lumpe is felt in the necke of the Matrix with which the Bladder and Intestinum rectum or the Fundament gut are so pressed together that it is a hard and difficult thing for her to void her urine and other excrements her urine also will be white and thick blewish or blacke dregs gathered together in the bottome almost no pulse at all soft slender thicke and disordered But if by intemperate moisture of the Matrix the ligaments and stay-bands of it are putrefied and rotted so that for that cause it falleth downe to issue forth we must understand that this is caused without any paine and when the case standeth so stinking and filthy corrupt matter doth issue out of the Matrix continually If it happen by difficultie and hardnesse of the birth it will at all times appeare out of the privities but it will come forth being forced and constrained by great labours and exercises and will stirre up great paines betweene the lips or brimes of the same being pressed together Therefore all the qualities and conditions of this sickenesse and malady are diligently to be marked and observed that all things may goe forward the better in the administration of the cure The cure of the suffocation of the Matrix It remaineth now to give diligent admonion and counsell also concerning the cure so much as we have beene able to know and profitably to gather out of others Wherefore if the Matrix shall be removed upward without any suffocation it shall be able easily to be reduced and brought into her place againe with Fumes Fomentations or other things which have force to repell and drive backe as it hath been made evident and manifest in the Tractat of the former Chapter concerning the suffocation of the Matrix But if it shall remove toward the right side Cupping-glasses are to be fixed on the contrary side without Scarification Also let there be binding-bands made of cloth folded together a little bundle compounded by the advice of some Physician of such things as have force to move the Matrix being put betweene those bands When those things are inclosed with the binding-bands let them be tyed to that side into which the Matrix is removed and let the woman that suffereth this infirmity lye downe upon them and let her make a tryall to repell it backe And those things bundled together shall be Bawme Camomile Mugwoort Melilot Rue or herbe-Grace and such like things Moreover A Powder shee must take one spoonfull of this powder following with wine very hot her stomacke being as yet empty every day in the morning Take Flowers and Berries of the Bay-tree Harts-horne burnt of each two drams Myrtles two scruples Aristolochia rotunda one dram Mingle them and make a powder Or otherwise take Peach-kernells in number twelve Dissolve them with the yolkes of three Egs. Afterward take Cinamome Bay-berries Aristolochia rotunda of each one dram Dittany halfe a dram Nutmegge one scruple Saffron halfe a scruple mingle them with Wine and Sugar so much as sufficeth let a broth or meate be decocted of this and let the woman eate it very hot next her heart having eaten nothing before in the morning For it serveth wonderfully for restoring the Matrix into her place and doth mitigate the paines of the same But if it fall downeward and appeare outwardly by the secrets first the excrements of the belly are to be moved to issue forth with a Clyster conveniently and likewise the Bladder is to be dis-burdened also the wombe is to be mollified with this bathe following A Bathe that the Matrix may have the more easie regresse and returne into her place Take Mugwoort Camomile both kindes of Mallowes with the roots Fenegrec Bay-berries of each one handfull mingle them together and let a bathe be made of them So often as she shall come forth of the bathe let the Matrix be cherrished with warme cloths and let it be annoynted with the Muscilage made of the Kernells of Quinces mollified with the water of Acacia that it may be slippery in her returne back Afterward this powder following being sprinckled on it being cherrished with a warme cloth let it be put againe into the wombe Take of the juyce of Acacia Myrtles Pomegranat-flowers red Roses of each one dram and a halfe mixe them and make a powder And in the cure of this disease let the woman lie in her bed upon her backe her middle part or hips lifted up in a reasonable manner higher than the rest of her body that the Matrix fallen downe may be repelled and sent backe into the wombe And when it is reduced into her proper place let her lie with her legs stretched out abroad and let a large glasse or more glasses be fastened to her belly as shee lyeth and let such things as are of good and pleasant smell and savour be applied unto her nostrills as Amber and such like things that the Matrix may be drawne upward by the sweetnesse of the savour which it feeleth A Fume Also you shall make a Fume for her as shee lieth which may onely attaine to her Matrix but may in no wise come unto her nostrills Take of the juyce of Acacia the bone of the Cuttle-fish