction of Marsh-mallows Lilly roots Peony and Cammomile flowers The Sun-flower boiled in water is good to wash the Infant with and annoint the back with mans grease or Goose grease or with oils of Foxes or of worms or of Lillies or of Mastick or Turpentine This disease comes either of indigestion or of weakness of the attractive faculty especially in such children as are fat and moist the back may be anointed with oils of Rue or of Flower de Luce or bath the Limbs with a decoction of Primroses or of Cowslips or Cammomile flowers if you find great heat then mingle oil of Violets and oil of sweet Almonds and anoint with that IX Sometimes the childs navel swells and sticks out that should lie in the reason may be because the navel-string was not well tied and too much of it was left behind which sticks forth sometimes it may come from the childs crying or coughing and that looseneth the Peritonaeum it is without inflammmation but sometimes the navel hath an Ulcery and the Guts fall into it It falls out often so soon as the string is cut wherefore take Spike and â—eeth it in oil of sweet Almonds mingle a little Turpentine with it dip in a piece of Wool and bind it on the part but if crying or coughing or bruise or tall be the cause of it then use bitter Lupines mingled with the powder of an old Linnen cloth burnt to ashes mingle all with red wine dip in Cotton and apply it to the Navel if the navel be inflamed the Navel feels hard else it will feel soft and is neither hot nor red but will last longer than when it is enflamed if the Peritonaeum be loose only and not broken it will be no bigger when he cryeth nor doth the Navel come forth much but it will increase if it be broken if he either cry or stir much but it will not be seen when he lieth on his back ill outting of the Navel string is not so much dangerous as it is troublesome to the child it may be cured at first though it be too long or hath an Ulcer but in time if it be neglected the guts will fall into it and cause inflammation and an Iliack passion which will kill the child wind puffs up the Navel when the Peritonaeum is loose then take the powder of Cummin-seed Bay berries and Lupines with red wine or a bag of â—…ike and Cummin-seeds boiled in red wine for a Cataplasme and roul it on If the Peritonaeum be broken let the gut be first put in then lay on astringent Powders of Cypress-nuts Mirrh Frankincense Sarcocolla Mastick Allum and Isinglass of each a like quantity and make a Poultiss of it with Whites of eggs give the child inwardly such remedies as are good against Ruptures When the Navel is inflamed it looks red and is hard hot and pants much this shews it was not well tied for the pain draws the blood to it If it turns to an Imposthume and break the guts will come out and kill the child To ease the pain take two ounces of Mallows boiled and stampt Barley meal half an ounce with two drams of Lupines and Fenugreek make a Cataplasme of them with oil of Roses drive back the blood with an application made of one dram of Frankincense with Fleabane seed and Acacia of each half a dram incorporated with the white of an egg Keep it if possible from imposthumation but if it cannot be kept then take half an ounce of Turpentine two ounces of oil of Roses and with the Yolk of an Egg lay it on X. If the child be burst as young children often are it may be easily cured at first the Peritonaeum is either loose or broken and the small guts fall into the Cods when the child coughs much or cries or by some violent fall or straining to go to stool elder people are not so easily cured of this sometimes it is only a rupture which falls out of the belly into the Cods and the Peritonaeum is well If a Gut be fallen it is but of one side the right or left Groin and you may see it and feel it and the hole too through which the Gut fell but the watry rupture is all over even alike this will vanish of it self so soon as the water is consumed Keep the child loose and from crying and violent motion lay it upon the back and thrust up the gut gently the head lying low and the heels up then take Emplastrum ad Herniam or an ointment made of Comfrey roots with a thick bolster steeped in Smiths water and lay it on keep the child quiet and see the Bolster come not off never unbind it so in time the hole will grow narrow and the gut larger and will stay in its place You may lay on a Plaister made of Gum Elemi steept in vinegar till there be a cream on the top with that and oil of eggs make it up or take Frankincense one dram Aloes Acacia Cypress nuts of each two drams with a dram of Myrrh and Isinglass make a
preserve the Lungs When the Pox are fully out then to make them die quickly rub the face with fresh hogs-grease old Lard melted and strained and mingled with water or with oil of sweet Almonds When the Pox are dead and begin to fall away to keep them from Pock-holes anoint the face with a feather dipt in an Ointment made of Chalk and Cream use this two or three daies it will smooth the skin handsomely and take away the spots XXVIII Children are exceedingly prone to breed Lice more than men of age though all people are troubled with them They breed from the Excrements of the head and body it is not only filth that breeds Lice but a certain matter fit for them for fleas will not breed of the same that lice are bred of Children and women that are hot and moist have many excrements to breed such things withall Some meats breed Lice as figs by their gross juice which naturally tends to the skin and variety of meat Lice breed most in Childrens heads and stick fast to the skin and roots of the hair some have died of Lice and Lice will leave some when they are dying To prevent Lice comb and keep childrens heads clean let them eat no rigs but meats of good juice and purge them with hot drying thin medicaments Use â—o Mercury nor Arsenick to childrens heads but use this Lotion take parts alike of round Birthwort Lupines Pine and Cypress leaves boil them in water then anoint the head with powder of Staves-acre three drams of Lupines half an ounce of Agarick two drams quick brimstone one dram and half Ox Gall half an ounce all made up wirh oil of Wormwood XXIX If the child fright in the sleep give it good breast milk but not too much let it not sleep presently but carry it about till the milk descend to the bottom of the stomack give it sometimes the oil of sweet Almonds or honey of Roses two spoonfuls To cleanse the stomack strengthen it with magistery of Coral or Confection of Jacinths with milk anoint the stomach with oil of Worm-wood Nard Mints Mastick Nutmegs if it be from worms you have the remedies before It is for the most part ill vapours that ascend by the Weasand and veins to the head when children cannot concoct what they have in their stomachs XXX Sometimes children cannot sleep it is by reason of corrupt milk that disturbs the animal spirits hence arise Catarrhs Convulsions Feavers driness let better milk be given it the Nurse must eat Lettice sweet Almonds Poppey seeds but sleeping medicaments are not good for