prepared of each halfe a scruple the powder of precious stones halfe a dram temper all these together and with Syrup of Roses make an Electuary and let it be gilded with a leave of pure gold Because also the first three moneths Aborcements are caused through ventosities and windinesse 3. How ventosities or winds are to be dispersed and dispelled the meate of the woman with childe shall be continually seasoned with these spices Take Cinamome Nutmeg Cardomomus of each halfe an ounce Ginger six drams long Peper one dram Saffron halfe a scruple of these shall be a powder made which may be used in all meats But when the ventosity and windinesse shall begin to be augmented and increased they must use the confections of Diagalanga Diatrionpipereon Diacyminum and the like And it shall be profitable thorowly to annoint the belly and flanck with oile of Lillies But for the repressing of vapours fuming up into the head Stiptick fruits to be eaten after meats alwaies stiptick and binding fruits are to be taken after meat that is Peares Quinces Medlers Coriandrum Saccharatum or Diacydonion which Avicen approveth before all other things for that purpose Salt meates with vinegar water in which gold hath beene quenched approved Rosted flesh and fish better than boiled Also salt meates with Vinegar and water in which gold heat red-hot is extinguished and quenched taken with meat are very much approved Likewise it shall be more wholesome to eate rosted flesh and fish than boiled very well seasoned with spices Let their wine be cleare wholesome and a little allaied with water After meat it is profitable to take some Filbird-nuts covered over with Sugar How the swelling of the legs is to be taken away but for the taking away of the swelling of their legs let the stalkes of Colewoorts or Camomile-flowers be sodden with wine and vinegar and let a fomentation or bathing be made upon them with these Some doe mingle clay with water wherein red-hot steele hath beene quenched a little Vinegar being sprinckled upon it and doe lay such fomentations upon the legges But if abortion is to be feared by reason of the diseases of the Kidnies and of the Loines a great inflammation accompanying those grievances which may be knowne by the urine or water the loynes are to be annointed with this Vnguent Take oile of Mirtles of Roses of Mastick 4. The cure of the Kidnies and Loines of each one ounce and a halfe the juyce of the greater Plantane Barba Eovis or Housleeke of each halfe an ounce Bole Armenie parched Barley Terra sigillata red Sanders red Roses Succus Acacia Myrobalans Hypocisthis of each halfe a dram Let those things which are to be powdred be beaten to powder and let them be commixed and tempered together with Vinegar white Waxe and Turpentine so much as sufficeth and make an Vnguent of them After this ointment hath beene used a few daies this plaister following shall be laid afterward upon the Kidnies Loines Take Masticke halfe an ounce Ladanum three drams yellow Wax Bistort Cipresse-nuts Myrobalans Hypocisthis How coldnesse is to be driven away Acacia Terra sigillata red Roses Bole Armenie of each one dram and a halfe to these adde a little quantity of oile of Mirtles or Turpentine and make a Cerot or Cere-cloth which may be spread upon a piece of Leather But if it be suspected that abortion will follow by a cold cause we must abstaine from this ointment and we must use the plaister here following Take Masticke six drams Ladanum foure drams and a halfe yellow Wax Colophonia Ship-pitch or Stone-pitch Styrax Calamita of each one dram and a halfe Cypresse-nuts Mints Bistorte Gallia muscata Frankincense Galbanum Gum Arabick Mirth of each one dram and a halfe Make a plaister of them with Turpentine If the woman shall feele an itching under it this must be taken away for a few daies then afterward it must be applied to the place againe neither must it altogether be omitted because the Kidnies and Loines are very much strengthned by this And if the belly of the woman with childe shall be overlaxative and loose it shall be restrained with an Electuary confected in this order Take the confection Diamarinaton that is sower Cherries condite Diacydoniton Electuarium de Cornis conserve of Roses of each one ounce the cups of Akornes Terra sigillata of each one dram Temper them with the syrup of Pomegranates and make an Electuary in a liquid forme this taken morning and evening and before meat is very much approved Also in this case Crab-fishes gathered out of brookes and rivers are commended of Hippocrates Likewise all meats sodden in water wherein iron or steele red hot hath beene quenched or tempered with the juyce of Acacia also wine alaid with that water let not her meat be thin and moist but dry and thicke let Dates that is to say the fruit of the Date-tree be sodden with her pottage If these things shal not bind the belly it shall be convenient to use a strictive Clysters and if shee shall be grieved with the disease Tenasmus and goeth often to the stoole but voideth nothing so aborcement is to be feared all those things are to be used before spoken