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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	bring_v	hand_n	left_a	2,539	5	10.3901	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53913	The compleat midwife's practice enlarged in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man containing a perfect directory or rules for midwives and nurses : as also a guide for women in their conception, bearing and nursing of children from the experience of our English authors, viz., Sir Theodore Mayern, Dr. Chamberlain, Mr. Nich. Culpeper ... : with instructions of the Queen of France's midwife to her daughter ... / by John Pechey ... ; the whole illustrated with copper plates.	Pechey, John, 1655-1716.; Chamberlen, Hugh.; Culpeper, Nicholas, 1616-1654.; Boursier, Louise Bourgeois, ca. 1563-1636.; Mayerne, Théodore Turquet de, Sir, 1573-1655.	1698 (1698)	Wing P1022; ESTC R37452	221,991	373

Midwife may with her Hand gently thrust back the Shoulder and bring the Arm that was stretched back to its right place The most dangerous of all those that we have spoken of is this and therefore the Midwife must take care to put back the Infant in this case into the Womb First of all therefore anoint well her Hands as also the Womb of the Woman then if she can let her thrust in her Hand near the Arms of the Infant and so move the Shoulders that the Infant may fall back into the womb and then to bring it to the natural form let her thrust up her other Hand and reduce the Arms of the Infant to the sides of it If this succeed not the Woman must be laid on her Bed and after a little rest she must be ordered as before we have said If this avail not she must be brought back to her Seat as we have before rehearsed then must her womb by the help of those Women that assist her be gently prest downward and on both sides while the Midwife having anointed the Matrix and both the Arms of the Infant joins them as close together as she can and in that manner receives the Infant And there is the less danger in this form if the Midwife be diligent and the Child slender If the Infant thrust it self forwards with the buttocks formost the Midwife must put up her Hand well anointed and so by heaving up and putting back the Buttocks strive to turn the Head to the Passage Yet overmuch haste must not be made lest the Infant should fall back into some worse Posture and therefore if it cannot be turned by putting up the Hand the Woman must be brought to her Bed and ordered as we have often said before comfortable things being conveniently ministred to her If the Child come forward with the neck bowed and the shoulders forward with the Hands and Feet stretched upwards in this case the Midwife must carefully move the shoulders backward that she may be able to bring the Head forwards which may be easily done for the shoulders being removed the Head will soon appear formost yet if this suffice not the Woman must be laid on her back upon the Bed and ordered according to the former Precepts When the Infant thrusts forth the Hands and Feet formost care must be had to avoid the danger of this mishapen posture and therefore the Midwife must strive by removing the Feet to lay hold on the Head and as much as in her lies to direct it to the passage the Hands are also to be removed unless of their own accord they fall down to the sides If by this means it cannot be done the former Precepts of converting the Child are to be observed Sometimes it happens that the Child strives to force its passage in this posture which is very dangerous First of all therefore let the Midwife anoint her Hands well and the Womb of the Woman which being done let her put up her Hand and seek for the Arms of the Child which when she hath found let her hold them fast till she hath hold of the Head also which she must with all her skill endeavour to bring formost then let her remove the Hands of the Infant and fix them upon the sides of the Infant Yet if this do not avail it will be the safest way to lay the Woman on her Bed and to proceed according to the former Precepts to try if by that delay she may have the more advantage to proceed as before The same method which is to be observed in single Birth is also to be observed in case of Twins or of tripple Birth for as the single Birth hath but one natural way and many unnatural Forms so is it with the Birth of many Children and therefore when it happens that Twins appear coming into the World according to the natural form the Midwife must observe to receive that first which is nearest the passage yet be sure not to let go the other lest it should fall back into the womb and tumble into some other form but the one being born immediately to receive the other this Birth is the more easie in the natural form because the first Child widens the passage for the latter but in unnatural Births there is most difficulty in the passage of the second Child Care must be also had in the birth of Twins that the Secondine be naturally brought forth lest the womb being deliver'd of its Burthen should fall and the Secondine by that means be delayed to the damage of the Woman in Child-bed If it happen in drawing forth the first by the feet that the