great Straining and an hour after take Syrup of Violets an Ounce in a quarter of a Pint of warm new Milk Vomiting is another defect but must not however be too suddainly stopt because if it be not violent it doth some good by avoiding the abundance of humour amassed together in the Stomach which is indeed the cause of it or else some sharp and biting humour that does stir and provoke it But it happeneth oftentimes that this Vomiting is so violent that even the Sustenance that should Nourish the Mother and Child cannot remain a convenient time for digestion but is cast up and therefore to Remedy this Let the Person so afflicted see that she use wholesome Diets eat Moderately and by degrees not much nor over-hastily Take a gentle Purge but in it neither Diagridium nor Colloquintida but rather Rhue or Rhuebarb infused in White-wine over a gentle fire The compound Syrup of Cichory with Syrup of Rhuebarb which not only Evacuates but Strengthens or the Syrup of Damask Roses with Manna dissolved in it These are so harmless that the Niceness of the Dose need not be disputed Pains in the Stomach Flank or Belly often happens to Childing Women and therefore let them know these are in this case much occasioned by Windiness the parts being Lax or sometimes the Wind is shut up in the Womb. To take away this cause therefore the party must shun all manner of Moist and Windy Meats Take a grentle purge if it be requisite and then apply this Fomentation viz. Flowers of Cammomile and Featherfew each two handfuls Red-Roses half a handful Anniseeds and Fennelseeds each two Drams Lawrel-bark and Bay-berrys each a dram Bruise these grosly and Boil them in three Pints of Clarret till a fourth part be Consumed dip into the Liquor a Linnen Cloth and Foment the parts grieved as hot as may be and lay on the sollid matter Poultis-wise and let the Party chew Fennel Anniseeds and eat first in a Morning a Toast soaked in Hypocras or Drink a little Dram of the distilled Water of Citron or Limmon-Peels infused in good Spirits Pains of the Back Hips and Groine and difficulty of making Urin are likewise incident to Childing Women and this happens many times according to the carrying the Child in the Belly viz. High or low more backward forward or sidelings and indeed the carrying very low is the occasion of most of these Pains especially in the Hips and Groine they proceeding more from the heavyness of the Children than from any humour for the Womb then being great and thick on which side soever it resteth it draws and strains the Ligatures on the other Parts To prevent which the Party must not be extraordinary stirring especially not Jolted nor attempting to Jump Eat but little at a time though the oftener and of such Meats as are light and easie of Digestion for the Stomach being overpressed by fulness presses the Matrix by stretching the Belly In this Case Swathes Anointed with Oyl of Marsh-mallows and Cammomile are proper to shrink and keep up the Belly Anointing her Back with Vnguentum Comitissae or take Mastick and Mirtle-Berrys half an ounce each Powder of Red Corral a dram sealed Earth two drams beat them unto fine Powder then add three ounces of melted Bees-Wax and Oyl of Roses with Deers-Suet as much as will make them up into a Plaister and lay it to the Reins of the Back so that it may a little encline upon the Flaâ—ks and Bathe the Thighs and lower part of the Belly with the Decoction of Marsh-Mallows Water-Cresses Pellitory of the Wall Pimpernel and bruised Linseed each a little handful boild in a gallon of Water to the Consumption of a third part Palpitations of the Heart and Swoonings are to be considered in the next Place The first of these being extraordinary many times proceeds from Vapours arising from the Womb and other parts nearer inclosed in the Arteries and through them conveyed to the Heart whose offensiveness disorders the pure Spirits and causes those Unnatural Palpitations the Heart Labouring by motion to expel those Vapours that make it Sicken and occasion many Evils if not timely prevented or removed And this is to be perceived by laying your hand on the Womans Breast for if it rise strongly and the Ribs as it were are lifted up with it keeping time to the Palpitation then it proceeds from Vapours To remove them take a gentle Purge and Bleed moderately take such Powders or Cordials as fortifie the Heart fasting in a Morning as Aqua Mirabilis Dr. Stephens's Water