Pomegranat-flowers roots of Bistort Galls Cypresse-nuts myrtles or the leaves of each halfe an ounce Masticke Olibanum of each three drams Assa Foetida one ounce mingle them and make a powder of them After this Suffumigation or Fume let the Matrix be Fomented and comforted with hot Spunges dipped in this decoction following and applied one after another Take Myrtles one handfull red Roses Acornes Pomgranat-flowers Acacia of each halfe a handfull mingle them together and make a decoction of them with red Wine untill the halfe part be consumed and wasted away A Pessary Afterward it will be profitable to use this Pessarie Take Assa Foetida one dram Mastick two drams Myrtles Frankincense Galls Cypresse-nuts of each one dram and a halfe temper them with oile of Myrtles and let a Pessary be made of them the length and thicknesse of one finger covered over with silke Also this experiment is proved to be very profitable Dissolve Garlick bruised in a Mortar so in water that it have no thicknesse left in it let the Matrix be washed with that water and being sprinckled with this powder following let it be put into the wombe againe Take Pine-apple-kernels burn'd Harts-horne burn'd Frankincense Masticke of each one dramme mixe them and make a powder How the Matrix is to be retained being brought into the wombe Now the Matrix being reduced into the wombe and settled againe into her proper place we must use Ventoses or Cupping-glasses and what things soever have retentive force to draw the same Some doe acknowledge this thing for a certaine experiment to lay Nettles being well bruised upon the belly like a plaster and not to be removed from thence for a good while for by
may proceed we will now declare First let the Midwife know the time and observe the true paines and dolours also let her comfort and cheare up the labouring woman and let her chearefully exhort her to obey her Precepts and admonitions Likewise let her give good exhortations to other women being present especially to poure forth devout prayers to God afterward to doe their duties at once as well as they are able Which done let her bring the labouring woman to her Stoole which ought to be prepared in this fashion The Navell being cut and the childe washed The Navell to be sprinckled with powder his Navell being dry must be strewed and sprinckled with powder compounded of Bole-Armeniacke Sanguis Draconis and Myrrh and to be pressed downe with a double cloth laid upon it For this doth remedy a Flux of blood and other chances CHAP. III. Of certaine naturall Precepts and Medicines furthering and easing the flownesse and difficultie of the birth BEcause here we will discourse of removing the impediments of the birth wee must consider first of all that the birth is hindred two manner of waies The birth hindred two waies naturally and unnaturally When it shall happen to be hindred unnaturally wee must proceed according to the Precepts and Rules delivered in the fourth Booke following But when it is hindred naturally we must use the Precepts delivered and set downe in this Chapter Before all things let the Midwife be so skilfull of the matter that so much as lieth in her power she may conveniently and readily decline and avoyd all impediments and hindrances of the birth If the birth be hindred by the drinesse or straitnesse of the necke of the Matrix what to doe But if it shall happen that the birth is hindred by siceity drinesse or straitnesse of the necke or privie passages of the Matrix a little quantity of sneesing-powder and Pepper is to be blowne into the nostrills of the labourig-woman with a quill also her mouth is to be kept close and her breath to be kept in and sternutation or sneefing is to be provoked whereby the breath being driven downward may thrust and depresse the Infant to the nether most parts Which effect is also caused by these things following The herbe Bursa pastoris beaten to powder and taken in Wine or broth of Cicers will greatly prevaile Also a spoonfull of Hony taken with twice as much warme water Also the milke of another woman mixed and tempered with the leaves of Mugwoort or Mother woort laid warme upon the Navell Also oile of Bay taken in warme water or broth of Cicers Also two graines of Pepper being taken doe both force and drive forward the birth and also the Secundine Our medicine which we most especially use the birth being hindred and paines of travelling failing and slaking is this Take of the Trochiskes of Myrrh one ounce Saffron ten graines Cinamome one scruple mingle them with two ounces of the water of Mugwoort or Peniroyall and make one draught of it Let the labouring-woman take this draught warme which being taken A Potion let her returne to bed againe about the space of an houre untill feeling the force of this Potion her pangs and paines stirred up againe shee rising up returne to her labour and travell But if this will not profit nor doe any good and the Infant having put forth his head to the birth first doe as yet sticke and doe not