blood-warm Against terms it Child-bearing Lastly if whilst she goeth with child she perceiveth her terms let her eat milk made boyle with red-hot steel and in that let Plantain and Comfrey be boyled But in all these cases let her advise with learned Physitians which will direct them with medicines and advice from time to time I shall now treat of some few distempers incident to child-bed and leave you some choice Remedies in the following Sections and then wind up all SECT XXX Of the Retention of the Lochia in Child-bed known by the name of Courses though improperly so called and of their immoderate Flux THE retention or suppression of the Lochia in Child-bed Hippoc. lib. de natura pueri by the consent of Hippocrates as well as other Learned Doctors to which daily experience may be added brings the greatest inconveniences to women Purgations of women in Child-bed Hippo. ibid. and often death it self I shall therefore in this Section treat of the purgations of women in Child-bed which Hippocrates determines to be at the most but 40 daies By the Levitical Law 33 daies was in case of a male Levit. cha 12. verse 4. and for a female 66 daies ve 5. if the women bring forth a female and 30 daies to a male But withal saith that a woman is passed all danger after 20 daies purgation Now if women be not sufficiently purged in Child-bed either it causeth a great * A swelling hot and red Phlegmon in the womb by reason of the inflammation of the blood or else those lochia being carried to some higher part bring dangerous affects to the part that receiveth them as Squinancies Pleurisies Fevers Frenzie Nauseousness Unquietness Dropsies and what not Cause The cause of their retention is generally cold by reason of the ambient air which the woman receiveth in her delivery Ambient air perhaps through the improvidency of Midwives who most commonly take more care of the child than of the woman or else by reason that the woman may be delivered in some cold moist room which cold suddenly rushing into the inward parts of the womb suddenly stoppeth them See Sect. the fifth Therefore Midwives must not only be very wary in this case as hath been already hinted in the latter end of the fifth Section to which I refer you but also proceed to the Cure The Cure A Glyster First then this Clyster may be given Take of the roots of Marshmallows * Aristolchia â—…ga 〈◊〉 long round Birthwort of white Lillies of each half an ounce of the leaves of Mallows Pellitory of the wall Mercury and Violets of each half a handful of Chamomel flowers Melilot flowers Elder flowers each two * A pugill is as much as may be held betwixt the thumb and two fingers pugills of the seeds of Dill Foenugreek and Seseli of each two drachms let these be boyled in spring-spring-water till a third part be consumed strain it and to ten ounces of the straining dissolve the yelk of two eggs of Sal-Gemm and unguent de Arthanita each one drachm oyle of Dill and of Bayes each half an ounce of these make a Glyster A bagg You may also make a bagg triangular whereof you see a description with its use in the xxvth Section in which you may quilt these herbs following being grosly bruised and pounded Take of the roots of long and round Birth-wort of Gentian Angelica Bryonie * Cyclamine Sowbread of the herbs of Mugwort Balm Savin Orgamint and Calamint of each one handful of the flowers of Chamemile Ingredients for the bagg Tansy and Elder each half a handful of the seeds of Dill Caraway Anniseeds and Seseleos each one drachm These being mash'd and pounded and quilted into a bagg big enough to cover the lower part of her belly and privities and well secured with strings must be boyled in spring-water and applyed warm Two baggs best to be applyed the one hot whilst the other groweth cold but it were better to have two bags to apply as they grow cold The belly hips and thighs which by reason of the consent of parts must consequently sympathize with great pains may be anointed with this ointment Take of the oyle of Chamomile The ointment Lumbricorum Catellorum Hipericonis Dill and of the oyle of Eggs oyle of Worms whelps St. John's-wort with these mixed anoint the parts abovesaid warm At night you may let this Julep be given take of the waters of Balm A Julep and Mugwort of each one ounce of the water of Cinamon distilled without wine one ounce Confection of Alkermes half a drachm of Laudanum two grains of syrup of Poppy half an ounce the bagg may be renewed as need shall require warming it in the liquor in which it was first boyled the next day you may repeat both the Glyster and the bagg and expect good success After which if the woman be plethorick A Purge you may purge her with Manna and syrup of Roses in broth and this may be given after seven daies lying in I come now to speak somewhat of the immoderate flowing of them Immoderate flowing of the Lochia which must be considered as well as being stop'd there being danger in either for 't is well observed by Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hipp. Aph. 51. Lib. 2. Omne nimium vertitur in vitium The Causes that every thing wherein is excess is an enemie to nature Therefore let us endeavour to stop them in their over-much flowing with a very great caution lest by stopping them all together there follow worse effects It happens many times that both after the birth and miscarrying that there floweth out such a quantity of blood by reason of the eruption or apertion of the vessels immoderately or by reason of the great