frame is perfect it is no longer held and Embrio that is a Conception that springs forth but a perfect and absolute Child Males for the most part are perfect by the 30th day but Females seldom till the 42 or 45 day and the reason is That the heat of the Womb is greater in producing the Male than the Female And for the same reason a woman going with a Male Child quickens in 3 Months but going with a Female rarely under 4 at which time also its Hair and Nails come forth and the Child begins to stir kick and tumble in the Womb so that the motion is plainly perceived and then the Women are troubled with Nauseating and Loathing of their Meat and oftentimes greedily long for things contrary to Nutriment as Coals Rubbish Chalk Lime Starch Oat-meal raw Flesh and Fish c. which Desire proceeds from a former contraction of evil Humours occasioning impure Blood in their contained Vessel within and oftentimes Abortion and Miscarriages some Women have been so extravagant that have Long'd for Hob. Nails Leathen Man's-Flesh Horse-Flesh and other unnatural as well as unwholesome Foods for want of which they have Miscarried or the Child has continued dead in the Womb for many days to the eminent hazard of their Lives But I shall now proceed to shew by what means the Infant is sustainld in the Womb and what posture it there remains in There have been various Opinions about the way by which in the Womb the Foetus is nourished some affirming by Blood only from the Vmbilical Vein others by Chyle received in by the Mouth but the Truth is it is nourished diversly according to the different degrees of Perfection that an Egg passes from a Concepâ—ion to a Foetus ready for the Birth But before we proceed we will explain what we mean by this Ovum or Egg. You must know then that there are in the Generation of the Foetus two Principles Active and Passive The active is the Man's Seed elaborated in the Testicles out of the Arterial Blood and Animal Spirits The Passive Principle is a Ovum or Egg impregnated by the Man's Seed For to say that Woman has true Seed is erronious But the manner of Conception is thus The most Spirituous part of Man's Seed in the Act of Generation reaching up to the Ovarium or Testicles of the Woman which contain divers Eggs sometime more sometimes fewer impregnates one of them which being convey'd by the Ovi-ducts to the bottom of the Womb presently begins to swell bigger and bigger and drinks in the moisture that is plentifully sent thâ—ther after the same manner that Seeds in the Ground suck the fertile moisture thereof to make them sprout When the parts of the Embryo begin to be a little more perfect and the Chorion is so very thick that the Liquor cann't soak through it the Vmbilical Vessels begin to the formed and to extend the side of the Amnâ—os which they pass through and also through the Allanteides and Chorion and are implanted in the Placenta which gathering upon the Chorion joyns it to the Vterus And now the Arteries that before sent out the Nourishment into the Cavity of the Womb open by the Orifices in to the Placentae where they deposite the said Juice which is drunk up by the Vmbilical Vein and convey'd by it first to the Liver of the Foetus and then to the Heart where it s more thin and Spirituous part is turned into Blood whilst the grosser part of it descending by the Aorta enters the Vmbilical Arteries and is discharged into its Cavity by those Branches of them that run through the Amnios Assoon as the Mouth Stomach and Gullet c. are formed so perfectly that the Foetus can swallow it sucks in some of the grosser Nutritious Juice that is deposited in the Amnios by the Vmbilical Arteries which descending into the Stomach and Intestines is received by the Lacteal Veins as in Adust Persons The Foetus being perfected at the times before specified in all its parts it lies equally ballanced in the Womb as in the Center all on a Head and being something long is turned round so that the Head a little inclines and it lays his Chin on its Breast his Heels and Ancles upon its â—uttocks its Hands on its Cheeks and its Thumbs to its Eyes but its Legs and Thighs are carried upwards with its Haâ—s bending so that they touch the bottom of its Belly the former and that part of the Body which is over against us as the Forehead Nose Face are turned towards the Mothers Back and the Head inclâ—ning downwards towards the Coâ—yx or Rump-bone that joins to the Os Sacrum which Bone tâ—gether with Os Pubis in the time of the â—iâ—th part and is loosned whence it is that Male Children commonly come with their Faces downwards or with their Heads turned somewhat Oblique that their Faces may be seen but the Female Children with their Faces upwards tho' sometimes it happens that Births follow not according to Natures Order but Children comes forth with their Feet stradling their Necks bowed and their Heads lying Oblique with their Hands stretched out which greatly endangers themselves and the Mother giving the Midwife great trouble to bring them into the World but when all things proceed in Natures Order the Child when the time of Birth is accomplished is desirous to come forth of the Womb and by inclining himself he roles downward for he can no more he obscured in those hiding places and the heat of the Heart cannot subsist without external respiration wherefore being grown great he is more and more desirous of Nutriment and Light when coveting the Etherial Air he by strugling to obtain it breaks the Membranes and Coverings whereby he was restrained and fenced against attrition and for the most part with bitter pangs of the Mother issueth forth into the World commonly in the ninth Month for then the Matrix being divided and the Os Pudis being loosned the Woman strives to cast forth her Burthen and the Child does the like to get forth by the help of its inbred strength and so the Birth comes to be perfect but if the Child be dead the more dangerous is the Delivery tho' Nature as a kind Commiserator often helpeth the Women's Weakness herein But the Child that is quick and lively labours no less than the Woman Now there are Births at Seven or Eight Months and some Women go to the Tenth Month. But of these and the reason of them I shall speak more largely in another place CHAP. III. The Reason why Children are like their Parents and what the Mothers Imagination contributes thereto and whether the Man or Woman be the Cause of the Male or Female Child c. LActantius is of Opinion That when a Man's Seed falls on the left side of the Womb it may produce a Male Child but because it is the proper place for a Female there will be something in it
that resembles a Woman that is it will be fairer whiter and smoother not very subject to have Hair on the Body or Chin it will have long lank Hair on the Head the Voice small and sharp and the Courage feeble And on the contrary That a Female may perchance be gotten if the Seed fall on the Right Side but then through the abundance of Heat she will be big bon'd full of Courage having a Masculine Voice and her Chin and Bosom hairy not being so clear as others of that Sex and subject to quarrel with her Husband for Superiority c. In case of Similitude nothing is more powerful than the Imagination of the Mother for if she fasten her Eyes upon any Object and imprint it in her Mind it oft times so happens that the Child in some part or other of its Body has a representation thereof And if in the Act of Copulation the Woman earnestly look upon the Man and fix her Mind upon him the Child will resemble its Father Nay though a Woman be in unlawful Copulation yet if she fix her Mind upon her Husband the Child will resemble him though he never got it The same effect of the Imagination is the cause of Warts Stains Moldspots Dashes tho' indeed they sometimes happen through frights or extravagant Longing Many Women big with Child seeing a Hare cross them will through the strength of Imagination bring forth a Child with a hairy Lip Some Children are born with flat Noses wry Mouths great blubber Lips and ill-shap'd Bodies and most ascribe the reason to the Imagination of the Mother who has cast her Eyes and Mind upon some ill-shap'd and distorted Creatures Therefore it behoves all Women with Child to avoid such sights if possible or at least not to regard ' em But tho' the Mothers Imagination may contribute much to the Features of the Child yet in Manners Wit and Propension of the Mind Experience tells us That Children are commonly of the same condition with their Parents and of the same Tempers But the Vigor or Debility of Persons in the Act of Copulation many times causes it to be otherwise For Children got with heat and strength of desire must needs partake more of the Nature and Inclinations of their Parents than those that are begotten when their Desires are more weak and feeble and therefore the Children that are begotten by Men in their old Age are generally less strong and vigorous than those begotten by them in their Youth As to that share which each of the Parents have in begetting the Child we will give the Opinion of the Antients about it Though it is apparent say they that the Seed of Man is the chief Efficient and beginning of Action Motion and Generation yet the Woman affords Seed and effectually contributes in that particular to the Procreation of the Child is evinced by strong Reasons In the first place Seminary Vessels had been given her in vain and Genital Testicles inverted if the Woman wanted Seminal Excressence for Nature doth nothing in vain therefore it must be granted they were made for the use of Seed and Procreation and fixed in their proper Places both the Testicles and Receptacles of Seed whose Nature is to operate and afford Vertue to the Seed And to prove this there needs no stronger Argument say they than that if a Woman do not use Copulation to eject her Seed she often times falls into strange Diseases as appears by young Women and Virgins A second reason they urge is That altho' the Society of a lawful Bed does not consist altogether in these things yet it is apparent that the Female Sex is never better pleas'd nor appear more blithe and jocund than when they are often satisfied this way which is an inducement to believe that they have greater Pleasure and Titilation therein than a Man for since Nature causes much Delight to accompany Ejection by the breaking forth of the swelling Spirit and the stiffness of the Nerves in which case the Operation on the Womans part is double she having an enjoyment both by Ejection and Reception by which she is more delighted in the Venerial Act. Hence it is say they that the Child more frequently resembles the Mother than the Father because the Mother contributes most towards it And they think it may be further instanced from the endeared Affection they bear them for that besides their contributing Seminal matter they feed and nourish the Child with the purest Fountain of Blood until its Birth which Opinion Gallen confirms by allowing Children to participate most of the Mother and ascribes the difference of Sex to the Operation of the Menstrual Blood but the reason of the Likeness he refers to the power of the Seed for as Plants receive more nourishment from fruitful Ground than from the Industry of the Husbandman so the Infant receives in more abundance from the Mother than the Father for first the Seed of both is cherish'd in the Womb and there grows to perfection being nourished with Blood and for this reason it â—s say they that Children for the most part love their Mothers best because they receive most of their substance from their Mother for about nine Months and sometimes ten she nourisheth the Child in the Womb with her purest Blood then her love towardâ— it newly born and its likeness do clearly shew that the Woman affordeth Seed and contributes more toward the making of the Child than Man But in all this the Antients were very Erronious for the Testicles so called in Women do not afford any Seed but are two Eggs like those of Fowls and other Creatures â—either have they any such Office as those of Mâ—n but are indeed Ovarium wherein these Eggs are nourished by the Sanguinary Vessels dispersed through them and from thence one or more as they are fecundated by the Mans Seed separated and are convey'd into the Womb by the Ovi duces The truth of this is plain for if you boil them their Liquor will have the same Colour Taste and Consistency with the Taste of Birds Eggs If any object they have no Shells that signifies nothing for the Eggs of Fowls while they are in the Ovary nay after they are fallen into the Vterus have no Shell And tho' when they are laid they have one yet that is no more than a Fence which Nature has provided them against outward Injuries while they are hatched without the Body whereas those of Women being hatched within the Body need no other Fence than the Womb by which they are sufficiently enough secured And this is enough I hope for the clearing of this point As to the third thing proposed viz. Whence grows the kind and whether the Man or the Woman is the Cause of the Male or Female Infant The primary cause we must ascribe to God as is most justly his due who is the Ruler and Disposer of all things yet does He suffer many things to proceed according to
and that from the Authority of Pliny who makes mention of a Woman that went thirteen Months with Child But as to what concerns the 7th month a Learned Author saith I know several married People in Holland that had Twins born in the 7th month who lived to old Age having lusty Bodies and lively minds wherefore their Opinion is foolish and of no moment who assert That at seven months a Child cannot be perfect and long lived and that he cannot in all parts be perfect till the 9th month and thereupon this Author proceeds to tell a passage from his own knowledge as follows Of late saith he there happened a great divers disturbance amongst us which ended not without Blood-shed and was occasioned by a Virgin whose Chastity had been violated descending of a Noble Family of unspotted Fame Now several there were who charged the Fact upon a Judge who was President of a City in Flanders who strongly denyed the Fact saying that he was ready to swear that he never had Carnal Copulation with her and that he would not father a Child that was none of his and further alledged that he verily believed that it was a Child born in seven months himself being many miles distance from the mother of it when it was Conceived whereupon the Judges before whom the hearing was decreed That the Child should be viewed by able Physicians and Experienced Women and that they should make their report who having made diligent inquiry all of them with one accord concluded the Child without respecting who was the Father was a Child Born within the space of seven months that it was carried in the mothers Womb but 27 weeks and odd Days but if she would have gone full 9 Months the Childs Parts and Limbs would have been more firm and strong and the Structure of the Body more compact for the Skin was very loose and the Bâ—eâ—st-bone that defends the Heart and the Gristle that lies over the Stomach were higher than naturally they should be not plain but crooked and sharp ridged or pointed like those of young Chickens hatched at the begining of the Spring And being a Female Infant it wanted its Nails upon her Fingers and the outmost Joints of her Fingers upon which from the Musculous or Cartilaginous matter of the Skin Nails that are very smooth do come and by degrees harden she had instead of Nails a thin Skin or Film as for her Toes there was no appearance of Nails about them for they wanted the heat that was communicated to the Fingers from the nearness of the Heart These things being considered and above all one Gentlewoman of Quality that assisted affirming that she had been the Mother of 19 Children and that divers of them had been born and liv'd at 7 months they without favour to any party made their report that the Infant was a Child of 7 months tho' born within the seventh Month for in such cases the revolution of the Moon ought to be observed which perfects it self in 4 bare weeks or somewhat less than 28 Days in which space of her revolution the Blood being agitated by the force of the Moon the Courses of the Women flow from them which being spent and the Matrix cleansed from the Menstrual Blood which happens on the 5th Day then if on the 7th Day a Man lie with his Wife the Copulation is the most natural and then is the Conception best and a Child then gotten may be born in the 7th Month and prove very healthful So that upon this report the supposed Father was pronounced Innocent upon Proof that he was 100 miles distance all that month in which the Child was begot And as for the mother she strongly denied that she knew the Father being forced in the dark and so thro' fear and surprize was left in Ignorance As for Coition it ought not to be had unless the Parties be in Health lest it turn to the disadvantage of the Children so be gotten creating in them through the abundant ill Humours divers languishing Diseases wherefore Health is no where better to be discerned than by the Genitals of the Man for which reason Midwives and other skilful Women were formerly wont to see the Testicles of Children thereby to conjecture at their temperature and state of Body and Young-men may know thereby the signs or symptoms of Life and Death for if the Cases of the Testicles be loose and feeble and the Cods fall do â—n it denotes that the vital Spirits which are the props of Life are fallen But if the secret Part be wrinkled and raised up it is a Sign all is well But that the Event may exactly answer the Prediction it is necessary to consider what part of the Body the Disease possesseth for if it chance to be the upper part that is afflicted as the Head or Stomach then will it not so well appear by the Members which are unconcerned with such Grievances but the lower part of the Body exactly sympathizing with them their Liveliness on the contrary makes it apparent for Natures force and the Spirits that have their intercourse first manifest themselves therein which occasions Midwifes to feel the Genitals of Children to know in what part the grief is resident and whether life or death be portended thereby the Symptom being strongly communicated by the Vessels that have their intercourse with the principal seats of life CHAP. IX Of the Green-sickness in Virgins with its Causes Prognosticks and cure Together with the chiefest occasion of Barrenness in Women and by what means to remove the Cause and render them fruitful THe Green Sickness is so common a Distemper in Virgins especially such as are of a Flegmatick Complexion that 't is easily discern'd shewing it self by discolouring the Face making it look green pale and of a dusky yellow which pâ—oceeds from raw undigested Humours nor only doth it appear to the Eye but sensibly afflicts such as it possesses with difficulty of breathing pains in the Head Palpitation of the Heart unusual beatings and small throbings of the Arteries in the Temples Neck and Back many times casting them into Fevers if the Humour be very vitious also loathing of Meat and the distension of the Hypocondriack part by reason of the Inordinate Efflux of menstruous Blood to the greater Vessels and of the abundance of Humours the whole Body is often troubled with Swelling or if not at least the Thâ—ghs Legs and Anckles all above the Heels And also there is a Weariness of the whole Body without any reason for it The Galennical Physitians affirm that this Distemper proceeds chiefly from the Obstruction of those Vessels that are about the Womb occasion'd by the abundance of gross viscous and and crude Humours arising from several inward causes but there are also outward causes which have a share in the Production of it as taking cold on the Feet drinking of Water intemperance in Diet and also the eating of things contrary to
