upon them and upon those another handful of Herbs covering the platter with a close cloth that the woman may receive the smoak this is a remedy which hath been much approved and experimented To remedy the fall of the Fundament in Infants TAke of the green shrub whereof they make â—rooms and cut it small and lay it upon the Coals and set the Child over the smoak thereof and it will certainly cure it Of the diseases of Women and first of the inflammation of the breast THe Inflammation of the Breasts is a hard swelling together with a beating pain redness and shooting The chief cause of this is the abundance of blood drawn up together in that place though there be sometime other causes also as the suppression of the courses the Haemorrhoids or a blow received upon the Breasts The signs of it are easie to be known that is to say a certain redness and burning heat oft-times joined with a Fever For the cure of this there are four sorts of remedies First the order of diet which must be comforting and moistning as Broth of Pullets where Endive Borage Lettice and Purslain may be boyled also she may drink the Juyce of Pomgranates or Barley water with Anniseeds boyled in it the use of Wine and all sorts of Spices are very dangerous and if the Woman go not freely to the stool there is nothing better than a Lenitive Clysteâ— she may sleep much and must not disturb her self with any passion The next way of Remedy is by diverting the humours which is done by frictions letting blood in the foot scarrification of the legs or veficatories applied to those places especially if the flowers are stopped or ready to come down if not it will be expedient to open a vein in the arm You may also prepare the humour to void it out of the place affected by opening either the middle vein or the Basilic or the Vena Saphena which may be done two or three times as occasion serves after blood-letting purge but let this be done with gentle Medicines such are Cassia Manna Tamarind Syrup of Roses or Violets Solutive having a little before used certain Syrups which may asswage and temper the humours Take syrup of Roses and Purslain of each one ounce Endive water and plantain-Plantain-water of each an ounce give this to the Patient neither will it be amiss to give her Syrup of Succory or Endive or such like for these Syrups have a cooling and refreshing faculty especially being mingled with Plantain or Endive-water or such like or the decoction of the said Herbs now when the humour is thus prepared you may give her some gentle Purges As for Example take of the pulp of Cassia and Tamarinds of each six drams of this make a little Bolus with some Sugar and give it to the Patient or with this Potion Take of the Leaves of Italian Orach three drams of Aniseed one scruple infuse these into four ounces of the foresaid waters Into this being strained infuse an ounce of Cassia and into the streining of this dissolve an ounce of Solutive Syrup of Roses of this make a Potion and give it The fourth way of cure consists in Topicks such as may drive back and repress the humour though care must be had that they be not over-strong lest you thereby do cool the heart too much and thereupon drive the humour upon the heart it self And therefore temperate Medicines are chiefly to be chosen and such especially as are to digest and dissolve the humour Wherefore it shall not be amiss to apply a linnen cloth dipt in white strong vinegar and a little cold water which must be applied to the Breasts and often changed Or else you may dip linnen cloaths also in a decoction of Camomile-flowers and Violet-flowers with a small quantity of Oyl of Roses and a drop of vinegar or two or you may use this Fomentation Take of the juyce of Night-shade and Oyl of Roses of each an ounce and a half of the decoction of Fenugreek Camomile and Line-seed two ounces vinegar one ounce This Medicine you may use by dipping a spunge therein and so washing and fomenting the Breast therewith Or you may apply this Cataplasm take of the leaves of Night-shade and Mellilot half a handful of each let them be boyled and extracted through a course cloth then add to them Bean-meal two ounces Oxymel and Oyl of sweet Almonds of each one ounce of this make a Cataplasm and apply it If the Disease be be more prevalent you must use more forcible Remedies and among the rest this Fomentation Take of the leaves of Mallows Violets Dill of each one handful flowers of Camomile and Mellilot of each a small handful and a half boyl these together adding to them a little Wine and Oyl of Dill or Mustard first let the Breast be fomented with this and afterwards with an Oyntment composed of equal parts of new butter Oyl of Violets and Hens fat But if these things avail not to dissipate the humour you must observe whether the inflammation tend either to a suppuration or induration If you find that it tends to a hardness you must try all means to hinder it by the way of mollifying Plaisters among which this is not a little experimented Take the Marrow of a Calves leg two ounces Sheeps-grease one ounce Saffron four Scruples Cumin-seed bruised two Scruples mingle all these and make a Plaister If the inflammation doth not harden but doth altogether tend to a suppuration which may be known by these signs that is to say the increasing of the tumour the beating and excessive heat and pain which rages about those parts so vehemently that they do not admit them to be touched But now the suppuration is to be hastned with hot and moist Medicines which have an Emplastick faculty for which purpose this is much commended Take the leaves of Mallows one handful roots of Marsh-mallows one ounce boyl these together and when they are mashed draw them out and add to them Bean-meal and Fenugreek of each one ounce the whites of two Eggs Myrrh and Assa faetida of each one dram Saffron one scruple mingle all these together and make a Cataplasm for your use to this you may either add Capons-grease Hogs-grease or fresh butter If these Remedies do not suddenly bring the inflammation to a suppuration you must then take of the shels of Snails bruised and lay them upon the Cataplasm in such a manner that the Snail-shells may come to touch that part of the tumour which is most elevated and pointed whence it appears that the matter will first issue if these Remedies avail not it will be necessary to open the said Aposthume with a Lancet and this must be done when you are sure that the matter is ready to come forth which may be known by these signs when the beating ceases when the Fever the pain and the Heat of the part do begin to diminish when you perceive the
Sick has vomited a great while you must give Laudanum without delay and such a dose as is not only equal to the violence and duration of the symptom but such an one as is sufficient to vanquish it Of Barrenness BArrenness is an impotence to conceive coming from defect either of the Genitals or of the blood or of the menstruous blood First through the defect of the Genitals either by the closing up of the Orifice of the womb which may be cut and opened by Art or through the narrowness of the parts for so they will not admit the Yard or by reason of some Ulcers or Excrescencies in the neck of the womb Or by reason of some fault in the seed either the woman being too young or too old or through some distemper in the Vessels dedicated to generation and then the woman perceives very little or no pleasure in the act of Copulation The Cure of this is referred to the Chapter of the distempers of the womb Or when there is not that due proportion of seed which ought to be in both parties which chiefly arises from the use of those things that extinguish barrenness as Mint Rue Camphire Or from Inchantments and then the man cannot lye with his wife or though he should yet cannot emit the seed Against which it is affirmed that the drinking a draught of cold water that drops from the mouth of a young Stone-horse as he drinks and saved in a little vessel is very potent Or when the womb doth not draw the seed which is ejected and that by reason of some cold and moist distemper in which case all sorrow anger and much sleep are to be avoided as also the eating of Milk fresh Cheese and any thing that is made of dough Neither is she to eat Endive Spinage Beets Lettice Nuts Cherries Purslane Onions Garlick or such like nor much broth vinegar and fat flesh In the next place the womb must be cleansed from over-abundance of moisture with syrup of Wormwood with the decoction of Harts-tongue Fennel Cumin and Aniseed After this take once every 14 days a dram of blessed Pills fasting five hours after them Take also of these following Pills Take of Labdanum Agaric Wax and Sheep suet tryed of which you may make Pills to take two or three of them every morning or use this confection Take shaven Ivory Ash keys yellow and wild Rape-seed Siler mountain with red and white Behen of each one dram Cinamon Galingale long Pepper Cloves and Mace Balsam-wood Rosemary-flowers Blatrae Byzantiae Marjoram Penny-royal of each four scruples Baulm Bugloss Citron Pils of each two scruples Pearls one scruple Musk 2 grains white sugar twenty four ounces seeth this with Malmsey and make thereof a Confection Or because of some Diseases in the parts where note that too much fatness of the Call doth close the mouth of the womb such women must not sleep much especially in the day time they must use strong Clysters that are warm and dry and purge often Or when the Womb doth not attract the seed when it is cast in which proceeds from a moist intemperance which is by the looseness of the fibres of the Womb so that the Womb cannot contract it self which is cured as in the moist distemper Or by reason of the thickness of the Womb for then the blood that increases the seed doth not slide down to that place The cure hereof requires a thin diet purging and sweating or by reason of the slipperiness thereof which happens by reason of the running of the whites in women The cure whereof consists in the stopping of the whites which hath been already treated of or by reason of the gaping of the Orifice which hath been occasioned either by difficult birth or by some abortion The cure is performed by astringent Medicines among which the chiefest are the fomentation of Lentisk and Myrtle or by reason of some sudden cough or sneezing immediately after copulation by which the seed is shaken forth Or when the Womb doth not alter the seed that is cast in through an immoderate cold distemper Sometimes through heat and then it would be requisite to avoid hot air and to keep the part about the womb cold the eating of hot meats and spices must be avoided Purge after blood-letting in the Basilick vein of the right hand with Electurium de Epythymo and juyce of Roses of each two drams and a half whey four ounces mix them well together and take them in the morning sleeping on and fasting four hours upon Purge also with Triphera Saracenica and Rheubarb with potions prepared and mixed with syrup of Roses Violets and Endive Take Pistacia Eringo's of each half an ounce of Saffron a dram Lignum Aloes Galangal Avens Mace red and white Behen Baulm-flowers of each four scruple shavings of Ivory and Cassia rinds of each two scruples syrup of Ginger confected twelve ounces white Sugar six ounces seeth these together with the syrup in 12 ounces of Baulm-water untill it be all boyled away when it is cold put some more water to it and stir them together and at last of all mix with it a scruple and a half of Musk and Amber of this Conserve let the woman take thrice a day to wit in the morning an hour before supper and an hour after dinner Or it proceeds from obstruction of the Flowers in which case first let blood in the Basilick vein then purge with Opoponax and Hiera Composita of each half a dram to be made up into seven Pills to be taken in the morning sleeping upon them an hour and a half with a draught of sugar'd water five hours after or with a potion of syrup of vinegar compounded syrup of Hemp agrimony of each three quarters of an ounce Feverfew Mugwort and Elecampane roots of each an ounce and mix them together Then she may put up into the Womb a pessary of Musk Amber Aloes-Wood and Ash keys of each three grains Saffron half a scruple Hares rennet as much as suffices which being made up like a good big Tent she must keep a whole day in her Body Of the bringing up of Children and of their Diseases Of the Diseases of the Head THE Diseases common to Children are first certain little ulcerous risings chiefly in the Head sometimes in the whole Body they arise from some vitious humour either collected in the Womb or out of the Womb by reason of the badness of the milk containing a serous salt and nitrous quality If there be no ill to be suspected the humour may be driven forth by giving the Child some Syrup of Fumatory or Harts-horn burnt The Nurse is to be purged and the matter offending to be tempered with Syrup of Borage or Fumary If there be much corruption under the Crust of the Scab the Head of the Child is to bo bathed with some softning decoction and then to be anointed with some drying Ointments Sometimes they are troubled with an inflamation of
Paroulis and Espoulis PAroulis is a little swelling red and inflamed and is ingendered commonly of a hot cholerick blood or else from a salt flegm that falls down upon the gums causing not only the gums but the neck and chaps to be swelled For the cure you may anoint the gums with this oyntment Take of fine Flower eleven drams powder of Tragachanth one dram burnt Allum one scruple rose-Rose-water one ounce if there be any inflammation rub the gums with a muscilage made of the seed of Quinces made with rose-Rose-water and plantain-Plantain-water adding to it a little syrup of Jujubes If the swelling be obstinate bring it to a suppuration with Figs Raisins Jujubes Liquorish and French Barley well boyled when it is opened and launced cleanse and dry it with hony of Roses syrup of Roses and Cherries The Espoulis is a little excrescence of Flesh hapning between the teeth but most commonly the great teeth Take the root of Bugloss an ounce and a half Plantain Agrimony a handful whole Barly a small handful red Roses half a handful Pomgranate flowers 2 drams 4 Dates a dram and a half of Liquorish make a decoction and strain it and then add to it an ounce of syrup of Roses and Pomgranates to wash the place affected you also may wash it with this Remedy Take of the juice of Pomgranates and Quinces of each half an ounce juice of Barberies and Lettice of each two drams a little of the decoction of Lentils and red Roses Of the two strings under the Tongue of a Child THere is one of these Strings or Ligaments which appears reaching from the bottom of the tongue and extending it self to the top of the tongue this must be cut off first with a pair of Cizers and the place rub'd with a little Mosche Salt There is another Ligament which rises from the root and extendeth it self to the middle of the tongue which is more hard and large which hinders the tongue either from being stretched out or to be moved in the mouth The Cure hereof belongs wholly to the Chirurgeon Of the Cough in Children THE Cough in Children comes either from the distillation of some cold and sharp humor distilling from the brain If the humor be cold the Child is also troubled with a viscous and slimy Flegm which lies in the passages of respiration If the humor flowing down be hot the face of the Infant will be red if it come of a cold humor the Child must be kept indifferently warm giving it a little oyl of sweet Almonds and Sugar-candy it will not be amiss also to wash the feet of the Child in Ale wherein certain Cephalick herbs have been boiled and after that to anoint the plants or soles of his feet with Gooses fat The breast of the Child may be also rubbed with oyl of sweet Almonds and fresh-butter and upon this put little linnen cloaths something warm If it be accompanied with any viscous matter or flegm you may give the Infant a little syrup of Maiden-hair or syrup of Liquorish and Hysop mingled together or give the Infant this water to drink Take of Rain-water and Fountain-water of each a pint white Sugar one ounce Honey an ounce Vinegar two drams boyl them altogether and clarifie them and let the Infant drink it Of breeding Teeth IN breeding Teeth the difficulty and pain that the Child endures is easily perceived and whether that be the thing which the Child is afflicted with may be easily guessed at by the time of breeding teeth which is about the seventh month beside the Infant is perceived to be often putting his fingers in his mouth and the Nurse perceives the Infant to gripe her breasts hard c. the place where the teeth are about to break out looks white there are also watchings and the sense of a very great pain The swelling gums are to be anointed with Hares brains boyled or the fat of it If they be inflamed wash them with oyl of Roses and white Wax and the juyce of Night-shade if they be exulcerated anoint them with butter that hath no Salt in it with a little Honey and powder of Frankincense Of the inflammation of the Navel-string in Infants SOmetimes after the binding of the Navel-string it happens to exulcerate for the cure use an emplaister of Pompholyx or anoint it with oyl of Roses and a little Populeon Of the Worms OFtentimes Children are extreamly troubled with Worms they are generated of a viscous and flegmy humor are sometimes round and then Children are commonly troubled with a Feaver and grow lean their appetite fails them they start in their sleep they have a dry cough joyned with it with a stinking breath and an ill colour in their faces the eyes hollow and dark with a kind of irregular Feaver which comes three or four times a night and they often rub their noses if they be little worms they have always a desire to go to stool and their excrements are very purous If the Infant be young the Nurse must be sure to keep a good diet abstaining from all raw fruits Pease and Beans and all milky things and any thing that shall be of a hard concoction Next you may lay a plaister of the Mass of Pills Sine quibus half a dram pouder of Wormwood one dram Myrrh and Aloes of each two scruples meal of Lupines a dram and a half the Gall of an Ox as much as sufficeth if the Infant be any thing grown you may give him in a little broth a small quantity of Harts-horn Of the Convulsion in Infants THe Signs of Convulsion are the hanging backward of the head insomuch that the hinder part of the head seemeth to touch the shoulders sometimes the head and the neck hang so far forward that the Chin touches the Breast The Cure of this If it come of too great abundance of humours let the Air wherein the Child is nursed be hot and dry and exercise much let the Nurse not sleep long especially after dinner and let her diet be rather drying than any way moist If the Child do not suck he must avoid Meats that do trouble the head and fill it up with Vapors or slimy meats that may stop the passages of the Veins Sweet things are very hurtful but Honey and Water wherein a little Sage and Betony have been boiled it will not be amiss to give him If purgation be needful let the Nurse rather than the Child purge which may be performed with Cassia or Manna If the Child be any thing big let his Belly be kept loose by giving him a little water wherein Sena hath been steeped 24 hours tempering it with a very small quantity of the juice of Citron or you may give him a little of the pouder of Diacarthamum in the pap of an Apple If the Convulsion comes of driness or emptiness or by reason of some great evacuation flux of the Belly vomiting hunger or the like the Child must be nursed in an
the good diet of the Nurse and partly by convenient Medicines among which a bath made of Sulphur Nitre and the leaves of Oak is exceeding good Of the Intertrigo WHen the little skin in the Hips is separated from the true skin it arises first from the sharpness of the Urine especially in Children that are more corpulent by reason of the dirt which frets the skin being gathered together in the wrinkles Bath the place and then sprinkle upon it either white Nihili or anoint it with Oyl of Litharge Of Leanness THis arises either from a subtle kind of Worms which are generated in the most musclely parts of the Back and Arms and consume the Body they break forth sometimes like to black hairs if you wash those parts with a Bath mixed with Bread and Honey they are taken away either with a Razor or with a crust of bread Secondly it arises from the small quantity of milk which is oftentimes remedied by changing the Nurse Of the difficulty which Children have to make water IF the Disease proceed from sharpness of the Urine the Nurse must use such a way of diet as is proper for the tempering and cooling of the blood she must be purged and let blood using afterwards cooling and refrigerating broths If it proceed from any gross humor ingendered in the Bladder the Nurse must abstain from all meats that do breed gross humors as milky meats Pease and Beans and such like If the Child be troubled with gravel which may be perceived by the whiteness and rawness of the Urine with a gravelly setling at the bottom and the continual pain in making water If the Child be any thing big let a potion be given him of an ounce and a half of sweet Almonds an ounce of Pellitory water and two drams of the juyce of Lemons use as much of this at a time as is convenient Or take of this powder of the blood of a Hare six ounces of the root of Saxifrage one ounce burn them in an earthen pot and if the Infant suck give him a scruple of this powder in a little milk Of the Inflammation of the Almonds of the Ears IF the Child be very small you must wash the throat as near the root of the Tongue as may be with a linnen cloth tied to a stick dipped in this Gargarism Take of new extracted Cassia one dram syrup of dry Roses one dram and a half six ounces of the decoction of Coriander Or you may anoint the Neck with Oyl of Violets and Camomile binding the Neck with a little roller well anointed with the same when the Child goes to bed you may give him in a spoon a little syrup of dried Roses of Pavot and Nenuphar mingled together Oxycrate alone doth make an excellent Gargarism If they come to a Suppuration you must use this Gargarism Take of the decoction of Barley Plantain Agrimony Speedwell Honey-suckle and herb Rob six ounces in which dissolve Honey of Roses and Sugar-Candy of each half an ounce to make a Gargarism Of Vomiting IF it proceed from abundance of milk which the Child sucks you must take care that the Child suck less and often If it come from any ill humor contained in the stomach besides that the Nurse must keep a very good diet the Infant must be purged with a small expression of Rheubarb giving it afterwards a little mint-Mint-water sweetned with syrup of Quinces to comfort the stomach putting afterwards upon his stomach this Plaister Take of the pulp of condited Quinces two ounces red Roses Wormwood and red Saunders of each two drams Oyl of Quinces as much as sufficeth make a plaister of this and lay it upon the stomach of the Child Of the Hicquet IF it come from an over much repletion it will not be amiss to make him Vomit of whatsoever age he be or if it be necessary that a greater force should be used you must try to make him Vomit by putting down the Throat a feather dipt in oyl If from the badness of the Nurses miâ—k she must be changed for a better if from the coldness of the stomach you must use remedies to comfort it as little Tablets of Diarrhodon of which you must dissolve a scruple in the Milk of the Nurse you must also chafe the stomach of the Child with Oyl of Wormwood Mastick and Quinces Of the pain of the Belly in Children IF the disease come from indigestion and moistness the little Infant will Vomit and be troubled with a Flux of the Belly and the Belly will be hard In which case you may give the Infant one ounce of sweet Almonds drawn without fire and mingled with a quantity of Sugar-candy or anoint the Belly with this ointment Take Oyl of Camomile and Oyl of sweet Almonds of each an ounce and a half mingle them and therewith anoint the Belly If wind be the cause you may mingle a little Oyl of Rue in the foresaid Oyntment Of the Small Pox in Children THE signs of this disease are pains in the Head accompanied with a Fever redness about the Eyes a dry Cough and you shall mark in the skin up and down the body certain little spots upon the Face Back Breast and Thighs The small Pox is dangerous if they come forth with much pain if they be greenish blewish or blackish For the cure of this If the Infant suck the Nurse must keep a good order of diet she may eat broth of Hens with Endive Cichory Bugloss and Borage boiled therein Now to make the small Pox come forth the more quickly if the Child be little the Nurse must drink this following Potion Take of fat Figs one ounce peeled Lentils half an ounce Gum Lacca two drams Gum Tragacanth and Fennel-seed of each two drams and a half make of this a decoction in fountain-Fountain-water and strain it to the quantity of two pints sweeten this either with Sugar or syrup of Maiden-hair let her drink of this in the morning a good glass full Or you may give the Child if it be able to take it this Julep to be used very often Take of cordial-Cordial-waters two ounces and a half syrup of Lemons one ounce mingle it and use it often four or five hours after give him of powder of Unicorns-horn and Bezoar Now to keep this venomous humor from attacking the eyes temper a little Saffron in a small quantity of Plantain and Rose-water and rub the eye-lids or you may anoint them with Tutie For keeping them from the Nose take Rose-water and Betony-water of each an ounce Vinegar half an ounce juyce of Pomegranates six ounces in which steep two drams of Sanders and two drams of the powder of Citron-peel add to this six grains of Saffron and make a Medicine for the Child to smell often to the same Medicine will serve for the ears by stopping them with a little Cotton To preserve the Mouth and Throat and Tongue take this Gargarism Take whole Barley one handful Plantain leaves
