vein and the Aorta is the whole breast generated and after that the arms and legs in order Within the foresaid time is generated the last and chiefest part of this substance that is to say the brain in the third little skin of this mass for the whole mass of the seed being repleat with vital spirits that vital spirit contracts great part of the Genital moisture into one certain hollowness where the brain is formed outwardly it is covered with a certain covering which being baked and dried by the heat is reduced into a bone and so is the Cranium made Now the brain is so formed as to conceive retain and change the natures of all the vital spirits whence are the beginnings of reason and of all the sences for as out of the liver arise the veins out of the heart arise the arteries so out of the brain arise the nerves of a more soft and gentle nature yet not hollow like veins but solid These are the chiefest instruments of all the sences and by which all the motions of the sences are made by the vital spirit After the nerves is generated by the brain also the pith of the back-bone which cannot be called marrow for the marrow is a superfluous substance begot out of the bloud destined for the moistening and for the strenghthening of the bones but the brain and pith of the back-bone take their beginning from the seed being not destined for the nourishing or strengthening of the members but to constitute certain private and particular parts of the body for the motion and use of the sences that all the other nerves may take their beginning thence for from the pith of the back-bone do arise many nerves by which the body obtaines both sence and motion Here is also to be noted that out of the seed it self are generated gristles bones tunicles for the veins of the liver the arteries of the heart the brain with its nerves besides the tunicles and pannicles and the other coverings which the infant is wrapt in Now of the proper bloud of the birth the flesh is formed and whatever parts are of a fleshie substance as the heart the liver and the lights Then are all these nourished by the menstruous bloud which is attracted through the veins of the navel This is all distinctly done from the conception unto the eighteenth day of the first moneth in all which time it is called seed After which it receives the name of Birth CHAP. IV. Of the nourishment of the birth in the womb VVHile the birth remaines in the womb it is cherished up with blood attracted through the navel which is the reason that the flowers doe cease alwayes in women as soone as they have conceived Now this blood presently after conception is distinguished into three parts the purest part of it is drawn by the child for the nourishment of its selfe the second which is less pure and thin the womb forces upwards to the breast where it is turned into Milke The third and most impure part of the blood remaines in the matrix and comes away with the secondines both in the birth and after the Birth Now the infant being thus formed and perfected in the womb for the first moneth sends forth its Urine through the passages of the navel but in the last month that passage being shut up through the privie members yet notwithstanding while the Infant is in the womb he voyds nothing out at the fundament because he hath taken no nourishment in at the mouth After the fourty fifth day it receives life and is then called an Infant Now though the infant hath by this time obtained sence yet doth he not move He most commonly moves in twice the time that he was formed and in thrice the space after he began his motion he hastens into the world as for example if the Infant were formed in forty five dayes it will move in ninetie and be born the ninth month after that and thus much of the formation and nourishment of the child in the womb CHAP. V. Of the condition of the Infant in the womb in the sixth seaventh and eighth moneth AFter the third and fourth moneth the infant is nourished with more plenty of nourishment until the time of deliverie approach Now you must observe that a childe born in the sixth month cannot live by reason that it is not come to its just perfection but if it be born in the seventh moneth it will very easily live because it is come to its full perfection Now the reason why those that are born in the eight moneth doe not live when as those which are born in the seventh doe is plaine for in the seventh moneth the Infant stirs it self to come forth so that if it have so much strength it easily performes its desire if not it remaines in the womb till it have gathered two months more strength After this motion of the seventh month if it be not able to come forth it changes it self into another part of the womb by which motion it is so weakened that if it should be born in the eight moneth it were impossible that it should live for it is weakened by a double motion not only that of the seventh moneth but also by that motion whereby it strives to go forth in the eight moneth SECT IV. CHAP. I. Of the situation of the child in the womb COncerning the scituation of the child in the womb it may be considered either generally or specially specially either as it concerns the male or the female The male is commonly scituated in the right side of the womb the female in the left The general situation of the childe either male or female in the womb is always the same Which hath been observed and seen to be in this posture when the infant lies with his back and his buttocks leaning against the back of the mother the head enclined and touching his breast with his chin resting his two hands upon his knees his navel and his nose between his two knees with his two eyes upon his two thumbs his legs folded backward and touching his buttocks with each leg This figure is the most natural as being least subject to suffer any accident being less inconvenient and less troublesome to the mother The most naturall form for the childe to come into the world is when the head comes forward the hands being stretched upon the hips The things which are the causes of a womans delivery are three first the want of respiration and air for the infant The second is the want of nourishment of which when the infant finds a defect in his mothers womb he is forced to seek it in another place The third is the narrowness of the place where the infant lies so that he is forced to seek room other-where which makes him to break the membranes wherein he was contained pressing and constraining the mother by the sharpness of those waters to do her
so firmly annexed to the right gut and to the privities it would necessarily follow that those parts should be also stretched And though it happen to be stretched and distended by the windy vapours yet it follows not that therefore it should be moved upward and whereas women do say that they do somtimes perceive a certain round body moving about the region of the navel that may rather be said to be the stones and that blind vessel then the womb Of the wounds of the Matrix this must be noted that they are very difficult to be cured Yet the cure is to be assayd five manner of wayes by the use of things which do evacuate the peccant humor which is done partly by a good order of dyet and living in a dry and temperate aire Longer sleep then ordinary and the avoiding of exercise in this case is to be observed and instead thereof to use moderate frictions all repletions and a loose Belly are naught the meat that she eats must be little and contrary to the humor that offends as reare eggs Milk Chicken Broths and the meat of them dry Raisins Almonds and Pistaches For her drink it ought to be chiefly the decoction of Barly or liquorice In the next place it will not be amiss to let blood in the Basilick vein let her take some convenient purge according to the humour which abounds Vomitings also and frictions may be used and the provoking of sweat by the decoction of Guaiacum Sarsaparil China root which are very proper to turn away the humors from the Matrix Sometimes this happens from an intemperancie of the womb which if it be cold the womb is not able to concoct sufficient quantity of nourishment and therefore heaps up together many excrements if it be moist it is not able to contain either the blood or the seed or the birth as it should do The cure of this is above touched in the chapter of Distempers There is another difference which is taken from the occult qualities which the womb is seen to have there being a sympathy and antipathy between that and divers things as to covet the seed of man and to love sweet things and then the affection arises from no evident cause there being no excesse of coldnesse or moisture to be apprehended The medecines which are to be applied for the cure of this must be proper in their whole substance Sometimes the difference ariseth in this that the naturall heat is either suffocated or dissipated this affection is something dangerous because it is a difficult matter to restore the naturall heat In the cure of this restoratives must be notwithstanding used such are Cinamom Nutmeg Species diaxyloaloes Aromaticum Rosatum Of the pain of the womb THere is no need to give other signes of this then the complaint of the woman it affects women that are both free and women that are with childe It happens sometimes from corroding humours especially caused by ulcers or vitious flowers The cure whereof is referred to these heads sometimes it happens from a distention caused either by some curdled blood sticking in the cavity of the womb and then there is a copious flux of blood out of the womb and the pain is fixed chiefly about the orifice of the womb the right gut and the bladder being affected by reason of the continuall desire of expelling forth the humor In the cure first you must seek to dissolve the clotted blood which is done by the use of Treacle dissolved in wine and then to evacuation which is performed with Agaric Aloes with the juice of Savine decoction of Rosemary with the flowers of Cheiri in wine Sometimes it is caused by the menstruous blood when the vessels are more open or the blood too thick which happens through the overmuch use of cold drink especially when the woman is hot The cure may be found in the cure of the suppression of the flowers Sometimes it is caused by other vitious humours collected in the concavity of the womb or adhering to the other vessels then these humours are to be removed with purging and evacuating medecines Sometimes windy vapours are the cause hereof arising from the heat of the vitious humours caused by copulation It is cured by things that discusse the winde to which purpose it may not be amisse to use a Clyster made of Malmesey and oyle of Nuts of each three ounces of Aquavitae one ounce of oyle of Juniper and distild Rue of each two drams applied warm or a mixture of spirit of wine and spirit of Nitre of each half a dram or two scruples exhibited in spirit of wine Sperma Coeti with oyle of sweet Almonds or a plaister of Caranna and Tachamahacca applied to the navel Sometimes it is occasioned by the retention and corruption of the seed For the cure look the Chapter of the suffocation of the Matrix Of the suppression of the Flowers THe suppression of the Flowers is the retention of the menstrual blood either by reason of the narrowness of the vessels or through some corruption of the blood The signes are evident from the relation of the woman yet if they are loath to confesse it may be discerned by this For in virgins the suppressed blood wanders up and down the veins and begets obstructions changing the colour of the body and causing Fevers In women because the blood is carried down to the womb where it begets many diseases it is distinguished from retention after conception because women with child find no alteration of affections of the minde and retain the native colour of their bodies and in the third moneth they shal perceive the motion and situation of the Infant and lastly the mouth of the Womb is closed up The causes of this distemper are the narrowness of the veins and the vitiousness of the blood The cure of this must be hastened because this suppression if it stay long begets many more diseases as Fevers Dropsies Vomiting of blood and the like the cure is hard if it be of any continuance and if it stay beyond the sixt moneth it is almost incurable especially if it happen through any perversion of the neck of the womb for then the Woman is troubled with often swooning and vomiting of blood and a paine seizes the parts of the Belly the back and the back-bone which is attended with a Fever and the excrements of the Belly and bladder are suppressed a weariness possesses the whole body because of the diffusion of the retained blood through the whole body and especially the hips and thighs because of the sympathy of those parts with the veins of the womb In the first place the letting of blood is commended for the blood which every moneth staies in the body sticks in the veins is to be provoked downward to the womb and therefore a vein is to be opened in the heel for so the plenty of blood is diminished and the motion of the blood is made
in women c. 15. p. 42. Of the utilitie of the stones c. 16. p. 43. Sect. 3. Of the signs of conception c. 1. p. 44. Whether she hath conceived a Male c. 2. p. 46 Whether a Female c. 3. p. 47. Of the conception of Twins c. 4. p. ibid. Of false conception c. 6. p. 48. How women with child ought to govern themselves c. 6. p. 54. How to govern themselves in the time of their going with child c. 7. p. 57. c. Sect. 4. Of the mixture of the seed of both Sexes as also of its substance and form c. 1. p. 62. of the three tunicles which the birth is wrapt in in the womb c. 2. p. 64. Of the true generation of the parts and the increase of them according to the several daies and seasons c. 3. p. 65. Of the nourishment of the birth in the womb c. 4. p. 69. Of the condition of the Infant in the womb in the sixth seventh and eight moneth c. 5. p. 71 Sect. 4. Of the situation of the child in the womb p. 72. Sect. 5. Of Midwifes c. 1. p. 75. What ought to be observed when shee is neer the time of her lying down c. 2. p. 76. How to expell the Collick from women in child-bed c 3. p. 79. How the Midwife may know when the pains of travail do seize a woman c. 4. p. 80. Of the falling down of the waters a good while before the woman travails c. 5. p. 81. What the Midwife ought to do in time of travaile c. 6. p. 82. How to draw forth the Secondines c. 7. p. 84. What may be given to a woman in travaile c. 8. p. 85. How to put the Womb again in its place c. 9. p. 86. Against the extreme losse of blood which happen to women immediately after their delivery c. 10. p. ib. What is done to a woman presently after her delivery c. 11. p. 88. Of women that have a great deal of bloud and purge not neither in their travail nor after c. 12. p. 90. For those who have but a little bloud c. 13. p. 92. What is to be done to the Infant c. 14. p. ib. How to govern women in Child-bed c. 15. p. 93. Of the bathings that a woman is to use for the first eight dayes of her lying in c. 16. p. 95. How a woman ought to govern her self in case she be to be delivered of two children c. 17. p. 95. Of the danger that a woman hath to purge her selfe for the first dayes of her lying in c. 18. 97. Of the second washing for women c. 19. p. 98. What is to be done to Infants as soon as they are born c. 20. p. 98. Of the last washing for Women c. 21. p. 101. Of an Astringent for Women when they shall have occasion c. 2â— p. ibid. To make searcloaths for women c. 23. p. 102. To cleanse a woman before she rises c. 24. p. ibid. How a woman lying in of her first child may avoid the gripings of her belly c. 25. 103. The Queen of France her Receit p. 104. Certain precepts hindering the delay and difficulty of bringing forth c. 26. p. 105. How the secondines are to be hastened out c. 27. p. 108. Pills for the purpose p. 111. Of Cases of Extremity and first what is to be done to a woman who in her travail is accompanied with a flux of bloud and with convulsions c. 28. p. 112. Of ordering the woman after she is delivered c. 29. p. 129. What is to be done to the breast Belly and lower parts of the woman in child-bed p. 131. An Oyntment p. 132. An oynment to keep the milk from clotting p. 133. A Fomentation much commended ibid. Of the choise of a good Nurse p. 135. What is to be done in the extream parts of a child p. 1. 36. What is to be done to such children as are troubled with flegme p. 137. What is to be done to children that have their Cods full of wind p. 138. How to take away the Canker out of the Infants mouth ibid. What is to be done to children whose intestines are fallen p. 139. To make an oyntment to strengthen the thighs and legs of a child and make him goe ibid. Of the relaxations of the Matrix and the cause p. 140. of a disease that happens by reason of the fall of the Matrix p. 143. To remedie the fall of the fundament in Infants p. 144. of the Diseases of women and first of the inflammation of the brest ibid. of windy Tumours in the breasts p. 1. of the watry tumour in the brests p. 4. of the kernell in the breast p. 7. of the Scirrhus of the breasts p. 9. of the Canker in the breasts p. 12. of the greatnesse of the breasts p. 14. of the defect abundance and coagulation of the Milk p. 16. of the Diseases of the neck of the womb and first of the disease called Tentigo p. 17. of the narrownesse of the neck of the womb p. 19. of wheales condilomas of the womb and of Hemorrhoids p. 20. of the Vlcers of the neek of the womb p. 23. of the womb being out of temper p. 26. of then arrownesse of the vessels of the womb p. 30. of the puffing up of the womb p. 31. of the inflammation of the womb p. 33. of the Scirrhus of the womb p. 36. of the Dropsie of the womb p. 38. of the falling of the womb p. 40. of the ascent of the Matrix as also of the wounds and ulcers of the same p. 42. of the paine of the womb p. 44. of the suppression of the flowers p. 46. of the dropping of the flowers and the difficulty of their comming down p. 51. of the discolouring of the flowers p. 53. of the inordinate flux of the Flowers p. 54. of the over-abundance of the Courses p. 56. of the whites Gonorrhea in women p. 59. of the Green sicknesse p. 61. of the suffocation of the Matrix p. 62. of barrennesse p. 66. of bringing up of children and their diseases of the diseases of the head p. 71. Bignesse and swelling of the head in little children p. 73. of the diseases of the eyes ears and noses in children p. 75. of certain ulcers in Childrens mouths p. 76. of certain other tumors called Paroulis and Espoulis p. 77. of the two strings under the tongue of a child p. 78. of the Coughing children ibid. of breeding teeth p. 79. of the inflammation of the Navel-string in Infants p. 80. of the Worms ibid. of the convulsion in Infants p. 81. of the swelling of the Hypocondria in Infants p. 83. of Costivenesse in children ibid. of loosenesse in children p. 84. of Burstnesse in children ibid. of the inflammation of the Navel p. 86. of the jutting forth of the Navel p. ibid. of the stone in the bladder p. 87. of the not holding of the Vrine ibid. of the Intertrigo p. 88. of Leannesse ibid. of the difficulty that children
Whether she have conceived a Male. Conception of a Male. IF she have conceived a male childe the right eye will move swifter and look clearer then the left The right pap will also rise and swell beyond the left and grow harder and the colour of the teats will change more suddainly The milk will increase more suddainly and if it be milked out and be set in the Sun it will harden into a clear mass not unlike pearl If you cast the Milk of the woman upon her Urine it will presently sink to the bottom Her right cheek is more muddy and the whole colour of her face is more cheerful she feels less numness The first motion of the child is felt more lively in the right side for the most part upon the sixtieth day If her flowers flow the fourtieth day after conception The belly is more acute toward the navel As the woman goes she always puts her right leg forward and in rising she eases all she can her right side sooner then her left CHAP. III. Whether she have conceived a Female IF she have conceived a Female Conception of a Female the signs are for the most part contrary to those aforesaid The first motion is made most commonly the nintieth day after conception which motion is made in the left side Females are carried with greater pain her thighs and Genital members swell her colour is paler she hath a more vehement longing Her flowers flow the thirtieth day after conception Girles are begot of parents who are by nature more cold and moist their seed being more moist cold and liquid CHAP. IV. Of the Conception of Twins IF a woman have conceived twins Conception of Twins the signes thereof appears not till the third or fourth moneth after her conception and then it will appear by the motion of the Infant and by the extraordinarie swelling of her belly As to the motion it is plaine that she doth beare twins if she perceive a motion on the right and left side at the same instant which she perceives more quick and violent As for the greatness of the belly if the woman perceive it bigger then at any other times of her being with child as also if the two flanks be swelled higher then the middle of the belly if there doe appeare as it were a line of devision from the navel to the groine making a kind of channel all a long if the woman carrie her burden with more then ordinary paine These are commonly the signes of twins CHAP. V. Of false Conception False Conception VVOmen doe oftentimes deceive themselves concerning their conception for they doe many times beleive themselves to be big with child when it is nothing else but either the retention of their flowers which doe not fall down according to their accustomed periods of time or else that which is called the Moon-calfe which is a lump of flesh for the most part like the guisern of a bird greater or lesser according to the time of its being there which is most commonly not above foure or five months Several sorts of Moles Of moles there are two sorts the one is called the true mole the other is called the false mole The true mole is a fleshie body filled with many vessels which have many white green or black lines or membranes it is without thought without motion without bones without bowels or entrailes receiving its nourishment through certaine veines it lives the life of a plant without any figure or order being engendered in the concavitie of the matrix adhearing to the sides of it but borrowing nothing of its substance Of the false mole Of the false mole there are four sorts the windie mole which is a conflux of wind the watrie mole which is a conflux of watrie humours the Humorous mole which is a conflux of various humours the Membranous mole which is a thin bag filled with blood All these four are contained in the concavity of the womb These moles Sign of moles are somtimes engendered with the Infant though they do oftentimes cause the Infant to die either because it doth deprive the Infant of that nourishment which goes from the infant to the encrease of that or else because it hinders the growth and perfection of the Infant The cause of the fleshy mole doth not always proceed from the mother for the man doth often contribute to the encrease of it when the seed of the man is weak imperfect and barren or though it be good if there be too small a quantity of it which after it is mingled with the seed of the woman is chok'd by the menstrual bloud and so not being sufficient for the generation of the Infant instead thereof produces this little mass of flesh which by little and little grows bigger being wrapt about in a caule while nature strives to engender any thing rather then to be idle It happens also when the woman during her monethly purgations receives the company of her husband her body being not yet purged and void or else when the woman lies with a great desire and lust with her husband after she hath conceived or when she hath retained her monethly courses beyond her time The windy mole The windy mole is engendered by the weak heat of the matrix and the parts adjoyning as the liver and the spleen which engender a quantity of winde which fix in the concavity of the matrix The watry Mole The watry mole is engendered of many confluences of water which the womb receives either from the speen or the liver or the parts adjoyning or else from the weakness of the liver which cannot assimulate the bloud which is sent thither for the nourishment of the thing contained in it part whereof turns into water which cannot be voided but remains in the womb That which is called the Humorous mole is engendered of many moist humours serosities or the whites or certain watry purgations which sweat forth from the menstruous veins and are contained in the concavity of the matrix The Membranous mole The membranous mole is a skin or bag which is garnished with many white and transparent vessels filled up with bloud This being cast into the water the bloud goes out and the membrane is seen only to gather like a heap of clotted seed False Conception hath many signes The signs of false conception common with the true conception as the supression of the flowers depraved appetite vomitings swelling of the belly and of the breasts so that it is a hard thing to distinguish the one from the other only these that follow are more properly the signs of false then true conception For in false conception the face is ordinarily puffed up the breasts that at the first were swollen afterwards become every day more then other softer and lanker and without milk In fine the face the breast the arms the thighs and groynes grow lank and meager
The belly waxes hard as happens to those who are troubled with the Dropsie and almost of an equal roundness with many pricking pains at the bottom of the belly which have scarce any intermission which is the cause that they can hardly sleep being encombered with a heavy and dead burthen It may be known also by other signs for in the conception the Male Infant begins to move at the beginning of the third moneth for the most part and the female at the beginning of the third or fourth moneth now where any motion happens the woman ought to observe whether she have any milk in her breasts or no if she have milk in her breasts it is a sign of true conception if she have not it is a sign of a false one Besides in true conception the mother shall perceive her child to move on all sides oftner though to the right flank then to the left sometimes up sometimes down without any assistance but in false conception although there be a kind of motion which is not enliven'd that proceeds from the expulsive faculty of the mother and not from the mole The mother shall also perceive it to tumble always on that side she lies not having any power to sustain it self beside as she lies on her back if any one do push gently downward the burthen of her belly she shall perceive it to lie and rest in the place where it was pushed without returning thither Beside that which will confirm it more is when after the end of nine moneths the woman shall not come to her travel but that her belly still swels and is puffed up more and more all the rest of the parts of the body growing thin and meager this is a sign of a mole notwithstanding that many women have been known to go ten or eleven moneths before their delivery The signs of the windy mole are these when the belly is equally stretched and swelled up like a bladder more soft then when it bears the fleshie mole and especially near the groynes and small of the belly if it be struck on it sounds like a drum sometime the swelling decreases but by and by it swels more and more the woman feels her self more light it is engendered and encreases swifter then the fleshie mole or the watry and it makes such a dissention of the belly as if one were tearing it a sunder For the watery and humorous mole the signs are almost the same the belly increases and swels by little and little as the woman lies upon her back the sides of her belly are more swelled and distended then the middle or the bottom of the belly which grows flatter then by reason that the water and the humours fall down to the sides of the belly moving up and down on the belly as if there were a fluctuation of water there This distinction is more to be observed in the watry mole that the flank and thighs are more stretched and swollen then the humoral because that the waters flow thither oftentimes and that which comes forth through natures conduite is as clear as rock water without any ill savour but that which flows out in the humoral distemper is more red like water wherein flesh hath been washed and is of an ill savour This is also to be marked in false conception that the flowers never come down and the navel of the mother advances it self little or nothing both which happen in true conception There are besides these above written certain other tumours which the women do take for moles These occasion a rotundity and swelling in the belly which are not discovered till the woman be opened and then there doth appear though the body of the womb be clean and neat without any thing contained in it at one or both corners of the womb a quantity of water contained as it were in little bags in others are to be seen a heap of kernels and superfluous flesh clustered up together in the womb which cause it to swell Yet in these women it hath been observed that their purgations have been very regular which hath been a sign that the womb it self hath been in good temper There is also another excrescency of flesh which may be termed a pendent mole The pendent mole which is a piece of flesh hanging within the inner neck of the womb which at the place where it is fastened is about a fingers breadth still increasing bigger and bigger toward the bottom like a little bell This flesh hanging in the interior neck of the womb possesses the whole orifice of the privy member sometimes appearing outward as big as the fist as hath been observed in some women Of the cures of all these we shall treat in due place CHAP. VI. How women with childe ought to govern themselves IN the first place she ought to chuse a temperate and wholsome air neither too hot nor too cold nor in a watry and damp place nor too subject to fogs or winds especially the South winde which is a great enemy to women with childe causing oft times abortion in them The North winde is also hurtful engendring Rhumes and Catarrhs and Coughs which do often force a woman to lie down before her time Likewise the winds which carry with them evil odours and vapours for these being sucked with the air into the Lungs are the cause of divers diseases For her diet Her Diet. she ought to chuse meat that breeds good and wholsome nourishment and which breeds good juice such are meats that are moderately drie the quantity ought to be sufficient both for themselves and for their children and therefore they are to fast as little as may be for abstinence unless upon good occasion renders the child sickly and tender and constrains it to be born before its time to seek for nourishment as the over-much diet stuffs it up or renders it so big that it can hardly keep its place All meats too cold too hot and too moist are to be avoided as also the use of salads and spiced meats and the too much use of salt meats are also forbidden which will make the childe to be born without nails a sign of short life Her bread ought to be good wheat well baked and levened Her meats ought to be Pigeons Turtles Phesants Larks Partrige Veal and Mutton For herbs she may use Lettice Endive Bugloss and Burrage abstaining from raw Salads for her last course she may be permitted to eat Pears Marmalad as also Cherries and Damsons she must avoid all meats that are diuretick and provoke urine or the termes and such meats as are windy as Pease and Beans Of Longing Yet because there are some women that have such depraved stomachs by reason of a certain salt and sower humor contained in the membranes of the stomach as that they will eat coles chalke ashes cinders and such like trash so that it is impossible to hinder them to such therefore we can only