other change its situation the Midwife may then draw forth the other by the Feet as she did the first and if the head of the first be more forward then she must put back the Feet of the first and receive that which comes with the head formost If both of them press together to the passage of the Womb the Midwife must take great care and therefore she must put up her hand to see which of them is most forward as also to try whether it be not some monstrous Conception as two heads upon one body or two bodies joined in one either at the shoulders or at the sides which may be known if she put up her hand gently between the two heads as high as she can and if she find that they are twins she may gently put the one to one side to make way for the passage of the other which is most advanced which must be directed just to the orifice of the Womb having a great care that she do not change the situation of the second and as she feels the pains of the Mother coming on her she must by all means bring forward the Child she would receive still keeping the other back with two or three fingers of the left hand and thus having delivered the first if the second be not well situated she must bring the head to 〈◊〉 neck of the Womb where it will find the passage 〈◊〉 to it by the delivery of the first Now lest the first Child should be in danger of its life you must take it from the Mother and carefully tie up the Navel-string as is formerly mentioned and also bind again with a large and long fillet that part of the Navel which is fast to the Secondines that they may be more easily found Then the second Child being born the Midwife must see if there be not two Secondines for by reason of the shortness of the ligature it may have hapned to retire back again to the damage of the Woman and therefore the Secondines must be hastened forth as soon as may be lest the Womb should close If the two Infants have but one body the better way is to turn the head upwards and to draw it forth by the Feet than by the head Taking care when you come to the Hips to

it forth 'till it appear all come forth observing still that the Belly and the Face be still kept downward Now if the woman hath a flux of blood and that the neck of the Matrix be open the Chirurgion ought to consider whether the Infant or the Secondines come forth first of all for it oftentimes happens that the Secondines passing toward the mouth of the Matrix do so stop and obstruct it that they do not give leave for the Child or the Waters to come forth so that some perceiving that softness are presently of opinion that the mouth of the Womb is not open But this the Midwife or Chirurgion may easily discern by thrusting up the middle finger as high as may be and feeling therewith the circumference of the neck of the Womb by which they will soon perceive whether the Womb be dilated or no and whether it be the Secondines that present themselves Now when it is found to be the Secondines and that they cannot easily come forth the Midwife may with her two fingers widen the passage that she may have thereby the liberty to put up her hand and seek for the Infant Now if the Secondines be not placed in the middle they must be turned a little as quickly as may be that you may more conveniently seek for the feet of the Infant to draw it forth as we have said In such a case as this all care must be had that nothing be broken and that every thing be brought out whole for so though the woman should die the Midwife or Chirurgion would be blameless If the Secondines come first the best way is to deliver the Woman with all the expedition that may be by reason of the great fluxes of blood that will follow by reason that the veins are opened But here are two things to be considered the first is whether the Secondines are much or little come forth if they are but little advanced they must be put back with care and diligence and if the head of the Child appear first it must be guided directly toward the neck of the Womb as in the most natural birth but if there appear any difficulty in the birth by reason of the weakness either of the Child or of the Mother then the most convenient way will be to seek for the Feet as we have said before Another thing to be observed is that if the Secondines be so far advanced that they cannot be put back and that the Child follow it close then are the Secondines to be pulled away with all the care and expedition that can be and to be laid aside without cutting the Entrail that sticks to them for by that you may be guided to the Infant which whether it be alive or dead is to be pulled out by the feet with as much care and quickness as may be though it is not to be done but in case of great necessity for otherwise the Secondines ought to come last If the Child be dead in the Womb of the Mother the Woman is then to be situated in the same posture as when she is troubled with a flux of blood If it present it self dead with the head foremost and that there is little or no hope that the woman may be delivered without assistance and that her strength begins to fail her the most certain and safe way is to put up the hand For the Chirurgion must then slide up his left hand being hollowed as