with which the belly may be unloosed and made slippery and also Clysters and Suppositories Likewise the Diet is to be prescribed and ordered according to the forme and manner before set downe 8. If the child-bearing woman shall abound with noisome humors whereby many diseases may follow as a Tertian Quartane or a continuall Fever the which as Hippocrates telleth us doe easily cause abortion because by them the nutriment of the Feature is diminished or if the fits be great with great paines of the head and immoderate heat then wee must resist the heat in this manner Take water of Roses of Betony of Sage Vinegar of Night-shade of each one ounce Bole-Armeniack one scruple of all the kindes of Sanders of each halfe a dram Terra sigillata Saffron of each one scruple Mixe them together with the white of an Egge and make a soft ointment to be laid upon the Temples of the head shee may use also in stead of a Cordiall medicine the confection Diatriasandalon conserve of Roses Borage and Buglosse But if it shall happen also that the Matrix be inflamed earth-wormes are to be pounded in a mortar of which Vineger the iuyce of Rue and common oyle mixed with them let there be made a soft oyntment or the Emplaster of Sanders or the plaster named Coctum Album shall be layed upon it But if the second or third moneth the Whites shall beginne to issue forth by reason of Phlegmaticke humours abounding whereby the Cotyledons are grieved which are veines to which the Feature is fastned in the wombe and the mouth of the Matrix becommeth slippery and therefore it is to be feared that the woman shall suffer Aborcement we must proceede altogether in
blacke neither doth it issue forth copiously although it be constrained If it arise through subtility and thinnesse of the blood then the blood is pure and cleare and the Flux is small If heate be mixed with it it shall easily be discerned in the Matrix and by other tokens and signes If cold be mixed with it it shall in like manner be observed and found out If the blood shall issue forth because it is liquid and thin the cause of this is the evill disposition and state of the body and the debility of the concoctions caused and ingendred by abundance of many moistures and winds or vapors inclosed and imprisoned in the Matrix But if you will have certaine knowledge of the humor constraining this unnaturall issue looke upon a linnen cloth sleightly coloured and dipped in the menstruous blood If the colour of it doth incline to rednesse you may know that the cause of the Fluxe doth proceed from blood If it bend toward Citrine or yellow colour from Choler if it incline to whitenesse from Phlegme But if it incline to a black colour you may know the cause of the Fluxe to arise from Melancholy What Fluxes are to be stopped Further you shall consider when as the Flux shall be tolerable and easie to be indured which doth not make the body leane nor weaken it but doth dis-burden it and make the same more light and nimble that such a Flux is inforced and moved by naturall vertue and power only expelling and voyding that which is superfluous in the blood and therefore such Flux and issue ought not to be restrained or stopped But if the contrary thing happen it is to be restrained and staied altogether lest it bring the Patient to cholerick Fevers because that blood being evacuated and exhausted Choler doth beare the whole sway and play the Tyrant and being freed from his bridle doth furiously vex and torment the Patient For blood as it is commonly said is the bridle of Choler But because also naturall colour is nourished cherrished with blood that flowing away it is necessary that a defect and decay of heat must follow and ensue and by that all the members and parts of the body to waxe cold the whole body to be debilitated and weakened the whole appetite to be taken away the concoctions to be hindred the Consumption and Hydropsie and also other most miserable diseases at the last to hasten after the same But because it is not sufficient to know the diversities of the diseases onely unlesse wee be resolved likewise of the fit and convenient cure of repelling them wee will hereafter also declare a few things of many which shall seeme to be the choisest and most speciall concerning the cure and remedy of these evills And as the Causes of these Fluxes and issues are inward and outward so the cure shall be inward and outward also The inward cure of unnaturall Fluxes And truely first of all if this unmeasurable or unnaturall Fluxe shall happen by some inward cause before all things the diet and use of all outward things shall be ordered and directed to a cold and dry temperature that blood may decrease and be diminished Therefore it will greatly profit to decoct and seethe all convenient and agreeable meats in Milke or Water in which Steele red-hot hath beene quenched and to eate Colewoorts boiled with Lentills or Beanes Or if it please you such a decoction shall first be prepared wherein other meats afterward shall be boiled Take Plantane-leaves flowers of Wool-blade or Lungwoort with the leaves of each one handful