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-Pennyroyal-water balm-Balm-water each three ounces * Aqua Bryoniae composita hysterical-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
its overmuch moysture and an evil temperature of qualities and ventosities included in the womb as also Ulcers and Apostemations in the womb besides other distempers As are too many Courses too great a Flux of blood A caution to the Irish where these distempers are Epidemical and Sporadical too great a Looseness of the belly or too great Costiveness a Tenasmus called commonly a Needing a Cough a constant Sneezing and all things that shake the body too much and lastly any acute sickness which doth so afflict the womans body that by them the infant is deprived of its nourishment Quest The external causes of Abortion Answer Philadel Now then Mrs. pray inform me vvhat are the external causes of Abortion Eutrap Sir the external causes are many As first to fall to run to leap to ride to exercise too immoderately and to be smitten vvith strokes Again too much cold and too great heat for over-much cold killeth the child and too great heat intercepts the air from the infant and so suffocateth it in the womb and this may be done by hot baths if women use them in the first moneths after their conception Thirdly Stinking smells as the snuff of a candle or lamp newly extinguished Fourthly an absurd appetite and manner of eating and drinking as to cat salt coals dirt c. by which either ill humors or a dangerous thirst are procured Fifthly too great hunger for by overmuch fulness the infant is sooner suffocated the passages appointed for nourishment being the sooner obstructed Sixthly immoderate exercise and labours overmuch sleep and a continual laziness unseasonable and unreasonable watchings besides other accidents As sudden fury great wrath over-much fear and sorrow sudden joy and a dull appetite longing for that which is not to be had unsatiable copulation and lust Dr. Philadel Quest You have now discovered the causes of Abortion What I pray Mrs. Eutrapelia are the signs of Abortion Eutrap Answer Sings The signs of Abortion are twofold First before conception in those that use to miscarry as superfluous moysture sudden and unusual fatness against nature which was wont to be of slender and lean constitution or which are ever pained about the loyns and kidneys or fall suddenly into other dangerous diseases Signs of Abortion Secondly the signs of Abortion after conception are these viz. when the breasts that at first were turgid and hard are observed to grow flaccid and soft of a sudden if there be too great a flux and a continual flowing of the terms Moreover if there be horrors colds pains in the head or a swimming there be in the eyes these be sure signs of Abortion Dr. But Quest what are the signs of a dead child Answer Of a dead child Eutrap Where the child is dead Sir there is no motion perceived when the eyes of the woman sink when her colour is turned into a tawny whiteness when there are great pains about the navil and loyns when by reason of the lower parts being compressed there happeneth a Strangury a * A Needing â—enesmus Again when the ears the lips the top of the nostrils are taken with a pale coldness and the face swells and the belly though it sinketh not yet groweth soft so that lying to either side by the touch there may be perceived a hard mass Stinking breath a sign that the child beginneth to putrifie as also stinking breath an argument that the infant doth begin to putrifie These are manifest signs of a dead child The cure whereof I leave to the care of the expert Physitians and Chirurgeons SECT XXIX Rules for Child-bearing Women EUtrap According to your promise I beseech you Doctor lay me down some Rules to be observed by Child-bearing women Dr. Philadel Good Midwife I shall and that very necessary ones too that she may know how to go on safely through by Gods blessing to the last hour or by neglecting them may make her delivery the harder and I shall reduce them under ten heads First let her be chearful not breaking her self with mourning and careful anxiety for this doth exhilarate the infant Res sex non naturales and stirs up all the faculties and confirms it in its parts and members Secondly let her avoid all violent motion and abstain from all hard labours not rising up too hastily not leaping running dancing riding not lacing her self too streight or carrying too heavy a burden but surely sleep is very fit for her Thirdly let her beware of sharp and cold winds of excessive hear anger perturbations of the mind affrights terrors over-much venery and of intemperancy of eating and drinking Fourthly let the diet of breeding women be frugal and moderate abstaining from gross meats hard of digestion let her eat eggs chickens land-fowl birds of the mountains c. variety of broths grewels panadoes mutton veal lamb kid rabbets