when a Man strives to hold water in it causing it to slide in the neck of the Womb along the lower part thereof toward the feet and that between the head of the Infant and the neck of the Matrix And having thus opened the Womb with his left hand he shall with his right put up his hook above his left hand between the head of the Child and the flat of his hand and fix in in the bone of the temple toward the ear or else in the hollow of the eye or in the Occipital bone keeping his left hand still in its place after this gently moving and stirring the head with his left hand with his right hand holding the hook well fixed he shall draw the Child forth by degrees exhorting the Woman all the while to force and strain her self with all her power and then is the best time to draw forth the Child when the pains shall seize her now if it happen that he lose his hold in one place the danger is nothing for he hath the liberty to fix his Instrument better in another place The head being thus drawn forth he must with all speed that may be slip his hands down the Child's arm-holes to draw forth his shoulders and the rest of his body In the mean while it will be requisite to give the Woman a small draught of wine or a tost sopt in wine of Hipocras If after these Medicines following adhibited the Child make no haste into the World but lies unmoved in the Womb then you may proceed to Instruments after another manner First of all as soon as the Woman is brought to bed let her take this following potion hot and abstain from all other meat and remain quiet for the space of an hour or two 'till she feel the power and efficacy of the Medicine Take seven cut Figs Fenugreek Motherwort-seed and Rue of each two drams water of Peny-royal and Motherwort of each six ounces boil all these to the consumption of half strain them and to the straining add Trochischs of Myrrh one dram three grains of Saffron Sugar as much as is sufficient make one draught of this and spice it with a little Cinamon After she hath rested a little upon this let her again return to her travel at what time certain perfumes must be made ready of Trochischs composed of these following Spices to be cast on the coals and so used as that the perfume may only come to the Matrix and no further Take Castor Sulphur Galbanum Opoponax Pigeons-dung Assa-faetida of each half a dram mingle all these with the juyce of Rue and make a Trochisch of them in the form of a Filberd If these produce no effect you may use this following Emplaister Take Galbanum an ounce and a half Coloquintida without the grains two drams the juyces of Rue and Motherwort new wax as much of each as is sufficient of each make a plaister Let this be spread upon a cloth to reach from the Navil to the Privities and in breadth to both the sides which she may keep on for the space of an hour or two A Pessary may be also convenient made of Wool and closed over with silk and then moistned in the following Decoction Take of round Birth-wort brought from France Savin and Coloquintida with Grains Staves-acre black Ellebore of each half a dram bruise these together and make a Pessary with as much of the juyce of Rue as is sufficient But now if all these things

handful of Chervil bruised a little and boyled in a sufficient quantity of water about a dozen seethings to which you must add a spoonful of Vinegar when you have strained it you must put to it an ounce of Honey of Roses then you must have a little hooked stick with a little piece of Scarlet tied at the end then putting the water in a Sawcer dip the end of the stick where the Scarlet is tied and then rub the place affected gently and you shall find the Canker 〈◊〉 a●swage by little and little What is to be done to Children whose Intestines are falle● THERE are a great many Infants whose great gut falls which is a thing very easily remedied at the beginning and therefore you must put it up again First lay the Child with the 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 Comfrey scraped and put upon it as an Ointment then looking to it every day taking care that it cry but little and never unbind him but as he lyes lest the Gut tumble down again 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 legs of the Child and make him go TAKE Sage Marjoram Dwarf-Elder bruise them a good while together 'till you have beaten out a good deal of Juyce then put it into a Glass Vial 'till it be full and stop up the Hole with paste and round the sides also of the said Paste put it then in an Oven to bake as long as a good big Loaf then draw it forth and suffer it to cool then break the Paste which is round the Vial break the Bottle and keep up that which is within which you shall find turned to an Oyntment And when you would use it you must add to it some of the Marrow of the Hoof of an Ox melting it altogether and when ye have so done you must rub the hinder part of the legs and thighs of the Child This hath been done to a Child whom a famous Physician after 3 Years having in hand gave over saying that it would never go 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 fall down upon the ligaments thereof causing them to wax loose Others come to this Disease by some falls