the roots of Symphytum or comfrey one ounce mingle them together and boile them with water or Milk in which burning Iron hath beene quenched straine it and squeise it out hard With this decoction all other meates may be prepared as Almonds Lentills Beanes the graine Milium Rice Amylum and the like things rosted flesh is to be preferred before sodden Also sauces may be prepared of the juice of Goose-berries Sorrell and Barberries to be mingled with other meats Let her abstaine from Spices and all things which are of a hot nature but specially from Saffron Let her drinke thicke red Wine allaied with water wherein Steele hath beene quenched It will likewise be profitable that Gold should oftentimes be extinguished and quenched in that Wine after it hath beene made red-hot in the fire Let her use no exercise but as much rest as may be Let her use much sleep let her wholly shake hands with Venus and flie from her as from a deadly poison Her belly being constipated and bound by reason of this continuall Fluxe shall be relaxed and unloosed with a gentle Clyster but thou shalt not by any meanes restraine and stop the Flux unlesse it shall induce and bring debility and feeblenesse lest thou oppose thy selfe against Nature of her owne accord expelling and voiding out superfluous things when thy resistance shall procure great evill When and how Fluxes are to be restrained But when necessity shall require then at last it will be convenient and profitable to binde and stop this Flux And first of all you shall use this powder of which you shall give one dram to be drunke at a time in water in which Gold heat red-hot hath bin quenched And the powder shall be thus prepared Take Terra Sigillata Carabe or Amber Succus Acacia of each halfe an ounce Hypocistis or Hypoquistidos Harts-horne washed and burnt the Runnet of a Kid or Hare of each two drams red Corrall prepared and beaten to powder one dram Gumme Arabicke Costus Sanguis Draconis Bole-Armeniacke prepared of each one dram and a halfe Comfrey flowers of Quinces the pills or rindes of Pomgranates of each one dram Pearles prepared one scruple Mumia halfe a dram Myrtles Olibanum of each one dram Lapis Haematites or the Blood-stone roots of the water-Lilly of each one dram and a halfe Mix them all together and let a powder be made of them Also you shall not unprofitably give this powder following to be eaten in an Egge Take Bole-Armenie prepared Terra Sigillata red Sanders Anthera of each one scruple and a halfe Rindes of Pomegranates Acorne-cups Nut-meg of each halfe a dram Mixe them and make a Powder Or let her use this Electuary morning and evening Take of the Antidote Athanasia Micleta of each one ounce old conserve of Roses one ounce and a halfe Rindes of Pomegranates Acorne-cups Nut-meg Corall prepared of each one scruple and a halfe Pearles prepared halfe a scruple Terra Sigillata halfe a dramme Sanguis Draconis Bole-Armenie prepared Lapis Hematites of each one scruple Temper them with syrup of Pomegranates as much as sufficeth and let an Electuary be made of it Adde to it if neede be Philonium Persicum one dram Moreover against Thirst Water wherein red-hot Steele hath beene quenched mingled with the syrup of Quinces and Pomegranates and with the juyce of Gooseberries and Acetosa simplex shall
Plantane the lesser or Ribwoort Galls Psidia of each one dram Let all of them be mixed and incorporated with juyce of Plantane and Rue and let Pessaries be made of them Or else take unripe Galls burn'd quenched with Vinegar two drams Gumme Arabick halfe a dram Sanguis Draconis powder of the roots of Walwoort or Asse-eare Sumach Masticke Acorn-cups Hypocisthidos Acacia Harts-horne burnt Colophony Myrrh drosse of Iron of each one dram Camphire one scruple mingle and incorporate all together with the juyce of Knot-grasse Housleeke Night-shade Wormegrasse or Stonegrasse and of Plantane as much as sufficeth and let a Pessary be made of it Or otherwise Take the ashes of Egs-shels burn'd the shels of Crab-fish Sanguis Draconis Bole Armenie Oxe-dung dried of each two drams leaves of Silver or Gold most diligently beaten one dram Haire of Goats of Hares Cotton all burned of each halfe a dram temper them with the juyce of Rue and Plantane so much as may suffice and let a Pessary be made of it But if intemperate heate of the blood shall inforce the Fluxe If the Flux do arise from the heate of the blood how it is to be cured and shall ingender great thirst the diet shall be directed to a cold and dry temperature and the use of all outward things to be ordained and disposed of as they may strengthen and make the body prosper Let her drinke Water wherein red-hot Steele hath beene quenched mingled with syrup of Pomegranates And such an Electuary may first be prepared of which let her eate morning and evening and after meat a little morsell the bignesse of a Chesse-nut Take old conserve of Roses one ounce Diaolibanum two ounces red Corall prepared one dram Pearles prepared one scruple Cummin-seed infused the space of a day in Vinegar one dram and a halfe dry Mints foure scruples Olibanum two scruples