Dittany of each two drams Cinamon four scruples Sugar the weight of the other ingredients Make them into pouder and let the Patient take one dram thereof in white-wine or Mugwort water An Oyntment for the Midwifes hands TAke Oyl of Hempseed one ounce and a half Oyl of Castor half an ounce Gall Moschate half a scruple Labdanum one scruple make of this an Oyntment with which let the Midwife often anoint the neck of the womb After Delivery WHen the Infant is well cleansed by the Midwife let her give unto it in the Winter nothing but a little Mithridate but in the Summer let her mingle therewith a little conserve of Roses and Bugloss If the Mother have not yet taken any thing let the Midwife give to her the juyce of a Capon pressed out in a press with a little Saffron and the yolk of an egg Then let her take this following powder against gripings of the belly or after throws which indeed she ought to take before any meat presently after Delivery Take of the greater Comfrey dryed one dram and a half kernels of Peaches Nutmegs of each two drams yellow Amber one dram Amber-greese two scruples or this Take kernels of Peaches and Dates of each one dram and a half Nutmegs four scruple Pulv. Elect. Diamargarit Calid two drams Aniseed condited one dram of the best Cinamon two scruples Saffron half a scruple Sugar as much as suffices drink two drams of this powder in white-wine twice or thrice a day if the pains be very great If the pains cease not with these remedies use that which follows TAke the whites of twelve eggs rosted under the embers Cummin-seed and Hempseed of each one ounce and a half flowers of Camomile and Melilot of each two drams boyl these in oyl of Dill 'till they come to the form of an oyntment apply it warm to the belly still changing it as it grows cold Or thus Take the flowers of Dill Rosemary Melilot and Camomil of each one handful Fennelseed Aniseed and Cummin-seed of each two drams boyl them in part wine and part water and make a Cataplasm for the whole belly To streighten the Womb. TAke of the leaves of Myrtle and Starwort of each three handfuls green Medlers green Prunes and the sharpest wild Pears of each one little handful and a half the Stomacks of three Cocks newly taken out distill all these together then take Cotton and dip therein and then put it into the womb and let it continue there a good while To streighten the Womb without the help of Swathe-bands TAke the white of an Egg and meal as much as is sufficient make thereof a Cataplasm to cover the lower part of the belly where it lies upon the belly there must be a hole made and that hole must be covered with moss You must cover the plaister also with powder of Frankincense This plaister profits more in a little while than a Swathe in many weeks A Fomentation to provoke the after-birth TAke the Birth-worts of each of them one ounce or a handful Carduus Feverfew and Mugwort each one handful Dwarf Elder half a handful ground Ivy one handful boyl them together in Wine or Water or Ale especially if there be any Fever for then you must by no means meddle with Wine adding to it one handfull of the leaves or half a handful of the roots of Master-wort For the same TAke Savine one scruple rind of Cassia half a scruple Saffron ten grains Assa-faetida two grains juyce of Wall-Ivy half an ounce Snakeweed one ounce Pulvis diagar five grains Syrup of Mugwort half an ounce mingle all these together and make a potion to drink at once Or else take four drops of the distilled oyl of Savin in white-wine A Pessary for the same TAke the leaves of red Coleworts and bruise them and put them into a little piece of linnen cloth in the shape of a finger then bruise them again that the juyce may come through and dip the cloth in a mixture of oyl of Lillies Camomil and sweet Almonds For the same TAke long and round Birthwort Assa-Faetida of each half an ounce Myrrh one dram Spike two drams make them up with the decoction of Parsley and Apple-tree leaves For the same TAke of Borax one dram Cinamon one scruple Saffron three grains make a powder and let the woman drink it in four ounces of water of Mugwort To expell the Child and after-birth in time of great necessity TAke of the water of Mugwort Agrimony and Penny-royal of each one ounce Syrup of Mugwort one ounce and a half powder of Castor round Birth-wort Myrrh Asarabacca of each one scruple mingle them together make a potion Or else take Origanum Calaminth and Hysop of each two drams roots of Orrice Asarabacca Savin each one dram Myrrh Olibanum Galbanum Sagapenum one scruple dissolve them and make a Pessary To expell the after-birth another TAke one stone of a Castor and distill it with strong Vinegar when you have so done let the Patient take four ounces of this distilled liquor Or you may take of the Oyl drawn out of the stone of a Castor with a soft fire mingle it with a sufficient quantity of this Oyl a little of the waters of Penny-royal and Dittany and a little strong Vinegar To expell the Birth whether alive or dead TAke the milk of a woman that nurses a male child and dissolve it with a little Saffron that it may not be known then boyl an egg rear and take out the white and in the place of that put in the milk and let the patient sup it up if it prevail not in a quarter of an hour prepare another egg and fill it with milk as aforesaid Or take of the juyce of Bugloss four ounces sweetned with Sugar Against pains of the heart TAke of the roots of Fennel Bugloss and Cicory each two ounces boyl them in three pints of white-wine to the consumption of two parts then add fennel-Fennel-water and cicory-Cicory-water each six ounces then boyl them again till there remain but a pint and a half take one spoonful morning and evening To dry up the Milk TAke Honey newly drawn out of the Hive and dissolve it in water and wash the breasts therewith For the same TAke of the juyce of Mint and Shepherds-purse of each half an ounce mix them together and drink them a mornings with the broth of a hen or chicken A Fomentation for the same TAke of the juyce of Parsley and the strongest wild Turnep equal parts and moisten therein a linnen cloth and apply the said Cloth to the Breasts Another TAke Oyl of Violets three ounces juyce of Mint and Parsley three ounces white Vinegar one ounce Rose-water two ounces boyl all these over a gentle fire to the consumption of the juyces then add a little wax and make an oyntment Or Take of the tops of Elder Sage and Mint one little handful boyl them in common water and make thereof a Cataplasm
to be applied to the breasts If you would increase the milk foment the breasts with the decoction of Fennel or else give her the decoction of Mint and lay the Mint boyled upon her breasts Or if these things prevail not use this following Powder Take of Anise Fennel Cummin-seed two drams Ginger half an ounce Carui of both sorts of Pepper Coral each one dram Cinamon three drams seed of Daucus one dram Siler montan half an ounce Cardamom Long pepper each three drams Seselos half an ounce seed of Sesamum one ounce white Poppy half an ounce mingle them and make a powder thereof and take one dram at pleasure in broth made of red Coleworts Or you may use this following oyntment Take of Venice-Turpentine oyl of Roses Vinegar of Roses equal parts add to this a little new wax and therewith anoint the breasts But if the Milk do curdle and harden in the breasts First chafe the breasts well with raw honey then take of new wax two ounces new oyl of nuts and vinegar two or three spoonfuls melt them together and dip that in little round linnen clothes with holes in the middle to lay upon the breasts Now if there be any tumour or hardness caused by the coagulation of the milk then Take of the leaves of Parsley Hemlock Uinca pervinca Box and Chervile and let them boyl in the strongest Vinegar and then strain them then take oyl of Roses Lillies and sweet Almonds each one ounce of the foresaid Vinegar four ounces mingle them in a marble mortar for an oyntment adding one scruple of Camphire dissolved in part of the oyl and toward the latter end of your stirring it add the white refrigerating Ceratum of Galen Unguent of Roses of Messu one ounce and a half mingle them all well together and apply them to the hard swelling part it asswages the tumour and causes the milk to flow through the Teats If the Tumor be painful and enflamed you must not use the Camphire for it encreases the pain till that the pain be asswaged An Oyntment against the curdling of the Milk in the Breast TAke of the roots of Marsh-mallows half a pound boyl them well in Vinegar and strain them thro' a hair sieve add to this Bean-meal one ounce powder of Rue and dried Mint one dram Oyl of Mastick as much as suffices Against Fissures in the Breasts TAke Gum-Arabick most finely powdered one ounce Rose water and Aqua-vitae a sufficient quantity prepare them together till they come to a just thickness make thereof an oyntment and apply it to the said Fissures Or else anoint the said Fissures with Ointment of Roses then apply the inside of the leaf of Ground-Ivy changing often this cures within six or eight days Another of the same TAke Lytharge of Silver Myrrh Ginger and oyl-Olive as much as suffices mix them to the thickness of an oyntment before you apply this moisten the Fissures themselves with spittle but no part of the breast beside Pain in the Breasts after Delivery TAke new Wax two ounces oyl of Nuts half an ounce oyl of Rape-seeed or Turnep seed half an ounce first melt the Wax then add the Oyls dip therein the clothes cut fit to the breasts if there be any pain after delivery the application of these cloaths will with great success asswage the same An Opiate to be given to Childern newly born TAke Mithridate of Alexandria three drams Conserve of Bugloss and Roses of each one dram mingle them well together and keep them in a glass Vessel well stopt an hour or half an hour after the Child is born before it hath suckt give to it of the foresaid opiate to the quantity of a Filberd let it not suck till five hours after continue thus doing for a month giving the Child this opiate once in a week and then it will be sufficient that the Child abstain but an hours space from the Teat It will not be amiss to anoint the Navel of the Child with an ointment made of Ambergreece and Suet equal parts with a little oil of sweet-Almonds This will preserve the child from Epilepsies and Convulsions Against Barrenness TAKE of Pine-nuts first well washt in Rosewater six ounces sweet Almonds washed in like manner and bruised each two ounces Citron pill condited root of Satyrion Erythranion one ounce Pulp of Sebesten Prunes of Damascus fat boiled in Sugared water each one ounce and a half Coriander prepared three drams Pulveris Diambre one dram Penidium one ounce and a half the inner rind of Cinamon half an ounce true Amber of an Ash-colour one dram Moso one Scruple refined Sugar boiled in Rose-water one pound and a half take all these things and beat them and powder them well and make thereof a Paste so dried at a gentle fire Let the woman take this at pleasure after dinner and three hours before at pleasure abstaining from liquid meats The man also may eat of this paste but let him not use copulation at the time of the Womans Purgations nor when she bathes her self but presently after Those mornings that he abstains let him take one spoonful of the water of Cocks-blood with three or four spoonfuls of the best Broth. For the same A Syrup Take Syrup of Hempagrimony Simple Oxymel Syrup de rad each one ounce and a half waters of Nipp Betony and Mugwort of each three ounces make thereof a syrup perfectly boiled strein it and let it he aromatized with Cinamon for three doses morning and evening A Potion Take Agarick infused in Honey of Roses and a little white-Wine for a whole night one ounce Diacatholicon half an ounce Diaphenicon Elect. Ind. major each one dram and a half Syrup of Roses Solutive with Agorick one ounce with a decoction of red Chiches make a Potion thereof and give it after the Syrup is all taken for ten days and ten days before the coming of the monthly purgations Three days after the operation of the said potion let blood in Vena Saphena of the right foot and take away three ounces of blood at evening An Opiate Take of the great Triphera without Opium two ounces Methridate three ounces mix these well together and let her take thereof the quantity of a Walnut after she is let blood drinking upon the said Bolus a spoonful of Aromatick Wine white or Claret let the Patient take this when she is clean from her Purgations only in the morning while she hath them upon her only at night and then let her also make use of this Pessary Take of Spike Myrrh and Agarick and Colocynth each three drams Benedict one ounce and a half mix them well together with the juyce of French Mercury and wrapt in fine red silk make thereof little Pessaries and put one of them into the Womb in the day and another at night But from the time that she is let blood until her Purgations let her use but one in the day but from the time that they
it ought to be stopt the Woman must keep in Bed and forbear all things that may heat her blood and must observe a cooling and strengthening Diet and feed on Meat that breeds good Blood and thickens it as Broths made of Chicken Knuckels of Veal and the like wherein may be boiled cooling Herbs Rice Milk and Barley Broth is also very good and in all her Drink quench Iron She must forbear Conversation with her Husband And to comfort the Child which in this case is usually very weak Linnen dipt in strong Wine wherein Cinamon and Pomgranat Peel has bin infused must be applyed to the Mothers Belly Flooding is much more dangerous than a Flux of the Courses for the Blood comes from the bottom of the Womb with pain and in great Abundance and continues flooding daily without Intermission only sometimes Clods of Blood stop it for a while but afterwards it flows more violently and destroys both Mother and Child if not seasonably stop'd by the delivery of the Woman A false Conception or a Mole which the Womb endeavours to expel is usually the Cause when the flooding happens when young with Child whereby some Vessels at the bottom of the Womb continually cast forth Blood until the strange Body is ejected But when a flooding comes upon a woman that has truly conceived at whatsoever time it be it proceeds likewise from the opening of the Vessels of the bottom of the womb occasioned by some blow slip or other hurt and especially because the after-birth separating in part if not wholly from the in side of the womb opens all the Orifices of the Vessels where it was joined and for this reason a great flux of blood follows and never stops 'till after the delivery of the woman for if but part of the after-birth only be once loosened it never joins again to the womb and therefore the opening of the Vessels cannot be stopt 'till all that is in the womb is expelled and afterwards the womb like a spunge squeezed contracts it self and stops the Vessels But tho' it be necessary to deliver the Woman presently to stop a great flooding which manifestly endangers the womans life yet it is to be noted that when the flooding is small other things are to be first tryed for some small floodings have for sometimes bin suppressed by keeping quietly in bed by bleeding in the arm and proper remedies and perhâ—ps it may in a short time be found to be only an ordinary flux of the Courses if therefore the strength of the woman keeps up and the flux be not attended with ill symptoms it is best to leave the whole business to Nature but if the flux be very much and the woman is afflicted with Convulsions and Fainting she must be instantly delivered whether she has pains and throws or no. Sometimes women with child are oppressed with a great weight at the bottom of their bellies by reason the womb bears down and sometimes she cannot walk without pain and difficulty In this case the large ligaments of the womb are much relaxed either by the burthen upon them or by a fall shaking or great pains or bad labour in a former delivery Sometimes also a great many humours are the cause for they moisten and relax the ligaments This bearing down of the womb hinders coition and causes numness in the Hips and Thighs and difficulty of Urine and costiveness The best remedy in this case whatsoever is the cause of the bearing down is keeping the Bed for the ligaments are continually more and more relaxed by the weight when she is up but if her condition or circumstances are such as will not admit of continual rest in the bed she ought at least to keep up her belly with a swaith and if the weight causes a difficulty of rendring her water she must lift up her belly as oft as she has occasion to make water if humours be the cause of the relaxation of the ligaments of the womb a drying dyet must be constantly used and her meat must be roasted and the woman must be very careful when there is such a weight and relaxation of the womb from whatsoever cause it proceeds that she be not strait laced because thereby the womb is forced down but above all when she is in labour care must be taken that neither by means of the throws which strongly force down the womb nor by the birth of the Child nor the violent extraction of the Burthen she gets a precipitation instead of a bearing down as is seen often If a woman chance to be infected with the Venereal Disease during her pregnancy the case is very difficult for those Methods and Medicines that are proper for the Cure of it are apt to occasion a miscarriage and yet notwithstanding if she be infected at her first being with Child or if the symptoms are violent and dangerous when she is â—ear her time something must be done for should the disease lie unregarded upon her seven or eight Months her mass of blood would be corrupted and the venom imparted to the Child in her Belly and tho' she be near her time if the symptoms are violent she will be in great danger of being ruined if Medicines be not presently used to mitigate them If it be only a Gonorrhea or running of the Reins ten grains of Mercurius dulcis more or less according to her strength must be given at Bed time in form of a Bolus in conserve of Roses or the like and some gentle purge the next Morning and at Bed-time after the purge you must be sure to give some Anodyne to appease the commotion raised by the Purge The Bolus and Purge must be repeated twice a Week or oftner if the strength will permit and if no ill accident intervene If the Urine be very hot and sharp it will be convenient to use an emulsion to mitigate the pain and heat the following is of good use Take of blanched Almonds number 12 of the four greater cold Seeds each one dram and an half of the Seeds of Lettice and white Poppies each half a dram beat them in a marble Mortar and pour on them a sufficient quantity of barly Water make an emulsion for two Doses add an Ounce of Syrrup of Violets and half a dram of Sal Prunella If the privy parts are excoriated or swelled you must foment them with a decoction of Mallows and Fenugreek-seeds and afterwards anoint the excoriated parts with the white Ointment with Camphor but if the Disease arise to a confirm'd Pox a gentle Salivation must unavoidably be ordered Some venture to raise it with a Mercurial Ointment but I think it is much safer to do it by Mercurius dulcis inwardly taken and great care must be taken to prevent sickness of the stomach gripes and stools therefore as soon as ever you perceive any sickness of the Stomach faintness or gripes you must leave off the use of Mercury for a while 'till the
symptoms are quieted by Opiats and great care must be taken that the flux do not rise too high That her breasts after her delivery may not grow big and swell overmuch as also to avoid the danger of too much blood which being converted into Milk may chance to curd and breed some disease in the breast Therefore as soon as she perceives her self with child let her carry about her neck a small neck-lace of Gold though some do more esteem of a neck-lace of steel or a little ingot of Steel to hang between the two breasts You may also foment the breasts a quarter of an hour every morning with the distilled waters of Sage Periwinckle or ground-Ivy making them first luke-warm When the third or fourth month of her time is come and that she perceives the Infant to begin to swell and to grow big she may swathe it with a linnen swathe-band which she may anoint with some convenient Pomatum this keeps the Belly smooth and from wrinckles and from hanging down like a Tripe She may use this Liniment or Pomatum Take the Gall of a Kid and of a Sow of each 3 ounces Capon-grease and Goose-grease of each an ounce and a half cut these into little pieces and melt them in an earthen dish putting thereto as much water as will suffice to keep them from burning then strain it through a linnen cloath and afterwards having washed it in fair water until it be very white add to it of the marrow of a red Deer about an ounce then wash it again in Rose-water or some other water of a good scent and anoint the swathe-band therewith Or this Take of the grease of a Dogg and the fatt of Mutton which is about the Kidneys of each two ounces the Seed of a Whale about an ounce Oyl of sweet Almonds about an ounce and half prepare the greases as abovesaid then mingle them with the other things and wash them in Rose-water as before Some women that are loath to grease their bellies with these ointments do carry the skin of a Dogg or else the outward and thin pilling of a Sheep's skin Take the skin of a Dog ready drest for the making of Gloves wash it a good many times in fair water first and afterward in Rose-water then dry it in the shade and moisten it in the foresaid Oyls Take this one more Liniment Take a quarter of a pound of fresh butter well washed in fair water of Rose-water and of Oyl of sweet-Almonds an ounce of the seed of a Whale half an ounce melt these altogether and anoint the belly These Ointments are to be kept in a Gally-pot covered over with Rose-water In the first days of this Month it might not be unprofitable to be bathed in the following decoction for the space of a quarter of an hour and being afterwards put to bed to let her self be well rubbed and afterwards anointed with some good Ointment all about the Navel along the Os facrum and the bone of the small guts and all about her hips and thighs You may use this Bath Take of Mallows Mash-Mallows Mother-wort of each two handluis Roots of Lillies three Ounces of Camomile and Melilot-flowers of each a good handful Lineseed Quinces and Fenugreek of each an Ounce boil all these in fair water to make a decoction for a half Bath You may use this Ointment Take Hens grease three Ounces the grease of a Duck an Ounce and a half Oyl of Linseed an ounce and a half fresh butter two Ounces melt all these together and then wash them well either in Pellitory-water or in the water of Mug-wort adding thereto two Ounces of the Muscilage of Marsh-mallows If the Woman all her time do complain that she feels little or no motion of the Child let her carry upon her Navel this following Quilt which will give strength to the Infant Take Powder of Roses red Corral Gilliflowers of each three ounces and an half Seed of Angelica two drams Mastick a dram and an half Ambergreece two grains Musk one grain put all these in a bag of fine linnen and quilt them together for the use aforesaid Thus much is to be observed by women with Child that are in health and have no other diseases hanging upon them but of the other diseases incident to women with Child we shall take a time hereafter to Treat The Womb-cake otherwise called the Womb-liver is much like the Spleen it has abundance of Fibres and small vessels it is two fingers breadth thin near the edges and thick in the middle And when the Child is ready for Birth it is a quarter of a Yard over It is smooth and somewhat hollowish on the side next the Child and is joined to the Chorion but is very unequal on that side next the Womb and has many Bunchings out by which it sticks fast to the Womb. When there are Twins there are two Womb-Cakes either distinct in Shape or seperated by a Membrane one from the other and a particular rope of umbilical Vessels is inserted into each from each Child it at first appears like a woolly Substance on the outside of the outward Membrane that encompasses the Child about the ninth week and a red fleshy soft substance grows upon it in a short time that is unequal and in little knobs and thereby presently sticks to the Womb and is very visible about the thirteenth Week till this time the Child is increased and nourished wholly by the apposition of the Chrystaline or Albugineous Liquor wherein it swims loose in the inner Membrane call'd Amnios having no umbilical Vessels formed whereby to receive any thing from the Womb-cake But when it grows bigger and begins to need more Nourishment the extremities of the umbilical Vessels begin to grow out of the Navel by little and little and are extended towards the Womb-cake that they may draw a more nourishing juice out of it It has Arteries Veins Nerves and Lympheducts some from the Womb and some from the Chorion But tho' they are very large and visible in the Womb yet they send but very small Capillaries to the Womb-cake Those Vessels that come from the Chorion are Arteries and Veins and perhaps the Lympheducts the Arteries and Veins that come from the Womb Spring from the Hypogastricks and from that Branch of the Spermaticks that is inserted into the bottom of the Womb the Umbilical Vessels of the Child come from the Chorion The Womb-cake for the first Month sticks very fast to the Womb but when the Child is come to Maturity it easily seperates from the Womb and falls from it like ripe fruit from a Tree and after the Birth makes part of the Secundine Next to the Womb-cake follow the two Membranes in which the Child is wrapt the outer is called Chorion the inner Amnios and when the Child is perfectly formed there is a third betwixt the other two called Allantois The Chorion is somewhat thick smooth on the inside
to be taken away as much as may be with the aforesaid means Mollyfying Fomentations are also proper for this purpose while the woman sits over the fumigation CHAP. XIII For those who have but a little blood THose Women that have but little blood ought not to lie in their beds as those who have a great deal They ought to take good nourishment in a little quantity As Eggs well boyld in the shell in a Morning The juyce of Mutton and Veal squeezed out and Mutton broth and all these being mingled together nourish very much and make very good blood as also Pigeons Partridge Mutton Quaile and such other meats good for the stomach CHAP. XIV What is to be done to the Infant THE Midwife having tied up the Navel-string as is before said she ought next to cleanse the Infant not only in the face but also over the whole body anointing the groins hips buttocks thighs and joynts with Oyl of sweet Almonds or fresh Butter this makes the skin more firm and shuts up the pores of the skin so that the exterior air cannot come to hurt it and besides this it strengthens all the parts of the body It would not be amiss to make a bath or decoction of Roses and Sage in Wine and with that to wash the Infant every morning After the Infant is thus well anointed and after that well dried and wrapped up you may give to the Infant a little Sack and Sugar in a spoon or else the quantity of a Pease bigness of Mithridate or Treacle dissolved in Wine with a little Carduus-Water CHAP. XV. How to Govern Women in Child-bed THere is great difference in the governing Women in Child-bed for she that thinks to order an ordinary labouring or Country-woman like a person of quality kills her and she that thinks to govern a person of quality like an ordinary Country-woman does the same to her For the Stomach and Constitution of the one is tender and weak and the Constitution and Stomach of the other strong and lusty which will not be satisfied with ordinary Viands For if you give to one of these strong Stomachs presently after their delivery any strong Broth or Eggs or a draught of Milk they are like Mills that always grind and empty as fast as they pour in and that that gives one Woman a fever keeps another from it and therefore Women in Child-bed are to be governed by their several Constitutions As for Women that are delicate and have been accustomed to live delicately greater care must be taken of them giving them meats that breed good nourishment and do not clog the stomach forbearing also to give her those meats to which she has too great a dislike agreeing to her humour provided that the meat which she loves be not hurtful and giving her for the first eight days of her lying in boyled meats rather than rosted as gellies c. the juice of Veal or Capon but not Mutton it being too feverish giving her to drink Barly-water or else water boyled wherein is boyled a dram of Cinnamon to every pint and two ounces of Sugar dissolved or if she do not love Sugar Coriander-seed water if she drink wine let it be two thirds of water to one third of wine giving her in the morning white-wine and in the afternoon Claret taking care of eating any thing that may breed any crudities She may also take at the discretion of those about her Almond-milk now and then There are some women that cannot be kept from sleeping and others that cannot sleep at all It will not be amiss to give to those that cannot sleep French barley-water the way to make it well is to let it boyl well and to take the broth without straining it neither ought it to be taken after the eight days are past by reason that it nourishes exceedingly and does not a little obstruct the Liver CHAP. XVI Of the Bathings that a Woman is to use for the first eight days of her lying in TAke a good handful of old or new Chervil and boyl it in a sufficient quantity of water then taking it from the fire add to it a spoonful of Honey of Roses this draws down the Purgations cleanses and heals the part The herb it self may serve for a fomentation to take away any inflammation There are some that use milk to the purpose aforesaid affirming that it is a great asswager of the pain but that having been proved by others hath been observed rather to engender filth than to be any way a clearer by reason that the sharp humour causeth it to curdle CHAP. XVII How a Midwife ought to govern her self in case a Woman be to be Delivered of two Children TAE Travel of a Woman bringing forth two Infants is more tedious and it many times happens that one of the Children comes forth very well and the other comes forth very hardly and this is certain that that which comes forth first is always the strongest having the power to go before the other and to break the membranes that enveloped it And oft-times while the first is born the other remains behind wrapt in such membranes as the former was so that it remains a good space behind the other sometimes two hours and yet it hath been very well born Now knowing that that which came first was the strongest it would not be amiss to assist the other in coming forth by breaking the Membranes that contain the waters and if that fail by giving strong Clysters to excite the pain which were it not many times done the Child would never be able to endure the pain of coming into the World by reason of its extraordinary weakness which is so great sometimes that the bone of the Forehead is divided and separated down to the nose although the Infant being born it joyns together again and the Infant does very well Which if it happen you must have a great care to bind some kind of soft pillow upon the place that the air may not enter in If the second Child come forth ill you must not delay to break the Membranes and to draw the Infant gently out by the feet For having used all its endeavours to come forth to keep it there or to prolong the Travel any longer is more dangerous than profitable sometimes two come so suddenly the one after the other that there seems to be but one Delivery of both there being but a little Membrane that separates them In this case holding the first you must cut the Navel-string and bind it about and tye it about the Hip while they draw forth the other Infant which by a longer stay would be much weakned CHAP. XVIII Of the danger that a Woman hath to purge her self for the first days of her Lying in IT is an ordinary thing for Women that lye in by reason of their bed to lose the benefit of their bellies which hinders the evacuation of their Milk which causes Fevers by