Powder of Bezars-stone and the Powder of the Bone of a Stags Heart mixed together half a dram at a time and these will not only dissipate the Vapours but prevent Swoonings Faintings cold Sweats The Heart must likewise be outwardly Fortified by laying a soft quilted Stomacher to the Stomach and Region of the Heart and lay a cooling Cataplasme as Mallows Grounsil Cammomile and Orpin beaten together with Oyl of Roses and the white of an Egg. Then for a Fomentation let her use the Water of Bugloss Burrage Baum Orange-flower Roses Cardus Benedictus and Scordium infusing in them Saunder Coriander or Angellica seeds or any Cordial Flowers The Cough is a very troublesome thing to Women with Child and very dangerous if it be violent causing Pains in the Head Flanks Sides and Belly Vomitings Unrest and many other Miseries with frequent Miscarriages and Abortions And to keep from this Grievance all Salt Meats Spiced Meats and all sharp and biting things especially if the Cough be caused by Vapours or distillation of a thinn or serous Humour To Remedy this boil a quart of Ale that has well worked and setled till a third part be consumed then fill it up again with White-wine and put into it four or five slices of Licorice as many Blew-Figgs a few Cammomile Flowers Anniseed and Coriander seeds each a quarter of an ounce let them seeth about a quarter of an hour strain and press out the Liquid part and Drink a quarter of a pint three times a day very hot And to make it more Pallatable it may be sweetned with white-Sugar Candy If the Throat be Sore or Swelled with it take Oyl of sweet Almonds an ounce White-Sugar in Powder half an ounce Rose Water half an ounce mingle these over a gentle Fire with a quarter of an ounce of Allum disolved in the rose-Rose-water Sleeping well without any Medicines to enforce it mainly contributes to the staying the Defluxion of Rheums that occasion the Cough And after you have taken the former going to Bed take of the Syrup of Jubebs and Violets each a quarter of an ounce mixed with two drams of Diascordium Costiveness is another accident afflicting Childing Women causing them to strain themselves and put themselves thereby in danger of Miscarriage To prevent or Remedy this a good Diet must be had eating Meats that moisten and keep the Bowels slippery and open But this must
being rather to direct the order of a Woman in Child-bed for her own safety and that of her Child CHAP. XIII Of Natural and Difficult Births And how the Child ought to be Ordered when drawn forth With Receipts for many Cordials and Directions for other things useful on this Imergency IF there be a Natural Birth That is the Child coming with it's Head forward the Arms on the Side and the Throws encreasing there is little Difficulty or Danger Yet she must have great Courage herself and Encourage the Woman giving her Wine wherein Saffron has been infused or such things as Comfort the Heart as occasion requires yet in little Quantity Nothing must be done in Delivery hastily or rashly but Nature must have its course in a good measure it being the greatest helper in these Cases And because the Child doth come Naturally into the World with the Face downward when it is taken forth it must be turned on its Back to prevent Suffocation or drawing the Air too heavily And if the Navel-string as often happens be twisted about its Neck let her take it off gently If it be feeble or faint that it scarce can Breathe spurt a little Canary into the Mouth of it which by its striving will open the Pipes She may do the like into the Nose or Ears but very gently and but a very small quantity When it begins to Cry draw the Navel-string gently that the After-Birth may follow in its due time the Woman Coughing or Straining a little and holding Salt in her Hand fast grasped recollect her Breath and blowing hard the Midwife or her Assistant stroaking her Belly down gently And the Child being separated to prevent Fits give it a little Spoonful of Black-Cherry-Water with two or three drops of the Blood that proceeds from the Navel-string when cut which must be done about two handful from the Belly especially of a Boy making a Knot before the Incision Then dip Linnen cloaths in a warm Bath of Rose-Leaves Penny royal or any Comfortable Herbs or Flowers wrap it up warm and keep it near a Fire but not in a place where a free Air cannot come to it because the Lungs at first are weak and cannot draw