Mastick Cypress-nuts roots of Bistort of each halfe a dram Spica Indica one scruple Let al things that are to be beaten to powder be powdred and let an Electuary gilded be made of them being tempered with syrup of Pomegranates so much as sufficeth Also she shall use these pills following five of them taken in the morning or three houres before supper the waight of a dram Take Frankincense Mastick Mumia Allom Harts-horne burn'd washed Cypresse-nuts Runnet of a Hare or Kid of each a dram Gumme Arabicke one dram mixe them and let a masse or lumpe be made wherewith pills may be formed with the juyce of the Thistle named Carduus Mariae our Ladies Thistle or white Thistle Here also Pilulae de Bdellio prepared with the juyce of a Leeke This Plaister prepared either in a hard or liquid forme after the manner of an Vnguent shall have great efficacy by annointing the woman with it before and behind Take oile of Masticke two ounces oile of Myrtles juyce of Mints red Roses of each one ounce powder of Mastick two ounces Cypressenuts Mumia Bistort Olibanum Myrtles red Roses of each two drams Chalk burnt Allom Galls Acorne-cups of each one dram Bole Armeniack Terra Sigillata of each halfe a dram white Waxe so much as sufficeth and let a Plaister be made of them After shee hath beene annointed with this Vnguent shee shall weare this Cere-cloth following continually laid before and behind upon her Take Masticke one dram and a halfe Ladanum Olibanum of each two drams Galls Cypresse-nuts Bistort Mumia of each one dram Myrrhe Galbanum Terra sigillata of each two scruples temper them with Oyle of Masticke and Wax so much as sufficeth and let a Cere-cloth bee made of it which being spred over white Leather must bee laid upon the woman before and behind afflicted with this unnaturall flux Hot Bathes do profit and availe in this case not such as consist of Brimstone but of Copper and Allome But if the flux of blood shall arise only from a cold cause then you must proceed altogether in the same manner as we have prescribed before in curing barrennesse engendered of a phlegmaticke humour CHAP. XI Of the the Causes and Cure of the stopping of the Termes BVt because in the former Chapter we have given instructions concerning the immoderate Fluxes and issuings of the Termes and of the Cure of the same The next thing is that wee should also speake a little concerning the retention and stopping of them For thereby many sicknesses and diseases are bred and ingendred if they be detained contrary to Nature nor doe not issue forth in such a quantity as they should every Moone in women well disposed in respect of age and constitution of body And we must understand that this happeneth by outward and inward Causes Outward causes of the stopping of the Termes Externall causes are the aire intemperately hot cold and dry meats over hot and binding whereby the humours are burned the body dried and concoctions are hindred also meats which are too cold congealing and freezing as it were the rest of the humours of the body by their coldnesse and letting them from issuing forth by restraining and binding them To these causes also these following doe pertaine too much watching immoderat fasting every unseasonable and sudden commotion or perturbation of the body as great anger sudden fury great sadnesse great lamentation over-much solitarinesse great labour any great diseases sharp fits a Quartane Fever paine of the Head the Fever Hecticke too much fatnesse issuing forth of the blood of the nostrils or any other member Vlcers and great Apostems Inward causes Inward causes are partly bred by the corruption of some humour and partly without the corruption of any humour Causes without the corruption of the humour are over-much heat coldnesse and drinesse For to those which are cholericke the humours are exsiccated and dried up through immoderate heat and therefore the Termes are stopped But to the melancholicke The corruption of the qualities the same thing happeneth by immoderate coldnesse and drinesse But when they happen without the corruption of the humour we must allege the qualities to be the cause and we may observe certaine signes from what quality they doe proceede and againe whether from a simple or a compound quality If they happen from coldnesse and drinesse the issue of the Termes is little the colour will be pale no desire of Venus the urine thin white and without any convenient subsidence or grounds in the bottome If they chance from hotnesse and drinesse the Termes will be few the colour redder the greater desire of Venus the urine thinne reddish but almost no subsidence or dregs in the bottome of it But for the most part this retention and stopping of the Termes The corruption of the humours doth happen by the corruption and fault of some humour as of Phlegme Choler and Melancholy but not of blood at all because they are onely retained and stopped through the other humours bearing sway in the blood Moreover common signes by which it is