infants Wash the feet with a decoction of Dill tops Cammomile flowers Sage Osiers Vine leaves Poppy heads to the Temples use oil of Dill or oil of Roses with oil of Nutmegs with Poppey seeds Breast milk Rose or Nightshade water with Saffron If the Childs brain be very dry moisten the covering of the Cradle XXXI Bad and sharp milk hurts the childs stomach for it cannot endure it for it breeds bad humours all these diseases spring from it the Thrush Bladders in the Gums and inflammation of the Tonsils Bladders in the Gums are cured with powder of Lentils husked and strewed upon them or with a Liviment of the flour of Milian and oil of Roses The inflammation of the Tonsils I suppose it is that disease in children called the Mumps that commonly comes between eleven and thirteen years old the parts being then so hard that the humour cannot breath forth alwaies keep the belly loose and anoint outwardly with oil of sweet Almonds or Cammomile or St. John's wort inwardly first repel secondly mix resolvers with repellers and lastly only resolvers but not too hot in age Gargarismes are best Infants may take Diamoron Honey of Roses sirrup of Myrtles and Pomegranates XXXII Sometimes childrens string of the tongue is so short that they cannot suck a skilful Chirurgeon must help it or use this Liviment boil clarified honey till you can powder it then dry yolks of eggs in a Glass in an Oven powder them take a dram weight Mastick and Frankincense of each one scruple burnt Allum six grains make it up with honey of roses The Frog is when the veins under the tongue swell with gross black blood and if the flegm sweat forth and stick in the passages the swelling is like Mushromes and make them stammer take Cuttlebone Salgem Pepper of each one dram burnt Spunge three drams make a powder or of Honey of Besome rub it under the tongue and lay a plaister of Goose dung and Honey boiled in Wine till the Wine be consumed under the Chin. XXXIII Some children grow lean and pine away and the cause is not known if it be from Witchcraft good prayers to God are the best remedy yet some hang Amber and Coral about the childs neck as a Soveraign Amulet But leanness may proceed from a dry distemper of the whole body then it is best to bath it in a decoction of Mallows Marshmallows Branc-Ursine Sheeps heads and anoint with oil of sweet Almonds if it be hot and dry add Roses Violets Lettice Poppey-heads and afterwards anoint with oils of Violets and Roses The child may be lean from want of milk or bad milk from the nurse remedy that or change the nurse for little or bad milk will breed no good blood and the children cannot thrive by it sometimes worms in the body draw away the nourishment sometimes very small worms breed without the body all over and in the Musculous parts and stick in the skin and will not come quite forth but after you rub the child in a Bath they will put forth their heads like black hairs and run in again when they feel the cold air they breed of slimy humours shut up in the Capillary veins which turn to worms for want of transpiration if you rub the child with Yarhound on the back and especially with Honey and Bread you shall see their black heads when you see the heads come forth run over them with a Rasor do it often XXXIV Children used to be galled with lying in piss'd clouts and the scarf skin comes from the true skin the skin looks red change the clouts often and keep the child clean by washing it then anoint the sore with Diapompholix or cast on this powder finely sprinkled of burnt Allum Frankincense Litharge of Silver and seeds and leaves of Roses XXXV Some children cannot hold their water but piss the bed when they sleep the bladder-closing muscle being weak so when piss pricks it it comes forth The stone in the bladder may hurt the Muscle the cause of weakness is a cold moist humour from superfluity or from tough and gross meats in Age it will be hard to be cured but in infants it easily may The nurse must use a hot drying diet with Sage Hyssop Marjoram the child must drink little anoint the region of the bladder outwardly with oil of Costus or Flower de luce and other
THE MIDWIVES BOOK Or the whole ART of MIDWIFRY DISCOVERED Directing Childbearing Women how to behave themselves In their Conception Breeding Bearing and Nursing of CHILDREN In Six Books Viz. I. An Anatomical Description of the Parts of Men and Women II. What is requisite for Procreation Signes of a Womans being with Child and whether it be Male or Female and how the Child is formed in the womb III. The causes and hinderance of conception and Barrenness and of the paines and difficulties of Childbearing with their causes signes and cures IV. Rules to know when a woman is near her labour and when she is near conception and how to order the Child when born V. How to order women in Childbirth and of several diseases and cures for women in that condition VI. Of Diseases incident to women after conception Rules for the choice of a nurse her office with proper cures for all diseases Incident to young Children By Mrs. Jane Sharp Practitioner in the Art of MIDWIFRY above thirty years London Printed for Simon Miller at the Star at the West End of St. Pauls 1671. TO HER MUCH ESTEEMED AND EVER HONOVRED FRIEND THE LADY ELLENOUR TALBUTT BE THESE My Poor and Weak Endeavours Humbly Presented BY Madam An Admirer of Your Vertue and Piety Jane Sharp TO THE MIDWIVES OF ENGLAND Sisters I Have often sate down sad in the Consideration of the many Miseries Women endure in the Hands of unskilful Midwives many professing the Art without any skill in Anatomy which is the Principal part effectually necessary for a Midwife meerly for Lucres sake I have been at Great Cost in Translations for all Books either French Dutch or Italian of this kind All which I offer with my own Experience Humbly begging the assistance of Almighty God to aid you in this Great Work and am Your Affectionate Friend Jane Sharp THE CONTENTS Of the several CHAPTERS BOOK I. OF the necessity and usefulness of the Art of Midwifry Page 1. CHAP. I. A brief description of the Generative parts in both Sexes and first of the Vessels in Men appropriated to Generation p. 5. CHAP. II. Of the Seed-preparing Vessels p. 6. CHAP. III. Of the Vessels that make the Change of the Red Blood into a white substance like Seed p. 8. CHAP. IV. Of the Cods or rather the Stones contained therein p. 10. CHAP. V. Of the Carrying Vessels p. 14. CHAP. VI. Of the Vessels for Seed p. 16 CHAP. VII Of a Mans Yard p. 18. CHAP. VIII Of the Nut of the Yard p. 27. CHAP. IX Of the Muscles of the Yard p. 28. CHAP. X. Of the Generative parts in Women p. 33. CHAP. XI Of the Womb p. 38. CHAP. XII Of the likeness of the Privities in both Sexes p. 40. CHAP. XIII Of the Privy passage in the Secrets of the Female Sex p. 41. CHAP. XIV Of the Seed-preparing Vessels in Women p. 54. CHAP. XV. Of the Seed-carrying Vessels in Women p. 58. CHAP. XVI Of Womens Stones p. 60. CHAP. XVII Of the Womb or Matrix p. 63. CHAP. XVIII Of the fashion of the Womb and the parts of which it is made p. 73. BOOK