great Person was of another mind and thought to use his own expression that the getting of a Maidenhead was such a piece of Drudgery as was more proper for a Porter than a Prince but this was only his Opinion for most Men I am sure have other Sentiments But to our purpose The curious Enquirers into Natures Secrets have observed that in young Maids in the Sinus Pudoris or in that place that is called the Neck of the Womb is that pendulous production vulgarly called the Hymen but more rightly the Claustrum Virginale and in French the Button de Rose or Roses Bud because it resembles the Bud of a Rose expanded or a Clove-gilliflower from whence it derived the word Defloro to Deflower and hence taking away of Virginity is called Deflowering a Virgin most being of opinion that the Virginity is altogether lost when this Duplication is fractured and dissipated by violence and when it is found perfect and intire no penetration has been made And it is the opinion of some learned Physitians that there is not either Hymen or Skin expanded containing Blood in it which divers imagine in the first Copulation flows from the fractured Expanse Now this Claustrum Virginale or Flower is composed of four Caruncles or little Buds like Myrtle-berries which is Virgins are full and plump but in Women flag and hang loose and these are placed in the four Angles of the Sinus Pudoris joyned together by little Membranes and Ligatures like Fibres each of them situate in the Intesticles or spaces between each Caruncle with which in a manner they are proportionably distended which Membranes being once defacerated denote Devirgination and many inquisitive and yet ignorant Persons finding their wives defective herein the first Night of their Marriage have thereupon suspected their Chastity concluding another had been there before ' em Now to undeceive such I do affirm That such Fracture may happen divers accidental ways as well as by Copulation with Man viz. By violent straining coughing or sneezing stopping of Urine and violent motion of the vessels in forcibly sending down the Humours which pressing for Passage break the Ligatures or Membrane so that the intireness or fracture of that which is commonly taken for the Virginity or Maidenhead is no absolute sign of Dishonesty tho' certain it is that 't is more frequently broke in Copulation than by any other means I have heard that at an Assize held in Rutland a young Man was try'd for a Rape in forcing a Virgin when after divers questions asked and the Maid swearing positively to the matter naming the time place and manner of the action it was upon mature deliberation resolved that she should be searched by a skilful Chyrurgeon and two Midwives who were to make their Report upon their Oaths which after due Examination they accordingly did affirming that the Membranes were intire and not dilacerated and that it was their Opinion for that Reason that her Body had not been penetrated which so far wrought with the Jury that the Prisoner was acquitted and the Maid afterward confessed she swore against him out of Revenge he having promised to marry her and afterwards declined it And thus much shall suffice to be spoken concerning Virginity I shall now pâ—â—â—â— to say something of Natures Operation 〈◊〉 â—he Mutation of Sexes in the Womb. This point is of much necessity by reason of the different Opinions of Men relating to it Therefore before any thing positive can be asserted it will be altogether convenient to recite what has been delivered as well in the negative as the affirmative And first Severus Plineus who argues for the negative writes thus The Genital parts of both Sexes are so unlike other in Substance Composition Situation Figure Action and Use that nothing is more unlike and by how much all other parts of the Body the Breasts excepted which in Women swell more because Nature ordain'd 'em for suckling the Infant have an exact resemblance so much the more do the Genital parts of one Sex compared with the other differ and if their Figure be thus different much more is their use The Venereal Appetite also proceeds from different causes for in Men it proceeds from a desire of Emission and in Women from a desire of Reception in Women also the chiefest of those parts are concave and apt to receive but in Men they are only porous These things considered I cannot but wonder added he how any one can imagine that the Genital Member of Female Births should be chang'd into those that belong to Males since by those parts only the distinction of Sexes is made nor can I well impute the reason of this vulgar Error to any thing but the mistake of unexpert Midwifes who have been deceived by the evil conformation of the parts which in some Male Births may have happened to have had some small protrusion not to have been discerned as appear'd by the example of a Child Christened at Paris by the Name of Joan as a Girl which afterwards proved a Boy and on the contrary the over-far extension of the Clytoris in Female Births may have occasioned the like mistakes Thus far Pliny proceeds in the Negative and yet notwithstanding what he has said there are divers learned Physicians that have asserted the affirmative of which number Galen is one A Man saith he is different from a Woman in nothing else but having his Genital Members without his Body whereas a Woman has 'em within And this is certain That if Nature having formed a Man would convert him into a Woman she hath no other Task to perform but to turn his Genital Member inward and so to turn a Woman into a Man by the contrary Operation But this is to be understood of the Child when it is in the Womb and not perfectly formed for divers times Nature hath made a Female Child and it has so remain'd in the Womb of the Mother for a Month or two and afterward plenty of Heat increasing in the Genital Members they have issued forth and the Child has become a Male yet retaining some certain Gestures unbefitting the Masculine Sex as Female Actions a shrill Voice and a more Effeminate temper than ordinary Contrariwise Nature having often made a Male and cold Humours flowing to it the Genitals have been inverted yet still retaining a Masculine Air both in voice and gesture Now tho' both these Opinions are supported by several Reasons yet I esteem the latter more agreable to Truth For there is not that vast difference between the Genitals of the two Sexes as Pliny would have us believe there is for the Woman has in a manner the same Members with the Man tho' they appear not outwardly but are inverted for the conveniency of Generation the chief difference being that one is solid and the other porous and that the principal Reason of changing Sexes is and must be attributed to heat or cold suddenly or slowly contracted which
the Man has withdrawn himself let the Woman gently betake her self to Rest with all imaginable serenity and composure of Mind free from all anxious and disturbing Thoughts or any other kind of Perturbation whatsoever And let her as much as she can forbear turning herself from that side on which she first reposes And by all means let her avoid Coughing and Sneezing which by its violent concussion of the Body is a great Enemy to Conception if it happen soon after the Act of Coition And thus I have finish'd the first Part of this Treatise which I hope will be to the honest and sober Readers Satisfaction The End of the First Part. ARISTOTLE's MASTER-PIECE COMPLEATED PART II. BEING A Private Looking-Glass FOR THE FEMALE SEX TREATING Of the several Maladies incident to the WOMB with proper Remedies for the Cure of Each CHAP. I. Of the WOMB in General ALTHO' in the first Part I have spoken something of the Fabrick of the Womb yet being in this Second Part to Treat more Particularly thereof and of the various Distempers and Maladies it is subject to I shall not think it a Tautology to give you by way of Introduction a general Description both of its Situation and Parts but rather think this Second Part would be imperfect without it so that it can by no means be Omitted especially since in it I am to speak of the Quality of the Menstruous Blood First Touching the Womb Of the Graecians it is called METRA the Mother or DELPHOVS saith Priscian because it makes us all Brothers It is placed in the Hypogastrium or lower part of the Belly in the Cavity called Pelvis having the streight Gut on one side to keep it from the hardness of the Back-bone and the Bladder on the other side to defend it from Blows The form or figure of it is like a Viril Member only this excepted the Manhood is outward and the Womanhood within It is divided into the Neck and the Body The Neck consists of a hard fleshy Substance much like a Cartilage at the end whereof there is a Membrane transversly placed called Hymen or Eugion Near also unto the neck there is a prominent Panicle which is called of Montanus the Door of the Womb because it preserveth the Matrix from Cold and Dust Of the Graecians it is called KLYTORIS of the Latines Praeutium Muliebre because the Jewish Women did abuse this part to their own mutual Lust as St. Paul speaks Rom. 1.26 The Body of the Womb is that wherein the Child is Conceived and this is not altogether round but dilates it self into two Angles the outward part of it is Nervous and full of Sinews which are the cause of its motion but inwardly it is Fleshy It is fabulously Reported That in the cavity of the Womb there are seven divided Cells or Receptacles for Humane Seed But those that have seen Anatomies do know there are but two and likewise that those two are not divided by a Partition but only by a Line or Suture running through the midst of it In the right side of the Cavity by reason of the heat of the Liver Males are conceived In the left side by the coldness of the Spleen Females are begotten And this do most of our Moderns hold for an infallible Truth yet Hypocrates holds it but in the General For in whom saith he the Spermatick Vessel of the right side comes from the Reins and the Spermatical Vessel of the left side from the hollow Vein in them Males are conceived in the left Side and Females in the right Well therefore may I conclude with the saying of Empedocles Such sometimes is the power of the Seed that a Male may be conceived in the left Side as well as in the right In the bottom of the Cavity there are little holes called the Cotyledones which are the ends of certain Veins and Arteries serving in breeding women to convey Sustenance to the Child which is received by the Umbilical Vein and others to carry the Courses into the Matrix Now touching the Menstruals they are Defined to be a Monthly flux of Excrementitious and Unprofitable Blood In which we are to Note That the matter flowing forth is Excrementitious which is to be understood of the Superplus or Redundancy of it For it is an Excrement in quantity in quality being pure and incorrupt like unto the Blood in the Veins And that the menstrous Blood is pure and simply of it self all one in quality with that in the veins is proved two ways First from the final Cause of this Blood which is the propagation and conservation of Mankind that Man might be conceived and being begotten he might be Comforted and Preserved both in the Womb and out of the Womb. And all will grant it for a Truth That the Child while it is in the Matrix is nourished with this Blood and it is as true That being out of the Womb it is still nourished with the same for the Milk is nothing but the menstruous Blood made white in the Breasts and I am sure Womans Milk is not thought to be venemous but of a nutritive quality answerable to the tender nature of an Infant Secondly It is proved to be Pure from the Generation of it it being the Superfluity of the last Aliment of the fleshy parts It may be Objected If the Blood be not of a hurtful Quality How can it cause such venemous Effects as if the same fall upon Trees and Herbs it maketh the one barren and mortifies the other And Averroes writes That if a man accompany with a Menstruous woman if she Conceive she shall bring forth a Leaper I answer this Malignity is contracted in the Womb for the woman wanting native heat to digest this Superfluity sends it to the Matrix where seating it self until the mouth of the Womb be dilated it becomes corrupt and venemous which may easily be considering the heat and moistness of the place This Blood therefore being out of his vessels offends in quality In this Sense let us understand Pliny Fernelius Florus and the rest of that Torrent But if Frigiâ—ity be the cause why women cannot digest all their last Nourishment and consequently that they have these Purgations it remains to give a reason why they are of so cold a Constitution more than Men which is this The natural end of men and womens being is to Propagate and this Injunction was imposed upon them by God at their first Creation and again after the Deluge Now in the act of Conception there must be an Agent and a Patient for if they be both every way of one Constitution they cannot Propagate Man therefore is Hot and Dry Woman Cold and Moist he is the Agent she the Patient or weaker Vessel that she should be Subject unto the Office of the Man It is necessary that woman should be of a cold Constitution because in her is required a Redundancy of matter for the Infant depending on
difficult greater Regard must be had then at other times And first of all the situation of the VVomb and her posture of lying must be cross the Bed being held by those that are Strong to prevent her slipping down or moving her self in the operation of the Man-midwife or Chyrurgeon her Thighs must be put asunder as wide as may be and so held whilst her Legs bends backward towards her Hips her Head leaning upon a Bolster and the Reins of her Back supported after the same manner her Rump and Buttocks being lifted up observing to cover her Stomach Belly and Thighs with warm Linnen to keep them from the Cold. The Woman being in this posture let the Operator put up his Hand if he finds the neck of the Womb dilated and remove the contracted Blood that obstructs the passage of the Birth and having by degrees gently made way let him tenderly move the Infant his hand being first anointed with sweet Butter or a harmless Pomatum and if the Waters are not come down then without any difficulty may they be let forth when if the Infant should attempt to break forth with the head foremost oâ— cross he may gently turn it to find the Feet which having done let him draw forth one and fasten it to a Ribbon then put it up again and by degrees find the other when bringing them as close and even as may be and between whiles letting the Woman breathe urging her to strain in helping Nature to perfect the Birth that he may draw it forth and the better to do it and that his hold may be surer he must fasten or wrap a Linnen Cloth about the Childs Thighs observing to bring it into the World with it's Face downward In case of a Flux of Blood if the neâ—â— of the Womb be open it must be considered whether the Infant or the Secundiâ—â—s come first which the latter sometimes happening to do stops the Mouth of the Womb and hinders the Birth to the endangering both the Woman and Child but in this case the Secundine must be removed by a swift turn and indeed they have by their so coming down deceived many who feeling their softness supposed the Womb was not dilated and by this means the Woman and Child or at least the latter has been lost The Secundines removed the Child must be sought for and drawn forth as has been directed And if in such a Case the VVoman or Child dye the Midwife or Chyrurgeon is blameless because they did their true endeavour If it appear upon enquiry that the Secundine comes first let the VVoman be delivered with all convenient Expedition because a great flux of Blood will follow for then the Veins are opened and upon this account two things are to be considered First The manner of the Secundines advancing whether it be much or little if the former and the head of the Child appear first it must be guided and directed towards the neck of the VVomb as in case of Natural Births but if there appear any diffâ—culty in the Delivery the best way is to search for the Feâ—â— and thereby draw it forth but if the latter the Secundines may be put back with a gentle hand and the Child first taken forth But if the Secundine be far advanced so that it cannot be put back and the Child follow it close then are the Secundines to be taken forth with much care as swift as may be and laid aside without cutting the Entrail that is fastned to them for thereby you may be guided to the Infant which whether alive or dead must