that manner as wee have declared in the Cure of dispersing Ventositie and windie matter Divers experiments leting Abortion Furthermore other experiments also are approved A little bone which they call Saltus or Astragalus Leporis to bee carried about the woman and to drinke of it daily the stomacke being empty Also the stone named Lapis-stellatus so enchased in gold or silver that it may touch the naked body Some women beare about them a claw taken from the foot of a Beare Also the ashes gathered together of a Hedgehog being burnt and tempered with oyle affordeth an oyntment very commodious and profitable for this affection and passion Little wormes are found underneath herbes which if they be hanged alive on the womans necke shee shall never Aborte neither bring forth before due season as some are bold to promise and let the truth of the matter depend upon their credit For they say they have such great efficacy to hinder the birth that the woman cannot be delivered unlesse they bee removed Wherefore they admonish that they must bee alwaies removed and taken away in time Also the stone named Lapis Aetiles which some say is found in an Eagles nest is proved against Aborcements and over hastie birthes which in like manner is reported to further and promote a lingring and over-flow birth 10. There are likewise some other external things which chance outwardly and for all that doe cause aborting to women by a naturall cause as if a woman-conceived with childe doe tread upon a serpent viper the egge of a Crow as some doe write or a dead serpent with two heads named Amphisbaena Some also doth attribute this property to Castoreum carried in the bosome But if it happen that the Termes issue forth after Conception 11. they are not straight way to be stopped unlesse the woman become weake with Flowing of them If they issue forth moderately this thing is to bee permitted because they signifie that much slyminesse and distempered humours and abundance of bloud is deteyned in the wombe If they flow forth more copiously they shall bee stayed and restreyned with Acacia Hypocisthis and Lin-seed sodden in water to be used by a bathe or Fomentation If the legs shal be swoln which thing often time happeneth the three former monethes regard is to bee had of the liver and stomacke that they may bee lightened and eased from superfluous humors and let meats bee given them of another quality If the liver grow hard to women-conceived with childe it is a hard thing to remedy it because as Galen witnesseth in this passion they are not able to endure strong medicines Wherefore the most gentlest shall bee administred to them But because it falleth out that dead Features sometime doe proceed forth more slowly and sometimes never even as the Secundines doe wee must understand that most great dangers doe happen to women also sicknesses swooning failing of life especially in sommer-time by reason of venemous vapours fuming and flying upward from the putrefying Feature and so greatly vexing and molesting the heart and the brain that oftentimes they are deprived of the use of reason and understanding Therefore all care is to bee used and imployed that dead Features may speedily be expelled the poore women freed from so great dangers which thing how it may bee done wee have taught in the former books by a large discourse CHAP. V. Of the signes of Conception ALthough it be a hard thing to know the true conception of women yet we may give a coniecture by many signes and attaine unto it by some arguments confirmed and ratified by experience It is credited for certaine signe of conception if the woman the tenth day or some day sooner after shee had company carnally with man shall perceive the Termes to bee white or red by reason of humours also the stopping and retention of the Termes is accompted for a signe yet it deceiveth because it happeneth also often times without conception Therefore this being omitted wee will prosecute other notes and signes taken from the body of the woman herselfe concerning true conception every member and part examined and first the beginning shall proceed from the head The paines of the head swimming of the brain and dymnesse of the eyes if they concurre and chance together doe signifie conception The apples of the eyes are lessened The eyes swell and are changed into a swartish colour The little veines doe waxe red and begin to swell with bloud The eyes sinke downe into the head The eye-lids become feeble Divers colours are seene in the eyes and perceived in a looking-glasse Red pimples doe arise in the face The little veines placed betwixt the nose and eyes are swolne with bloud and are seene more clearely and plainely than they were wont The veine under the tongue waxeth greenish The necke is hot the backe-bone cold The veines and arteries are full the pulses are easily perceived The veines situated in the breast at first wax blacke afterward begin to be yellow or to be of a blewish-colour The dugs begin to swell and wax hard with paines The nipples beginne to be reddish If cold water be drunke a coldnesse is felt in the breasts A loathing and refusing of meat and drinke creepeth upon the woman Divers appetites longings are ingendred A