II. CHAP. I. WHat things are required for the Procreation of Children p. 87. CHAP. II. Of true Conception p. 92. CHAP. III. Signes that a Women hath conceived and whether it be a boy or Girle p. 102. CHAP. IV. Of false Conception and of the Mole or Moon calf p. 106. CHAP. V. Of the Causes of Monstrous Conceptions p. 116. CHAP. VI. Of the resemblance or likeness of Children to Parents p. 120. CHAP. VII Of the sympathy between the Womb and other parts p. 125 CHAP. VIII How the Child grows in the Womb and how the parts of it are successively made p. 132. CHAP. IX Of the Posture the Child lieth in the Womb. p. 153. BOOK III. CHAP. I. WHat hinders Conception and the causes of Womens Barrenness p. 163. CHAP. II. Of the great pain and difficulty of Child-bearing with the signes cause and Cure p. 166. BOOK IV. CHAP. I. RVles for Women when near their labour p. 187. CHAP. II. To know the fit time when the child is ready to be born p. 205. CHAP. III. What must be done after the woman is delivered p. 210. CHAP. IV. When and how to cut off the Child's Navel-string and what is the consequent thereof p. 212. CHAP. V. What is best to bring away the Secundine or After-birth p. 217. CHAP. VI. Of the great pains and throws some Women suffer after they are delivered p. 219. CHAP. VII Of the Cholick some women are afflicted with in the time of their travel p. 220 CHAP. VIII Of Womens miscarrying or Abortment with the Signs thereof p. 221. BOOK V. CHAP. I. HOw Women in Childbirth must be governed p. 228. CHAP. II. Of the loosness of the Womb p. 236. CHAP. III. Of Feavers after Child-bearing p. 243. CHAP. IV. Of Womens Vomiting p. 248. CHAP. V. Of Womens diseases in general p. 250. CHAP. VI. Of the Green Sickness or white Feaver p. 266. CHAP. VII Of the straitness of the Womb o. 299. CHAP. VIII Of the largeness of the Womb p. 285. CHAI IX Of the Terms in Women p. 288. CHAP. X. Of the overflowing of the Courses and immoderate Flux thereof p. 296. CHAP. XI Of the Whites or Womans disease from corruption of Humours p. 302. CHAP. XII Of the swelling and puffing up fâ— the Body especially the Belly and Feet of Women after delivery p. 308. CHAP. XIII Of Cold Moist Hot Dry and all the several distempers of the Womb p. 313. BOOK VI. CHAP. I. OF the Strangling of the Womb and the effects of it with the Causes and Cure p. 317. CHAP. II. Of the Falling Sickness p 328. CHAP. III. Of Womens Breasts and Nipples the Diseases incident to the same with their Cures p. 336. CHAP. IV. Necessary Directions for Nurses p. 351. CHAP. V. Instructions in the choice of Nurses p. 360. CHAP. VI. Of the Child p. 372. CHAP. VII Discoveries of the several Diseases incident to Children with the Cure p. 377. THE MID-WIVES BOOK BOOK I. The Introduction Of the necessity and Vsefulness of the Art of Midwifry THe Art of Midwifry is doubtless one of the most useful and necessary of all Arts for the being and well-being of Mankind and therefore it is extremely requisite that a Midwife be both fearing God faithful and exceeding well experienced in that profession Her fidelity shall find not only a reward here from man but God hath given a special example of it Exod. 1. in the Midwives of Israel who were so faithful to their trust that the Command of a King could not make them depart from it viz. But the Midwives feared God and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them but saved the men children alive Therefore God dealt well with the Midwives and because they feared God he made them Houses As for their knowledge it must be two-fold Speculative and Practical she that wants the knowledge of
farther it is constantly reported that these children were all baptized living at the Church of Lardune in Holland near the Hague and the boys were all called Johns the girls Elizabeths there were two Silver Basons that they were Christned in and Guido the Suffragan of Vtrecht keeps them for to shew to strangers and one of these Basons as it is reported was brought for a present to King Charles the second before he came from thence and they say farther that presently after they were baptized the mother and all her children died Some write of another Countess in Frederick the eleventh's daies who had five hundred boys at one birth But to leave this and to proceed to the causes of Conception Notwithstanding that God gave the blessing generally to our first Parent and so by consequent to all her succeeding generations yet we find that some women are exceeding fruitful to conceive and others barren that they conceive not at all God reserving to himself a prerogative of furthering and hindering Conception where he pleaseth that men and women may more earnestly pray unto God for his blessing of Procreation and be thankful unto him for it so Psal 127.3 the Psalmist tells us Loe Children and the fruit of the Womb are an heritage and gift that cometh from the Lord. So Hannah pray'd in the first of Samuel and gave thanks when God had heard her prayer Some women are by nature barren though both they themselves and their husbands are no way deficient to perform the acts of Generation and are in all parts as perfect as the most fruitful persons can be Some think the cause is too much likeness and similitude in their complexions for God having framed an Harmonious world by a due disposing of contraries they that are too like of constitution can never beget any thing this I confess is hard to find that they should agree in all respects no difference of complexion at all yet sometimes Physicians judge barrenness proceeds from too great similitude of persons but I should rather think from some disproportion of the Organs or some impediment not easily perceived else how comes it to pass that some that have continued barren many years at last have proved fruitful I remember a story that I heard of a Watch-maker who had an excellent Watch that was out of tune and he could never make it go true what the fault was he could not find at length he grew so angry that he threw the watch against the wall and took it up again and then he found it goe exceeding true and by that means he came also to know the cause of the former defect for indeed it proved to be nothing else but some inequality in the Case of the watch which by throwing it against the wall accidentally was amended wherefore a small matter sometimes will remove the impediment if we can but find what it is Some say again the cause of barrenness is want of love in man and wife whose Seed never mixeth as it should to Procreation of children their hatred is so great as it is recorded of Eleocles and Polynices two Theban Princes who killed each other and when their bodies were afterwards burn'd as the manner of burial was in their daies to preserve only their ashes in a pot as if the hatred still continued in their dead bodies the flames parted in the midst and ascended with two points and this extream hatred is the reason why women seldom or never conceive when they are ravished and it proves as ineffectual as Onan's Seed when he spilt it upon the ground The cause of this hatred in