strongly Cover the Head however with a thin Linnen Cloath and let it not come too near a great Light suddainly for fear of hurting and weakening the Sight Then Swathe it gently and give it some little Food or let it Suck some Woman whose Milk is of the same Sex but not the Mother because her's is not as yet proper for it for many Reasons which I willingly omit The Woman being thus safely Delivered her Legs must be layed gently straight and a fine Linnen Cloath or Rapper diped in warm Water and applyed all cold Airs excluded And after some Refreshment she may Slumber a little to recover Natures strength Then take Candle Panada Water-Gruel or what is most agreeable to stretch out the Bowells fill in some measure the Vacancy and prevent Windyness which is very offensive to Women new Delivered And if she find herself Faint and Uneasie let her take the following Cordial Drink Take the Syrup of Maid-hair one ounce Pellitory Water Cardus Water each half an ounce mingled in a quarter of a Pint of warm White-Wine And Anoint the parts with Oyl of Almonds drawn without Fire As for the Child when it has well Breathed and taken some refreshing Nourishment give it three scruples of Mithridate or Venice Treacle in a Spoonful of White-Wine or any proper Cordial Water If the Woman be weak in her Parts and Pains continue in her Back Flanks or Groin take a Sheepskin that is newly pulled off clap the Fleshy side about her and wrap her up warm in it and and it will wonderfully strengthen her if it be repeated every two days Or for want of this lay a Hares Skin or Rabits Skin taken off warm on her Belly But in my Opinion the former is a great deal better And to Lenify the distended parts Take Oyle of Hyperion and St. John's-wort each an ounce an ounce of the Oyl of Roses and two whites of Eggs finely beaten together and apply it as a Lineament and Pessary Then let her gently raise up her Thighs that her Knees may lie up to ease her Back When the Skin is taken off chafe her with Oyl of Roses Almonds and St. John's-wort Swathe her with soft Linnen three or four times doubled and beware she takes not Cold suppling het Breasts if given to Chaping Hardness or subject to Knots Tumours or the like with Oyl of Olives and Sweet Almonds And above all things keep the Chamber close and warm that she take not cold in any part for the parts distended by the force of Travel will easily contract Cold Airs And when she is desirous of Sleep before she goes to it let her take a refreshment of some strengthening Broths made of Veal Chickens or if she be more desirous of it a couple of Poached Eggs. Difficult Deliveries require something more than what I have mentioned and the Midwife must be yet more Careful herein because not only her Reputation but the Life of her Patient is mainly concerned in it There are many Births that require great Skill and Labour to bring them forth because they come Preposterously or contrary to the Natural one as lying side-ways in the Womb coming Stradling with the Feet forward or the Arms spread over the Head the Buttocks forward or the like and these must by the Midwifes Skill be reduced to their proper form if it may be and so drawn forth before the Woman be too far spent the Vital Spirits wasted or Nature enfeebled And if a Midwifes strength or Skill prevail not a Skillful Chirurgion must be sent for before it is too Late Some Midwives fancying in doing this their Reputations would suffer have kept their Patients in Pain and Hope till at last finding themselves Constrained to send when the Case was desperate they have been obliged to part with Woman or Child or both to the Grave CHAP. XIV What ought to be done if a Woman come before or after her Time and to bring away dead Children Also to stay the Flux and Remedy divers other Accidents happening to those newly Delivered TRavel may likewise prove Painful or Difficult when the Woman is Delivered Before or After her Time The First of these is when it comes in Six Seven or Eight Months which happens when the Womb is too Weak or Moist which softens the Neck of it and makes it dilate and Emit the Child before the due course of Natures Expired As also the Vessels to the Orifice whereof the After-Burthen is fastened begin to Relax by which means the Infant cannot be supported or remain in it's Natural Situation This Pain and Troublesome times happens when the Child grows so bigg that it stretches or Extends the Womb in every part by a great encrease or over-staying the time some times