destruction and decay of Naturall appetite and desire is caused and procured A continuall casting and parbreaking and weakenesse of the stomach Sower and slow belchings A loathing of wine A disordered and intemperate beating of the heart Sudden ioyes after these sudden sorrowes Wringings and gripings about the Navell Paine of the loynes The lower part of the belly is affected with swellings There are inward compunctions and prickings in the body The seed is reteyned seaven daies after carnal company A coldnesse and chilnesse of the outward members after the act of Generation The attractive faculty and vertue of the Matrix is increased The Matrix is dryed by and by A great delight and pleasure in the Venerious act but after conception a disdayning of Venus The Matrix is restreyned and closed But because this thing is procured by other causes also it may bee observed and noted by an infallible and certaine difference when it foresheweth conception For then it is slender and soft but if it be restreyned and closed for any other cause as by too much heate or swelling then it remayneth harder The secret parts of the woman are wrinkled even unto the seaventh moneth The wombe waxeth round and swelleth About the beginning of Conception paines of the belly and backe 〈◊〉 felt as it were beating The Termes or Flowres are stopped For the veines from whence they doe flow carrie and conveigh by the mouthes and speckes named Acetabula bloud to nourish the Feature through the Navel and some of that matter is drawne upward to the breasts where it is transmitted and changed into milke For so also Hippocrates admonisheth us saying
and Vallesian bathes with the waters of Embs so also sterility and difficulty of ingendring have very great help and succour by them whereby they are caused and increased as by an unconvenient diet by the permutation and change of accustomed aire by drinking of the water of Ice and by bathes Further barrennesse may be judged to proceede from the disposition and quality of the generative members For it commeth to passe that not a few infirmities and grievances doe happen to them by reason of which man and wife are not onely made impotent and barren but are unfit to dwell together husbands with their wives and wives with their husbands In which place the strictnesse and narrownesse of the mouth of the Matrix doth very much disprofit and annoy by which it falleth out that not only the Termes being stopped doe let and hinder generation but moreover also doe breed and bring forth very many other evills Againe when the secrets themselves are too wide or too strait and therefore are not convenient neither for conception nor generation Retention and staying of the Termes causeth the same thing which doth much distemper and molest the Matrix and suffocateth and choketh the seede cast forth into the wombe through abundance of evill humours Among women also they which are over man-like are not so apt for generation and among men those which are more effeminate and woman-like than is requisite For these women almost universally doe want the issuing forth of the Termes at their due seasons and also the nourishing humours And such men being intemperatly cold and moist cannot send forth seed possessed with a generative vertue Hitherto pertaineth both the weake and feeble attractive power of the Matrix and also the sudden alteration of the same For the attractive and expulsive vertue of the Matrix either too strong or weake doe equally cause the difficulty of ingendering Likewise the maladies of the Matrix tumours inflammations ulcers Apostemes the mouths of the veines named Acetabula being broken the Termes issuing forth immoderately or stopped and such like things doe afford and minister great occasion to the same difficulty Many also say the veines placed behinde the eares to wit which give way to the spirits which the braine communicateth and imparteth to the seed being cut asunder to be a cause to the same difficulty and debility of ingendering as Hippocrates admonisheth They affirme that the incision of the bladder doth bring the same which of it selfe it is deadly There are also many things which being taken doe properly procure sterility and barrennesse as Camphire Hemlocke and other herbes and roots like unto these and all things which offend and hurt the braine kidnies and testicles being the principall members of generations Hitherto also belongeth many other things Externall causes as over much repletion emptinesse immoderate exercises intemperate heat deadly cold Likewise Theophrastus doth attribute a certaine peculiar force to some waters to cause sterility For the most part diversity of complexions hath the superiority among the causes when man and wife doe want the due temperature of the qualities But where they shall be mixed yea but little they shall be able to ingender more easily Old age also of it selfe in men and women doth hinder generation through the defect of humours although it be found by experience as yet that many men being threescore and ten or foure-score yeeres of age have begotten children