married people is commonly when they are contracted and married by unkind Parents for some sinister ends against their wills which makes some children complain of their Parents cruelty herein all the daies of their lives but as Parents do ill to compel their children in such cases so children should not be drawn away by their own foolish fansies but take their Parents counsel along with them when they go about such a great work as marriage is wherein consists their greatest woe or welfare so long as they live upon the earth Another cause that women prove barren is when they are let blood in the arm before their courses come down whereas to provoke the Terms when they flow not as they should Women or Maids ought rather to be let blood in the foot for that draws them down to the place nature hath provided but to let blood in the arm keeps them from falling down and is as great a mischief as can be to hinder them wherefore let the Terms first come naturally before you venture to draw blood in the arm unless the cause be so great that there is no help for it otherwise The time of the courses to appear for maids is fourteen or thirteen or the soonest at twelve years old yet I remember that in France I saw a child but of nine years old that was very sickly until such time as she was let blood in the arm and then she recovered immediately but this is no president for others especially in our climate blood-letting being the ordinary remedy in those parts when the Patient is charged with fulness of blood of what age almost soever they be There is besides this natural barrenness of women another barrenness by accident by the ill disposition of the body and generative parts when the courses are either more or fewer than stands with the state of the womans body when humours fall down to the womb and have found a passage that way and will hardly be brought to keep their natural rode or when the womb is disaffected either by any preternatural quality that exceeds the bounds of nature as heat or cold or dryness or moisture or windy vapours Lastly There is barrenness by inchantment when a man cannot lye with his wife by reason of some charm that hath disabled him the French in such a case advise a man to thred the needle Nouer C'eguilliette as much as to say to piss through his wives wedding ring and not to spill a drop and then he shall be perfectly cured Let him try it that pleaseth CHAP. III. Signs that a woman is conceived with Child and whether it be a Son or a Daughter YOung women especially of their first Child are so ignorant commonly that they cannot tell whether they have conceived or not and not one of twenty almost keeps a just account else they would be better provided against the time of their lying in and not so suddenly be surprised as many of them are Wherefore divers Physicians have laid down rules whereby to know when a woman hath conceived with Child and these rules are drawn from almost all parts of the body The rules are too general to be certainly proved in all women yet some of them seldom fail in any First if when the seed is cast into the womb she feel the womb shut close and a
for that is ordained to go to the breasts to make milk which is the reason that Nurses have few or no Courses because the blood goes to the breasts to make milk as I said But if this accident fall out that the blood runs forth at the breasts undigested not changed by the faculty of the breasts into Milk as it ought to be then open the Saphaena vein in the Foot and that will pull it back again and cure this Distemper There is so near agreement between the breasts and the womb that any distemper of the womb will change the very colour of the Nipples and therefore it is not well to prejudicate and to think they are not Maids when their Nipples change colour when it is onely a sign that their wombs are distempered The Nipples are red after Copulation red I say as a Strawberry that is their natural colour but Nurses Nipples when they give Suck are blew and they grow black when they are old If there be pain in the breasts from abundance of milk onely the pain is not very great it is onely by overstretching them but if the milk be sowr or sharp or salt or corroding the pain is more and will be greater if there be inflammation but when there is an Ulcer or a Cancer the pains are out of measure great you may know the câ—use of the pain by the greatness of it and you have sufficient directions before how to cure them But having made way for it I shall now proceed to speak a few words of Nurses and Nursing of Children CHAP. V. How to Chuse a Nurse THis dispute about Nurses who are fit for it and who are not is much handled by Physicians and some there be that will tye every woman to Nurse her own Child because Sarah the wife to so great a Man as Abraham was nursed Isaac And indeed if there be no other obstacle the Argument may carry some weight with it for doubtless the mothers milk is commonly best agreeing with the child and if the mother do not Nurse her own Child it is a question whether she will ever love it so well as she doth that proves the Nurse to it as well as Mother and without doubt the child will be much alienated in his affections by sucking of strange Milk and that may be one great cause of Childrens proving so undutiful to their Parents The Lacedemonians chose the youngest son after his Father to succeed in the Kingdom rejected all the rest because the mother gave suck onely to the youngest Tacitus gives a reason why the Germans are so exceeding strong because saith he they are commonly sucked by their own Mothers Yet Alcibiades a strong and valiant Captain was thought to have come to his great strength by sucking the breasts of a Spartan woman for they are great vigorous and usually very strong women I cannot think it alwayes necessary for the mother to give her own Child suck she may have sore breasts and many infirmities that she cannot do it Moreover a Nurse ought to be of a good Complexion and Constitution and if the Mother be not so it will be good to change the milk by chosing a good wholesome nurse that may correct the natural humors of the Child drawn from the ill complexion of the Mother Many children dye whilest they are sucking the breasts or else get such Diseases if the milk be naught that they can hardly ever be cured and the chief cause is the Nurses milk If a Nurse be well complexioned her milk cannot be ill for a Fig-Tree bears not Thistles a good Tree will bring forth good Fruit. But few can tell when they see a Nurse whether her complexion be good or not wherefore I shall give you such Rules whereby you may be able to know that and I have gained most of it by my own experience Many Physicians have troubled themselves and others with unnecessary directions but the chifest is to choose a nurse of a sanguine complexion for that is most predominant in children and therefore that is most agreeing to their age but beware you choose not a woman that is crooked or squint-eyed nor with a mishapen Nose or body or with black ill-favoured Teeth or