fervor of the blood proceeding from the use of over-hot Remedies in laborious births To remedy them Then First use such alimentary food as may incrassate and thicken the blood Cure by Diet. as Panadoes Gellies Rice in the broth of Calves-feet Pears boyled Quince and Roast-meats whereon the juice of Pomegranates have been sprinkled yelks of eggs Drink Their drink may be red Wine mix'd with water wherein steel hath been quenched then the blood may be drawn by revulsion to the upper parts either by Phlebotomy or Cupping-glasses under the papps c. Stupps dipp'd in vinegar water applyed to the loynes with an ointment The whole belly must be swathed there may be stupps dipp'd in Oxycrat and applied to the loyns after which take of Unguentum Comitissae two ounces of juice of Plantane one ounce beaten well together these things being not hard to be gotten I tender to you but when they will not be stop'd by these means 't were best to have recourse to Learned Physitians for advice SECT XXXI Of the Fever of Milk EUtrap Quest You have already
Another Betony Vervain each a handful Confection of Alkermes A scruple is twenty grains a scruple and half Sugar and Cinamon as much as will suffice to aromatize it the herbs being first boyled in posset-brink I shall give one general Cordial water which I shall not only commend to Midwives to have ever by them but also to other Gentlewomen it being a general Cordial water against most distempers Thus then Take Baulm Betony Pellitory of the wall A general Cordial-water sweet Marjoram Cowslip flowers of the flowers of Rosemary and Sage each a great handful of the seed of Annis sweet Fennel and Coriander Caraway and Gromel of each half an ounce of Cinamon Licoras and Nutmeg all bruised each one ounce of Juniper-berries one ounce and half let the herbs be shred and infused in a gallon of Brandy in an earthen pot well leaded for the space of a fortnight afterwards strein it and put in twelve ounces of Loaf-sugar Note that a gallon of Brandy added to the ingredients after streining makes as good water as the former if ordered so and of Musk and Ambergreece each two grains tyed up in silk and hang'd in the glass you may put in another gallon of Brandy after the first is streined Against immoderate flux of the Courses Take of the roots of Tormentill two drachms Bole-armeniack the best one drachm the species of Hyacinth Powder half a drachm all made into fine powder of which take half a drachm once in three hours in this following Julep The Julep Take of the a Res Aq. Scordii composit compound water of Scordium b Dracontii dragon-Dragon-water c Ulmariae Meadsweet of each three ounces of d Aceti Theriacalis Treacle-vinegar an ounce syrup of Coral two ounces burnt Harts-horn half a drachm make a Julep To facilitate the Birth drive out the Secundine false Conception and dead Child Take of the Trochischs of Myrrh one scruple of Borax half a scruple of Saffron three grains make a powder of these and take them in white-Wine or the decoction of Mugwort in Posset-ale after which drink a draught of the same Posset with some few drops of oyle of Amber or oyle of Juniper-berries infused in it Or this A Posset Take Mother of Time one handful of Pellitory of the wall and Chamomel-flowers of each half a handful of Fennel-seeds and Licoras each half an ounce Figs slit no. six boyl these in three pints of Posset-ale till one pint be consumed then sttein it and of this drink a good draught thrice in a day The next Receipt shall be directed to the false Conception and dead Child As thus Take Styrax Calamita Myrrh Cinamon Cassia lignea From the Apothecaries To provoke the flowers expell a dead child and false Conception of each half an ounce Mummy two drachms Saffron half a drachm make all these into fine powder this may be taken in white-Wine a drachm at a time for a week together or more To prevent Abortion Take Sanguis Draconis Red Coral both made into powder A powder to be taken in broth c. of each one drachm of Ambergreece three grains of Bezoar stone four grains of this powder a scruple at a time may be taken either in Mace-ale or Broth or Posset-drink wherein Plantane Comfrey Knot-grass Bramble-leaves Periwinckle with some Cinamon have boyled Or this A second powder Take Kermes-berries two drachms red Coral and white of each one drachm and half of Amber one scruple make these into powder and put them into a Poch'd-egg and sup it up do so till all be done Or this A third powder Take Mastich Frankincense Sang. Dracon Myrtill-berries Kermes-berries Bole-armeniack each half a scruple and take a drachm of the powder and fill the hole whence the stone is taken out in a Date moysten it in sack and wrap it up in a paper and put it under hot embers to be warmed and let those that fear Abortion eat it often A Caraplasme to the navil Take a hot manchet out of the oven cutting off the crust dip it in Muscadine and strew it with the powder of Nutmegs and Cinamon each as much as will suffice and apply this hot to the navil of the woman A plaister from the Apothecaries Take of Emplaster ad Herniam Caesaris each half an ounce Cocci Baphici one drachm made into powder Emplaster of Diacalcythios one ounce and with as much oyle of Myrtles as will suffice make a Plaister to be spread on leather and applyed between the hips Here may be used Unguentum Comitissae to the loins Unguent Of After-pains Causes of After-pains After-pains may proceed from the acrimony of the blood being thinn and sharp or from the grumous