others by reason of carrying in their womb too great Burdens others by straining themselves in travail before their time and because the Orifice of the Womb is not open sometimes and very often by reason of the Midwifes who putting up their Hands into the Womb tear down they know not what which is oftentimes a part 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 oftentimes brought also to a worse condition when the unskilful Women force her to the Remedies for bringing down the Secondines as holding Bay salt in her Hand streining to Vomit and the like For remedy whereof all these telaxations of the Matrix are by the same Remedies except those which are occasion'd 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 Pomgranate Flowers Roche-Alum of each two Ounces Province Roses four ounces Knot-grass a good big handful the Rind of Cassia the Rind of Pomegranates Scarlet Grains of each three Ounces the nature of a Whale one ounce Mirrh-water Rose-water and Sloe-water an ounce and a half thick Wine and Smiths-water of each four ounces and a half then make two little bags of a quarter of a Yard long causing them to boil in the aforesaid waters in a new pot using one after another as you have occasion letting it lie upon the Bone of the Pubes passing in between the Hips chafing her often and holding her Head and her Reins low using in the Morning sometimes a little Mastick in an Egg or sometimes Plantain Seed If the Disease be not too old it may be cured by this means but if it be of a long standing you must make a pessary half round and half Oval of great thick Cork pierced through in the middle tye a little Pack-thred to the end then cover it over with white Wax that it may do no hurt and to make it more thick this must be dipped in Oyl of Olives to make it enter and it must be straight that it may not easily fall out and if it be too little to have another bigger and when the Woman goes to do her necessary occasions she must hold it in lest she should force it out the Hole is made that the Vapours of the womb may have a vent and to give way for her purgations to flow neither must it be taken away 'till after the Purgations are passed the thickness causes the Matrix to mount up as long as it is very thick for the Ligaments being close do then retire If they be Women that bear Children the Midwife ought not to suffer them to force themselves but as Nature constrains her having her own hand ready after the throw to put back the Matrix with her finger and when she is brought to bed lay her low with her head and with her reins raising her up with pillows put under her hips and for Women that are troubled with this Disease they ought not to lace themselves over hard for that thr●sts down the Matrix and makes the Woman pouch bellied and hinders the Infant from being well situated in her Body causing her to carry the Child all upon her Hips and makes her Belly as deformed as her Waste is handsome Of a disease that happens by reason of the fall of the Matrix THere is sometimes a relaxation of the Membrane that covers the rectum Intestinum when the head of the Child at the begining of the Travel falls downward and draws it low oftentimes it comes by reason of Women with Child lacing themselves which causes such a conflux of wind to these parts that it seems to the Woman to be the head of the Child insomuch that she is hardly able to stand upright neither can she go For remedy hereof you must keep the woman soluble giving her Anise and Coriander seeds to dissipate the winds You must take Sage Agrimony Motherworth Balm white Wormwood Margerom a little Rue and a little Thyme and Camomile and having picked all the above written Herbs you must cut them very small and having well mingled them put them into a maple platter and then put hot Cinders

215 Of the suppression of the Flowers p. 216 Of the dropping of the flowers and the difficulty of their coming down p. 220 Of the discolouring of the Flowers p. 221 Of the inordinate flux of the Flowers p. 222 Of the over-abundance of the Courses p. 224 Of the Whites and Gomorrhea in Wom●n p. 226 Of the Green-Sickness p. 228 Of the Suffocation of the Matrix p. 230 Of Barrenness p. 243 Of bringing up of Children and their diseases p. 246 Of the Diseases of the Head ibid. Bigness and swelling of the head in little Children p. 248 Of the Diseases of the eyes ears and noses in Children p. 249 Of certain Vlcers in Childrens mouths p. 250 Of certain other Tumours called Paroulis and Espoulis ibid. Of the two strings under the tongue of the Child p. 251 Of the Coughing of Children p. 252 Of breeding Teeth ibid. Of the Inflammation of the Navel-string in Infants p. 253 Of the Worms ibid. Of the Convulsion in Infants ibid. Of the swelling of the Hypocondria in Infants p. 255 Of Costiveness in Children ibid. Of looseness in Children ibid. Of Burstness in Children p. 256 Of the inflammation of the Navel p. 257 Of the jutting forth of the Navel ibid. Of the Stone in the Bladder p. 257 Of the not holding of the Vrine p. 258 Of the Intertrigo ibid. Of Leanness ibid. Of the difficulty that Children have to make water p. 259 Of the Inflammation of the Almonds of the ears ibid. Of Vomiting p. 260 