with stinking breath or with any notable depravation for these are signs of ill manners that the child will partake of by sucking such ill qualified milk as such people yield and the child will soon be squint-eyed by imitation for that age is subject to represent and take impression upon every occasion but a sanguine complexioned woman is commonly free from all these distempers unless by accident it fall out otherwise and her milk will be good and her breasts and nipples handsome and well proportioned she is of a mean stature not too tall nor too low not fat but well flesht of a ruddy merry cheerful delightsome countenance and clear skin'd that her Veins appear through it her hair is in a mean between black and white and red neither in the extream but a light brown that partakes somewhat of them all Such a woman is sociable not subject to melancholy nor to be angry and fretful nor peevish and passionate but jovial and will Sing and Dance taking great delight in children and therefore is the most fit to Nurse them whereas all the other tempers except sanguine as Flegm or Choler or melancholy breed milk that will agree well with no child and their own constitutions are not agreeable to the nursing of children though her complexion then be not exactly sanguine for that is seldom found let it suffice if blood be predominant above the rest Moreover be her temper naturally never so good yet if she be diseased she is not for your turn or if she be above fourty years old or under eighteen years she must be of ability to live well that there be no want and one that hath had good Education to instruct her for if she be not well bred she will never breed the child well she must have prudence and care to see to it But there is one rule from the Sex That a female Child must suck the breasts of a Nurse that had a Girl the last child she had and a Boy must suck her that lately had a boy But the Nurse must not company with Man so long as she gives suck to the child for if she conceive the child will suffer by it she must live in a well-tempered pure Air she must sleep well when she is sleepy that she may soon wake if the child cry She must use moderate exercise and indeed the Dancing and Rocking of the child will hardly suffer her to be idle and therefore all such as put their children to Nurse should do well to consider the great care and pains of the Nurse by well rewarding them when they have made a good choice for if the Nurse be not good they had better be without them Nor is it onely
thick and gross milk and sometimes a hot and dry distemper of the breasts will burn up the thin part of the milk purge away thick humours from the blood eat meats of good digestion as Veal Chickens Kids flesh and use a moistening and attenuating Diet Fryed Onions and all sowr spiced meats will communicate their qualities to the milk that you may find both by smell and tast Strong passions of anger or fear will cause chollerick and melancholly milk which makes the child lean that it cannnot thrive Hence come gripings and wringing pains in the belly Thrush in the mouth and Falling-sickness good wine moderately drank sometimes will help the ill smell and taste of the milk Let the Nurse be sure to observe a Diet that is most proper for her milk and may not corrupt it and also to avoid all passions and venereous actions during the time she is a nurse and if for all this the milk prove ill she must purge away evil qualities according to my former prescriptions CAAP. VI. Of the Child CHildren that look white and pale when they are born are weak and sickly and seldome live long but if it be of a reddish colour all over the body when it is first born and this colour change by degrees to a Rose colour there is no doubt of the child but it may do well if it cry strongly and clear it argues a great strength of the breast Take notice of all the parts of it and see all be right and the Midwife must handle it very tenderly and wash the body with warm wine then when it is dry roul it up with soft cloths and lay it into the Cradle but in the swadling of it be sure that all parts be bound up in their due place and order gently without any crookedness or rugged foldings for infants are tender twigs and as you use them so they will grow straight or crooked wipe the childs eyes often to make them clean with a piece of soft linnen or silk and lay the arms right down by the sides that they may grow right and sometimes with your hand stroke down the belly of the child toward the neck of the bladder to provoke it to make water But the first work to be done so soon as it is born is to cut the Navel-string and to bind that up right I shewed you how to do it before when the Navel-string is cut off strew upon it a powder of Bole Sarcocolla Dragons blood Cummin and Myrrh of each the same quantity and bind a piece of Cotton or Wool over it to keep it from falling off again and if the child be weak after this anoint the childs body over with oil of Acorns for that will comfort and strengthen it and keep away the cold wash the child next with warm water pare your nails and pick out the filth from the childs nostrils open the Fundament that it may encline to go to stool and keep it neither too hot nor too cold nor in a place that is too light let not the beams of the Sun or Moon dart upon it as it lieth in the Cradle especially but let the cradle stand in a darkish and shadowy place and let the head lie a little higher than the body for a child that is very young to look upon the light of a candle will make them pore blind or squint-eyed so will the light of the Sun set not a candle behind the head of it for the child will turn its eyes to the light Take heed the child be not frighted for it will soon be fearful if you let it sleep alone so soon as it awakes and misseth the Nurse keep it not waking longer than it will but use means to provoke it to sleep by rocking it in the cradle and singing Lullabies to it carry it often in the arms and dance it to keep it from the Rickets and other diseases let it not suck too much at once but often suckle it as it can digest it After four months let loose the arms but still roul the breast and belly and feet to keep out cold air for a year till the child have gained more strength Shift the childs clouts often for the Piss and Dung if they lie long in it will fetch on the skin and put the child to great pain you may suffer the child to cry a little for it is better for the brain and lungs that are thus opened and discharged of superfluous humours and natural heat is raised by it it doth most good before they suck and when the former suck is digested but too much crying will cause rheums to fall and oftentimes the child will be broken bellied by its overstraining change the breasts as you give suck sometimes let it draw one sometimes another and for the first month let it suck as much as it can so the stomach be not too full Give it some pap of barley bread steeped a while in water and then boiled in milk children that are lusty may be fed with this betimes but they must