never cure it wholly Now that which is ordinarily done to women is as soon as ever they are brought to bed to give them two Ounces of Oyl of sweet Almonds drawn without fire with two ounces of Syrup of Maiden-hair 't is true this is good to make her purgations part away but not to remedy the griping Some there are that do take two drops of the blood which comes out of the Navel string of the Infant and give it mingled to the Woman in the foresaid Syrups though there is much fault to be found with this by reason of the nastiness of it Others do boil a white Chicken in the which they do put two ounces of Sugar a dram of â—â—neâ— Cinamon half a Nutmed grated two or three Dates five or six Cloves the Fowl being boiled you may put into it a small quantity of Claret then boyl it altogether again letting it boil till the Fowl be well soaked then strain it and give it to the Woman as soon as she is laid down for want of a white Hen you may take a Pigeon or a red Partridge for want of either Only take heed to give her this if she be feverish because it is something hot The Seed of Savory taken in warm broth is very good and it is also very good for those that have the Cholick The Queen of France her Receipt Take a dram of the root of the great Comfrey one of the kernels of Peaches Nutmegs of each two scruples yellow Amber half a dram Amber-greece half a scruple mingle all these together and give to the woman as soon as she is laid down the quantity of a dram mingled in White-wine or if the Woman be feverish in some good warm broth CHAP. XXVI Certain precepts concerning the delay and difficulty of bringing forth BEing now come to talk of the impediments of the Birth you may know that the Birth is hindered by a two-fold manner the one natural the other not natural of the unnatural we shall treat in its place for the natural take these following directions But in the first place let the Midwife be very skilful that she may decline as much as in her lies all the Impediments that may be avoided If the Birth be hindered by the driness and streightnes of the neck of the Womb take a little beaten Hellebore or Pepper and blow it into the nostrils of the Mother Her Mouth must be held close her Breath kept in and sneezing must be provoked as much as may be whereby the Spirits being forced to the lower parts may be the more available to force down the Child You may also give her Shepherds purse dried in a little Broth or Wine also a little quantity of Honey mingled with twice as much luke-warm water and given her will not be unprofitable The milk also of another Woman mixt with Maiden-hair and applyed warm to the Navel She may take also Oyl of Laurel in Wine or warm Broth two Grains of Pepper being taken inwardly do not only force out the Birth but also drive out the Secondines This is also an excellent remedy against a difficult Travail Take Trochischs of Myrrhe one dram grains of Saffron ten Cinnamon one Scruple mingle all this with two ounces of Penny-royal-water and give it the Woman to drink Let her drink it warm and let her go to her Bed for an hour till she finds the Operation of the drink moving her to her Labour If this profit and that the Infant coming with his head foremost stick in the Womb you may use these pills of which she may take seven and then rest Take Gum Bdellium Myrrh Savin-seed Liquid Storax Agaric of each half a scruple Diagridium six grains mingle all these with Cassia extracted as much as suffices and make up Pills about the bigness of a Pea. You may also use a pessary as long and as thick as your finger of pure wool which must be covered over with silk and dipt in the juice of Rue where Scamony hath been dissolved and so used If these things prove without effect she may use this ensuing Bath above her Belly Take of the Root and Herb Marsh-Mallows six handfuls Mallows Camomile Melilot Parsley of each four handfuls Line-seed and Seed of Fenugreek of each two pound Lavender and Laurel Leaves of each two handfuls Let all these things be boyled together in Water wherein the Woman is to sit or else to have those parts well wet and moistned with Spunges which being done and the Woman well dried with warm Cloaths let her be brought to the Bed and anointed with this Ointment Take Oyl of sweet Almonds Hens Fat Oyl of Lillies Muscilage of Marsh-mallows of each half an Ounce Mingle all these with as much wax as is sufficient and make an Oyntment This being done give her this little Dose Take two Yolks of Eggs and boil them in old Wine then mix with them these Spices Cinamon half an Ounce rind of Cassia 2 drams or you may leave out the Cassia and instead thereof put in the more Cinamon Saffron half a Scruple Savine Betony Venus-hair Dittany Fenugreek Lawrel-berries Mint of each one dram The bone of the Heart of a Hart Pearls prepared mingle all these with Sugar and make a thick Pouder and give it If the Secondine come before the Child and hinder the Egress of the Child is to be cut off and this following Pessary to be put up Take Marsh-mallows with the Roots two handfuls Mother-wort one handful Rue one ounce and an half Fenugreek Line-seed of each an ounce ten Figs make of these a decoction with as much water as is sufficient and when you have strained it add this to it Oyl of Lillies Oyl of Linseed of each two Ounces Musk one grain In this decoction let the pessary be dipt and put up she may afterwards use this Electuary Take Myrrh Castor sweet smelling Flag of each two drams Cinamon one ounce Saffron half a Scruple Mace Savin of each a Scruple clarified Honey half a pound You may also make an Electuary with the water of Thyme and Mother-wort wherein have been boiled Fenugreek Linseed grains of Juniper of each one spoonful Now after that the Woman hath been weakned with these Impediments you may give her in Broth Species Laetificans or Manus Christi or Diamargariton CHAP. XXVII How the Secondines are to be hastned out THE Secondines after that the Infant is born may be many ways hindred first by the debility or weakness of the Matrix which happens by the frequent motion and endeavouring of the Infant as also by reason of the difficulty of the Birth or by reason that the womb doth not continue distended or because it is many times streightned by which the womb is so weakned that by its own force it is not able to expel the Secondines Besides the Secondines may inwardly stick close to the womb which happens many times through the abundance of superfluous Humours that are retained in the
draw it forth as quick as may be The second form of unnatural Birth is very dangerous and therefore requires the greater care of the Midwife First therefore let her well anoint the Womb of the Woman that the passage may be more slippery which being done let her take hold of the hands of one of the Infants and keeping them close to the sides direct the head to the orifice of the Womb that being born let her proceed in the same manner toward the other If she cannot come to take hold of either of the Infants Arms she must bring the Woman again to her Bed and try by the aforesaid Agitation of her body if the Infants may be brought to a more convenient form of delivery CHAP. XXIX Of ordering the Woman after she is delivered IN the first place she must keep a temperate diet having a great care not to over fill her self after so great an evacuation and indeed her diet must be like that of wounded persons neither are the tales of nurses to be believed who exhort them to fill after so great an emptiness telling them that the loss of blood must be restored for these are meer Fooleries for as for that blood which she hath lost it is but unnecessary blood such as is usually kept for the space of nine months which to void is much conducing to her Health Besides their nourishment for the first days must be but slender for fear of falling into a Fever besides the abundance of milk which it would bring into the breast where it might be in danger of curding or Apostematizing and therefore for the first five days let her use Broths Panada's potched Eggs Gellies abstaining from Flesh or French Barley In the morning Broth will be expedient at dinner Broth or Eggs or Panada and at supper the same with some Gellies for the second course If she intend to nurse her Child she may feed more plentifully and drink some Barlâ— water wherein some Corianders or Fennel◠〈…〉 be put In Italy the persons of 〈…〉 account do use this water Take two 〈…〉 the Feathers being well pulled off 〈…〉 â—he bowels wholly taken out which you led off boyl in a glaz'd earthen pot in a sufficient quantity of water till they be half boyled then must they be taken out of the pot together with the Broth and being cut to peices are to be put into a Lembick in manner following Take Bugloss Borage and Time two good handfuls and with that cover the bottom of the shell then lay upon that a row of flesh then upon that a rank of leaf-Gold with a dram of powder of Pearls and upon that pour the broth let all this be distilled in Balneo Mariae drawing forth a pint at a time which you shall re-iterate as often as you have any thing left to give to the Woman in Child-bed for the space of ten or twelve days This water must be drawn six weeks or two months before it be used if the Woman be not troubled with a Fever let her drink a little white Wine or Claret with twice as much hot Water If she have a mind to drink between Meals or at night it may be convenient to give her some syrup of Maiden-hair or any other Syrup that is not astringent with a little boyled water After the suspition of a Fever or heat of her breasts is over she may be nourished more plentifully and you may give her together with her Broth some other meat as Pullet Capon Pidgeon Mutton or Veal boyled After the eight day is past at what time the Womb is well purged and discharged it will be expedient to give her good meat in greater quantity that she may be enabled to gain strength during all this time she must rest very quiet and be 〈◊〉 from all manner of disturbance she must sleep as 〈…〉 the day time as may be If she go not well to stool 〈…〉 some such kind of Clyster as this Take of Mallows 〈…〉 mallows and Pellitory of the wall each one handful 〈…〉 â—f Camomile and Melliot of each a small handful A◠〈…〉 and Fennel-seeds of each two ounces boyl these in 〈…〉 â—â—coction of a Weathers-head take of this three quarters of a pint and dissolve in them of course Sugar and common Hony of each two ounces new fresh butter three ounces of this make a Clyster and if occasion serve add to this an ounce of Catholicon What is to be done to the Breast Belly and lower parts of the Woman in Child-bed IN the first place you may lay the skin of a Hare or Sheep for the space of four or five hours which being taken away you may then anoint it with this following Oyntment and then lay a linnen Towel all over her belly and hips which must be continued on for the first seven days looking after it and turning every Morning The Oyntment may be this Take the Oyl of sweet-Almonds Camomile and St. John's wort each one ounce and a half Sperma ceti two Ounces Goats fat one Ounce Oyl of Miriles half an Ounce melt all these and make an Oyntment to anoint the Belly Now before the Cerecloth be put on you must apply a little Plaister of Galbanum about the bigness of 2 or 3 fingers to the Navel in the middle of which may be put two or three grains of Civet yet so as that the Woman may not perceive the sent of it The Cerecloth may be this Take White Wax four ounces Pomatum without Musk Calfs-grease of each one ounce Sperma ceti an ounce and a half Oyl of St. John's wort and Sweet Almonds of each one ounce Venice-Turpentine washed in Pellitory-water half an ounce melt these in Balneo Mariae and spread them upon a cloath about the bigness of the belly and when it is cool apply it The next care is to be had of the Breasts upon these some put round Cerecloth made thus Take six ounces of new Wax Oyl of Myrtle Roses and Honey of Narbon of each two ounces melt these altogether and make a Cerecloth let them have holes in the middle for the Nipples to go through This Oyntment is also very good to keep the Milk from clotting Take Oyntment of Populeon one ounce Galen's refrigerating Oyntment half an ounce Oyl of Roses six drams Vinegar a small quantity melt them together and make an Oyntment This fomentation is also much commended Take Fennel Parsly Mallows Marsh-mallows of each a small handful Laurel and Camomile-flowers of each half a handful boyl these according to Art and make a Fomentation for the Nipples After this Fomentation anoint them with Oleum Rosatum Omphacium and then apply this following Plaister Take Venice-Turpentine four ounces well washed in strong wine and Rose-water adding to it two whole Eggs and a scruple of Saffron with as much wax as is sufficient spread this upon a linnen cloath and apply it As for the lower parts for the three first days they are to
be fomented with a certain fomentation of Milk wherein hath been boiled a few Roses some Chervil and a little Plantain From the next day to the eighth day you may use this bath Wine and water of each half a pint red Roses and flowers of St. John's wort of each two handfuls Agrimony one handful mak of this a decoction after bathing once or twice lay this following Oyntment along the lips of the Privities upon a linnen cloth Take Oyl of St. John's wort 2 ounces Sperma ceti an ounce and a half a little white wax mix all these together melt them and make an Oyntment After the eight days are past you may lay upon her belly this following Plaister Take Oyl of St. John's wort Camomile and Anniseeds of each one ounce Oyl of Mastick an ounce and a half Oyl of Mirtles six drams Sperma ceti two ounces the fat of the Reins of a Goat an ounce and a half Deers suet one ounce of this make an Oyntment to anoint the belly of the woman in Child-bed and then apply this following Plaister Take Oyl of Myrtles and St. Johns-wort of each an ounce and a half Oyl of Nip one ounce Venice-Turpentine washed in water of Motherwort four ounces melt all these together and put them upon a Hempen cloath that may cover all the belly and let her wear it the space of eight days These fifteen days being past for the space of eight days more you may lay upon her belly and her hips this following Plaister Take Oyl of Mastick Myrtles Jasmine and Quinces of each an ounce and a half Oyl of Acorns two ounces Sperma ceti one ounce Venice-Turpentine washed in plantain-Plantain-water half an ounce wax six ounces melt all these together adding powder of Mastick and seal'd earth of each half an ounce Florentine Orrice one ounce spread all these upon a hempen cloath and lay it upon her belly to be kept there for the space of eight or ten days for the lower parts this Fomentation may be needful Take Leaves of Plantain Mullein Knot-grass and Horse-tail of each one handful Cypress-leaves a handful and a half of the rind of Pomgranates Cypress-Nuts and Pomgranate-flowers of each half an ounce red Roses Camomile and Melilot of each a handful Roch-allum two ounces Sweet smelling-Flag and Florentine-Orrice of each three drams Gilliflowers one dram make of these two bags and boyl them in like quantities of sowre wine and Smith's water for the exteriour mouth of the neck of the Womb. Of the choice of a good Nurse THE choice of a good Nurse is very important and therefore you must first look upon her aspect and see whether her sight be no way imperfect as whether she be squint-eyed or have a down-cast look you must have a special care that she be not red haired for their Milk is extreamly hot see moreover whether her teeth be sound and white and well set know whether she come of Parents that have been troubled with the Consumption and if she have not nor be consumptive her self you may judge of her stomach and whether she be subject to Catarrhs you must also take heed that she send no stinking-breath either from her mouth or nostrils for that corrupts the Lungs of the Infant Enquire whether neither she nor any of her kindred have been troubled with Leprosie by reason that it is very contagious or with the Falling-Sickness And therefore those Women that either cannot or will not nurse their own Children must make use of such women as are most fit to the humour they would have the Child to be of For the Nurse is now to be the second Mother of the Child from whom the Infant draws all her Conditions be they good be they bad and it is often seen that Children do partake more of the Conditions of the Nurse than the Mother and therefore care must be taken that the Nurse be good conditioned good teeth brown hair of a healthy generation that neither she nor her Husband have had the French Disease that she be not peevish nor cholerick that she have Milk in abundance and a good fleshy breast that her breast be not over-fleshy that she be not over fat and above all that she be not of too amorous a humour and desirous to be with her Husband for that is perfect venom to the milk What is to be done in the extream pains of the Child IF a Child have extream throws presently after it be born you must rub it with Pellitory and fresh butter or Spinage or else with Hogs-greace and apply it upon the Navel having first a great care that it be not too hot Or else make a little cake of Eggs and Oyl of Nuts and apply it in the very same place if this avail not give it a little Clyster of Milk the yolk of an Egg and a little Sugar this easeth the pain of the Intestines What is to be done with those Children that are troubled with Flegm THere are some Children born of ill-constitution'd Women or else of Women that have not used good nourishment in the time of their being with Child who are very full of flegm these you must lay upon one side and somtimes upon the other for if you lay them upon their backs you may perchance choak them you must be sure to keep their bellies soluble causing them to void that blood kept in the Entrails from the time of their being in the womb by giving it a little Suppository of black Sope well rubbed in fresh butter to take away the Acrimony of it then give it a spoonful of Syrup of Violets this causes the flegm to pass down If you perceive that the Infant hath not much heat you may mix with it half the quantity of Oyl of sweet Almonds and half of the syrup of Violets and continue it stroaking the stomach anâ— the belly of the Infant with fresh butter every time thaâ— they undress him That which ought to be done to Children that have their Cods full of wind WHen Infants have their Cods full ye must examine whether it be with wind or water if it be with water by rubbing and chafing the skin with fresh butter the waters will sweat out if it be wind the Children must be stirred and swung gently mingling in their drink the decoction of Aniseeds How to take away the Canker from the mouths of Infants THere have been known certain Children which have ben nourished with cold milk which hath been thick and in great quantity which a few days after its birth hath heated the mouth of the Infant in such a fashion that it caused a white Canker which presently possessed the tongue palate the gums the throat and all the mouth whereupon it was taken with a Fever and it could no longer suck all the assistance that could be was still applied and when no other Medicine did avail there was found one a particular remedy which was half a handful of Sage a
Precipitat and the Eschar was dressed with Basilicon and the other openings with Diapompholigos and the Cerate of Marsh-mallows over all After a more full-separation of the Eschar observing the Fungus to rise more large a Stupe was applied wrung out of a decoction of the tops of Worm wood Rue Mint the Flowers of red Roses and Balaustines made in Wine and Water and Chalcanthum was applyed upon the Fungus and pledgets of the Ointment of Tutty over the Ulcerated parts The second day after the Dressings were took off and the Eschar was found to be made by the Catheretick which was thrust off and it was dressed again with the same and the use of the Escharoticks was continued during these applicationss a Plaister of Bole was applied over the Breast to restrain the fluxion yet notwithstanding the fungus encreased and raised the swelling between that and the other Orifices and therefore a large Caustick was applied upon the swelling which laid some of the Orifices into this the Eschar was divided and dressed up with lenients and the Fungus was cover'd with escharoticks wherever it began to thrust out by which it was kept down But after the separation of this latter Eschar the Fingus appeared great and the way of extirpating it by Escharoticks being slow the Surgeon thrust his Finger under it and at once broke it and pulled it out in pieces and then filled up the place with Parâ—celsus's mundificative upon Pledgits sprinkled with red Precipitat and the foresaid Plaister being applied over the whole Breast it was bound up The second day after it was opened again and by this method often repeated the remainder of the Fungus was subdued and a firm basis raised on which to incarn with an addition of powders of the roots of orris myrrh and Sarcacoll to the fore-mentioned Mundificative and Agripa's Cerate was applied over the breast and in a few days it was cicatrized with a smooth Cicatrix the lips falling in by the benefit of Nature which was assisted the while by traumatick decoctions and the like When one of the Breasts has been Cured it happens often that the other swells from the abundance of Milk and grows hard and apostuntats sometimes both Breasts are thus diseased at one time A Gentlewoman had both her Breasts swelled a long time and afterwards they apostumated by reason of the pain several abscesses were made and the matter discharged by such openings In process of time the Ulcers became sinuous and callous with hardness of the glands the Cure was begun by Fomentations and discussing and resolving Pultesses made of the roots and leaves of Marsh-mallows henbane the tops of hemlock mint rue the flowers of elder the seeds of fenugreek flax and the like and with the meal of lentiles barly hogs-lard ducks and goose grease and the like and dilating the orifices and cleansing with paracelsuses mundificative red precipitat and allom while the Surgeon was endeavouring by the methods abovesaid new troubles arose within which forced him to lay such places open by caustick as might best serve for the discharge of matter after separation of the Eschar he again cleansed and healed them Of windy Tumours in the Breasts THE flatuous Tumour of the Breasts is caused by a thick vapour which rises from the menstrual blood which is retained or corrupted in the Matrix The causes of which are first the suppression of the flowers or when the flowers are not discharged into their proper place and in their proper time as also from the corruption of the humours by which are ingendered divers bad fumes and vapours for this being received into the Breasts causes a distention much like a true swelling The sign by which it is known is the pain which it brings along with it which is sharp and prickling causing a distention of the part The heart is not a little out of order by reason of the windinesses which lye so near it and commonly the left Breast is mow swoln communicating its pain to the arm shoulder and ribs of the same side And the signs differ from those of a Cancer for in this distemper the Breast is white and shining by reason of the distention and if you touch it it sounds like a drum And if you press it with your hands you will find that it is swelled in all parts alike and not in one more than another This is Cured first by a good order of diet taking little victuals whereby crudities may be avoided that do afford matter to the obstructions and increase windiness For which cause she must also drink little and that water boyled with Cinamon Aniseed and rind of Citrons The next remedy is by using things which are good to provoke the Courses among which use this Receit strain Celandine stampt into posset-ale and drink it four days before the new-moon and four days after And it will not be amiss to let blood three or four times in the year about the time that the Courses ought to begin For by this means you may provoke the flowers and hinder the increase either of a Scirrhus or of a Cancer to which purpose baths and frictions are not a little to be used In the next place you must prepare the humours that foment this windiness both in the Matrix and in the Veins and that by Syrups which do expell flegm and melancholly after which you must purge your Patient for which purpose you may use this gentle Apozem Take of the root of Tamarinds Cypress Bugloss of each an ounce and a half flowers of Borage Epithymum Sena of each half a handful flowers of Balm one handful Raisins one ounce Prunes in number twelve boyl them in a sufficient quantity of water and then in a pint of the water dissolve four ounces of the syrup of Violets make of this an Apozem clarified according to Art and sweeten it with a sufficient quantity of Sugar giving four or five ounces at a time In the next place you may use Topicks to attenuate and resolve to which purpose you may bathe or foment the Breast with a Sponge dipt in Lye and then lay upon it a linnen cloth dipt and moystned in Aqua-vitae and dryed in the shade or else dipt in fresh butter that hath boyled a good while or in oyl of Lillies or in oyl both of the root and seed of Angelica or you may foment the Breast with this Decoction Take wheat-bran two handfuls leaves of Dill and Melilot of each half a handful Aniseed Fennel and Cumin-seed of each two drams Camomile-flowers one handful boyl all these in a sufficient quantity of water and white-wine and let them boyl to the consumption of the third part In this decoction you may wet a sponge and wash or foment the Breast therewith After you have fomented the part you may put this Oyntment upon the part affected Take oyl of Lillies and Elder of each an ounce and a half of the best Balsom half an ounce powder