say thus much that they ought to forbear as much as in them lies assuring them that such trash does not only endanger their own health but the health of the childe Yet if they cannot command that depraved appetite let them so provide though it be by giving some small satisfaction to their depraved longings that they do not hasten any further inconvenience for though those strange meats be very contrary to nature yet the strange desire that they have to them does not a little avail to the disgestion of them For her drink let it be small Ale though now and then a cup of pure wine does not amiss to comfort the stomach and the parts dedicated to generation Her time of sleep Her sleeping is best in the night for the concoction of those meates which she hath eate in the day time she must avoid by all meanes the sleeping after dinner she may sleep full out nine houres her sleeping beyond that time is prejudiciall She may exercise Her exercise her self moderately for violent exercise loosens the Cotyledons through which the Infant receives his nourishment the riding in coaches is forbid especially for the last three months She ought to avoyd great noises Other precepts as the noise of Guns or great bels Laughing crying if it be immoderate is extremely hurtfull as also immoderate anger In the first four moneths she ought not to lye with her husband for that shakes and moves the fruite of her womb and causes the flowers to descend she must also abstain in the sixth and eight but in the seventh and ninth it is not denyed and is thought to facilitate the delivery She ought also to keep her body soluble which if it should come of it self she must take loosing syrups to help nature Assoon as ever they perceive themselves to be with child they must lay a side their busks and not straighten themselves any way for feare of hurting the fruit of their womb by not giving it its full libertie of growth CHAP. VII How women ought to govern themselves in the time of their going with childe FIrst that her breasts Precepts concerning the breasts after her delivery may not grow bigge and swell over-much as also to a void the danger of two much blood which being converted into milke may chance to curd and breed some disease in the breast Therefore as soon as she perceives her selfe with child let her cary about her neck a small neck-lace of gold though some do more esteem of a neck-lace of steel or a little ingot of steel to hang between the two breasts you may also foment the breasts a quarter of an hour every morning with the distilled waters of sage perwincle or ground-Ivy making them first luke warme when the third or fourth moneth of her time is come Concerning the belly and that she perceives the Infant begin to move about which time the belly begins to swell and to grow big she may swathe it with a linen swath-band which she may anoint with some convenient pommatum this keeps the belly smooth and from wrinkles and from hanging down like a tripe She may use this liniment or Pommatum â„ž the gall of a kidd and of a sow of each â„¥ iij. capon greass and goose greass of each an ounce and an halfe cut these into little peices and melt them in an earthen dish putting therto as much water as will suffice to keep them from burning then straine it through a linen cloath and afterwards having washed it in faire water untill it be very white add to it of the marrow of a redd deare about an ounce then wash it againe in rose water or some other water of a good sent and anoint the swath-band therewith Or this â„ž of the grease of a dog and the fat of mutton which is about the kidnyes of each two ounces the fat of a whale about an ounce oyle of sweet Almonds about an ounce and a halfe prepare the greases as above-said then mingle them with the other things and wash them in rose water as before Some women that are loath to grease their bellyes with these oyntments doe carry the skin of a dog or else the outward and thin pilling of a sheeps skin take the skin of a dog ready drest for the making of gloves wash it a good many times in faire water first and afterward in rose water then drye it in the shade and moisten it in the foresaid oyles Take this one more Liniment â„ž a quarter of a pound of fresh butter well washed in faire Water of rose water and of oyle of sweet Almonds an ounce of the seed of a a Whale half an ounce melt these altogether and anoint the belly These oyntments are to be kept in a Galley-pot covered over with rose water The woman having attained the ninth moneth of her time and still continuing these oyntments she may now begin to use more exercise walking gently before dinner for the first twelve or fifteen dayes of that moneth afterwards she may use a more strong exercise that is for the eight or ten next dayes In the first days of this moneth it might not be unprofitable to be bathed in the following decoction for the space of a quarter of an houre and being afterwards put to bed to let her selfe be well rubbed and afterwards anoynted with some good oyntment all about the navill along the Os sacrum and the bone of the small guts and all about her hips and thighs You may use this Bath â„ž of Mallows marsh-mallows mother-wort of each two handfuls roots of Lillies three ounces of Camomil and Melilot flowers of each a good handful the seed of Line Quinces and Fenugreek of each an ounce boyl all these in fair water to make a decoction and for a half bath You may use this Oyntment â„ž Hens grease three ounces the grease of a Duck an ounce and an halfe oyle of Linseed an ounce and an half fresh butter two ounces melt all these together and then wash them well either in pellitorie water or in the water of mugwort adding thereto two ounces of the muscilage of Marsh-mallows If the woman all her time doe complaine that she feels little or no motion of the child let her carry upon her navel this following quilt which will give strength to the Infant â„ž powder of Roses red Corral Gillow-flowers of each three ounces and an half seed of Angelica two drams Mastick a dram and an half Ambergrease two grains Musk one grain put all these in a sack of fine Linen and quilt them together for the use aforesaid Thus much is to be observed by women with childe that are in health and have no other diseases hanging upon them but of the other diseases incident to women with childe we shall take a time hereafter to treat SECT IV. Of the formation of the childe in the womb CHAP. I. Of the mixture of the seed of both Sexes as
the woman herselfe she must be of a good heart and force her selfe by striving as much as possible she can stopping her mouth and keeping her breath as if she were doing the ordinary deeds of nature As for the collick if it seize women in travaile you may read the remedies in the following chapter CHAP. III. How to expell the Collick from women in Childbed There are some women who at the same instant that they are in travaile are taken with fits of the collick which is often caused by the crudities and indigestions of the stomach which doe torment women so extremely that it exceeds the paine of their travaile and while this paine lasts a woman advances nothing toward the end of her travaile the paine of travaile being hardly to be distinguished from it For her ease therefore the woman ought to take these remedies two ounces of oyle of sweet Almonds with an ounce of Cinnamon-water or else some wind dispelling Glyster and if the first time suffice not you may reiterate it sometimes fomentations that are proper for the dispelling of winde are very necessary for this purpose CHAP. IV. How the Midwife may know when the pains of travail do seize a woman VVHen the woman begins to cry out and hath sent for her Midwife the first thing that the Midwife is to ask is when she did conceive 2. Then is she to look diligently upon the belly of the woman and to mark it well for if she do behold the upper parts of the belly sunk and hollow and the lower parts of the belly full and big she may then conclude that the child is fallen down 3. She ought then to ask her some questions concerning her pains for if they be quick and strong beginning at the reins and sliding down all along the belly without ending at the navel but still falling down upon the groins and inwardly at the bottom of the belly below which is the interiour neck of the womb these are certain signs that the woman begins to be in labour 4. But for more certaintie the midwife may put up her hand being anointed first with fresh butter and if she perceive the interior neck of the womb to dilate it selfe t is a certaine signe that the paines of childbed are upon the woman or if she perceive any thing to push forwards her travaile is also undoubtable CHAP. V. Of the falling down of the waters a good while before the woman travails There are some women who have their waters come from them a long time before their travaile sometimes twelve days sometimes eight dayes somtimes six and sometimes foure though the ordinary time be not aboue three houres before her travaile they remaining for the most part not above twenty four howers This is caused by some ruptures of the membranes where from the beginning of the formation of the child the humour is contained rather then by the abundance of humours and therefore though a woman that hath abundance and that the membranes containing them are so strong that they wil not breake suddaine though the woman shall not travail till they breake yet the midwife ought not to break them but rather hold the woman over a vessel of warme water and also use some softening linniment to soften the membranes that so the mother straining the head or other member of the child may breake them more easily But for those women that have these evacuations so long before they travaile they must refraine going into the aire for feare of injuring themselves the passages being open for though the air cannot hinder the childe from coming forth by reason of its weight yet oft times getting within the secondine it not onely streightens the vessels and mouthes of the veines that are at the bottom of the womb but also causes several convulsions to the great danger of the woman but it is an easie thing to remedy these accidents by keeping close in her chamber having also a special regard to distinguish whether they be the waters of the birth or any Hydropick humour of the Matrix CHAP. VI. What the Midwife ought to do in time of travaile THe Midwife seeing the birth come naturally the pains now coming thicker and thicker the womb also opening to be delivered of its burthen and the endeavours of the childe being seen to come forth The Midwife must now encourage her patient admonishing her to shut her mouth and to hold her breath and to strein and endeavour with her lower parts Neither ought the Midwife be too hasty either to widen or force the passage of the Infant or to break the membranes but to stay till the membranes do burst of their own accord And here is to be noted Note the ignorance of some women who for haste to be gone to other women do tear the membranes with their nail to the danger both of the woman and of the childe which then remains dry without that moisture which makes the passages slippery which must of necessity augment the pain of the woman When the head comes forth of the womb the Midwife must take it gently between her two hands and then when the pains increase slipping down her hands under the arm-holes gently drawing forth the Infant yet staying her hand always but when the pains come upon the woman This must be done with a very delicate and tender hand lest the child by any rude or harsh handling should receive any deformed shape of body When the child is come into the world which is commonly with his face downward it must be suddenly turned upon his back lest it should be stifled for want of air Then let her cut the navel-string leaving the length of four fingers tying it with a silk thread as near the belly as may be Which done the childe if it be well may be laid aside only care must be had that the head and the stomach be well covered and that nothing come upon his face CHAP. VII How to draw forth the Secondines THis childe being thus drawn forth and in safety the midwife must now apply her selfe to the drawing out of the secondines which must be don by wagging and stirring them up and down and then gently drawing them forth causing the woman to take salt in both her hands and to shut them close and then to blow in them whereby you shall know whether they be broken or noe it may be done also by causing her to put one finger in her mouth to provoke a desire of vomiting or else by stirring as when she is doing the ordinary deeds of nature or as nature it selfe constrained her to doe before the head of the child was come forth All this must be don speedily yet if this be not sufficient she may take the yolke of an egg raw or she may take a small draught of raw elder-water or you may cause her to smell to a peice of Assa Foetida If she be troubled with winde collicks or have
taken cold which often times doth breed wind which is a great hinderance to the coming forth of the secondines The Midwife ought to chafe the womans belly with her hand which does not only breake the wind but causes the secondine to come downe If this failes the midwife may with her hand dilate the exterior orifice of the womb drawing it forth gently and by degrees CHAP. VIII What may be given to a woman in travaile In the first place hot and violent remedies are to be avoyded Hot things to be avoided but in cases of great necessitie for it many times happens that they are the cause of dangerous fevers Two other things are also very dangerovs to a woman in Travaile too much repletion As also emptiness and fulness and too much emptiness for the stomack of a woman with child doth not digest her meat in so short a time as women that are not with child doe Therfore the midwife ought to informe her self how long it was since she eat and in what quantitie and if it were long since she did eate and that she grow feeble they may give in the intermissions of her paines some warme cherishing and cordial broths or the yolke of a potched egg if her travaile endure long then to strengthen her and comfort her she may take a draught of Cinamon water not exceeding an ounce or at twice a dram of the confection of Alkermes dissolved in two spoonfulls of Claret wine and not more then one of these three things For if they take too much as is before said it causes fevers and heats the whole body of which follows many inconveniences for it stopps the purgations of which many strange diseases ensue CHAP. IX How to put the Womb again in its place SOme women newly brought to bed are many times afflicted with greater paines then those of their travaile by reason that the womb is not well put into its place or if it have the swath-band being loose it is apt to roule upwards in the belly This happens to women that are not well purged after their deliverie for remedie hereof having put the matrix right into its place roule up two linen swathes pretty hard bringing them also round the hipps then take whites of eggs beaten and a dram of Pepper in pouder which being spread upon Toe is to be applyed warme to the navil then let the bellie be well swathed this is the only remedy to ease the paine CHAP. X. Against the extreme loss of blood which happen to women immediately after their delivery THere are many women who immediately after their delivery doe suffer great losse of blood which proceeds from a great plenitude or fullness or by reason that in their travaile they took too many hot and corosive medicines or by streining themselves too hard over-heated the blood so that after travaile it runs from them in great quantitie To remedie this the woman ought to take often a small quantitie of wine in a spoon and if the weakness be much let her mix half a dramme of Alkermes with a draught of wine and take care that she be well swathed upward for that presses downe and streightens the vessels and hinders the violent flux give her also the yolke of an egg to take for that recalls the natural heat to the stomach which was dispersed through the whole It would be necessary also to spread a long the reines of the woman and all along the back-bone by reason of the hollow veine a napkin dipt in Oxicrat or water mingled with vinigre You may also lay upon each groin a skeine of raw silk moistened in cold water Take also of that well tempered earth of which they make the floor of an oven and steep it in strong vinigre then spread it upon a linnen cloath and lay it upon the reines this moderates the heat of the blood and stoppes the violent flux of it Great care must be also had that all the while the Blood comes from her she do not sleep for many times they are taken away in that weakeness when the people thinke they doe not take their rest but when you see this great flux moderated you may take away the astringent medicines by little and little that so the blood may cease running by degrees lest any bloud should be retained that may chance to doe mischeife CHAP. XI What is to be done to a woman presently after her delivery PResently after a woman is delivered if she have had a sore travail they ought to cast her into the skin of a sheep flead alive and put about her reins as hot as may be Upon her belly also lay the skin of a Hare flead alive having cut the throat of it afterwards and rubbed the skin with the bloud which is to be clapt as warm as may be to her belly This closes up the dilatations made by the birth and chases from those parts the ill and melancholly bloud These remedies are to be kept on two hours in Winter and one hour in Summer After this swath the woman with a napkin about a quarter of a yard large having before chafed the belly with oyl of St John's wort Then raise up the Matrix with a linen cloth many times folded then with a little pillow about a quarter of a yard long cover her flanks then use the swath beginning a little above the hanches yet rather higher then lower winding it pretty tight Lay also warm cloaths upon the nipples letting alone those remedies which are proper for the driving back of the milk which are not so soon to be applied for the body is now all in a commotion and there is neither vein nor artery which doth not beat wherfore those remedies that chase away the milk being all dissolving therefore it is not proper to put such medicines upon the breast during that commotion for sear that those medicines should make a stop of any thing hurtful in those parts and therefore it is better to give ten or twelve hours for the bloud to settle in as also for that which was cast upon the Lungs by the agitation of travail to distil down again into its place You may also make a restrictive of the white and yellow of an egg beaten togeiher with an ounce of oyl of St John's wort and an ounce of oyl of roses an ounce of rose water and an ounce of plantine water beat all these together very well in this you may dip a linen cloath folded double and apply it without warming of it to the breasts this comforts and eases the pains of that part She must not sleep presently but a matter of four hours after her delivery you may give her some nourishing broth or candle and then if she will she may sleep CHAP. XII Of women that have a great deal of bloud and purge not neither in their travail nor after SOme women have great superfluity of bloud and yet purge not at all neither
in their travail nor afterwards to which if remedies be not applied the women do run great hazards and dangers in their lying in great suffocations of the matrix and continual feavers this may be remedied being first enformed of their natural disposition afore they were with child knowing that when they had their purgations they had them in great quantity and for a good while together as also when they came being a gross and thick bloud and therefore seeing that now they do not purge in great quantity and that they have divers unquietnesses weaknesses of the stomach and pains of the head wherefore you may give her in the morning a little syrrup of Maiden-hair and Hysop water mingled together and syrrup of Wormwood with White-wine in their broths you may boyl Jacines and opening herbs keeping the belly soluble with Glysters they must eat no solid meat she must be well chafed from the groines down to the very ankle-bone alwayes stroaking and carrying the hand downward bloud letting also in the foot in the morning is not amiss as also some fumigation that Cleanses the matrix and draws downe the blood yet care must be had that these last remedies be not used before the Matrix be put into its place for feare that these remedies should draw it down too low but about eight or ten days after the Matrix was put into its place for cleansing the matrix you may use this receit Take Pellitory Sanicle Camomile Melilot greene Balm red Balme whit Mulleine Mallowes Marsh-mallowes Betony Margeram Nipp March Violets Mugwort take of each a like quantitie and cut them small and let them boyle in a new pot with three pints of good white wine let the woman take the fume of this receite three times in a day if she have any gross blood in the matrix it will undoubtedly bring it down You may also chafe the womans belly with oyle of violets this helpes the purgations being once dissolved The reason why this thick blood stayes in these partes is because the woman having it before she was with child the heate of the womb when she is with Child redoubling thickens it more so that when she comes to lye down it cannot flow so that it is to be taken away as much as may be with the aforesaid reasons Mollifying fomentations are also proper for this purpose while the woman sits over the fumigation CHAP. XIII For those who have but a little blood THose women that have but little bloud ought not to live in their beds as those who have a great deal They out to take good nourishment in a little quantity As eggs well boyled in the shell in a morning The juyce of Mutton and Veal squeezed out and Mutton broth and all these being mingled together nourish very much and make very good bloud as also Pigeons Partridg Mutton Quaile and such other meats good for the stomach CHAP. XIV What is to be done to the Infant THe Midwife having tied up the Navel string as is beforesaid she ought next to cleanse the Infant not only in the face but also over the whole body anointing the groins hips buttocks thighs and joynts with oyl of sweet Almonds or fresh Butter this makes the skin more firm shuts up the pores of the skin so that the exteriour air cannot come to hurt it and besides this it strengthens all the parts of the bodie It would not be amiss to make a bath or decoction of Roses and Sage in Wine and with that to wash the Infant every morning After the Infant is thus well anointed and after that well dried and wrapped up you may give to the Infant a little Sack and Suger in a spoon or else the quantity of a pease bigness of Mithridate or Treacle dissolved in wine with a little Carduus water CHAP. XV. How to govern women in Child-bed THere is great difference in the governing women in Childbed for she that thinks to order an ordinarie labouring or countrie woman like a person of qualitie kills her and she that thinks to govern a person of qualitie like an ordinarie Countrie-woman does the same to her for the stomack and Constitution of the one is tender and weake and the Constitution and stomack of the other strong and lustie which will not be satisfyed with ordinary viands for if you give to one of these strong stomachs presently after their delivery any strong broth or eggs or a draught of milke are like mills that allways grind and empty as fast as they pour in and that that gives one woman a feaver keeps another from it and therfore women in Childbed are to be governed by their several constitutions As for women that are delicate and have been accustomed to live delicately greater care must be taken of them giving them meats that breed good nourishment and do not clog the stomach forbearing also to give her those meats to which she has too great a dislike agreeing to her humour provided that the meats which she loves be not hurtful and giving her for the first eight days of her lying in boyled meats rather then rosted as gellies c. the juyce of Veal or Capon but not mutton it being too feverish giving her to drink barly water or else water boyled wherein is boyled a dram of Cinamon to every pint and two ounces of sugar dissolved or if she do not love sugar Coriander seed water if she drink wine let it be two thirds of water to one third of wine giving her in the morning White wine and in the afternoon Claret taking care of eating any thing that may breed any crudities she may also take at the discretion of those about her Almond milk now and then There are some women that cannot be kept from sleeping and others that cannot sleep at all It will not be amiss to give to those that cannot sleep French barly water the way to make it well is to let it boyl well and to take the broth without streining it neither ought it to be taken after the eight dayes are past by reason that it nourishes exceedingly and does not a little obstruct the Liver CHAP. XVI Of the bathings that a woman is to use for the first eight dayes of her lying in TAke a good handful of old or new Chervil and boyl it in a sufficient quantity of water then taking it from the fire add to it a spoonful of Mel Rosatum or hony of Roses this draws down the purgations clenses and heals the parts The herb it self may serve for a fomentation to take away any inflamation There are some that use milk to the purpose aforesaid affirming that it is a great asswager of the pain but that having been proved by others hath been observed rather to engender filth then to be any way a clearer by reason that the sharp humour causes it to curdle CHAP. XVII How a woman ought to govern her self in case a woman be to be delivered
have occasion Take Galls Cypress nuts and Pomgranate flowers Roch Alome of each two ounces Province Roses four ounces knot grass a good Handfull the rind of Cassia the rind of Pomegranates Scarlet berries of each three ounces the nature or sperm of a whale one ounce Rose water Myrrh water and Burnet water of each an ounce and a half wine and water of a smiths forge of each four ounces and a half then make two little baggs about a quarter of a yard long and half a quarter of a yard broad then boyle all these in the foresaid water in a new pot using the baggs one after another as occasion serveth CHAP. XXIII To make searcloaths for women TAke white wax halfe apound the sperme of a whale and venice turpentine well washed in rose water plantaine water of each an ounce and a halfe then melt all these together then mingle with them an ounce of venice white Lead then order you your cloth as you please making some for the bellie and some for the nipples having first rubbed it over with oyle of Acorns or the sperme of a whale CHAP. XXIV To cleanse a woman before she rises TAke bitter Almonds and peel them make thereof a past with the powder of Iris and the yolk of eggs and put it in a little bagg of Tammy and temper it within the bag with black wine luke-warm and afterwards use it upon the places where the sear-clothes have been laid then wash the places with black wine mingled with orange flower CHAP. XXV How a woman lying in of her first child may avoid the gripings of her belly THere are some women lying in of their first childe who are troubled much with gripings in the belly and these women commonly endure pains when their terms come down by reason of the smalness of the veins which conveigh the bloud into the Matrix such women have griping in their bellies when they lie in of their first child which other women are not troubled with by reason that they have larger vessels yet although they have them not in their first lying in it would not be amiss to use some proper remedies that so they may be never troubled with them which if they receive not at their first lying in they will be uncapable of receiving them ever after for though they may take remedies afterwards to lessen the pain yet they can never cure it wholly Now that which is ordinarily done to women is as soon as ever they are brought to bed is to give them two ounces of oyl of sweet Almonds drawn without fire with two ounces of syrrup of Maiden-hair t is true this is good to make her purgations part away but not to remedy the griping Some there are that do take two drops of the bloud which comes out of the navel-string of the Infant and give it mingled to the woman in the foresaid syrrups though there is much fault to be found with this by reason of the nastiness of it Others do boyl a white Chicken in the which they do put two ounces of Sugar a dram of fine Cinamon half a Nutmeg grated two or three Dates five or six Cloves the Fowl being boyled you may put into it a small quantity of Claret then boyl it altogether again letting it boyl till the Fowl be well soaked then strain it and give it to the woman as soon as she is laid down for want of a white Hen you may take a Pigeon or a red Partridg for want of either Onely take heed to give her this if she be feverish because it is something hot The seed of Savory taken in warm broth is very good and it is also very good for those that have the collick The Queen of France her Receit Take a dram of the root of the greater Consound or Comfrey one of the kernels of peaches nutmegs of each two scruples yellow Amber half a dram Amber-grease half a scruple mingle all this together and give it to the woman as soon as she is laid down the quantity of a dram mingled in white wine or if the woman be feverish in some good warm broth CHAP. XXVI Certain precepts hindering the delay and difficulty of bringing forth BEing now come to talke of the impediments of the birth you must know that the birth is hindered by a twofold manner the one natural the other not natural of the unnatural we shall treat of in its place for the natural take these following directions But in the first place let the Midwife be very skilful that she may decline as much as in her lies all the impediments that may be avoided If the birth be hindred by the driness and straightness of the neck of the womb take a little beaten Hellebore or Pepper and blow it into the nostrils of the mother Her mouth must be held close her breath kept in and sneesing must be provoked as much as may be whereby the spirits being forced to the lower parts may be the more available to force down the childe You may also give her Shepherds-purse dried in a little broth or wine also a little quantity of hony mingled with twice as much luke-warm water and give her will not be unprofitable The milk also of another woman mixt with maiden-hair and applied warm to the navel She may take also oyl of Laurel in wine or warm broth two grains of Pepper being taken inwardly do not only force out the birth but also drive out the secondines This is also an excellent remedy against a difficult travail Take Trochischs of Myrrh one dram grains of Saffron ten Cinnamon one scruple mingle all this with two ounces of Peny-royal water and give it the woman to drink Let her drink it warm and let her go to her bed for an hour till she finds the operation of the drink moving her to her labours If this profit and that the Infant coming with his head foremost stick in the womb you may use these pills of which she may take seven and then rest â„ž Gum Bdelium Myrrh Savin-seed Liquid Storax or Stacte Castor Agaric of each half a scruple Diagridium six grains mingle all these with Cassia extracted as much as suffices and make up pils about the bigness of pease You may also use a pessary as long and as thick as your finger of pure wool which must be covered over with silk and dipt in the juice of Rue where Scammony hath been dissolved and so used If these things prove without effect she may use this ensuing bath above her belly Take of the roote and herb Althea six handfulls Mallows Camomile Melilot Parsley of each foure handfulls Line-seed and seed of fenugreek of each two pound Lavender and Laurel leaves of each two handfulls Let all these things be boyled to gether in water where in the woman is to sit or else to have those parts well wet and moistened with spunges which being done and the woman well dryed with warme cloaths