proceed forward by and by seven of these Pills are to be given her which being taken let her rest againe a little Take of the Gum Bdellium Myrrh Pills of the seed of Savine Storax liquida that is Stactes Castoreum Agaricum of each halfe a scruple Diagridion sixe graines temper them with the pulpe of Cassia newly extracted as much as may suffice and make Pills of them as big as a Pease Both these medicines procuring a speedy birth are approved almost of all skilfull Physicians and are in use A Pessary Also wee shall use this Pessary which you shall make the length and bredth of a finger of pure wooll and shall cover it over with silke which you shall orderly use dipped in the juyce of Rue or herbe Grace in which Scamonie is dissolved There are some which hang the Iasper-stone or the stone called lapis Aquilinus on the left hip If these things after triall take no effect let the child bearing woman exercise her selfe by going a little afterward let her use this bath or fomentation A Bathe the bath I say reaching up so high that it may come over her belly Take Marish-Mallowes the herbe and root sixe handfulls of other Mallowes Camomile Melilot Parsley of each foure handfulls Lineseed Fenegreke of each two pound Bay-leaves Lavender-leaves of each two handfulls let all these things be boiled in water in which let the labouring woman sit or sometimes apply Sponges dipped in the same warme to her belly and backe The which being done sufficiently let her be cherrished with warme clothes and being brought to her bed let her be annointed with this ointment Take of the oile of sweet Almonds Hens grease An Vnguent oile of Lillies of Muscilage of Marish-Mallowes of each halfe an ounce temper them with a sufficient quantity of wax and make an ointment These things will prevaile to expell and drive forth the Secundines as wee will teach in the Chapter following This being done you shall give her a sop or morsell sodden with the yolke of two Egges in old wine these sorts of things commixed and tempered with them Take Cinamome halfe an ounce the rindes of Cassia or rather so much the more Cinamome in stead of Cassia because the Druggists often sell that which is not good Saffron halfe a scruple Savine Betony Maiden haire Dittany Fenegreke Bay-berries Mints of each one ounce of the bone found in the heart of a Hart Pearles prepared of each halfe a scruple mix them with Sugar If the Secundine come forth first and hinder the passage of the Infant what to doe and make a powder of them somewhat grosse But if the Secundine or after-birth come forth before the child and hinder and let the passage of the Infant that shall be cut off but the Navell must be bound up and this Pessary following must be conveyed into the necke or privie passage of the Matrix Take of Marish-Mallowes with the roots two handfuls of Mother or Mugwoort on handfull of Rue or herb-grace one ounce a halfe Fenegreke Lineseed of each one ounce ten Figs temper them together and make a decoction with a sufficient quantity of water to which being throughly strained adde these things oile of Lillies oile of Lineseede of both two ounces Muske one graine Let the Pessary being moistned in the decoction be conveyed into the necke of the Matrix Let her also by and by use this Electuary An Electuary Take Myrrh Castoreum Calamus aromaticus two ounces Cinamome
Let all these things be mingled together with oile of odoriferous Spike and let Trochiskes be made of them with the which let the woman in the morning being fasting and in the evening about to goe to bed receive a fume underneath Also it will be profitable to annoint the privie parts with this unguentum following An Vnguent Take Styrax Calamita one dramme Saffron Masticke Ladanum Myrrh of each one dram Temper them with oyle of Spike and Roses and white Waxe so much as may suffice and a Liniment be made Likewise the braines rosted of Hares will do good in this case But some do use the grease of Duckes Geese Hennes Harts and the like to which they doe mixe the sorts of simples before prescribed and make Trochiskes convenient to make a Suffumigation Likewise you may use these fumes following Suffumigation Take Pure Ladanum one ounce Styrax Calamita Olibanum of each one dram Lignum Aloes dry Savine of each one dram and a halfe Amber three graines Muske six graines Let all these things be mixed and beaten to powder and let Trochisks be made with a hot Pestle of which being cast upon the coales let a fume be made underneath thorow a Tunnell Likewise Pessaries may be made of the Masse or Lumpe of them Or otherwise Take Ladanum one dram Styrax Calamita halfe an ounce Cloves Lignum Aloes red Roses of each two drams Amber halfe a scruple Muske sixe graines let all these things be pounded and let Trochiskes be made of them in the manner aforesaid Some of these also may be dissolved with Rose-water and the mouth of the Matrix may be washed with it Of these also Pessaries may be prepared Here is also another thing very profitable Take red Roses halfe an