Senna the decoction of Dodder of Time also the decoctions of Cassia Tamarinds and the like with the purging Syrup of Apples These Humours being tough require frequent purging but the Purges must not be strong After evacuations you must endeavour revulsion to contrary parts by Frictions Cupping Issues and the like for obstructions of the Hemorrhoid Leeches may be applyed and in a suppression of the Courses a Vein may be opened in the Leg or Arm. The third intention is performed in treating the Humour it self in doing which these directions are to be followed First you must not use repeâ—â—ents for cold and tough Humours whereof these Swellings consist cannot return back as hot humours but do increase thereby In the next place you ought to be cautious in the use of Emollients alone for thereby they are frequently exasperated and end in Cancers You ought also to forbear the use of strong Discutients lest thereby you resolve the serous thin humours and convert the thicker part into a more solid substance therefore you are to consider well the habit of the body and whether the Scirrhus be old or new As to the habit of the Body young People and such as live effeminately must be treated with milder resolvents than those who live a laborious life So also a new Scirrhus whilst it is increasing requires milder applications than the confirmed and inveterate one the milder resolvents are fresh Butter Hens-grease oyl of sweet Almonds and Lillies Ducks and Goose-grease the Suet of a Calf a Goat Cow old Lard the roots of Marsh-mallows Lillies and the like the stronger are the roots of wild Cucumber Briony Solamons seal Orris Ship-pitch Liquid-pitch Turpentine Galbanum Ammoniacum Bdellium Opoponax and the like Vinegar by reason of its penetrative quality is properly mixed with other Medicines to dissolve thick humours For Fomentations use the following Take of the roots of Marsh-mallows and Lillies each four ounces of the roots of wild Cucumber two ounces of the tops of Hemlock two handfuls of the tops of Marjoram one handful of the flowers of Melilot and Elder each one Pugil of the seeds of Flax Fenugreek and Marsh-mallows each one ounce boyl them in a sufficient quantity of Fountain-water to the strained liquor add a little Vinegar In soft Bodies when the Scirrhous is new Take of the roots of Marsh-mallows half a pound of the roots of Lillies three ounces of the seeds of Flax and Fenugreek each one ounce boyl them in Broth made of the feet and head of a Sheep then beat them and pulp them thro' a Sive and add to them of the oyl of Camomile and Lillies each two ounces of Oesypus one ounce and an half of simple Diachylon Plaister dissolved in oyl of Lillies three ounces with a sufficient quantity of white wax make a Cerate In dry bodies where the Scirrhous is more confirmed a fume of Vinegar or of Spirit of Wine sprinkled upon a hot stone are of excellent use for resolving these tumours afterwards you must chafe the part and apply the following Take of Galbanum Ammoniacum and Bdellium dissolved in Vinegar and of liquid Storax each one ounce of great Diachylon two ounces of oyl of Lillies and Goose grease each one ounce of the cerate of Oesypus two ounces melt them all together and with white wax make a soft Cerate If by the use of these Medicines the Scirrhus tend to suppuration it must be treated accordingly but be careful you be not deceived and the suppuration prove false and end in a Cancer A Gentlewoman of a full body having been long diseased by an immoderate flux of the Courses and subject to a Cough and shortness of breath and the like at length recovered her Health by the prescriptions of her Physician and enjoyed it the space of a year but was afterwards seiz'd with a straitness and pain in her right Breast which encreased much with inflamation At first sight it seemed to be a confirmed Cancer fixed to the ribs but upon more mature deliberation and handling of it the Surgeon found the Disease was in the skin and that the Glands and Musculous flesh underneath were not hard or otherwise affected than as they were bound in by the intense hardness of the skin which kept them immoveable from that uneasiness an Erisypelas was raised which overspread the skin of the Breast and parts about with great heat The Surgeon supposed the hardness proceeded from a concretion of the nutritious juices he applied over the parts affected Galen's Cerate to repress the heat and supplied her with Medicines to dress her self that she might according to her desire return to her house in the Country where she was let blood and purged with Manna and Cream of Tartar dissolved in Whey and she was afterwards purged with Epsom waters But after all growing more indisposed she returned to London at which time her Breast was inflamed and excoriated and several hard Tubercles were upon the skin that gleeted much the Scirrhus was also spread up that side of the neck by the Mastoide Muscle to the bone of the shoulder and Scapula and so under that arm-pit and down that side some of the excoriations were dressed with Vigo's Oyntment of Tutty and others with Pledgets dipt in this following Lotion Take of Frog spawn-water one pint of the seeds of Quinces two drams of the seeds of Plantain one drâ—m infuse them hot twenty four hours to the strained liquor add of the white Troches of Rhasis powdered one dram of Sugar of Saturn half a Scruple Over all was applied some of the following Cerate Take of the Muscilage of the seeds of Quinces and Fleabane extracted in Night-shade-water each four ounces Unguentum-nutritum three ounces Populeon Oyntment six ounces with a sufficient quantity of white wax make a Cerate Thus the Inflamation remitted and the Excoriations were heal'd in some places and checkt in others Many inward Remedies were also prescribed viz. Emulsions Cordials and the like according to the accidents which hapened but the Scirrhus still spreading over-ran the other Breast and side of the neck and in a few weeks made her neck stiff and immoveable and by reason of the compression which was made in the arm-pit and about the shoulder there was a stagnation of the humours and the arm swell'd to the fingers ends The arm was fomented with a decoction of the leaves and roots of Marsh mallows of the leaves of Violets Plantain Night-shade Willow Ducks-meat of the flowers of Camomile and Melilot of the seeds of Flax and Fenugreek and Embrocations Cerates Emollients and Resolvents were used to succour the parts but all this while she was afflicted either with the Collick a Looseness or Vomiting Mercurius dulcis was also used inwardly to carry off the matter and Mercurial Oyntments outwardly and the Surgeon would have Salivated her if she would have permitted The Scirrhus seized on both sides of her neck her shoulders arms breasts and sides and began to invade the skin of her
loins and hips yet she was not sick or pained but eat her dinner well she at length grew weary of Medicine and with patience endured the remaining accidents of her disease 'till it killâ—d her She was seiz'd with this Scirrhus in May and died the August following Of the Cancer in the Breast THE Cancer is a venomous tumour hard and very much swelled hot and durable more exasperated oftentimes by remedies than asswaged The Cancer proceeds from a feculent and gross humour which being gathered together in the spleen is chased away from thence after it grows too hot which when Nature cannot void it most commonly in Women empties it self upon the Breasts by reason of their cavernous and spongy nature the matter of it is a hot melancholy blood and it is known by the crooked windings and retored veins that are about it stretching out long roots a good way from it being sometimes blackish and sometimes inclined to black and blue It is soft to see to but it is very hard to the touch extending the pain as far as the shoulders It will sometimes remain for two years together no bigger than a Bean afterwards it grows to be as big as a Nut then to the bigness of an Egg and after that increasing to a larger size When the skin breaks there issues out a great deal of pestilent matter thin and blackish and having a very bad smell The Ulcer it it self is very unequal the lips and orifice thereof being swell'd with hardness and inverted a light Fever possesseth the body and often swoonings And many times the pestilency of the humour having corroded a Vein there issues out a great deal of blood If the Cancer be ulcerated or in any inward part of the body no Medicine can prevail for remedies do more exasperate than help it To burn it with Iron is pestilent and if it be cut with a Pen knife it returns again as soon as it is but skinâ—d over But if it be an exulcerated Cancer which is easily known and arises from a more sharp matter for then the flesh is corrupted sending forth a very noysom matter being very irksom to the sight and accompanied with a gentle Fever and swooning and issuing out of blood The cure of this is to be done by drying and refrigerating Medicines or by incision to the quick and expression of the corrupted blood afterwards after which the wound must be well cleansed For which purpose the powder which is called Hartman's blessed Powder is very prevalent The diet must be of meats that moisten and refrigerate blood letting also is profitable as also preparation of the Humour with the juyce of sweet smelling Apples and extract of Ellebore and often purgation with Lapis Lazuli pills and particularly if the Cancer be not ulcerated you may apply this Ointment Take Litharge one ounce beat it in a marble Mortar with a leaden Pestle incorporating into it two ounces of rose-Rose-water and Oil of Roses In case the pain be great use this remedy Take white Poppy-seed one ounce Oil of Roses four ounces Henbane seed and Opium of each a dram and a half Gumme Arabick half an ounce a little Wax of which you may make an ointment If the Cancer be already ulcerated take this water Take of the juyces of Night-shade Housleek Sorrel Scabious Honey-sucles Mullein Figwoâ—t Dropwort Plantain Toads flax Agrimony of each half a pound juice of green Olives one pint the Flesh of Frogs and River-Crabs of each a pound and a half the whites of six Eggs Alum three ounces Camphire one dram let all these be distilled in a leaden Limbeck and with the distilled water foment the part affected Take also Allum as much as a Nut Honey two penniworth red Wine a pint seeth them together 'till the fifth part be spent strein it through a cloth and wash the Cancer therewith A Woman having a pain in her Breast advised with a Surgeon who felt one of the Glands swell'd he advised her to forbear handling it and to forbear lacing her self too strait It lay some Years quiet but then the death of her Husband happening and one affliction following another and the Courses stopping the humours â—omented in this Gland and afterwards the breast swell'd and seemâ—d to apostumate Some assured her it was a simple aposthumation and requir'd digestives and she was perswaded to follow their advice 'till she became extreamly pained It was without inflammation but swell'd very big and seem'd to be full of matter it was not without hard tubercles and other symptoms to shew it would end in a Cancer whensoever it should break therefore a skilful Surgeon refused to open it but advised the best he could to give her ease and promised to come to her if after it brake she would send for him Some Months after she sent for him and shew'd him a great quantity of curdled matter newly burst forth the Breast was lank but very hard Glands lay within and in the circumference of the tumour there were some tubercles that required to be eradicated to which purpose he design'd to have slit open the abscess and to have pull'd away the Cancerated Glands but she would not permit him so much as to enlarge the orifice upon which consideration he left her and she died within half a year after Of the greatness of the Breasts THE greatness of the Breasts is very unsightly the cause of their greatness is often handling of them store of windy Vapours and retention of the monthly Courses The cure of them is not to be neglected because the lesser the Breasts be the less subject they are to be cancered they are cured by diet first wherein the use of astringent meats is to be recommended so that they be not windy by repercussion of the humours and blood which flow to that part such are the juyce of Hemlock and the anointing of the place with Partridge Eggs Or you may use this following Cataplasm Take of the juyce of Hemlock three ounces of white lead Acacia and Frankincense of each three drams of Vinegar one ounce mingle all these together to which you may add powder of Spunge burnt Alum burnt Lead bole Armoniack and of these with a sufficient quantity of Wax and oyl of Myrtle make a very profitable Ointment Thirdly by the discussion of that which is gathered together in that part for which purpose you may make an Ointment in this manner take of the mud or lome found in molis Tonsorum two ounces Oil of Myrtle one ounce Vinegar half an ounce or thus take of the same lome and Bole Armoniack of each an ounce white Lead two drams Oil of Mastick two ounces and a half of the Emulsion of Henbane-seed one dram and a half anoint the Breast with this and then upon that put a linnen cloath dipt in the decoâ—tion of Oke-apples Fourthly by compression of the part which is done by using a kind of plate of Lead upon the Breast anointed
any pain sometimes inject a little new warm milk Others are more gentle with a little stinking matter flowing from them For the cure of which gentle abstersives are profitable as Honey of Roses with Barly-water Whey with Sugar and the decoction of Lentiles after these gentle astringents must be applied Others are sordid with much matter slowing from them In which case stronger Medicines must be applied Others do eat into the Flesh having a coloured green and stinking matter flowing from them For the cleansing of which Aloes and Wormwood are very much commended or the foresaid injection There are another sort of Ulcers little and long which eat the skin of the neck of the Womb they are known by the pain and blood which they produce immediately after congression they are seen also by looking into the neck of the Womb being much like chilblains that come upon the hands in Winter time They are caused divers ways either by a difficult Lying in or by a violent coiture and cured by an astringent Clyster or they are produced by some Inflammation or Flux of sharp humours Purgations are here needful before Topicks be applied among which is much commended the grease that fries out of wooden ladles much used in Kitchens being held to the fire as also the Oyntment called Pomatum The Cure of the Ulcer must be performâ—d by stopping the defluction of acrid humours and by cleansing and conglutinating the Ulcer And first if the body be Plethorick or if the Ulcer be accompanied with an inflammation a vein must be open'd in the arm and bleeding must be repeated as often as there is danger of a new Fluxion especially at the time of the Courses to lessen them which are wont to increase the matter of the Ulcer and to promote the Flux of other humors to the Womb. Purging is also very necessary to cleanse the body from ill humors but it ought to consist of gentle Catharticks as of Sena Rhubarb Tamarinds Myrobalans and the like it must be often repeated that the vitious humors may be diverted and this is of so great moment that a Noble Matron was cur'd of an Ulcer of the Womb by taking every day five ounces of a decoction of Sena dodder of Thyme red Roses Indian Myrobalans sweetned with Sugar and by injecting a cleansing decoction into the Womb. If the Sick vomits easily a Vomit is most useful for it mâ—kes a revulsion of the humors from the Womb and the days the sick does not purge a vulnerarary decoction must be used a long while made in the following manner Take of the leaves of Agrimony Knot-grass Burnet and Plaintain each half an handful of the roots of China three drams of Coriander-seed one dram of Raisins half an ounce of red Sanders one Scruple boyl them in Chicken Broth strain it let the sick take of it Morning and Evening If the Fever be violent and if a great quantity of Sanies be evacuated Whey is very proper half a pint or more being taken in a morning with a little honey of Roses If the Body begins to wâ—ste and there is a Hectick Fever Asses milk must be taken with Sugar of Roses for a whole Month Sudorâ—â—â—ks may also do good to dry the Ulcer and to drive the serous humour towards the habit of the body if theâ—e be no inflammation or hot intemperies Turpenâ—ine washed in some proper water for the Womb as in Mugwort or Feverfew-water or in some water proper for the Ulcer taken with Sugar of Roses by intervals cleanses and heals the Ulcer Pills of Bdellium taken dayly or every other day are also very good Take of Bdellium three drams of Myrrh and Frankincense each one dram of Sarcâ—coal Amber Sâ—orax and Myrobalans call'd Chebule each one drâ—m of red Coral two Scruples with Syrup of Poppiâ—â— make a mass for Pills to which when the pain is violent may be added a little Opium Troches of Alâ—â—kengy with Opium may be also used when the pain is violent The following powder is also very eâ—â—ectual to dry the Ulcer Take of Acatia and Hypocistis each one dram of Dragons-blood white Starch the roots of Plâ—ntaiâ— and of round Birthwort each half a dram of Bole Armoniack one dram of Mastich and Sarcacoal each half a dram of these make a fine Powder The Dose is one dram in Plantainâ— or Rose-water or in some Chalybeâ—â— Water To cleanse heal and dry the Ulcer various Inâ—ections are prepared but they must not be used 'till the inflammation is taken off and 'till the pain is eâ—sed and therefore upon account of the inflammation and acrimony Emulsions of the cold seeds the whey of Goats Milk or the Milk it self or mixed with the juyce of Plantain or Shepherd's-Purse may be injected first If necessity requires a decoction of Poppy heads and tops of Mallows may be injected Some Practitioners say the Sick may be much relieved by injecting frequently warm water The hot intemperies and the pain being quieted at least diminish'd such things must be used as cleanse beginning with the gentle as Whey with Sugar a dâ—coction of Bâ—rly with Sugar or hony of Roses but simple Hydrâ—mel cleanses more A decoction will be a little stronger made with Barly Lentils Beans not excorticated of the leaves of Smallage Plantain and Pellitory a little hony of Roses may be added When the Ulcer is very sordid the following decoction may be used Take of the roots of Gentian Rhaponticum Zedoary and round Birthwort each one ounce of white Wine three pints boyl them to the consumption of a third part in the strain'd Liquor dissolve half a pound of Sugar and keep it for use If the Ulcer be very faetid a little Aegyptiac Oyntment may be added to the decoction when the Ulcer is well cleansed you must use such things as dry and consolidate Take of the Roots of Comfry and Bistort each one ounce of the leaves of Plantain Horse-tail Shepherds-purse Sanicle Mouse-ear Milfoil each one handful of red Roses half an handful boil them in a measure of Water for an injection The following sarcotic powder may be added to it Take of the Roots of Orris Birthwort and Comfry each half an Ounce of Myrrh one ounce of Aloes three drams make a Powder whereof let half an ounce be mingled with every injection Take of Turpentine washed in plantain-Plantain-water two Drams dissolve it with Honey and the Yolk of an Egg and mingle it with the injection This is very effectual and is more so if the Sarcotic Powder be also added Fumes must be used for deep Ulcers for they penetrate to the bottom of the Womb and dry the Ulcers Take of Frankincense Myrrh Mastick Gum of Juniper Labdanum each one ounce with a sufficient quantity of Turpentine make troches for a fume When the Ulcer is very obstinate Cinnabar must be added which is of excellent use The Bath-waters have cured some Women when all other Medicines have bin ineffectual After you have sufficiently cleansed the
by it self or from external means such are perfumes anger fear c. and not only ascending through the veins but also through all the other breathing holes and secret passages of the body The Cure is doubtful if it have possessed old Women for a time for it begets weakness consumes the strength and shews abundance of humour or if it possesseth Child-bearing Women either after a difficult Travel or after an Abortion or if it possesseth Women with Child because it induces fear of Abortion there is more hope if the act of Respiration be not too much impeded and if the Fits do not return too often The Cure regards first the time of the Fit being performed first by means of interception which may be done by binding the Belly under the Navel with a girdle made of the skin of a Hart killed in the very act of Copulation Secondly by keeping the natural Spirits awaked and rouzed up by painful friction by pulling the hairs of the Privities with violence and suffumigations made with Partridge feathers burnt as also Eel-skins the application of Assa faetida and Oil of Tartar to the mouth Thirdly by way of revulsion of the humour by Frictions and Glysters dispelling the winds and the application of Cupping-glasses with much flame first to the Thighs and then to the Hips putting sweet things into the Privities such as are Oil of Sivet half a scruple Oil of Nutmegs one scruple Fourthly by discussion of the humour which is performed inwardly by the Oil of white Amber with the pouder of Walnut Flowers extract of Castor externally by an Emplaister of the fat of a black Heifer Sclarea boiled in butter adding to it a sufficient quantity of Tachamahacca and Caranna After the fit is past evacuation is to be regarded first with purgation for which purpose it will not be amiss to use these ensuing Pills Take Siler mountain Pennyroyal Madder the innermost part of Cassia Pipe Pomegranate Kernels Piony roots and Calamus of each three drams Muscus and Spike of India of each half a dram then make Pills thereof with the juice of Mugwort of which she may take every day or every other day before Supper If the disease proceed from the terms let the Woman affected take an Ounce of Agarick poudered in Wine or honied water or a dram of Agnus Castus powder'd with an ounce of Honey of Roses The Womb is also to be strengthned by the internal and external application of such things as resist the malignity of the Disease among which are numbred Faecula Brioniae and Castor The difference of this Disease consists in this that sometimes it happens that it is occasioned by the retention of the Seed which is known by this that the symptoms of the Disease are more violent and after the fit is past there flows out of the Womb a matter like to that of the seed It is cur'd by evacuation of the seed such as are Rue and Agnus Castus and anointing with odoriferous salves especially if the woman be to live without the use of man If it come from the suppression of the terms which is known by the Courses being mingled with a melancholy blood take powdered Agaric a dram of Pioney seeds or the weight of a dram and a half of Triphera magna But take this for a secret that for a married Woman in case of the present suffocation there is nothing better than for the Man to anoint the top of his Yard with a little Oyl of Gilliflowers and Oyl of sweet Almonds together and so to lye with her for this assuredly brings down the Matrix again This Disease is very frequent the Procatartick or external Causes of it are either violent motions of the body or which is much oftner vehement commotions of the Mind from some sudden assault either of Anger or Grief or the like Passions Therefore as often as Women are troubled with this or that disorder of Body the reason whereof cannot be deduced from the common Axioms for finding out Diseases we must diligently enquire whether they are not chiefly afflicted with that indisposition which they complain of when they have been disturbed in their minds and afflicted with grief which if they confess we may be fully satisfied that this disorder proceeds from this Disease we are now speaking of especially if Urine as clear as Chrystal evacuated copiously some certain times makes the Diagnostick more manifest But to these disorders of the Mind which are usually the occasions of this Disease is to be added emptiness of the stomach by reason of long fasting immoderate bleeding and a Vomit or Purge that worked too much and certainly this Disease proceeds from a confusion of the Spirits upon which account too many of them in a crowd contrary to proportion are hurried violently upon this or that part occasioning Convulsions and pain when they rush upon parts indued with exquisite sense perverting the functions of the Organs both of that into which they thrust themselves and also of that from whence they departed both being much injured by this unequal distribution which is quite contrary to the Oeconomy of Nature The Origen and Antecedent Cause of this confusion is a weak constitution of the Spirits whether it is natural or adventitious for which Reason they are easily dissipated upon any occasion and their System soon broke For as the outward Man is framed with parts obvious to sense so without doubt the inward Man consists of a due Series and as it were a Fabrick of the Spirits to be viewed only by the eye of Reason and as this is nearly joyned and as it were united with the constitution of the Body so much the more easily or more difficultly is its frame disordered by how much the Constitutive Principles that are allotted us by Nature are more or less firm That the said Confusion of the Spirits is the cause of Hysteric Diseases will appear by Mother-Fits wherein the Spirits are crowded in the lower Belly and rushing together violently towards the Jaws occasion Convulsions in every region thro' which they pass blowing up the Belly like a great Ball which is yet nothing but the rowling together or conglobation of the parts seized with the Convulsion which cannot be suppressed without great violence The external parts in the the mean while and the Flesh being in a manner destitute of Spirits by reason they are carried another way are often so very cold not only in this kind but in all other kind of Hysteric Diseases that dead Bodies are not colder but the Pulse are as good as those of People that are well nor is the Womans life in danger by this cold unless it is occasioned by some very large evacuation going before And the inordinate agitation of the Spirits disturbing the blood is the cause of the clear and copious Urine for when the Oeconomy of the blood is interrupted the Sick cannot long enough contain the serum that is imported but lets it