hold in one place the danger is nothing for he hath the libertie to fix his instrument better in another place The head being thus drawn forth he must with all speed that may be slip his hands down the childs armeholes to draw forth his shoulders and the rest of his body In the meane while it will be requisite to give the woman a small draught of wine or a Tost sopt in wine or Hipocras Another way If after these Medicines following adhibited the child make no hast into the world but lyes unmoved in the womb then you may proeeed to instruments after another manner First of all as soone as the woman is brought to the bed let her take this following potion hot and abstaine from all other meat and remaine quiet for the space of an houre or two till she feele the power and efficacy of the medicine â„ž Seven cut Figs Fenugreek Motherwort-seed and Rue of each two drams Water of Penyroyal and mother wort of each six ounces boyle all these to the consumption of half strein them and to the straining add Trochischs of Myrrh one dram three graines of Saffron Suger as much as is sufficient make one draught of this and spice it with a little Cinamon After she hath rested a little upon this let her again return to her travel at what time certain perfumes must be made ready of Trochischs composed of these following spices to be cast on the coals and so used as that the perfume may onely come to the Matrix and no further Take Castor Sulphur Galbanum Opoponax Pigeons dung Assa-faetida of each half a dram mingle all these with the juyce of Rue and make a Trochisch of them in the form of a filberd If these produce no effect you may use this following Emplaster Take Galbanum an ounce and a half Colocinthis without the grains two drams the juyces of Rue and Motherwort new Wax as much of each as is sufficient of each make a plaster Let this be spread upon a cloth to reach from the navel to the privities and in breadth to both the sides which she may keep on for the space of an hour or two A pessary may be also convenient made of Wooll and closed over with silk and then moistned in the following decoction Take of Round birth-wort brought from France Savin and Colocynthis with grains Staves acre black Ellebore of each half a dram bruise these together and make a pessary with as much of the juyce of Rue as is sufficient But now if all these things avail not and that the Midwife is not able to dilate the passage for the infant then you must have recourse to the Chirurgion To which purpose she is to be placed in a seat so that she may turn her crupper as much from the back of the chair as may be drawing up her legs as close as she can but spreading her hips abroad as much as may be Or else if it seem more commodious she may be laid upon the bed with her head downwards with her buttocks raised and her thighs drawn up as much as can be then you may go to work either with your speculum matricis or his Apertory so that the womb being sufficiently widened by the help of these instruments the birth may be drawn out by the hands of the Chirurgion together with the seconds if possible may be The womb must then be washed and anointed the woman then must be laid in her bed and wel comforted with spices as also with some comfortable meat and drink This course must be taken with all dead infants and also with moles and secondines which are hindered in their coming forth naturally If by these Instruments the womb cannot be sufficiently widned for the egress of the infants there are yet other Instruments by which the womb may be widened with dammage to the mother and birth be brought forth such as are Drakes bill and the long Pincers by which the womb is not only widened but the birth taken hold of by them for the more forcible drawing it forth If there be any swelling or inflation or concrete bloud gathered together in the preputium of the Matrix under the skin those tumours either before or after the birth where the matter appears thinnest and ripest the midwife may cut with a pen knife and squeeze out the matter anoynting it afterwards often with a pessary dipt in oyl of roses until it be whole If it happen that the child be swollen in the womb in any part of it by reason of wind or any watrie humor yet if it be alive such meanes are to be used as may be least to the detriment of the child and of the mother but if it be dead in what ever part those humours be either in the brest arms or legs the midwife may then put up her hand and with a little knife for that purpose cut the swollen that by letting out of the wind or humour the child may grow less and be brought forth with less difficultie Many times it happens that the child comes into the world with the feet formost and the hands dilating themselves from the hipps In this case the midwife ought to be well furnished with oyntments helping the egress of the Infant by anointing and stroking it least it be carried backward Having also a great care to take hold of both the armes of the Infant and keep them close to the hipps that the child may come forth after its own manner If by reason of this deduction of the armes from the sids of the Infant and the narrowness of the Matrix it so happen that the child cannot make a total egress the womb of the woman and the Infant it self and child are to be well anointed sneezing powders being administred to the woman to helpe her endeavours the womb is also to be pressed hard with both hands that the child make no retirement back but may still move forward 3 2 1 6 5 4 If the child happen to come forth but with one foot the arme being extended along the sides with the other foot turned backward the woman is instantly to be brought to her bed and laid in the same posture as we have before told you and then is the other foot which came forth first to be put back into the womb which being done let the woman rock her self from one side of the bed to the other lying alwayes with her head low and her buttocks rais'd till she apprehend the child to be turned upon which she may immediately expect her pains with all the assistance that may be given and in the mean while to be comforted as much as may be with cordial potions and wholsome medicines Many times it happens that the child lies athwart and fals upon its side If the child lie athwart which when it comes to pass the mother is not to be urged to her labour neither is the birth to be expected
after that manner for it is impossible that the child should be so born without some conversion and therefore the Midwife is to do all she can to reduce it to a more natural form of birth by moving the buttocks and steering the head to the passage if this succeed not let her trie by often rocking the woman to and fro to bring the child to its natural form of being born The fifth unnatural form If it happen that the childe hasten to the birth with the legs and arms distorted the Midwife ought not to hasten the woman but immediately cast her on her bed where she may direct the woman to roul her self to and fro or else she may gently stroak the womb of the woman as she lies till she have reduced the Infant to a better posture If this profit not the Midwife must take the legs and close them together then if she can she must get her hand about the armes of the child and in the safest way she can direct it to its coming forth though it be the safest way to turn the Infant in the womb and by that means compose it to the natural birth The sixth form If the infant come into the world with both knees forward with the hands hanging down upon the thighs The Midwife may then put up both the knees upward till the feet happen to come forward and then with her left hand let her take hold of the feet and keep her right hand about the sides of the childe and in that posture endeavour the birth of the child but if that succeed not let the woman as is said before be brought to her bed and there wallow from side to side till she have moved the childe into a better posture 9 8 7 12 11 10 But when it happens that the child hastens forwards with on arme extended upon the thigh Of the seventh form and the other stretched over the head the feet being stretched out at length in the womb the Midwife may by no means receive the childe in this posture but must lay her patient upon the bed as we have said before then must the womans belly be gently pressed backward that the infant may retire into the womb and if it give not backward of its own accord the Midwife may with her hand gently thrust back the shoulder and bring the arm that was stretched back to its right place The most dangerous of all those that we have spoken of is this The eight form and therefore the Midwife must take great care to put back the Infant in this case into the womb first of all therefore anoint well her hands as also the womb of the woman then if she can let her thrust in her hand near the armes of the Infant and so move the shoulders that the infant may fall back into the womb and then to bring it to the natural form let her thrust up her other hand and reduce the armes of the infant to the sides of it If this succeed not the woman must be laid on her bed and after a little rest she must be ordered as before we have said If this avail not she must be brought back to her seat as we have before rehearsed then must her womb by the help of those women that assist her be gently prest downward and on both sides while the Midwife having anointed the matrix and both the armes of the Infant joyns them as close together as she can and in that manner receives the Infant And there is the lesse danger in this form if the Midwife be diligent and the child slender The ninth form If the Infant thrust it self forwards with the buttocks formost the Midwife must put her hand well anointed and so by heaving up and putting back the buttocks strive to turn the head to the passage Yet overmuch haste must not be made lest the Infant should fall back into some worse posture and therefore if it cannot be turned by putting up the hand the woman must be brought to her bed and ordered as we have often said before comfortable things being conveniently ministred to her The tenth form If the child come forward with the neck bowed and the shoulders forward with the hands and feet stretched upwards in this case the Midwife must carefully move the shoulders backward that she may be able to bring the head forwards which may be easily done for the shoulders being removed the head will soon appear foremost yet if this suffice not the woman must be laid on her back upon the bed and ordered according to the former precepts The eleventh form When the Infant thrusts forth the hands and feet formost care must be had to avoid the danger of this mishapen posture and therfore the midwife must strive by removing the feet to lay hold on the head and as much as in her lyes to direct it to the passage the hands are also to be removed unless of their own accords they fall down to the sides If by this means it cannot be done the former precepts of converting the child are to be observed Sometimes it happens that the childe strives to force its passage in this posture which is very dangerous First of all therefore The 12th form let the midwife anoynt her hands well and the womb of the woman which being done let her put up her hand and seek for the armes of the child which when she hath found let her hold them fast till she hath hold of the head also which she must with all her skill endeavour to bring formost then let her remove the hands of the Infant and fix them upon the sides of the Infant Yet if this doe not availe it will be the safest way to lay the woman on her bed and to proceed according to the former precepts to trye if by that delay she may have the more advantage to proceed as before The same method which is to be observed in single birth The 13th form is also to be observed in case of twins or of triple birth for as the single birth hath but one naturall way and many unnaturall formes so is it with the birth of more children and therfore when it happens that when twins appeare coming into the world according to the naturall forme the midwife must observe to receive that first which is nearest the passage yet be sure not to let go the other lest it should fall back into the womb and tumble into some other forme but the one being born immediatly to receive the other this birth is the more easie in the natural form because the first child widens the passage for the latter but in unnatural births there is most difficulty in the passage of the second child care must be also had in the birth of twins that the secondines be maturely brought forth least the womb being delivered of its burden should fall and the secondine by
that meanes be delayed to the damage of the woman in childbed The fourteenth form If there be twins in the womb and one of them endeavour to come forth with the head formost and the other with the feet First of all the Midwife must consider which of the two the woman may be delivered of with most expedition if the head of the one be less forward then the feet of the second it will be most convenient to draw that forth by the feet turning the head of the other a little to the other side and that being delivered she must presently lay hold of the head of that which is within and direct it just to the passage of the womb which may be done with more ease by reason of the gap which the formost hath made If it happen that in drawing forth the first by the feet that the other chang its situation the midwife may then draw forth the other by the feet as she did the first and if the head of the first be more forward then must she put back the feet of the first and receive that which comes with the head formost If both of them press together to the passage of the womb the midwife must take great care and therfore she must put up her hand to see which of them is most forward as also to try whether it be not some monstrous conception as two heads upon one body or two bodies joyned in one either at the shoulders or at the sides which may be known if she put up her hand gently between the two heads as high as she can and if she find that they are twins she may gently put the one to one side to make way for the passage of the other which is most advanced which must be directed just to the orifice of the womb having a great care that she do not change the situation of the second and as she feeles the pains of the mother coming on her she must by all means bring forward the childe that she would receive still keeping the other back with two or three fingers of the left hand and thus having delivered the first if the second be not well situated she must bring the head to the neck of the womb where it will find the passage open to it by the delivery of the first Now lest the first childe should be in danger of its life you must take it from the mother and carefully tie up the navel string as is formerly mentioned also bind again with a large and long fillet that part of the navel which is fast to the secondines that they may be the more easily found Then the second child being born the Midwife must see if there be not two secondines for by reason of the shortness of the ligature it may have happened to retire back againe to the damage of the woman and therfore the secondines must be hastened forth as soon as may be least the womb should close If the two Infants have but one body the better way is to turn the head upwards and to draw it forth by the feet then by the head taking care when you come to the hipps to draw it forth as quick as may be The fifteenth form The second forme of the unnaturall birth is very dangerous and therfore requires the greater care of the midwife First therfore let her well anoynt the womb of the woman that the passage may be more slipperie which being done let her take hold of the hands of one of the Infants and keeping them close to the sides direct the head to the orifice of the womb that being born let her proceed in the same manner toward the other If she cannot come to take hold of either of the Infants armes she must bring the woman againe to her bed and trye if by the foresaid Agitation of her body the infants may be Brought to a more convenient forme of delivery CHAP. XXIX Of ordering the woman after she is delivered IN the first place she must keep a temperate dyet having a great care not to over fill her selfe after so great an evacuation and indeed her dyet must be like that of wounded persons neither are the tales of Nurses to be beleived who exhort them to fill after so great an emptines telling them that the loss of bloud must be restored for these are meer fooleries for as for that blood which she hath lost it is but unnecessary blood such as is usually kept for the space of nine months which to voyd is much conducing to her health besides their nourishment for the first days must be but slender for feare of falling into a fever besides the abundance of milke which it would bring into the brest where it might be in danger of curdling or apostematizing and therfore for the first five days let her use broths Panadas potched eggs Gellies abstaining from flesh or french Barly In the Morning broth will be expedient at dinner broth or eggs or Panada and at supper the same with some Gellies for her second courses If she intend to nourse her childe she may feed more plentifully and drinke some Barly-water where in some corianders or fennell seed may be put In Italie the persons of most account doe use this water Take two Capons the fethers being well pulled of and the bowels wholly taken out which you shall boyl in a glaz'd earthen pot in a sufficient quantitie of water till they be halfe boyled then must they be taken out of the pot together with the broth and being cutt to peices are to be put into a Lembick in manner following â„ž Bugloss Borache and Time two good handfulls and with that cover the bottome of the shell then lay upon that a row of flesh then upon that a ranck of leaf gold with a dram of powder of pearles and upon that pover the broth let all this be distilled in Balneo Mariae drawing forth a pint at a time which you shall reiterate as often as you have any thing left to give to the woman in child-bed for the space of ten or twelve dayes This water must be drawn six weeks or two months before it be used If the woman be not troubled with a fever let her drinke a little white wine or Claret with twice as much hot water If she haue a mind to drink between meales or at night it may be convenient to give her some syrrup of maidenhaire or any other syrrup that is not astringent with a little boyled water After the suspition of fever or heat of her brests is over she may be nourished more plentifully and you may give her together with her broth some other meat as Pullet Capon Pigeon Mutton or Veale boyled After the eight day is past at what time the Womb is well purged and discharged it will be expedient to give her cold meat in greater quantitie that she may be enabled to gaine strength during all this time
Centinode a good big handfull the rind of Cassia the rind of Pomegranates Scarlet Graines of each three ounces the nature of a whale one ounce Myrrh water rose water and sloe water an ounce and a half thick wine and smiths water of each foure ounces and a half then make two little baggs of a quarter of a yard long causing them to boyle in the foresaid waters in a new pot using one after another as you have occasion leting it lye upon the bone of the Pubes passing in between the hipps chafing her often and holding her head and her reines low using in the morning somtimes a little mastick in an eg or somtimes plantaine seed if the disease be not too old it may be cured by this meanes but if it be of a long standing you must make a pessarie halfe round and half oval of great thick cork peirced through in the middle tye a little packthred to the end then cover it over with white wax that it may doe no hurt and to make it more thick this must be dipped in oyle of Olives to make it enter and it must be streit that it may not easily fall out and if it be too little to have an other bigger when the woman goes to do her necessary occasions she must hold it in least she should force it out the hole is made that the vapors of the womb may have a vent and to give way for her purgations to flow neither must it be taken away till after the purgations are passed the thicknes causes the matrix to mount up as long as it is very thick for the ligaments being close doe then retire If they be women that beare children the midwife ought not to suffer them to force themselves but as nature constraines her having her own hand ready after the throw to put back the Matrix with her finger and when she is brought to bed lay her low with her head and with her reines raising her up with pillows put under her hipps and for women that are troubled with this disease they ought not to lace themselves over hard for that thrusts down the matrix and makes the woman pouch bellyed and hinders the Infant form being well situated in her body causing her to carrie the child all upon her hipps and makes her belly as deformed as her wast is handsome Of a disease that happens by reason of the fall of the Matrix THere is somtimes a relaxation of the membrane that covers the rectum Intestinum when the head of the child at the beginning of the travaile falls downward and draws it low often-times it comes by reason of women with child lacing themselves which causes such a conflux of wind to these parts that it seemes to the woman to be the head of the child in so much that she is hardly able to stand upright neither can she goe For remedy hereof you must keep the woman soluble giving her Anise and Coriander seeds to dissipate the winds You must take Sage Agrimony Mother-wort balme White wormwood Margerome a little rue and a little Thyme and Camomile and having picked all the above written herbs you must cut them very small and having well mingled them put them into a maple platter and then put hot cinders upon them and upon those another handfull of herbes covering the platter with a close cloth that the woman may receive the smoake this is a remedie which hath been much approved and experimented To remedie the fall of the fundament in Infants TAke of the green shrub wherof they make broomes and cut it smal and lay it upon the coales and set the child over the smoake thereof and it will certainly cure it Of the diseases of women and first of the inflammation of the brest THe inflamation of the brests is a hard swelling together with a beating paine redness and shooting The cheif cause of this is the abundance of blood drawn up together in that place though there be somtimes other causes also as the suppression of the courses the Haemorrhoids or a blow received upon the breasts The signes of it are easie to be known that is to say a certain rednes and burning heat oftimes joyned with a fever For the cure of this there are four sorts of remedies first as the order of dyet which must be comforting and moistning as broth of pullets where endive borage lettice and purselaine may be boyled also she may drinke the juce of Pomegranates or barly water with aniseeds boyled in it the use of wine and all sorts of spices are very dangerous and if the woman goe not freely to the stoole there is nothing better then a lenitive glyster she may sleep much and must not disturb her selfe with any passion The next way of remedy is by diverting the humours which is done by frictions letting bloud in the foot scarification of the legs or vesicatories applied to those places especially if the flowers are stopped or ready to come down if not it will be expedient to open a veine in the arme You may also prepare the humour to void it out of the place affected by opening either the middle vein or the Basilic or the Vena Saphena which may be done two or three times if occasion serve after bloud-letting purge but let this be done with sweet medicines such are Cassia Manna Tamarind syrrup of Roses or Violets Solutive having a little before used certain syrrups which may asswage and temper the humours Take syrrup of Roses and Purslain of each one ounce Endive water and Plantain water of each an ounce give this to the patient Neither will it be amiss to give her syrrup of Succory or Endive or such like for these syrrups have a cooling and refreshing faculty especially being mingled with Plantain or Endive water or such like or the decoction of the said herbs now when the humour is thus prepared you may give her some gentle purges As for example take of the pulp of Cassia and Tamarinds of each six drams of this make a little bolus with some sugar and give to the patient or with this potion Take of the Leaves of Italian Orach three drams of Aniseed one scruple infuse these in four ounces of the foresaid waters Into this being strained infuse an ounce of Cassia and into the streining of this dissolve an ounce of solutive Roses of this make a potion and give it The fourth way of cure consists in Topicks such as may drive back and repress the humour though care must be had that they be not over strong lest you thereby do cool the heart too much and thereupon drive the humour upon the heart it self And therefore temperate medicines are chiefly to be chosen and such especially as are able to digest and dissolve the humour Wherefore it shall not be amiss to apply a linnen cloath dipt in white strong vineger and a little cold water which must be applied to the breasts and
the face it arises from causes contrary to the former it is cured by contrary diet by hot medicines applied to the womb among which the roots of Birthwort Clove-Gilliflowers Angelica and Eringos are very much commended The leaves also of Mercury Baulm Dittany Penyroyall Sage Rosemary Mugwort flowers of Centaurie Marigolds Sage Rosemary Borage and sundry spices as Nutmegs Cubebs Saffron and Cinamom These kinde of compounds are also very usefull as oyle of Mace oyle of Amber oyle of Myrrhe and of Cinamom There is another intemperancie of the womb which comes of moisture and is joyned most commonly with the cold intemperancie it is known by the plenty of the courses and by thinnesse and watrinesse of them as also the moistnesse of the privities by reason of the moistnesse of the excrements no pleasure in the act of venery and pronenesse to abortion by reason of the growth of the birth It hath the same original with the frigid intemperancie and happens most commonly to women who are lazy and sedentary it is cured with the same medecines as the former onely this may be added that a fume may be made of the shavings of Ivory and the decoction of Sage being received into those parts before supper is very much commended Baths of Sulphur do also profit much There is another distemper of the womb which is dry which is discerned by the want of seed and the defect of the courses by slownesse to venery drinesse of the mouth of the womb by a blackish colour of the lower lip which is alwayes chapt It sometimes arises from the very nativity which causes a dry and lean constitution of body sometimes through age and then women cease to bring children sometimes from inflammations and such like diseases sometimes from a defect of blood which ought to moisten the parts which happens either through a narrownesse and obstruction of the veins or else because it being voided out at the neck of the womb cannot pierce to the bottom The cure of this is performed first by a contrary diet where you must also avoid much labour watching hunger and sadnesse Secondly by the use of moistning things amongst which are most commended Borage Bugloss Mercury Mallows Violets Among outward means Bathes of sweet water and unctions with oyle of sweet Almonds oyle of white Lillies Hens-grease and the marrows of Calves legs The cure is the more hard if the driness have been of any long continuance There is another which is a compound distemper which is most often cold and moist which is discerned by comparing the signes of the simple distemperatures together It arises from flegmie humors The cure is performed by preparing the matter with hot things by evacuation of the matter with such Medecines as are most proper to purge flegme as also by a particular pargation of the Womb it self to which purpose pessaries do very much conduce as also sulphury and drying baths as also the use of sudorificks or things that provoke sweat may be very profitable as the decoctions of Lignum sanctum China Sarsaparilla and mastick wood Of the narrowness of the Vessels of the VVomb THe signes of the narrowness of the vessels of the Womb are partly the retention of the flowers so that they cannot flow as also the hindrance of conception by reason that the passage of the blood is intercepted The causes are partly external as from astringent baths and Medecines which is known from the relation of the party affected it is cured more easily by moistning and mollifying medicines The other causes are internal as from flesh or membrane clinging to the orifices of the womb or by a closing up of the orifices of the veins by reason of some violent extraction of the secondines which is commonly incurable the only cure which may be tryed is by mollifying applications Another cause is deduced from obstruction which arises from certain thick viscous and copious humors flowing from other parts of the body the heat of those places not being able to attenuate them or else gather together in the womb it self by reason of the weakness of the heat of that part it is discerned by the same signs as the cold distemper there being also a slimy matter which now and then comes down from the womb It is cured as other obstructions by sharp and bitter Medicines and steel wine as also baths made with opening and mollifying things Sometimes this narrowness arises from a compression of the parts occasioned either by some swelling or Scirrhus either within or without the womb if this be there do appear manifest signes of swelling it is an evil for the most part incurable many times it is occasioned by an over fatness of those parts which is plain to the sense Of the puffing up of the Womb. THe puffing up of the Womb is a windy swelling of that part occasioned from a cold flegmie and flatulent matter which is increased through the defect of natural heat in the Womb This is called the windy mole it giving hopes of a conception The signes of this are a distention of the womb not far from the midriff which is now increased now diminished sometimes extending it self to the navel sometimes to the loyns and Diaphragma It differs from the Dropsie partly because the swelling is not so great and the party affected is not much troubled with thirst by the increasing and diminishing of the tumor and by the upper parts not being so lean It is distinguished from the Dropsie of the womb by the fore-apprehension of the causes that beget those windy vapours by the sound and less ponderosity as also by a feeling of an extensive and pricking pain in the womb and parts adjoyning It is also distinguished from an inflation of the intestines because here is no great pain neither is the Patient hard bound yet the Flowers are suppressed and the feet and hollow of the eyes do swel and the colour of the body is changed the woman draws her breath short and is sad and when she awakes is fain to lift up her head to take breath It differs from a mole because there is not that heaviness and ponderosity in the womb besides the woman doth not feel the burden of her womb tumble from one side to the other It is distinguished from conception by the sound and by the increasing and decreasing of the swelling and by the deadness of the motion not like that of a dead infant For if the Midriffe be violently compressed the winde being then compelled to the part adjoyning there is a kinde of palpitating motion perceived through all the Midriff The matter of this distemper is generated either in the womb it self or by reason of the suppression of the courses or by the interception of due purgation after delivery Many times it comes through the veins and seminal vessels Now the weaknesse of the heat proceeds sometimes from the external aire sometimes from hard delivery from the suppression of the