Of the Hicquet ibid. Of the pain of the Belly in Children p. 261 Of the Small Pox in Children ibid. The Contents of the SVPPLY 1. OF the generative Seed its beginning and particularly of the four Concoctions pag. 263 2. The Generation of Man compared with the production of Plants p. 266 3. By what means Parents may get wise Children p. 268 4. The Signs of the several degrees of hot and dry in a Man p. 272 5. What Women ought to marry with what Men that they may have Children p. 273 6. How Males are gotten and not Females and contrary p. 275 7. How to preserve Childrens wit when formed p. 278 8. Further Considerations of the gradual progress of the births formation in the Womb. p. 283 9. The Notes of Virginity whether violable but by Man ibid. 10. Whether there may be a mutation of Sexes and of Hermaphrodites The Contents of Sir Theodore Mayern's Rare Secrets in MIDWIFRY TO know the time of Delivery whereby the woman may know the better how to prepare her self pag. 295 Signs which precede Delivery p. 296 To cause the Woman to contain the Birth p. 297 An Emplaister to hinder the monthly flux in Women with Child p. 297 An Emplaister for a Woman that is fearful of containing the Birth ibid. Preparatory Oyntments to be used before the time of Delivery p. 298 In case of Vomiting ibid. Regulation of Diet. p. 299 Other Advertisements relating to the several Accidents which may happen p. 300 To accelerate and hasten the Labour before the time of Child-bearing p. 305 An Oyntment for the Midwife's hands p. 310 After Delivery p. 310 If the pains cease not c. ibid. To strengthen the Womb. ibid. To strengthen the Womb without the help of Swathe-bands p. 311 A fomentation to provoke the After-birth ibid. Another for the same p. 312. A Pessary for the same ibid. Two other Pessaries for the same ibid. To expel the Child and after-birth in time of great necessity ibid. Another to expel the after-birth p. 313. To expell the Birth whether alive or dead ibid. Against pains of the heart ibid. To dry up the Milk ibid. Another for the same p. 314. A Fomentation for the same ibid. Another ibid. An Oyntment against the curdling of the milk in the Breast p. 315 To curdle the milk ibid. Against Fissures in the Breasts p. 316 Another for the same ibid. Pain in the Breasts after Delivery ibid. An Opiate to be given to Children newly born ibid. Against Barrenness p. 317 Another for the same ibid. To increase Lust and help Conception p. 320 An Opiate for the same ibid. Another for the same ibid. An Application to be made upon the Privities presently after Delivery p. 321 The next day foment these parts with this Fomentation ibid. A Bath in Summer p. 322 The third Bath p. 323 After she hath bathed let her foment for one or two days the lower parts of her Belly ibid. A Fomentation for the Womb the second day after the Bath p. 324 To cause the swelling of the belly to fall p. 324 Pain after Delivery ibid. Against the swelling of the Belly after Delivery p. 325 Against wrinkles of the skin after Child-bearing ibid. An oyntment to be used before a woman lyes down ibid. Another for the same p. 326 A Pomatum for the same ibid. An oyntment for the same ibid. Another for the same ibid. Certain Instructions grounding upon practical Observations fit to be known by all Midwives and Child-bearing Women c. p. 327. A second observation of a Woman that had been in Travel nine days p. 330 Of a Woman here in Town that bare her Child eleven Months and could not be delivered p. 331 Of the common opinion that a Woman seven months gone ought to walk very much and of the accidents that happen thereby p. 333 Of a Child which they thought sick of the Epilepsie occasion'd by the sickness of the Mother and of the cause p. 336 Of a young Woman who being struck upon the belly by her Husband with his foot was in great pain and could not be brought to bed without the help of a Surgeon p. 337 Of two Deliveries of one Woman ibid. Of a Woman that because she would not be ruled in her lying in died p. 339 Of certain women that bear children and Lye-in before their time and others at their full time who grow big and full of humours which causeth the death of the Child presently after their Delivery their Children being nourished in their bellies like fish only with water p. 340 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. 341 A good observation in the choice of Nurses p. 342 Of a woman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two Children proceeding from several Causes p. 344 Instruction of a famous and dying Midwife to her Daughter touching the practice of this Art p. 345 THE COMPLETE MIDWIFE'S Practice Enlarged 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 only a deep meditation but the preheminence to take up the first thoughts of those who would arrive to the knowledge of a thing so much needful to all mankind And it may be reasonably feared that many Women do miss