Lastly there is also a great cause of sterility which happeneth by the witchcraft of Witches Let it suffice to have spoken these things concerning the evident and knowne causes of barrennesse Signes of barrennesse Moreover there are many signes whereby the difficulty of conceiving or begetting children may be noted and observed The first are to be taken from the constitution and habit of the privie members as if they be diseased with any corruption or defect or be too large or too strait and narrow they are knowne not to be apt and fit for generation The seed also is unfit if it be too hot or too cold which thing they say may not onely be observed by the colour of the urine but also of the substance of the same Also many judge of sterility and fruitfulnesse by the habite and colour of the body that the women which are of a pale colour are supposed to be also more moist than others If they be more moist they are not so apt to retaine and cheerish the seed This experiment following is put in practice of some When they goe about to make a triall concerning the unfruitfulnesse or fertility of any one they poure the urine of the party on Barley If this sprout out within tenne daies they acknowledge it for a signe of fruitfulnesse if it doe not they acknowledge it for a certaine argument of sterility and barrennesse But others pouring the urine upon Huskes or Bran if they see wormes to be bred and ingendered in it doe observe a signe of barrennesse from that Hippocrates doth counsell us to search out this thing by fumes made underneath so that if a fume being used underneath be perceived above by smelling the woman being close covered about the lower parts then hee saith it may be thought to be a signe of fruitfulnesse because the secret members are not strict and narrow If it be not perceived by smelling at the nostrills he saith it is a very certaine note and signe of the strictnesse and narrownesse of the Matrix and so consequently of barrennesse Some would have the same thing to be found out by annoynting the corners of the eyes with liquid oyntments so that if the oyntments of some kindes of colours being laid upon the corners of the eyes doe not change the colour of the spittle then it should be a signe of constipation and stopping and therefore of barrennesse also because the eyes are members communicating with the seede because they quickely sinke downe and waxe hollow when it is immoderatly sent forth and dispersed Some old women likewise have their signes by which they observe whether the greater sterility or unfruitfulnesse be in the husband or in his wife for they sprinkle two hand fulls of Sage laid severally by themselves with urine one of them with the urine of the man and the other with the urine of the woman and they say that the handfull which shall wither first is a testimony of barrennesse of the party with whose urine it was sprinkled and watered They receive the same experiments also by Beanes and Barley that whose part doth sprout first in him or her they thinke there is most fertility and fruitfulnesse Further wee must consider here also that fruitfull women and such as are apt to ingender children doe sooner seeme to be old in the outward habite of body than those which are barren and fruitlesse also they waxe leane sooner and become weake notwithstanding they live more healthfull in their old age than they which never
panting of the heart shortnesse of breath distemperature of reason because of vapours mixed with the spirits a debility and weakenesse of all the members cold sweates continuall paine in the wombe And indeed evill humours retained and increased in the wombe doe cause and breed all these things partly neere unto it partly removed farther from it which distemper and molest the braine and other members of the body by stopping and intercepting naturall heat proceeding from the heart untill they suffocate and destroy all the senses at once and also the strength and forces of the body But in the cure of the present fit of this sicknesse first you shall mingle Salt with Vinegar The cure of the present fit in the suffocation of the Matrix and shall rub the uttermost parts of the members of the body I meane the soles of the feete and palmes of the hands and pulses of the armes afterward binders being tied neere unto the secrets the hips and hammes you shall apply cupping-glasses neere unto the place without Scarification Afterward you shall apply to her nostrills all things which being burnt have a strong and stinking savor as Castoreum Assa Foetida Feathers Haire Leather Horne Hooses of Horses or Kine or such like things For these things stirre up and move the Animal spirit being as it were asleepe which by and by inforced with such a stinking favour making haste to come to the braine by the nerves and instruments for the purpose doth stirre up the motive facultie in the same Moreover this motion by the great force of this strong savour commeth to the heart with the Animal Spirit where both of them together doe repaire vitall spirit in the same being oppressed and as it were laid asleepe At