part of it being thick and clotted which nature endeavouring to discharge it self of as to the setling of the womb causeth these pains Inflations Ambient air As also Inflations by reason of the ambient air seems to imitate those pains with the Child-bearing which are not only Sympathetical but Symptomatical this being so usual few women are free from it And Cure because they often cease within two or three daies they seldome require a Physitians help Nevertheless that Julep before-mentioned in the 32th Section is very useful Or else The Julep in the 32th Section marked with this * Asterisk Take the inward bark of an Elm-tree and burn it to ashes to which adde Cinamon made into powder some 10 grains of Cinamon to one drachm of the ashes and drink it with white-Wine Or else Take of oyle of sweet Almonds two ounces syrup of Violets one ounce water of Penniroyal half an ounce for a draught Potion After-pains from windiness If the cause be from wind you may give a drachm of Barberries in powder in the water of Vervain or Baulm But most usually these pains are eased by Caudles made with half white-Wine Caudles and half water wherein Spermints Baulm Penniroyal or Mugwort have been boyled I will give you the form of a Caudle which is not only of great use in the sending forth of the secundine in case any piece of it should be left behind as sometimes it may happen but also to help nature in its work of throwing out this grumous blood which is the cause of the After-pains And this is it A Caudle in case any part of the Secundine be behind Take Oatmeal and Hempseed of each a sufficient quantity with a top of Baulm boyl these in a sufficient quantity of white-Wine and water of each a-like and with the yelk of one egg make a Caudle Of Convulsion-fits in infants newly born Take the best Sack and Sugar mull'd and give it the first thing it takes this will discharge the stomack of that viscuous flegm that ever accompanyeth infants Convulsions from viscuous phlegm possessing the stomack and nerves and not only warm the stomack
its overmuch moysture and an evil temperature of qualities and ventosities included in the womb as also Ulcers and Apostemations in the womb besides other distempers As are too many Courses too great a Flux of blood A caution to the Irish where these distempers are Epidemical and Sporadical too great a Looseness of the belly or too great Costiveness a Tenasmus called commonly a Needing a Cough a constant Sneezing and all things that shake the body too much and lastly any acute sickness which doth so afflict the womans body that by them the infant is deprived of its nourishment Quest The external causes of Abortion Answer Philadel Now then Mrs. pray inform me vvhat are the external causes of Abortion Eutrap Sir the external causes are many As first to fall to run to leap to ride to exercise too immoderately and to be smitten vvith strokes Again too much cold and too great heat for over-much cold killeth the child and too great heat intercepts the air from the infant and so suffocateth it in the womb and this may be done by hot baths if women use them in the first moneths after their conception Thirdly Stinking smells as the snuff of a candle or lamp newly extinguished Fourthly an absurd appetite and manner of eating and drinking as to cat salt coals dirt c. by which either ill humors or a dangerous thirst are procured Fifthly too great hunger for by overmuch fulness the infant is sooner suffocated the passages appointed for nourishment being the sooner obstructed Sixthly immoderate exercise and labours overmuch sleep and a continual laziness unseasonable and unreasonable watchings besides other accidents As sudden fury great wrath over-much fear and sorrow sudden joy and a dull appetite longing for that which is not to be had unsatiable copulation and lust Dr. Philadel Quest You have now discovered the causes of Abortion What I pray Mrs. Eutrapelia are the signs of Abortion Eutrap Answer Sings The signs of Abortion are twofold First before conception in those that use to miscarry as superfluous moysture sudden and unusual fatness against nature which was wont to be of slender and lean constitution or which are ever pained about the loyns and kidneys or fall suddenly into other dangerous diseases Signs of Abortion Secondly the signs of Abortion after conception are these viz. when the breasts that at first were turgid and hard are observed to grow flaccid and soft of a sudden if there be too great a flux and a continual flowing of the terms Moreover if there be horrors colds pains in the head or a swimming there be in the eyes these be sure signs of Abortion Dr. But Quest what are the signs of a dead child Answer Of a dead child Eutrap Where the child is dead Sir there is no motion perceived when the eyes of the woman sink when her colour is turned into a tawny whiteness when there are great pains about the navil and loyns when by reason of the lower parts being compressed there happeneth a Strangury a * A Needing â—enesmus Again when the ears the lips the top of the nostrils are taken with a pale coldness and the face swells and the belly though it sinketh not yet groweth soft so that lying to either side by the touch there may be perceived a hard mass Stinking breath a sign that the child beginneth to putrifie as also stinking breath an argument that the infant doth begin to putrifie These are manifest signs of a dead child The cure whereof I leave to the care of the expert Physitians and Chirurgeons