call'd excellent Medicines God's handicraft Next to the substance of the steel I chuse the Syrrup of it prepared with the fileings of Steel or Iron infused in the cold in Rhenish Wine 'till the Wine is sufficiently impregnated and afterwards strained and boiled up to the consistence of a Syrrup with a sufficient quantity of Sugar Nor do I use any purging Medicine at set times during the whole Chalybeat course for I think the Vertue of the Steel is destroy'd by a purge in hysterical Diseases and when the chief design is to reduce the Spirits to order and to renew and confirm their System If any one objects that fileings of Steel may hurt those that take them by sticking in their Bowels unless they are purged now and then I answer first that I never found any such thing in any one and it is much more probable that being involved in the slime and with the Excrementious humours of the parts they should at length pass away with them than when they are exagitated by purging Medicines which occasion unusual compressions twisting and contraction of the guts whereby the particles of the steel thrust upon the coats of the Bowels may penetrate deeper into them When the patient is in a Steel course remedies commonly call'd Hysterics are to be used as it were by the by to comfort the Blood and animal Spirits in that manner and form which is most agreeable to the sick But if she can take them in a solid form they will more powerfully retain the Spirits in their office and place than things that are liquid for the very substance affects the Stomach longer with its savour and works more forcibly upon the body than either decoctions or infusions Being about to answer all the indications I have touched upon above I use to prescribe these few and common things which commonly do what I desire Let eight ounces of blood be taken from the Arm the next Morning let her enter upon the use of the Pills of Coch. Major and of Castor as they are mentioned in the Chapter of the Green-Sickness and let them be repeated as it is there ordered Take of Galbanum dissolved in tincture of Castor and strained three drams Tachamacha two drams make a Plaister to be apply'd to the Navel Take of black cherry-Cherry-water of rue-Rue-water and compound briony-Briony-water each three ounces of Castor tyed up in a Rag and hanged in a glass half a dram of fine Sugar a sufficient quantity make a Julep whereof let her take four or five spoonfuls when she is faint dropping into the first Dose if the Fit is violent twenty drops of Spirit of Harts-horn After the Purging Pills are taken let her use the other Pills made of fileings of Steel and extract of Wormwood mentioned in the Chapter of the Green-sickness according to the directions there set down or she may take the Bolus there mention'd if she likes a Bolus better than Pills Take of choice Myrrh and Galbanum each one dram and an half of Castor fifteen grains with a sufficient quantity of Peruvian Balsome make twelve Pills of every dram let her take three every Night and drink upon them three or four spoonfuls of compound briony-Briony-water thro' the whole Course of this process But if the Pills last prescribed move the Belly which sometimes happens in Bodies that are very easily purged by reason of the Gum that is in them the following are to be used Take of Castor one dram of volatile Salt Amber half a dram with a sufficient quantity of extract of Rue make 24 small Pills let her take three every Night But it is to be noted that Steel Medicines in whatsoever form or Dose they are taken occasion sometimes in Women great disorders both of Body and Mind and that not only on the first days which is usual almost in every body but also almost all the time they are taken in this case the use of Steel must not presently be interrupted at those times but Laudanum must be given every night for some time in some hysteric water that they may the better bear it but when the symptoms are mild and it seems that the business may be done without taking steel I think it sufficient to bleed and to purge three or four times and then to give the altering hysteric Pills above-mentioned Morning and Evening for ten days It is to be noted that some Women do so abhor hysteric Medicines that they are much injured thereby therefore they must not be given to such If the blood is so very feeble and the confusion of the Spirits so great that steel ordered to be us'd according to the method prescribed is not sufficient to cure the disease the Patient must drink some mineral waters impregnated with the Iron Mine such as are Tunbridge and some others lately found out But this is more especially to be observed in drinking of them viz. That if any Sickness happens that is to be refer'd to hysteric symptoms in this Case the Patient must forbear drinking them a day or two 'till that symptom that hindered their passage is quite gone But if the Disease by reason of its obstinacy will not yield to steel-waters the Patient must go to the Bath and when she has used these waters inwardly three Mornings following the next day let her go into the Bath and the day following let her drink them again and so let her do by turns for two whole Months Venice Treacle alone if it be used often and a long while is a great remedy in this Disease Spanish Wine medicated with Gentian Angelica Wormwood Centaury the yellow rind of Oranges and other Corroboratives infus'd in it does a great deal of good some spoonfuls of it being taken thrice a day if the woman be not of a thin and cholerick habit of Body The Peruvian-Bark also wonderfully comforts and invigorates the Blood and Spirits a Scruple being taken Morning and Evening But if any of the Remedies above-mention'd do not well agree which often happens in cholerick and thin Constitutions then a Milk Diet may be used but nothing does so much strengthen the Blood and Spirits as riding much on Horseback every day for a long while If the Disease be such or so great a one that it will not bear a truce 'till it may be cured with Medicines that corroborate the Blood and Spirits we must presently make use of hysteric Remedies as Assa-faetida Galbanum Castor Spirit of Sal-Armoniack and whatever else has a filthy and ungrateful smell To conclude if some intolerable pain accompanies this Disease or if their be violent Vomitings or a Loosness then besides hysteric Medicines above-mentioned Laudanum must be used which is only able to restrain these symptoms But in quieting these pains which vomiting occasions we must take great care that they are not mitigated either by Laudanum or any other Paregorick before due evacuations have been made unless they almost exceed all humane patience but if the
the Head with which is joined a hollowness in the forepart of the Head and in the Eyes it may arise from the milk if the Nurse be subject to drink overmuch strong drink in the Cure you must beware of applying things which are too refrigerating They are also many times affected with a kind of Epilepsie which proceeds sometimes from extraordinary frights from Milk that lies corrupted in the stomach and sometimes from Worms moving themselves in the guts and sometimes it is the consequent of other Diseases The Cure is to be observed partly in the Fit and partly after the Fit The Smaragd-stone and the Hoof of a wild Elk put into the left Ear are very profitable and take good effect vomiting also and this Emplaister of white Amber Frankincense and Mastick of each a dram and a half Galbanum Opopanax of each a scruple Misleto of an Oak two drams Ambergreece six grains Musk three grains seed of Male Peonie half a dram Labdanum one dram and a half a little Oil of Nutmeg and sprinkled with the dust of Cubebs the forepart of the head may be also anointed with Oil of white Amber Fears and starting in the Child's sleep are occasioned from the putrid Vapours which are carried up with the animal Spirits and arise from the Stomach therefore they happen to Infants that suck greedily In the Cure care must be taken that the Child do not fill it self too unreasonably and provide that good and sound Milk may be generated and that the Children be not put to sleep upon a full stomach The stomach of the Child anointed near the orifice with Oil of Quinces and Mastick and Oil of Nutmegs Before sleep dissolve a little roll of Diamosch in Milk and give the Child unless the Child be over-much troubled with heat you may give it a little Treacle once in a week over-much watching or weakness is occasioned by sharp Vapours which arise out of the stomach by reason of the badness of the Milk sometimes it is occasioned by Feavers and pain of some peculiar parts there is nothing better than to anoint the soles of the Childs feet with Marrow which hath no danger in it rather than to give the Child stronger Opiates A looking asquint in new born Children is cured by putting a Candle opposite to the place where the Child casts its Eyes Moistness of the Ears by reason of the moistness of the Head gathers quantity of humours together The Cure of this must not be over-hasty yet the Urine of Children distilled and dropt into the Ear is a very approved Remedy Bigness and swelling of the Head in little Children SOmetimes in Children that are newly born the Head grows to an extraordinary bigness which come to pass either by reason of abundance of water contained in the same which water is contained either between the skin and the Pericraneum or between the bone and the Pericranium or between the bone and the Membranes called the Dura Mater and the Pia Mater Or by reason of abundance of Vapours gathered together between the bones and the skin of the head which cause the head to grow to such an extraordinary bigness that it causes oftentimes the death of the Child If water be gathered together between the bone of the head and the Membranes of the Brain it causes a giddiness and Epilepsy to the Infant without being able to take any rest For the Cure of the windy affection you may use fomentations in case the wind be contained only between the skin and the Pericranium for which purpose you may take of the leaves of Sage Betony Agrimony sweet smelling flag and wild Margerom of each a handful Aniseed and Fennel seed of each two drams Camomile flowers Melilot and red Roses of each one handful boil all these in common water adding to it a little Wine and thereof make a Fomentation for the part affected which may be assisted with a plaister made of Oil of Aniseeds and bitter Almonds of each one Ounce Oil of Camomile an Ounce and a half Laurel and Juniper Berries of each two drams Aniseeds and Fennel-seeds of each one dram and a half of the best Wine a pint boyl them to the consumption of the Wine adding to the rest half an ounce of Venice Turpentine and as much Wax as is sufficient As for the watry distemper though it be difficult to Cure yet you must try this Fomentation to digest this Humour Take Wormwood Betony creeping Time Pennyroyal leaves of each a handful red Rose leaves and leaves of Stoechas a little handful Cypress Nuts Orange-flowers and Florentine Orrice of each two drams boil them all in a Lye made of Vine-twigs and stalks after which you may use this Plaister Take the powder of Bettony Sage and Wormwood of each two drams Oil of Camomile and Roses of each two Ounces Unguenti Comitissae one ounce as much Wax as is sufficient But if these Remedies profit nothing the only means left is to open the Head Of the Diseases of the Eyes Ears and Noses in Children MANY times Children are troubled with a light inflamation in their Eyes with a certain gum and thickness which hinders them from opening the eye-lid The most present remedies are either for the Nurse to wash the Eyes with a little of her Breast milk or else with a little Plantain and Rose-water mixt together Sometimes the Nostrils are so stopt that they are not able to draw their Breath but with much pain For the Cure of which the Nurse must moisten a linnen Cloath in a little Ointment of Roses or a little very good Pomatum 'till the hard matter within be dissolved Many times there flows a moist humor from their heads which happens to those who have moist brains in the cure of this it must be the care of the Nurse to cleanse the ears both within and without afterwards let her drop into them a little oyl of bitter Almonds and Honey of Roses mixt together Of certain Ulcers in Childrens mouths THere do many times grow a certain kind of Ulcers in Childrens mouths For the cure of which the Nurse in the first place must use a good and sound diet then must the Ulcers themselves be rub'd with a little Honey of Roses and syrup of Violets with a drop or two of Plantain-water or you may wash them with half an ounce of Rose-water or plantain-Plantain-water in which put half a dram of Vitriol if they be very red and inflamed take Brambles flowers of Pomgranates Roses Sanders of each two drams Allum half a dram boyl them in water afterwards strain them to the quantity of three ounces in which dissolve half an ounce of syrup of Mulberries If they be white take Amber Frankincense-wood Cypress-Nuts Pomegranate flowers of each two drams flowers of Roses and Myrtles of each half a handful boyl them in water to the consumption of four ounces wherein dissolve an ounce and a half of Honey of Roses Of certain other Tumours called
Air more moist than dry and his diet must be the same The best and most approved remedy is to apply a cautery in the hinder part of the Head to the nook of the Neck between the second and third Vertebra which may be done to new born Children Frictions also of the Legs Back-bone and Thighs are very profitable as also Cupping-Glasses applied to the Thighs and Legs If the Convulsion come by reason of the Worms you may give him this Clyster Take of simple Hydromel four ounces new butter one ounce powdered Aloes half a dram and make a Clyster Or you may give him two drams of Earthworms killed dried and poudered Sugar poudered one ounce and let the Child take two drams of it every day in a spoonful of lettice-Lettice-water If any venemous Vapour be the cause hereof let him take six grains of Treacle or Mithridate in mint-Mint-water Of the swelling of the Hypochondria in Infants WHICH causeth Children by reason of the narrowness of the Mouth of the Stomach to be troubled with a difficulty of breathing It ariseth from the greediness of the Infant which either sucks too great a quantity of Milk or of other Meats The inward Cure of this is performed by administring the Powder of the root of Orrice or Paeonie Of Costiveness in Children THIS proceeds from the unskilfulness of the Nurse in the Dieting of the Child or from a cold and dry Distemper of the Guts or from the hot and dry Distemper of the Bowels in this case the Belly may be well loosned with Cassia or with a liniment composed of new Oil of sweet Almonds Goose fat May butter Ointment of Marshmallows of each two drams Colocynth gr sixteen one scruple of Salt Species Hierae one scruple Diagridion four grains make of this an ointment and anoint the Navel Or it proceeds from a viscous Flegm which wraps about and holds the dregs which may be remedied by a suppository of Mouse Dung and Goats suet or by the use of an Emplaister of Aloes Bulls-gall Myrrh and May butter to be laid upon the Navel Of looseness in Children LOoseness of the Belly happens either in the time of Teeth breeding or out of the time in the time of breeding Teeth either by reason of the corruption of the nutriment or by reason of overmuch watching through the pain of the Teeth or by reason of a Fever and some unnatural heat It must not be suddenly stopt if it be not over copious and that the Infant can endure it the Belly must be afterwards cleansed with Roses solutive and afterwards stopped great observation being had whether the cause come from a hot or cold Distemper Of Burstness in Children BUrstness happens to Children either by reason that the Peritonaeum is burst through crying or falling or splaying with the Thighs For the Cure whereof the Child must be kept quiet and still from crying upon which after the part affected is well bound up you may give the Child inwardly of the essence of the greater Comfrey one spoonful with two drops of Balsam of Sal Gemma You may also foment the place with a fomentation made of the roots of the greater Comfrey and Osmund Royal the bark of Elm and Ash Knot-grass each half an ounce the leaves of Plantain Mullein Rupture wort Horsetail Flowers of Camomile red Roses and Melilot of each a handful and a half Balaust Cypress Nuts and Acorns of each two drams put these into two bags and boil them in equal parts of sowre Wine and Smiths water for a Fomentation to be used for a quarter of an hour then you may lay on a Plaister of the red drying Ointment eleven ounces pouder of Mastick Olibanum and Sarcocol Cyprest Nuts of each one dram with a little Wax and Oil of Mastick to make a Plaister which must be put upon the place affected and bound down with a little pillow Sometimes this burstness proceeds from a watry humour abounding in the Abdomen which descending into the Cods causeth them to swell for which you may use with good success this Ointment Take of Unguent Comitiss and the red drying Ointment of each two ounces Pigeons dung half an ounce live Sulphur three drams powder of Lawrel Berries and Mustardseed of each a dram Oil of Dill and Venice Turpentine of each three drams Wax as much as sufficeth This is also an extraordinary remedy for the burstness proceeding from Wind. Of the Inflammation of the Navel THE Inflammation of the Navel ariseth when the blood gathers thither by reason of some external hurt the danger is very great if it should Apostemate and so the Guts fall down and therefore suppuration must be hindred as much as may be Of the jutting forth of the Navel THIS differs from the Inflamation because here the Navel doth not give way to the touch neither is the colour of the Skin changed neither is there any very great pain or Pulse unless the Intestines are very much fallen it proceeds from the ill binding thereof at first which is incurable or when a greater portion than needs of the Navel string is left Secondly from a laxation of the Peritonaeum and then the tumour is equal nor doth the Navel jut forth very far In the Cure hereof you must let the Child abstain from all windy meats and from much crying Sometimes it is occasioned by the rupture of the Peritonaeum the swelling is hardly perceived when the Child lies upon his back but increaseth and swells forward when he walks sits cries and bawls In the Cure of this the Moss that grows upon the wild Prune Tree is very much commended or you may make little swathbands of Leather and anoint them with Oxycroceum Of the Stone in the Bladder THIS is known by the coming forth of the Urine by drops and with pain which is sometimes unmixed sometimes containing a kind of serous humour sometimes died with a little blood It is produced either by the Milk which is engendred of meats that do increase the Stone or through a hot distemper of the Liver which attracts the Chyle and sends it unaltered to the Bladder For the Cure you must use Baths among which this is commended to anoint the Bladder withal take Oyl of Scorpions Oyl of bitter Almonds Conies Grease and Hens Grease of each an ounce and a half and of the juice of Pellitory of the Wall two ounces Or take Sal Tartar one ounce Parsly-water a Pint mix them through a fine paper rubbed over with the Rinds of Oranges and give a small quantity thereof Of the not holding of the Urine THis ariseth either from the Muscle which shuts the orifice of the Bladder which is so disposed that it is loosed upon the least exciting of the Urine and grows so into a habit that it many times accompanies them to their Graves or from the stone in the Bladder or from the weakness of the Sphincter proceeding from a cold and moist distemper which is cured partly by
her self in her bed and let this plaister be spread upon her loyns Lay a Goats-skin between the sheet and the bed because of the heat of the hollow Vein or else take Crocus Martis one dram juyce of Knot grass four ounces rose-Rose-water and Vinegar of each one ounce mingle them all well together with the white of an egg then dip a linnen cloth therein and apply it cold to the loins An Emplaister for a Woman that is fearful of containing the Birth TAke of the root of Snake-weed and Tormentil each one ounce and a half Joubertus astringent powder Myrtle-berries Psidia Pomgranate-flowers of each six drams Dragons-blood Spong Bedeguar of each half an ounce Frankincense Mastick of each three drams Cummin one dram Nutmegs Cloves of each half a dram Common Pitch six ounces Venice Turpentine washed in juyce of Shepherds-purse Ship pitch three ounces Wax as much as is sufficient make of these an Emplaister to be applied to the reins Preparatory Oyntments to be used before the time of Delivery TAke Oyl of Lillies and Cammomil of each four ounces new Hogs-seam strein'd new fresh Butter of each an ounce and an half Muscilage of the seed of Fenugreek extracted in Mugwort-water two ounces of powder of round Birth-wort and Saffron of each two drams Wax as much as suffices make a mollifying Oyntment to anoint the Thighs Hips and Matrix Or else Take the roots of white Lillies cut small four ounces leaves of Violets and Mallows chopt of each one handful oyl of Lillies one pint boyl these together upon hot embers in a silver dish always moving them 'till they grow soft in the nature of a Cataplasm Then strein it and to the streined liquor add Goose-grease Hogs-seam of each three ounces Saffron one ounce mingle them well and make an Oyntment for the use above-said In case of Vomiting APply to the Stomach a Stomachical Cerecloth sprinkled with Galbanum powdered powder of Cloves and Mastick and then covered with fine linnen Or else give Aromaticum Rosatum before meals which is a most excellent remedy A woman in the first place finding her self to be with Child for the three first months ought to keep from violent exercises as also at the first quarter at Full of the Moon and in the time when she hath her natural purgations for at all these seasons there is a motion of the humours and of the blood which many times causeth a discharge of the Birth neither ought a woman at such times as these dance ride or go in Coaches but upon urgent necessity and that very softly In the fourth month the Child being alive moves and stirs which causeth a squeamishness in the stomach where at that time 't is good for the Woman to eat alone that she may neither see nor hear of any thing of hurtful diet to which she may have a longing desire Neither is it good at that time for her to walk in the field or in gardens for fear she should see any thing to long after offensive to her health The fifth and sixth months are not so dangerous yet 't is good to have a care In the seventh month the Child comes to perfection and oft-times endeavours to come forth for which cause great and diligent care is to be taken of the Woman at that time For though the Child born in that month may live yet it will prove weak and harder to bring up The eighth month in indifferent The Child which is born in that Month is not long liv'd because it is much weakned by its indeavours to get forth in the seventh and has not yet recovered strength Regulation of Diet. FOR the first eight months it will be convenient for her to use such meats and drinks which neither moisten loosen nor bind overmuch but moderately and let them be of easie digestion and good juyce As to Flesh Capons Partridges Larks Pullets and Mutton afford good nourishment As to Fish the Gurnard the Sole the Smelt and many other firm Fish may be eaten Her Bread ought to be white well baked and light Marmalade is good after meals and sometimes before neither are the best sort of Pears forbidden As for her drink Claret is very good as also small Ale and Beer well brewed strong wines are very hurtful especially those that are white She must have a care to abstain from Spices opening and windy meats as also from raw herbs and Salads from Beans and Pease and all baked meat In the ninth month she must abstain from all astringent things as Paste of Quinces Rice and Pears Marmalad and the like on the contrary let her use mollifying and loosening meats as flesh that is young and tender Pottages made with Borage Bugloss Lettice Violets March-mallows and such like Other Advertisements relating to the several accidents which may happen FIrst if the Woman fear Abortion and that she carry her Child low near her Privities let her do as follows Take the Treddles of three new laid Eggs and beat them well together then take of Scarlet Silk as much as suffices and cut it very small and mix it with the egg and make the said mixture into Pills take of these Pills in a little Claret-wine do this three days together and every month three times in the same manner You may also use this following Plaister Take of Myrâ—les Orange-flowers of each one ounce Acorn cups stalks of Roses each one ounce Bole Armonick fine and true Dragons-blood of each three ounces Turpentine two ounces Oyl of Quinces or Myrtles as much as is sufficient to make the plaister which is to be applied to the reins and upon the belly and withall to be stretched out upon the thighs It may lye on five or six days without changing However a woman ought not to tamper nor use any thing unless there be very great necessity which she shall know thus If at the full or new Moon or else at the time when she uses to have her monthly purgation if at that time her Purgations come down then Abortion is to be feared and remedies are to be applied But if the woman carry the Infant high and that her belly swells and extends so strongly that there may be some danger of fissures and clefts in the skin then let her use this following oyntment Take half a hundred of Sheeps trotters with bones and wooll when the Moon is at the full bruise them and beat them then let them boyl in a good quantity of water for half a days time let them cool and then take off the fat that swims and with this mingle four ounces of Sperma Caeti four ounces of Oyl of Almonds drawn without fire and four ounces of white Wax melt all these together over a soft fire then put therein half a pint of rose-Rose-water then take it off the fire and stir it till it grow cold with this oyntment you shall first anoint the part extended and then lay some of it on the said part where
