blood-warm Against terms it Child-bearing Lastly if whilst she goeth with child she perceiveth her terms let her eat milk made boyle with red-hot steel and in that let Plantain and Comfrey be boyled But in all these cases let her advise with learned Physitians which will direct them with medicines and advice from time to time I shall now treat of some few distempers incident to child-bed and leave you some choice Remedies in the following Sections and then wind up all SECT XXX Of the Retention of the Lochia in Child-bed known by the name of Courses though improperly so called and of their immoderate Flux THE retention or suppression of the Lochia in Child-bed Hippoc. lib. de natura pueri by the consent of Hippocrates as well as other Learned Doctors to which daily experience may be added brings the greatest inconveniences to women Purgations of women in Child-bed Hippo. ibid. and often death it self I shall therefore in this Section treat of the purgations of women in Child-bed which Hippocrates determines to be at the most but 40 daies By the Levitical Law 33 daies was in case of a male Levit. cha 12. verse 4. and for a female 66 daies ve 5. if the women bring forth a female and 30 daies to a male But withal saith that a woman is passed all danger after 20 daies purgation Now if women be not sufficiently purged in Child-bed either it causeth a great * A swelling hot and red Phlegmon in the womb by reason of the inflammation of the blood or else those lochia being carried to some higher part bring dangerous affects to the part that receiveth them as Squinancies Pleurisies Fevers Frenzie Nauseousness Unquietness Dropsies and what not Cause The cause of their retention is generally cold by reason of the ambient air which the woman receiveth in her delivery Ambient air perhaps through the improvidency of Midwives who most commonly take more care of the child than of the woman or else by reason that the woman may be delivered in some cold moist room which cold suddenly rushing into the inward parts of the womb suddenly stoppeth them See Sect. the fifth Therefore Midwives must not only be very wary in this case as hath been already hinted in the latter end of the fifth Section to which I refer you but also proceed to the Cure The Cure A Glyster First then this Clyster may be given Take of the roots of Marshmallows * Aristolchia â—…ga 〈◊〉 long round Birthwort of white Lillies of each half an ounce of the leaves of Mallows Pellitory of the wall Mercury and Violets of each half a handful of Chamomel flowers Melilot flowers Elder flowers each two * A pugill is as much as may be held betwixt the thumb and two fingers pugills of the seeds of Dill Foenugreek and Seseli of each two drachms let these be boyled in spring-water till a third part be consumed strain it and to ten ounces of the straining dissolve the yelk of two eggs of Sal-Gemm and unguent de Arthanita each one drachm oyle of Dill and of Bayes each half an ounce of these make a Glyster A bagg You may also make a bagg triangular whereof you see a description with its use in the xxvth Section in which you may quilt these herbs following being grosly bruised and pounded Take of the roots of long and round Birth-wort of Gentian Angelica Bryonie * Cyclamine Sowbread of the herbs of Mugwort Balm Savin Orgamint and Calamint of each one handful of the flowers of Chamemile Ingredients for the bagg Tansy and Elder each half a handful of the seeds of Dill Caraway Anniseeds and Seseleos each one drachm These being mash'd and pounded and quilted into a bagg big enough to cover the lower part of her belly and privities and well secured with strings must be boyled in spring-water and applyed warm Two baggs best to be applyed the one hot whilst the other groweth cold but it were better to have two bags to apply as they grow cold The belly hips and thighs which by reason of the consent of parts must consequently sympathize with great pains may be anointed with this ointment Take of the oyle of Chamomile The ointment Lumbricorum Catellorum Hipericonis Dill and of the oyle of Eggs oyle of Worms whelps St. John's-wort with these mixed anoint the parts abovesaid warm At night you may let this Julep be given take of the waters of Balm A Julep and Mugwort of each one ounce of the water of Cinamon distilled without wine one ounce Confection of Alkermes half a drachm of Laudanum two grains of syrup of Poppy half an ounce the bagg may be renewed as need shall require warming it in the liquor in which it was first boyled the next day you may repeat both the Glyster and the bagg and expect good success After which if the woman be plethorick A Purge you may purge her with Manna and syrup of Roses in broth and this may be given after seven daies lying in I come now to speak somewhat of the immoderate flowing of them Immoderate flowing of the Lochia which must be considered as well as being stop'd there