SECT XXIX Rules for Child-bearing Women EUtrap According to your promise I beseech you Doctor lay me down some Rules to be observed by Child-bearing women Dr. Philadel Good Midwife I shall and that very necessary ones too that she may know how to go on safely through by Gods blessing to the last hour or by neglecting them may make her delivery the harder and I shall reduce them under ten heads First let her be chearful not breaking her self with mourning and careful anxiety for this doth exhilarate the infant Res sex non naturales and stirs up all the faculties and confirms it in its parts and members Secondly let her avoid all violent motion and abstain from all hard labours not rising up too hastily not leaping running dancing riding not lacing her self too streight or carrying too heavy a burden but surely sleep is very fit for her Thirdly let her beware of sharp and cold winds of excessive hear anger perturbations of the mind affrights terrors over-much venery and of intemperancy of eating and drinking Fourthly let the diet of breeding women be frugal and moderate abstaining from gross meats hard of digestion let her eat eggs chickens land-fowl birds of the mountains c. variety of broths grewels panadoes mutton veal lamb kid rabbets she may use in her meats nutmeg and cinamon she may drink wine moderately Fifthly in the first four moneths let her open no vein use no cupping or scarrifications fontanells nor use any pills or other Physick without the advice of a prudent Physitian for in these moneths the ligaments of the child are very tender soft and feeble and therefore the easier destroyed and the nourishment kept from him Sixthly if it shall happen that the woman be too costive by which many miscarry let her boyl spinage Against Costiveness and lettuce well buttered with salt and vinegar or wine which if they will not move the belly Suppositories let her use suppositories with honey and the yelk of an egg or of Castile-soap and if these common things will not do let her advise with an expert Physitian Seventhly if it happen that she conceive with grievous symptoms Symptoms and after conception is troubled with faintings let her take this Cordial following Take of sorrel-Sorrel-water and red-rose-red-Rose-water of each one ounce of cinamon-Cinamon-water one ounce Against fainting of Manus Christi pearled called in the Shops Saccharum tabulatum perlatum simplex half an ounce or as much Diamargariton this may be taken as need requires Eighthly if she fear that she may come too soon that is before her time as in the seventh moneth or some other unscasonable time and feels throws as of child-bearing occasioned by immoderate exercise too great costiveness from a Fever or some other disease A suffumigation Let her sit over a suffumigation of Frankincense for that contributes no small strength both to the matrix and to the infant also Ninthly if she nauseate her meat she may use a plaister of Mastich to her stomack and take this following Cordial every morning fasting to strengthen her stomack The Cordial Take syrup of Pomegranates one ounce and half of Mosch and Amber-greece of each two grains of Lignum Aloes finely powdered one scruple of Cinamon half a scruple the water of Sorrel three ounces let these be mingled and drank off
seed Quod si ex retento semine affectio proveniat nullum proponerem nffectae mulieri praestnntius auxilium quam viri sui frequeates amplexus Hieronymus Pulverinus Cap. XCI de Strangulatione Uteri then let nature here be their best director except they could construe the authority of * Learned Physicians with whom let them advis SECT XXXV Of the coming forth of the womb IN the last Section Mistriss I described how the womb might be moveable upwards yea from side to side I now come to speak of its motion downwards which sometimes is so low that it cometh forth and is to be seen outwardly and that which hangs out doth appear like a soft The signs Scrotum and round tumor and like the Testicles of a man but the pain and the heat possess the privities and bottom of the belly and the urine distilling by some and some vexeth the privities The causes may be many as The causes First when a woman from on high falleth upon her hips those skins and membranes which support the womb and tye it to the neighbouring parts being broken The second cause is by extraction of the Secundine as hath been formerly set forth in the 26th Section that through the unskilfulness of the Midwife The third Cause is by a sudden and immoderate flux of blood as is usually in Abortions as hath been shewed in the 5th Section The fourth Cause is by an artificial extraction of a dead child or overmuch holding the breath to blow or carrying of too great a weight The fifth is oftentimes through overmuch humors and the defluxions of them and often bearing of children which makes those Appendices to which the womb depends relaxed and loosed The sixth and last is through some vehement passion of the mind being affrighted with the sudden tydings of the loss of children incursions of enemies dangerous Sea voyages and sometimes from neither of these Old age but from old age it self or much weakness But now as to the Cure in which observe these Prognosticks by the way Prognosticks That when this affection is new the womb is easily reduced to its proper place and being right put up it continues there especially in the prime of age and may both conceive and bring forth again but in riper years it becomes contracted it may