not suck till it be a full hour after it and thus they should be dieted till they breed teeth So soon as the teeth come forth let it eat more substantial meat that is easily chewed and of quick digestion also give it Cows milk and broths let not the child rest too soon upon its legs for if the legs be weak they will grow crooked by reason of the weight of their bodies When the child is seven months old you may if you please wash the body of it twice a week with warm water till it be weaned Let the teeth come forth most part especially the eye-teeth before the child be weaned for those teeth cause great pains when they are breeding and Feavers and grievous a king of their Gums proceed from them the stronger the child is the sooner he is ready to be weaned some at twelve months old and some not till fifteen or eighteen months old you may stay two years if you please but use the child to other Food by degrees till it be acquainted with it Let the child drink but little wine that it do not over-heat the blood the best time to wean the child is either the Spring or the Fall of the Leaf the Moon increasing For seven years give the child nourishing meats and an indifferent plentiful diet to make it grow cocker them not over much nor provoke them to passions I cannot tell which may do most hurt Too much play as children are prone to will over-heat the blood and want of play and idleness will make them dull Some Parents are too fond of their children and leave them to their own wills some are too froward and dishearten their children the mean is best for them both and so they shall be sure to find it I have as briefly as I could touched upon all occasions for women and their children and some things may seem to be needless
to to tell those that knew them before but by their leave they that know some things may be ignorant of other things what one knew before it may be another knew not and what she knew not another might know There are many things here that most women desire to know the reason is the same why all meats are eaten and all Maids may be married for if we all were taken with the same thing there could be no living in the world CHAP. VII Of the Diseases that Infants and children are often troubled with I. SOmetimes the child so soon almost as it is but new born will fall into strange throws and convulsions Hippocrates divides childrens diseases according to their several ages Children new born are subject to inflammation of the navel after it is cut to moistness of the Eares to Coughs and Vomitings and Ulcers in the mouth to Feares and watchings When the Teeth begin to breed there are Feavers Convulsions and Fluxes of the Belly chiefly when the Eye-Teeth breed when they grow older the Tonsils are enflamed the Turnbones of the neck are laxated inwardly they have short breath and are troubled with the stone in the bladder round wormes and Ascarides Strangury Kings-evil and standing Yards as they grow still new diseases come on as the Measels Small-pox some are Tongue-tyed until the Ligament be cut that is too short and hinders their Speech Use no strong Vomitings or purgings or Glisters to children nor bleed them but give them gentle means such are Suppositories and mild Glisters with a little Sugar and Milk give stronger Physick to the Nurse if need require to purge the child strong medicaments given to the nurse may endanger the child that sucks the breasts but weak purges are sufficient to do it good You may give the child a Glister thus take Mallows and violet leaves of each one handful flowers of violets and camomile of each a small handful boil them and take four or five ounces of the decoction and with four or six drams of sirrup of roses and half an ounce of oyl of Violets make it ready to give luke-warm or something more hot as it may well endure II. If a Child be troubled with flegme lay it not on the back for you may soon choak it but turn it to lie on one side or the other Keep the belly loose thrust up a suppository of Castle sope rubbed over with fresh butter to make it more smooth gentle to pass into the body a spoonful of sirrup of Violets afterwards will force down the flegme you may if the child be temperate in heat mingle half the quantity of sweet Almond oyl with half so much sirrup of Violets but rub the belly down with sweet butter as often as it is undressed III. If the childs Codds be swoln observe whether wind or water be the cause of it the water will sweat out if you chafe the part with fresh butter if it be wind swing the child well and dance it and put the decoction of Anniseeds in their drink but there may be many causes of the swelling of the Codds if wind be the cause the Codds will shew thin as a horn and be as stiff as a Drums head too much crying may cause an inflammation or bursting If the swelling arise from heat cooling herbs will cure it but for wind boil a handful of bay leaves of Dill Camomile and Fennel of each a handful Rue half a handful boil all in a quart of Beer wort to a pint strain it out hard and with the liquor boil as much Bean meal as will make a poultis putting to it two or three spoonfuls of oyl of Camomile apply it hot to the Codds IV. If the childs Fundament slip forth as it will oftentimes in many children when they are bound and strain to go to stool or have taken cold or the Muscles are relaxed by moisture when there is a looseness of the Belly and a Tenesmus or Needing then the Muscle that bindes up the hole will come forth if it come from straining it is easily cured at first but too much moisture causing it will be hard to overcome especially when the belly is loose for then the Medicaments are driven off For the cure then if it be swoln and will not be put in bath it first with a decoction of Mallows and Marshmallows or annoint it with oyl of Lillies then try to put it up having cast some astringents upon it or take Galls Acorn cups Myrtle berries dryed red Roses burnt Harts-horn burnt Allum and flowers of sowr Pomegranates of each a like quantity make a strong decoction in water and whilest it is warm bath the Gut with it and put it into its place and to make it flag up spread a little melted wax Frankincense and Mastick together upon a Linnen Clout and lay it to the Fundament so bind it on and take it off onely when the child goes to stool sprinkle the Gut with this following powder Of red roses and sowr Pomegranate flowers of each half a dram Frankincense and mastick of each one dram V. If the Infant be too loose bellyed and cannot contain its Excrements this proceeds either from breeding of Teeth and that is usually with a feaver or from concoction depraved and the nourishment corrupted or from much waking or great pain or Feaverish humors stirring in the body or when they drink or suck too much being over-hot taking cold may also bring a Looseness if the Excrements be yellow and green and stink some sharp humor is the cause of it When children breed teeth it is good to have the belly somewhat loose but if it exceed it must be stopt for the child will consume If the Excrements be