delivered of a very lusty child which lived about two dayes I came thither about noon and the was brought to bed before 9. at night I wrote this thus particularly to let you know that oft-times for want of knowing where the mischief lies the Remedies are mis-applyed and indeed a Woman Travayling in the ninth moneth ought chiefly to be succored with Clysters Of a Woman here in Town that bare her Childe elevent Moneths and could not be Delivered BEing called to a Woman in this Town that thought her self three moneths and a half gene which is one of the Termes of time wherein commonly the Moles and false births are delivered having then some loss of blood and paine I was sent for and judged it to have been some imperfect Conception and therefore I used all the meanes that art imposeth to assist her yet could she not expel it for all these long paines whereupon finding some strange apprehensions in her I wondered for in all the time of my practice I never knew such a thing as that dangerous in my life But I afterwards found this apprehension to come from a certain accident that had hapned to a Sister of hers who being with child carried it very wel to the end of the ninth moneth at the end of which she began to be in paine as if she would have cryed out the paines were great and long which they were not at all astonished at by reason that it was her first childe yet were not these paines accompanied with any signes of Labour as the opening the exterior orifice of the Womb and they continued thus for the space of two dayes and two nights many Medicines were used to facilitate the birth but to no purpose and now she felt not the child stir any more And now it was concluded that she had mistaken her time and now being at rest for four or five dayes and growing weary of the City she went into the Country and being returned without taking notice that she had received any harm she was taken with the same paines as before which continued a day and a night and then ceased as before this was adjudged to be certain paines of the colick after this she endured one moneth longer in her former estate which was now the eleventh moneth compleat at the end of which she felt some little pain like throws which presently affected her heart upon which she was laid upon her bed and they brought her Wine but at the very instant she dyed without having any time to cal for assistance seeing her dead they perceived upon the right side of her belly a very black mark about the breadth of a dollar being opened they found the child all putrified Hence we must observe that in Women that are bigg with child who have frequent pain and nothing coming forth the Matrix that should open rather shutting it self closer whether it be at the time or no you must imagine these to be clysters that expel wind which are to be reiterated as occasion requires which rule if it had been observed in this Woman she nor the Fruit of her Womb had not perished in that manner Of the common opinion that a Woman seven moneths gone ought to walk very much and of the accidents that happen thereby IT is a common error among Midwives vvhich is not to be passed by that a Woman vvith child vvhen she hath gone seven months of her time is to vvalk much upon a conceit that exercise is very proper for her for that they say doth loosen the child from the reins and facilitates the birth I confess as to facilitating of the birth it may something avail only I must add this also that it is better to dravv avvay the child then to break it and moreover it is better to be something longer in Travail then to incur 2. or 3. evils vvhich ordinarily happen the first is that the Child in the end of the eleventh moneth doth make certain indeavours to free it self from the belly of the Mother and vvithout doubt his first indeavour is to turn himself in the belly of the Mother for the Infant turns himself a good vvhile before the time of Labour and therefore I say exercise is very dangerous the first reason is because by pushing dovvnvvard the belly is dilated and especially in such as carry their children lovv and besides oft-times the head drags dovvn all the body of the Womb and loosens the ligaments in such a sort that after Delivery it can hardly be put into its place again Besides the children having their heads between the bones of the Mother by much walking of the Mother they come to be bruised so that the Infants do many times dye and no man is able to give a cause why for the branches of veins which are for the nourishment of the brain open in an instant letting out the blood which is contained in them and when the corruption is ingendred there follows immediatly Fevers and corruption of the Infant At other times Women coming to sit upon a hard seat do bruise the head of the Infant which causes like accidents and in all these accidents none but the Midwife is to blame unless the belly it self be spoiled This they say is the fault of the Nurse who did not apply Remedies fit to restore the fault I must confess that Remedies do much avail to the recovery of the fore-said malady and do much avail to the healing of that disease marring of the belly but to restore it to such an estate as it was in before I say it is a thing impossible for Medecines to perform for the skin which is once separated cannot be closed again without a scar I would now not only blame those that assist them but by putting the actions of people before them shew them where lies the fault and what reason I have so to do I must confesse that false accusations have made the most able Midwives timorous for they lye liable to so many causes of detraction that all that are either but indifferent good or else not good are all accused alike if any thing fall out amiss with the Patient as if they were the absolute causes of the evil or that it lay absolutely in their power to hinder it it happens also many times that a Midwife worthy of that name doth deliver a Woman from death and yet in the place of much praise she incurs many times much blame so that they are oftentimes constrained to avoid the scandal to advertise the of their ill procedures and to give place to those that know not how to do things with that sweetness and judgement The fault is no where but in the ignorance scandal and ingratitude of Women toward those of this Calling Besides there are a company of young Women that because they have had one child do give themselves a great deal of liberty to talk of these things Cries one I like not these
altogether impatient seeing her to doubt the report of the Midvvives therefore said he here is a Chirurgeon hard by vvho may be sent for to resolve the doubt of the Midvvives he sent for him just about the hour that the Woman vvas to be brought to bed The Chirurgeon vvhen he came savv that the child vvas ready to come forth The Midvvives vvho had given vvay to the Chirurgeon thinking to take their place again as soon as he had touched her to make his report were deceived for he seeing the business ready to be done told her Husband that it was necessary for him to operate but that he would proceed with so much industry that he would not only bring forth a sound a lusty child but moreover that he would render his Wife also in a safe condition The Midwives when they would have spoken were put to silence The Gentlewoman vvas presently delivered and he stayed but a litle while to receive thus the Midwives that had attended long and all the while of the Travail were despised and put off and the Chirurgeon extolled and praised and wel rewarded with several most obliging and curteous invitations About a year after he was entertained upon the former score like a Prince the hour of her Labour came again and the Gentleman was gone to visit some of his friends having such a confidence in the Chirurgeon that he set his minde at rest for any danger The labour of this child was not like the labour of the other child for it came with the feet foremost and when the whole body was come forth the head could not be got forth he had brought with him no instruments thinking that this Delivery would have been like the other but seeing himself at a stand he sent to a Chirurgeon not far off for an instrument in the mean time he sent into the kitchen for the ladle with the hook at the end thereof to draw forth the child he drew so wel that he drew away the life of the childe and without seeking any further for any body to saddle his horse or bidding any body farewel he fled his wayes This may be an instruction to those that are so ready to entertaine Mountebanks and Empericks then vvhom there are no men more prodigal of the life of another for money Of a Woman that because she would not be ruled in her Lying in dyed I Was one day called to the Labour of a Woman vvhich had good Deliveries of her Sons and Daughters at their due time although her deliveries of Boyes vvere alwaies more difficult then those of her Daughters being come to her I found her vvalking in the Chamber with her leggs bare in a season that was not over-hot I caused her to be put into her bed to vvarm her again but she vvould by no means indure it although I prayed her she vvas angry with me and told me this vvas not the rule to be constrained the Mistriss and the Nurse combined against me the night approached the waters being come dovvn I feared the ill success of this business that her disease vvould be irrecoverable by reason of her self-vvilness I desired her Husband to use his endeavour but he could do no more vvith her then I about midnight I prayed her to go to bed again and to vvarm her self and unless she could do so I could do nothing she told me I understood nothing in respect of a certain Surgeon who whē she had such a kinde of Labour before only toucht her with his finger and delivered her that she would have him I was content so she sent for him he came very confidently but his work vvas not at so easie a pass as formerly he put a good large Table Napkin before him trussing it up to his elbows saying he was as able to deliver her as before she would no more see me after his arrival the Chirurgeon to whom I represented after his arrival all that I had understood and seen and the fear which I had of her told me that all would be well At day break a neighbour of mine calling me away I desired her Husband to let me go but he vvas unvvilling unless I vvould promise to come again vvhich I did and as soon as the door vvas open one of the servants told me another Midvvife vvas sent for her Husband desired me again that since the Chirurgeon failed of his skil I would use my skil but it was too late for the Chirurgeon left them and the Woman dyed See here hovv ill a thing it is to be opinionated for I could easily have delivered her if she vvould have been ruled by me Of certain Women that bear Children and lye in before their time and others at their full time who grow bigg and ful of humors which causeth the death of the child presently after their Delivery their children being nourished in their Bellies like fish only with water I Knew a Gentlewoman who had lain in three times but yet none of her children lived I desired her to take a Physitian that might give advice both to her and me and to ordain her some remedies and a government of dyet to keep her from suffering the like accidents for time to come we chose a Physitian who prescribed certain Tablets or Trochisques to take from the time she began to grow bigg until the time of her Delivery twice a week as also to take the water of Indian Bul-rush and of Sarsaparilla to mix in her drink or broth as often as she would having a due regard to the heat of her blood she observed every tittle of his directions which made her to bear a Son alive sound and healthful she continued these Remedies four years together but the next time she grew big with childe she thought that Nature of it self would be sufficient I counseled her to the contrary but she he arkned not so that when her Time came she was brought to bed of a dead child I shal give you the Receit of the Tablets and of the Water for the benefit of Women that are subject to an ill Delivery by reason of the great quantity of waters which hindreth the child from turning in the womb the water is made in this manner R. Two pints or 2 pints and a half of water put therein half an ounce of the root of Indian Bulrush and an ounce of Sarsaparilla put this in the drink and let it infuse one night mix it with the drink or else drink it pure The Tablets are made of this fashion R. Mace Saunders Rhubarb Pearl and Coral Sene of each 25 grains with one ounce and half of sugar let every Tablet weigh 6 drams The observation of a VVoman who was thought unable to bear any more Children yet contrary to expectation was delivered of one and the reason thereof THere are certain Women who have the neck of the Womb long and hardned by a cold humor that fals down
THE Compleat Midwifes PRACTICE In the most weighty and high Concernments of the Birth of Man Containing Perfect Rules for Midwifes and Nurses as also for Women in their Conception Bearing and Nursing of Children from the experience not onely of our English but also the most accomplisht and absolute Practicers among the French Spanish Italian and other Nations A Work so plain that the weakest capacity may easily attain the knowledge of the whole Art With Instructions of the Midwife to the Queen of France given to her Daughter a little before her death touching the practice of the said Art Published with the approbation and good liking of sundry the most knowing Professors of Midwifery now living in the City of London and other places Illustrated with severall Cuts in Brass Exod. 1.17 But the Midwifes feared God V. 20. Therefore God dealt well with the Midwifes By T.C. I.D. M.S. T.B. Practitioners London Printed for Nathaniel Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill 1656. The expert and famous madam LOVYS BOURGEOIS midwife to the Qweene of France Sold by N Brooke at the Angell in Cornhill Ro Vaughan sculp THE PREFACE OF Sundry PRACTITIONERS in and about the City of LONDON c. Christian Reader IT is high time there being already published many Treatises in this kind for us to discharge our consciences for the good of the Nation we have perused all that have been in this nature in English and finde them strangely defficient so crowded with unnecessary notions and dangerous mistakes that we thought it fit to give you warning of them that for the future the unfortunate practisers may prevent the almost guilt of the crying sin of murder It is Admirable to us that our Countrey should be so much deluded to build all their practice upon such Authors that have not at all conduced to any considerable advantage in this so necessary usefull Art as the preserving of man-kind Alas how many miserable volumes have these late times brought forth Not to disparage any that have deserved but in so weighty a concernment as this we must stand upon our integrity There hath been a reasonable intention in the publishers of some books viz. The Birth of man the most antient but very much unfurnished as also the books of child-birth The expert Midwife the worst that have been written in that kind in French and it s almost or miracle to us that Mr. Culpepper a man whom we otherwaies respect should descend so low as to borrow his imperfect Treatise from those wretched volumes some of which are before mentioned and we must deale faithfully with you that that small peice of his intituled The directory for Midwifes is the most desperately defficient of them all except he writ it for necessity he could certainely have never been so sinfull to have exposed it to the light Now Christian Reader to give thee a true information of what we have here done for thy good we shal not only Justifie from our own experiences but fully demonstrate from the writings of the best practisers both of the French Spanish and Italians and other Nations and we must cleerly confesse that we are highly obliged to the incomparable labours of that most famous woman of the world Madam Long Bourgeo late Midwife to the Queen of France the praises that we read of all those that ever heard of her are not so much a flourish as truth for her reasons are solid experiences and her witnesses have been all of the most emminent persons of France and not only of her but as we have already exprest of the most excellent known men or women of this Art of other Countries it 's upon this account that we break the barriers and boldly stand the brunt of all censures The chief occasion of this book is to make it a great exemplary and Schoole where medicine married to the Midwives industrie may teach every one the admirable effects of the Divinity of this art of Midwifery And now knowing Reader that the Receipts herein contain'd which have ever had happy succeses are not made publicke to the world on any other designe then or the assistance of such persons whom either the want of fortune or opportunity denieth such sudden helps neither can we be without bleeding hearts if we but consider how many have been lost by the unskilfulnesse of those that attempted this great work nor should we have prostrated our reputation and private experiences but to correct the frequent mistake of most Midwifes who resting to bold upon the common way of delivering women neglect all the wholesome and profitable rules of Art which might concern them in the occult diseases of women as also of the Anotomical parts of the Body Thus having discharged our consciences we have no more to write but referre you to the book it self desireing a blessing of God on these our faithful endeavours we are the hearty well wishers of your good I. C. I. D. M. S. T. B. The Contents OF the genitals or vessels dedicated to generation in men or women p. 1. Of the vessels of preparation C. 1. p. 2. Of the Parastatae or vessels where the blood is first changed C. 2. p. 3. The use of the preparing vessels C. 3. p. ib. of the Testicles in generall c. 4. p. 4. Of the Tunicles of the stones c. 5. p. 5. Of the suspensory muscles c. 6 p. 7. Of the substance and temper of the stones c. 7. p. 7. Of the actions of the testicles c. 8. p. 9. Of the Vtilitie of the testicles and their parts c. 9. p. 10. of the vessel that cast forth the seed c. 10. p. 11. Of the Seminary bladders c. 11. p. 13. Of the Kernelly Prostatae or forestanders c. 12. p. 14. of the structure of the Yard c. 13. p. 15. of the severall parts constituting the Yard c. 14. p. 17. Of the action of the Yard c. 15. p. 21. Of the use of the Yard in general c. 16. p. ibid. Of the use of the parts constituting the yard c. 17. p. 22. Sect. 2. Of the Genitals of women c. 1. p. 25. Of those parts called Mymphs and Clytoris c. 2. p. ib. Of the fleshly knobs and the greater neck of the womb c. 4. p. 27. Of the Hymen c. 5. p. 28. Of the vessels that run through the neck of the womb c. 6. p. 29. Of the fabrick of the womb c. â— p. 30. Of the preparing vessels in women p. 34. Of the stones in women p. 35. Of the different or ejaculatory c. 8. p. 37. Of the actions and uses of the Genitall parts in women c. 9. p. 38. Of the actions of the Clytoris c. 10. p. 39. Of the action and use of the neck of the womb c. 11. p. ibid. Of the uses of the vessels running through the neck of the womb c. 12. p. 40. Of the actions of the womb c. 13. p. ib. Of the utilitie of the womb c. 14. p. 41. Of the utilitie of the preparing vessels
have to make water p. 89. of the inflammation of the Almonds of the eares p. 90. of vomiting ibid. of the Hicquet p. 91. of the pain of the belly in children ibid. of the small pox in children p. 92. Certain other instructions grounding upon practicall observations fit to be known by all Midwives and child-bearing women c. p. 95. A Second observation of a Woman that had been in Travail nine dayes p. 99. of a Woman here in Town that bare her Child eleven Moneths and could not be Delivered p. 101. of the common opinion that a woman seven moneths gone ought to walk very much and of the accidents that happen thereby p. 1â—3 of a child which they thought sick of the Epilepsie occasioned by the sicknesse of the Mother and of the cause p. 106. of a young woman who being struck upon the belly by her Husband with his foot was in great pain could not be brought to bed without the help of a Chirurgion p. 108. of two Deliveries of one Woman p. 109. of a Woman that because she would not be ruled in her Lying in died p. 111. of certain Women that bear children and lye in before their time and others at their full time who grow big and full of humors which causeth the death of the child presently after their Delivery their children being nourished in their Bellies like fish only with water p. 113. The observation of a woman who was thought unable to bear any more Children yet contrary to expectation was delivered of one and the reason thereof p. 114. A good observation in the choice of Nurses p. 115. of a Woman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two children proceeding from several causes p. 117. Instruction of a famous and dying Midwife to her Daughter touching the practice of this Art p. 119. The natural forme of a child lying in the womâ— To be sold by N Brooke at the Angel in Cornhil G. F. 〈◊〉 THE COMPLEAT MIDWIFE HER PRACTICE Of the Genitals or vessels dedicated to Generation in Men and Women THe consideration of these things is so necessary for the purpose of this book that they require not onely a deep meditation but the praeeminence to take up the first thoughts of those who would arrive to the knowledg of a thing so much needful to all mankinde And it may be lawfully feared that many women do miss their design because they know nothing but the outside of things so that in matters of extremity because they are ignorant of the structure of the parts they cannot tell how to go about their work We shall therefore begin with an easie Anatomy of the privy parts both of men and women so far as shall be requisite to the gaining of so great a skill In the first place therefore we shall begin with man in whom those things which are called the vessels of preparation are first to be considered CHAP. I. Of the vessel of preparation AMong the Spermatic vessels are to be considered first two veins and two arteries these are carried downward from the small guts to the Testicles and are much bigger in men then they are in women The original of these veines is not alwayes the same for commonly the right vein riseth out of the hollow veine a little below the source or original of the Emulgent but the least takes his original from the lower part of the Emulgent it self Yet sometimes it hath a branch carried to it from the trunk of the hollow vein The middle part of these veines runs directly through the Loyns resting upon the Lumbal Muscle a thin Membrane only intervening and thus having gone about half its journey it branches out and distributes it self to the near adjoyning filmy parts of the body The uttermost part of these vessels is carried beyond the Midriff to the Stones yet do they not pass through the Peritonaeum but descends with a small nerve and the muscle called Cremaster through the Duplicity of the Midriffe when it approaches neer the stones it is joyned with an artery and now these vessels which were before a little severed one from the other are by a film rising from the Peritoneum closed up and bound both together and so twisting up like the young tendrils of a vine they are carried to the end of the stones fig 1. fig 2. CHAP. II. Of the Parastatae or vessels where the bloud is first changed THese four vessels after many ingraftings and knittings together seem at length to become onely two bodies full of little crumplings like the tendril of a vine white and in the form of a Piramid resting the right upon the right stone the left upon the left stone These are called Parastatae which as they stand pierce the tunicles of each stone with certain fibers or extraordinary small veines which afterwards dispearse themselves through the body of those stones The substance of these Parastatae is between that of the stones and that of the preparing vessels for they neither altogether consist of Membranes neither are they altogether Glandulous or kernelly CAAP. III. The use of the preparing vessels THe use of those vessels which are called the vessels of preparation is chiefly to attract out of the hollow vein or left Emulgent the most pure and exquisitely concocted bloud which is most apt to be converted into seed which they contain and prepare giving unto it a certain rude form of seed in those parts that lie as it were in certain pleights or folds which they do by a peculiar property bequeathed to them Another use of them is gathered by their scituation for as they are now scituated that is to say the right vein coming from the hollow vein and the left from the Emulgent this inconvenience is avoided that the left vein is not forced to pass over the great artery and so be in danger of breaking by reason of the swift motion of the artery Moreover there being a necessity that male and female should be begot it is fit that there should be seed proper for the generation of both sexes whereof some must be hotter and some must be colder and therefore nature hath so ordered it that the hotter seed should proceed from the right vein for the generation of man and the colder from the left for the generation of females The left vein hath also this property to draw from the Emulgent the more serous and less pure bloud to the intent that the serous humour might stir up venery by its salt and acrimonius substance and therefore it is observed that those who have the left stone bigger are most full of seed and most prone to venery The use of the Parastatae is this to contain the bloud and stay it in their windings and wrinkled bodies and by power received from the stones to change the colour of the bloud CHAP IV. Of the Testicles in general THe stones are in number two very seldome
some certain space for the ureter yet they are joyned together about the middle of the share bone where they lose about the third part of their nervous substance The interiour substance which is wrapt about by the exteriour nervous substance The Ureter hath this worthy observation that there appears stretched through the whole length of it a thin and tender artery proportionable to the bigness of the body which is diffused through the whole loose substance of the yard reaching as far the root of the yard Besides these two there is another body which lies between these two as proper or rather more peculiar to the yard then they are This is a pipe placed at the inferiour part of the yard being called the Vreter though it be a passage as proper to the seed as to the urine which is encompassed by the two fore-mentioned bodies This is a certain Channel produced in length and running through the middle of those nervous bodies consisting of the same substance that they do being loose thick soft and tender every way equal from the neck of the bladder to the nut of the yard saving that it is a little wider at the beginning then it is toward the place where it ends which is at the head of the glans or nut of the yard At the beginning of this Channel there are three holes one in the middle The holes of thâ— Ureter and something bigger then the other two arising from the neck of the bladder the other two on both sides one being something narrower proceeding from the passage that goes out of the seminary vessels and conveighs the seed into this channel This is further to be noted in this place that in the channel where it is joyned to the glans together with the nervous bodies Note there is a little kind of cavern in which sometimes either putrid seed or any other corroding humour as happens in the gonorrhaea being collected is the cause of ulcers in that part the cause of very great pain and it many times also comes to pass that there is a certain little piece of flesh which grows out of this ulcer that oftentimes stops up the passages of the urine To the structure of the yard The Muscles of the Yard there do moreover concur two pair of muscles one more short and thick proceeding from a part of the hip near the beginning of the yard and being of a fleshy substance The use of these two muscles is to sustain the yard in the erection and to bend the fore-part of the yard which is to be inserted into the womb the other pair is longer and rises from the sphincter of the fundament where they are endued with a more fleshy substance being in length full as long as the yard under which they are carried downward ending at the sides of the ureter about the middle of the yard Their use is to dilate the ureter both at the time of making water and at the time of conjunction lest it should be stopped up by the repletion of the nervous bodies and so stop up the passage of the seed They are also thought to keep the yard firm lest it should lean too much to either side and also to press out the seed out of the prostatae or forestanders The vessel of the Yard There are vessels also of all sorts in the yard first of all certain veins appearing in the external parts and in the cuticle which branch themselves out from the Hypogastrion In the middle betwen the space of the fibres they send out certain branches from the right side to the left and from the left to the right These veins swelling with a frothy bloud and spirit erect the yard There are also certain nerves which scatter themselves from the pith or marrow of the holy bone quite through the yard bringing with them the cause of that pleasure and delight which is perceived in the erection of the yard CHAP. XV. Of the Action of the Yard THe main scope of Nature in the use of the yard was the injection of seed into the womb of the woman which injection could not be done till the seed were first moved neither could the seed be moved but by frication of the parts which could not be done till it were sheathed in the womb nor that neither till the yard were erected This distension is caused by repletion which is caused by the plentie of seed Secondly by superfluitie of wind which if it be too violent is the cause of priapisme A Third cause proceeds from the abundance of urine contained in the bladder Somtimes the heat of the reines is a cause thereof CHAP. XVI Of the use of the Yard in general THe Yard is scituated under the midriff over against the womb And is also placed between the thighes for the greater strengthning of it in the act of copulation Neither is this the only strength which it hath for at the lower part it appears more fleshie which flesh is altogether muscly for the greater strength thereof Neither is it only contented with this Musclie flesh it having too muscles also for the same purpose on both sides to poise it even in the act of erection which though they are but little yet are they exceeding strong The figure of the yard is not absolutly round but broader on the upper side lest it should be hindered by the convexity of the superior part in the casting forth of the seed Concerning the biggness of the yard it is by most estemed to be of a just length when it is extended the bredth of nine thumbs CHAP. XVII Of the use of the parts constituting the Yard THe first thing in the constitution of the yard that offeres it self to view is the skin which is long and loose by reason that the yard which is sometimes to be extended somtimes to fall downe againe so requires it The extremity of the skin is so ordered that it somtimes covers the glans and somtimes draws back that whilst it covers the nut of the yard it may defend the yard from frication or provoking the motion of the seed Moreover this skin in the act of copulation shuts up the mouth of the womb and hinders the ingress of the cold air Concerning the two nervous bodyes constituting the substance of the yard their use is for the vital spirit to run through the thin substance of them and fill the yard with spirits Moreover by their thicknesse they doe prevent the two hastie empting and flying out of the spirits which are to stay in for the greater and longer erection of the yard The use of the Ureter is for the passage of seed and urine through it The substance of the Ureter is much the same with the two former bodys the inside being more thin and loose the outside more nervous and thick which is so ordained that it may be more apt to be erected with the yard It goes forward
better taking hold of the yard there is required a great heat for these kind of motions which growing more intense by the act of frication doth consume a great quantitie of moisture so that great vessels are requisite and onely able to make that continual supply that is needfull There is another cause of the longness of these vessels which is this because that the monthly purgations are poured through those veines for the flowers must not come onely out of the womb but out of the neck of the womb also whence it happens Note that women with child do somtimes continue their purgations because that though the wombe be shut up yet the passages in the neck of the womb are open The two holes or pits near the lips of the pudendum This is also further to be noted in the neck of the womb that as soone as ever your sight is entered within the female fissure there do appeare to the view two certaine little holes or pits where in is contained a serous humor which being pressed out in the act of copulation doe not a little add to the pleasure thereof This is the humor with which women doe moisten the top of a mans yard not the seed but a humor proper to the place voided out by the womb CHAP. VII Of the fabrick of the womb TO the neck of the womb the wombe it self is adjoyned in the lower part of the Hypogastrion where the Hips are widest and broadest which are greater and broader thereabouts then those of men which is the reason also that they have broader buttockes then men have The womb The womb is placed between the bladder and the straight Gut being joyned to the bladder and leaning upon the streight Gut where it lies as between two cushions this situation of the wombe was fittest that so it might have libertie to be stretched or contracted according to the biggness of the fruit contained in it The figure The figure of the wombe is round and not unlike a Gourd that lessens and growes more acute at the one end the bottome of the womb is knit together by Ligaments of its own which are peculiar The neck of the womb is joyned by its own substance and by certaine membranes to the share bone and the sacred bone As to the bigness The bigness of it that varies according to the age constitution of the body and use of venerie For it is much greater in women that have brought forth then in those that are with child and after the birth for the most part it exceeds the bigness of the bladder but in virgins it is for the most part equal to the bladder It is of a substance so thick as that it exceeds a thumbs bredth in thickness which after conception is so far from decreasing that it increases still to a greater bulk and proportion This substance the more to confirme it is interweaved with all manner of fibres The fibres streight oblique and overthwart The Vessels of the womb are Veins The veins Arteries and Nerves There are two little veines which are carried from the spermatick vessels to the bottom of the wombe and two greater from the Hypogastricks which go not onely to the bottom but to the neck The mouth of these veines pierce as farr as the inward concavitie in which place the extremities of them are called Acetabula which in the time of the flowers gape and open themselves by reason of the great plenty and stream of bloud that powres it selfe from thence and therefore they are at that time most conspicuous In women with Child that which is called the Liver of the wombe is joyned to them that it might draw blood for the nourishment of the child at which time these veins doe so swell but especially in the time of neer deliverie that they are as bigg as the Emulgent veines or at least half as thick as the Hollow veines It hath two Arteries The Arteries on both sides the Spermatick and the Hypogastrick which every where doe accompany the veines The womb hath also divers little Nerves knit together in forme of a net which are carried not only to the interior part of the bottom of the womb but also to the neck and as far as the privities themselves and that cheifly for sence and pleasure for which cause there is a great sympathy between the womb and the head This is also further to be noted Note that the womb in its situation is not fixed and immoveable but moveable by reason of two ligaments which hang on both sides from the share bone and piercing through the Peritonaeum are joyned to the bone it self so that it somtimes happens that through those holes of the Peritonaeum which give passage to these ligaments being loosned either the Omentum or Call or the Entrailes doe swell outwardly and cause the burstness either of the Caule or of the Guts and sometimes it happens by reason of the loosnes of those ligaments that the womb is moved with such a force that it falls down and in the act of Copulation is moved up and downe somtimes it moves upward that some women doe affirme that it ascends as high as their stomach Now though the womb be one continued body yet is it divided into the mouth and the bottom The bottom of the womb is called all that which by still assending stretches it self from the internal orifice to the end being narrow toward the Mouth but dilating it self by little and little till it come at the entrailes The mouth of the womb is that narrowness between the neck and the bottom it is an oblong and transverse Orifice but where it opens it selfe orbicular and round the Circumference very thick and of an exquisite feeling and if this mouth be out of order and be troubled with schirrus brawn or over-fatness over-moisture or relaxation it is the cause of barrenness In those that are big with child there uses to stick to this orifice a thick viscous glutinous matter that the parts moistened may be the more easily opened For in the deliverie this mouth is opened after a very strange and miraculous manner so that according to the bigness of the birth it suffers an equal dilatation from the bottom of the womb to the privy member CHAP. VI. Of the preparing vessels in women THe spermatick preparing vessels The vessels are two veins and two arteries differing not at all from those of men either in their number original action or use but only in their bigness and the manner of their insertion For as to their number there are so many veins and so many arteries as in men They arise also from the same place as in men that is to say the right from the trunk of the hollow vein descending the left from the left Emulgent There are two arteries The Arteries also on both sides one which grows from the Aorta these both