be done with Discretion least too much moisture loosen the Ligatures of the Womb and hasten the Delivery before it be convenient And among other Meats I recommend Veal Necks of Mutton Place Flounders Baked Apples Pruens Salads of Lettuce Pursleaine Endive and all strengthening Broths without Spice or Saltness Then Take half an ounce of the Tops of Senne bruize it with three Scruples of Antimony infuse them in half a Pint of Sherry over a gentle Fire and Drink it hot Laxativeness immoderately is as hurtful as the other for it puts the Woman very much in danger of Coming before her Time and if it be not in time stayed it is in likely-hood to turn to the Bloody-Flux and there it often proves fatal To stay this Take Conserve of Red-Roses half an ounce Baum and Mint tops Conserved each a quarter of an ounce Syrup of Sloes an ounce put these into a pint of Red-Wine mingle them well over a gentle Fire and drink it Morning Noon and Night pretty hot And for greater assureance Administer a moderately astringent Clyster viz. Of Plantain Camomile Mellilot Borrage and Burglos Decocted in Whey or Skim-milk adding two ounces of the Oyl of Violets Swelling in the Thighs and Leg are many times incident to Women with Child especially to those that before were wont to have strong Purgations for the Blood being more than is required for Nourishment alters and converts to Waterish or Dropsical Humours But Women of Chollerick Constitutions are seldom subject to this because their great Heat dries up this Moisture and these accidents usually happen the first four Months yet if not removed they many times remain to the Delivery A good wholesome moderate Diet in this case must be used rubbing the parts afflicted often with a warm Wollen-cloth wrap them up hard and warm with Ash Leaves or Vine Leaves applyed next Anointed with Oyl of Roses dissolved Camphire and the Juice of Sage Marjorum and Oyl of Rosemary CHAP. XI To prevent a Womans Coming before her Time Signs of Abortion or Miscarriage With proper Remedies against them COming before the Time is called a Shift or Sliping away and Abortion in many Cases though the Women call it a Mischance The Slip is before the Womb can properly be said to be shut or it may be afterwards till such time the Child receives some manner of Form or Shape Abortion is that which happeneth after Forty days and sometimes to the beginning of the Ninth Month it being a violent Expulsion or Exculsion of the Child Formed and possessed with Life before the time Nature has prefixed This happens sundry ways by Accidents as Agues Frights Flux of the Blood or Belly Vomitings violent Sickness over Stiring or the like Also from excess of Venery Passions of the Mind Choller Sadness excessive Longings or strong Potions or Purges or from the Weakness of the Child wanting Nourishment and sometimes from its being too Big and Unweildy so that the Womb can no longer contain it whose strugling causes the Womb to Relax and Dilate it self and so it forces it's Way Sometimes from Leanness and at other times from too much Fulness or Fatness a Medium being the best for Women in Child-bearing Signs of Abortion viz. When the Milk flows abundantly in the Breasts and comes much out without any Compression yet they remain Soft and Limber if there be a bad Colour on the Nipple as Blew Yellow Duskey c. When Water then Blood and Slimy matter and lastly Blood flows from Natures Secrets To Remedy these there must be a respect had to the Causes in Sickness of timely care must be taken for sutable Remedies all excess of Labour or Excercise must be avoided and wholesome Diet taken with some gentle Purges and if occasion require it especially in those that are Sanguine a moderate Bleeding for too much Blood or too much Nourishment is mainly Prejudicial as well as too little The Mother must be of as Merry a Temper as she can nay seek for occasions to Divert avoiding occasions of Grief Fretting or Pining especially near the time of her Delivery Let her keep her Chamber if not her Bed using Nourishing Meats easie of Digestion and drinking Cordials or strengthening Liquors Take Syrup of Borrage Burdocks and Roses in Red-Wine warm The The Syrup of Citron and Mirabolans in Milk sweetned with Sugar-Candy The distilled Water of Comfery Sage or Clary And Anoint the Belly with Oyl of Dill Lavender and some drops of Oyl of Cloves