black and the child feaverish it is an ill sign But a Sucking child needs not be cured so much as the Nurse mend her milk or get another Nurse and let her avoid green fruit and Meats of hard digestion When the child is past sucking then purge things that leave a binding quality behind will do it such are sirrup or honey of red Roses You may give a Glister of two or three ounces of the decoction of Milium and Myrobolans with an ounce or two of sirrup of dried red Roses If it proceed from a hot cause cleanse first then give sirrup of dried roses Quinces Myrtles Currants Coral Mastick Harts-horn or powder of Myrtles with a little Dragons blood and annoint the belly with oyl of roses of Mastick of Myrtles In a cold cause the Excrements will be white then give sirrup of mastick and Quinces with mint water and take half a scruple of Frankincense and of Nutmeg as much temper it with the juyce of a Quince and give it the child Lay a plaister to the childs belly made with the seeds of red Roses Cummin Anniseed and Smallage Barley meal and juyce of Plantane with a little Vinegar boil all together When the stools are red or yellow a spoonful
Cloves of each one scruple Frankincense Bark Calamus of each half a dram Marjoram water three ounces snuff up this water often and drop hot oils into the ears If the water be not dissipated in twenty daies you must open the skull and let out the water by degrees and beware that the child take no cold If such means as are outwardly applied will not help it the last remedy is by the Chirurgion XIV Sometimes children are much vexed with the Hiccough or Hickets or Huckets as they call it it comes commonly from too much repletion and fulness wherefore dip a feather in oil and put it down the childs Throat and make it vomit It may come from a cold stomach then anoint the stomach with oil of Cammomile of Worm wood of Mastick and Quinces and dissolve a scruple of the Troches of Diarrhodon in the Nurses Milk and give it the child If this disease come from too much Milk the belly swells and the child vomits if the Nurses Milk be bad it comes from thence and the Excrements will smell of stinking Milk This is no dangerous disease unless the cause be violent for then it will flie to the Nerves and cause a Convulsion Falling sickness and death Give the child sirrups of Mints and Betony to strengthen the stomach and anoint it with oil of Mints of Mastick and of Dill. There is a disease like the Hickets in children from grief or anger when the spirits flie from the Heart to the Midriff and stop the breath but it is soon over XV. Children are sometimes subject to vomiting from too much or from ill milk or from flegm that falls from the head to the stomach a moist loose stomach is the immediate cause if they vomit milk they are better for it if the milk be naught the matter that comes forth will shew that for it is yellow green or filthy coloured and it stinks Worms may make them vomit but that will be known by the signs children that vomit often are best in health and thrive best because their stomach is kept clean of ill humours but to vomit too much will make them wast away cleanse the stomach with honey of Roses and strengthen it with sirrup of Quinces and of Mints When the humour is too sharp and hot give the sirrup of Pomegranates or of Coral or of Currants Coral hath a hidden vertue and some hang it about their necks Anoint the stomach with oils of Mastick Mints Quinces Wormwood of each half an ounce oil of Nutmegs by expression half a dram oil of Mints chymically extracted three drops or dip bread in hot Wine and lay it to the mouth of the Stomach XVI If the child be griped and pained in the belly you shall know it by the great unquietness and crying and turning it self from side to side it is oft with a scowring and from bad milk that breeds sharp windy humours it gets to the guts and gnaws them and sometimes it is from worms if it be wind it will cease when they break wind but ill humors cause a constant pain Tough flegm binds the belly and the Dung is slimy sharp humours cause a green and yellow flux if this pain last long it casts them into convulsions and falling-sicknesses and is dangerous Foment the belly with a decoction of Lavender Fennel and Cummin seed or take oil of Olives and Dill seed and dip a piece of Wool in it and lay it over the belly warm Give the child some oil of sweet Almonds with Sugar-Candy and a scruple of Anni-seeds and purge it with Honey of Roses which is good also when the body is swoln with wind or too much milk not digested and use a decoction of Cardiaca Cammomile flowers and Cummin seed or boil the top of dwarf-Elder and of Elder in white wine and bath the parts that are swoln with it If the griping pain comes from the sharp milk sirrup of Succory with Rhubarb or sirrup or Honey of Roses or a Glister of the decoction of bran and Pellitory of the wall with sirrup of Roses is very good using an outward Ointment of oil of Dill and Cammomile XVII Sometimes children will sneeze mightily it may come from an imposthume in the head then cooling oils and ointments are commended but if any other cause produce it put the powder of Bazil into the nostrils If heat cause it the childs eyes will sink in then bruise Purslain leaves and with oil of Roses Barley meal and the yolk of an egg mingled make an Application to the Head XVIII When the child is Feaverish and hot the nurse must eat cooling and moistening things and anoint all the parts of the child with oil of Roses and Unguent Populeon and lay to the breasts clarified juice of Wormwood Plantane Mallows Seagreen made to a Cataplasme of Barley meal XIX It falls oftentimes out that children are squint-eyed and that comes when they lie in their Cradle and the Candle or light stands behind them or on one side It may come from the Falling-sickness or by birth but that is seldome and not curable if ill custom have bred it put your candle on the other side or a Picture till the childs eyes come to look right but you may prevent all if you set the candle before the child and not on either side for the child will stare after the light you may when you find the childs eyes distorted hang cloths of all colours on the other side to make the child to turn the eyes the contrary way to gaze on them till it be cured XX. Sometimes children have sore eyes with great pain with Ulcers and Worms and inflammations for childrens brains are very moist and there are many excrements which nature casts forth at other places because the natural Emunctories will not carry them all out much of this goes to their ears which will be very sore that they will cry and not suffer them to be touched it is dangerous for it will not let them sleep the heat and pain is so great it causeth the Falling-sickness and fouls the spongy bones and breeds Worms and sometimes makes children deaf so long as they live you cannot use strong remedies to children drop a little hemp seed oil with Wine into their ears to allay the pain use warm milk about their ears or oil of Violets or the decoction of Poppey tops to dry up the moisture use honey of Roses or water of honey to drop in their ears XXI The usual painful disease of all children is the breeding of their teeth it is very dangerous to some about the seventh month first come forth the fore teeth then the eyteeth lastly the grinders first the Gums itch then they prick like needles by reason of the sharp bones which causeth watchings and inflammations of the Gums Feavers Convulsions Scourings especially when they breed their eye-teeth The beginning of the seventh month is the time that discovers it and the childs putting his