bring vital bloud for the work of generation As to the Longitude and Latitude of these vessels they are narrower and shorter in women only where they are wrinkled they are much more wreathed and contorted then in men for the way being shorter in women then in men nature required that for stretching out of these vessels that they should be more wrinkled and crankled then in men that the bloud might stay there in greater quantity for the preparation of the seed These vessels The insertion of the vessels in women are carried with an oblique course through the small guts to the stones being wrapt up in fatter membranes but in the mid-way they are divided into two branches whereof the greater branch goes to the stone constituting the varicous or winding body and those wonderful inoculations the lesser branch ends in the womb in the sides of which it is scattered up and down and chiefly at the higher part of the bottome of the womb for nourishment of the womb and of the birth and that some part of the flowers may be purged out through those vessels Now because the stones of women are seated near the womb for that cause these vessels fall not from the peritoneum neither make they such passages as in men neither reach they to the share bone CHAP. VII Of the Stones in Women THe stones of women although they do perform the same actions and are for the same use as mens yet they differ from them in scituation Their scituation substance temperament figure magnitude and in their covering They are seated in the hollowness of the Abdomen neither do they hang out as in men but they rest upon the muscles of the Loynes and this for that cause that they might be more hot and fruitful being to elaborate that matter which with the seed of man engenders man In this place arises a question not trivial A doubt whether the seed of woman be the efficient or the material cause of generation to which it is answered that though it have a power of acting yet that it receives the perfection of that power from the seed of man The stones of women differ from mens also as to their figure Their figure because they are not so round and oval as those of men being in their fore and hinder part more depressed and broad the external superficies being more unequal as if a great many knots and kernels were mixed together There is also another difference as to the subject because they are softer and moister then those of men being more loose and ill compacted The bigness and temper Their magnitude and temperament do also make a difference for the stones of women are much colder and lesser then mens which is the reason that they beget a more thin and watry seed Their coverings also do make a difference for mens are wrapt up in divers tunicles because being pendent outward they were otherwise more subject to external injuries but the stones of women have but one tunicle which though it stick very close to them yet are they also half cloth'd over with the Peritoneum CHAP. VIII Of the deferent or ejaculatory vessels THe deferent vessels are two blind passages on both sides one nothing differing in substance from the spermatick veines They rise in one part from the bottom of the womb neither doe they reach from their other extremitie either to the stone or to any other part but are shut up and unpassable adhering to the womb just as the the blind gut adheres to the Colon but winding halfe way about the stones are every waies remote from them no where touching them onely are tied to them with certaine membranes not unlike the winges of Bats through which certaine veines and arteries being produced from the stones doe run and end in these passages where they begin at the bottom of the womb they are hollow and large but as they proceed further on they grow narrower till near their end they do again obtain a larger bigness these two passages thus running from the corners of the womb to the stones are taken only to be certaine ligaments by which the stones and the womb are strongly knit together and these ligaments in women are the same things with the Cremasteres in men CHAP. IX Of the Actions and Uses of the Genital parts in Women IN the privie part are seen the Pubes the mountaines of veins the two lipps the Orifice under which the two wings lye hid the little knobs of flesh resembling myrtle berries the passages of the Urin and the Clytories As for the pubes and the Mountains of Venus they serve for this use that the great Orifice might be the better shut and to avoyd compression in copulation for which cause they are beset with haire and are covered with a hard kind of fat the great orifice receives the yard and gives passage to the Urine and the birth The use of the wings or knobs of flesh like Myrtle berries are for the defence of the internall parts shutting the orifice of the neck least cold aire dust or any other annoyances should hurt it from without and while they swell up they cause titillation and desire in those parts Lastly the passages of the Urine being shut up by the knobs of flesh resembling myrtle berries hinders the unvoluntarie passage of the Urine CHAP. X. Of the action of the Clytoris THe action of the Clytoris is like that of the yard which is erection which erection is for the motion and attraction of the seed CHAP. XI Of the action and use of the neck of the womb THe action of the neck of the womb is the same with that of the yard that is to say erection which is occasioned divers ways First all this passage is erected and made streight for the better conveyance of the yard to the womb Then while the whole passage is erected it is repleated with spirit and vital bloud whereby it becomes narrower for the more streight embracing of the yard The causes of this erection are first because if the womb were not erected the yard could not have a convenient passage into the womb secondly it would hinder convenient affrication without which the seed could not be drawn forth Lastly it hinders any hurt or damage which might be done by the violent force of the yard CHAP. XII Of the uses of the vessels running through the neck of the womb FIrst it is required that there should be a concurrence of divers veins and arteries for the nourishment of that part and though that part it self being full of membranes does not require much nourishment yet by reason that it is to suffer erection that could not be done but by bloud and spirits which are contained in these vessels besides although the fubstance of this part be of a cold temperament being notwithstanding still heated by the act of copulation that heat would soon consume a slender nourishment
also of its substance and form AFter that the womb which is the Genital member of the Female Sex hath received the seed of the Man she commixes also her own seed so that there is now but one mixture made of the seed of both sexes Now of the next matter of the birth there is a difference among the learned which being unnecessary for this place we shall let go and stick close to them who affirm that the seeds of both sexes being confused in the womb doth make up the first matter of the birth so that if there were not a mixture of both seeds it were impossible that any generation could be Yet though there be of necessity a confusion of both seeds we deny not but that their qualities are different for the seed of a man exceeds the seed of a woman both in thickness and heat which is more cold and moist and therefore more watry Yet though they differ thus in quality it is not to be denied but that the seed of the woman gives a mutual assistance to the seed of man in the work of generation But it being unquestionable that the menstruous bloud is the matter of the womans seed therfore that ye may know the original of it it is to be understood that the Menstruous blood Of the monstruous bloud is nothing els but an excrement of the third concoction gathered together every moneth and purged out Which purgation being duly made the woman is then in perfect health of body but if they come not down according to their accustomed times and seasons or do not come down at all the woman neither can conceive nor engender Thus the seeds of both sexes meeting in the womb and there mixing together they are presently enclosed in a little Tunicle begot by the heat of the womb and are there as it were coagulated and curdled together CHAP. II. Of the three tunicles which the birth is wrapt in in the womb FIrst out of the extreme superficies of the seed by reason of the more watrie moisture of the womans seed a thin membrane is generated which by reason of its moist qualitie is dilated farther being at first transparent but after the birth comes forth folded up together and is called the secondines But of the superfluous moisture of these two tunicles are begot two other tunicles which defend the infant from being cloged with any superfluities as from the flowers retained after conception which serve neither for the nourishment nor for the increase of the infant Yet are they retained till the very time of the birth at which time they are either let out by the hand of the Midwife or else bursting the secondine wherein they are contained they flow out of themselves The second tunicle is that which was anciently called Allancoides wrapping about all the inferior parts from the navel downward this is full of folds and wrinkles in which the urine sweat and other sharp humours that distill from the infant almost grown to maturity are contained and kept to the time of delivery By this second tunicle therefore the infant is delivered and defended from those humours least they should either corrode and hurt the tender skin of the Infant or else any way defile and foul the Infant The third tunicle with in all these compasses the whole birth round about defending it from all sharp exterior humours being very soft and tender CHAP. III. Of the true generation of the parts and the increase of them according to the several dayes and seasons AFter the womb hath received the Genital seed and by its heat hath shut them both up curdled and coagulated together from the first to the seventh day are generated many fibres bred by a hot motion in which not long after the liver with its chief Organs is first formed Through which Organs the vital spirit being sent to the seed within the tenth day forms and distinguishes the chiefest members This spirit is let in through certain veins of the secondine through which the bloud flows in and out of which the navel is generated At the same time in the clotted seed there do appear three white lumps not unlike curdled milk out of which arise the liver the brain and the heart Presently after this a vein is directed through the navel to suck the thicker sort of the bloud that remains in the seed for the nourishment of the parts This vein is two forked In the other branch of this vein is a certain bloud collected out of which the liver is first framed The Liver framed for the liver is nothing but a certain mass of bloud or bloud coagulated and hardened to a substance and here you may see what a company of veines it hath which serve both for the expulsive and attractive faculty In the other branch are generated those textures of veins with a dilatation of other veins as also of the spleen and the guts in the lower part of the belly by and by all the veins like branches gathering into one trunk toward the upper part of the liver meet all in the concave or hollow vein This trunk sends other branches of veines to constitute the Diaphragma others it sends into the upper part of the back-bone seated about the Diaphragma as also the lower parts as far as the thighs The Heart formed Afterwards the heart with its veins directed from the navel to that part of the seed and carried as far as the back-bone is formed These veins suck the hottest and most subtile part of the bloud out of which the heart is generated in the membrane of the heart otherwise called the Pericardium being by nature thick and fleshie according as the heat of the member requires Now the hollow vein extending it self and piercing the interiour part of the right side of the heart carries bloud thither for the nourishment of the heart from the same branch of this vein in the same part of the heart arises another vein called by some the still vein because it beats not with so quick a pulse as the others do ordained to send the most purely concocted bloud in the heart to the lungs being encompassed with two tunicles like Arteries But in the concavity of the left part of the heart arises a great beating vein called the Aorta diffusing the vital spirit from the heart into all the beating veines in the body Under the said vein called the Aorta in the concavity of the heart there is another vein called the veiny Artery which was therefore framed to carry the cool air from the Lungs to temper the great heat of the heart Now there being many veins which running from the concavity of the heart are inserted into the Lungs therefore by these veins the Lungs are also framed for the vein which proceeds from the right concavity produces a most subtile bloud which is turned into the substance of the Lungs By the great veins of the heart and liver the hollow
duty for his release Now as some say there are three ways or manners of childrens comming upon the earth first when the head comes foremost and then the woman is easily delivered the second when it comes forth a cross or one side or the feet foremost and then the woman suffers much and either they both dye or one of them As for those births which are unnatural we shall in another place treat of them and their remedies In this combate the infant and the mother suffer very much by reason that woman is a creature delicate and timorous and not patient of much labour or because that women great with childe live a lazy and sloathful life and besides that many times they eat bad victuals which encrease humours superfluous excrements which quantity of humours makes the woman to breath short which is a thing very troublesome to the infant for a woman that will expel the birth quickly ought to keep her breath in as much as she can The third reason of the pain in womens travail is by reason that the head of a childe is bigger being compared to the members then the head of any other creature which makes a greater opening and dilaceration But the women that suffer most pain are they who were not delivered before having not been accustomed to the sufferance of that labour as also elderly women by reason that the bone of the pubes the bone of the hip and the Os sacrum are not so easily separated the ligaments being more strong and hard Now in the contention which the child makes to issue forth the head comes first by reason of the weight being more heavy then the other members SECT V. CHAP. I. Of Midwifes ALthough in these dayes there are many unskilful women that take upon them the knowledge of Midwifry barely upon the priviledge of their age yet there are many things which ought to be observed in a Midwife that they are utterly wanting of Let us therefore consider of the things required in a midwife in relation both to her person and her manners as for her age Her Age. she ought to be neither too young nor too old in a good habite of body and not subject to diseases not mishapen in any parts of her body peculiar in her habits and in her person her hands must be small with her nailes pared close without any rings upon them in the time of her duty nor bracelets upon her wrists she must be cheerfull pleasant strong laborious and used to travaile it being required that she should be stirring at all hours and abiding long time together with her patient For her manners Her manners she ought to be Courteous sober chast not repining cholerick arrogant or covetous nor apt to talke of what she sees done in the houses where she hath to doe Her Spirit For her spirit she ought to be prudent wary and cunning oft times to use faire and flattering words She ought moreover to know that God hath given to all things their beginnings their Increasings their Estate of perfection and declination Therefore the said Midwife nor any of her assistants must not do any thing rashly for to precipitate or hasten nature CHAP. II. What ought to be observed when she is neer the time of her lying downe Of women near the time of their lying down THe hour of the womans Lying down approaching the woman with child ought to prepare her self in this manner she must presently call her midwife and assistance to her it being requisite to have them sooner then later Her Bed She ought to prepare a little bed or couch of a moderate hight as well for the convenience of the midwife as for the ease of herself and others that shall be about her to assist her in her travell This must be situated in a place convenient for people to pass up and downe neere the fire and far from doors It will be requisite for her to have change of linen as also a little cricket for her to rest her feet on having more force when her feet are bowed When she findes her pains growing In the time of travail what to do it will be necessary for her to walke leisurely up and down the chamber afterwards she may lie downe warme and then rise and walke againe expecting the coming down of her waters and the opening of the womb For to keep herselfe long a bed is very troublesome Though when she is a bedd notwithstanding that she hath some certaine paines somtimes yet she may lie and rest herselfe and now and then take a nap By which meanes both the mother and the Infant doe with greater strength endure their succeeding hardship besides that her waters do come downe better If her travel be long she may take some broth or the yolk of a poched egg with some bread or a cup of wine or distilled water yet she must have a care left she overcharg her self either with meat or drink It is certain that all women are not delivered alike for some lie in their bed others sit in a chair being supported and held up by others or else resting upon the side of the bed or chair others upon their knees being upheld under their arms but the best and safest is to lie in their beds and for her good and convenient delivery let the Midwife and others observe what follows Certain Rules First the woman that is in travail ought to be laid upon her back her head being lifted up a little higher with a pillow having also a pillow under her reins to sustain her back under her buttocks and Os sacrum she must have a larger pillow to raise them a little and that her rump may be elevated for a woman that lies low in those parts can never be well delivered for the avoiding of which this scituation is very convenient Her thighs and knees must be a good way separated the one from the other with her legs bowed and drawn up toward her buttocks the soles of her feet and her heels being fixed upon a boord laid thwart the bed for that purpose Secondly To some women they doe use a swath-band four double this swath-band must be a foot broad or more which being put under her reines is to be held up streight by two persons standing on each side just at the time of her paines both of them at the same instant heaving up both ends with an exact cavenness for otherwise it does more harme then good It is also requisite that two of her freinds should hold the upper part of her shoulders that she may be able to force out the birth with more advantage And it will not be amiss for some of her friends to press the upper parts of her belly so to thrust downe the infant by little and a little such a soft compression will much facilitate the travel and give ease to the womans paines Thirdly As for
of two children THe travaile of a woman bringing forth two Infants is more tedious and it many times happens that one of the children comes forth very well and the other comes forth very scurvily And this is certain that that which comes forth first is always the strongest having the power to goe before the other and to break the membranes that enveloped it And ofttimes while the second is born the other remaines behinde wrapt in such membranes as the former was so that it remaines a good space behind the other somtimes two houres and yet it hath bin very well borne Now knowing that that which came first was the stronger it would not be amiss to assist the other in coming forth by breaking the membranes that contain the waters and if that faile by giving strong Glysters to excite the paine which were it not many times done the child would never be able to endure the paine of coming into the world by reason of its extraordinary weaknes which is so great somtimes that the bone of the forehead is devided and separated down to the nose although the Infant being born it joynes together againe and the Infant does very well which if it happen you must have a great care to bind some kind of soft pillow upon the place that the aire may not enter in If the second Child come forth ill you must not delay to breake the membranes and to draw the Infant gently out by the feet for having used all its endeavour to come forth to keep it there or to prolong the travaile any longer is more dangerous then profitable sometimes two come so suddainely the one after the other that there seemes to be but one deliverie of both there being but a little membrane that separates them In this case holding the first you must cut the navel string and bind it about and tye it about the Hipp while they draw forth the other Infant which by a longer stay would be much weakened CHAP. XVIII Of the danger that a woman hath to purge her selfe for the first days of her lying in IT is an ordinary thing for women that lye in by reason of their bed to loose the benefit of their bellyes which hinders the evacuation of their milke which causes fevers by sending gross vapours to the head yet can they not bee freed by any purgation taken in at the mouth but it would be much to the purpose to take pertinent Glisters which hinder the foresaid evills causing their breasts to become full and to be come stiff taking them as ocasion requires once in two or three dayes There are some unskilfull women that not understanding the ill consequences which may follow who doe give Sene to women in the first days of their lying in of which some have bin very ill and others have dyed For nature is now weakned by the travaile and while it is labouring to restore the body to its former Estate is not to be disturbed with violent purgations And therfore Glisters are always most proper Neither are laxative broths nor the broth of prunes nor baked apples fasting for these things doe engender wind but rather some good suppositories would be more usefull CHAP. XIX Of the second washing for women THe second washing for women ought to be with Province roses put into little baggs and boyld in water and wine of each a like proportion and this to be done for the second eight dayes CHAP. XX. What is to be done to Infants assoon as they are born IT is an approved Maxime that as soon as a child is born you ought to give it a spoonfull of pure wine for that assists and helps the child to regaine its spirits Another advantage is this that the wine cutts the flegme which the Child has in its throat besides the spirits of the wind rising up to the head comforts and strengthens it and them less subject to be drunk it hinders them also from the Epilepsie which proceeds from the debilitie of the braine This being done and the Mother fully delivered you must tie the Navel Veine with a silk well twisted and many times doubled and if there be any blood in the veine you must be sure to emptie it for feare if it should be left it should turne into corruption then it must be well dryed with pouder of rotten wood you must tye it two fingers breadth from the belly and leave it long three fingers breadths above the tying place and if it be fatt you must close it over and aboue that the veine may be well closed then wind the string twice about it knitting as many knots but if the child be come a fore its time you need not tye it so strong for feare of cutting it with the silke but if the Navel veine be full of water and wind you ought then having tyed it one time and wrapt a linnen cloth about the end of it which is still to be held upward to uncover it againe about half an hour after and then to tye it and wrap it about againe still keeping the end up for feare that if the veine were not fully closed that there might be some danger in the bleeding Some people give to the Infant Treacle dissolved in wine but this must be don warily in a very small quantitie and that not commonly neither The Infant must be washed with water and wine luke warm to clense it After wards wash the face as also chafe the throate the Armes and hands with oyle of wallnuts drawn without fire which some say will keep them from sunburning then put one hand upon the bone of the forehead and another upon the bone called the Coronal bone and softly close up the gap which was made during the time of travaile closing also the suture one against another exactly then gently put your finger under the tongue to see if the Infant have the string or no and if it have it may be clipt away with the poynt of a paire of sharp cizers without danger There are some that thinke they can shape the head and nose of a child as if it were of wax But let such take notice that have flat nosed Children rather to let the nose alone then by squeezing and closing it too much to render the nose obstructed for that compressing the Gristles of the nose renders the child liable either to speake alway in the nose or to lose his smelling There are some children that are borne with their noses awry for the help of which you may with your finger moystened in fair water gently stroke the nose but lay no stress upon it That happens by reason that the nose of the child lights upon some bone of the Mother as it was comming into the world CHAP. XXI Of the last washing for Women THe last washing for women is to be for four days with Province Roses boyled in wine and Myrrh-water CHAP. XXII Of an Astringent for Women when they shall
let her be brought to the bed and anointed with this oyntment Take oyle of sweet Almonds Hens fatt Oyle of Lillies Muscilage of Althoea of each halfe an ounce Mingle all these with as much wax as is sufficient and make an oyntment This being done give her this little doss Take two yolkes of egges and boyle them in ould wine then mix with them these spices Cinamon half an ounce rind of Cassia two drams or you may leave out the Cassia and instead thereof put in the more Cinnamon saffron halfe ascruple Savine Betonie Venus-haire Dittanie Fenugreeke Lawrel berries Mint of each one dram The bone of the heart of a Hart Pearles prepared Mingle all these with sugar and make a thick pouder and give it If the secondine come before the child and hinder the egress of the child it is to be cut of and this following pessarie to be put up Take Marsh-mallows with the rootes two hand fulls Mother wort one handfull Rue one ounce and a half Fenugreek Line-seed of each an ounce ten figgs make of these a decoction with as much water as is sufficient and when you have streined it add this to it Oyle of Lillies oyle of Line of each two ounces Musk one graine In this decoction let the pessary be dipt and put up she may afterwards use this electuarie ℞ Take Myrrh Castor Calamum Arom of each two dramms Cinamon one ounce saffron halfe a scruple Mace Savin of eace a scruple clarified hony halfe a pound you may also make an electuary with the water of Thyme and mother worte wherein have bin boyled Fenu-greek Line-seed Graines of Iuniper of each one spoonful Now after that the woman hath bin weakned with these impediments you may give her in broth species Loetificans or Manus Christi or Diamargaritont CHAP. XXVII How the secondines are to be hastened out THe secondines afore that the Infant is born may be many ways hindred first by the debilitie or weaknes of the Matrix which happens by the frequent motion and endeavouring of the Infant as also by reason of the difficultie of the birth or by reason that the womb doth not continue distended or because it is many times streightened by which the womb is so weakned that by its own force it is not able to expell the secondines Besides the secondines may inwardly stick close to the womb which happens many times through the abundance of superfluous humors that are retained in the matrix by reason of which Glutinous humors the secondines stick to the Matrix These are noe way else to be pulled away but by the hand of the midwife Thirdly the secondines are hard to come away if all the waters come away with the Infant for then the secondines being left without moisture cannot come away by reason of the drines of the womb besides that the Matrix and the neck of the womb are rougher by reason of the driness therof for these waters render the way slipperie and easie both for the infant and for the secondines which being slipped away the womb is to be anoynted with juices and oyles Fourthly when the mouth of the Matrix by reason of the paines of child-bearing swells as often happens unless there be a provident care taken to prevent it Fiftly when the neck of the Matrix is streighter and more close and for that reason fat women travaile with much more difficultie Therefore when the secondines doe make any extraordinary stay the Midwife is to use all her endeavour to make way for them for that retention causes suffocation and divers other evils for being long detained they putrifie and cause an evil smell which ascending up to the heart liver stomach diaphragma and so to the brain cause pains in the head and lungs shortness of breath faintness cold sweats so that there is great danger and also Apoplexies and Epilepsies are not a little to be feared Now in all the time of their stay the women are to be refreshed with convenient food to add strength to them giving them sometimes the yolks of eggs boyled in old wine with Sugar and sprinkled over with Saffron and Cinamon or some broth made of Capon or Hen seasoned with Cinamon and Saffron It may not be amiss to make certain perfumes for the woman to receive up into her womb made of Saffron Castor Myrrh annd Cinamon of each the quantity of a bean and care must be had that the fume pass no further then the Matrix and this may be done till the fume of these spices shall cease After this a little sneezing-pouder is to be put into her nostrils composed of Hellebore or such like the woman shutting her mouth hard and keeping her breath If these things prevail not give her this following potion ℞ Trochisch of Myrrh ʒ j ten grains of Saffron one scruple of Cinamon Peny-royal two ounces make of this one draught and give her after she hath taken this and rested a little while let a pessary of Hellebore and Opoponax wrapt up in pure wool be thrust up into the neck of the womb This will certainly bring down the seconds for it is of so great vertue that it is efficacious in expelling the child which is dead together with the seconds Take Mallows Hollihock Wormwood Mugwort Calamint Origanum an M. j. make a bath and let her sit therein up to the navel and stroke ever downwards with her hands and give her inwardly Myrrh ℈ i j. Cinamon pouder'd in Nutmeg-water or wine or drink Calamint or Penyroyal in wine Neither will it be amiss to anoint the Matrix with the oyntment called Basilicon if this doth nothing avail toward the bringing down of the seconds and that the woman is in great danger of her life then with the consent of her husband and kinred give her seven of the following Pils which being taken let her lie still till the vertue of them do provoke new pains for they are of so great vertue also that they do expel the dead child together with the secondines yet herein it will not be amiss to consult the skilful Physician The Pills are these ℞ Of Castor Myrrh Liquid storax of each a scruple the bark of Cinamon or Cassia and Birthwort of each half a scruple Agaric half an ounce Diagridion six grains Saffron Siler of the mountain Savin of each three graines Thebaic Opium Assa faetida of each one grain mingle all these with as much extracted Cassia as is sufficient and make of them certain Pils as big as pease and give them to the woman in a small quantity of Peny-royal-water It may be also expedient to apply this ensuing plaster ℞ one part of Coloquintida boyled in water and as much of the juce of Rue with these mingle Line-seed Fenugreek Barley of meal of each a spoonful let them all boyl together and the plaster made of these must be laid upon all that part from the navel to the privities CHAP. XXVIII Of Cases of Extremity