be put up truly but upon the least occasion slips out again And in short this All fallings down of the womb which are not and cannot be cured by proper means shew that the Appendices as aforesaid are either laxed or broken The Cure The Cure is First to provide Glysters to be administred by which the strait gut may be discharged of gross and hard excrements and the bladder of its urine by some pipe fitted for the purpose for sometimes it happens that the womb being in a streight betwixt those two Nascimâ—… inteâ—…stercus Urinam cannot be reduced into its proper place The first may be done by Glysters the latter with a pipe put up in the neck of the bladder Fistula urinaria which done the womb may be put up by this following method Let the Patient lye with her face upwards her hamms bent backwards and thighes spread abroad after which foment it with the decoction of Beets Mallows Marsh-mallows Lineseed and Foenugreek A fomentation made in spring-spring-water Then make a pledget of wooll wrap'd up in a linnenrag to the proportion of the privypart which being dipped in the juice of Acatia and Hypocistis dissolved in red Wine apply it to the womb To be bought at the Apothecaries and so without violence press up all that which is come forth After which foment the whole * The share-bone Another fomentation Pecten with this fomentation Take red Wine a quart red Rose-leaves Bramble-leaves Plantain Myrtle-berries Shepherds-purse Hagtaper Horse-tail and Comfrey-roots applyed with sponges using afterward the oyles of Mastich and Myrtles to the place and Unguentum Comitissae to anoint the Reins Now because the main of our drift is to cure the falling out of the womb upon difficult births adde this method to the former First purge her with one drachm of Pulvis sennae compositus major A Purge to be bought at the Apothecaries given in broth or Mace-ale twice or thrice then Take the leaves of Plantain of Withy of Medlars of the Oake of Sloes of red Brambles of red Roses of each a handful of the roots of Tormentill Comfrey and Bistort of * Balaustia Pomegranat-flowers of Cypress-nuts of each an ounce of the seeds of Annise two ounces let these be grosly bruised and sewed up in a bag A bag used of which you have a description in the 24th Section of this Book Boyle these in Smiths water such as they use to quench iron and apply it warm four times a day wearing it continually well trust up Si quid novisti rectius istis Horat. Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Tomkyns Ex Aed Lamb. Maii ult 1671.
discoursed of the danger of the secundine being left behind and the Lochia stop'd now Sir be pleased to let me know what may be the reason why women fall into Fevers although neither the Lochia be stop'd nor any part of the secundine left behind I shall good Mrs. Eutrapelia Answer for those Fevers that accompany women in Child-bed are never without danger of which I shall give you an account some of them being critical others putrid others symptomatical I call that a Fever critical which I call a Fever of milk so called Fever of milk what and when because about the third or fourth day after child-bearing the milk begins to have a more plentyful recourse to the breasts whither it is carried with some force by reason of the motion and agitation of the blood converted into milk for the nourishment of the infant although this kind of Fever doth not happen unto all women neither doth it usually continue above three or four daies Febris Ephemera being dissolved by sweating and needs little other remedies most commonly if the Lochia be not stop'd The causes Cautions in driving back milk to soon The causes may be the driving back of the milk too soon which ought not to be which doth over-run the blood and settle there or else because that the brests being filled with milk and distended very big and full the vessels for blood are so compressed that they will not admit of that blood that floweth thither insomuch that the blood being hindred in its circulation beginneth to rage over the whole mass of blood whose spirits being inordinately stirred up and confounded take heat and begin to boyle and leaving the womb possesseth the whole mass of blood and so perhaps turn into putrid and malign Fevers Putrid amongst which many happen to be symptomatical Symptomatical as a Squinancy a Pleurisie * Peripneumonia an inflammation of the lungs a Dysenterie and the Small-pox or Measels but these symptomatical Fevers being from the same fountain of * A Bloody Flux Blood out of its vessels extravasat blood which most times turns into Apostemations Tumors and Inflammations if not prevented will bear the same Analogie of cure with respect to the parts they invade but to begin with critical Fevers The cure of which consists first Cure of critical Fevers in an exact observation of diet that the impurities of the blood and the due purgation of the humors the evil affections of the womb may be corrected and the strength impaired may be restored Strength how restored Diet. Wherefore let her diet be Oatmeal-caudles with white-Wine and all mix'd wherein a top of Baulm Speremints Mugwort or Orgamint may be boyled as also Panadoes and Water-grewels c. with these she must be fed for a week at the least by often supping forbearing nourishments that are stronger and solid as also all manner of flesh which are usually the cause of those Fevers Eating flesh in Child-bed the cause of Fevers for women in Child-bed must be dealt with not only like those that