Binding or Swathing it moderately Oyl of Mirtle and Mastick is very good where the Party is of a Cold or Phlegmatick Complexion or Constitution A Sear-cloth of Oxcycrotium Diaculum sprinkled over with a little Mirrh and Nutmeg finely Powdered is a great Strengthener for the Back and Flanks helps the Womb to retain the Infant and prevents untimely Birth Thus having proceeded all along by such easie Methods as brings a Woman to the true time of her Delivery I shall now Treat of what is requisit in that Nature CHAP. XII How a Woman is to be Ordered when she comes to her Delivery and to know when it is Labour or not THE Time of Delivery hastening no delay must be made for such things as are convenient A Midwife ought to be attenting sometime of waiting is required before she can perform her Office there being many things to be done in order to cause an easie and safe Delivery The Woman must be kept waking for too much Sleep or Drousiness to which they are prone causes Nature to be less Active And this may be done if she be not weak by walking up and down her Chamber and lying down by turns to rest There being a good Fire and all things necessary to prevent her catching Cold and to Fortifie her to undergo the Travel Yet not so much but that she may Sleep moderatly to ease the tirements of Nature and waking take some refreshing Cordials and strengthening Broths The time of Delivery being come which is known by these Signs viz. The Midwife must consider whether the upper part of the Belly seem as it were Empty and the lower very Big and full stretched Enquire of the Childing Woman how she stands affected as to Pains and in what manner they come and go whether Little or Great or Frequent Whether they begin at the Back and proceed to run down the Belly not staying at the Navel but pass to the Groin and end in the bottom of the Belly inwardly or the inner Neck of the Womb and from these she may gather how near a Woman is to her Delivery for they are Signs of her speedy falling in Travel especially upon the dilating the outward and inward Orifice If the Water descends or there be any Flowings then the Midwife must place herself conveniently near the Woman and proceed in her Office in which for Manners sake I shall not give here Directions as knowing there are many Judicious Midwives who need them not my Main Scope
the place to which it floweth than the opening of a Vein And at the same time apply the following Cataplasme to the lower parts of the Belly viz. Bole Armenick and Dragons Blood each an ounce Gum Tragacanth half an ounce Mirtle Berrys and dryed Rose Leaves beaten to Powder each a dram the Juice of Plantaine an ounce make them into the thinness of a Plaister with Vnguetum Comitissae To make the Purges come freely boil a little Senna in White-Wine with a blade or two of Mace Rosemary Flowers or Tops and a little slice of Rhuebarb drink the Liquid part twice a day two spoonfuls at a time and apply to the Navel a Poltis of Featherfew Groundsil and Melilot drinking ever and anon a Glass of old Mallago wherein blew Currans have been boiled with some slices of Licorice Eating such things as are Moistening and opening to dilate the Orifices of the Veins which are much stoped by the long restraint of their wonted Flowings Sometimes the stayings proceed from suddain Griefs or Anger or other Passions of the Mind which must be avoided because they thicken and Vitiate the Blood Taken then Succory Burnet Endive Agrimony Violet-Flowers boil them in Sweet-Wine and let the Woman drink a little Glass of it warm with the Syrup of Maiden-hair dissolved in it and use a warm Fomentation of opening Herbs as Cammomile Mlliot Parsly let her Eat Green Peas Asparagus c. To bring away a false Conception after Delivery viz. If it be large and came not away with the usual Purgings it may be thought to stick to the side of the Womb and in danger of turning into a Mole which will prove yet more troublesome and painful To bring them away First she must use resolving Baths to loosen and moisten the whole Body that the Matrix may be enlarged and the passage dilated Secondly Clisters of cooling and supling Herbs Thirdly Gentle Purges to cause the excrements to avoid as also to renew the Natural Courses Fourthly By Injections which may provoke and stir up the Expulsive Faculties of the Womb and with them move and bring away the False Conception If the Neck or Sides of the Womb be Glutinated or