she may use in her meats nutmeg and cinamon she may drink wine moderately Fifthly in the first four moneths let her open no vein use no cupping or scarrifications fontanells nor use any pills or other Physick without the advice of a prudent Physitian for in these moneths the ligaments of the child are very tender soft and feeble and therefore the easier destroyed and the nourishment kept from him Sixthly if it shall happen that the woman be too costive by which many miscarry let her boyl spinage Against Costiveness and lettuce well buttered with salt and vinegar or wine which if they will not move the belly Suppositories let her use suppositories with honey and the yelk of an egg or of Castile-soap and if these common things will not do let her advise with an expert Physitian Seventhly if it happen that she conceive with grievous symptoms Symptoms and after conception is troubled with faintings let her take this Cordial following Take of Sorrel-water and red-Rose-water of each one ounce of cinamon-Cinamon-water one ounce Against fainting of Manus Christi pearled called in the Shops Saccharum tabulatum perlatum simplex half an ounce or as much Diamargariton this may be taken as need requires Eighthly if she fear that she may come too soon that is before her time as in the seventh moneth or some other unscasonable time and feels throws as of child-bearing occasioned by immoderate exercise too great costiveness from a Fever or some other disease A suffumigation Let her sit over a suffumigation of Frankincense for that contributes no small strength both to the matrix and to the infant also Ninthly if she nauseate her meat she may use a plaister of Mastich to her stomack and take this following Cordial every morning fasting to strengthen her stomack The Cordial Take syrup of Pomegranates one ounce and half of Mosch and Amber-greece of each two grains of Lignum Aloes finely powdered one scruple of Cinamon half a scruple the water of Sorrel three ounces let these be mingled and drank off
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-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
by prescribing it Your Obliged Friend Richard Sampson An INDEX containing the Contents Alphabetically A. ABortion what with its causes and sings Page 104 c. How prevented and cured pag. 112 c. Air ambient dangerous in child-bed p. 111.116 After-pains what their causes and cure p. 133 c. After-burden what it is p. 84 c. Why so called p. 90 91 92 c. Must be brought away and why It s danger being left behind How it is hindred in its coming forth How drawn out ibid. Aged women commonly bring forth females and why p. 101. They are subject to the falling down of the womb p. 163 Age of the best nurse described p. 141 Allantois part of the secundine in beasts but not to be found in men and is as a girdle p. 90 Amnios the inward membrane of the secundine p. 89 c. Anger in nurses naught p. 143 Aorta what arterie and how generated p. 8 Arterial vein what it is ibid. Astringent powder useful for Midwives p. 30 B. BAgg described Page 76. c. In use Behaviour of nurses to be enquired into p. 124 c. Birth natural what and how described p. 24. How facilitated 110.130 Blood after conception distinguished three waies p. 14. Bones generated from the seed p. 12. Botches in children their causes p. 115.145 Brains how generated and for what p. 9 c. Breath stinking argues a child dead and putrified in the womb p. 79 Breasts sore to cure p. 101 Breeding women what forbidden them p. 101 C. CApsula of the heart generated p. 6 Cake of the womb what p. 88 89 c. Cartilages whence generated p. 11 Cataplasms against a loosness in child-bed 137. Against miscarrying to be applyed to the navil p. 118 Cataplasme in case of sore breasts p. 102 Caudles in after-pains and in case any of the secundine be left behind p. 134 Causes of immoderate flowing of the Lochia in child-bed with their cure p. 119 120. Cautions to Midwives in their business p. 28 29 a Caution to the Irish women in a loosness p. 105 Child when so properly called p. 112 Child-bearing women ought to be cheerful p. 110 Children how overlaid with the reasons p. 141. Of their pining away 150 Chorion what and why so called p. 88 Coats of the Arteries whence p. 11 Cold in child-bed dangerous with its cure p. 124 Cold dangerous in Child-bearing 111 Calostrat what children p. 144 Conception with its signs 95 96 c. Conception in Nurses make the child diseased p. 144 Conditions of Nurses to be inquired into with her complexion p. 143 Convulsion-fits in infants whence and how cured 134 135 Cordials against fainting fits p 112. A general excellent Cordial-water p. 113. Against a nauseous stomack p. ibid. Costiveness the cause of difficult birth p. 35 Costivenes in breeding women naught how it may be prevented p. 112 Cotyledons of the womb what p. 104 Courses why stop'd after conception p. 14. How they are to be provoked