and first what is to be done to a woman who in her travail is accompanied with a flux of bloud and with convulsions IN the first place great care must be had as to the situation of the woman The woman in this case must be laid cross her bed where she must be held by some one that hath strength that she may not slide or move her self in the operations of the Chirurgion Her thighes must be held hard and wide abroad with her leggs bent backwards towards her hipps and her head leaning upon a bolster the reines of her back and her Crupper being alittle elevated with certaine pillows put under neath her thighes besides this she must be well covered with linnen cloaths laid upon her stomacke belly and thighes to defend her from the cold and wind Being thus situated the Chirurgion ought to putt up his hand being first well opened with in the neck of the womb to remove all those clotts of blood which may lie there to obstruct the passages of the blood He may then trye if the interior neck of the womb be sufficiently dilated that he may put in his hand and move the Infant if it be needfull which must be done as gently and with as little violence as may be he must anoynt it on all parts with sweet butter or good Pomatum and so opening it by little and a little he may put his hand quite in and if the waters are not yet come downe he may without any difficultie let them forth and then at the same instant if the Infant Come with the head forwards he shall gently turn it to find out the feet and when he hath found one of them he shall gently draw it forth and immediately tye a riband about it with a knott hanging downe ward then let him put it in a gaine suffering part of the riband to hang out that he may more easily be able to find out the other foot which he shall quickly doe by thrusting up his hand a long the thigh of the Infant when he hath found it he shall take the other foot and draw them both together at an even length giving the woman now and then some leisure to breath but urging her still to streine her selfe when she feeles the paines coming on her then shall the Chirurgion or midwife take a fine linnen cloath and wrap about the thighs of the child least by taking it naked his fingers should slip in that manner drawing it forth till it appeare all come forth observing still that the belly and the face be still kept downward Now if the woman have a flux of bloud and that the neck of the Matrix be open the Chirurgion ought then to consider whether the Infant or the secondine come forth first of all for it oftentimes happens that the secondines passing toward the mouth of the Matrix do so stop and obstruct it that they do not give leave for the childe or the waters to come forth so that some perceiving that softness are presently of opinion that the mouth of the womb is not open But this the Midwife or Chirurgion may easily discern by thrusting up the middle finger as high as may be and feeling therewith the circumference of the neck of the womb by which they wil soon perceive whether the womb be dilated or no and whether it be the secondines that present themselves Now when it is found to be the secondines and that they cannot easily come forth the Midwife may with her two fingers widen the passage that he may have thereby the liberty to put up his hand and seek for the Infant Now if the secondines are not placed in the middle they must be turned a little as quickly as may be that you may more conveniently seek for the feet of the Infant to draw it forth as we have said In such a case as this all care must be had that nothing be broken and that every thing be brought out whole for so though the woman should dye the Midwife or the Chirurgion would be blameless If the secondines come first the best way is to deliver the woman withall the expedition that may be by reason of the great fluxes of blood that will follow by reason that the veins are opened but here are two things to be considered the first is whether the secondines are much or little come forth if they are but little advanced they must be put back with care and diligence and if the head of the child appeare first it must be guided directly toward the neck of the womb as in the most naturall birth but if there appear any difficulty in the birth by reason of the weakness either of the childe or of the mother then the most convenient way will be to seek for the feet as we have said before Another thing to be observed is that if the secondine be so far advanced that they cannot be put back and that the childe follows it close then are the secondines to be pulled away with all the care and expedition that can be and to be laid aside without cutting the entrail that sticks to them for by that you may be guided to the Infant which whether it be alive or dead it is to be pulled out by the feet with as much care and quickness as may be though it is not to be done but in cases of great necessity for otherwise the secondines ought to come last If the childe be dead in the womb of the mother Of the child dead in the mothers belly the woman is then to be situated in the same posture as when she is troubled with a flux of bloud If it present it selfe dead with the head formost and that ther is little or no hope that the woman may be delivered without assistance and that her strength begins to faile her the most certaine and safe way is to put up the hand for the Chirurgion must then slide up his left hand being hollowed as when a man strives to hold water in it causing it to slide in the neck of the womb along the lower part thereof toward the feet and that betweene the head of the Infant and the neck of the Matrix and having thus opened the womb with his left hand he shall with his right put up his hook above his left hand between the head of the child and the flat of his hand and fix it in the bone of the temples toward the eare or else in the hollow of the eye or in the Occipital bone keeping his left hand still in its place after this gently moving and stirring the head with his left hand with his right hand holding the hook well fixed he shall draw the child forth by degrees exhorting the woman all the while to force and streine her selfe with all her power and then is the best time to draw forth the child when the paines shall seize her now if it happen that he loose his
she must rest very quiet and be free from all manner of disturbance she must sleep as little in the day time as may be If she goe not well to the stoole she may have some such kind of Glyster as this â„ž of mallows Marshmallows and Pelitory of the wall an one handfull Flowers of Camomile and Melilot of each a small handfull Aniseeds and Fenell seeds of each two ounces boile these in the decoction of a wethers head take of this three quartaries and dissolve in them of course suger and common hony of each two ounces new fresh butter three ounces of this make a Glister and if occasion serve add to this an ounce of Catholicon What is to be done to the Breast Belly and lower parts of the Woman in child-bed IN the first place you may lay the skin of a hare or sheep for the space of four or five howers which being taken away you may then anoynt it with this following oyntment and then lay a linnen towell all over her belly and hipps which must be continued on for the first seven days looking after and turning every morning The Oyntment may be this â„ž the oyl of sweet Almonds Camomil and Hipericon an one ounce and a half Spermaceti two ounces Goats fat one ounce oyle of Myrtles halfe an ounce melt all these and make an oyntment to anoynt the belly Now before the cere cloath be put on you must apply a little plaister of Galbanum about the bigness of two or three fingers to the navel in the middle of which may be put two or three graines of civet yet so as that the woman may not perceive the sent of it The cere cloth may be this â„ž White wax four ounces Pomatum without musk Calfes greass of each an ounce Spermaceti an ounce and a half oyle of Hipericon and sweet Almonds of each one ounce Venice Turpentine washed in Pellitory water halfe an ounce melt these in Balneo Mariae and spread them upon a cloath about the bigness of the belly and when it is coole apply it The next care is to be had of the brests upon these some put round cere cloths made thus take six ounces of new wax oyle of Myrtle roses and hony of Narbon of each two ounces melt these all togetheâ— and make a cere cloth Let them have holes in the middle for the nipples to goe through This oyntment is also very good to keep the milke from clotting â„ž Oyntment of Populion one ounce Galens refrigerating oyntment half an ounce oyle of roses six dramms vinegar a small quantitie melt them together and make an oyntment This fomentation is also much commended â„ž Fennel Parssely Petroselinum Mallows Althea of each a small handfull Laurel and Camomile flowers of each half a handfull boyle these according to art and make a fomentation for the nipples After this fomentation anoynt them with oleum rosatum omphacium and then apply this following plaister â„ž Venice Turpentine foure ounces well washed in strong wine and rose water adding to it two whole eggs and a scruple of saffron with as much wax as is sufficient spread this upon a linnen cloth and apply it as for the lower parts for the three first dayes they are to be fomented with a certaine fomentation of milke where in hath bin boyled a few roses some chervil and a little plantaine From the next day to the eight day you may use this bath wine and water of each half a pint red roses and flowers of Hipericon of each two handfulls Agrimony one handfull make of this a decoction after bathing once or twice lay this following oyntment along the lipps of the privities upon a linnen cloth â„ž Oyle of Hipericon two ounces Spermaceti an ounce and a halfe a little white wax mix all these together melt them and make an oyntment After the eight dayes are past you may lay upon her belly this following plaister â„ž Oyle of Hipericon Camomile and aniseeds of each one ounce oyle of Mastick an ounce and a half oyle of myrtles six dramms Spermaceti two ounces the fat of the reines of a goat an ounce and a half Dears suet one ounce of this make an oyntment to anoynt the belly of the woman in childbed and then apply this following plaister â„ž Oyle of myrtles and Hypericon of each an ounce and a halfe oyle of Nippo one ounce Venice Turpentine washed in water of Motherwort four ounces melt all these together and put them upon a hempen cloath that may cover all the belly and lett her weare it the space of eight dayes These fifteen days being past for the space of eight days more you may lay upon her belly and her hipps this following plaisters â„ž Oyle of Mastick myrtles Iasmine and Quinces of each an ounce and a halfe oyle of Acornes two ounces spermaceti one ounce Venice Turpentine washed in Plantaine water half an ounce wax six ounces melt all these together adding powder of Mastick and Terra sigillata an halfe an ounce florentine Orrice one ounce spread all these upon a hempen cloath and lay it on her belly to be kept there for the space of eight or ten dayes for the lower parts this fomentation may be needfull â„ž Leaves of Plantaine Mulleine Centinody and Horstaile an one handful Cypress leaves a handfull and a halfe of the rind of Pomgranates cypress nuts and Pomgranate flowers of each halfe an ounce red roses Camomil and Melilot of each a handfull roch Alum two ounces calamus aromaticus and florentine Orrice of each three drams Gilliflowers one dram make of these two sacks and boyle them in like quantities of sower wine and smiths water for the exteriour mouth of the neck of the womb Of the choice of a good Nurse THe choice of a good Nurse is very important and therefore you must first look upon her aspect and see whether her sight be no way imperfect as whether she be squint-eyed or have a down-cast look you must have a special care that she be not red hair'd for their milk is extreamly hot see moreover whether her teeth be sound and white and well set know whether she come of parents that have been troubled with the consumption and if she have not nor be exsumptive herself you may judg of her stomach and whether she be subject to catarrhs you must also take heed that she send no stinking breath either from her mouth or nostrils for that corrupts the Lungs of the Infant Enquire whether neither she nor any of her kindred have been troubled with leprosie by reason that it is very contagious or with the Epilepsie or Falling-sickness And therefore those women that either cannot or will not nurse their own children must make use of such women as are most fit to the humour they would have the child to be of for the nurse is now to be the second mother of the child from whom the Infants draws all her conditions be they good be they bad and
it is often seen that children do partake more of the conditions of the Nurse then the Mother and therefore care must be taken that the Nurse be good conditioned good teeth brown hair of a healthy generation that neither she nor her husband may have had the French disease that she be not peevish nor cholerick that she have milk in abundance and a good fleshy breast that her breast be not over-fleshy that she be not too fat and above all that she be not of too amorous a humour and desirous to be with her husband for that is perfect venome to the milk What is to be done in the extream pains of the childe IF a child have extream throws presently after it be born you must rub it with Pelitory and fresh butter or Spinach or else with Hogs grease and apply it upon the navel having first a great care that it be not too hot Or else make a little cake of eggs and oyl of nuts and apply in the very same place if this avail not give it a little Glyster of milk the yolke of an egge and a little Sugar this easeth the pain of the intestines What is to be done with those children that are troubled with flegme THere are some children born of ill constitution'd women or else of women that have not used good nourishment in the time of their being with child who are very full of flegme these you must lay upon one side and sometimes upon the other for if you lay them upon their backs you may perchance choak them you must be sure to keep their bellies soluble causing them to void that bloud kept in the entrails from the time of their being in the womb by giving it a little suppository of black soap well rubbed in fresh butter to take away the Acrimony of it then give it a spoonful of syrrup of violets this causes the flegm to pass down if you perceive that the Infant hath not much heat you may mix with it half the quantity of oyl of sweet Almonds and half of the syrrup of violets and continue it stroaking the stomach and the belly of the Infant with fresh butter every time that they undress him That which ought to he done to children that have their cods full of wind VVHen Infants have their cods full of wind ye must examin whether it be with wind or water if it be water by rubbing and chafing the skin with fresh butter the waters will sweat out if it be wind the children must be stirred and swung gently mingling in their drinke the decoction of aniseeds How to take away the canker from the mouths of Infants THere have been known certaine children which have been nourished with cold milk which hath bin thick and in great quantity which a few days after its birth hath heated the mouth of the infant in such a fashion that it caused a white canker which presently possessed the tongue palate the gums the throat and all the mouth whereupon it was taken with a fever and it could no longer suck all the assistance that could be was still applyed and when no other medicine did avayle there was found one a particular remedie which was half a handfull of sage a handfull of cherveil brused a little and boyled in a sufficient quantitie of water a bout a dozen seethings to which you must add a spoonfull of vinegre when you have streined it you must put to it an ounce of mel rosatum then you must have a little hooked stick with a little peice of scarlet tyed at the end then putting the water in a sawcer dip the end of the stick where the scarlet is tyed and then rub the place affected gently and you shall find the cancer to asswage by little and a little What is to be done to children whose intestines are fallen THere are a great many infants whose great gut fals which is a thing very easily remedyed at the beginning and therfore you must put it up againe first lay the child with his head lowermost then you must have a thick cushion soaked in smiths water then you must have an emplaister made of the roots of great Consound scraped and put upon it as an oyntment then looking to it every day taking care that it crie but little and never unbind him but as hee lyes lest the gut tumble down againe and so the cure be delayed as the child grows big the hole lessens and the Intestine grows big This is an experienced way To make an oyntment to strengthen the thighs and leggs of a child and make him goe TAke Sage Marjoram Dwarfe Elder-bruise them a good while together till you have beaten out a good deale of juice then put it into a glass viol till it be full and stop up the hole with past and round the sides also put the said past put it then in an oven to bake as long as a good bigg loafe then draw it forth and suffer it to coole then breake the past which is round the viol breake the bottle and keep up that which is with in which you shall find turnd to an oyntment and when you would use it you must add to it some of the marrow of the hoofe of an oxe melting it all together and when you have so done you must rub the hinder part of the leggs and thighs of the child This hath been done to a child whom a famous Physitian after three yeares having in hand gave over saying that it would never goe Of the relaxations of the Matrix and the cause There are many causes of the relaxation of the Matrix the one proceeding from great fluxes which fal down upon the ligaments thereof causing them to wax loose Others come to this disease by some falls others by reason of carring in their womb too great burdens others by streining themselves in travaile before their time and because the orifice of the womb is not open somtimes and very often by reason of the midwifes who putting up their hands into the womb teare downe they know not what which is often times apart of the Matrix to the bottom of which the secondines adhere drawing down part of the womb which they take to be the secondines which is often times brought also to a worse condition when the unskilfull women force her to the remedies for bringing down the secondines as holding baysalt in her hand streining to vomit and the like For remedie wherof all these relaxation of the Matrix by the same remedies except those which are occasioned by strong fluxes for in this case other remedies are not sufficient being that you are to take away the cause of those defluxions before you can proceed to the cure of the relaxation Among the rest I will relate one that hath been found very profitable and experienced which is this astringent Take Gall nuts Cypress nuts and Pomegranate flowers Roche Alum of each two ounces Province Roses four ounces
often changed Or else you may dip linnen cloaths also in a decoction of Camomil flowers and Violet flowers with a small quantity of oyl of Roses and a drop of vineger or two or you may use this fomentation Take of the juyce of Nightshade oyl of Roses of each an ounce and a half of the decoction of Fenugreek Camomil and Lineseed two ounces vineger one ounce This medicine you may use by dipping a spunge therein and so washing and fomenting the breast therewith Or you may apply this Cataplasme take of the leaves of Nightshade and Melilot half a handful of each let them be boyled extracted through a course cloth then add to them bean meal two ounces Oxymel and oyle of sweet Almonds of each one ounce of this make a Cataplasm and apply it If the disease be more prevalent you must use more forcible remedies and among the rest this fomentation Take of the leaves of Mallows Violets Dill of each one handful flowers of Camomil and Melilot of each a small handful and a halfe boyl these together adding to them a little wine and oyl of Dill or Mustard first let the breast be fomented with this and afterwards with an oyntment composed of equal parts of new butter oyl of violets and Hens fat But if these things avail not to dissipate the humour you must observe whether the inflamation tend either to a suppuration or induration If you find that it tends to a hardness you must try all means to hinder it by the way of mollifying plaisters among which this is not a little experimented Take the marrow of a Calves leg two ounces Sheeps grease one ounce Saffron four scruples Cumminseed bruised two scruples mingle all these and make a plaister If the inflamation doth not harden but doth altogether tend to a suppuration which may be known by these signs that is to say the increasing of the tumour the beating and excessive heat pain which rages about those parts so vehemently that do not admit them to be touch'd But now the suppuration is to be hastened with hot and moist medicines which have an Emplastick faculty for which purpose this is much commended Take the leaves of Mallows one handful roots of Althea one ounce boyl these together and when they are mashed draw them out and add to them bean meal and Fenugreek of each one ounce the whites of two eggs myrrh and Assa faetida of each one dram Saffron one scruple mingle all these together and make a Cataplasm for your use to this you may either add Capons grease Hogs grease or fresh butter If these remedies do not suddenly bring the inflammation to a suppuration you must then take of the shells of snails bruised and lay them upon the Cataplasm in such a manner that the snail shell may come to touch that part of the tumour which is most elevated and pointed whence it appears that the matter will first issue If these remedies avail not it will be necessary to open the said Apostem with a Lancet and this must be done when you are sure that the matter is ready to come forth which may be known by these signs when the beating ceases when the fever the pain and the heat of the part do begin to diminish when you perceive the place pointed and raised and enclining to a blackish colour When the wound is open you must first apply to it a digestive composed of an ounce of turpentine half an ounce of oyl of Roses and the yolk of an egge After this you must cleanse it with honey of roses Turpentine and barly meal or with the oyntment of the Apostles or the oyntment called Aegyptiacum then you may put on the top of the place the oyntment called Basilicon or Paracelsus plaister which doth digest cleanse carnifie cicatrize after a very extraordinary manner This is furthermore to be observed that an ulcer in the breast is not easily cured if the milk be not dried out of the other breast and therefore the milke is to be dried up by keeping the child from sucking and by putting upon the breasts of the woman cloaths dipped in cold water together with bean barly and vineger and such like remedies THE COMPLEAT MIDWIVES Practice Of windy Tumours in the Breasts THe flatuous tumor of the breasts is caused by a thick vapour which rises from the menstruall blood which is retained or corrupted in the Matrix The causes of which are first the suppression of the flowers or when the flowers are not discharged into their proper place and in their proper time as also from the corruption of the humours by which are ingendred divers bad fumes and vapours for this being received into the breasts cause a distention much like a true swelling The signes by which it is known is the pain which it brings along with it which is sharp and pricking causing a distention of the part The heart is not a little out of order by reason of the windinesses which lie so neer it and commonly the left breast is most swoln communicating its pain to the arm shoulder and ribs of the same side And these signes differ from those of a Canker for in this distemper the breast is white and shining by reason of the distention and if you touch it it sounds like a Drum And if you presse it with your hands you wil finde that it is sweld in all parts alike and not in one more then another This is cured first by a good order of diet taking little victuals whereby crudities may be avoided that do afford matter to the obstructions and increase windinesse for which cause she must also drink little that water boyld with Cinamom Anis-seed and rinde of Citrons The next remedy is by using things which are good to provoke the courses among which use this receit strein Selandine stampt into posset-ale and drink it four dayes before the new moon and four dayes after And it will not be amisse to let blood three or four times in the year about the time that the courses ought to begin For by this means you may provoke the flowers hinder the increase either of a Scirrhus or of a Canker to which purpose bathes frictions and infections are not a little to be used In the next place you must prepare the humours that foment this windinesse both in the Matrix and in the veins and that by syrups which do expell flegme and melancholy after which you must purge your patient for which purpose you may take of the leaves of Sene three ounces Anis-seed one scruple let them boyle in foure ounces of Borage water vvhen it is streined infuse into it Confection Hamech vvithout Scammony Colloquint and Cathol Dupl Rheo of each an ounce and a halfe when it is streined dissolve in it one ounce of syrup of Roses solutive this potion must be given two hours before eating You may also use this gentle Apozem Take of the
powder laid upon them Hemorrhoids of the VVomb are little protuberances like those of the fundament produced in the neck of the womb through the abundance of feculent blood the subject is the neck of the womb for where the veins end there do grow these extuberancies just as in the Hemorrhoids The signes are evident and easily seen by the help of the Speculum Matricis the women who are thus affected look pale and are troubled with a weariness The cause is a Feculent bloud which flowing to these veins before its season and setling there grows thicker so that it cannot pierce the orifice of the veins They are cured by a revulsion of the humor first by letting blood in the arm secondly by drawing it to another part as by letting blood in the heel Sometimes these Hemmorrhoids are very painful and are distinguishd from that menstruous effuxion by the pain which they bring they are cured by mitigating and asswaging insessions as also by opiates carefully applyed Others are without pain to which the foresaid Remedies may be applied Others are open and do sometimes run moderately and then nature is to be let alone or violently so that thereby the strength of the person is impaired in which case a vein must be opened in the arm two or three times purgation is also to be used by Myrobalans Tamarinds and Rheubarb and at length you must apply those things which cease the blood Others are termed blinde out of which there issues no blood they are cured by blood-letting the part is to be also softned and fomented with things that soften and open the orifices of the veins and dispel the humor such are an Ointment made of the pith of Colocynthis and Oyl of sweet Almonds or the juice of Capers mixt with Aloes neither is the applying of Hors-leeches amiss Of the Vlcers of the neck of the Womb. THe signes of these Ulcers is a paine and perpetual twinging which increases if any thing that hath an abstersive quality be cast in the issuing out of putrid humors and mattier with blood if the Ulcer be great or the flowers come down often making water and the water hot as also a paine in the fore part of the head toward the roots of the eyes as also some kinde of gentle Fever The cure of this is hard because of its being in a place of so exquisite sense and moist and having such a sympathy with other parts of the body for the easing of the paine Chalybeated milk is very much conducing to the drying of them up drying baths are the best and most prevalent Remedy These differ much coming either from external causes as rash physick hard labour and violent coiture or from internal causes as the corruption of the secundines the courses reteined and the uterine flux a virulent Gonorrhea the pox inflammations turned into Apostemes Humors flowing from other parts of the body and there setling all which must be duly considered in the cure Others are in the outward part and may be easily come at with medecines others deep and must be come at only with injection for which purpose use this following Take whites of four Eggs beat them wel and put to them an equal quantity of Rosewater and Plantain-water as much in quantity as they come to Camphire Ceruse Litharge of gold and Bole Armoniack of each a little quantity green Copperas half as much as of any of them beat all to powder mix it and strein it through a cloth and make your injection til the part affected be whole and if there be any paine sometimes inject a little new warm milk Others are more gentle with a little stinking mattier flowing from them For the cure of which gentle abstersives are profitable as hony of Roses with Barly-water whey with sugar and the decoction of Lentils after these gentle astringents must be applied Others are sordid with much mattier flowing from them In which case stronger medecines must be appli'd Others do eat into the flesh having a colour'd green stinking mattier flowing from them For the cleansing of which Aloes and wormwood are very much commended or the foresaid injection There are another sort of ulcers little and long which eat the skin of the neck of the womb they are known by the pain and blood which they produce immediatly after congression they are seen also by looking into the neck of the womb being much like Childblains that come upon the hands in Winter-time They are caused divers wayes either by a difficult lying in or by a violent coiture and cured by an astringent Clyster or they are produced by some inflammation or Flux of sharp humors purgations are here needfull before Topicks be applied among which is much commended the grease that fries out of wooden ladles much used in Kitchins being held to the fire as also the ointment called Pomada Of the diseases of the Womb. Of the Womb being out of temper THe intemperance of the womb is when it hath lost its natural temper and is affected with a preternatural intemperancy arising both from inward and outward causes The one of these is hot and is known by the womans pronenesse to Venery by the small Flux of the monethly courses by their adustnesse sharpness inordinate and difficult flux Hence in processe of time they are very hypochondriack by early growing of the hairs about the privities by rednesse of the face and dryness of the lips and frequent pains of the head and abundance of cholerick humors in the body it ariseth either at first from the birth which causes women to be Virago's and to be barren or after their nativity from outward causes as the use of hot things overmuch Venery and such medicines as bring the heat and blood to the womb The cure consists in a contrary diet and cooling medicines both internal and external which are to be applied to the back and sides which must be very moderate that the heat which is necessary for conception may not be weakened and the cold and membranous substance of the womb come to any harm or lest the vessels which serve for the carrying away of the courses should be thickned and the nerves of the back and sides be any waies mischieved The next way of cure is performed by evacuating medicines namely Rheubarb and solutive syrup of Roses Manna also profits much the flower of Vitriol of Venus and Mars taken from three grains to six and put in any proper syrup purges the womb There is another intemperancy which comes of cold which is known by a lesser pronenesse to Venery and little pleasure taken in it a setling in the courses with a slimy and phlegmy matter mixed and an inordinate flowing of them by reason of the plenty of humors collected in the womb which causes obstructions by reason of abundance of windy vapours in the womb crudity and watrinesse of the seed which causes it to flow without any pleasure a pale colour in