ever it be spreading it upon soft leather such as Childrens gloves are made of About fifteen days or three weeks before she lyes down she must begin to use mollifying oyntments anointing therewith the lower part of the belly her thighs and genitals The Oyntment of Sheeps trotters will serve for fifteen days but some eight days before she lyes down let her use one which is more mollifying such as this which follows Take of roots of Lillies two ounces Marsh-mallow-roots two ounces leaves of Marsh-mallows Mallows and March-Violets of each one handfull of Hemp-seed and seed of Fenugreek of each one ounce two Sheeps trotters with their Wooll on cut and bruised boyl all these together in a great quantity of water till all be boyled to a mash then strein them hot then set the streined liquor over a soft fire let it consume and evaporate 'till there be nothing left but the fat and something of a viscous matter beside To this add eight ounces of oyl of Hempseed drawn by expression like Oyl of Almonds and eight ounces of Hogs-Seam This Oyntment mollifies very much and renders the passages very slippery and easie to extend upon any occasion While the party is with Child if she happen to be bound in body let her use this following Clyster Take one Sheeps trotter Hempseed and Fenugreek-seed of each one ounce Melilot-flowers two handfuls boyl these in Cows milk then strein it and take six ounces thereof and put thereto four ounces of Oyl of Hempseed if she be near the time of her Labour but if not Oyl of Roses and if the excrements be very hard you may add thereto one ounce of Catholicon At the time of Child-bearing it is good to take the above-said Clyster if it may be done possibly for that after the Woman is delivered she is to be four or five days without a stool as well because of the great evacuations which she hath so lately had as also that being to be kept continually hot in her bed the excrements do thereupon harden and afterwards putrifie and then generate putrid vapours and many times a feaver There happens also another inconvenience from the said excrements being kept in the body and not emptied before delivery and that is this that when the Patient endeavours to deliver her self of the Infant the excrements do also forthwith come out which many ways give annoyance as well to the Child the Midwife as to the other Assistants by reason of the change of linnen and the troublesome smells Beside the foresaid inconveniencies the Child will not come forth so easily because the Intestines being full do compress the Matrix and by consequence cause the passages to be more close and difficult In the mean time that is to say when the woman is in pain and that all the signs of Child-bearing do appear then let her take about two ounces of cinamon-Cinamon-water this will fortifie her spirits and hasten the coming forth of the Infant If the water alone do not suffice you may give it her the second time adding thereunto the weight of a half crown of counterfeit Borax made of Roach-Allum such as the Goldsmiths use it is neither offensive to the taste nor any way dangerous as some Physicians think mistaking it for Chrysocoll of the Greeks for it is a soveraign medicament both to cause the Child to come forth and to expell the Secondines if they come not forth in their due time If you cannot have the said Borax then take two scruples or forty grains of Date-stones powdered very fine and drink it in Cinamon-water or for want of that in a draught of good Hypocrass The weight of a Crown of the powder of the leaves of Cretan Dittany drank in Cinamon-water worketh the same effect Or else take of Venetian Borax one dram Saffron three grains drink this in one spoonful of water of white Lillies Or else take this following powder Take Cretan Dittany half a dram Savin yellow Amber of each two scruples make it into powder and drink it in water of Cinamon Hysop or Rue Or else Take of the powder of leaves of Cretan Dittany half a dram of Penny-royal half a scruple a little Cinamon Myrrh one scruple mingle these powders well and drink them in Hypocrass Or take this following water Take Water of Cinamon four ounces of Hysop and Thyme of each two ounces of Rosewater one dram in these waters dissolve half an ounce of Confectio Alchermes let them stand a whole night then distill them in Balneo the dose to be taken at a time is two drams you may add if there be necessity a drop or two of Oil of Savin Or you may use this powder Take of Myrrh of Cinamon and Saffron of each the weight of the third part of a Crown mix them well together and put them into a raw egg and cause the party to sup it up and let her drink after it a draught of Hypocrass Or else take this potion Take of the juyce of Savin two ounces Cinamon-powdered two drams Saffron half a Scruple water of Radishes four ounces and a little Sugar of this make a potion for the woman to drink in time of travail There be many other Remedies but these are the most certain and easie to take where the danger nor the pain is excessive but in cases of urgent necessity you may use these following remedies Take of Mugwort one handful Butchers Broom and Fennel of each one handful of salt three drams of Assa foetida two drams of bran one handful of water and white-wine of each eight pints boil them to the consumption of the third part Or take this which never failed Take of the root of Gentian powdered one or two drams take this in white-wine or honey it never hurts the Infant To accelerate and hasten the labour before the time of Child bearing use this following ointment Take of the muscilage of the seed of Fenugreek and the root of Marshmallows with water of Mugwort two ounces oil of Lillies and sweet Almonds and Hens-gerase of each one ounce and a half of Saffron half a scruple of Wax as much as suffices Of this make an ointment to anoint the back belly and privy parts for fourteen days together before the birth Or else take this following Ointment Take oil of white Lillies with hens grease of each an ounce and a half of Saffron half a scruple of these make an Ointment with as much Wax as suffices to anoint the Back Navel and privy Parts for fourteen days together Note that all those things which we have said to be good to be given at the time of delivery must never be given before for that otherwise they will be of little use they serving only to facilitate the Birth without endangering the Child or Mother The Woman ought also to walk about the Chamber as much as she can being held by other Women Neither let any person whether Man or Woman against whom she
may have any ill will or whose presence may breed any thing of shame in her be at that time in the room because any such accident as that retards Nature but let them be such as she loves sociable merry and helpful towards her It is also necessary for a Woman in Travel to sneeze and cough which are great means to force down the Infant to the lower parts And as to the Midwifes duty she ought to anoint the lower parts with oyl of Hemp-seed or Nuts if the waters which should precede the Birth do not come forth or if they be come down a good while before the Birth to the intent to make the said parts slippery to ease the coming forth of the Child If the Child descend not easily the Midwife may with her hand gently press the top of the belly to the intent to make the Child descend with more hast As soon as the Woman is delivered and that the Secondines are likewise come away it shall be convenient to wrap her in a warm sheep-skin which must be flead near the Chamber for that purpose which must be done with as much expedition and as near a great fire as may be that there may be nothing of coldness when the Woman is wrapt therein In this the Patient must continue twelve hours This will much help the Matrix in its natural purgation when you take it away you must apply warm Cloths in the stead and above all things take great care that no air do enter into the Matrix which often-times is the cause of very great evils Or you may apply warm to the belly of the Patient Tow dipt in the whites of Eggs wherein the pouders of Cloves Pepper and Nutmegs shall be mingled which must be bound close to the body with swath-bands Great care is to be taken how you apply astringent things to the Womb presently after delivery unless after perfect purgation of the Secondines for fear of very great mischiefs Now if you use the said sheep skin and that you find the woman notwithstanding tormented with very great pains and that the said skin doth not at all appease them let her take an ounce and a half more or less according to the height of the distemper of oil of sweet Almonds drawn without fire the same day and two hours after let her take the weight of half a crown of this following powder either in white-Wine or Capon broth Take of the root of great Comfrey dryed two drams kernels of Peaches Nutmegs each one dram yellow Amber and Saffron of each one scruple Amber greese half a dram make a powder of all this For besides that it asswages the Throws it corroborates and fortifies the body weakened by reason of those great evacuations After you have taken away the sheep-skin if there be any excoriation in the privy parts by reason either of the bigness of the Child or the streining of the woman you must anoint the said parts with this following oyntment which is infallible Take of Oil of St. John's wort well made one ounce Sperma Coeti half an ounce balsom of India two drams white Wax two drams This ointment doth consolidate all the parts But if together with this excoriation any thing of the Secondines remain in the Womb Oil of St. Johns-wort only will suffice or for want of that oil of Nuts If the evacuations after the Secondines be too much so that they cause too great a weakness you must apply to the Navel this following plaister Take of Treacle one dram and a half Bean-meal one dram Venice-Turpentine one dram and thereof make an emplaister to be spread upon thin Leather If all be well and that only the lower parts be prejudiced after you have anointed them with Balsom of the Indies together with oil of St. Johns-wort you must foment the said places with the following fomentation Take of Sage four little handfuls wild Pomgranate flowers Myrtle berries Acorns Cypress nuts of each two ounces let them be well bruised together red Roses four handfuls Roche-allum one ounce put all these into two little bags and let them boil in Smiths water or in water where iron hath been often quenched when one bag is cold apply another The Sheep-skin being taken away if the patient be afraid of any wrinckles in the skin which now is as much relaxed as it was before extended let her anoint the belly with this following ointment Take of Sperma Caeti two ounces oil of Myrtles of Mastick and St. John's-wort of each one ounce white wax an ounce and a half Turpentine of Venice washt in Vinegar of Roses one ounce of these make an ointment over a gentle Fire with which you must anoint the belly once a day continuing so to do for ten or twelve days laying when you have done upon the place so anointed a linnen cloth dipt in the following ointment Take oil of sweet Almonds oil of Nuts Sperma Coeti each four ounces white Wax four ounces melt these together and dip therein a good large towel big enough to wrap about the belly when you do these things great care is to be taken that the patient do not take any cold If the patient have no mind to nurse her Child and desires to dry up her milk then do as follows some six or seven hours after the Delivery Tak a linnen cloth cut round about the bigness of the breasts making a little hole in the middle for the Teat to come through then dip the clothes in the following ointment and lay them upon the breast not taking them off again 'till the end of ten or twelve days Take Venice Turpentine four ounces washed in one half part of Rose-water and one half part of Vinegar Populeon one ounce mix them together and apply them as is before said If the milk doth not dry up for all this make the Cataplasm as follows Take Bean-meal four ounces Bole-amoniack one ounce juyce of Plantain three ounces Vinegar of Roses two ounces Fountain water half a pint let them boil 'till they come to the thickness of a Cataplasm adding toward the end two ounces of Populeon spread this on a linnen cloth and apply them to the breasts without washing them changing the Cataplasm twice a day The juice of Chervile boiled with Bean-meal and a little Populeon worketh the same effect Because the difficulty of Child bearing proceedeth from the loss of those waters that break forth before the Child therefore to supply that defect and to render the places slippery let her use these following remedies Take Marsh-mallows with the roots one handful Mugwort Savine of each half a handful Hempseed and Fenugreek seed of each four ounces Cummin seed one ounce and a half boil all these in water then take four ounces of this decoction and add thereto oil of Hempseed two ounces Mosch gr 2. and inject it into the neck of the womb Then take this following pouder Take of the bark of Cassia
begin until the time that they end let her use two as is before said Let her withal take this following Clyster two or three days before her purgations Take Feverfew one handful Penny-royal Calamint and Savine of each half a handful seed of Juniper one ounce flowers of Melilot and tops of Dill of each one handful make a decoction of nine ounces of water add thereto oil of Lillies four ounces two whites of eggs and one dram of common salt Lastly one day before her monthly purgations let her take three Pills of those which are called Pillulae Rufi then after she is clean from her Purgations let her lye with her Husband For the same AN Injection Take Cypress one ounce Myrrh half an ounce Pulp of Colocynth one dram Bdellium one scruple water a pint boil them altogether to the consumption of the third part then strein them make an injection of four ounces of the streined liquor into the Womb three days before the Bath and let the Patient keep it as long as she can A Fumigation Take juyce of Bistort Schoenanth Cypress nuts red Storax and Mastick one ounce Hares-dung mix them and pound them well together and make a Fumigation let the patient receive it sitting on a stool with a hole in it Then let her use this following Bath Take Basil Calamint Betony Melilot Roses each two handfuls Thyme Elder Germander Mugwort Savin Balm of each two handfuls Feverfew leaves of Laurel and Lavender each one handful bruise them together and when the water boyls throw them in when they have boiled sufficiently let her take the waters off and bath therein A Plaister Take of the mass of Emplaister of Mastick one ounce of Plaister for the Womb two ounces mingle them together and extend them upon a round piece of red cloth in the middle whereof put one Trochisch de galla Moschat and six grains of Amber-greece the last day of her bathing when she goes to bed let her apply that plaister to the region of her Matrix That Night after due concoction let her lye with her Husband To increase Lust and to help Conception TAKE of the juyce of the Herb Mercury and clarified Honey of each one ounce of meal of Nigella two ounces make thereof a mass and let the Patient take two or three every night An Opiat for the same TAKE Conserve of Eringo-roots and Satyrion each three ounces green Ginger condited Citron rind one ounce and a half sweet Almonds Pistaches Pine-Apples Filberds Chesnuts Dates the Pulp of Cocus's of each one ounce of the reins and loins of the beast called a Skink of the pizzle of a Bull of the stones of a Hare or Boar of each half an ounce seed of Parsnip Rockquet and Nettles each three drams white Pepper Galang and cinamon each half a dram all these things being well provided and beaten mix them together with Wine sweetned and boiled to a thickness and make an Opiate add thereto of the powder of Glow-worms killed in the steam of Vinegar one scruple For the same TAKE Pine-Apples new Filberds peel'd of each one ounce and a half brains of Cock-sparrows two drams new Satyrion rosted under the ashes in wet tow three drams Stones of a Ram roasted half an ounce Indian Nuts one dram pound them all with the broth of young Pigeons then mingle therewith six ounces of refined Sugar and boil it to a thickness and add thereto the following pouders Take seed of Bombax cleansed the best Cinamon each two scruples seed of Rocket Onions Nettles and Parsnips each half a dram the reins of Skinks Long Pepper Galang White Ginger of each two scruples shavings of the pizzle of a Hart four scruples make a Confection and take the quantity of a Walnut after the first sleep and two hours before you eat An application to be made upon the Privities presently after Delivery TAKE the whites of two Eggs and oil of St. John's wort of each one ounce and a half oil of Myrtles one ounce dip therein flat stoups of Hemp and apply them to the lips of the Privities do this three or four times a day but take heed that it touch not the neck of the Matrix because it hinders its purgation The next day foment these parts with this following Fomentation TAKE of Wine and water half a pint of Madder Rose-mary and St. John's-wort of each two little handfuls let them boil for a Fomentation which is to be applied hot with the Hempen stoups aforesaid This is to be done the second day The third day take wine a pint water half a pint Myrrh two drams Cinamon two drams and a half Allum two drams and a half of the stones of Grapes two drams the rind of Granates one dram flowers of red Roses one little handful and a half make of this a decoction to foment the Womb until the ninth day twice a day Take oil of St. John's wort one ounce and a half Sperma Coeti three drams with a little wax make of this an ointment to use at the beginning with the aforesaid Fomentation to the lips of the Privities When you have taken away the sheeps-skin as is before said you may not only do as is there set down but also use this following method First take Sperma Coeti two ounces oil of sweet Almonds Camomile and St. John's wort of each an ounce and a half Goats suet one ounce oil of Myrtles half an ounce Saffron half a scruple with this ointment being lukewarm let the belly be well anointed once every day then lay over the whole belly this following Cerecloth Take of new wax four ounces Sperma Coeti one ounce and a half Turpentine washt in Rosewater two ounces and a half oil of Almonds and St. John's-wort of each one ounce Saffron half a scruple Let them melt and boyl together when all the ingredients are well mixed take them from the fire and put into it the hempen cloth and when it is cool make it smooth and apply it let it be bound on with swathes and do this for eight or nine days together The Woman being thus duly and rightly purged and being free from any Fever or other bad symptoms she may make use of these following Baths She shall go into the Bath three mornings together the first being luke-warm staying therein but a very little The second a little hotter with something longer continuance therein But in the third let her stay as long as she can The Bath in Summer TAKE a very clean Tub wherein wine hath for sometime been put therein a quantity of the best Wine and fill it with River-water and the second day after you have filled it put therein Marjoram Mug-wort Agrimony Penny-royal of each two handfuls then let them boil and as they boil now and then quench a hot piece of Iron therein then add flowers of red Roses two ounces and a half Camomile Dill and Melilot of each one ounce and a half strein them all and
so make the first Bath out of which let her come out as soon as she feels any pain When she comes out let her take as follows Of the rind of Pome-citron and Conserve of Bugloss of each two scruples let her take this going into her bed then let her sweat and the sweat being wiped off let her eat some good and wholsome meat Take the water of the first bath and add thereto Bean-meal and Oat-meal of each two pound and a half meal of Tares one pound and a half of Lupines one pound Roach-allum and Salt of each four ounces Cloves and Nutmegs of each one dram let them be aromatized with Benjamin and Storax then put them all together in a bag and let them boil in the foresaid water When she comes forth let her take the aforesaid Bolus The third part FILL the Tub emptied of the Wine with River water then add thereto a quantity of white-wine then take of Rosemary Mint Marjoram Mugwort Savin Ground Ivy of each two handfuls Scarlet grains four ounces flowers of Rosemary Camomile Mint of each two ounces Bean-meal Oat-meal of each one handful and a half meal of Lupines and Tares of each one pound Cloves Nutmegs and Cinamon of each half an ounce bruise all these things together and let them boil in a little bag adding thereto a pint and a half of Aqua vitae and let burning Iron be often quenched therein This is the third Bath wherein she is to stay as long as she can When she comes forth let her take the same Bolus as before After she hath bathed let her foment for one or two days the lower parts of her Belly TAKE of red Roses two handful and a half Shoenanth half a handful Myrtle-berries two drams and a half Allum one dram and a half Mastick three drams let them be bruised and then boil together in sower red wine Add also two drams of Nutmegs with this being taken lukewarm let fomentation be made for eight days together The fomentation ended let her receive this following Fume in a Chair with a hole in it Take Lignum Aloes raw half an ounce Nutmegs and Cypress nuts of each two drams and a half yellow Amber one dram and a half make all these into powder and let her sit over the Fume A Fomentation for the Womb the second day after the Bath TAKE Galbanum and Cypress-nuts of each half an ounce rind of Granates two ounces red Roses dryed one ounce Marjoram a handful Schoenanth one handful Allum a dram and a half Thyme half a handful let them be boiled in sharp wine for a Fomentation To cause the swelling of the Belly to fall SOme women have their bellies as much swelled after Delivery as it was before when any such thing happens do as followeth Take half a pound of Figgs Barley-meal and Bean-meal of each four ounces powder of Brick two ounces Cypress nuts one ounce let them boil all together in Smith's water 'till it come to a thickness then spread it upon a linnen cloth and apply it warm to the Belly re-iterate this often and the belly will fall to its wonted shape Or else Take meal of Beans Rice and Almonds of each two ounces powder of Brick one ounce and a half Bole-Armoniac two ounces and a half Dragons blood one ounce and a half of Cypress-nuts ten drams Scarlet grains three ounces Galls half an ounce oil of Myrtles six ounces wild Prunes Rosewater each a pint and a half boil them to the thickness of a Pultess and apply them as aforesaid to the belly Pain after Delivery TAke heed that when you find the Patient in pain after Child-bearing especially on the right side that the redness or high colour of the Urine do not deceive you whereby you may be induced to give refrigerating medicines finding the whole body to be hot for such urine proceeds from the greatness of the pain and commotion in the body and the hot lying in bed Therefore if you find the Patient to be full of pain in her belly and sides and likewise perceive a retention of humours that should be voided more fluently Take of Sweet-smelling Flag one ounce and a half Zedoaory half an ounce Mace eight scruples Cinamon four scruples make thereof a powder and give her one dram at a time in powder Now though there be a Fever which seems burning yet refrain not at all to give this powder for it doth not for all that augment the Fever but causes the Womb which was so lately and violently moved to return to its former estate and the pain of the Matrix being ceased the Fever will cease of it self Or else take sweet-smelling-Flag one dram Dittany half a dram make thereof a powder Or take root of Dittany one dram Seed of Hartwort and leaves of Rue one scruple and a half make them into powder and give it as is before said Against the swelling of the belly after Delivery TAke Origanum Night-shade Mastick of each one scruple Sagapenum as much as suffices make of this seven Pills let her take them all at once and let her drink upon them four ounces of the water of the flowers of white Lillies Against wrinckles in the skin after Child bearing TAke oyl of sweet-Almonds two ounces Capons-grease half an ounce liquid Storax half a dram Muscilage of Tragacanth extracted with Rose-water two drams Wax as much as suffices make thereof a Cerecloath and apply it to the belly Oyl of sweet-Almonds with the marrow of a Hart is good also for this purpose This following oyntment may be used before a Woman lyes down TAke the marrow of the fore foot of a weather in the full of the Moon set it on the fire and let it melt in rose-Rose-water by degrees you may conveniently add to this Hens-grease or oyl of Lillies Another TAke the Seam of a Goat a Kid and a Weather of each three ounces wash them diligently in rose-Rose-water adding Sperma Caeti rose-Rose-water as much as is sufficient and as you beat them and mix them together add powder of Mastick with the white of an egg and so make an oyntment A Pomatum for the same TAke Oyl of sweet-Almonds eight ounces Sperma Coeti Capons-grease marrow of a Hart and the bone of a Weather four ounces melt them all together between two dishes in water of Lillies then in Rose-water An Oyntment for the same TAke of the Muscilage of the Seed of Fenugreek and Hempseed extracted in water of Lillies one ounce oyl of sweet Almonds and Lillies of each half an ounce the blood of a Hog fryed the fat of a Capon and a wild Duck of each six drams with a little new wax make thereof an oyntment and keep it in a glass covered with wax Another TAke white Wax four ounces melt it and add thereto the marrow of fifty feet of black weathers gathered in the full of the moon when they are melted add thereto oyl of sweet Almonds six ounces wash them
evacuation downward is apt to occasion miscarriage The Womans mind ought to be kept sedate and quiet all melancholly news and frightful objects must be removed far from her nor must any thing that may cause sorrow be suddenly told her She must moderate her passions and excessive anger must by all means be avoided for the passions do wonderfully affect the Child and often cause miscarraige some have been born dumb others have had a continual shaking of their Limbs and the like when the Mother has been suddenly and violently surprized or frighted wherefore it is best to be discoursing of such things before big-bellied Women as may moderately rejoyce them and that such objects be presented as may please and divert them and if it be absolutely necessary to acquaint them with sorrowful things great care and caution must be used and the misery must be discovered piece-meal Some Women are so very vain that they will lace themselves hard with Bodice stifned with Whale-bone to preserve their shapes forsooth but they do not consider what injury they do themselves for their Breasts being prest too much are apt to be inflamed and impostumated and the growth of the Child is hindered and the Limbs of it too often disfigured thereby and sometimes miscarriage happens They ought therefore at this time to have their Cloaths more loose and easie Some Women have also a custom to bleed once or twice when they are with Child tho' they have no need of it but this is certainly an errour for Women with Child ought not to bleed but upon necessity some having miscarried by bleeding but once a little too much blood being taken away tho' others I confess having blouded nine or ten times whilst they were with Child and yet have not miscarried Now seeing all are not of the same constitution they must not be all treated alike Those that have most blood can best bear bleeding If Purging be thought necessary gentle things must be only used as Manna Rhubarb or the like Women with Child are subject to many accidents the first is Vomiting whereby they often judge they are breeding it is not always occasioned by ill humours in the stomach but sometimes from a sympathy betwixt the Stomach and the Womb by the nerves inserted in the upper Orifice of the Stomach which have communication by continuity with those that pass to the Womb. Now the Womb which has a very exquisite Sense because of its membranous composition beginning to wax bigger feels some pain which being at the same time communicated by this continuity of nerves to the upper Orifice of the Stomach cause there these Vomitings for Women that were in good health before they conceived Vomit from the first day of their being with Child tho' they have no ill humours in their Stomach If the Vomiting continues a long while it weakens the Stomach very much and hinders digestion tho' it oftentimes continues till the Women are quick and then they recover their Appetite but in some it does not go off till they are delivered and some are most afflicted with it towards the end of their reckoning and this sort seldom ceases before they are brought to Bed Vomiting at the beginning if it be gentle and without great straining is not much minded and sometimes it is beneficial but if it continue after the third or fourth Month it ought to be remedied because the nourishment being daily Vomited up the Mother and the Child will be much weakened and moreover the continual subversion of the Stomach causing great agitation and compression the Belly occasions miscarriage It is very difficult to prevent wholly this Vomiting yet it may be much lessened by a good Diet and by eating little at a time and to strengthen the Stomach let her eat her meat with the juice of Oranges or the like Marmalade of Quinces is also very good being eaten after dinner or after meals and she ought to drink Claret-wine with water and it is convenient to quench Iron in her drink She must forbear fat Meats and Sauces for they much soften the membranes of the Stomach which were too weak and relaxed Sweet and Sugar Sauces are also injurious But if the vomiting continue tho' regular diet has bin used the corrupt humours must be purged off by stool by some gentle purge made of Mallows Cassia Rhubarb and the like but if the vomiting continues tho' the woman observes a good diet and tho she has bin purged we must do no more for there is great danger of miscarriage There are sometimes great pains in the back reins and hips especially the first time the woman is with child by reason of the dilatation of the womb and the compression it makes by its greatness and weight on the neighbouring parts The ligaments as well round as large cause these pains being much straightened and drawn by the bigness and weight of the womb namely the large one of the back and loins which answer to the reins because these two ligaments are strongly fastned towards these parts the round ones cause pains in the groins and thighs where they end they are some times so violently extended by this extream bigness and great weight of the womb that they are torn especially if the woman happen to stumble which causeth violent pain and much mischief A woman being six Months gone with Child upon stumbling felt something crack in her belly near the loins and she presently felt great pain in her back and in one side of her belly she vomited violently and the next day was seized with a continual Fever this lasted seven or eight days without sleeping or resting an hour and all the while she vomited up all she took and she was also very much troubled with Hicoughs and had great pains like those of labour But by keeping her bed twelve days and by bleeding in her arm thrice and by the use of a grain of laudanum divers times and by corroborating cordials she was somewhat eased and all the symptoms went off by little and little and she went her full time and indeed there is nothing that will mitigate the pains of the back and reins better than rest in bed and bleeding in the Arm especially if they were occasioned by the ligaments broke or two much extended it may be convenient to keep up the belly with a broad swaith if the Woman cannot keep her Bed Oftentimes when a Woman has conceived the courses being stopt a great quantity of blood flows to the Breasts which makes them swell and be painful therefore to prevent inflammations Women ought to take great care that they are not strait-laced so as to compress the breasts and this is all that needs to be done at the beginning only she must be sure that she receives no blows upon them but it 's better to bleed in the Arm after the third or fourth Month if a great deal of blood flow to the Breasts then to endeavour to repel