be drawn forth by the Feet with all Celerity tho' it is not to be acted unless in Case of great Necessity for in other Cases the Secundine ought to come last And in drawing forth a dead Child let these Directions be carefully heeded by the Chyrurgeon viz. If the Child be found dead with its Head foremost the Delivery wâ—ll be the more difficult for it is an apparent Sign the Womans Strength begins to fall hâ—â— and that the Child being Dead and wanting its Natural Force can be no ways assisting to its Delivery wherefore the most certain and safe way is tor the Chyrurgeon to put up his left Hand sliding it as hollow in the Palm as he can into the Neck of the Womb and into the lower part thereof towards the Feet and that between the Head of the Infant and the Neck of the Matrix when having a Hook in the right Hand couch it close and slit it up above the left Hand between the Head of the Child and the flat of his Hand fixing it in the Bone of the Temple towards the Eye or for want of convenient coming at these in the oceipital Bone observe still to keep the left hand in its place and with it gently moving and stirring the Head and so with the right Hand and Hook draw the Child forward Admonishing the Woman to put forth her utmost Strength still drawing when the Womans pangs are upon her The Head being drawn forth he must with all speed slip his hand under the Arm-holes of the Child and take it quite forth giving these things to the Woman viz. A Toast of fine Wheat Bread in a Quarter of a Pint of Hippocrass Wine Now the former Application and Endeavour failing when the Woman is in her Bed let her receive the ensuing Portion hot and rest till she feel the Operation which is this Take blue Figs to the number of Seven cut them in pieces adding to them Fenugreek Mother-wort and Seeds of Rue of each five Drams water of Penny-Royal and Motherwort of each six Ounces boyl them till one half be consumed and having strained them again add Trochisks of Myrrhe a Dram and of Saffron three Grains sweetning the Liquor with Loaf-Sugar and spicing it with Cinamon Having rested upon this let her Labour again as much as may be and if she be not yet successful make a Suffumation of Castor Opoâ—anax Sulphur and Assafoetida of each half a Dram beating them into Ponder and wetting them with the Juice of Rue until they become stiff then hum them upon Coals so that the Smoak or the Fume may only come to the Matrix and no further If these effect not your Desire then this Emplaister is very fitly to be apylied viz. Take of Galbanum an Ounce and a half Colocynthis without Grains Two Drams the Juice of Motherwort and Rue of each Half an Ounce and two ounces of Virgins Bees wax bruise and melt them together spreading them as a Sear-Cloth to reach from the Navel to Os Pubis spreading likewise to the Flanks at the same time making a convenient Pessary of Wool closing it in a Bag of Silk and dipping it in a Concoction of round Birthwort Savin Colocynthis with Grains Stavesaker Black Hellebore of each a dram and of Rue a little â—sprig or two But these things not having the desir'd success and the Womans danger increasing
the Rules of Nature which are carried by their inbred motion according to usual and natural Course without Variation Tho' indeed by Favour from on high Sarah conceived Isaac Hannah Samuel and Elizabeth John the Baptist But these were extraordinary things brought to pass by a Divine Power above the Course of Nature nor have such instances been wanting in latter Days And therefore passing over such Supernatural Causes that have their peculiar Effects I shall proceed to speak of things natural The Ancient Physicians and Philosophers say That since there are two Principles out of which the Body of Man is made and which render the Child like the Parents and to be of one or the other Sex viz. Seed common to both Sexes and Menstrual Blood proper to the Woman only The Similitude say they must needs consist in the force and virtue of the Male or Female Seed so that it proves like one or other according to the plenty afforded by either but that the difference of Sex is not referr'd to the Seed but to the Menstrual Blood which is proper to the Woman is apparent for were that force altogether retained in the Seed the Male Seed being of the hottest quality Male Children would abound and few of the Female would be propagated Wherefore the Sex is attributed to the Temperament of the Active Qualities which consist in Heat and Cold and to the Nature of the matter under them that is to the flowings of the Menstrual Blood Now the Seed say they affords both force to procreate and form the Child and matter for its Generation and in the Menstrual Blood there is both matter and force for as the Seed most helps the material Principles so also does the Menstrual Blood the potential Seed which is saith Galen Blood well concocted by 〈◊〉 Vessels that contain it so that Blood is not only the matter of generating the Child but also Seed in possibility that Menstrual Blood hath both Principles The Ancients further say That the Seed is the strongest Efficient the matter of it being very little in quantity but the potential quality of it is very strong Wherefore if the Principle of Generation according to which the Sex is made were only say they in the Menstrual Blood then would the Children be all or mostly Females as if the efficient force was in the Seed they would be all Males But that since both have operation in Menstrual Blood Matter predominates in quantity and in the Seed Force and Vertue And therefore Galen thinks the Child receives its Sex rather from the Mother than from the Father for altho ' his Seed contribute something to the material Principle yet it is more weakly But as for Likeness it is referred rather to the Father than the Mother Yet the Womans Seed receiving strength from the Menstrual Blood for the space of Nine Months over-powers the Man's as to that particu'ar for the Menstrual Blood howing into the Vessels rather cherishes the one than the other from which it is plain the Woman affords both matter to make and force and vertue to â—â—â—fect the Conception tho' the Female's 〈…〉 fit Nutriment for the Male's by reason of the thinness of it being more adapted to make up Conception thereby for as of soft Wax and moist Clay the Workman can frame what he intends so say they the Man's Seed mixing with the Woman's and also with the menstrual Blood helps to make the form and perfect part of Man But with all imaginable Deference to the Wisdom of the Ancients give me leave to say That their Ignorance in the Anatomy of Mans Body has bewilder'd 'em in the Paths of Error and led them into great mistakes For their Hypothesis of the Formation of the Embryo from a Commixture of Seeds and the Nourishment of it from the menstruous Blood being wholly false their Opinion in this case must needs be so also I shall therefore conclude this Chapter and only say That altho a strong Imagination of the Mother may sometimes determine the Sex yet the main Agent in this case is the Plastic or Formative Principle which is the Efficient in giving Form to the Child that gives it this or that Sex according to those Laws and Rules that are given to it by the wise Creator of all things who both maketh and fashioneth it and therein determines the Sex according to the Counsel of his own Will CHAP. IV. A Discourse of the Soul of Man That it is not Propogated from the Parents but is Infused by it's Creator and can neither Die nor Corrupt and at what time it is Infused Of the Immortality thereof and certainty of the Resurrection MAN's Soul is of so Divine a Nature and Excellency that Man himself cannot in any wise comprehend it it being the infused Breath of the Almighty of an Immortal Nature and not to be comprehended but by him that gave it For Moses by Holy Inspiration relating the Original of Man tells us That God breathed into his Nostrils the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul Now as for all other Creatures at his Word they were made and had Life but the Creature that God hath appointed to set over his Works was the peculiar Workmanship of the Almighty Forming him out of the Dust of the Earth and condescending to breathe into his Nostrils the Breath of Life which seems to Denote more Care and if we may so term it Labour used about Man than about all other Creatures he only partaking and participating with the Divine Nature bearing the Image of God in Innocence and Purity whilst he stood firm and when by his Fall that lively Image was defaced yet such was the Love of his Creator towards him that he found out a way to Restore him the only begotten Son of the Eternal Father coming into the World to destroy the works of the Devil and to raise up Man from that low Condition to which his Sin and Fall had reduc'd him to a State above that of the Angels If therefore Man would understand the Excellency of his Soul let him turn his Eyes inward and look into himself and search diligently his own Mind and there he shall find so many admirable Gifts and excellent Ornaments that it must needs strike him with Wonder and Amazement as Reason Understanding Freedom of Will Memory and divers other Faculties that plainly shew the Soul to be descended from an Heavenly Original and that therefore it is of an infinite Duration and not subject to Annihilation Yet by reason of its many Offices and Operations whilst in the Body it goes under sundry Denominations For when it enlivens the Body it is called the Soul when it gives it Knowledge the Judgment or the Mind when it recalls things past the Memory whilst it discourseth and discerneth Reason whilst it contemplates the Spirit whilst it is in the Sensitive parts the Senses And these are the principâ—â— Offices whereby the Soul declares its Powâ—â— and
Penny-royal Feverfew Hysop Sage of each 2 ounces make a Julep Take Oyl of Anniseed one Scruple and half Diacymini Diacalaminthe Diamosci Diagalangae of each one dram Sugar 4 ounces with water of Cinnamon make Lozenges take of them a dram and half twice a Day two hours before Meales Fasten cupping-glasses to the hipps and belly Take of Stirax Calamint one ounce Mastick Cloves Cinamon Nutmeg Lig. Aloes Frankincense of each half an ounce Musk 10 Grains Amber-greese half a Scruple with Rose-water make a Confection Divide it into four equal parts Of one part make a Pomum Odoratum to smell on if she be not hysterical Of the second make a Mass of Pills and let her take three every night Of the third make a Pessary dip it in Oyl of Spikenard and put it up Of the fourth make a suffumigation for the Womb. If the Faculties of the Womb be weakened and the life of the Seed suffocated by overmuch humidity â—â—owing to those parts Take of Betony Marjorum Mugwort Penny-royal Balm of each one handful Roots of Asrum Fenel Ellecampane of each two drams Anniseed Cummin of each one dram with Sugar and Water a sufficient quantity of which make a Syrup and take three ounces every other morning Purge with these Pills following Take of Digridion two grains Specierum de Castorei one scruple Pil Foetid two scruples with Syrup of Mugwort make six Pills Take Spec. Diagemmae Diamosci Dâ—ambrae of each one dram Cinnamon one dram an half Mace Cloves Nutmeg of each half a dram Sugar six ounces with Water of Feverfew make Lozenges to be taken every morning Take of the Decoction of Sarsaparilla and Virga Aurea not forgeting Sage which Agrippa wondering at the operation of hath honour'd with the Name of Sacra Herba a holy Herb And it is recorded by Dodonaeus in his History of Plants Lib. 2. Cap. 77. That after so many Egyptians were dead the surviving Women that they might multiply the faster were commanded to drink the Juice of Sage Anoint the Genitals with Oyl of Anniseed and Spikenard Take Mace Nutmeg Cinnamon Styrax Amber of each one dram Cloves Laudani of each half a dram Turpentine a sufficient quantity make Trochisks to smother the Womb. Take the Roots of Valerian and Ellecampane of each one pound of Galangale two ounces Origan Lavender Marjoram Betony Mugwort Bay leaves Calamint of each three handfuls with Watâ—r make an incession in which let her sit after she hath had her Courses If Barrenness proceeds from Driness consuming the matter of the Seed Take every day Almond-milk and Goats-milk extracted with Honey Eat often of the Root Satyrion condited and of the Electuary of Diasatyrion Take three Weathers Heads boyle them until all the flesh comes from the bones then take of Mellilot Violets Cammomile Mercury Orchis with their Roots of each an handful Fenugreek Linseed Valerian Roots of each one pound Let all these be decocted in the aforesaid Broth and let the Woman sit in the Decoction up to her Navel Also take of Deers Suet half an ounce Cows Marrow Styracis liquideae of each two drams Oyl of sweet Almonds two ounces with Silk Cotton make a Pessary Make Injections only of fresh Butter and Oyl of sweet Almond If Barrenness be caused by any proper affect of the Womb the Cure is set down in the Second Part. Sometimes the Woman proves barren when there is no Impediment on either side except only in the manner of the Act As when in the Emission of the Seed the Man is quick and the Woman too slow whereby there is not an Emission of both Seeds at the same instant as the Rules of Conception require according to the opinion of the Antients Wherefore to take away this Inconvenience Mulier preparari ac disponi debet molli complexu lascivis verbis oscula lasciviora miscenda If this doth not suffice before the Act of Coition foment the private parts with the Decoction of Betony Sage Hysop and Calamint and anoint the Mouth and Neck of the Womb with Musk and Civet The Cause of Barrenness being removed let the Womb be corroborated as follows Take of Bay-berries Mastick Nutmeg Frankincense Cypress Nuts Laudani Galbani of each one dram Styracis liquid two Scruples Cloves half a Scruple Ambergreece two grains Musk six grains then with Oyl of Spikenard make a Pessary Take red Roses Lapidis Haematitis White Frankincense of each half an ounce Sanguis Draconis fine Bole Mastick of each two drams Nutmeg Cloves of each one dram Spikenard half a scruple With Oyl of Wormwood make a Plaister for the lower part of the Belly Let her eat often of Eringo Roots condited and Make an Injection only of the Juice of the Roots of Satyrion The aptest time for Conception is instantly after the Menses are ceas'd because then the Womb is thirsty and dry apt both to draw the Seed and to retain it by the roughness of the inward superficies And besides in some the mouth of the Womb is turned unto the back or side and is not placed right until the last day of the Courses Excess in all things is to be avoided Lay aside all Passions of the Mind Shun Study and Care as things that are Enemies to Conception for if a Woman conceives under such circumstances how wise soever the Parents are the Children at the best will be but foolish because the animal Faculties of the Parents viz. the Understanding and the rest from whence the Child derives its Reason are as it were confused through the multiplicity of Cares and Cogitations Examples hereof we have in learned Men who after great study and care instantly accompanying with their Wives often beget very foolish Children A hot and moist Air is most convenient as appears by the Women in Egypt which usually bring forth three or four Children at one time CHAP. X. Virginity what it is in what it consists and how violated together with the Opinions of the Learned about the mutation of Sexes in the Womb during the Operation of Nature iâ— framing the Body THere are many ignorant People that boaâ—â— of their Skill in the knowledge of Virginity and some Virgins have undergone harâ— Censures through their ignorant Determinations And therefore I thought it highly necessary to clear this Point that the towering Imaginations of conceited Ignorance may be brought down and that the Fair Sex whose Vertues are so illustriously bright that they both excite our Wonder and command our Imitation may be freed from the Calumnies and Detractions of Ignorance and Envy that so their Honours may continue as Unspotted as they have kept their Persons Uncontaminated and free from Defilement Virginity in a strict sence does signifie the Prime the Chief the Best of any thing which makes men so desirous of marrying Virgins imagining some greater pleasure to be enjoy'd in their Embraces than in those of Widows or such as have before been lain withal Tho' not many years ago a very