are grievously wounded but like those whose mass of blood is disturbed and so apt to be incensed with the least flame The next care conducing to the cure is Cold. to prevent outward colds as hath been formerly observed Section 5th and 31th in the 5th and 31th Sections Wherefore I would advise that women be kept in their beds for five daies at the least after their delivery I know 't is usual for them to rise at three daies end but this to be sure the longer women contein themselves in their bed the more secure they are from danger The third observation is that by a gentle proritation of the blood the Lochia be continued and to this end Midwives usually give Sperma Ceti Usual medicines Irish slatt poudered or Saffron tinged in white-Wine or Marrigold-flowers in posset-drink If the belly be costive it may be moved either with a Violet confect made for a suppository Suppos toty or some gentle emollient Glyster avoiding stronger Glysters Where there hath been vomitings thirst and want of sleep occasioned by the great perturbations of the blood and stopping of the * Lochia Lochia I have known Laudanum mix'd with Saffron each two grains and given in posset with good success Instead of cooling Juleps Julep you may use this rather of which you may give three or four spoonfuls often times in a day take Pennyroyal-water Balm-water each three ounces * Aqua Bryoniae composita Hysterical-water two ounces Tincture of Saffron two drachms a * 20 grains Scruple of Castoreum tyed in a fine rag and hanged in the glass Here also may be used Bezoardical medicines such as provoke sweat but these as also the cure of those symptomatical Fevers before hinted I leave to be considered of by Learned Physitians to whom it is safest to have recourse in such cases of danger SECT XXXII Dr. Philadelphos I shall Mrs. Eutrapelia in this Section afford you a Miscellany of Medicines such as are most useful for you to have with you and conclude all DR Philadel Mrs. Eutrapelia Oyles you may remember in the latter end of the 4th Section I gave you an account of those things that a Midwife ought to be furnished withal wherein mention was made of oyles which usually are Difficult Births oyle of Lillies of sweet Almonds or Chamomile mixed I shall offer you one ointment in hard and difficult Births take of new butter not salted and washed in Mugwort-water two ounces the * The mucilage is the quintessence of seeds and fruits boyled to gelly and streined Mucilages of Line-seeds Figs and the seeds of Marsh-mallows extracted out in the water of Savine of each half an ounce oyle of Lillies half an ounce make a liniment with which frequently anoint the neck of the womb you may use also sneezing-powder made thus Errhine or Sneezing-powder Take long Pepper Castoreum Betony white Hellebore sweet Marjoram Cloves each a drachm made into very small powder and kept for use which may be snuff'd up into the nostrils to cause sneezing or of white Hellebore An other and Castoreum powdered this potion also may be given Take of Cinamon A Potion of the bark of Cassia fistula of Dittany of each one drachm and half of white Sugar as much as all let all these be made into a fine powder and of it drink two drachms in that posset wherein Lineseed hath been boyled or else in white-Wine Or this An other Take of Cassia fistula powdered two drachms Red * A sort of red Pease Ciceri rubri Cicers half a handful let them boyl in white-Wine and water of each as much as will suffice adding at the length two drachms of Savine strein it and adde to it half a drachm of Cinamon and six grains of Saffron and make a potion Or this Take Aegrimony
and nerves for all Spasms and Epilepsies proceed from the nerves being oppressed with cold or gross phlegmatick humors but prepare it for future nutriment If these prevail not use this ensuing Julep and Plaister The Julep Take Black-cherry water red-Rose-water and Dragon-water of each two ounces one top of Rosemary of Licoras a drachm of the flowers of o Flores Tiliae Linden-tree of the Lillie of p Lilia Convallia Convall of each a pugill boyl them till a third part be consumed and sweeten it with Sugar-candy give the infant often of this together with this Plaister The Plaister Take Mithridate two drachms Saffron one scruple poudred spirit of Wine some few drops Capons-grease as much as a small nut make a plaister to be spread upon a small piece of scarlet and applyed to the pit of the Stomach And if the child be costive Suppositories put up a Mallow-stalk buttered or a Violet Confect as Suppositories this powder is good Take n Rad. Paeoniae Piony-roots and seeds o Dictamni albi Diptany Misleto of an Oak of each half an ounce of the seed of q Seminis Atriplicis Orach of the scull of a man p Visci Quercini each two drachms red Coral and Hyacinth prepared of each a drachm and a half of Elks-hoof prepared half an ounce Musk fix grains Leaf-gold half a drachm make a powder of this give ten grains or twenty grains in the Julep aforesaid in a spoon Of a Diarrhaea or a Looseness in Child-bed Philad l. A violent looseness in child-bed is not without danger to prevent which these Glysters may be given safely n = 1 Two Glysters 1. Take Rice one drachm and half of Cork finely grated two drachms Red-rose-leaves half a handful strein these and make a Glyster after they have been boyled in a pint and half of milk to a pint the things that remain may be applyed to the navil in form of a plaister n = 2 Cataplasm 2. Take milk a quart boyled to a pint of