being danger in either for 't is well observed by Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hipp. Aph. 51. Lib. 2. Omne nimium vertitur in vitium The Causes that every thing wherein is excess is an enemie to nature Therefore let us endeavour to stop them in their over-much flowing with a very great caution lest by stopping them all together there follow worse effects It happens many times that both after the birth and miscarrying that there floweth out such a quantity of blood by reason of the eruption or apertion of the vessels immoderately or by reason of the great fervor of the blood proceeding from the use of over-hot Remedies in laborious births To remedy them Then First use such alimentary food as may incrassate and thicken the blood Cure by Diet. as Panadoes Gellies Rice in the broth of Calves-feet Pears boyled Quince and Roast-meats whereon the juice of Pomegranates have been sprinkled yelks of eggs Drink Their drink may be red Wine mix'd with water wherein steel hath been quenched then the blood may be drawn by revulsion to the upper parts either by Phlebotomy or Cupping-glasses under the papps c. Stupps dipp'd in vinegar water applyed to the loynes with an ointment The whole belly must be swathed there may be stupps dipp'd in Oxycrat and applied to the loyns after which take of Unguentum Comitissae two ounces of juice of Plantane one ounce beaten well together these things being not hard to be gotten I tender to you but when they will not be stop'd by these means 't were best to have recourse to Learned Physitians for advice SECT XXXI Of the Fever of Milk EUtrap Quest You have already
Another Betony Vervain each a handful Confection of Alkermes A scruple is twenty grains a scruple and half Sugar and Cinamon as much as will suffice to aromatize it the herbs being first boyled in posset-brink I shall give one general Cordial water which I shall not only commend to Midwives to have ever by them but also to other Gentlewomen it being a general Cordial water against most distempers Thus then Take Baulm Betony Pellitory of the wall A general Cordial-water sweet Marjoram Cowslip flowers of the flowers of Rosemary and Sage each a great handful of the seed of Annis sweet Fennel and Coriander Caraway and Gromel of each half an ounce of Cinamon Licoras and Nutmeg all bruised each one ounce of Juniper-berries one ounce and half let the herbs be shred and infused in a gallon of Brandy in an earthen pot well leaded for the space of a fortnight afterwards strein it and put in twelve ounces of Loaf-sugar Note that a gallon of Brandy added to the ingredients after streining makes as good water as the former if ordered so and of Musk and Ambergreece each two grains tyed up in silk and hang'd in the glass you may put in another gallon of Brandy after the first is streined Against immoderate flux of the Courses Take of the roots of Tormentill two drachms Bole-armeniack the best one drachm the species of Hyacinth Powder half a drachm all made into fine powder of which take half a drachm once in three hours in this following Julep The Julep Take of the a Res Aq. Scordii composit compound water of Scordium b Dracontii dragon-Dragon-water c Ulmariae Meadsweet of each three ounces of d Aceti Theriacalis Treacle-vinegar an ounce syrup of Coral two ounces burnt Harts-horn half a drachm make a Julep To facilitate the Birth drive out the Secundine false Conception and dead Child Take of the Trochischs of Myrrh one scruple of Borax half a scruple of Saffron three grains make a powder of these and take them in white-Wine or the decoction of Mugwort in Posset-ale after which drink a draught of the same Posset with some few drops of oyle of Amber or oyle of Juniper-berries infused in it Or this A Posset Take Mother of Time one handful of Pellitory of the wall and Chamomel-flowers of each half a handful of Fennel-seeds and Licoras each half an ounce Figs slit no. six boyl these in three pints of Posset-ale till one pint be consumed then sttein it and of this drink a good draught thrice in a day The next Receipt shall be directed to the false Conception and dead Child As thus Take Styrax Calamita Myrrh Cinamon Cassia lignea From the Apothecaries To provoke the flowers expell a dead child and false Conception of each half an ounce Mummy two drachms Saffron half a drachm make all these into fine powder this may be taken in white-Wine a drachm at a time for a week together or more To prevent Abortion Take Sanguis Draconis Red Coral both made into powder A powder to be taken in broth c. of each one drachm of Ambergreece three grains of Bezoar stone four grains of this powder a scruple at a time may be taken either in Mace-ale or Broth or Posset-drink wherein Plantane Comfrey Knot-grass Bramble-leaves Periwinckle with some Cinamon have boyled Or this A second powder Take Kermes-berries two drachms red Coral and white of each one drachm