Wings being four in Number and resemble Myrtle-Berries being placed Quadrangular one against the other and in this place is inserted to the Orifice of the Bladder which opens it self into the Fissures to evacuate the Urine for securing of which from Cold or the like Inconveniency one of these Knobs are placed before it and shuts up the Passage The Lips of the Womb that next appear being separated disclose the Neck thereof and in them two things are to be observed which is The Neck it self and the Hymen but more properly the Claustrum Virginale of which I have before discoursed By the Neck of the Womb is to be understood the Channel that is between the aforesaid Knobs and the inner Bone of the Womb which receives the Penis like a Sheath and that it may the better be dilated for the pleasure of Procreation the substance of it is sinewy and a little spongy and in this Concavity are divers Folds or Orbicular Plights made by Tunicles wrinkled like an expanded Rose in Virgins they plainly appear but in women that have often used copulation they are extinguished so that the inner side of the Womb's Neck appears smooth and in old women it becomes more hard and grisly But tho' this Channel be at sometimes writhed and crooked sinking down yet in the time of Copulation Labour or the Monthly Purgations it is erected and extended which over-extention occasioneth the pains in Child-birth The Hymen or Claustrum Virginale is that which closes the Neck of the Womb being as I have before cited in the Chapter relating to Virginity broken in the first Copulation its use being rather to stay the untimely Courses in Virgins than to any other end and commonly when it is broke in Copulation or by any other Accident a small quantity of Blood flows from it attended wiâ—h some little pain From whence some observe that between the duplicity of the two Tunicles which constitute the Neck of the Womb there are many Veins and Arteries running along and arising from the vessels on both sides the Thighs and so passing into the Neck of the Womb being very large and the reason thereof is for that the Neck of the Bladder requires to be filled with abundance of Spirits thereby to be dilated for its better taking hold of the Penis there being great heat required in such motions which becoming more intense by the Act of Frication consumes a considerable quantity of moisture in the supplying of which large vessels are altogether necessary Another cause of the longness of these vessels is by reason the Menses make their way through them which often occasions Women with Child to continue their Purgations for tho' the Womb be shut up yet the passage in the Neck of the Womb through which these Vessels pass are open In this case there is further to be observed that as soon as you penetrate the Pudendum there appears two little Pits or Holes wherein is contained an Humour which by being expunged in time of Copulation greatly delights the Woman CHAP. XIV A Description of the Wombs Fabrick the preparing Vessels and Testicles in Women as also of the Different or Ejaculatory Vessels IN the lower part of the Hypogastrion where the Hips are widest and broadest they being greater and broader thereabouts than those of Men for which reason they have likewise broader Buttocks than Men is the Womb joyned to its Neck and is placed between the Bladder and strait Gut which keeps it from swaying or rowling yet gives it liberty to stretch and dilate it self and again to contract as nature in that case disposes it Its figure is in a manner round and not unlike a Gourd lessening a little and growing more acute toward one end being knit together by its proper Ligaments its Neck likewise is joyned by its own substance and certain Membranes that fasten it to Os Sacrum and the Share-Bone As to its largeness that much differs in Women especially the difference is great between such as have born Children and those that have born none In substance it is so thick that it exceeds a Thumbs breath which after Conception it is so far from decreasing that it augments to a greater proportion and the more to strengthen it it is interwoven with Fibres overthwart which are both strait and winding and its proper Vessels are Veins Arteries and Nerves and amongst these there are two little Veins which pass from the Spermatick Vessels to the bottom of the Womb and two larger from the Hypogastricks which touch both the bottom and the Neck the mouth of these Veins piercing as far as the inward concavity The Womb hath also two Arteries on both sides the Spermatick Vessels and the Hypogastricks which still accompany the Veins and besides these there are divers little Nerves that are knit and intwined in the form of a Net which are also extended throughout even from the bottom to the Pudenda themselves being chiefly placeâ— for sense and pleasure moving in Sympaâ—â—y between the Head and Womb. Now it is to be farther noted that by reason of the two Ligaments that hang on either side the womb from the Share-bone pierceing through the Peritonaeum and joyned to the Bone it self the VVomb is moveable upon sundry occasions often falling low or rising high As for the Neck of the VVomb it is of an exquisite feeling so that if it be at any time out of order by being troubled with a schirrosity over-fatness moisture or relaxation the VVomb is subjected thereby to Barrenness In those that are with Child there frequently stays a moist glutinous Matter in the entrance to facilitate the Birth for at the time of delivery the Mouth of the Womb is opened to such a wideness as is conformable to the bigness of the Child suffering an equal dilation from the bottom to the top As for the Preparatory or Spermatick Vessels in Women they consist of two Veins and two Arteries not differing from those in a Man but only in their largeness and manner of insertion for the number of Veins and Arteries are both the same as in Men the right Vein issuing from the trunk of the hollow Vein descending and the left from the Emulgent Vein and on the side of them are two Arteries which grows from the Aorta As to the length and breadth of these Vessels they are narrow and shorter in Women than in Men only observe they are more wreathed and contorted than in Men as shrinking together by reason of their shortness that they may by their looseness be the better stretched out when occasion requires it And these Vessels in Women are carried with an indirect course thro' the lesser Guts to the Testicles but are in the mid-way divided into two Branches the greater going â—o the Stones constituting the various or winding Body and wonderfully Inoculating the lesser Branch ending in the Womb in the side of which it disperseth it self and especially at the higher part of the
Take Specierum Diambrae Diamosci Dulcis Diacalamenti Diacinnamomi Diacimini Troch de Myrrha of each 2 drams Sugar one Pound with Bettony water make Lozenges Take of them two hours before Meals Apply to the bottom of the belly as hot as may be indured a little bag of Camomile Cummin and Melilote boyled in Oyl of Rue Anoint the belly and secret parts with Vnguentum Agrippae and Vnguentum AREGON mingling therewith Oyl of Ireos Cover the lower parts of the belly with the plaister of Bay-berries or with a Cataplasm made of Cummin Camomile Briony Roots adding thereto Cows and Goats dung Our Moderns ascribe a great vertue to Tobacco water distilled and poured into the Womb by a Metrenchyta Take of Baum Southern wood Organ Wormwood Calamint Bay-leaves Marjoram of each one handful Juniper-berries 4 drams with water make a Decoction Of this may be made Fomentations Injections and Insessions Make Pessaries of Styrax Aloes with the Roots of Dictam Aristolochia and Gentian Instead of this you may use the Pessary prescribed pag. 130. Let her take of Electuarium Aromaticum Diasatyrion and Eringo Roots condited every Morning The air must be hot and dry Moderate exercise is allowed Much sleep is forbidden She may eat the flesh of Partridges Larks Chickens Mountain-birds Hares Conies c. Let her drink be thin Wine CHAP. XI Of the Mola or False Conception THis disease is called of the Greeks MVLE and the cause of this denomination is taken from the load or heavy weight of it it being a Mole or great lump of hard flesh burdening the Womb. It is defined to be an inarticulate piece of flesh without form begotten in the Matrix as it were a true Conception In which definition we are to note two things First in that a Mole is said to be inarticulate and without form it differs from Monsters which are both Formata and Articulata Secondly it is said to be as it were a true Conception which puts a difference between a true Conception and a Mole which difference holds good three ways First in the Genus in that a Mole cannot be said to be animal Sâ—condly in the Species because it hath no humane figure and bears not the Character of a man Thirdly in the Individuum for it hath no affinity with the Parent either in the whole Body or any Particle of the same Cause About the cause of this affect amongst learned Authors I find variety of Judgements Some are of opinion that if the Womans seed goes into the Womb and not the Mans thereof is the Mole produced Others there be that affirm it is ingendred of the menstruous Blood But if these two were granted then Maids by having their Courses or through nocturnal polutions might be subject unto the same which never any yet were The true cause of this fleshy Mole proceeds both from the Man and from the Woman from corrupt or Barren Seed in the Man and from the menstruous Blood in the Woman both mixed together in the Cavity of the Womb where Nature finding her self weak yet desiring to maintain the perpetuity of her Speâ—ies labours to bring forth a vitious Conception rather than nonâ— And so instead of a living Creature generates a lump of â—lesh Signs The signs of a Mole are these The Months are supprest the appetite is depraved the brests swell and the Belly is puffed up and waxeth hard Thus far the signs of a breeding Woman and of one that beareth a Mole are all one I will now shew you how they differ The first sign of difference is taken from the motion of a Mole it may be felt to move in the Womb before the third Month which the Infant cannot Yet that motion cannot be understood of any intelligent power in the Mole but of the faculty of the Womb and of the seminal Spirits diffused through the substance of the Mole for it lives not a life animal but vegitative in the manner of a Plant. Secondly in a Mole the belly is suddenly puft up but in a true Conception the belly is first retracted and then riseth again by degrees Thirdly the belly being prest with the hand the Mole gives way and the hand being taken away it returns to the place again But a Child in the Womb though prest with the hand moves not presently and being removed returns slowly or not at all Lastly the Child continues in the Womb not above Eleven Months but a Mole continues some times four or five Years more or less according as it is fastened in the Matrix I have known when a Mole hath fallen away in four or five Months If it remains until the Eleventh Month the legs wax feeble and the whole body consumes only the swelling of the belly still increaseth which makes some think they are Hydropical though there be little reason for it for in the Dropsie leâ—s swell and grow big but in a Mole they consume and wither Prognosticks If at the delivery of a Mole the Flux of Blood be great it shews the more danger because the parts of nutrition having been vitiated by the flowing back of the superfluous humours whereby the natural heat is consumed and then parting with so much blood the Woman thereby is so weakned in all her facultâ—es that she can hardly subsist Cure We are taught in the School of Hippocrates that Phlebotomy causeth abortion by taking away that nourishment which should sustain the life of the Child Wherefore that this vitious Conception may be deprived of that vegetative sap by which it lives open the liver vein and then the Saphena on both feet Fasten Cupping glasses to the loins and sides of the belly which done let the Uterine parts be first Mollified and then the expulsive faculty provoked to expel the burden To laxate the Ligatures of the Male Take Mallows with the roots 3 handfuls Camomile Melilote Pellitory of the wall Violet leaves Mercury Roots of Fennel Parsley of each 2 handfuls Line-seed Fenugreek of each one pound boyl them in water and let her sit therein up to the Navel At the going out of the Bath Anoint the Privities and Reins with this Unguent following Take oyl of Camomile Lillies and sweet Almonds of each one Ounce fresh Butter Labdani Ammoniaci of each half an Ounce with the Oyl of Lineseed make an Unguent Or instead of this may be used Unguentum Agrippae or Dialthaea Take of Mercury Roots of Althea of each half a handful Fol. Branchae Ursinae half a handful Lineseed Barley-meal of each 6 ounces boyl all these with Water and Honey and make a Plaister Make Pessaries of the Gum Galbanum Bdelium Ammoniacum Figs Hogs-suet and Honey After the ligaments of the Mole are loosed let the expulsive faculty be stirred up to expell the Mole for effecting of which all Medicaments may be used which are proper to bring down the Courses Take Troch de Myrrha one Ounce Castor Aristolochia Gentians Dictam of each half an ounce make a
Pouder take one dram in 4 ounces of Mugwort water Take of Hypericon Calamint Penny-royal Bettony Hyssop Sage Horehound Valerian Madder Savine with water make a decoction take 3 ounces of it with one ounce and half of Syrup of Feverfew Take of Mugwort Myrrh Gentian Pil. Coch. of each 4 Scruples Rue Penny-royal Saggapenum Opopanax of each half a dram Assafoetida Cinnamon Juniper-berries Borage of each one draâ— with the juice of Savine make Pills to be taken of every Morning Make Insessions of Hyssop Bay-leaves Assrum Calamint Bay-berries Camomile Mugwort Savine Take of Sagapenum Marjoram Gentian Savine Cloves Nutmeg Bay-berries of each 2 Scruples Galbanum one dram Hierae Picrae Black Hellebore of each one Scruple with Turpentine make a Pessary But if these things prove not available then must the Mole be drawn away with an instrument put up into the Womb called a Pes Griphius which may be done with no great danger if it be performed by a skilful Chirurgeon After the delivery of the Mole by reason that the Woman hath parted with much blood already let the flux of blood be stayed as soon as may be Fasten Cupping-glasses to the shoulder and ligatures to the arms If these help not open the Liver-vein on the right arm The air shall be moderately hot and dry and her diet such as doth molify and attenuate she may drink White-wine CHAP. XII Of the Signs of Conception IGnorance makes Women become Murderers to the Fruit of their own Bodies many having Conceived and thereupon finding their Bodies to be out of Order and not knowing rightly the Cause do either run to the Shop of their own Conceit and take what they think fit or else as the Custom is they send to the Physitian for Cure and he perceiving not the Cause of their Grief seeing that no certain Judgment can be given by the Urine prescribes what he thinks best perhaps some strong Diuretical or Cathartical Potion whereby the Conception is destroyed Wherefore Hippocrates saith There is a Necessity that Women should be instructed in the Knowledge of Conception that the Parent as well as the Child might be saved from Danger I will therefore give you some Instructions by which every one may know whether she be with Child or not The signs of Conception shall be taken from the Woman from the Urine from the Infant and from Experiment Signs collected from the Woman are these The first day after Conception she feels a light Quivering or Chilness running through the Whole Body a tickling in the Womb and a little Pain in the lower parts of the Belly Ten or twelve Days after the Head is affected with Giddiness the Eyes with a Dimnes of Sight Then follows Red Pimples in the Face with a Blue Circle about the Eyes the Brests swell and grow hard with some pain and pricking in them The Belly suddenly sinketh and riseth again by Degrees with a hardness about the Navel The Nipples af the Brest's wax Red the Heart beats inordinately the Natural appetite is Dejected yet die hath a longing Desire after strange Meats The neck of the Womb is retraced that it can hardly be felt with the Finger being put up and this is an infallible Sign She is suddenly Merry and as soon Melancholly her Monthly Courses are stayed without any Evident Cause The Excrements of the Guts are unaccustomedly retained by the VVomb pressing the great Gut and her Desire to Venus is abated The surest Sign is taken from the Infant which begins to move in the VVomb the third or fourth Month and that not in the manner of a Mole from one side to another Rushing like a Stone but mildly as may be perceived by applying the Hand hot on the Belly Signs taken from the Urine The best Clerks do affirm that the Urine of a VVoman with Child is white and hath little Motes like those in the Sun-beams ascending and descending in it and a Cloud swimming aloft of an Opal Colour the Sediment being divided by shaking of the Urine appears like carded VVool. In the middle of her time the Urine turneth Yellow next Red and lastly Black with a Red Cloud Signs taken from Experiment At Night going to Bed let her drink Water and Honey afterward if she feels a beating pain in her Belly and about her Navel she hath Conceived Or let her take the juice of Carduus and if she Vomiteth it up it is a sign of Conception cast a clean Needle into Womans Urine put into a Bason let it stand all Night and in the Morning if it be coloured with red Spots she hath Conceived but if it be blacker or rusty she hath not Signs taken from the Sex to shew whether it be Male or Female Being with Child of a Male the right Breast swells first the right Eye is more lively than the left her Face Well coloured because such as the Blood is such is the Colour and the Male is conceived of purer Blood and of more perfect Seed than the Female Red Motes in the Urine settling down to the Sediment foretells that a Male is conceived but if they be white a Female Put the Womans Urine which is with Child into a Glass Bottle let it stand close stopt three days then strain it through a fine Cloth and you shall find littte living Creatures if they be Red it is a Male if White a Female To conclude the mod certain Sign to give Credit unto is the motion of the Infant For the Male moves in the third Month ad the Famale in the fourth CHAP XIII Of Vntimely Birth WHen the Fruit of the Womb comes forth before the Seventh Month that is before it comes to Maturity it is said to be Abortive And in effect the Child proves Abortive I mean not to Live if it be Born in the eighth Month. And why Children born in the seventh and ninth Month may Live and not in the eighth Month may seem strange yet it is true The cause hereof by some is ascribed unto the Planet under which the Child is born for every Month from the Conception to the Birth is Governed by his proper Planet And in the Eighth Month Saturn doth Predominate which is cold and dry and coldness being an Enemy unto Life destroys the Nature of the Child Hippocrates gives a better Reason The Infant being every way perfect and compleat in the Seventh Month desires more Air and Nutriment than it had before which because he cannot obtain he labours for a Passage to go out and if his Spirits be weak and faint and have not Strength sufficient to break the Membranes and come forth it is decreed by Nature that he should continue in the Womb until the 9th Month that in that time his wearied Spirits might be again Strengthned and Refreshed but if he returns to strive again in the eighth Month and be born he cannot Live because the day of his Birth is either past or to come for in the eighth Month