last all of them joyned together doe oppose themselves against the Matrix rising up towards the Midriffe and stir up the expulsive force of it so that the corrupt humours being expelled which are in it the Matrix may fall downe and give more roome and space unto the superiour vitall Organs or Instruments In this case the dung of a Horse fed with Oates boiled in the best Wine drunke very hot is very much approved Also halfe a dram of the confection Diacastoreum taken in broth made of a Hen. An Vnguent Likewise such an Vnguent may be prepared wherewith her secrets may be annoynted inwardly which suffereth this swooning Take Muske one scruple Gallia Muscata one dram Oile of Lillies two ounces Temper them and make an Vnguent Suffumigations also being thus prepared Suffumigations from which a fume may ascend up to the nostrills will profit in this case Take Castoreum Galbanum dissolved in Vinegar of each halfe an ounce Brimstone one ounce Assa Foetida one dram If you prepare these Fumes or Trochiskes you shall confect them with Oile of Castoreum But if you would use them with Vinegar you shall put pure and cleane wooll into her nostrills dipped in Vinegar in which these powders are dissolved or you shall apply it outwardly to them But if this deadly malady shall proceed from the Termes being retained in the Matrix or from corrupt seede it may be cured in the same manner as wee will declare in the Chapters following But if the cause of this disease shall come from cold it will be the wisest course to use hot bathes when due purgation hath beene performed such as are the bathes in that part of Germany which is named Helvetia A certaine diet and order of bathing being prescribed and set downe of a skilfull Physician because that water doth consist of much Brimstone and some Allome it sooner resolveth dispelleth and driveth away cold heateth the Matrix and comforteth all other Members and parts of the body of a woman CHAP. IX Of the Precipitation or falling downe of the Matrix of the causes and cure of the same THe Precipitation of the Matrix is the departure and digression of the Matrix from her naturall place into some other place or the comming forth and outward appearing of it through the privities This hapneth either by a fall blow or some other vehement hurt or through wind inclosed in the Matrix or corrupt humours or by the intemperate moistnesse putrefying the ligaments and binders of the same or else through difficulty and painfulnesse of Aborcement or the birth and negligence of Midwives or by violent extraction and pulling forth of the Secundine whereby it falleth out that the ligaments and stay-bands of it are broken and the Matrix is throwne downe suddenly to issue forth This removing of the Matrix is caused in a diverse manner that is to say toward the right or left side or lower and into the fore-part and hinder part of the body But although the causes of these diseases may easily be judged and discerned by these things going before yet they may as yet be divided into outward and inward Outward causes are Outward Causes falling blowes or strokes some hurt lifting of some thing which is of great waight swift running leaping dauncing unseasonable riding all immoderate exercise and such things as are like unto them Also long sitting upon the cold earth or cold pavement long-tarrying in cold water over-much and often drinking of cold water Also the violent breaking forth of the child the hard and painfull birth the rashnesse of the Midwives the violent extraction of the Secundine often coughing great crying out vehement sneesing The disease Tenasmus binding the body and all these things do minister occasions to the Matrix to fall downe Inward Causes The inward causes are long stopping of the Flowers with whose weight the Matrix being pressed downward doth suddenly descend and fall downe the ligaments and binders thereof being oftentimes broken in sunder Also humours inclosed in the same wind enforcing it and removing it from her place Likewise over-much humidity and moisture putrefying and corrupting the ligaments or tying-bands and by that infection enforcing it to issue forth The signes of this disease are not unlike to the causes Signes The party will easily rehearse the signes of the outward causes Whosoever is grieved with this disease But the inward signes are to be considered according unto the removing of the Matrix For if it bend toward Diaphragma or the Midriffe without any strangling or choking wee may perceive that the woman doth feele paines and heaving above the Navell to feele a round lumpe like a Globe in her belly to fetch her breath and wind very short and quicke as though her bowells were swiftly crushed together with the hand a dimnesse of the eyes paine of the head loathing of meat and often belchings going before and accompanying it sometimes also a sound of the belly being heard especially when as the removing from her place shall arise from wind inclosed in the same But if it shall fall downe to the lower parts then many paines shall be about the kidnies loynes and secret members and a round