avail not and that the Midwife is not able to dilate the passage for the Infant then you must have recourse to the Chirurgion to which purpose she is to be placed in a seat so that she may turn her crupper as much from the back of the Chair as may be drawn up her legs as close as she can but spreading her Hips abroad as much as may be Or else if it seem more commodious she may be laid upon the Bed with her head downwards her buttocks raised and her thighs drawn up as much as can be then you may go to work either with your speculum matricis or his Apertory so that the womb being sufficiently widened by the help of these Instruments the birth may be drawn out by the hands of the Chirurgion together with the Secondines if possible may be The womb must then be washed and anointed the woman then must be laid in her bed and well comforted with spices as also with some comfortable meat and drink This course must be taken with all dead Infants and also with Moles and Secondines which are hindred in their coming forth naturally If by these Instruments the Womb cannot be sufficiently widened for the egress of the Infants there are yet other Instruments by which the Womb may be widened without damage to the Mother and the Birth be brought forth such as are Drakes-bill and the long Pincers by which the Womb is not only widened but the Birth taken hold of by them for the more forcible drawing it forth If there be any swelling or inflammation or concrete blood gathered together in the preputium of the Matrix under the skin those tumours either before or after the Birth where the matter appears thinnest and ripest the Midwife may cut with a pen-knife and squeeze out the matter anointing it afterwards often with a pessary dipt in Oil of Roses until it be whole If it happen that the Child be swollen in the Womb in any part of it by reason of Wind or any watry Humour yet if it be alive such means are to be used as may be least to the detriment of the Child and of the Mother but if it be dead in whatever part those humours be either in the breast arms or legs the Midwife may then put up her hand and with a little knife for that purpose cut the swollen part that by letting out of the Wind or humour the Child may grow less and be brought forth with less difficulty Many times it happens that the Child comes into the World with the feet foremost and the hands dilating themselves from the hips In this case the Midwife ought to be well furnished with Oyntments helping the egress of the Infant by anointing and stroaking it lest it be carried backward Having also a great care to take hold of both the arms of the Infant and keep them close to the hips that the Child may come forth after its own manner If by reason of this deduction of the Arms from the sides of the Infant and the narrowness of the Matrix it so happen that the Child cannot make a total egress the womb of the Woman and the Infant it self are to be well anointed sneezing Powders being administred to the Woman to help her endeavours the womb is also to be pressed hard with both hands that the Child make no retirement back but may still move forward It happens sometime that the Child comes forward with its feet with the Arms not close to its sides but extended above its head which when it comes to pass the Midwife is by no means to receive this Birth unless the Child be very small and the Matrix so wide that it may afford an easie passage to the Child yet may she not then receive it till she hath well anointed both the Child and the Matrix But it would be much more safe and convenient for both the Child and the Mother to put back the Child into the Womb and bring it to its natural form which may be done in this manner The woman must lie on her back upon her bed with her head downward and her buttocks a little elevated which being done the Midwife shall gently compress the belly of the Woman toward the Midriff thereby to put back the Infant into the Womb. But above all things let her take care that she turn the Face of the Child toward the back of the Mother raising up the thighs and buttocks of the Child toward the navel of the Mother to bring the Child to a more legitimate and natural production Many times it happens that the Child lies athwart and falls upon his side which when it comes to pass the Mother is not to be urged to her labour neither is the Birth to be expected after that manner for it is impossible that the Child should be so born without some conversion and therefore the Midwife is to do all she can to reduce it to a more natural form of Birth by moving the Buttocks and steering the Head to the passage if this succeed not let her try by often rocking the Woman to and fro to bring the Child to its natural form of being born If it happen that the Child hasten to the Birth with the Legs and Arms distorted the Midwife ought not to hasten the Woman but immediately cast her on her Bed where she may direct the Woman to roul her self to and fro or else she may gently stroke the womb of the Woman as she lies 'till she have reduced the Infant to a better posture If this profit not the Midwife must take the Legs and close them together then if she can she must get her Hand about the Arms of the Child and in the safest way she can direct it to its coming forth though it be the safest way to turn the Infant in the Womb and by that means compose it to the natural Birth If the Infant come into the World with both knees forward with the Hands hanging down upon the