p. 115 c. They are stirred up by the use of Venery are destructive to milk p. 144 Cranium what how generated p. 10 Critical Fevers in child-bed their cure p. 123 c. Crying in children discovers want of milk p. 151 Cupping-glasses how and where to be applyed p. 147 D. DAncing in the child-bearing women or running naught for the child p. 110 Dancing of the child a good exercise for the Nurse p. 147 Danger from being not well purged in child-bed p. 115 c. a Decoction against too much milk p. 148 Dead child how delivered of p. 93 c. signs of a dead child p. 102 c. 108.131 Diet prescribed for breeding women p. 111. For child-bed women p. 120 Diarrhaea see Loosness in p. 131.136 Different postures of infants in the womb why p. 78 Difficult births their causes p. 34 c. Distinction of parts when p. 12 Dreams in the infant discover want of milk p. 151 Dropsies how distinguished from a Mola or false conception p. 82 Drunkenness not to be indured in nurses p. 140 The dura mater how generated p. 10 E. EAting flesh in child-bed the cause of Fevers p. 124 Eating and drinking to be observed by nurses p. 143 Eight moneths birth not like to live p. 19 c. The reasons ibid. Emplaster against abortion p. 113.132 Against Convulsions in infants p. 135 c. Against the inconveniency of milk to be applyed in the breasts p. 122.146 Embryon what p. 87 Epar uterinum that is the liver of the womb what its use and why so called p. 86 88 Exercise attenuates milk p. 146. In the nurse good for the child p. 147 Experiments to know if a woman hath conceived or no p. 98 c. Experiments to try milk p. 126 The Excrements are not voided by the fundament whilst the child is in the womb p. 16 c. F. FAlse conception what p. 79. How it differs from a true conception p. 81. How distinguished from a Dropsie p. 82. How delivered of p. 94 Falling out of the womb p. 162 c. Fainting fits in breeding women how prevented p. 112 Fevers in child-bed in general and of a Fever of milk what it is with the cures p. 121 Female when conceived and how known p. 200 Fibres in the first generation what p. 2 Figure of a child of 18 daies old p. 12 Fume or suffumigation in fits of the mother p. 160 G. GAlea is part of that coat of the secundine called the Amnios p. 87 a General cordial water against all fainting fits at all times p. 128 a Gibbous infant the cause of a difficult birth p. 35 Glysters for a looseness in child-bed p. 136 c. For the retention of the Lochia then p. 116 Gluttony in nurses condemned p. 143 Great breasts and great nipples in nurses not commendable why p. 141 Grief in nurses naught for the child p. 143 Naught for child-bearing women p. 110 Gripes in the belly of infants whence p. 149 H. HAndsome children why some so why others unhandsome p. 21 Hastiness in the Midwife not good p. 27 29 Hasty rising up of the mother naught for the child in the womb p. 110 Hard breasts the signs of the infants thriving in the womb p. 101 Haemorrhoids the cause of difficult birth p. 35 Heart generated when p. 6 Heat of the seed the cause of generation of males they are generated in the right side p. 21 Helmet called the Galea part of the Amnios p. 87 Heavy burdens carried by the mother are naught for the infant in the womb p. 111 Hysterick fits see Strangulation of the womb and mother-fits p. 155 c. I. INnate heat in infants requires constant aliment p. 150 Infant when said to be p. 16 How it lyeth in the womb p. 33 c. How nourished in the womb p. 14 It attracts the purest blood ibid. Hath more from the mother then from the father ibid. Why like their Parents p. 21 To know
child to suck it away or else to use some other way as Young whelps killed with sucking of women by the use of young whelps whom I have oftentimes seen dye with sucking womens milk surely the reason must be because the milk was * Of another nature heterogeneous or else because grumous and corrupted or milked out some other way especially when the Nurse perceives her self prejudiced by it But it is ever best Plenty of milk ever best that she abound rather than want milk and then in this case it is best they be big though all Nurses need not have big breasts for there may be as much milk if not more in a lesser brest than in a great one Our next enquiry will be into the manners and behaviour of a Nurse The best Nurse then is she that is mild chaste The Nurses Conditions sober courteous chearful lively neat cleanly and handy because bad conditions as well as good are suck'd in with the milk and so radicated that it is a hard matter to pull out the bad conditions and leave the good behind but that there will be a remainder of the bad conditions perhaps so long as they live wherefore let not the Nurse be of an angry malepert and saucy disposition shameless scolding or quarrelsome not gluttonous but so careful of her nursery that she neither eat or drink that which may be hurtful to the infant Her care in eating and