courses from abortion c. The cure is performed after the same way that other cures are remedied among those things that purge Species Hierae and Diaphaenicon with Castor are most commended for Fumes Nutmeg is counted the best for potions Nutmegs bruised and boiled with the roots of Mather and drunk in six ounces of wine and two drams of sugar Sometimes this winde gets into the cavity of the womb and then the neck and orifice of the womb is closed so that nothing can go forth when the woman is moved or when the Midriffe is pressed down with her hand and then a kinde of noyse and sound is perceived Sometimes the winde gets into the tunicles of the womb and then the mouth of the womb may be open by reason of the shutting up of the windy vapours in a narrow place there goes a noyse forth and the pain grows greater and extends farther This is more hard and difficult to be cured then that which is in the concavity of the womb Of the inflammation of the Womb. THe inflammation of the womb is a swelling of the same through the putrefaction of blood which is fallen down into its substance having many symptoms now tending to a Scirrhus now toward an Apostem The signes are various There is a swelling in the womb with heat and pain and a retraction of the womb to the more inward parts the neck of the womb appears red with little veins scattered up and down in it like the web of a spider There is sometimes a difficulty of breathing with some kinde of pleurisie because the interior tunicle of the womb being extended which rises from and is joyned to the Peritoneum the parts also to which that coheres are stretched The excrements of the belly and bladder are detained by reason of the heat and drinesse of the belly and the compression of the passages Sometimes the whole body of the belly seemeth empty and filled with water and the navell hangs forward and the mouth of the womb is made very slender and close and upon a sudden a few depraved courses come down then happens a burning Fever by reason of the great sympathy with the womb and the heart occasioned through the Arteries and great vessels There is a pain in the breastâ— with a swelling in them by reason of the consent and agreement between the groyns the hips the septum transversum clavicularum and the fore-part of the head which is extended to the roots of the eyes as also from the vapours which rise from the putrified blood to the head through the arteries that run along through the neck passing by both parts of the infundibulum into the fore-part of the head The cause of this consists in the blood which is sometimes mixed with choler and sometimes with melancholy The cure is difficult if the blood in that part be wholly putrified for that causeth a sordid humor vvhich consumes the patient vvith a continual Fever If it be an Erisypelas or St. Anthonies fire there is no cure at all because the Birth dies by reason of the excessive heat which causes abortion to follow which kils the woman if it turn to a gangreen it is deadly it is cured as other inflammations which may be observed in the following Chapters Only observe that for revulsion you must not let blood in the veinâ—s of the thighs for that draws down the blood to the womb but in the arm the blood flowing from the liver and the parts adjoyning For deriving of the matter you may cut a vein in the hamm unlesse the woman be with child for that wil cause abortion Refrigerating and moistning topicks without any binding faculty may be wel applyed to which purpose the decoction of Serpillus prepared with Chalybeat water and outwardly applyed with a sponge is an excellent Remedy These inflammations sometimes affect the whole womb and sometimes either side of the womb which causes the heat to descend into the hip because of the ligaments of the womb which are carried thither the thigh is difficultly moved and the groins are inflamed sometimes the inflammation possesseth the posterior part which causes the Belly to be bound and a pain in the loines and back bone sometimes it possesseth the forepart which because it coheres to the Bladder the urine is suppressed or made very difficultly and the paine is extended above the privities sometimes it possesses the bottom of the womb which causes such a pain in the lower part of the Belly that it is hardly to be touched and the pain extends to the navel There is another inflammation which degenerates into a Scitrhus where all the symptoms are not so dangerous yet there is a great heaviness perceived in the parts adjoyning This evil is diuturnal and commonly ends in the Dropsie sometimes it turns to an Apostem swelling til it break In this case the body is troubled with a shivering especially towards the evening when the Apostem is broken sometimes it empties it self into the concavity of the womb wherein there is lesse danger and sometimes into other parts of the body which causes sometimes a stoppage in the Urine and sometimes in the belly with a swelling of the hairy parts and the feeling of something floating up and down Of the Scirrhus of the Womb. THe Scirrhus of the Womb is a hard swelling of the said part without paine begot by some thick earthy and feculent humor the signes â—esides others that are general are these in particular The flowers at the beginning are either wholly stopt or flow very sparingly the evil increasing there is a great Flux of blood by intervals the mouths of the veines being opened more then ordinary or because the Womb is not able to receive or to retaine its wonted proportion of blood it is distinguished from the Mole because in that distemper the Flowers if they flow flow inordinately the breasts swel with milk which in the Scirrhus grow very lank The cause of this is a gross feculent humor being a thick blood sometimes Flegmy sometimes Melancholy which happens to those who decline in their age or to those who have been troubled with a squeamishand naught stomach often it arises from an ill cured inflammation through the use of medecines that cool too much The cure is difficult either because having been dryed for a long time they cannot be softned or because the natural heat in those places where the Scirrhus is is for the most part extinct and then because while the humour is mollifying if it have conceived any putrefaction it easily turns to the Canker for the cure it is the same as of the Breasts It differs either as being in and possessing the substance of the womb which causes the womb to lean downward upon the hip and back and there begets pain sometimes possessing the neck of the womb which is discerned by touching it and is cured more easily then the former if it be in the upper part
of the neck of the womb the Woman is hindred in the lower part of the neck of the womb the streight gut is affected Of the Dropsie of the Womb. THe Dropsie of the womb is a distemper from water collected in the womb either by some fault in the part it self or in the parts adjoyning The signes of this are a loose swelling at the bottom of the Belly extending it self according to the proportion of the womb the fewness and naughtiness of the Courses a moistness and slenderness of the neck of the womb softness of the Breast want of Milk a shivering in the body and sometimes a Fever It differs from an inflammation by the symptoms above related and from an inflation in the defect of sound and distention from a Mole because in this there is a greater weight perceived at the bottom of the Belly and the Breasts at the time of delivery are not without Milk It differs from Conception because in the Dropsie the swelling is just according to the form of the womb but in Conception it is alwaies sharper In women with Child the flowers do not flow but in this disease there flows such a certain bloody vitious humor without any order which ceases quickly It differs from the Dropsie of the Belly because the face of the Patient is coloured unless the liver be any way affected the want of thirst and the ascent of the swelling from the lower part to the upper The cause of this is a water gathered there through some defect of the Liver or Spleen or through some weaknesse in the vvomb by reason whereof it is not able to concoct or expel the excrements or through a too immoderate defluxion of the courses which oppresseth the naturall heat or through a suppression of them which suffocates the heat The cure is to be performed by the eduction of the water and strengthening of the womb for which purpose the use of Antimonial pils is not a little to be commended Her diet must be of meats that breed good juice she must drink little she may use in stead of drink a Ptisane or Barly-broth made with sassafras or salsaparil if her courses be stopt you may let her blood in the foot if the repletion be great then to let her blood in the arm wil not be amisse Some have commended the decoction of the root of Fugere to take at meals and between meals without any other drink The use of Clysters is not amisse and Fomentations are also very necessary made with the decoctions of Broom wild Cucumbers flowers of Camomill Melilot with Origan Cumin Fenel Anis-seed of which you may make severall injections Ointments also may be useful made of oyle of Lillies or oyle of Dill then may you apply upon the belly this plaister Take of the emplaster of Laurel berries two ounces oyle of Camomill and Melilot two ounces and a half Pigeons dung and Goats dung of each half an ounce mix them all together and make a plaister adding thereto a little Venice Turpentine Of the falling of the Womb. THe falling of the womb is the falling of it down below the Abdomen or Midriffe proceeding from a loosnesse of the Ligaments The generall signes of this are a pain in the loyns and hairy parts and of the Os sacrum or holy bone to which the womb is fastned at the beginning the pain is not very great nor after long continuance by reason of use the weight thereof being onely troublesom which is an impediment to the patient in going the particular signes do vary according as the tall is greater or lesse for in the one the womb descends to the middle of the Hips and lower in the latter there is perceived the distention of the skin and as it were the weight of a good big Egg about the privities The cure of this is difficult if there be the greater falling of the womb if the woman be in age if a Fever Convulsion or other symptoms happen if that be in women with child it is deadly and sometimes it is corrupted by the ambient aire and turns into a Gangrene The cure consists in the reputting of it into its own place where you must observe first to stop the inflammation if there be any or if there be any swelling caused by the cold aire you must foment the part first with the decoction of Mallows Marsh Mallows flowers of Camomill and Laurel-berries If there be any winde or excrement in the gut you must use Clysters first it is also to be fomented and anointed with agglutinating and astringent or binding medecines there is a Fumigation to be made of the skin of a salt Eele dried and powdered When it is to be put into its place the woman must be laid with her belly upwards then must the Midwife or other party imployed with a linen cloth dipt in oyle of Roses a litle warmed gently thrust up the part which is fallen as gently as may be turning it a little Now to keep it up the woman must be kept lying on her back with her thighs stretched out and one laid upon another acrosse the belly must not be too much bound lest in the ejection of the excrement the womb should be again precipitated neither must it be loose lest the membranes binding the womb should be unloosed then must you use agglutinating medecines Pessaries Fomentations and Injections yet great care must be had lest you suppresse the courses Of this there be some differences either by reason of the loosnesse of the Ligaments which are foure which is discerned in that it is generated by degrees and with lesse pain It arises either from hard labour or a ponderosity or heavinesse of the childe or from the concourse of flegmie humors it is cured by the evacuation of humours and by the use of astringent and corroborating Medecines such as are the decoction of musk of the Oak Harts-horn Laurel leaves and the Astringent plaister Another cause and difference ariseth from the rupture of the Ligaments which is discerned by this that the evil comes suddenly and is more painful and is sometimes followed with a flux of Blood it arises from the heaviness of the Birth or from a difficult labour or from Abortion or a difficult and violent extraction of the secundines Sometimes it happens because the ligaments are eaten away and then tne signes of some ulcer are discerned by the flowing forth of mattier Sometimes it happens because the ligaments are eaten away and then the signes of some ulcer are discerned by the flowing forth of mattier Of the ascent of the Matrix as also of the Wounds and Vlcers of the same SOme have thought that it is possible for the womb to ascend up to the stomack which opinion is altogether false for first it is tied so fast with four Ligaments that it is impossible for it to move to the upper parts Besides suppose it had a naturall motion by the Fibres yet the womb being
toward the womb if necessity requires that it should be done more then once one day a vein must be opened in one thigh and another day in the other and that which is opened for evacuation must be first opened that which is opened in the hamm or heel must be done after purgation 3 or 4 or five dayes before the time that the accustomed evacuations of the Woman ought to come down Cupping-glasses also are to be applyed first to the more remote places as to the thighs and then to the neerer parts as to the hips ligatures or bindings and frictions at the time of the coming down of the flowers after purgation of the whole Body are not to be omitted In the second place the matter is to be prepared for which purpose in bodies troubled with flegme the decoction of Guaiacum with Cretan Dittany doth much avail without provoking sweat In the third place evacuation is to be made at several times Among evacuating Medecines are commended Agaric Aloes with the juice of Sabina and these pilâ— Take Aloes Succotrine three drams the best myrrh one scruple extract of Calamus Aromaticus Carduus Benedictus Saffron of each three drams roots of Gentian and Dittany of each five grains make them up with syrup of Laurel berries taking the quantity of one scruple at evening before supper In the fourth-place by an obstructing the humour by those things which provoke the flowers of which these are most to be commended the decoction of Rosemary with flowers of Cheiri Peny-royal water twice distilled and mingled with Cinamom water Extract of Zedoar Angelica and Castor and the earth which is found in iron mines prepared in the same manner as steel spirit of Tartar the fat of an Eele Colubrina with the distilled water of Savine and in the fift place by the discussion of the dreggs and relicks that remaine by sudorificks or things that provoke sweat with a potion made of a Chalybeat decoction with spirit of Tartar c. The differences of this disease arise partly from the obstruction of the veins of the womb caused by a cold and thick blood and thick slimy humors mixed with the blood and coming either from some hot distemper of the womb which dissipates the sharp and subtile humors and leaves behinde the gross and earthy parts or from the cold constitution of the liver and spleen especially if at the time of the menstrual flux at what time the flux of blood is more violent those subtile humors happen to be dissipated then at the time of the monthly purgation the party affected feeleth a great pain in the loyns and parts adjoyning and if any thing come down it is slimy whitish and blackish the whole Body is possessed with a numness the colour pale a slow pulse and raw urines The cure is the same with the former great care being taken of a gross and ill dyet There is another difference of this disease when it happens by compression which arises from external causes as the Northern wind and long standing in cold water which may be knwn from the relation of the sick person The blood in this case is to be drawn to the lower parts by Frictions and Baths or from internal causes as fatnes or swelling of the womb or of the lower parts in which case Medecines must be applyed that asswage the swelling There is another difference which is in the hardness of the skin which happens either from the first nativity and then the disease is not easily taken away or long after from some cold dry distemper concerning which look the former Chapters Another difference there is when there happens a closing up of the skin which is caused after cicatrising of an Ulcer or by reason of some skin or membrane growing to the vessels of the womb or by reason of frequent abortion after which these veins to which the secundines adhere do grow together so close that they cannot be afterwards opened Another difference of this disease there is when it happens through want of blood which is not generated either by reason of external causes as famine over much evacuation issues and such like or through internal causes as a frigid constitution of the principall parts old age and fevers or when it is converted to other uses as before full growth to the nourishment of the body in women with child to the nourishment of the birth in those that give suck to the increase of milk and in fat people to the augmentation of the fat or when it is consumed either by externall causes as overmuch exercise affrights terrors sadnesse bathes overmuch sweating which do consume the serous quality of the blood or through internall causes as are hot and dry diseases or over great evacuations in other parts of the body Sometimes another difference of this disease proceeds from the drynesse of the blood which happens to women who in the winter time do too much heat their lower parts by putting coals under their coats For the cure thereof you must use refrigerating and moistning medecines Of the dropping of the Flowers and the difficulty of their coming down THe dropping of the flowers is when they are coming down for many dayes together drop by drop This happens both from externall causes as over-hard labour c. And sometimes from the drossinesse of the blood the passage not being wide enough For the cure of this it is convenient to open a vein in the arm with gentle purging as in the former chapter Sometimes from the weaknesse of the retentive faculty there being at that time great plenty thinnesse and serosity of the blood In this case there is no pain Medecines that binde and corroborate the stomack here must have place The difficulty of the Flowers is when they come down with pain and trouble either through defect in the veins or in the blood The signes of this are gathered from the relation of the sick person who is then much troubled with pain in the head stomack and loyns and lower parts of the body And they do either flow altogether or drop by drop as in the former disease it is a disease more incident to maids then married women because the veins of the womb are lesse open in them then in those who have brought forth children It happens sometimes from a corruption of the blood that is from the drossiness and thickness thereof and then the blood clots together and there is great pain long before the flowers begin to come down The cure of this is performed by attenuating medecines Sometimes from the sharpnesse and acrimony of the blood which proceeds from a mixture of sharp humours with the body and then the genital parts do itch It is cured by those medecines that temper the sharpnesse of the humour as the four greater seeds violets and flowers of Nenuphar Sometimes from windy vapours and then the pain comes by intervals and is suddenly exasperated rumbling up and down
and when the wind is forth the pain ceaseth The cure hereof is procured by evacuation of the matter and dispelling of the wind as is before declared Of the discolouring of the Flowers THe discolouring of the Flowers is when their right colour which ought to be red declines either to palenesse whitenesse greennesse yellownesse or blewishnesse through some defect or vitiousnesse of the blood The signes are apparent by the sight of the blood besides that it is accompanied with an ill smell many times also it is the cause of Fevers trembling of the body loathing of the meat pain in the stomack c. The differences of this disease consist first in the vitiousnesse of the blood which is caused through some distemper either of the whole body or of some part thereof Sometimes the blood is affected by reason of some stoppage thereof and then the flowers are suppressed which causeth pains in the breast and strong beating of the breast and if the woman begin to amend the blood flowes out with a stinking putrefaction which continues till the eighth day or it may be because the blood is fould by the womb being full of excrements and then you may perceive the signes of a foul womb Sometimes the difference of this disease consists in the mixture of the blood with other vitious humours The cure consists in preparation and evacuation but care must be had that because the thick humours need attenuation and that over-attenuating things do melt the serous humour that you therefore do not use over-attenuating things as vinegar c. Another difference is when the flowers decline to a whitish colour which proceeds from abundance of flegme or from putrefaction and then ulcers follow in the womb barrenness follows unlesse the womans flowers do happen to flow for seven or eight dayes together by which the woman is freed from the disease or else they break out to the parts above the groyn without any tumour and burst forth a little above the Hypochondrion and then the woman seldom lives or else there wil appear after some few dayes a great swelling in the groyn without a head of a red colour because the flesh is there filled up with the blood When it inclines to yellownesse or greennesse the distemper comes of choler when to a blacknesse and blewnesse from melanlancholy Of the inordinate flux of the Flowers THe disorderly flux of the courses is either the coming of them down before their time or else the stoppage of them for some time after the usuall course of nature They come down sometimes before their time partly by reason of internall causes and partly by reason of external causes as falls blows and such like casualities that open the veins Or from the expulsive facultie of the womb too much provoked 1. by the plenty of blood which is known by this that the blood which is sent to the womb from all parts is fluid and of its natural constitution signes of a Plethora or fulnesse of blood are apparent in the woman It is cured by blood-letting if the blood abound by good diet and frequent though gentle exercise Secondly it proceeds from the acrimony and sharpnesse of the blood which is known by the hot temper of the body the blood it selfe is more thin and yellowish It must be cured by evacuating medecines as Rheubarb and such things as temper the blood whereof we have already spoken It comes also when the retentive faculty of the womb grows lank which may be known by the looseness of the vessels of the womb besides a moist faint habit of the Body in the cure beware of things which are too astringent baths where in the force and strength of iron may be effectual may with safety be used The subsistence and stay of the courses beyond the accustomed time proceeds from a frustration of the expulsive faculty as when there is smal store of blood which is known by this that the Woman is not troubled with the stay of the Courses and especially if she have over-exercised her self or used a spare dyet before Secondly the thickness of the blood which is known by the whitenes and clammines thereof In the performance of the cure you must purge before too much blood be gathered together next the Courses are to be attenuated for the performance of which Calamint and Mercurialis are to be most commended In this case scarification of the heels is not amiss There is another difference of this disease which arises from the weaknes of the expelling faculty caused either by the frigid distemper of the Womb of which we have spoken already or by a kind of numness thereof of which we shal speak anon Of the over-abundance of the Courses THe over-much flux of the Courses is either a more abundant or a more lasting purgation of the Courses through some defect either in the Blood or the Womb or the veins of the womb The signs are evident viz want of appetite crudities a bad colour in the face a swelling in the feet and rest of the body a waxing lean of the body and in brief a general ill habit of body The cure if it be of any continuance is difficult if it happen to an aged Woman there is none at all It requires a revulsion or drawing back of the blood interception and incrassation or thickning therof and a closing up of the vessels by astringent medecines Yet observe that they must be stopt by degrees To this effect you may take this powder R. Of the seed of Hyoscyam alb red Coral of each half a dram Caphura half a scruple and give the quantity of half a dram at a time powder of Amber Dragons blood Lap. Haematit Red Coral Lettice seed of each one dram Balaust two scruples Bole-armoniack two drams given in three ounces of Plantain water Asses milk heated with steel You may externally also apply a girdle made of the bruised leaves of Helleboraster Of this disease there are many differences sometimes it happens from the blood which is derived from the bottom of the Womb where for the most part lies the blackest and most clotted blood or from the neck of the womb which is more red and fluid Another difference ariseth from the plenty of blood which appears by this that the vessels are either broken or much opened especially in those Women who have had a stoppage of their Courses for a time which presently break out again The signes of this are evident that is to say a fulness of blood in the body besides that the blood which comes forth easily curdles In the cure you must have recourse to blood-letting which if you do for evacuation it must be done in the hepatick vein if the Woman be weak in Salvatella of both hands In the next place the use of Cupping glasses is to be commended being applyed with scarification to the back c. or without scarification to the Breast being taken away again
when the Woman is troubled with difficulty of breathing In the third place ligatures and frictions of the arms are to be used Another difference of this disease arises from a sharp blood which is known by the gnawing of the humor upon the vessels In the cure you must purge with syrup of Roses solutive or with leaves of Sene a pessary of sows dung and Asses dung which is made up with Plantain water and the muscilage of the seed of Quinces is here of use if need require Another difference arises from a serous and watry blood for either the liver is weakned or the veins so debilitated that it cannot attract the serous or wheyie humor in the blood in this case the blood flows not forth in such a quantity nor is easily curdled if a cloth be dipped in it and then dryed in the shade it presently discolours In the cure hereof you must look to the rectifying of the weaknes of the reins and liver with convenient remedies for which purpose the livers of Foxes Calves Hens c. are very good Sometimes from a rupture of the veins which proceeds either from a fulness of blood or from causes that do vehemently stir up the blood especially from hard labour if it be needful you must let blood and apply conglutinating medecines Or from a gnawing of the vessels which is known by this that sometimes there flows forth little blood and that purulent and full of the wheyie or serous humour It arises from a sharp and corrupt blood and sometimes from the use of sharp medecines Among the astringent medecines the root of Filipendula is much to be commended or a decoction of the same root Of the Whites Gonorrhea in women THe Whites is an inordinate eruption of an excrementitious humour collected together through some vitiousnesse of the blood It affects women chiefly and sometimes also Virgins of which there are examples yet it is more often in women especially if they be of a moist constitution and live an idle and delicate life eating such things as are cold and moist Old women also are affected herewith through the abundance of flegme and the weakness of the concoctive faculty If differs from the Gonorrhea because in that the seminal matter is white and thicker and flows by longer intervals and issues forth in a lesser quantity from a nocturnal pollution for that is joyned with venereal imaginations and onely happens in the time of sleep It differs from the discolouring of the flowers for they though not exactly do always observe their times of flowing Besides they happen not to women with childe or such whose courses are stopped It differs from the putrid humour that issues from the ulcers of the womb because that is joyned with the signes of an ulcer and the putrefaction is thicker and whiter if it be mattrie it is coloured with blood and issues forth with pain The cure of this must be hastened because in a short time it endangers the making of women barren causing them to be lean to fall into a consumption melancholy the dropsie fall of the womb swoonings and convulsions which is the cause that though it be not hard to be cured in the beginning yet it is afterwards very difficult for by this means the whole body accustoms it self to send forth its excrements this way and the womb being now weakned gathers excrements apace Sometimes it proceeds from the whole body and then you may perceive the signes of an ill humour through the whole body In the cure of this you must avoid blood-letting for that the bad humours must not be recalled to defile the blood besides that the disease is a sufficient weakning and consuming of the body The humour is discussed by the decoction of Guaiacum and China and Lentisk wood For the drying up of the humour the root of Filipendula doth very much conduce For astringent medecines you may use chiefly the powder of dead mens bones the ashes of Capons dung in rain-water The patient must avoid sleeping upon her back lest the heat of the Lungs should carry the humours towards the womb Frictions also of the upper parts for the diversion of the humour Sometimes it is caused by the womb it self and then there will appear signes of the affection of the womb and the flux is not so great For the cure of this suffumigations of Frankincense Ladanum Mastick and Santalum are very requisite Of the Green-sicknesse THe Green-sicknesse is a changing of the colour of the face into a green and pale colour proceeding from the rawnesse of the humors The signes of this appear in the face to which may be added a great pain in the head difficulty of breathing with a palpitation of the heart a small and thick beating of the arteries in the neck back and temples sometimes inordinate Fevers through the vitiousnesse of the humours loathing of meat vomiting distention of the Hypochondriack parts by reason of the reflux of the menstruous blood to the greater vessels a swelling of the whole body by reason of the abundance of humours or of the thighs and legs above the heels by reason of the abundance of serous humours The cause is the crudity and rawnesse of the humour and quantity withall arising from the suppression of the courses through the natural narrownesse of the vessels or through an acquired narrownesse of the vessels by the eating of oatmeal chalk earth nutmegs and drinking of vinegar or from the obstruction of the other bowels Hence arises an ill concoction in the bowels and the humours are carried into the habit of the body or become habitual thereto The cure is performed by the letting of blood especially in the heel if the disease be of any continuance by purgation preparation of the humour being first considered which is performed by the decoction of Guaiacum with Cretan Dittany purging of the humour is performed with Agarick Aloes Succotrin with the juice of Savine for the unobstructing of the humour prepared steel the root of Scorzonera Bezoar stone and oyle of Chrystall in diet vinegar is utterly to be avoided Of the Suffocation of the Matrix THe signes of the suffocation of the womb are a wearines of the whole body with a weakness of the thighs a palenes and sadness of the face a nauseousness though seldom vomiting oftentimes a loathing and distast of meat and that sometimes with a grumbling and noise in the belly and sometimes without The signs of the present disease are that when the vapours are carried up to the heart and do there stop the vital spirits a light swooning follows the pulse changes is little the body grows cold all the spirits flying up into the heart the vapour being thrust up to the head and chaps the chaps are many times set fast the Patient seeming to be stifled the motion of the breast and Diaphragme is disturbed and hindred so that the breath is almost stopt the Patient living only by transpiration