Thighs The Midwife may then put up both the Knees upward 'till the Feet happen to come forward and then with her left Hand let her take hold of the Feet and keep her right Hand about the sides of the Child and in that posture endeavour the Birth of the Child but if that succeed not let the Woman as is said before be brought to her Bed and there wallow from side to side 'till she have moved the Child into a better posture But when it happens that the Child hastens forwards with one Arm extended upon the Thigh and the other stretched over the Head the Feet being stretched out at length in the Womb the Midwife may by no means receive the Child in this posture but must lay the Patient upon the Bed as we have said before then must the Womans Belly be gently pressed backward that the Infant may retire into the Womb and if it give not backward of its own accord the

Tablet weigh six drams 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 THere are certain Women who have the neck of the Womb long and hardned by a cold humor that falls down thereon and renders them uncapable of conceiving One I have heard of who was afflicted with this Disease and voided a great deal of putrified blood by a certain fumigation that I taught her she 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 big of another for being discharged of the burden of putrified blood she found her self marvellously free for Conception for the Matrix that began to be ulcerated was now fortified and strengthned again and the natural heat began to take possession there again A good observation in the choice of Nurses THere be two sort 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 than 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 legs 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 dull and sottish giving no great signs of vivacity coming to bear teeth they are very sickly and do ordinarily die by reason of the flux that pusheth out too great company of teeth at once The Children that escape this are more ill juic'd in their infancy than 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 than the other for that is more dangerous and venomous to the Children There is another sort of Nurses more dangerous than these I have now spoken of who presently after they have Lain in that is three or four or five or six months 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 Infant This is caused by a moderate heat which is in their blood and to say true as soon as ever this happens the Infant must be taken away for they are more apt to conceive than to nurse and if they continue Nurses they do but ruine the Children This is but 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 yet seem fat and in good case This is the cause of great Cholicks and windinesses in Children which kills them in a moment for the least Feaver that takes them carries them away Besides this there are some whose milk is so little but withal so thick that it sticks upon the tongue palate and throat which causes as it were a white canker which is more and more heated by reason of their forcible drawing in vain and possesseth all the throat whereby they are hindred from sucking These Nurses will 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 than in Nurses for let them make what excuse they will it is nothing but necessity that reduceth them to be such Although the greatest part do say that it is to get acquaintance yet when they have a Child whether they have milk or no yet they desire not to part with it no more than they do to drown themselves whereby 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 own 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 unpunished Of a Woman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two Children proceeding from several causes I Was called to lay a Woman who said she was gone her full time she had the same pains that women are wont 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 Hogs-bladder all united within and without only that it had divers branches of veins as you shall see in a bladder which I presently cut and found therein a little Infant well shaped swiming in black waters it had gone its full 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 small branches of the veins do end Here as I guess as long as it found any blood it lay languishing but that beginning to fail it died 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 humours that ever I saw in my life Another time I brought the same Woman to bed who was delivered of a Child that came the ordinary way into the World with the head foremost 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 athwart 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 than any face it had the form of a nose but it was soft like wooll The head was full of water and those knobs which appeared were nothing but the futures of the head which the too great abundance of water had disjoyn'd in the hands it had nothing but hair instead of bones and the toes were of the same The woman her self was said to be extream 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 Countries 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 up my self to the