usual in Dropsies In this case the natural heat is not able to concoct the nourishment and to drive out that which is superfluous for this sort of swelling make a bath of Camomile Melilot and Lavender and the Ashes of Vines afterwards foment with Aromatic Wine and in it dip compresses to be laid on and to be repeated three or four times a day But usually these swellings go off of themselves when the Woman is delivered the whole Body being cleansed by the Child-bed purgations Many big bellied Women are subject to the piles because the courses that were wont to be evacuated monthly are collected in a great quantity and flow back upon the Body They are also occasioned by the Costivness of the body they are painful Swellings and Inflamations occasioned by a Flux of humours to the Fundament Some are internal some external some small and with little or no pain and some very big and painful It is easy enough to prevent their further growth by remedies which hinder and turn the Flux from those parts when they are small and without pain but the greatest care is to be taken when they are large and painful First therefore you must endeavour to ease the pain for as long as that remains the Flux is ever increased and if Bloud abounds she may be blooded in the Arm-once and again if the case require it to divert the humours and to lessen them If Costiveness be the cause an emollient Glister must be injected made of the decoction of Mallows Marshmallows Violets and sweet Butter or Oyl of Almonds but you must be sure to add nothing that may fret or provoke the parts least the disease should be increased thereby especially when the piles are within Some put the small end of a pullets gut upon the end of the Glister-pipe that it may be the easier injected You may else anoint the swellings with Galen's cooling Oyntment mixed with an equal part of Populeon or you may use the hot stroakings of a Cow or you may foment with a Decoction of Marshmallows and linseed Oyls of sweet Almonds Poppies and water Lillies well beaten together with the Yolk of an Egg and ground in a leaden Mortar give great ease A cooling Diet must be ordered and the woman must keep her Bed till the Flux of the Humours is gone If the Swelling do not abate upon the use of these things Leeches must be apply'd But it is to be noted that in Women with Child the bleeding of the Piles may be beneficial if the Bleeding be moderate and without pain But if it flow in too great quantity the Mother and Child will be weakened thereby therefore if so it will be necessary to apply an astringent Fomentation made of a Decoction of Pomgranate Peel Province Roses Granat Flowers and a little Allom and to turn the Blood bleeding in the Arm is requisite Women with Child are subject to several Fluxes viz. a Looseness the Flux of the Courses and Floodings There are three sorts of Loosenesses a Lientery wherein the meat passes through raw and undigested a frequent Ejection of Excrement and Humours Lastly the Bloody Flux which together with the Evacuation of Humours and Excrements voids Blood with violent pains But whatever sort of Flux it is if it be much and of long continuance the Woman is in danger of miscarrying for in a Lientary the Mother and Child are much weakened that being cast out by Stool which should be the Nourishment and the Strength and Spirits are much weakened by a common Looseness but the bloody Flux is most dangerous because the frequent endeavours to go to Stool greatly disturb the Womb. As to the Cure of these Fluxes whereof great Care ought to be had in time for they occasion Miscarriages the Woman afflicted with a Lientery ought to use meat of easie digestion and little at a time that so her Stomach may be able to concoct it and she ought to drink Claret mixed with water wherein Iron hath been quenched and before and after Meals a little burnt Wine or good Canary may be drank or a little Marmalade of Quinces may be eat If it be only a loosness and is gentle and is not of long continuance it needs not be much regarded and therefore ought to be left to Nature but if it continues five or six days some gentle purging Medicine ought to be used as Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb or the like But great care ought to be taken in the bloody flux lest by its continuance it should cause miscarriage In this case the ill humours must be first purged off with Syrup of Succory and Rhubarb or the like and Broaths made of Veal and Chicken with cooling herbs in them must be used to qualifie the Acrimony of the humours and she must drink Claret wine and Water wherein Iron has been quenched or half a Spoonful of Syrup of Quinces may be mixed with Water and every other Night at Bed time after purging she may take fifteen or 20 Drops of liquid Laudanum and Glisters may be injected made of Calves Head or Sheeps head Broath and to prevent the frequent Endeavours of going to Stool a Glister made of Milk and the Yolk of an Egg mixed may be now and then injected When a Woman is with Child generally speaking she ought not to have her Courses because their ordinary passage is stopt and also because the Blood is then employ'd for the Nourishment of the Child yet some big bellied Women have their monthly purgations till the fifth Month and yet go out their time and do very well A Woman having her courses thought she was not with Child and because she found her self indisposed she advised with a Physician who by Bleeding and purging her made her miscarry after she had bin three Months gone with Child It is to be noted that when Women with Child have a Flux of Blood you must carefully consider whither it be the ordinary Courses or a real Flooding if if it be the ordinary Courses the Blood comes at the accustomed times and flows by degrees from the Neck near the inward Orifice of the Womb and not from the Bottom of it as may be perceived if trying with a Finger you find the inward Orifice quite closed which could not be if the Blood issued from the Bottom It must be likewise considered whether the Courses flow by reason of the Superfluity of the Blood the Acrimomony of it or the weakness of the Vessels If abundance of Blood be alone the Cause there being more than enough for the Nourishment of the Child it injures neither Mother nor Child but is a Benefit to both provided it be moderate But if there be not abundance of Blood and if the Woman use to have but a small quantity of her Courses before she was with Child it is a sign that the Flux proceeds from the Heat and Acrimony of the Blood or the Weakness of the Vessels To prevent this Flux when
Swathes pretty hard bringing them also round the Hips then take whites of Eggs beaten and a dram of Pepper in Powder which being spread upon Tow is to be applied warm to the Navel then let the Belly be well swathed This is the only remedy to ease the Pain CHAP. X. Against the extreme loss of blood which happens to women immediately after their delivery THere are many women which immediately after their Delivery do suffer great loss of blood which proceeds from a great plentitude or fulness or by reason that in their travel they took too many hot and corrosive medecines or by straining themselves too hard over-heated the blood so that after Travel it runs from them in great quantity To remedy this the woman ought to take a small quantity of wine in a spoon and if the weakness be much let her mix half a dram of Alkermes with a draught of wine and take care that she be well swaithed upward for that presses down and streightens the vessels and hinders the violent flux Give her also the yolk of an Egg to take for that recalls the natural heat to the stomach which was dispersed through the whole It would be necessary also to spread along the reins of the woman and all along the back-bone by reason of the hollow vein a napkin dipt in Oxicrate or Water mingled with Vinegar You may also lay upon each groin a Skein of raw Silk moistned in cold Water Take also of that well tempered Earth of which they make the Floor of an Oven and steep it in strong Vinegar then spread it upon a linnen Cloath and lay it upon the Reins this moderates the heat of the Blood and stops the violent flux of it Great care must be also had that all the while the blood comes from her she do not sleep for many times they are taken away in that weakness when the people think they do but take their Rest But when you see this great Flux moderated you may take away the astringent Medicines by little and little so that the Blood may cease running by degrees lest any blood should be retained that may chance to do mischief CHAP. XI What is to be done to a woman presently after her Delivery PResently after a woman is delivered if she have had a sore Travel they ought to cast her into the skin of a Sheep flead alive and put about her Reins as hot as may be upon her Belly also lay the Skin of a Hare flead alive having cut the Throat of it afterwards and rubbed the Skin with the Blood which is to be clapt as warm as may be to her Belly This closes up the dilatations made by the Birth and chases from those parts the ill and melancholy Blood These remedies are to be kept on two hours in Winter and one hour in Summer After this swathe the Woman with a Napkin about a quarter of a yard large having before chafed the belly with Oyl of St. John's-wort Then raise up the Matrix with a linnen Cloath many times folded then with a little pillow about a quarter of a yard long cover her Flanks then use the Swathe beginning a little above the Hanches yet rather higher than lower winding it pretty tite Lay also warm Cloaths upon the nipples letting alone those remedies which are proper for the driving back of the Milk which are not so soon to be applied for the body is now all in a commotion and there is neither vein nor artery which doth not beat Wherefore those Remedies that chase away the Milk being all dissolving therefore it is not proper to put such Medicines upon the Breast during that commotion for fear that those medecines should make a stop of any thing hurtful in those parts and therefore it is better to give ten or twelve hours for the Blood to settle in as also for that which was cast upon the Lungs by the agitation of Travel to distil down again into its place You may also make a restrictive of the white and yellow of an Egg beaten together with an Ounce af Oyl of St. John's wort and an ounce of Oyl of Roses an ounce of Rose-water and an ounce of Plantain-water beat all these together very well in this you may dip a linnen cloath folded double and apply it without warming of it to the Breasts This comforts and eases the pains of that part She must not sleep presently but a matter of four hours after her delivery you may give her some nourishing Broth or Caudle and then if she will she may sleep CHAP. XII Of women that have a great deal of Blood and purge not neither in their travel nor after SOme women have great Superfluity of Blood and yet purge not at all neither in their Travel nor afterwards to which if remedies be not applied the Women do run great Hazards and Dangers in their lying in great Suffocations of the Matrix and continual Feavers this may be remedied being first informed of their natural disposition before they were with Child knowing that when they had their purgations they had them in great quantity and for a good while together as also when they came being a gross and thick Blood and therefore seeing that now they do not purge in great quantity and that they have divers unquietnesses weaknesses of the Stomach and pains of the head wherefore you may give her in the Morning a little Syrup of Maiden-hair and hysop-Hysop-water mingled together and Syrup of Wormwood with White-wine in their broths you may boyl Jacines and opening Herbs keeping the belly soluble with Clysters she must eat no solid Meat she must be well chafed from the Groins down to the very Ankle-bone always strokeing and carrying the hand down-ward Blood-letting also in the Foot in the morning is not amiss as also fome Fumigation that cleanses the Matrix and draws down the Blood Yet care must be had that these last Remedies be not used before the Matrix be put into its place for fear that these remedies should draw it down too low but about eight or ten Days after the Matrix was put into its place For cleansing the Matrix you may use this Receipt Take Pellitory Sanicle Camomile Melilot Greenbalm Red-balm white Mullein Mallows Marsh-mallow Betony Margeram Nipp March-violets Mugwort take of each a like quantity and cut them small and let them boyl in a new pot with three pints of good White-wine let the Woman take the fume of this Receipt three times in a day if she have any gross Blood in the Matrix it will undoubtedly bring it down You may also chafe the Womans Belly with Oyl of Violets this helps the Purgations being once dissolved The reason why this thick Blood stays in these parts is because the Woman having it before she was with Child the heat of the Womb when she is with Child redoubling thickens it more so that when she comes to lie down it cannot flow so that it is
Matrix by reason of which glutinous Humours the Secondines stick to the Matrix These are no way else to be pulled away but by the Hand of the Midwife Thirdly the Secondines are hard to come away if all the waters come away with the Infant for then the Secondines being left without moisture cannot come away by reason of the driness of the womb besides that the Matrix and the Neck of the womb are rougher by reason of the driness thereof for these waters render the way slippery and easie both for the Infant and for the Secondines which being slipped away the womb is to be anointed with Juices and Oils Fourthly when the Mouth of the Matrix by reason of the pains of Child-bearing swells as often happens unless there be a provident care taken to prevent it Fifthly when the Neck of the Matrix is streighter and more close and for that reason fat Women travel with much more difficulty Therefore when the Secondines do make any extraordinary stay the Midwife is to use all her endeavour to make way for them for that retention causes suffocation and divers other Evils for being long detained they putrifie and cause an evil smell which ascending up to the Heart Liver Stomach Diaphragme and so to the Brain cause pains in the Head and Lungs shortness of Breath Faintness cold Sweats so that there is great danger and also Apoplexies and Epilepsies are not a little to be feared Now in all the time of their stay the Women are to be refreshed with convenient Food to add strength to them giving them sometimes the Yolks of Eggs boiled in old wine with Sugar and sprinkled over with Saffron and Cinamon or some Broth made of Capon or Hen seasoned with Cinamon and Saffron It may not be amiss to make certain Perfumes for the Woman to receive up into her womb made of Saffron Castor Myrrh and Cinamon of each the quantity of a Bean and care must be had that the Fume pass no further than the Matrix and this may be done till the Fume of these Spices shall cease After this a little sneezig Powder is to be put into to her Nostrils composed of Hellebore or such like the Woman shutting her Mouth hard and keeping her Breath If these things prevail not give her this following Potion Take Trochisch of Myrrh ten grains of Saffron one Scruple of Cinamon Penny Royal waters two ounces make of this one draught and give her after she hath taken this and rested a little while let a Pessary of Hellebore and Opoponax wrapt up in pure wool be thrust up into the neck of the womb This will certainly bring down the Secondines for it is of so great vertue that it is efficacious in expelling the Child which is dead together with the Secondines Take Mallows Hollihock Wormwood Mugwort Calamint Origanum each one handful make a Bath and let her sit therein up to the Navel and stroke ever downwards with her Hands and give her inwardly Myrrh a Scruple Cinamon poudered in nutmeg-Nutmeg-water or wine or drink Calamint or Penny-Royal in wine Neither will it be amiss to anoint the Matrix with the Ointment called Basilicon if this doth nothing avail toward the bringing down of the Secondines and that the Woman is in great danger of her life then with the Consent of her Husband and Kindred give her seven of the following Pills which being taken let her lie still 'till the vertue of them do provoke new Pains for they are of so great Vertue that they also do expel the dead Child together with the Secondines yet herein it will not be amiss to consult the skilful Physician The Pills are these Take of Castor Myrrh Liquid Storax of each a scruple the bark of Cinamon or Cassia and Birthwort of each half a scruple Agaric half an ounce Diagridium 6 grains Saffron Siler of the Mountain Savin of each 3 gr Thebaic Opium Assa faetida of each one gr mingle all these with as much extracted Cassia as is sufficient and make of them certain Pills as big as pease and give them to the Woman in a small quantity of Penny-Royal water It may be also expedient to apply this ensuing Plaister Take one part of Coloquintida boiled in water and as much of the juice of Rue with these mingle Lineseed Fenugreek Barly meal of each a spoonful let them all boil together and the Plaister made of these must be laid upon all that part from the Navel to the Privities CHAP. XXVIII Of cases of Extremity and first what is to be done to a Woman who in her Travail is accompanied with a flux of blood and with Convulsions IN the first place great care must be had as to the situation of the Woman The Woman in this case must be laid cross her Bed where she must be held by some one that hath strength that she may not slide or move her self in the operations of the Chirurgion Her thighs must be held hard and wide abroad with her legs bent backwards towards her Hips and her Head leaning upon a Bolster the reins of her Back and her Crupper being a little elevated with certain pillows put underneath her Thighs besides this she must be well cover'd with linnen Cloaths laid upon her stomach Belly and Thighs to defend her from the cold and wind Being thus situated the Chyrurgion ought to put up his Hand being first well opened within the neck of the womb to remove all those clots of blood which may lie there to obstrust the passages of the blood He may then try if the interiour neck of the womb be sufficiently dilated that he may put in his hand and move the Infant if it be needful which must be done as gently and with as little violence as may be He must anoint it on all parts with sweet-butter or good Pomatum and so opening it by little and little he may put his hand quite in and if the waters are not yet come down he may without any difficulty let them forth and then at the same instant if the Infant comes with the head forwards he shall gently turn it to find out the feet and when he hath found one of them he shall gently draw it forth and immediately tye a riband about it with a knot hanging downward then let him put it in again suffering part of the riband to hang out that he may more easily be able to find out the other foot which he shall quickly do by thrusting up his hand along the thigh of the Infant when he hath found it he shall take the other foot and draw them both together at an even length giving the woman now and then some leisure to breath but urging her still to strain her self when she feels the pains coming on her Then shall the Chirurgion or Midwife take a fine linnen cloth and wrap about the thighs of the Child lest by taking it naked his fingers should slip in that manner drawing
it forth 'till it appear all come forth observing still that the Belly and the Face be still kept downward Now if the woman hath a flux of blood and that the neck of the Matrix be open the Chirurgion ought to consider whether the Infant or the Secondines come forth first of all for it oftentimes happens that the Secondines passing toward the mouth of the Matrix do so stop and obstruct it that they do not give leave for the Child or the Waters to come forth so that some perceiving that softness are presently of opinion that the mouth of the Womb is not open But this the Midwife or Chirurgion may easily discern by thrusting up the middle finger as high as may be and feeling therewith the circumference of the neck of the Womb by which they will soon perceive whether the Womb be dilated or no and whether it be the Secondines that present themselves Now when it is found to be the Secondines and that they cannot easily come forth the Midwife may with her two fingers widen the passage that she may have thereby the liberty to put up her hand and seek for the Infant Now if the Secondines be not placed in the middle they must be turned a little as quickly as may be that you may more conveniently seek for the feet of the Infant to draw it forth as we have said In such a case as this all care must be had that nothing be broken and that every thing be brought out whole for so though the woman should die the Midwife or Chirurgion would be blameless If the Secondines come first the best way is to deliver the Woman with all the expedition that may be by reason of the great fluxes of blood that will follow by reason that the veins are opened But here are two things to be considered the first is whether the Secondines are much or little come forth if they are but little advanced they must be put back with care and diligence and if the head of the Child appear first it must be guided directly toward the neck of the Womb as in the most natural birth but if there appear any difficulty in the birth by reason of the weakness either of the Child or of the Mother then the most convenient way will be to seek for the Feet as we have said before Another thing to be observed is that if the Secondines be so far advanced that they cannot be put back and that the Child follow it close then are the Secondines to be pulled away with all the care and expedition that can be and to be laid aside without cutting the Entrail that sticks to them for by that you may be guided to the Infant which whether it be alive or dead is to be pulled out by the feet with as much care and quickness as may be though it is not to be done but in case of great necessity for otherwise the Secondines ought to come last If the Child be dead in the Womb of the Mother the Woman is then to be situated in the same posture as when she is troubled with a flux of blood If it present it self dead with the head foremost and that there is little or no hope that the woman may be delivered without assistance and that her strength begins to fail her the most certain and safe way is to put up the hand For the Chirurgion must then slide up his left hand being hollowed as when a Man strives to hold water in it causing it to slide in the neck of the Womb along the lower part thereof toward the feet and that between the head of the Infant and the neck of the Matrix And having thus opened the Womb with his left hand he shall with his right put up his hook above his left hand between the head of the Child and the flat of his hand and fix in in the bone of the temple toward the ear or else in the hollow of the eye or in the Occipital bone keeping his left hand still in its place after this gently moving and stirring the head with his left hand with his right hand holding the hook well fixed he shall draw the Child forth by degrees exhorting the Woman all the while to force and strain her self with all her power and then is the best time to draw forth the Child when the pains shall seize her now if it happen that he lose his hold in one place the danger is nothing for he hath the liberty to fix his Instrument better in another place The head being thus drawn forth he must with all speed that may be slip his hands down the Child's arm-holes to draw forth his shoulders and the rest of his body In the mean while it will be requisite to give the Woman a small draught of wine or a tost sopt in wine of Hipocras If after these Medicines following adhibited the Child make no haste into the World but lies unmoved in the Womb then you may proceed to Instruments after another manner First of all as soon as the Woman is brought to bed let her take this following potion hot and abstain from all other meat and remain quiet for the space of an hour or two 'till she feel the power and efficacy of the Medicine Take seven cut Figs Fenugreek Motherwort-seed and Rue of each two drams water of Peny-royal and Motherwort of each six ounces boil all these to the consumption of half strain them and to the straining add Trochischs of Myrrh one dram three grains of Saffron Sugar as much as is sufficient make one draught of this and spice it with a little Cinamon After she hath rested a little upon this let her again return to her travel at what time certain perfumes must be made ready of Trochischs composed of these following Spices to be cast on the coals and so used as that the perfume may only come to the Matrix and no further Take Castor Sulphur Galbanum Opoponax Pigeons-dung Assa-faetida of each half a dram mingle all these with the juyce of Rue and make a Trochisch of them in the form of a Filberd If these produce no effect you may use this following Emplaister Take Galbanum an ounce and a half Coloquintida without the grains two drams the juyces of Rue and Motherwort new wax as much of each as is sufficient of each make a plaister Let this be spread upon a cloth to reach from the Navil to the Privities and in breadth to both the sides which she may keep on for the space of an hour or two A Pessary may be also convenient made of Wool and closed over with silk and then moistned in the following Decoction Take of round Birth-wort brought from France Savin and Coloquintida with Grains Staves-acre black Ellebore of each half a dram bruise these together and make a Pessary with as much of the juyce of Rue as is sufficient But now if all these things