Diascordium half an ounce the yelks of two eggs in form of a Caudle make a Glyster Caution but here care must be had that by too astringent means the Lochia be not suppressed Of sore breasts in Women To preserve brests against the inconvenience of milk An Emplaister To preserve the breasts that if they nurse not their children the milk offend not or being extravasate cause Apostemations Take Virgins wax white four ounces Spermaceti two ounces of Galbanum dissolved in strong vinegar one ounce Make an Emplaister to be laid on the breasts and continued for many daies let it be spread upon linnen if the breasts should tend to break then A Cataplasm if the breasts should break to be spread upon the wooll Take a Sheeps head wooll and all bruise it and boyle it in water enough till it be all to mash In the top of the streined liquor of which boyl Rice enough to make it to the consistence of a Pultiss to which add some Saffron and apply it and the wooll over it Clefts in the nipples If the nipples be sore with fissures and clefts First wash the furr and stuff off from the nipples as clean as may be with red-Rose-water as hot as may be endured Then use of white wax one ounce of Spermaceti half an ounce 1 Ointment the marrow of Staggs-bones two ounces oyle of St. John's-wort one ounce apply this Or 2 Ointment Take Goats-suet one ounce oyle of the yelks of Eggs oyle of sweet Almonds oyle of Henbane and Poppy by expression of each half an ounce the fat of Geese Capons and Ducks of each three drachms of Litharge of Silver white Lead washed Groundsel stampt and applyed driveth back milk preventeth Inflammations Tutia prepared of red Lead of each one drachm and a half of Pompholyx burnt Allom white Sugar-candy powdered of Olibanum of each one drachm of Saffron one Scruple of Camphire and Opium prepared Flax carded and smoaked over Frankincense with which cover the breast of each half a scruple mingle these and with as much white wax as will suffice make of these an Unguent SECT XXXIII Of Nurses and the best Milk SInce the choice of a Nurse is of so great a concernment Philadel as upon which the future being of the infant consists surely this Nurses not sluttish then requires many serious considerations For though she may have milk enough yet perhaps not good enough or the woman either sluttish or unhandy or careless in the swathing and dressing of the child by which many children like new vessels Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit oderem Testadiù which will keep the savour of that liquor they are first seasoned withal are sluttish or slovenly so long as they live or else being abused at nurse are distort and Ricketty full of botches nasty and nauseous to their own parents And many through the intemperancy of their nurses who by drinking to increase their milk and perhaps make it bad enough sleep so securely and profoundly that they overlay their nurseries in the night Children how overlaid Often sleep good and the children dead by their sides in the morning Therefore let Nurses sleep so often that they may hear the least cry of the infant But this as introductory to a larger discourse and description Let the Nurse then be of a middle stature The Nurse described with her Complexion her Age. and good complexion active not fat and of a sanguine complexion if possible and not in poverty not under twenty years of age nor above forty but rather of twenty five or thirty years of age as a * Medio tutissimus ibis mean bewixt both Let not her nipples be great lest it make the child of a wide mouth Her nipples not too big because it cannot suck without the contraction of the lips together and lest by forcing the tongue into too narrow a compass it hinders the swallowing of the milk Next if the nipple be too small Not too small the child is apt to let it slip out of the mouth and cannot handsomely hold it so that the infant being frustrated of suck and yet still exercising sucking hurts the cheek and attracts some kind of humors thither which oftentimes become praeternatural tumors and oftentimes the cheeks of the infant seem as if they were stirred out of their places Thirdly by the consent of all the Nurse must have a large breast though some think that not so material Pectorae late jacens mammis Virgil. moretum Great breasts not good and others are of opinion that she ought to have large breasts because there is more milk collected together in great breasts than ought and being there is corrupted to the prejudice of the Nurse Wherefore lest the milk should continue there too long it is best to have a lusty young
child to suck it away or else to use some other way as Young whelps killed with sucking of women by the use of young whelps whom I have oftentimes seen dye with sucking womens milk surely the reason must be because the milk was * Of another nature heterogeneous or else because grumous and corrupted or milked out some other way especially when the Nurse perceives her self prejudiced by it But it is ever best Plenty of milk ever best that she abound rather than want milk and then in this case it is best they be big though all Nurses need not have big breasts for there may be as much milk if not more in a lesser brest than in a great one Our next enquiry will be into the manners and behaviour of a Nurse The best Nurse then is she that is mild chaste The Nurses Conditions sober courteous chearful lively neat cleanly and handy because bad conditions as well as good are suck'd in with the milk and so radicated