ounce Frankincense Masticke Myrrh Sanguis Draconis Bole-Armeniacke Myrtles of each two drams Styrax Calamita halfe an ounce Ladanum halfe an ounce Amber Muske Lignum Aloes Cloves Artificiall Balsamum Spick-Nard of each halfe a scruple Those things that are to be powdred let them be beaten to powder and let Trochiskes be made in the aforesaid manner and let a Suffumigation be made thorow a Tunnell with one dram of it It hath beene received for a truth of some acient Writers that women which did often eate the roots of Aristolochia with rosted Veale should almost certainely conceive malechidren Pessaries But many of the later Physicians doe counsell to apply these Pessaries underneath the seventh day after the issuing forth of the Flowers for to rectifie conception Take of the root of Gentian Saffron Myrtles Aloes of each two drams Line-seede Oyle so much as sufficeth And let a Pessarie be made with them which they say will cause Conception within a few daies after it hath beene used But Galen counselleth to drinke Castoreum which is new and any kind of Peper taken the weight of twelve Barley cornes in Malmesey being mixed with the juyce of Penny-royall The same Galen reporteth that the Matrix of a Hare being dryed and beaten to powder taken in Malmesey to be approved of some But it is certaine that the Fumes or Suffumigations before prescribed to be most approved of many later Physicians Also while wee make mention of these things wee desire that all men should know that wee have nothing to doe with the Sorceries and divellish Arts of some old Witches concerning this matter But let it suffice to have spoken hitherto of those things by which sterility may be averted and fruitfulnesse furthered It remaineth also to speake a few words of those things which are to be ministred inwardly Inward helps of fruitfulnesse For because the fruitfulnesse of man and wife may be hindred very much for want of desire to be acquainted with Venus and by impotency and disability of ingendring and effecting Conception and also by infirmity of the seeds caused either by the defect of Nature or by the inchantments of evill arts Wee will declare how all these things are to be amended in the prescript formes of these medicines following But first let such a powder be made profitable and commodious for this matter A powder Take the stones of a Foxe Castoreum the Matrix of a Hare dryed of each two drams Galangal Long-peper of each two drams Sugar equall to all in weight Mix them and make a powder of which one spoonefull is to be taken every day morning and evening with Malmesey An Electuary Also an Electuary very much approved is very profitable for men and women to be taken every day in the morning fasting and in the evening when they are about to goe to bed the weight of a Filberd-nut shall be prepared in this manner Take the Testicles or stones of a Foxe cleansed six ounces red Cicers Mints Satyrion wild Rocket the roote of Acorus wilde Carrot the root of Gladiolus or Sword-grasse Bawme Cresses Ozimus Penny-royall Vrtica Fennell of each two ounces Let all things be made very cleane and being sodden in Sheeps-milke let them be very well pounded in a Morter and let them be reserved for the preparation of this Electuary following Next take the Braines of Pigeons Hens Cocks Sparrowes Drakes Phesans Stones of a Ball of a lecherous Goat of Bores stones of each three ounces Let these likewise be boiled in Sheeps-milke and being decocted let them be incorporated with a little fresh Butter with the yolkes of Egs and let them be successively dried on the fire in Pans Which being done Take sweete Almonds Filberd-nuts kernells of common Nuts Pine-apple-kernells all of them being made very cleane and dried a little on the fire of each one ounce the pith of the Indian Nut fat Dates of each one ounce and a halfe Let all these things be cut into small pieces and beaten to as fine powder as may be at last take the dry Pissle of a Bull Rocket-seed of each halfe an ounce the seeds of Anise Baucia Sperage of the Ash-tree Parsley Stone-parsley Radish of each two drams Long-peper Ginger of each three drams the roots of both kinds of Satyrion of each halfe a dramme the taile of the Fishes named Scinci five drams the taile of the Fish named Lacertus one dram and a halfe Let all these things be beaten to a most fine powder And all things being prepared confect and forme the Electuary with sixe pound of Sugar mixed with two pound of the Paste of the aforesaid things or with foure pound of clarfied Hony and two pound and a halfe of the aforesaid Paste Such an Vnguent also may be prepared for the same use with which the secrets and loynes may be annointed Take Oile made of the Egs of Pismires or Ants of the Oile of Castoreum of a Foxe Costus Galangal Elder of each halfe an ounce Petroleon Oile of odoriferous Spike of each two drams the roots of Peper Pellitory Euphorbium Castoreum of each halfe a dram seed of Rocket of an Onion of each one dram decoct all these things mixed with white