of burnt-lead unwasht Aniseed one dram and as much wax as is sufficient Of the watry Tumour of the Breast THE watry tumour is ingendered by a thick and watry flegm gathered together in great abundance in the Breast and parts adjoyning and it happens many times that this watry and flegmy substance is not always gathered to one particular place but also diffused through all the parts of the Breast which causes a general swelling in that part This swelling that we may define it is a loose and soft tumour without much pain yielding to the touch and pressing of the fingers so that the hole which is made by the pressing of the fingers remains a pretty while after yet it soon becomes painful if there be any Acrimony joyned with it or if there be any distention by reason of the press of Vapours to that part This oftentimes happens by reason of the suppression of the Courses sometimes it is occasioned by reason of a clear and watry flegm which discharges it self upon these parts This swelling is easily distinguished from other swellings by reason of the looseness and softness thereof and by the pain which is always less than in other swellings and in this kind of tumour the pain ascends up to the arms and shoulders and the whole Breast is altogether swoln and raised and this pain comes at certain times chiefly when the Flowers ought to come down which being once come down the pain diminishes by reason that the Woman is then throughly Purged Yet notwithstanding there doth remain some certain kind of swelling which happens not in the windy tumours by reason that the purgations of the Flowers do totally dissipate the matter of those swellings These flegmy tumours do easily turn into Cancers and are therefore to be diligently looked after As to the Cure of these tumours there is required first an orderly Diet which must be drying her Bread must be well baked and levened dryed Raisins parched Almonds Asparagus rosted Flesh and small Birds Before meat she may take a little Honey of Roses upon a wafer-cake For her drink let it be the decoction of Aniseeds China-roots Sassafras and Sarsaparil If the retention of the Flowers be the cause of this evil let her then use rather boyled than rosted meats and then let her boyl them with Sage Bettony and Hysop All meats made of Milk are dangerous as also sleep after dinner and unleavened bread You may in the next place use things to divert the humour as Frictions and Baths If her Flowers are suppressed let a vein be opened in the Feet Next after you have prepared the humour by the use of Syrups as those of Mint Wormwood Hysop Liquorish Maidenhair Hony of Roses with fennel-Fennel-water water of Hysop Marjoram Rosemary Betony Mint then may you use some Purges with those Pills call'd Sine quibus Agarick Pills and Cochy Pills If the Patient be strong and not to be worked upon by weak Physick you may then add two or three grains of Diagridium or of Troches of Alhandal these Pills are to be used for eight days half a dram at a time Another way may be by Topicks to attenuate and resolve for which purpose the Fomentations specified in the foregoing Chapters may be very fitly used being prepared with Vine-ashes or Figtree-ashes whereto a little Vinegar may be put though the use of things that drive back the humour are not here to be used you may also rub and chafe the Breast with this Oyntment Take of Oyl of sweet-almonds Oyl of Line-seed of each one ounce Ganders-grease of each half an ounce a little Diachylon instead of Wax a plaister of great Diachylon would not be amiss in this Disease if the Woman feel any pain or heat in her Breasts let her anoint them with Oyl of Roses a little burnt-lead and a little white wax or with a little Oleum Omphacinum and Oyl of sweet almonds tempered together in a Mortar In the dispersing and resolving of the humour you may use baths of Alum and Sulphur prepared with the decoction of Hysop Mint and Sage and after that such Oyntments as are most approved for the same purpose always taking heed of too boysterous Remedies If you would suppurate or mature the swelling you must use such Remedies as we have described in the following and foregoing Chapters the strongest of which you may here apply because the matter is more obstinate and tenacious mingling with them for that purpose other more effective Remedies as are the roots of Mallows Marsh-mallows Lillies Figs goose-grease and the like when the sore is opened you must tend it after the same manner as is before rehearsed There are other Remedies either to be taken inwardly or to be outwardly applied which serve to fortifie and comfort the Stomach as to take every morning a spoonful of Conserve of Rosemary preserved Orange or Trochisques of Aromaticum Rosatum Diagalanga or Diacuminum Of the Kernels in the Breasts THE Kernels of the Breast are little round Bodies soft and thin like a sponge which sometimes grow hard by reason of the phlegmy humour which is sometimes purely so and sometimes is mingled with other sharp and acrimonious humours But sometimes it comes to pass that not only the kernels of the Breast are swollen but also that there do grow others which ought not to be there which may not unfitly be termed a kind of Kings-evil being a swelling which proceeds of thick flegm or else of a thick mattry blood hardned under the skin they are caused many times by the detention of the flowers the blood oftentimes mounting up into the Breast The Cure of these is undertaken two ways by softning the hard tumour and preventing the Cancer and then also a strict diet is to be observed which must be moderately attenuating and by keeping themselves warm which is perform'd by moderate exercise before meals as also by using sulphury baths but full diet ease idleness and meats of hard digestion are very dangerous and indeed in all respects besides the cure is the same as is set down in the foregoing Chapter but if the kernel be swelled up with a sharp tumour those topicks are to be used that are prescribed also in the foregoing Chapter only in case the fluxion remain any time you may mingle those things which do a little more refresh such are oil of Roses and oil of Violets when the flux of humours ceases you may then add oyl of Camomile and Lillies and other such like things to dissolve and dissipate the humour If you find that this kernel is become a kind of Kings-evil you must then use stronger Medicines adding to the forementioned purgation a dram and a half of the root of Mechoacan or three drams of Diaturbith For topicks you may use such as do soften and dispel but such as are stronger than these we have expressed in the former Chapter You must at length when all other ways do fail use the operation of
within side with Oil of Henbane-seed Of the defect abundance and coagulation of the Milk THE defect of Milk arises from a double cause for either it is a defect in the blood which is dried up by reason of some hot maladies of the body either through intemperancy of the Liver through fasting or too much evacuation If the deficiency of milk come from these causes it may be increased again either by prepared Crystal The leaves also root and seed of Fennel do avail much in this particular and the powder of Earth-Worms prepared and drunk in Wine as also the Electuary called Electuarium Zacuthi There is another cause which proceeds from the Lactifying quality which is many times so weak that it can neither attract nor concoct the Blood by reason of some outward refrigerating and astringent qualities or by reason of some other Diseases The Cure of which being looked after in their respective places much conduceth to the restoring of that defect The redundance of milk proceeds from too great a plenty of blood and a strong lactifying quality In the cure of which the increase of blood is to be impeded which is done by drying up that humour and diversion to which blood-letting conduceth much Medicines also that drive it back are to be put upon the Breasts towards the Arms to which purpose Hemlock boiled in Chervil-water and Vinegar avails Curdling of the milk is when the thinner part of the milk exhales and the more gross and heavy part stays behind which many times is the cause of tumours kernels and Aposthumes In this case the Infant is not to suck the part affected though that Breast is also to be suckt for fear lest the milk which is newly generated should be curdled and knotted by that which is there already and so that part of the coagulated milk may be hindred from putrifying To the dissolving of the Milk it much conduceth to wash the Breast with Water Wine and Vinegar mixt together as also a Fomentation made of the decoction of Marsh-mallows Fenugreek and Melilote and then anointing them with a liniment of Oil of Roses Oil of sweet Almonds juice of Parsley and Vinegar wherein let the Gall of a Hare be first dissolved Hemlock water in this case also is not a little commended Of the Diseases of the neck of the Womb and first of the Disease called Tentigo TENTIGO is a Disease in Women when the Clitoris increases to an over great measure the subject of this Disease is the Clytoris or nervous piece of flesh which the lips or wings of the privities do embrace and which suffers erection in the act of Venery The signs of it are evident for it hangs below the orifice of the Privities as big as the neck of a Goose The causes hereof are a great concourse of Humours or nutriment by reason of the laxity of it which happens by often handling The Cure is performed by the diminution of the blood and drawing out of the other humours A slender and refrigerating diet is also necessary and such things as have a discussive faculty as the leaves of Mastick-tree and the leaves of Olive-tree In the next place by taking away the excrescence to which purpose gentle Causticks may be first applied as Allum and the Aegyptiack Ointment and that Lie whereof Sope is made being boiled with Roman Vitriol to which at last you may add some Opium and form the composition into Trochisques which being afterwards made into a powder is to be sprinkled upon the fleshy excrescence At length the flesh is to be out away either by binding hard or by section care being taken that you avoid an inflammation There is another Disease which is called Cauda which is a carnous substance proceeding from the mouth of the Womb which sometimes fills up the privy parts and sometimes thrusts it self outwards like a tail The Cure of this is the same with the former only if it come to Section it may be done either with a Horse-hair or a silken thread wound about it being first dipt in Sublimat water or else with a Knife Of the narrowness of the neck of the Womb. THIS narrowness is either of the Womb it self or of the Orifice of the Womb the signs are the stoppage of the Courses followed with a depressing and weighty pain The cause is partly natural from the Nativity and partly varies according to the differences of the Disease The difference is in this it hapning sometimes that this streightness consists in the exterior orifice whereby neither the Flowers have free passage neither can she enjoy coition or conceive with Child because she cannot receive either the Man or the Seed Sometimes the narrowness is in the interior orifice of the Womb into which the flowing retires back again to the absolute hindrance of Conception sometimes it is occasioned by way of compression when the Caul being fatter than ordinary lies upon the neck of the Womb. Sometimes the splaying of the thighs stone in the Bladder or some tumour in the straight gut Sometimes it happens by the clinging of other parts together which happens either from the Birth and then either the Flesh which appears red and is soft to the touch intercepts the passage or else the Membrane which seems white feels hard being touched In the Cure of this the use of moist Fomentations is very prevalent and an insection is to be made perpendicularly great care being taken for fear of hurting the neck of the Bladder The Humour is next to be provoked forth and a Tent dipt in some suppurating Plaister is to be put up the next day it is to be washed with water and Honey and cicatrizing Plaisters to be applied if it come after the Birth it is either occasionâ—d by an Ulcer and then either the sides of the neck cling together in which case either incision or cauterization is to be used or else there is a brawny substance which is to be cut away with a Pen-knife or else some spongy and luxuriant flesh in which case drying and dâ—â—cuâ—â—ng Medicines â—re to be used as Birthwort Frankincensâ— Myrrh and Mastick afterwards you may apply things to eat it away and last of all to cut it away by incision Of Wheals Condyloma's of the Womb and of the Hemorrhoids THE Wheals of the Womb are certain risings in the neck of the womb which by their acrimony excite both pain and itching The signs of them are an itching pain and full of scurf from that part for the better searching of which the Instrument called speculum Matricis is to be used The Causes of this are certain cholerick sharp and adust humours and thick Among the preparing Medicines Syrup of Fumitory is much commended and Chichory with a decoction of Lupines Topicks also are useful that discuss and mitigate the humour as Baths and insessions and the washing of the place with Wine and Nitre which is often to be used These Wheals are divided into gentle and
the hand to take away the root of the disease but this is not to be done 'till you have used all other means to soften and dispell the humour which may perhaps be done by the use of Diachylon or by a plaister of melilot to which you may add half an ounce of Ammoniach an ounce of Oly of Lillies and an ounce and an half of the root of Flower-deluce of Florence Neither may this following Plaister be amiss Take of the roots of Marsh-mallows two ounces boil them and strain them and add to that Oyl of Lillies Ganders-grease of each an ounce burnt Lead and roots of Orrice of each an ounce and an half mingle all these together and make of them an Emplaister If this avail not the operation of the Hand must be used in which the skill of the Surgeon must be very able and ready Of the Scirrhus of the Breasts THE Scirrhus of the Breasts is a hard swelling without pain Of this there are two kinds the one ingendred of a Melancholy and produced by a feculent and gross blood or else from a thick Flegm now this exquisite Scirrhus is without pain in which it differs from the other The other is not so exquisite an hardness perhaps because it is not yet come to its full maturity or else because it hath certain other humours mixt with it This exquisite kind of Scirrhus is ingendred either because the Spleen is obstructed and cannot purge away the melancholy Blood which for that reason abounding in the Body discharges and empties it self upon the Breasts or by reason of the supression of the Courses which causes the feculent and gross humour to disgorge it self upon the Breast gathering together in the Veins and Flesh of the same Many times the ignorance of the Surgeon is the cause of it when they apply an unreasonable company of refrigerating Medicines to the inflammations of the Breast or too many resolving and heating Medicines to it in case the Breasts be over-hard This Scirrhus is known by its hardness without pain from the unevenness of the Body and the colour of the part either inclining to black or brown Now though the cure of these hardnesses be something difficult yet is there great hopes that they may be overcome which is to be done two ways by mollifying diligently that which is hard and by taking that away which remains hard and knotty in the Breast And first of all care is to be had to keep good order of diet to which purpose she must use Wheaten bread rear Eggs Pullets Capons Partridge Veal and Mutton which must be boiled with Spinage Bugloss and Borage she must abstain from Beef Venison Hares-flesh and Brawn from Pease and Beans and unlevened Bread from all Salt and Smoaked Meats as also from all things that have a sharp biting quality also she must abstain from all care and sadness immoderate exercise and going in the Winds If the monthly Courses be stopt you must seek to provoke them gently which may be done by letting Blood in the Foot or to let blood with Horse-leeches In the next place it will not be amiss to purge well with Sena and Rheubarb to which you may add Catholicon or Triphera Persica if you find that the Disease needs a more strong purgation Between every purge it will not be amiss to take good Cordial and Comfortable things as Confection of Alkermes Triasantalon Electuarium de gemmis conserve of the Roots of Borage Conserve of Orange-flowers You may after all this use Topicks that is to say such Medicines as heat and dry moderately being hot in the second degree and dry in the first such are Sheeps grease especially that greasie substance that grows upon the flank of a Sheep Wax Oyl of sweet Almonds Oyl of Camomile Oyl of Dill Capons-grease Goose-grease Hogs-grease Bears-grease c. Veal-marrow Deers-marrow Emulsions of Mallows Lillies and other things of more force As liquid-pitch Liquid Storax Galbanum Cummin-seed Rue-seed Broom-flowers and Dill-seed If this swelling come of a hard Flegm which is known because it yields not so much to the touch as the other you must use the same Topicks to this as to the watry tumour before rehearsed If melancholy be the cause of it you may use a Fomentation of the leaves of Mallows and Marsh-mallows of each a handful and a half of Fenugreek and Lineseed of each two drams Cucumbers Bears-foot of each two ounces boil them in as much water as is sufficient and Foment the breast with this twice or thrice a day After that take this Oyntment Take of the root of Mallows one ounce when it is boiled and bruised take it out and add to it Sheeps grease and Capons-grease of each two ounces and with a little Wax make an Ointment This you may use for some few days after which you may if need require use this Ointment Take Hysop-leaves Dill-leaves and Thyme-leaves of each half a handful roots of Mallows and Fenugreek-seed of each half an ounce boil them in as much Wine and Vinegar as is sufficient 'till half be boiled away then take of the aforesaid Vinegar Goose-grease Ducks-grease and the marrow of the leg of a Hart of each two ounces boil it to the Consumption of half the Vinegar You may add to this two drams of Diachylon and make it into the form of a Plaister You may also use for this purpose plaisters of Melilot or Oxycroceum At length if all remedies fail the operation of the hand must be the last succour which we leave to the Surgeon In the Cure of a Scirrhus three intentions are required the first is the regulation of Diet and manner of living the second is the preparing and evacuating the antecedent or peccant Humour the third is the application of external Medicines in order to the first the Air ought to be clear and temperately hot and moist their Food such as may breed good blood as new laid Eggs Chicken Pullets Mutton Veal Lamb Kid and these boyled with Spinage Borrage Endive Succory Lettice Sorrel and the like their Bread ought to be of good Wheat and well baked their Drink a well boiâ—ed small Ale or small white Wine Rhenish or the like their exercise and sleep must be moderate their minds must be chearful and their bodies soluble by Glisters or otherwise The second intention is the evacuation of the Humour which abounds in the Body whether flegm or Melancholy be the cause of the Scirrhus or whether it proceeds from obstructions of the Courses or a suppression of the Hemorrhoids if from any of these causes blood abounds and be feculent bleeding is allowed but if Bloud do not abound forbear bleeding and proceed in preparing and evacuating the humours the Antients used for preparatives the Syrrups of the juice of Borrage Bugloss of Hops of Apples and the Bizantine Syrup and the like and also the destill'd waters of the same Plants or Whey The following are also used Gerion's decoction of
Mayern Physician to His late Majesty King CHARLES the First Of Ever Blessed Memory In which are contained the sufficient Testimonies of the renowned and happy successes of his management in his general Practice on the greatest Ladies of the Court and Country in the use of so publick a benefit as that of the Excellent Art of MIDWIFRY LONDON Printed in the Year 1696. TO THE Understanding Reader I Shall not need to spend many words in recommending to the World these present Observations and Experiments in Midwifry since had not my own knowledge and experience of them warranted me to give a sufficient testimony of them It had been enough to say that they were the Collections of a Person of so great a fame and therefore of so general a practice for a long series of years both abroad and in this Nation that not to mention his universal insight in all parts of Learning his judgment chiefly in matters of this nature ought not to be suspected He must needs be an absolute stranger to all the Concerns of publick fame and the knowledge of eminent men who hath not been very well acquainted though living in the remotest part of this Nation with the high reputation of Sir Theodore Mayern who not only as he was Physician to the late King but by the proof he had given of his eminent skill and perfection in his faculty has gained the greatest esteem and generality of practice at Court and among the Nobility of any man in his time By which it appears that these present Receipts extracted from the Musaeum of this excellent Person have been frequently made use of by himself among the greatest Ladies of Court and Countrey Upon this account I having had the fortune as being a near Relation of his to get these among several other of his Papers into my hands should have thought my self very injurious to the World if I had not taken the first opportunity to communicate to the publick view a matter of so publick a benefit especially since it is a business of no less importance than the preservation of Life to be very cautious what to make choice of and not easily to be satisfied with every thing that may have rashly and without mature judgment been publisht of this Subject The truth is among all the Treatises of Midwifry that I have seen set forth in our Language I have not met with any to which I can more willingly subscribe my approbation than to the works of Madam Lowise Burgeoise late Midwife to the Queen of France Therefore hearing of a second Edition of the said Treatise to come forth I thought it most convenient to annex thereunto this collection more considerable for its quality than quantity the experiences of the one having been no less approved among the Ladies of the French Court than those of the other among our great Ladies of England To conclude I shall not for this supplement go about to implore the favourable censure of the Courteous Reader but commit it to the fortune of that free reception which it cannot but meet with both from the advantageous Testimony I have alledged and the beneficial Effects I dare promise it will produce RARE SECRETS Brought to LIGHT Which for many years were locked up in the breast of that most Famous and Learned Physician Sir Theodore Mayern Physician to His late MAJESTY King CHARLES the First of ever Blessed Memory To know the time of Delivery whereby the woman may know the better how to prepare her self THE natural time of Delivery falls out to be at the end of nine months especially if at that season the Woman be wont to have her natural purgations or else if at nine Months end she happen to be near the full or the new Moon For these things hapning together not only hasten her Delivery but also facilitate the Labour To this end it is necessary that a Woman should be careful to remember and take notice of the time of her Conception that she may be able to govern her self according to the seasons as she grows near her time It is also very necessary for Women to have in memory the days and seasons of their natural Purgations not only in regard of their delivery but also in regard of several Maladies and Diseases which upon this occasion happen at the said time and of which no person can rightly judge of the cause unless those things be well known Now if it happen that a woman have mistaken or forgot as not being rightly able to observe either because of some retention extraordinary or some extraordinary and tedious flux of her natural Purgations she may redress her self by the means which follow Most commonly and ordinarily women have their natural Purgations from the age of fourteen years to twenty one at the new Moon after that from twenty one to thirty in the first quarter from thirty to thirty seven or thirty eight they have them at the full of the Moon from thirty seven to the time that they begin to cease in the last quarter Signs which precede Delivery THE Woman having a regard to the end of the nine Moons as also to the times of the full and new Moons as also to the time that she uses to have her Purgations as hath been said she must be provided of all things for her assistance and preservation Now when her Delivery is near she shall know by these signs Great pains in her groins thighs the small of her belly and all the lower parts of the Navel together with swellings and hardness in the said places Shiverings and shakings through the whole body as at the coming of an Ague after that again a sudden heat feebleness lassitude and small sweats upon the face after which the blood being inflamed rises up into the face which causes a heat and redness great unrest and changing from hot to cold from strong to weak from weak to strong and she shall feel the Child to make violent thrusts There will come bloody water from the lower parts When these signs but especially the bloody waters appear then she ought to commit her self to the care of the Midwife for before 't is in vain and may prove dangerous Nature hath so well ordered her works that the Matrix never opens it self before the time prefixed at which time these signs appear and therefore a woman ought to be very diligent in the observance of the said seasons and signs To cause the Woman to contain the Birth TAke Mint Roses Marjoram Saffron Musk as much as suffices of each put them into a bag to be hung about the neck so that it may reach to the stomach this will keep the womb from falling low An Emplaister to hinder the Monthly Flux in Women with Child TAke Oyl of Roses white Wax juyce of Male-knot-grass of each 2 ounces Bole-Armoniack Crocus Martis each six drams of this make a plaister when the Flux comes down let the woman contain