that it is a hard matter to pull out the bad conditions and leave the good behind but that there will be a remainder of the bad conditions perhaps so long as they live wherefore let not the Nurse be of an angry malepert and saucy disposition shameless scolding or quarrelsome not gluttonous but so careful of her nursery that she neither eat or drink that which may be hurtful to the infant Her care in eating and drinking That she do nothing to anger her self to grieve or sad her self Passion hinders the good milk Mirth for such passions will presently distribute themselves to the prejudice of the infant than which there is nothing of more efficacy to destroy the goodness of the milk Neither is it sufficient that they abstain from the use of their husbands Abstinence from Venery not sufficient but when they have wanton thoughts and lascivious minds wholly upon Luxury and Venery they cast off all care of their nurseries and dreaming at night of that which their minds run on in the day Somnians dixit quae vigilans voluit Terent. Comaed and by other filthy pollutions they infect the milk So also by the use of their husbands the Courses are stirred up by which both the plenty and goodness of milk is derived another way and so the child robbed of its nutriment or else the Nurse conceiveth with child and so the infant becometh * Colostrati diseased and Ricketty by sucking grumous curdy and unwholsome milk and is the worse for it during life Therefore let all those things be avoided Meats to be avoided by Nurses that either do or are supposed to provoke lust as junkets made with spices also onions leeks garlick and all salt meats are to be avoided persly Persly an enemy to milk and smallage some say have a peculiar malice to the increase of milk besides that it doth increase lust and is an enemy to the growth of infants Again that Nurse were best that hath lately been brought to bed of a boy if to nurse a boy the milk of such a Nurse being better tempered The vertues of the milk of a male and of a female For the milk of a male child will make a female nursery more spritely and a manlike Virago and the milk of a girl will make a boy the more effeminate As to the milk let it be a mean The conditions of the milk betwixt thick and thinn which you may perceive by dropping it upon the thumb-nails for if it be too thinn it will run off the sooner but if thicker Tryal of the milk it will stay the longer let it be sweet and pleasant both to the smell and taste not offending the palate with rancidness sourness sharpness or saltness or the nostrils with any strange quality Let it be can did to the sight By its Quality in it self equal in each particles not infested with brown yellow green blue Colour or any other evil colour or as sometimes with various colours and substance as with lines and streaks upon it but let that milk be most praise-worthy that makes as much curd as whey which may be tryed by this Experiment Experiment viz Put some of this milk into a glass and put in some Myrrh or Rennet which being stirred together will curd and then may the contents be seperated the tryal is that if there be most whey then is the milk thinner in its substance but if most of curd 't is thicker yet all these may be corrected and amended for that which is too thick may be mended by an extenuating diet Correctives of milk too thick Vomit and the flegmatick matter may be avoided by a vomit of Oxymel and Exercise before meat the better to consume and attenuate the thickness of it Of milk too thinn Diâ— Alica The thinness of milk is amended by contrary food such as doth incrassate it as Formenty of Wheat and Rice Hogs-feet Calves-feet Trotters and sweet Wine unless somewhat else be in the way to hinder it Sometimes it happens that the milk is more tart than it ought to be Sharpness c. wherefore then all diligence must be had to feed upon such meats as are of the best juice till that acrimony at least be attempered Want of milk the Causes Sometimes there is little or no milk in the breasts as after some sickness or notable distemper now turned into a chacochymical habit or any other of what kind soever that possesseth those parts or is the morbifick cause but that shall not be our business to consider of now Now if these be not the causes let the Nurse use supping meats as Broths Possets c. and eat plentifully and use frictions to her breasts and duggs Exercise and dancing of the child good for the Nurse Cupping-glasses Fomentations exercising her hands and her arms by domestick Employments or instead thereof let her dance the child by which the aliment may be recalled into those parts Sometimes cupping-glasses to the breasts with a fomentation of emollient herbs boyled in water and applyed warm either sponges or wollen-clothes after which Embrocation embrocating them with oyle of Lillies The seeds of Fennel and the roots of Parsnips boyled in Barley-water What food is best and buttered The broth of Hens or Capons with Cinamon and Mace Or Poch'd-eggs with the seeds of Annis and Dill and all things else that are hot in the first and second degree are good Earth-worms Worms such as come out of the earth not out of a dung-hill six or seven of them dried and powdered and drank in Barley-water sugared for a fortnight together All these may be of good use in the defect of milk But now let us see to the inconveniency if there be any in too much milk If the milk abound too much Milk in too great abundance A Decoction which sometimes is though