more proper Take of red Roses one pound Mastick red Sanders of each 2 drams Bole-armeny red Coral Bistort of each one dram Pomgranate Pills prepared Coriander of each 2 drams and half Barberries two Scruples Oyl of Mastick and Quinces of each one Ounce juice of Plantain 2 drams with Pitch make a Plaister anoint the reins also with Vnguentum Sandalinum Once every week wash the reins with two parts of Rose water and one part of White-wine mingled together and warmed at the fire this will asswage the heat of the reins and disperse the Oyl of the Plaister out of the pores of the skin and cause the Oyntment or Plaister the sooner to penetrate and strengthen the Womb. Some are of opinion on that as long as the Loadstone is laid to the navel it keepeth the Woman from abortion The like also is recorded of the stone Aetites being hanged about the Neck The same vertue hath the stone Samius CHAP. XV. Directions to be observed by Women at the time of their falling in Labour in order to their safe Delivery with Directions for Midwifes ANd thus having given necessary Directions to Child-bearing Women how to govern themselves during the time of their Pregnancy I shall now add what 's necessary for them to observe in order to their Delivery The time of Birth drawing near let the woman send for a skilful Midwife and that rather too soon than too late against which time let her prepare a Pallet-Bed or Couch and place it near the fire that the Midwife and her Assistants may pass round and help on every side as occasion requires having change of Linnen ready and a small Cricket or little Log to rest her feet against she having more force when they are bowed than when they are otherwise Having thus provided when the woman feels her pains come if the weather be not very cold let her walk leisurely about the room resting her self by turns upon the Bed and so expect the coming down of her water which is a Humour contracted in one of the outward Membranes and flows thence when it is broke by the strugling of the Child there being no direct time affixed for its Efflux tho' generally it flows not above two hours before the Birth Motion likewise will cause the Womb to open and dilate it self when lying long in Bed will be uneasie yet if she be very weak she may take some gentle Cordial to refresh her self if â—er pains will permit If her Travel be tedious she may revive her Spirits with taking Broth or Chickens or Mutâ—on or she may take a poach'd Egg but must â—ake heed of taking any thing to excess As for the posture women are delivere'd in â—hey are divers some lying in their Beds ther 's sitting in a Chair supported and held â—y others or resting upon the side of the Bed â—r Chair some again upon their Knees beâ—â—g supported under their Arms but the most â—â—fe and commodious way is in the Bed and â—â—en the Midwife ought to observe these followâ—â—g Rules Let her lay the woman upon her â—ack her Head a little raised by the help of a â—â—llow having the like help to support her â—â—eins and Buttocks and that her Rump lie â—â—gh for if she lie low she cannot be well â—livered Then let her keep her Knees and â—highs as far asunder as she can her legs bowâ—â— together her Buttocks the Soles of her Feet and Heels being fix'd upon a little Log of Timber placed for that purpose that she may the better strain And in case her Back be very weak a Swathing-band may be cast under it the band being four double and about twelve Inches broad and this must be held by two Persons who with steady hands and equal motion must raise her up at the time her pains happen but if they be not exact in their motion 't is better let alone and at the same time let two women hold her Shoulders that she may then strain out the birth with more advantage and then to facilitate it let a woman stroke or press the upper part of her Belly gently and by degrees Nor must the woman her self be faint-hearted but of a good Courage forcing her self by straining and stopping her breath In case of Delivery the Midwife must wait with Patience till the Childs Head or other Members burst the Membrane for if through ignorance or haste to be gone to other Women as some have done the Midwife tear the Membrane with her Nails she endangers both the Woman and the Child for it lying dry and wanting that slipperiness that should make it easie it comes forth with greater pain When the Head appears the Midwife must gently hold it between her two hands and draw the Child at such times as the Womans pangs are upon her and at no other slipping by degrees her four fingers under its Arm-pits not using a rough hand in drawing it forth lest by that means the tender Infant receive any Deformity of Body As soon as the Child is taken forth which is for the most part with its Face downwards let it be laid upon its back that it may more freely receive external Respiration then cut the Navel-string about three Inches from the body tying that end which adheres to the belly with a silken string as near as you can then cover the Head and Stomach of the Child well suffering nothing to come upon the Face The Child being thus drawn forth and in health lay it aside and let the Midwife regard the Patient in drawing forth the Secundine And this she may do by wagging and stirring them up and down and afterwards with a gentle hand drawing them forth and if the work be difficult let the Woman hold Salt in her hands shut them close and breathe hard into them and thereby she shall know whether the Membranes be broken or not It may be also known by causing her to strain or vomit by putting one Finger down her Throat or by straining or moving her lower parts but let all be done out of hand If this fail let her take a draught of raw Elder-water or the Yolk of a new-laid Egg or smell to a piece of Assafoetida especially if she be troubled with the Wind-Cholick If she happen to take cold it is a great Obstruction to the coming down of she Secundines and in such cases the Midwife ought to chafe the womans belly gently which breaks not only the Wind but obliges the Secundines to come down but these proving ineffectual the Midwife must dilate with her Hand the exterior Orifice of the Womb and gently draw it forth Having now discoursed of common Births or such as for the most part are easie I shall now give Directions in case of Extremity CHAP. XVI In Case of Extremity what ought to be Observed especially to Women who in their Travel are accompanied with an Efflux of Blood Convulsion or Fits of the Wind. IF the VVomans Labour be hard and
let the Chyrurgeon use his instruments to dilate and widen the Womb to which end the Woman must be set in Chair so that she may turn her Crupper as much from its Back as is convenient drawing up her Legs as close as she can but spreading her Thighs as wide as may be or if she he very weak it may be more convenient that she be laid upon the Bed with her Head downwards her Buttocks raised and her Legs drawn up as much as can be at what time the Chyrurgeon with his Speculum Matricis or his Apertory may dilate the Womb and draw out the Child and Secundines together if it be possible which being done the Womb must be well washed and anointed and the Woman laid in her Bed and comforted with Spices and Cordials This course must be taken in the delivery of all dead Children likewise with Moles Secundines and false Births that will not of themselves come forth in due season or if the instruments aforesaid will not sufficiently widen the Womb then other instruments as the Drakes Bill and long Pincers ought to be used If it so happen that any Inflammation Swelling or congealed Blood be contracted in the Matrix under the Film of those Tumours either before or after the Birth where the matter appears thinner then let the Midwife with a Penknife or incision instrument Launch it and press out the corruption healing it with a Pessary dipped in Oyl of Red Roses If at any time through cold or some violence the Child happen to be swelled in any part or have contracted a watery Tumour if it remain alive such means must be used as are least injurious to the Child or Mother but if it be dead that Tumour must be let out by incision to facilitate the Birth If as it often happens that the Child comes with its Feet foremost and the Hands dilating themselves from the Hips in such case the Midwife must be provided of necessary Oyntments to stroke and anoint the Infant with to help its coming forth lest it return again into the Womb holding at the same time both the Arms of the Infant close to the Hips that so it may issue forth after its manner but if it prove too big the Womb must be well anointed The Woman may also take sneezing Pouder to make her strain those that attend may gently stroke down her Belly to make the Birth descend and keep the Child from retiring back Sometimes it falls out that the Child coming with its Feet foremost has its Arms extended above its Head but the Midwife must not receive it so but put it back into the Womb unless the Passage be extraordinary wide and then she must anoint both the Child and the Womb nor is it safe to draw it forth before it is put into due form which must be done after this manner The Woman must be laid upon her Back with her Head depressed and her Buttocks raised and then the Midwife with a geâ—tle hand must compress the Belly of the Woman towards the Midrif by that means to put back the Infant observing to turn the Face of the Child towards the back of the Mother raising up its Thighs and Buttocks towards her Navel that so the Birth may be more natural If a Child happen to come forth with one Foot the Arm being extended along the side and the other Foot turned backward then must the Woman be instantly brought to her Bed and laid in the posture above described at what time the Midwife must caresully put back the Foot so appearing and the Woman rocking her self from one side to the other till she find the Child is turned but she must not alter her posture nor turn upon her Face after which she may expect her pains and must have great assistance and Cordials to revive and support her Spirits At other times it happens that the Child â—les cross in the Womb and falls upon its side in this case the Woman must not be urged in her Labour neither can any expect the Birth in that manner Therefore the Midwife when she finds it so she must use great diligence to reduce it to its right form or at least to such a form in the Womb as may make the delivery possible and most Easie by moving the Buttocks and guiding the Head to the Passage and if she be successful herein let her again try by rocking her self to and fro and wait with patience till it change its manner of lying Sometimes the Child hastens the Birth with its Legs and Arms expanded in which as in the former the Woman must rock her self but not with violence till she find those parts fall to their proper stations or it may be done by a gentle compression of the Womb but if neither of them prevail the Midwife with her Hand must close the Legs of the Infant and if she can come at them do the like to the Arms and so draw it forth but if it can be reduced of it self to the posture of a natural Birth it is better If the Infant come forward with both Knees foremost and the Hands hanging down upon the Thighs then must the Midwife put both Knees upward till the Feet appear taking hold of which with her Left Hand let her keep her Right Hand on the side of the Child and in that posture endeavour to bring it forth but if she cannot then must the Woman rock her self till the Child is in a more convenient posture for Delivery Sometimes it happens that the Child presses forward with one arm stretch'd upon its thighs and the other raised over its head and the feet likewise stretch'd out at length in the Womb in such a case the Midwife must not attempt to receive the Child in that posture but must lay the Woman upon the Bed in the manner before recited making a soft and gentle Compression upon her belly to oblige the Infant to retire which if it do not then must the Midwise thrust it back by the shoulders and bring the arm that was stretched above the head to its right place for certain it is there is most danger in these Extremities and therefore the Midwife must observe to anoint her hands first and the womb of the woman with sweet Butter or some convenient Pomatum thrusting up her hand as near as she can to the arm of the Infant and reduce it to the side but if that cannot so be done let the woman be laid on her Bed there to rest for a while in which time perhaps the Child may be reduced to a better posture which thâ— Midwife finding she must draw the arms closâ— to the hips and so receive it If an Infant come with its Buttocks foremost and almost double then the Midwife anointing her hand must thrust it up and gently heaving up the buttocks and the back strive to turn the head to the passage but not too hastily lest the Infant retiring should shape it worse
and therefore if it cannot be turned with the hand the woman must rock her self upon her Bed taking such comfortable things as may support her Spirits till she perceive the Child to turn If a Childs neck be bowed and it comes forward with its shoulders as it sometimes happens and with its hands and feet strâ—tch'd upwards Then the Midwife must gently move the shoulders that she may direct the head to the passage and the better to effect it the woman must rock her self as afore directed These and other the like methods are to be observed in all single Births And the same may be observed in case a woman have Twins or three Children at a birth as sometimes happens For as the single Birth has but one Natural way and many Unnatural Forms even so it may be in double or treble births Wherefore in such cases the Midwife must take care to receive that first which is nearest the passage but not letting the other go lest by retiring it should change the Form and when one is born she must be speedy in bringing forth the other and this Birth if it be in the natural way is more easie because the Children are commonly less than those of a single birth and so require a lesser passage but if this birth comes unnaturally it is more dangerous than the other In the birth of Twins let the Midwife be very careful that the Secundines be naturally brought forth lest the Womb being delivered of its burthen fall and so the Secundine continues there longer than is consistent with the womans safety But if one of the Twins happen to come with the head the other with the feet foremost then let the Midwife deliver the natural birth first and then if she cannot turn the other draw it out in the posture it presses forward but if that with its feet downward be before the other she may deliver that first turning the other aside But in this case the Midwife must carfully see that it be not a Monstrous Birth instead of Twins as a body with two heads or two bodies joyned together which she may soon know if both the heads come foremost by putting up her hand between them as high as she can and then if she find they are Twins she must gentâ—y put one of them aside to make way for the other taking that first which is most advanced having regard to the other that she do not change its situation And for the safety of the first Child as soon as it comes forth out of the Womb the Midwife must tye the Navel-Sring as has been before directed and also bind with a large and long Fillet that part of the Navel that is fastened to the Secundines the more readily to find them The second Infant being born let the Midwife carefully examine whether there be not two Secundines for it sometimes falls out that by the shortness of the Ligament it retires back to the prejudice of the woman Wherefore left the Womb should close it is most expedient to hasten them forth with all convenient speed If two Infants are joyned together by the Body as sometimes Monstrously falls out then although the Heads should come foremost yet it is convenient if possible to turn them and draw them forth by the Feet observing when they come to the Hips to draw them forth as soon as may be And here great Care ought to be used in anointing and widening the Passage But this sort of Births rarely happening I shall need to say the less of them And therefore shall next shew how Women should be Ordered after Delivery CHAP. XVII How Child-bearing Women ought to be Ordered after their Delivery IF a VVoman has had very hard Labour then after Delivery it is convenient to wrap her in the Skin of a Sheep taken off before it is cold putting the fleshy side to her Reins and Belly or for want of this the Skin of a Hare or Coney being â—layed off as soon as killed may be applied to the same Parts and in so doing the Dilation made in the Birth will be closed up and the Melancholly Blood expelled from those parts And these may be continued the space of an hour or two after which let the VVoman be swathed with a fine Linnen Cloth about a quarter of a Yard in length chasing her belly before it be Swathed with Oyl of St. Johnswort after that raise up the Matrix with a linnen Cloth many times folded then with a little Pillow or Quilt cover her Flanks then place the Swathe somewhat above the Hanches winding it pretty stiff applying at the same time a warm Cloth to her Nipples and not presently applying Remedies to keep back the Milk by reason the body at such a time is out of Frame for there is neither Vein nor Artery which does not strongly beat and Remedies to drive back the Milk being of a dissolving Nature it is improper to apply them to the Brest during such Disorder lest by so doing evil humours be contracted in the Brest wherefore twelve hours ought to be at the least allowed for the Circulation and settlement of the Blood and what was cast upon the Lungs by the vehement Agitation during the Labour to retire to its proper Receptacles A while after Delivery you may make a restrictive of the Yolk of two Eggs and a quarter of a pint of White-wine Oyl of S. John's Wort Oyl of Roses Plantain and Rose-water of each one Ounce mix them together fold a Linnen Cloth and dip therein warm it before a gentle Fire and apply it to the Brest and the Pains of those parts will be greatly eased She must by no means Sleep presently after Delivery but about four hours aften she may take Broath Caudle or what other liquid matter is nourishing and then if she be disposed to Sleep it may be safely permitted And this is as much in case of a Natural Birth as ought immediately to be done But in case of Extremity or an Unnatural Birth these Rules ought to be observed In the first place let the VVoman keep a Temperate Diet by no means over-charging her self after such an excessive Evacuation not being ruled or giving Credit to unskilful Nurses who admonish them to feed heartily the better to repair the loss of Blood for that Blood is not for the most part pure but such as has been detained in the Vessels or Membranes better avoided for the health of the VVoman than kept unless there happens an extraordinary Flux of Blood for if her Nourishment be too much it may make her liable to a Fever and increase the Milk to superfluity which Curdling often turns to Aposthumes Wherefore it is requisite for the first five days especially that she take moderately Ponado broth Poach'd Eggs Jelly of Chickens or Calves Feet French Barley-broth each day some what increasing the quantity and if she intend to be Nurse to her Child she may take a little more than