Joyned together the Woman must be Purged and let Blood yet moderately as also Bathe are succesful made with Emolient Herbs Barks or Roots and Fomentations of the like used to the lower parts to soften and moisten the affected Places And thus much may suffice for the Ordering a Woman from her Lying in to her going a broad again And If I have passed over any Accident that does not usually or by the course of Nature c. happen no doubt but a Skillful Midwife or Nurse will find a means to Remedy it or for defect of Skill timely apply themselves to some able Surgeon or Physitian And so from hence I haste to the Child which I have left so long to give Directions for the well Ordering it as to its Health and Thriving c. CHAP. XVI Of Nurses How they ought to be Qualified and Dieted IN the first place if you take not the care of bringing it up your self make choice of a good wholesome cleanly Nurse whose Complexion and Constitution is agreeable to the Childs See that her Milk be of middle Substance neither too Thick or inclining to Curdling or too Thin or Waterish for the first clogs the Lungs and Stomach of the Child being of a bad and hard digestion and the latter Causes Scourings Gripings and yeildeth but little Nourishment As for the quantity of Milk a Nurse should rather have too much than too little that the Infant may draw it the more freely without hard Sucking to gather windyness in the Stomach She must also be of a Merry Temper not Peevish or Fretful given to Anger or any Violent Passions for these tiring the Humours have a great effect on the Child in as much as the Natural Temperature of the Milk is in some measure altered or changed by it And this is known by the Colour if it be blew it denotes the Woman given to Melancholly if Yellowish to Choller if something inclining to Red it is not well digested and denotes a weakness in the Breasts through Cold Hurts or the like defects or an Ill Quality or defect in the Blood Therefore that which is Nourishing and wholesome is very White in a Medium between Thick and Thin and this may be tryed on a Looking-Glass or any other smooth Body for a little being spurted on it if when the Glass is reared a little sloaping it run off presently then it is too Thin if it sticks and is hard to move then it is too Thick or Fat but if it slide away leasurely then it is between both As to the Age of the Nurses Milk I am of opinion it is the best at two Months Lying-in so may continue pretty well till the eighth Month but then it continually declines It is also to be considered that to breed good Milk her Meats and Drinks must be wholesome and Seasonable She must avoid hot Spices Strong-waters Spirits and Sweet Wines at least not take any great quantity of them or little quantities often And by reason the Sex of the Nurses Child is likewise to be considered I hold that the Milk of a Male Child is to be preferred and for this Reason viz. Because it is hotter better Concocted and not so excrementious as of a Girl And further an enquiry ought to be made whether the Nurse you propose went her full time for this is of Moment because if she did not she may happen to be of a Sickly weak Constitution though she may at sundry times appear outwardly to be Healthful Further as to Dyet all Onions Leeks Garlick Mustard Strong Cheese and Bak'd Meats with hot Seasonings ought to be forborn And Veal Mutton Chickens Nourishing Broth and such Meats as breed good Juice chosen Fish is too cold and moist unless she be of a hot Constitution Then let her put into her Pottage Purslain Sorrel Borrage Bugloss Letuce Succory Endive c. And drink Beer Ale or Wine and Water mixed Mead Metheglin but not too much Cyder because it sharpens the Milk and Gripes the Child Her exercise must be moderate and her hours of Sleeping seasonable and take special Care to keep her little charge Clean and Sweet in all parts viz. The Nose Ears Eyes and Mouth as well as the lower parts If she perceives any part of the Child to Warp or incline to Crookedness she must be careful to Swathe it in time whilst it is tender that by degrees it may return to straightness or if it seem difficult to her to Acomplish it let her Advise the Parents or some able Surgion before it be gone too far for this has been a misery to many in growing Crooked that might at first have been prevented wth a little Care and Cost when the Bones and Ligatures were more Flexible CHAP. XVII How to Order the