and half of Amber one scruple make these into powder and put them into a Poch'd-egg and sup it up do so till all be done Or this A third powder Take Mastich Frankincense Sang. Dracon Myrtill-berries Kermes-berries Bole-armeniack each half a scruple and take a drachm of the powder and fill the hole whence the stone is taken out in a Date moysten it in sack and wrap it up in a paper and put it under hot embers to be warmed and let those that fear Abortion eat it often A Caraplasme to the navil Take a hot manchet out of the oven cutting off the crust dip it in Muscadine and strew it with the powder of Nutmegs and Cinamon each as much as will suffice and apply this hot to the navil of the woman A plaister from the Apothecaries Take of Emplaster ad Herniam Caesaris each half an ounce Cocci Baphici one drachm made into powder Emplaster of Diacalcythios one ounce and with as much oyle of Myrtles as will suffice make a Plaister to be spread on leather and applyed between the hips Here may be used Unguentum Comitissae to the loins Unguent Of After-pains Causes of After-pains After-pains may proceed from the acrimony of the blood being thinn and sharp or from the grumous part of it being thick and clotted which nature endeavouring to discharge it self of as to the setling of the womb causeth these pains Inflations Ambient air As also Inflations by reason of the ambient air seems to imitate those pains with the Child-bearing which are not only Sympathetical but Symptomatical this being so usual few women are free from it And Cure because they often cease within two or three daies they seldome require a Physitians help Nevertheless that Julep before-mentioned in the 32th Section is very useful Or else The Julep in the 32th Section marked with this * Asterisk Take the inward bark of an Elm-tree and burn it to ashes to which adde Cinamon made into powder some 10 grains of Cinamon to one drachm of the ashes and drink it with white-Wine Or else Take of oyle of sweet Almonds two ounces syrup of Violets one ounce water of Penniroyal half an ounce for a draught Potion After-pains from windiness If the cause be from wind you may give a drachm of Barberries in powder in the water of Vervain or Baulm But most usually these pains are eased by Caudles made with half white-Wine Caudles and half water wherein Spermints Baulm Penniroyal or Mugwort have been boyled I will give you the form of a Caudle which is not only of great use in the sending forth of the secundine in case any piece of it should be left behind as sometimes it may happen but also to help nature in its work of throwing out this grumous blood which is the cause of the After-pains And this is it A Caudle in case any part of the Secundine be behind Take Oatmeal and Hempseed of each a sufficient quantity with a top of Baulm boyl these in a sufficient quantity of white-Wine and water of each a-like and with the yelk of one egg make a Caudle Of Convulsion-fits in infants newly born Take the best Sack and Sugar mull'd and give it the first thing it takes this will discharge the stomack of that viscuous flegm that ever accompanyeth infants Convulsions from viscuous phlegm possessing the stomack and nerves and not only warm the stomack
discoursed of the danger of the secundine being left behind and the Lochia stop'd now Sir be pleased to let me know what may be the reason why women fall into Fevers although neither the Lochia be stop'd nor any part of the secundine left behind I shall good Mrs. Eutrapelia Answer for those Fevers that accompany women in Child-bed are never without danger of which I shall give you an account some of them being critical others putrid others symptomatical I call that a Fever critical which I call a Fever of milk so called Fever of milk what and when because about the third or fourth day after child-bearing the milk begins to have a more plentyful recourse to the breasts whither it is carried with some force by reason of the motion and agitation of the blood converted into milk for the nourishment of the infant although this kind of Fever doth not happen unto all women neither doth it usually continue above three or four daies Febris Ephemera being dissolved by sweating and needs little other remedies most commonly if the Lochia be not stop'd The causes Cautions in driving back milk to soon The causes may be the driving back of the milk too soon which ought not to be which doth over-run the blood and settle there or else because that the brests being filled with milk and distended very big and full the vessels for blood are so compressed that they will not admit of that blood that floweth thither insomuch that the blood being hindred in its circulation beginneth to rage over the whole mass of blood whose spirits being inordinately stirred up and confounded take heat and begin to boyle and leaving the womb possesseth the whole mass of blood and so perhaps turn