ARISTOTLE's Master-Piece COMPLEATED In Two PARTS The First Containing the Secrets of Generation In all the PARTS thereof TREATING Of the Benefit of Marriage and the Prejudice of Unequal Matches Signs of Insufficiency in Men or Women Of the Infusion of the SOUL Of the Likeness of Children to Parents Of Monstrous Births The Cause and Cure of the Green-Sickness A Discourse of Virginity Directions and Cautions for Mid-wives Of the Organs of Generation in women and the Fabrick of the Womb. The Use and Action of the Genitals Signs of Conception and whether of a Male or Female With a Word of Advice to both Sexes in the Act of Copulation And the Pictures of several Monstrous Births c. The Second PART being A Private Looking-Glass for the Female Sex Treating of the various Maladies of the Womb and of all other Distempers incident to Women of all Ages with proper Remedies for the Cure of each The whole being more Correct than any thing of this Kind hitherto Published LONDON Printed by B. H. and are to be Sold by most Booksellers 1697. The Effigies of a Maid all Hairy and an Infant that was â—orn Black by the Imagination of theIr Parents c. יהוה IV'e Read this Vseful Tract and therein find The lively Strokes of Aristotle's Mind And they that do with Vnderstanding Read Will find it is a Master-Piece indeed For on this Subject there is none can Write At least so well as that Great Stagyrite He Natures Cabinet has open laid And her Abstrusest Secrets here display'd Here modest Maids and Women being Ill Have got a Doctor to advise with still Where they mayn't only their Distempers see But find a Sure and Proper Remedy For each Disease and every Condition And have no other Need of a Physitian For which Good End I 'm sure it was design'd And may the Reader the Advantage find W. Salmun The Introduction IF one of the meanest Capacity were ask'd What was the Wonder of the World I think the most proper Answer would be MAN He being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Little World to whom all things are Subordinate Agreeing in the Genus with things Sensitive all being Animal but differing in the Species for Man alone is endew'd with Reason And therefore the Deity at Man's Creations as the Inspired Pen-man tells us said Let us make Man in our own Image after our Likeness The Words in the Hebrew are Tselem and Demuth which are Translated Image and Likeness they have * August Lib. de Gen. imperf cap. 16. Omnis Imago sâ—milis est ei cujus imago est nec tâ—menomne quod simile est alicui etiam imago ejus est Expositio ergo fortasse est cum additum sit ad imaginem Calvin in Gen. 1.26 but one meaning and signify one thing as if the Lord had said Let us make Man in our Image that he may be as a Creature may be like us and the same his Likeness may be our Image Some of the Fathers do distinguish †Ambros Lib. de Digâ— Hom. Cap. 2 3. Lombard lib. 2. Dist 16. d. as if by Image the Lord had meant the Reasonable Powers of the Soul Reason Will and Memory and by Likeness the Qualities of the Mind Charity Justice Patience c. But Moses himself Confoundeth this Distinction if you compare these Scriptures Gen. 1 27. 5.1 Coloss 3.10 Ephes 4.24 And the Apostle where he saith He was Created after the Image of GOD in Knowledge and the same in Righteousness and Holiness Wherefore of the Greeks he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of turning his Eyes upwards towards him whose Image and Superscription he bears Whence the Poet Writeth See how the Heav'ns high Architect hath fram'd Man in this Wise To Stand to God to Look Erect with Body Face and Eyes And Cicero saith all Creatures were made like Moles to root upon the Earth except Man to whom was given an Vpright Frame to Contemplate his Maker and behold that Mansion prepared for him above Now to the end that so Noble and Glorious a Creature as Man might not quite Perish it seemed Good to the Almighty Creator to give unto Woman the Field of Generation for a Receptacle of Human Seed whereby that Natural and Vegetable Soul which lies Potentially in the Seed may by the Vis Plastica or Plastic Power be reduced into Act that Man who is a mortal Creature by leaving his Off-spring behind him may become as it were Immortal and Survive in his Posterity And because this Field of Generation the Womb is the place where this Excellent and Noble Creature is form'd and that in so Wonderful a manner that the Royal Psalmist having meditated thereon Cries out as one in an Extasie I am fearfully and wonderfully made It will be highly necessary to Treat largely thereon in this Book which to that end is divided into Two Parts The first whereof Treats of the manner and parts of Generation in both Sexes For from the mutual Desire they have to each other which Nature has implanted in them to that end and that Delight which they take in the act of Copulation does the whole Race of Mankind proceed And a particular account of what things are Previous to that Act and also what are Consequential of it and how each Member concern'd in it is Adapted and fitted for that Work to which Nature has design'd it And tho' in uttering of these things something may be said which those that are Filthy and Vnclean may make a bad use of and wrest it to an occasion of stirring up their Bestial Appetites yet such may know this was never intended for them nor do I know any Reason that those Sober Persons for whose Vse this was meant should want the Help hereby designed them because Vain and Loose Persons will be ready to abuse it The second Part of this Treatise is peculiarly design'd for the Female Sex and does largely not only Treat of the Distempers of the Womb and their various Causes but also give you proper Remedies for the Cure of them For such is the Ignorance of most Women that when by any Distemper those Parts are affected they nâ—ither know from whence it proceeds nor how to apply a Remedy and such is their Modesty also that they are unwilling to ask that they may be inform'd And for the help of such is this design'd for having my Being from a Woman I thought none had more Right to the Grapes than she which Planted the Vine And therefore observing that among all Diseases incident to the Body there are none more Frequent and none more Perilous than those which arise from the ill State of the Womb for through the evil Quality thereof the Heart the Liver and the Braâ—n are Affected from whence the Actions Vital Natural and Animal are Hurt and the Virtues Concoctive Sanguificative Distributive Attractive Expulsive Retentive with the rest are all Weakened so that from the Womb comes
it self it is impossible because wanting the Soul which is the Principle of Life it cannot act nor proceed to any thing either Good or Evil for could it do so it might sin even in the Grave but 't is plain that after Death there is a cessation For as Death leaves us so Judgment finds us Now Reason having evidently demonstrated the Souls Immortality the Holy Scriptures do abundantly give Testimony to the Truth of the Resurrection as the Reader may see by perusing the 14th and 19th Chapters of Job in the Old Testament and the 5th of St. John's Gospel in the New Testament I shall therefore leave the further discussing of this matter to Divines whose proper Province it is and return again to treat of the Works of Nature CHAP. V. Of Monsters and monstrous Births and the reason thereof according to the Opinions of the Antients also whether Monsters are endewed with reasonable Souls and whether Devils can Engender is briefly here discussed BY the Antients Monsters are ascribed to depraved Conceptions and are defined to be Excursions of Nature which are vitious one of these four ways viz. In Figure Situation Magnitude or Number In Figure when a Man bears the Character of a Beast as did the Monster in Saxonia which was born about the time of Luther's Preaching In Magnitude when one part doth not equalize with another as when one part is too big or too little for the other parts of the body and this is so common amongst us that I need not produce a Testimony for it In Situation as if the Ears were on the Face and the Eyes on the Brest or Legs of this kind was the Monster born at Ravenna in Italy in the Year 1512. In Number when a Man hath two Heads or four Hands Of this kind was the monster born at Zarzara in the Year 1540. I proceed to the Cause of their Generation which is either Divine or Natural The Divine cause proceeds from the permissive will of God suffering Parents to bring forth such abominations for their filthy and corrupt Affections which are let loose unto Wickedness like brute Beasts that have no Understanding Wherefore it was Enacted amongst the Antient Romans That those which were any ways deformed should not be admitted into Religious Houses And St. Hierom in his time was Grieved to see the Deformed and Lame offered up to God in Religious Houses And Kekerman by way of inference Excludeth all that are mis-shapen from the Presbyterial Function in the Church And that which is of more force than all God himself Commanded Moses not to receive such to offer Sacrifice amongst his People and he renders the Reason Lev. 21.18 Lest he Pollute my Sanctuaries Because the outward Deformity of the Body is often a sign of the pollution of the Heart as a Curse laid upon the Child for the Parents Incontinency Yet there are many born depraved which ought not to be ascribed unto the infirmity of the Parents Let us therefore search out the Natural Cause of their Generation which according to the Antients who have dived into the Secrets of Nature is either in the Matter or in the Agent in the Seed or in the Womb. The matter may be in fault two ways by Defect or by Excess By Defect when as the Child hath but one Arm. As in the following Figure By Excess when it hath three Hands or two Heads Some monsters also are begotten by VVomens unnatural lying with Beasts as in the Year 1393 there was a monster begotten by a VVoman's Generating with a Dog which monster from the Navel upwards had the perfect Resemblance of its Mother but from the Navel downwards it resembled a Dog As you may here see The Agent or Womb may be in fault three ways First in the Formative Faculty which may be too strong or too weak by which is procured a depraved Figure Secondly in the Instrument or place of Conception the evil conformation or evil disposition whereof will cause a monstrous Birth Thirdly in the imaginative power at the time of Conception which is of such force that it stamps the Character of the thing imagined upon the Child So that the Children of an Adultress may be like unto her own Husband tho' begotten by another man which is caused through the force of the Imagination which the Woman hath of her own Husband in the Act of Coition And I have heard of a Woman who at the time of Conception beholding the Picture of a Black-more conceived and brought forth an Aethiopian I will not trouble you with any more humane Testimonies but I will conclude with a stronger Warrant We read in Gen. 30.31 how Jacob having agreed with Laban to have all the spotted Sheep for keeping of his Flocks To augment his VVages took Hasel-rods and pilled white Strakes in them and laid them before the Sheep when they came to Drink and they coupling there together whilst they beheld the rods Conceiv'd and brought forth spotted Young The Effigies of a Maid all Hairy and an Infant that was born Black by the Imagination of their Parents c. And certain it is That oftentimes monstrous Births happens by means of undue Copulation For some Men and VVomen there are That having been long absent from each other and having an eager desire to enjoy one another consider not as they ought to do what their Circumstances are and if it happen that they come together at the time when the â—Vomens Menstrues are flowing will notwithstanding proceed to the Act of Copulation which is both Unclean and Unnatural and the issue of such Copulation does oftentimes prove monstrous as a just Punishment for their lying together when Nature bids they should forbear And therefore tho' the men should be never so eager for it yet VVomen knowing their own Condition should at such times refuse their Company And tho' such Copulations do not always produce monstrous Births yet the Children then gotten are generally Heavy Dull and Sluggish and defective in their Understandings wanting the Vivacity and Liveliness which Children gotten in proper Seasons are blessed withal It Remains that I now make some Enquiry whether those that are born monsters have reasonable Souls and are capable of a Resurrection And here both Divines and Physitians are generally of Opinion That those who accordig to the Orders of Generation deduced from our first Parents and proceeded by natural means from either Sex tho' their outward Shape may be deformed and monstrous have notwithstanding a reasonable Soul and consequently their Bodies are capable of a Resurrection as other Mens and VVomens are But those monsters that are not begotten by men but are the product of a womans Unnatural Lust in copulating with other Creatures shall Perish as the brute beasts by whom they were begotten not having a reasonable Soul or any breath of the Almighty infused â—â—to it And such can never be capable of a Resurrection And the same is also true of Imperfect and
Nature viz. raw or burnt Flesh Ashes Coals Old shoes Chalk Wax Nut-shels Mortar Lime Oat-meal Tobacco Pipes c. which occasion not only a Suppression of the Menses but likewise obstructions through the whole Body Therefore the first thing necessary to eradicate the Cause is Matrimonial Conjunction and such Copulation that may prove to the satisfaction of her that is afflicted for by that means the menses will begin to flow according to their natural and due course and the Humours being dispersed will soon waste themselves and then no more matter being administred to increase them they will vanish and a good temperament of Body will return But in case this best Remedy cannot be had so soon as necessity requries then let her be let Blood in the Ankle and if she be about 16 you may likewise do it in the Arm but let her bleed but sparingly especially if the Blood be good If the Disease be of any continuance then is it to be eradicated by Purging Preparation of the humour being first consider'd which may be done by the Virgins drinking Decoction of Guaicum with Dittany of Creet But the best Purge in this case ought to be made of Aloes Agarick Senna Rhubarb And for strengthing the Bowels and opening Obstructions Chalibiat Medicines are chiefly to be used The Diet must be moderate and sharp things be by all means avoided And for the freeing of the Humour take Prepared Steel Bezoar Stone the Root of Scorzonera Oyl of Chrystal in small Wine and let the Diet be moderate but in no wise let Vinegar be used therewith nor upon any other occasion And in so observing the Humours will be dilated and dissipated by which Means the Complexion will return and the Body be lively and full of Vigour And now since Barrenness daily occasions discontent and that Discontent creates Difference between Man and Wife or by immoderate Grief frequently casts the Woman into one or other violent Distemper I shall in the next place treat thereof Of Barrenness In times past before Women came to the marriage Bed they were first searched by the Midwife and those only which she allowed of as fruitful were admitted I hope therefore it will be thought a needless labour to shew how they may prove themselves and turn the stony ground into a fruitful soil Barrenness is a deprivation of life and power which ought to be in the seed to procreate and propagate for which end both man and woman were made Causes of Barrenness It is caused by overmuch heat or cold that drying up the seed and making it corrupt this extinguishing the life of the seed making it watrish and unfit for Generation It may be caused also by the not flowing or over-flowing of the Courses by Swellings Ulcers and Inflammations of the Womb by an excrescence of flesh growing about the mouth of the Matrix by the mouth of the Womb being turned unto the back or side by the grossness and fatness of the body whereby the mouth of the matrix is closed up by being prest with the Omentum or Caule and the matter of the seed is converted into fatness Or if she be of a lean and exhaust body to the World she proves Barren because though she doth conceive yet the fruit of the Womb will wither before it comes to perfection for want of nourishment Aetius and Sylvius ascribe one main cause of Barrenness to compel'd copulation as when parents enforce their daughters to have Husbands contrary to their liking therein marrying their Bodies but not their Hearts and where there is a want of Love there for the most part is no Conception as appears in Women which are deflowred against their will Another main cause of Barrenness is attributed to the want of a convenient moderating quality which the Woman ought to have with the Man as if he be hot she must be cold If he be dry she must be moist But if they be both dry or both moist of constitution they cannot propagate and yet simply considered of themselves they are not Barren for he or she which before was as the Barren fig-tree being now joined with an apt constitution becomes as the fruitful Vine And that Man and Woman being every way of a like constitution cannot Procreate I will bring Nature it self for a testimony who hath made Man of a hotter Constitution than Woman that the quality of the one may moderate the quality of the other Signs of Barrenness If Barrenness does proceed from overmuch heat she is of a dry body subject to anger she hath black Hair quick pulse her purgations flow but little and that with pain she Loves to play in the courts of Venus But if it comes by cold then are the signs contrary to those even now recited If through an evil quality in the Womb Make a suffumigation of red Storax Myrrh Cassia wood Nutmeg Cinnamon and let her receive the fume of it into the Womb covering her very close and if the odour so received passeth through the Body up into the Mouth and Nostrils of her self she is fruitful But if she feels not the fume in her Mouth and Nose it argues Barrenness one of these ways that the Spirit of the seed is either through cold extinguisht or through heat dissipated If any Woman be suspected to be unfruitful cast natural Brimstone such as is digged out of the Mine into her Urin and â—f Worms breed therein of herself she is not barren Prognosticks Barrenness maketh Women look young because they are free from those pains and sorrows which other Women are accustomed to bring forth withall Yet they have not that full perfection of health which fruitful Women do injoy because they are not rightly pâ—rged of the menstruous blood and superfluous seed the retaining of which two are the principal cause of most Uterine Diseases Cure First the cause must be removed and then the Womb strengthened and the Spirits of the seed enlived If the Womb be over-hot Take Syrrup of Succory with Rhubarb Syrrup of Violets Endive Roses Cassia Purslain Take of Endive water Lillies Borage flowers of each a handful Rhubarb Myrobolans of each 3 Drams with water make a Decoction add to the straning of the Syrup Laxative of Violets one ounce Syrup of Cassia half an Ounce Manna 3 drams make a potion Take of the Syrup of Mugwort one ounce Syrup of Maiden hair 2 ounces water of Succory Borage Fennel of each 3 ounces Pulv. Elect Triasand one dram make a Julep Take Pru. Solut. Elect. Ros Mesuae of each 3 drams Rhubarb one Scruple and make a Bolus Apply to the reins and privities fomentations of the juice of Lettice Violets Roses Mallows Vineleaves and Night-shade Anoint the secret parts with the cooling unguent of Galen If the power of the seed be extinguisht by cold Take every Morning two spoonfuls of Cinnamon water with one Scruple of Mahridate Take Syrup of Calamint Mugwort Bettony of each one ounce water of