drinking That she do nothing to anger her self to grieve or sad her self Passion hinders the good milk Mirth for such passions will presently distribute themselves to the prejudice of the infant than which there is nothing of more efficacy to destroy the goodness of the milk Neither is it sufficient that they abstain from the use of their husbands Abstinence from Venery not sufficient but when they have wanton thoughts and lascivious minds wholly upon Luxury and Venery they cast off all care of their nurseries and dreaming at night of that which their minds run on in the day Somnians dixit quae vigilans voluit Terent. Comaed and by other filthy pollutions they infect the milk So also by the use of their husbands the Courses are stirred up by which both the plenty and goodness of milk is derived another way and so the child robbed of its nutriment or else the Nurse conceiveth with child and so the infant becometh * Colostrati diseased and Ricketty by sucking grumous curdy and unwholsome milk and is the worse for it during life Therefore let all those things be avoided Meats to be avoided by Nurses that either do or are supposed to provoke lust as junkets made with spices also onions leeks garlick and all salt meats are to be avoided persly Persly an enemy to milk and smallage some say have a peculiar malice to the increase of milk besides that it doth increase lust and is an enemy to the growth of infants Again that Nurse were best that hath lately been brought to bed of a boy if to nurse a boy the milk of such a Nurse being better tempered The vertues of the milk of a male and of a female For the milk of a male child will make a female nursery more spritely and a manlike Virago and the milk of a girl will make a boy the more effeminate As to the milk let it be a mean The conditions of the milk betwixt thick and thinn which you may perceive by dropping it upon the thumb-nails for if it be too thinn it will run off the sooner but if thicker Tryal of the milk it will stay the longer let it be sweet and pleasant both to the smell and taste not offending the palate with rancidness sourness sharpness or saltness or the nostrils with any strange quality Let it be can did to the sight By its Quality in it self equal in each particles not infested with brown yellow green blue Colour or any other evil colour or as sometimes with various colours and substance as with lines and streaks upon it but let that milk be most praise-worthy that makes as much curd as whey which may be tryed by this Experiment Experiment viz Put some of this milk into a glass and put in some Myrrh or Rennet which being stirred together will curd and then may the contents be seperated the tryal is that if there be most whey then is the milk thinner in its substance but if most of curd 't is thicker yet all these may be corrected and amended for that which is too thick may be mended by an extenuating diet Correctives of milk too thick Vomit and the flegmatick matter may be avoided by a vomit of Oxymel and Exercise before meat the better to consume and attenuate the thickness of it Of milk too thinn Diâ— Alica The thinness of milk is amended by contrary food such as doth incrassate it as Formenty of Wheat and Rice Hogs-feet Calves-feet Trotters and sweet Wine unless somewhat else be in the way to hinder it Sometimes it happens that the milk is more tart than it ought to be Sharpness c. wherefore then all diligence must be had to feed upon such meats as are of the best juice till that acrimony at least be attempered Want of milk the Causes Sometimes there is little or no milk in the breasts as after some sickness or notable distemper now turned into a chacochymical habit or any other of what kind soever that possesseth those parts or is the morbifick cause but that shall not be our business to consider of now Now if these be not the causes let the Nurse use supping meats as Broths Possets c. and eat plentifully and use frictions to her breasts and duggs Exercise and dancing of the child good for the Nurse Cupping-glasses Fomentations exercising her hands and her arms by domestick Employments or instead thereof let her dance the child by which the aliment may be recalled into those parts Sometimes cupping-glasses to the breasts with a fomentation of emollient herbs boyled in water and applyed warm either sponges or wollen-clothes after which Embrocation embrocating them with oyle of Lillies The seeds of Fennel and the roots of Parsnips boyled in Barley-water What food is best and buttered The broth of Hens or Capons with Cinamon and Mace Or Poch'd-eggs with the seeds of Annis and Dill and all things else that are hot in the first and second degree are good Earth-worms Worms such as come out of the earth not out of a dung-hill six or seven of them dried and powdered and drank in Barley-water sugared for a fortnight together All these may be of good use in the defect of milk But now let us see to the inconveniency if there be any in too much milk If the milk abound too much Milk in too great abundance A Decoction which sometimes is though