into putrid and malign Fevers Putrid amongst which many happen to be symptomatical Symptomatical as a Squinancy a Pleurisie * Peripneumonia an inflammation of the lungs a Dysenterie and the Small-pox or Measels but these symptomatical Fevers being from the same fountain of * A Bloody Flux Blood out of its vessels extravasat blood which most times turns into Apostemations Tumors and Inflammations if not prevented will bear the same Analogie of cure with respect to the parts they invade but to begin with critical Fevers The cure of which consists first Cure of critical Fevers in an exact observation of diet that the impurities of the blood and the due purgation of the humors the evil affections of the womb may be corrected and the strength impaired may be restored Strength how restored Diet. Wherefore let her diet be Oatmeal-caudles with white-Wine and all mix'd wherein a top of Baulm Speremints Mugwort or Orgamint may be boyled as also Panadoes and Water-grewels c. with these she must be fed for a week at the least by often supping forbearing nourishments that are stronger and solid as also all manner of flesh which are usually the cause of those Fevers Eating flesh in Child-bed the cause of Fevers for women in Child-bed must be dealt with not only like those that are grievously wounded but like those whose mass of blood is disturbed and so apt to be incensed with the least flame The next care conducing to the cure is Cold. to prevent outward colds as hath been formerly observed Section 5th and 31th in the 5th and 31th Sections Wherefore I would advise that women be kept in their beds for five daies at the least after their delivery I know 't is usual for them to rise at three daies end but this to be sure the longer women contein themselves in their bed the more secure they are from danger The third observation is that by a gentle proritation of the blood the Lochia be continued and to this end Midwives usually give Sperma Ceti Usual medicines Irish slatt poudered or Saffron tinged in white-Wine or Marrigold-flowers in posset-drink If the belly be costive it may be moved either with a Violet confect made for a suppository Suppos toty or some gentle emollient Glyster avoiding stronger Glysters Where there hath been vomitings thirst and want of sleep occasioned by the great perturbations of the blood and stopping of the * Lochia Lochia I have known Laudanum mix'd with Saffron each two grains and given in posset with good success Instead of cooling Juleps Julep you may use this rather of which you may give three or four spoonfuls often times in a day take Pennyroyal-water Balm-water each three ounces * Aqua Bryoniae composita Hysterical-water two ounces Tincture of Saffron two drachms a * 20 grains Scruple of Castoreum tyed in a fine rag and hanged in the glass Here also may be used Bezoardical medicines such as provoke sweat but these as also the cure of those symptomatical Fevers before hinted I leave to be considered of by Learned Physitians to whom it is safest to have recourse in such cases of danger SECT XXXII Dr. Philadelphos I shall Mrs. Eutrapelia in this Section afford you a Miscellany of Medicines such as are most useful for you to have with you and conclude all DR Philadel Mrs. Eutrapelia Oyles you may remember in the latter end of the 4th Section I gave you an account of those things that a Midwife ought to be furnished withal wherein mention was made of oyles which usually are Difficult Births oyle of Lillies of sweet Almonds or Chamomile mixed I shall offer you one ointment in hard and difficult Births take of new butter not salted and washed in Mugwort-water two ounces the * The mucilage is the quintessence of seeds and fruits boyled to gelly and streined Mucilages of Line-seeds Figs and the seeds of Marsh-mallows extracted out in the water of Savine of each half an ounce oyle of Lillies half an ounce make a liniment with which frequently anoint the neck of the womb you may use also sneezing-powder made thus Errhine or Sneezing-powder Take long Pepper Castoreum Betony white Hellebore sweet Marjoram Cloves each a drachm made into very small powder and kept for use which may be snuff'd up into the nostrils to cause sneezing or of white Hellebore An other and Castoreum powdered this potion also may be given Take of Cinamon A Potion of the bark of Cassia fistula of Dittany of each one drachm and half of white Sugar as much as all let all these be made into a fine powder and of it drink two drachms in that posset wherein Lineseed hath been boyled or else in white-Wine Or this An other Take of Cassia fistula powdered two drachms Red * A sort of red Pease Ciceri rubri Cicers half a handful let them boyl in white-Wine and water of each as much as will suffice adding at the length two drachms of Savine strein it and adde to it half a drachm of Cinamon and six grains of Saffron and make a potion Or this Take Aegrimony