bottom of the Womb for its nourishment and that part of the Courses may purge through these Vessels and seeing the Testicles in Women are seated near the Womb for that cause these Vessels fall not from the Peritonaeum neither make they much Passages as in Men not extending themselves to the share-bone The Stones in Women commonly called the Testicles perform not the same Action as in Men they are also different in their location bigness temperament substance form and covering As for the place of their seat it is in the hollowness of the Abdomen neither are they pendulous but rest upon the Muscles of the Loyns that so they may by contracting the greater heat be more fruitful their Office being to contain the Ova or Egg which being impregnated by the Mans Seed ingenders Man yet they differ from those of Men in figure by reason of their lessness or flatness at each end not being so round or oval The external Superficies being likewise more unequal appearing like the composition of a great many knots and kernels mixed together there is difference also in their substance they being much more soft and plyable loose and not so well compacted Their bigness and temperament being likewise different for they are much colder and lesser than those in Men as for their covering or inclosure it differs extreamly for as Men's are wrapped in divers Tunicles by reason they are externally Pendulous and subject to divers injuries unless so fenced by Nature so Women's Stones being internal and less subject to casualty are covered with one Tunicle or Membrane which though it closely cleave to them yet are they likewise half covered with the Peritonaeum The Ejaculatory Vessels are two obscure Passages one on either side nothing differing from the Spermatick Veins in substance rise they do on one part from the bottom of the Womb not reaching from their other extremity either to the Stones or any other part but shut up and unpassable adhering to the Womb as the Colon does to the blind Gut and winding half way about tho' the Testicles are remote to them and touch them not yet they are tied to them by certain Membranes resembling the Wings of a Batt through which certain Veins and Arteries passing from the end of the Testicles may be termed here to have their Passages proceeding from the corners of the Womb to the Testicles and are accounted the proper Ligaments by which the Testicles and Womb are united and strongly knit together and these Ligaments in VVomen are the Cremasters in Men of which I shall speak more largely when I come to describe the Masculine parts conducing to Generation CHAP. XV. A Discourse of the Vse and Action of the several Parts in Women appropriated to Generation c. THe Externals commonly called the Pudenda are designed to cover the great Orifice and that to receive the Penis or Yard in the act of Coition and give passage to the Birth and Urine The use of the Wings and Knobs like Mirtle-berries are for the security of the Internal parts shutting the Orifice and Neck of the Bladder and by their swelling up cause Titulation and delight in those parts and also to obstruct the unvoluntary passage of the Urine The Action of the Clytoris in Women is like that of the Penis in Men viz. Erection And its outer end is like the Glans of the Penis and has the same Name And as the Glans in Man is the Seat of the greatest pleasure in Copulation so is this in Women whence 't is called Amoris dulcedo and Aestrum Veneris The Action and Use of the Neck of the Womb is equal with that of the Penis viz. Erection occasioned divers ways For First In Copulation it is erected and made strait for the passage of the Penis to the Womb. Secondly Whilst the passage is repleated with Spirit and Vital Blood it becomes more strait for embracing the Penis And as for the convenience of Erection it is twofold First because if the Neck of the Womb was not erected the Yard could have no convenient passage to the Womb. Secondly it hinders any hurt or damage that might ensueâ—â—â—â—ough the violent Concussion of the Yard during the time of Copulation As for the Vessels that pass through the Neck of the Womb their Office is to replenish it with Blood and Spirit that still as the moisture consumes by the heat contracted in Copulation it may by those Vessels be renewed But their chief business is to convey Nutriment to the Womb. The Womb has many Properties attributed to it as First Retention of the fecundated Egg and this is properly called Conception Secondly To cherish and nourish it till Nature has framed the Child and brought it to perfection And then it strongly operates in sending forth the Birth when the time of its remaining there is expired dilating it self in a wonderful manner And so aptly removed from the Senses that nothing of Injury can proceed from thence retaining in it self a power and strength to operate and cast forth the Birth unless by accident it be render'd deficient and then to strengthen and enable it Remedies must be applied by skilful Hands Directions for the applying of which shall be given in the Second Part. The use of the Preparing vessels is this The Arteries convey the Blood to the Testicles part whereof is spent in the nourishment of them and the Production of those little Bladders in all things resembling Eggs through which the Vasa Praeparantia run and are obiâ—tâ—rated in them And as for the Veâ—â—â— thâ—â—t Office is to bring back what â—â—ood â—â—mâ—â—ns from the uses aforesaid The vessels of this kind are much â—â—â—â—ter in Women than in Men by reason of 〈◊〉 â—earness to the Stones which defect 〈…〉 made good by the many intricate wâ—ndings to which those vessels are subject for in the middle way they divide themselves into two branches tho' different in magnitude for one being greater than the other passes to the Stones The Stones in women are very useful for where they are defective Generation-work is at an end for altho' those little Bladders which are on their outward superficies contain nothing of Seed as the followers of Galen and Hippocrates did erroniously imagine yet they contain several Eggs generally to the number of twenty in each Testicle one of which being impregnated by the most spirituous part of the Man's Seed in the act of Coition descends through the Ovi-ducts into the womb and from â—â—ence in process of time becomes a living Child Their figure is not altogether round but flat and depressed on the sides in their lower part Oval but in their upper where the Blood-vessels enter them more plain and have only one Membrane about them that the heat may have the easier access CHAP. XVI â—f the Organs of Generation in Man Hâ—â—â—â—g given you a description of the Organs of Generation in Woman with the Anatomy of the Fabrick of the Womb I shall
her For otherwise if there were not a Superplus of Nourishment for the Child more than is convenient for the Mother then would the Infant Detract and weaken the principal parts of the Mother and like unto the Viper the Generation of the Infant would be the Destruction of the Parent These Monthly Purgations continue from the 15th Year to the 46th or 50th Yet often there happens a suppression which is either Natural or Morbifical They are naturally supprest in breeding women and such as give suck The Morbifical suppression falls now into our Method to be spoken of CHAP. II. Of the Retention of the Mâ—nses THe suppression of the Terms is an intercaption of that accustomary Evacuation of Blood which every Month should come from the Matrix proceeding from the Instrument or matter vitiated The part affected is the Womb and that of it self or by Consent Cause The Cause of this Suppression is either External or Internal The External Cause may be heat or dryness of the Air immoderate watching great labour vehement motion c. whereby the matter is so consumed and the body so exhausted that there is not a Superplus remaining to be expelled as is Recorded of the Amazones who being active and always in motion had their Fluxions very little or not at all Or it may be caused by Cold which is most frequent making the Blood Viscous and Gross condensing and binding up the Passages that it cannot flow forth The Internal Cause is either Instrumental or Material in the womb or in the blood In the womb it may be divers ways by Aposthumes Tumours Ulcers by the narrowness of the veins and passages or by the Omentum or Kell in fat Bodies pressing the neck of the Matrix but then they must have Hernia Zirbalis for in mankind the Kell reacheth not so low By over much Cold or Heat the one vitiating the action and the other consuming the matter By an evil Composition of the Uterine parts by the neck of the womb being turned aside and sometimes tho' rarely by a membrane or excressence of flesh growing about the mouth or neck of the womb The blood may be in fault two ways in quantity or in quality In quantity when it is so consumed that there Is not a Superplus left as in Viragoes and viâ—â— women who through their heat and strength of Nature digest and consume all their last Nourishment as Hippocrates writes of Phaetusa who being exiled by her Husband Pythea her Terms were supprest her voice changed and had a Beard with a Countenance like a man But these I judge rather to be Anthropophagae women-eaters than women-breeders because they consume one of the principles of Generation which gives a Being to the World viz. the Menstruous blood The blood likewise may be consumed and consequently the Terms stayed by bleeding of the Nose by a flux of the Emerhoids by a Dysenteria commonly called the bloody flux by many other evacuations and continual and chronical Diseases Secondly the matter may be vitious in quality as suppose it be Sanguineous Phlegmatical Byleous or Melancholious every one of these if they offend in Grosness will cause an Obstruction in the veins Signs Signs manifesting the Disease are pains in the head neck back and loyns weariness of the whole body but especially of the hips and legs by reason of a Confinity which the Matrix hath with these parts trembling of the heart Particular signs are these if the Suppression proceeds of cold she is heavy sluggish of a pale Colour and hath a slow Pulse Venus combats are neglected the Urin is crude waterish and much in quantity the excrements of the Guts usually are retained If of heat the signs are contrary to those but now recited If the retention be natural and come of Conception this may be known by drinking of Hydromel that is water and honey after Supper going to bed and by the effect which it worketh for after the taking of it if she feels a beating pain about the Navel and lower parts of the Belly it is a sign she hath Conceived and that the Suppression is Natural if not then is it vitious and ought Medicinally to be taken away Prognosticks With the evil quality of the Womb the whole body stands charged but especially the Heart the Liver and the Brain and betwixt the Womb and these three principal parts there is a singular Consent First the Womb communicates to the Heart by the mediation of those Arteries which come from Aorta Hence the Terms being supprest will ensue Faintings Swoonings intermission of Pulse cessation of Breath Secondly It communicates to the Liver by the veins derived from the hollow vein Hence will follow Obbructions Cachexies Jaundice Dropsies hardness of the Spleen Thirdly It communicates unto the Brain by the nerves and membranes of the back Hence will arise Epilepsies Apoplexies Frenzies melancholy Passions pain in the after-parts of the Head fearfulness in ability of speaking Well therefore may I conclude with Hippocrates If the Months be supprest many dangerous Diseases will follow Cure In the Cure of this and of all the other following Affects I will observe this order The Cure shall be taken from Chirurgical Pharmaceutical and Diaeretical means This Suppression is a Plethorick Affect and must be taken away by Evacuation And therefore first we will begin with Phlebotomy In the midst of the menstrual period open the Liver vein and for the reversion of the Humour two days before the wonted evacuation open the Saphena on both feet Iâ— the repletion be not great apply Cupping-glasses to the legs and thighs And altho' there be no hope to remove the Suppression as in some the Cotylâ—dones are so closed up that nothing but Copulation will open them yet it will be convenient as much as may be to ease Nature of her burden by opening the Emerhoid veins with a Leach After Phlebotomy let the Humours be prepared and made Fluxile with Syrup of Staechas Calamint Betony Hysop Mugwort Hore-hound Fumetary Maiden-hair Bathe with Camomile Penny-Royal Savin Bay-leaves Janiper-berries Rue Marjâ—ram Feverfew Take of the leaves of Nep Maiden-hair Succory Betony of each one handful make a Decoction take thereof three Ounces Syrup of Maiden-hair Mugwâ—rt Succory mix of each half an Ounce After she comes out of the Bath let her drink it off Purge with Pil. de Agaric Elephang Coch. Foetid Galen in this Case commends Pilula de Hiera cum Colocyntida for as they be proper to purge the humour offending so also they do open the passages of the Womb and strengthen the faculty by their Aromatical quality If the stomach be over-charged let her take a vomit yet such a one as may work both ways lest working onely upward it should too much turn back the humour Take Trochisks of Agarick 2 drams infuse them in 3 Ounces of Oximel in which dissolve of the Electuary Diasarum One Scruple and half Benedic Laxat half an Ounce Take this after the manner