seed Quod si ex retento semine affectio proveniat nullum proponerem nffectae mulieri praestnntius auxilium quam viri sui frequeates amplexus Hieronymus Pulverinus Cap. XCI de Strangulatione Uteri then let nature here be their best director except they could construe the authority of * Learned Physicians with whom let them advis SECT XXXV Of the coming forth of the womb IN the last Section Mistriss I described how the womb might be moveable upwards yea from side to side I now come to speak of its motion downwards which sometimes is so low that it cometh forth and is to be seen outwardly and that which hangs out doth appear like a soft The signs Scrotum and round tumor and like the Testicles of a man but the pain and the heat possess the privities and bottom of the belly and the urine distilling by some and some vexeth the privities The causes may be many as The causes First when a woman from on high falleth upon her hips those skins and membranes which support the womb and tye it to the neighbouring parts being broken The second cause is by extraction of the Secundine as hath been formerly set forth in the 26th Section that through the unskilfulness of the Midwife The third Cause is by a sudden and immoderate flux of blood as is usually in Abortions as hath been shewed in the 5th Section The fourth Cause is by an artificial extraction of a dead child or overmuch holding the breath to blow or carrying of too great a weight The fifth is oftentimes through overmuch humors and the defluxions of them and often bearing of children which makes those Appendices to which the womb depends relaxed and loosed The sixth and last is through some vehement passion of the mind being affrighted with the sudden tydings of the loss of children incursions of enemies dangerous Sea voyages and sometimes from neither of these Old age but from old age it self or much weakness But now as to the Cure in which observe these Prognosticks by the way Prognosticks That when this affection is new the womb is easily reduced to its proper place and being right put up it continues there especially in the prime of age and may both conceive and bring forth again but in riper years it becomes contracted it may be put up truly but upon the least occasion slips out again And in short this All fallings down of the womb which are not and cannot be cured by proper means shew that the Appendices as aforesaid are either laxed or broken The Cure The Cure is First to provide Glysters to be administred by which the strait gut may be discharged of gross and hard excrements and the bladder of its urine by some pipe fitted for the purpose for sometimes it happens that the womb being in a streight betwixt those two Nascimâ—… inteâ—…stercus Urinam cannot be reduced into its proper place The first may be done by Glysters the latter with a pipe put up in the neck of the bladder Fistula urinaria which done the womb may be put up by this following method Let the Patient lye with her face upwards her hamms bent backwards and thighes spread abroad after which foment it with the decoction of Beets Mallows Marsh-mallows Lineseed and Foenugreek A fomentation made in spring-water Then make a pledget of wooll wrap'd up in a linnenrag to the proportion of the privypart which being dipped in the juice of Acatia and Hypocistis dissolved in red Wine apply it to the womb To be bought at the Apothecaries and so without violence press up all that which is come forth After which foment the whole * The share-bone Another fomentation Pecten with this fomentation Take red Wine a quart red Rose-leaves Bramble-leaves Plantain Myrtle-berries Shepherds-purse Hagtaper Horse-tail and Comfrey-roots applyed with sponges using afterward the oyles of Mastich and Myrtles to the place and Unguentum Comitissae to anoint the Reins Now because the main of our drift is to cure the falling out of the womb upon difficult births adde this method to the former First purge her with one drachm of Pulvis sennae compositus major A Purge to be bought at the Apothecaries given in broth or Mace-ale twice or thrice then Take the leaves of Plantain of Withy of Medlars of the Oake of Sloes of red Brambles of red Roses of each a handful of the roots of Tormentill Comfrey and Bistort of * Balaustia Pomegranat-flowers of Cypress-nuts of each an ounce of the seeds of Annise two ounces let these be grosly bruised and sewed up in a bag A bag used of which you have a description in the 24th Section of this Book Boyle these in Smiths water such as they use to quench iron and apply it warm four times a day wearing it continually well trust up Si quid novisti rectius istis Horat. Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Tomkyns Ex Aed Lamb. Maii ult 1671.