finger into his mouth and holding the nipple faster than they were wont when the tooth is coming forth the Gum is whiter than in other parts the watching breeds cholerick humours and inflames the body and brings a Feaver If the teeth be long before they can come forth children commonly will die of Feavers and Convulsion fits they that scowr have seldome any Convulsion When the gums are thick the teeth can scarce get forth wherefore soften the Gum with rubbing it with Honey and Fresh Butter or let the child chew a candle of Virgins Wax Let the Nurse keep a moderate Diet inclining to cold as Barley Broths Water-Gruel Lettice Endive Rear-eggs take heed of salt spiced meats and wine but anoint the childs Gum with a Mucilage of Quinces made with Mallows water or with the brains of an Hare XXII If the Gums be ulcerated let the Nurse rub the childs gums and Wheals and Pushes with her finger and anoint them with Hens grease Hares brains oil of Cammomile and Mel Rosarum or sirrup of violets with Plantane water and if the inflammation be great boil Pomegranate flowers Roses and Sanders of each two drams Allum half a dram in water strain out three ounces and dissolve in it the sirrup of Mulberries half an ounce If the Pushes and Wheals be white take Pomegranate flowers Amber Cypress nuts of each two drams Roses and Myrtle flowers of each half a handful boil them in water add to the decoction one ounce and a half of honey of Roses .. Sometimes there riseth between the Gums and the great teeth a little fleshy substance to consume that wash it with a deccoction of the roots of Plantain Bugloss Agrimony of each a handful Barley a small handful and red Roses a handful four Dates Flowers of Pomegranates two drams Liquorish one dram and a half XXIII Children are very much molested with destillations Coughs and Catarrhs if the humour be sharp and hot that falls from the brain the child will look red in the face if it be a cold humour much matter will run forth at the nose and mouth then keep the child resonably warm and give it Sugar candy with oil of sweet Almonds wash the childs feet with Ale boiled with Betony Marjoram Rosemary then anoint the soles of the feet with Goose grease rub the breast with fresh butter and oil of sweet Almonds and lay on warm linnen cloths for slimy humours give it a spoonful of sirrup of Maiden-hair or of Liquorish and Hyssop mingled Take also Gum Traganth Arabick Quince seeds juice of Liquorish and Sugar Pelets mingle them and in new milk let the child take of it every day Where the cause is cold that makes the Cough beat a little Myrrh to powder and give it the child with oil of sweet Almonds and a little honey when it comes from heat make a decoction of Raisins in water and with white poppey seed and Gum Dragant each two drams seeds of Gourds four drams beat all together and give the child a four penny weight in the foresaid decoction XXIV If the breath be short let it take an Electuary of Honey and Linseed and anoint the ears and parts about them with Olive oil XXV If the childs nose be stopt put a little Ointment of Roses and good Pomatum into the Nostrils to soften the hard matter Wash the inflamed or Gummy eyes that will not open with breast milk or Plantain and Rose Water Childrens moist brains breed moist humours that run to their ears make them clean with a rag and drop in Honey of Roses mingled with oil of bitter Almonds XXVI If the child new born be in great pain then rub it with Pellitory of the wall and fresh Butter or with Spinach and Hogs-grease and lay it to the Navel take care it be not too hot or make a cake of oils of eggs and of Nuts for the Navel give it a Glister if it need with Milk Sugar and the yolk of an Egg. XXVII Children are subject to all sorts of Feavers but chiefly to Feavers from corrupt milk and Feavers with breeding of teeth They have epidemical Feavers sometimes that cast forth the Meazles or small Pox the mothers menstrual blood is the original cause but the corrupt air stirs it up for as the air is pure or impure so these diseases are more raging or less It is oftentimes infectious and the humours so corrupt that worms breed under the scabs and corrode the bones and inward parts as hath been proved by opening some that died If it be a Feaverish time that it spreads much give good Antidotes and change the air but all children almost will have them first or last Before there is a Feaver you may fortifie nature and give a a gentle purge but for my part I approve not of purging or bleeding in these distempers unless it be long before So soon as you see the feaver drive them out by Cordials and prefer the eyes and throat and prevent deformity The first signs of this disease for they are both from one cause are pains of the head redness in the eyes a dry Cough with a feaver then little pimples break forth all the body over but chiefly they aim at the throat and face The small Pox is dangerous to all but most to those that are of an ill habit of body and if they come forth in heaps and not orderly or if they look blew black or ill coloured they are exceeding dangerous If the child suck the nurse must use a moderate diet she may eat Hen broth with herbs of Succory Borrage Bugloss and Endive boiled in it Let her drink this drink following to make them come easily and quickly forth take peeled Lentils half an ounce fat figs two ounces Gum Lac two drams Gum Traganth and Fennel seed of each two drams and a half boil this in fountain water strain it and sweeten two pints of it with Sugar and sirrup of Maiden-hair let her drink half a pint fasting If the child be weaned give it a Julep of cordial waters two ounces and a half sirrup of Lemmons one ounce use this often and four or five hours after give it some Unicorns horn and Oriental Bezoar in powder To preserve the eyes anoint the Eye-lids with Plantane and Rose water and a little Saffron To preserve the nose take Rose water and Betony of each one ounce Vinegar half an ounce and as much powder of peels of Citrons add to it Saffron six grains let the child smell to it often dip some cotton in it and stop the ears to keep the Small Pox from thence You may preserve the mouth the tongue and the throat with a handful of barley and leaves of Plantain Sorrel Agrimony and of Vervain of each a handful all boiled in water to six ounces dissolve in it sirrup of Pomegranates and of Roses of each half an ounce Saffron half a scruple make a Gargarisme sirrup of Juniper of Violets and of water-Lillies