Fumetary of each a Dram and a half sowr Dates 1 Ounce with Endive water make Decoction take of it 4 Ounces add unto it Confectionis Hamech three Drams Manna three Drams Or take Pil. Indarum Pil. Foetidarum Agarici Trochiscati of each one Scruple Pills of Rhubarb one Scruple Lapidis Lazuli six Grains with Syrup of Epithimum make Pills and take them once every Week Take Elect. Laetificantis Galeni three Drams Diamargaritti Calidi one Dram Diamosci Dulcis Conserves of Burrage Violets Bugloss of each half a Dram Citron-peels condited one Dram Sugar seven Ounces with Rose-water make Lozenges Lastly Let the Womb be cleansed from the corrupt Matter and then Corroborated For the purifying thereof make Injections of the Decoction of Bettony Feverfew Mugwort Spikenard Bistort Mercury Sage adding thereto Sugar Oyl of sweet Almonds of each two Ounces Pessaries also may be made of silk Cotton madified in the juice of the aforenamed Herbs To Corroborate the Womb you may thus prepare Trochisks Take of Mugwort Feverfew Myrrh Amber Mace Nutmeg Stirax Ligni Aloes red Roses of each one Ounce with the Mucilage of Tragacanth make Trochisks cast some of them on the Coals and smother the Womb therewith Make Fomentations for the Womb of red Wine in which hath been decocted Mastrick fine Bole Balaustia and red Roses Anoint the Matrix with Oyl of Quinces and Myrtles and apply thereto Emplastrum pro Matrix and let her take of Diamoscum Dulce and Elect. Aromaticum every Morning A drying Diet is commended to be best because in this Affect the Body moll commonly abounds with Phlegmatical and Crude Humours For this cause Hippocrates counsels the Patient to go to Bed Supperless Let her Meat be Partridge Pheasant Mountain-Birds rather roasted than boyl'd Immoderate Sleep is Forbidden Moderate Exercise is Commended CHAP. VI. Of the Suffocation of the Mother THis Affect which simply Considered is none but the cause of an Affect is called in English the Suffocation of the Mother not because the Womb is Strangled but for that it causeth the Woâ—an to be choaked It is a retraction of the Womb towards the Midriff and Stomach which presseth and crusheth up the same that the instrumental cause of respiration the Midriff is Suffocated which consenting with the Brain causeth the Animal Faculty the efficient cause of Respiration also to be intercepted whereby the Body being Refrigerated and the Actions depraved she falls to the Ground as one being Dead In these Histerical Passions some continue longer some shorter Rabby Moses writes of some which lay in the Paroxisme of the Fit two days Ruffius makes mention of one which continued in the same Passion three days and three nights and at the three days and revived That we may learn by other mens harms to beware I will give you one Example more Paraeus writeth of a Woman in Spain which sudenly fell into a Uterine Suffocation and appeared to the Judgment of Man as dead her Freinds wondering at this her sudden Change for their better Satisfaction sent to the Chyrurgeon to have her Dissected who beginning to make an Incision the Woman began to move and with a great Clamour returned to her self again to the Horror and Adâ—iration of all the Spectators To the end therefore you may distinguish the Living from the Dead the Antients prescribe three Experiments The first is to lay a light Feather to the Mouth and by the motion of it you may judge whether the Patient be Living or Dead The second is to place a Glass of Water on the Brest and if you perceive it to move it betokeneth Life The Third is to hold a pure Looking-glass to the Mouth and Nose and if the Glass appear thick with a little Dew upon it it betokeneth Life And these three Experiments are good yet with this Caution that you ought not to depend on them too much for though the Feather and the Water do not move and the Glass continue pure and clear yet it is not a necessary Consequence that she is destitute of Life For the motion of the Lungs by which the Respiration is made may be taken away that she cannot Breathe yet the Internal Transpiration of the Heat may remain which is not manifested by the motion of the Brest or Lungs but lyes Occult in the Heart and inward Arteries Examples hereof we may have in the Fly and Swallow which in the Cold of Winter to the Ocular Aspect seem Dead Inanimate and Breathe not at all yet they Live by the Transpiration of that Heat which is reserved in the Heart and inward Arteries therefore when the Summer approacheth the internal Heat being Revocated to the outward parts they are then again revived out of their Sleepy Extasie Those Women therefore that seem to dye suddenly and upon no evident Cause let them not be committed unto the Earth until the end of three days lest the Living be Buried for the Dead Cure The part affected is the Womb of which there is a twofold Motion Natural and Symptomatical The Natural Motion is when the Womb attracteth the Humane Seed or excludeth the Infant or Secundine The Symptomatical Motion of which we are here to speak is a Convulsive drawing upward of the Womb. The Cause usually is in the Retention of the Seed or in the Suppression of the Months causing a Repletion of corrupt Humours in the Womb from whence proceeds a Flatulent Refrigeration causing a Convulsion of the Ligaments of the Womb. And as it may come from Humidity or Repletion being a Convulsion it may be caused by Emptyness or Dryness And lastly By Abortion or difficult Child-birth Signs At the approaching of the suffocation there is a paleness of the face weakness of the legs shortness of breath frigidity of the whole body with a working up into the throat and then she falls down as one void both of sense and motion The mouth of the Womb is closed up and being touched with the finger feels hard The paâ—oxism of the fit once past she openeth her eyes and feeling her stomach opprest she offers to vomit And least that any should be deceived in taking one disease for anothâ—r I will shew how it may be distinguisht from those diseases which have the nearest affinity with its self It differs from the Appoplexy being it comes without shreeking out also in the Hysterical passion the sense of feeling is not altogether so destroyed and lost as it is in the Appoplectical disease It differs from the Epilepsie in that the eyes are not wrested neither does any spumy froth come from the mouth and that convulsive motion which sometime is joyned to suffocations is not so Universal as it is in the Epilepsie onely this or that member is convulst and that without any vehement agitation In the Sincope both respiration and pulse is taken away the Countenâ—nce waxeth palâ— and she swoons aâ—ay sudddenly but in thâ— Hysterical passion commonly there is â—â—th respiration and pulse
Urine doth flow forth it is white and thick and the Midriff is molested the loyns are grieved the Privities pained the Womb sinks down to the entrance of the private parts or else comes clean out Prognosticks This Grief possessing an old Woman is cared with great difficulty because it weakens the Faculties of the Womb and therefore tho' it be reduced into his proper place yet upon every little illness or indisposition it is subject to return and so it is with the younger sort if the Disease be inveterate If it be caus'd by putrifaction in the Nerves it is incurable Cure The Womb naturally being placed between the strait Gut and the Bladder and now fallen down ought not to be put up again until the faculty both of the Guts and Bladder be stirred up Nature being unloaded of her Burthen let the Woman be placed on her back in such sort that her legs may be higher than her head let her feet be drawn up to her hinder parts with her knees spread abroad The mollifie the Swelling with Oyl of Lillies and sweet Almonds or with the decoction of Mallows Beets Fenugreek and Linseed When the Inflation is dissipated let the Midwife anoint her hand with Oyl of Mastick and reduce the Womb into its place The Matrix being put up the situation of the Patient must be changed let â—er legs be out at length and laid together set Cupping-glasses to the brests and navel Boyl Mugwort Feverfew red Roses and Comfery in red Wine and foment the places therewith Make a Suffumigation for the Matrix of Castor Assafoetida Frankincense and Mastick Take Sandarache Olibani Cypress Nuts of each three drams Mastick Styrax Frankincense of each an ounce fine Bole one dram with Oyl of Myrtles and Wax make two Plaisters apply one before and the other behind Take of red Roses Pomegranate Pills Acorn-cups Myrtle-berries of each two ounces Medlar-leaves Sage Rue Origan Comfery Wormwood of each a handful and a half boyl all these in water and make an Insession Move sweet Odours to the Nose and at her coming out of the Bath give her of Syrup of Feverfew one ounce with one dram of Mithridate Take Ladam Mastick of each three drams Galbani half an ounce Styracis two drams make therewith a Plaister for the Navel Then make Pessaries of Assafoetida Saffron Comfrey Mastick adding thereto a little Castor The practice of Pareus in this case was to make them only of Cork in figure like a little Egg covering them over with Wax and Mastick dissolved together fastening to it a thrâ—d and so to put it up into the Womb. The present danger being now taken away and the Matrix seated in its natural abode the remote cause must be removed If the Body be Plethorick open a Vein Prepare with Syrup of Betony Calamint Hysop and Feverfew Purge with Pil. de Hiera cum Agaric Pil. de Colocyn If the Stomach be oppress'd by Crudities unburden it by vomiting Sudorifical Decoctions of Lignum sanctum and Sassifras taken twenty days together dries up the superfluous moisture and consequently suppresseth the cause of the Disease Let the Air be hot and dry and your Diet hot and attenuating Abstain from Dancing Leaping Sneezing and from all motion both of body and mind Eat sparingly drink not much sleep moderately CHAP. VIII Of the Inflammation of the Womb. THe Phlegmon or Inflammation of the Matrix is a Tumour possessing the whole Womb accompanied with unnatural heat by obstructions and gathering together of corrupt Blood Cause The Cause of this Affect is suppression of the Months repletion of the whole Body immoderate use of Venus often handling of the Genitals difficult Child-birth vehement agitation of the Body falls blows to which also may be added the use of sharp Pessaries whereby not seldom the Womb is inflamed Cupping-glasses also fastened to the Pubes and Hypogastrium draw the Humours to the Womb. Signs The Signs are Aguish humours pains in the head and stomach vomiting coldness of the knees convulsions of the neck doting trembling of the heart sometimes there is a straitness of breath by reason of the heat which is communicated to the Diaphragma or Midriff the Brests sympathizing with the Womb are pained and swelled Particular Signs If the fore-part of the Matrix be inflamed the Privities are grieved the Urine is supprest or flows forth with difficulty If the after part the loyns and back suffer the Excrements are retained If the right side the right hip suffers the right leg is heavy slow to motion in so much that sometimes she seems to hault And so if the left side of the Womb be inflamed the left hip is pained and the left leg is weaker than the right If the Neck of the Womb be affected the Midwife putting up her Finger shall feel the mouth of it retracted and closed up with a hardness about it Prognosticks All Inflammations of the Womb are dangerous if not deadly and especially if the total substance of the Matrix be inflamed Yet they are less perilous if they be in the Neck of the Womb. A fâ—ux of the Belly foretells Health if it be natural for Nature works best by the use of her own Instruments Cure In the Cure first let the humours flowing to the Womb be repell'd for effecting of which after the Belly hath been loosened by cooling Clysters Phlebotomy will be needful Open therefore a Vein in the Arm and if she be not with Child the day after strike the Saphena on both Feet Fasten Ligatures and Cupping-glasses to the Arms and rub the upper Parts Purge lightly with Cassia Rhubarb Sena Myrobolans Take of Sena two drams Anniseed on scruple Myrobalans half an ounce Baâ—ley-water a sufficient quantity make a Decoction dissolve it in Syrup of Succory with Rhubarb two ounces Pulp of Cassia half an ounce Oyl of Anniseed two drops and make a Potion At the beginning of the Disease anoint the Privities and Reins with Oyl of Roses and Quinces Make Plaisters of Plaintain Linseed Barley-meal Mellilot Fenugreek Whites of Eggs and if the pain be vehement add a little Opium Foment the Genitals with the Decoction of Poppy-heads Purslain Knot-grass and Water-Lillies Make Injections of Goats-Milk Rose-water clarified Whey with Honey of Roses In the declining of the Disease use Insessions of Sage Linseed Mugwort Penny-royal Horehound Fenugreek Anoint the lower parts of the Belly with Oyl of Camomile and Violets Take Lilly Roots and Mallow Roots of each four ounces Mercury one handful Mugwort Feverfew Camomile-flowers Melilot of 〈◊〉 half a handful bruise the Herbs and the â—â—â—ots and boyl them in a sufficient quantity of Milk then add fresh Butter Oyl of Camomile Lillies of each two ounces Beaâ—-meal a sufficient quantity make two Plaisters apply one before and the other behind If the Tumour cannot be removed but â—ends to suppuration Take of Fenugreek Malâ—ow-Roots decocted Figs Linseed Barley-Meal Doves-dung Turpentine of each three â—rams Deers Suet half a dram Opium
half 〈◊〉 scruple with Wax make a Plaister Take of Bay-leaves Sage Hyssop Camomile Mugwort and with Water make an Inâ—ession Take Wormwood Betony of each half a â—andful White-wine Milk of each half a â—ound boyl them until one part be consumed â—hen take of this Decoction four ounces Honey â—f Roses two ounces and make an Injection â—et beware the Humours be not brought down â—nto the Womb. Take roasted Figs Mercury bruised of each â—hree drams Turpentine Ducks-grease of â—ach one dram Opium two grains with Wax â—ake a Pessary The Air must be cold All motion of the Body especially of the lower parts is forbidden Vigilancy is commended for by sleep the humours are carried inward whereby the Inflammation is increased eat sparingly Let your Drink be Barley-water or clarified Whey and your Meat be Chickens and Chicken Broth boiled with Endive Succory Sorrel Bugloss and Mallows CHAP. IX Of the Schirrosity or Hardness of the Womb. OF a Phlegmon neglected or not perfectlâ— cured is generated a Schirrus of thâ— Matrix which is a hard unnatural swelling insensible hindering the operations of the Womb and disposing of the whole Body to slothfuâ—ness Cause One Cause of this Disease may bâ— ascribed to want of Judgment in the Physâ—tian as many Empericks administring to aâ— Inflammation of the Womb do overmuch refrigerate and astringe the humour that it caâ— neither pass forward nor backward hence thâ— matter being condens'd degenerates as it werâ— into a lapidious or hard substance Other Causes may be suppression of the Menstrues retention of the Lochia commonly called thâ— after-purgings eating of corrupt meats as iâ— the disordinate longing called Pica unto which breeding Women are often subject If may proceed also from Obstructions and Ulcers in the Matrix or from evil Affects in the Liver and Spleen Signâ— If the bottom of the Womb be affected â—he feels as it were a heavy burden representing 〈◊〉 Mole yet differing in that the Brests are attenuated anâ— the whole Body waâ—â—â—â—â—â—ss If the Neck of the Womb be hardned noâ— outward humour will appear the Mouth of it is retracted and being touch'd with the Finger feels hard nor can she have the company of a Man without great pain and prickings Prognosticks A Schirrus confirmed is incurable and will turn into a Cancer or a Dropsie and ending in a Cancer proves deadly because the native heat in those parts being almost smothered can hardly again be restored Cure Where there is a repletion Phlebotomy is adviseable wherefore open the Mediana on both Arms and then the Saphena on both Feet more especially if the Menses be suppress'd Prepare the humour with Syrup of Borage Succory Epithimum and clarified Whey Then take of these Pills following according to the strength of the Patient Take Hierae Picrae six drams black Hellebore Polipody of each two drams and an half Agarick Lapidis Lazuli abluti Salis Indi Coloquintida of each one dram and a half mix them and make Pills The Body being purged proceed to mollifie the hardness as followeth Anoint the Privites and the Neck of the Womb with Vnguentum Dalthea and Agrippae Or take Opopanax Bdellium Ammoniacum Myrrh of each two drams Saffron half a dram Dissolve the Gums in Oyl of Lillies and sweet Almonds with Wax and Turpentine make an Unguent Apply bellow the Navel Diachylon-Fernelii Make Insessions of Figgs Mugwort Mallows Pennyroyal Althea Fennel-Roots Mellilot Fenugreek Linseed boyled in water Make Injections of Calamint Linseed Mellilot Fenugreek and the four mollifying Herbs with Oyl of Dill Camomile and Lillies dissolving in the same three drams of the Gum Bdellium Cast the stone Pyrites on the Coals and let her receive the fume of it into her Womb. Foment the Secret Parts with the Decoction of the Leaves and Roots of Danewort Take of the Gum Galbanum Opopanax of each one dram Juice of Danewort Mucillage of Fenugreek of each half an ounce Calves marrow one ounce Wax a sufficient quantity make a Pessary Or make a Pesaary only of Lead dipping it in the aforesaid things and so put it up The Air must be temperate Gross viscous and salt meats are forbidden as Pork Bulls-â—â—ef Fish old Cheese c. CHAP. X. Of the Dropsie of the Womb. THe Uterine Dropsie is an unnatural swelling ellevated by the gathering together of wind or flegm in the cavity membranes or substance of the Womb by reason of the debility of the native heat not digesting the Aliment received and so it turns into an Excrement The Causes are over-much cold and moistness of the Milt and Liver immoderate drinking eating of crude meats all which causing a repletion do suffocate the native heat It may be caused likewise by the over-flowing of the Courses or by any other immoderate Evacuaation To these may be added Abortions Ulcers Phlegmons and Schirrosities of the Womb. Signs The Signs of this Affect are these The lower parts of the Belly with the Genitals are puffed up and payned the feet sweell the natural colour of the Face decays the Appetite is depraved and the heaviness of the whole Body concurs If she turns her self in the Bed from one side to the other a noise like flowing of water is heard Water sometimes comes from the Matrix If the swelling be caused by wind the Belly being hit by the hand sounds like a Drum the Guts rumble and the wind breaks through the neck of the womb with a murmouring noise This Affect may be distinguish'd from a true Conception many ways as will appear by the Chapter of Conception It is distinguish'd from the general Dropsie in that the lower parts of the Belly aâ—e most swell'd Again in this the sanguificative faculty appears not so hurtful nor the Urine so pale nor the Countenance so soon changed neither are the superiour parts so extenuated as in the general Dropsie Prognosticks This Affect foretells the total ruine of the natural functions by that singular consent the womb hath with the liver and therefore that a Cachexia or a general Dropsie will follow Cure In the Cure of this Disease imitate the practice of Hippocrates First mitigate the pain with Fomentations of Mellilot Mercury Mallows Linseed Camomile Althea Then let the humour be prepared with Syrup of Staechas Hyssop Calamint Mugwort of both sorts With the distill'd waters or decoctions of Dodder Marjoram Sage Origan Sperage Penny-royal Betony Purge with Sena Agarick Rhubarb Elaterium Take Speciâ—rum Hierae Rhubarb Trochisks of Agarick of each one Scruple with the Juice of Ireos make Pills Or Take Pill de Rhubarbaro half an Ounce Pill de Mezereo one Scruple with Mugwort water make Pills In diseases which haâ—e their being from moistness purge with Pills and in those affects which are caused by emptiness or driness purge with potions Fasten a cupping-glass to the belly with a great flame and also to the navel especially if the swelling be flatulent Make an issue on the inside of each leg a handful bredth below the knee