Sometimes there is joyned with it a kinde of uterine fury with talking and anger sometimes it causes other madnesses sometimes the Woman fals into a dead sleep which makes her seem as though she were dead It differs from the Epilepsie because in that the convulsive motions are more general nor is there any memory of those things which hapned about them after the Fit the pulse is great the mouth of the party affected fomes with a froth it differs from the Apoplexie because in that the fit comes suddenly without any notice the Patient is affected with a kinde of snorting and there is such a resolution of the parts that they feel not although they be pricked from a Syncope in that there are no signs when the fit wil be the pulse ceases to the apprehension the Patientis troubled with cold sweats They differ from dead people by sneezing which may be provoked by putting something for that purpose into the nose The cause of this is a venemous subtile and thin vapour piercing in one moment through the whole body and carried up from the matter in the womb corrupted after a peculiar manner either by it self or from external means such are perfumes anger fear c. and not only ascending through the veins but also through all the other breathing holes and secret passages of the body The cure is doubtful if it have possessed old Women for any time for it begets weakness consumes the strength and shews abundance of humors or if it possesseth Child-bearing Women either after a difficult travel or after an abortion or if it possesseth Women with child because it induees a fear of abortion there is more hope if the act of respiration be not too much impeded and if the Fits do not return too often The cure regards first the time of the fit being performed first by means of interception which may be done by binding the belly under the navel with a girdle made of the skin of a Hart kild in the very act of copulation Secondly by keeping the natural spirits awaked and rouzed up by painful frictions by pulling the hairs of the privities with violence and suffumigations made with Partridge feathers burnt as also Eel-skins and the application of Assa-faetida and oyle of Tartar to the mouth Thirdly by way of revulsion of the humour by Frictions and Clysters dispelling the windes and the application of Cupping-glasses with much flame first to the thighs and then to the hips putting sweet things into the privities such as are oyle of Sivet half a scruple oyle of Nutmegs one scruple Fourthly by discussion of the humour which is performed inwardly by the oyle of white Amber with the powder of Wall-nut flowers extract of Castor externally by an Emplaster of the fat of a black Heifer Sclarea boyld in butter adding to it a sufficient quantity of Tachamahacca and Caranna After the fit is past evacuation is to be regarded first with purgation for which purpose it will not be amisse to use these ensuing pills Take Siler mountain penyroyall madder the innermost part of Cassia pipe Pomegranat kernels Piony roots and Calamus of each three drams Muscus and Spike of India of each half a dram then make pils thereof with the juyce of Mugwort of which she may take every day or every other day before supper If the disease proceed from the termes let the woman affected take an ounce of Agarick powdered in wine or honied water or a dram of Agnus Castus powdered with an ounce of hony of Roses the womb is also to be strengthened by the internall and externall application of such things as resist the malignity of the disease among which are numbred Faecula Brioniae and Castor The difference of this disease consists in this that sometimes it happens that it is occasioned by the retention of the seed which is known by this that the symptoms of the disease are more violent and after the fit is past there flowes out of the womb a matter like to that of the seed It is cured by evacuation of the seed such as are Rue and Agnus Castus and anointing with odoriferous salves especially if the woman be to live without the use of man If it come from the suppression of the terms which is known by the courses being mingled with a melancholy blood take powdered Agarick a dram of Piony seeds or the weight of a dram and a half of Triphera magna But to conclude this Chapter take this for a secret that for a married Woman in case of the present suffocation there is nothing better then for the man to anoint the top of his Yard with a little oyl of Gilliflowers oyl of sweet Almonds together and so to lye with her for this assuredly brings down the Matrix again Of Barrennesse BArrennesse is an impotence to conceive coming from defect either of the Genitals or of the blood or of the menstruous blood First through the defect of the Genitals either by the closing up of the Orifice of the womb which may be cut and opened by Art or through the narrownesse of the parts for so they wil not admit the yard or by reason of some Ulcers or Excrescences in the neck of the womb Or by reason of some fault in the seed either the woman being too young or too old or through some distemper in the vessels dedicated to generation and then the woman perceives very little or no pleasure in the act of copulation The cure of this is referred to the chapter of the Distempers of the womb Or when there is not that due proportion of seed which ought to be in both parties which chiefly arises from the use of those things that extinguish barrennesse as Mint Rue Camphire Or from inchantments and then the man cannot lie with his wife or though he should yet cannot emit the seed against which it is affirmed that the drinking a draught of cold water that drops from the mouth of a young stone horse as he drinks and saved in a little vessel is very potent Or when the womb doth not draw the seed which is ejected and that by reason of some cold and moist distemper in which case all sorrow anger and much sleep are to be avoided as also the eating of milk fresh cheese and any thing that is made of dough Neither is she to eat Endive Spinage Beets Lettice Nuts Cherries Purslane Onions Garlick or such like as much hurtful to hee are much broath vinegar and fat flesh In the next place the womb must be cleansed from over abundance of moisture such are syrup of Wormwood with the decoction of Harts-tongue Fenel Cumin and Anis-seed After this take once every fourteen dayes a dram of blessed pils fasting five hours after them Take also of these following pils R. of Ladanum Agarick Wax and sheeps suet try'd of which you may make pils to take two or three of them every morning or use this confection
Take shaven Ivory Ash keyes yellow and wild Rape-seed Siler mountain with red and white Behen of each one dram Cinamom Galangall long pepper Cloves and Mace Balsam wood Rosâ—mary flowers Blattae Byzantiae gentle Marjoram penyroyal of each four scruples Baulme Buglosse Citron pils of each two scruples Pearls one scruple Musk two grains white sugar four and twenty ounces seeth this with Malmesey and make thereof a confection Or because of some diseases in the parts where note that too much fatnesse of the Call doth close the mouth of the womb such women must not sleep much especially in the day time they must use strong Clysters that are warm and dry and purge often Or when the womb doth not attract the seed when it is cast in which proceeds from a moist intemperance which is by the loosness of the fibres of the womb so that the womb cannot contract it self which is cured as in the moist distemper Or by reason of the thickness of the womb for then the blood which increases the seed does not slide down to that place The cure hereof requires a thin diet purging and sweating or by reason of the slipperiness thereof which happens by reason of the running of the whites in women The cure whereof consists in the stopping of the whites which hath been already treated of or by reason of the gaping of the Orifice which hath been occasioned either by difficult birth or by some abortion The cure is performed by astringent medecines among which the chiefest are the fomentation of Lentisk and Myrtle or by reason of some sudden cough or sneezing immediatly after copulation by which the seed is shaken forth Or when the womb doth not alter the seed that is cast in through an immoderate cold distemper Sometimes through heat and then it would be requisite to avoid hot aire and keeping the parts about the womb compleat or the eating of hot meats and spices purge after blood-letting in the Basilick vein of the right hand with Electuary hom de Epithymo juice of roses of each two drams and a half whey four ounces mix them wel together and take them in the morning sleeping one and fasting four hours upon it Purge also with Triphera Saracenica and Rheubarb with potions prepared and mixed with syrup of Roses Violets and Endive Take Pistacia Pingles Eringus of each half an ounce of Saffron a dram Lignum Aloes Galangall Garyophyllata Mace red and white Behen Baulme-flowers of each four scruples shavings of Ivory and Cassia rindes of each two scruples syrup of Ginger confected twelve ounces white sugar six ounces seeth these together with the syrup in 12 ounces of Baulm-water untill it be all boyled away when it is cold put some more water to it and stir them together and last of all mix with it a scruple and a half of Musk and Amber of this conserve let the woman take thrice a day to wit in the Morning an houre before supper and an hour after dinner Or it proceeds from obstruction of the flowers in which case first let blood in the Basilic vein then purge with Opoponax and Hiera Composita of each half a dram to be made up in seven pils to be taken in the morning sleeping upon them an houâ— and a half with a draught of sugard water five hours after Or with a potion of syrup of Vinegar compounded syrup of Eupatorie of each thrâ—e quarters of an ounce Fever Mugwort and Elecampane roots of each an ounce and mix them together then she may put up into the womb a pessary of muâ—k Amber Aloes Wood and Ash keyes of each three grains Saffron half a scruple Hares-rennet as much as suffices which being made up like a good big Tent she must keep a whole day in her body Of the bringing up of Children and of their Diseases Of the Diseases of the Head THe Diseases common to Children are first certain little ulcerous risings chiefly in the Head sometimes in the whole body they arise from some vitious humor either collected in the womb or out of the womb by reason of the badness of the milk containing a serous salt and nitrous quality if there be no ill to be suspected the humor may be driven forth by giving the Child some syrup of Fumarie or Harts-horn burnt the Nurse is to be purged and the matter offending to be tempered with syrup of Borage or Fumarie if there be much corruption under the crust of the scab the head of the Child is to be bathed with some softning decoction then to be anointed with some drying Ointments Sometimes they are troubled with an inflammation of the head with which is joyned a hollowness in the fore-part of the head and in the eyes it may arise from the milk if the Nurse be subject to drink over-much strong drink in the Cure you must beware of applying things which are too refrigerating They are also many times affected with a kind of Epilepsie which proceeds sometimes from extraordinary frights from milk that lies corrupted in the stomack and sometimes from worms moving themselves in the guts and sometimes it is the consequent of other Diseases The cure is to be observed partly in the fit and partly after the fit the Smaragd-stone and the hoof of a wild Alx put into the lâ—fâ— ear are very profitable and take good effect Vomiting also and this Emplaster of white Amber Frankincense and Mastick of each a dram and a half Galbanum Opoponax of each a scruple Visci of an Oak two drams Ambergreize six grains Musk three grains seed of male Peonie half a dram Ladanum one dram and a half a little Oile of Nutmeg and sprinkled with the dust of Cubebs the fore-part of the head may be also anointed with Oyl of white Amber Fears and startings in the Childs sleep which being occasioned from the putrid vapours which are carried up with the animal spirits and arise from the stomack therefore they happen to Infants that suck greedily in the cure care must be taken that the Child do not fil it self too unreasonably and provide that good sound milk may be generated and that the Children be not put to sleep upon a ful stomack the stomack of the Child anointed neer the orifice with Oyl of Quinces and mastick and Oyl of Nutmeggs Before sleep dissolve a little roll of Diamoschus in milk and give the Child and unless the child be over much troubled with heat you may give it a little Treacle once in a week overmuch watching or wakefulness which is occasioned by sharp vapours which arise out of the stomack by reason of the badness of the milk sometimes it is occasioned by Fevers and pain of some peculiar parts there is nothing better then to anoint the soles of the Childs feet with marrow which hath no danger in it rather then to give the child stronger Opiates A looking a squint which in new-born children is cured by putting a candle opposite to
Of the Inflammation of the Almonds of the Ears IF the child be very smal you must wash the throat as neer the root of the tongue as may be with a linen cloth tied to a stick dipped in this gargarisme take of new extracted Cassia one dram syrup of dry Roses one dram and a half with six ounces of the decoction of Coriander Or you may anoint the neck with oyl of Violets and Camomil binding the neck with a little roller well anointed with the same when the child goes to bed you may give him in a spoon a little syrup of dry'd Roses of Pavot and Nenuphar mingled together Oxycroceum alone doth also make an excellent Gargarism If they come to a suppuration you must use this gargarisme Take of the decoction of Barley Plantain Agrimony Veronicae Honysuckle and herb Rob six ounces in which dissolve mel Rosatum and Sugar-candie of each half an ounce to make a gargarism Of Vomiting IF it proceed from abundance of milk which the child sucks you must take care that the child suck less and often If it come from any ill humor contained in the stomack besides that the Nurse must keep a very good dyet the Infant must be purged with a smal expression of Rheubarb giving it afterwards a little Codignac to comfort the stomack mingling with it a little tablet of Diarrhodium putting afterwards upon his stomack this plaister Take of the pulp of condited Quinces two ounces red Roses Wormwood and red Sanders of each two drams Oyl of Quinces as much as sufficeth make a plaister of this and lay it upon the stomack of the child Of the Hicquet IF it come from an over-much repletion it wil not be amiss to make him vomit of whatsoever age he be or if it be necessary that a greater force should be used you must try to make him vomit by putting down the throat a Fether dipt in oyl if from the badness of the Nurses milk she must be changed for a better if from the coldness of the stomack you must use remedies to comfort it as little tablets of Diarrhodium of which you must dissolve a scruple in the milk of the Nurse you must also chafe the stomack of the child with oyl of Wormwood Mastick and Quinces Of the pain of the Belly in Children IF the Disease come from indigestion and moistness the little Infant wil vomit and be troubled with a flux of the belly and the belly wil be hard In which cases you may give the infant an ounce of sweet Almonds drawn with out fire and mingled with a quantity of Sugar-candy or anoint the belly with this Ointment Take oyl of Camomil and oyl of sweet Almonds of each an ounce and a half mingle them and therewith anoint the belly if wind be the cause you may mingle a little oyl of rue in the foresaid Ointment Of the Smal-Pox in Children THe signes of this Disease are paine in the head accompanied with a Fever redness about the eyes a dry Cough and you shal mark in the skin up and down the body certain little spots upon the face back brest and thighs the Smal-pox is dangerous if they come forth with much pain if they be greenish blewish or blackish For the cure of this if the Infant suck the Nurse must keep a good order of dyet she may eat broth of Hens with Endive Cichorie Bugloss and Borage boyled therein Now to make the Smal-Pox come forth the more quickly if the Child be little the Nurse must drink this following Potion Take of Caricarum Pinguium one ounce peeled Lentils half an ounce Gum Lacca two drams Gum Tragacant and Fenel-seed of each two drams and a half make of this a decoction in Fountain-water and strein it to the quantity of two pints sweeten this either with sugar or syrup of Maidenhair let her drink of this in the morning a good glassful Or you may give the child if it be able to take it this Julep to be used very often take of Cordial waters two ounces and a half syrup of Limons one ounce mingle it and use it often 4. or five hours after give him of powder of Unicorns-horn and Bezoar Now to keep this venemous humor from attaching the eyes temper a little Saffron in a smal quantity of Plantain and Rose-water and rub the eyelids or you may anoint them with Tutie For keeping them from the nose take Rose-water and Betonie-water of each an ounce Vinegar half an ounce juice of Pomgranates six ounces in which steep two drams of Santalum and two drams of the powder of Citron peel adde to this six grains of Saffron and make a medecine for the child to smel often to the same Medecine wil serve for the ears by stopping them with a little cotton To preserve the mouth and throat and tongue take this gargarism take whole Barley one handful Plantain leaves leaves of Oxalis Arnogloss Agrimonie and Verbena of each one handful boyl this to the quantity of six ounces dissolving in it syrup of dry Roses and Pomgranates of each half an ounce Saffron half a scruple To preserve the Lungs use syrup of Jujubes Violets and Nenuphar when they are fully come out to make them dye the more quickly rub the face with oyl of sweet Almonds drawn without fire Or use this Ointment take old Lard cut it in smal pieces and melt it in a pot then strein then beat it and mingle it with water for your use When the Pox is totally dead take this Remedy to take away the marks Take Halke the weight of two Crowns clear cream 2. ounces mix them together and with a Fether dipt therein anoint the face of the child two or three daies this causeth the skin to grow smooth leaving not a pit in the face Certain other Instructions grounded upon practical Observations fit to be known by all Midwives and Child-bearing Women c. IN the yeare One Thousand six hundred and Ten a young Lady whom I was wont to bring to bed passing by my house came in to me and told me that she was four moneths gone and that she perceived the Infant to stir about a moneth after she came to see me and told me that she was in much pain for that she had not perceived the Infant to stir in two dayes and that therefore she believed that it was dead by reason of a certain very great fright which she had had for at the time that she was frighted she perceived the childe to move but after that never and her belly began by little and little to wax less and about three weeks after she had that reflux of milk that Women use to have that lye in when this was gone she had no grievance yet seeing her often and knowing her to be bigg with child she asked me my advice to know what she should do Whereupon I asked her if any ill vapours rose up into her mouth she told me no. If she had
not lost her appetite she answered that she never had a better in her life her heart was light her body in good temper so that there was nothing that troubled her but an apprehension she had that the child was dead whereupon I made her try all means to make the Infant stir but she notwithstanding felt nothing only she perceived that something did heave a little upon the operation of the Remedies which was nothing but the Matrix which being now distempered and grown cold did as it were answer the hot Remedies testifying thereby some good which it received thereby I advised her to be patient and to wait Natures leisure which is provident enough of it self telling her that I had seen an Infant which had lain a long time in the Womb without budging which for all that was not dead although you could not perceive in the Woman any thing but the signs of a dead child I had oftentimes brought the Lady to bed and she stil had very good deliveries and very sound children of a good colour so that I believing her to be of a sound constitution thought that if the Infant were dead that Nature which was very strong in her would expel it in time convenient and that she should not be forced not having given any testimony of defect resolving also when her Reckoning was out if then Nature shewed it self weak that we would consult her Friends and Physitians Many of her Friends told me that they doubted that she was deceived in thinking her self to be with Child to which I answered that they might be confident that it was so in brief she was brought to bed sixteen weeks after the fright which she had Now here ariseth a great doubt whether the Child dyed at the hour of her being scared by reason that it did not move in all the time A reason that the child was not dead may be because that the Gentlewoman had not her milk til within three weeks afterward and yet I cannot but think that it dyed at the same time for certainly by that fright the vital spirits were ravished from it and the blood of the Arteries retired to the heart of the Mother not being distributed to the Infant but at the good pleasure of Nature the course of which being stopped it retired to its first source through which the child suffering a suffocation gave a violent motion and now after the Fright was come to her self and that Nature would have returned to finish her work she was not received because the vital faculties of the Infant were extinct and notwithstanding all this the Mother not ceasing to retain the menstrual blood as she was accustomed that finding it self stopped and stil increasing without that use made of it that was wont it made a reflux to the breasts which flowd down again in five or six dayes for the Infant coming to decrease in the Womb now way was made for them which came not down for all that but in the Delivery and after which was in this manner At the end of the sixteenth week after the fright she had pains in the night she thinking to indure them wel enough til morning in the morning caused me to be sent for I came to her finding with her a Physitian and sundry others of her acquaintance The Physitian that expected me had ordered her a Clyster to give her if I thought it to the purpose I found her pale cold and yet in a sweat with so little pulse that I esteemed her dead I touched her found she had been in Travail which had been too long neglected I called presently for a plain silver dish into which I squeez'd the juice of half a Citron and set it upon a Chafing-dish of coals being warmed I caused her to take it this restored Nature a little and stirred up her pains and then I assisted her notwithstanding some of the waters ran down after her first throw the leggs and thighs of the Child came forth now finding the Infant to be dead and seeing that she was troubled with no more throws I was afraid of drawing it forth for fear it might be rotten I did give her a Clyster without moving her the force of which bringing the Child away she was delivered of a dead Infant all over of a leaden colour without any ill vapour the Secundines sound and fair as you shal see her purgations as clear as could be and she had as good and as happy a Lying in as any Woman in the world all which time she had not the appearnce of any Milk at all Hence we may admire the effects of Nature which are wonderful But in such cases Women must be sure in due time and place for if a Woman do resist her paines and doth not put her self in a right posture she runs a great hazard of her life A Second Observation of a Woman that had been in Travail nine dayes BEing called to the Labour of a Woman that had been in Travail nine or ten dayes of whom there was little hope I went and there found the Woman almost dead her eyes open and fixed her nose shrunk in her breath smelling like a charnel-house and she took nothing down into her stomack that she did not instantly vomit up again she had drunk up above two pints of water in an hour and by her bed there was a whole sea of those things that she had vomited up They gave her cold water and the yelk of an Egg sometimes though it came up again at the same instant she felt no paine of the Infant but finding her Womb was open and her waters beginning to come down I found that she had been in Travail only Nature was oppressed and had not had any good assistance so that the Infant was retired back again which stifled the Mother and provoked her vomiting upon which I gave my advice and though I thought my self come a little too late yet I resolved to do what lay in the power of my Art and therefore I resolved to give her a good strong Clyster to awaken Nature and to bring the Infant lower which it did according to our hopes afterwards to drink a smal quantity of Rhubarb-water which stayed with her a little after I gave her the yelk of an Egg which stayed with her also causing her to drink nothing but Rhubarb-water and at every hours end I gave her the yelk of an Egg which did also stay with her by this time Nature began to strengthen it self and the paines of the Infant came again and in less then two hours after the Clyster and other nourishment given when I saw her pretty wel and that Nature strove to expel the Infant I gave her half a dram of Confection of Alkermes in a little Wine and a little while after I caused her to take another Clyster into which I put a little Hiera and a little Benedictus which finished the work for She was then
Midwives that handle me I wil change mine cries another for that trick also so that many out of a kind of fear have a greater desire and wil to be complacent then to do wel and so â—itting with their hands before them entertaine their Patients with discourse who for all that feeling their paines are constrained to thrust forward upon which the head of the Infant coming first for the most part the womb serves for a Head-band which comes forth before it whereas might the Midwife be permitted to touch the Patient they might put back the womb and prevent many accidents that happen in lyings in which happens sometimes to be a total relaxation of the Matrix of which when the Women complain to their complacent and flattering Midwives They reply why Mistress you know I did not touch and besides I am not in fault if you have been touched this is the fruit of their reproaches You will say there are abundance of Country Women that the Midwife never toucheth at all and they do not know scarcely whether a Woman lye in or no unless they see the Infant appear but they are not free from the disease whereof I speak for I have seen so great a company of them that I have been afraid to behold them This comes say the Midwives because they touched them not and that it is occasioned either because the Infant is too bigg or they say it is a burstness or the coming down of the great gut the most subtile put up a clew of thread the others a ball of wax which easeth a little while but comes out again every hour Of a Childe which they thought sick of the Epilepsie occasioned by the sickness of the Mother and of the cause ONe day there came to me a Gentlewoman to desire me that I would give her something for her Daughter that was sick of the Mother when her Mother related what she ailed I desired to see her I saw her and she had in one hour two several fits which was an affrightment attended with very much yawning after which she remained in a very great weakness all which time the mouth of the child was drawn more to one side then the other the eyes when she was out of the fit were open and fixed in one place I inquired of the Mother at what age her Daughter came to be first troubled with it who answered that she had been in this Town for something more then a year and that before that time she was never troubled with any such thing I gave her the best counsel that I could and first of all bid her to carry her again to the place where she was first nursed using some few Remedies that were convenient which prospered so wel that after she came thither she had but one fit though she had them so frequently before Of this no other cause can be given but that the place where she lived for that year being thicker then that where she was nursed caused in her a stirring of the humors with which the mother was continually afflicted she being disposed naturally to that kind of disease Of a young Woman who being struck upon the belly by her Husband with his foot was in great pain and could not be brought to bed without the help of a Chirurgeon I Will here relate a thing which I have seen in a young Woman that if the like accident should happen the same Remedies may be applyed There came a Woman to me to declare to me a disease with which she was troubled defiring me to do my utmost for that hitherto she could not lye in without the help of a Chirurgeon who had already killed two of her children I knowing what an ill Husband she had and that he had given her a blow upon the belly with his foot and had broken the Peritonaeum which was the reason that part of her guts hung down upon the share-â—bone like the bagg of a bagpipe to which place being bigg the Womb jutted out so that when the time came the Infant had not liberty to turn it self so that the Midwife seeing she could not have the child without losing the Woman was feign to make use of the Chirurgeon I considered her disease and ordered her to carry a swathe-band such a one as VVomen with child carry to support their bellies onely made a little more hollow and I caused her to wear it as they that are burst do wear half slopps lying smooth with cushionets within and never to fig 3 fig 4 Explanation of the third figure THis figure contains the birth at full maturity ready to come forth in the truest posture AAAA the parts of the midriff dissected BBBB the body of the womb dissected into four parts CCCC the Membranes or Filmes called Chorion and the Amnios dissected likewise into four parts D the Birth in its naturall posture Explanation of the fourth Figure This Figure contains the Navel vessels and the films or covering of the infant AAAA the muscles of the midriff the peritoneum and the skin it self dissected into four parts B the Liver of the Infant C the urinary vessels D the hole of the Liver into which the Navel veine doth passe E the Vmbilical or Navel vein it self FF the two Navel arteries tending downwards to the small gut arteries G the passage for the urine proceeding from the bottom of the bladder H the umbilicall vessels taken out of the body of the Infant to shew how they are joyned together I the membrane that involves the Navel vessels KKKK the guts or intrales of the Infant LLL the Navel vessels extended from the children to the birth M the place where the branches of the Navel vessels are first collected into one Trunk NN A branch of the Navel vessels scatterd through the fleshy part of the Chorion OOO A branch of the Navell arteries PPPP the conjunction of the umbilicall veine and artery QQQQ the extremities of the Navel veins and Arteries ending the fleshy parts of the Chorion RRRR the membraine called the Chorion rise without this whether bigg or no which she did and stil does and bears as fine children and lies in as wel as any other woman Of two Deliveries of one Woman THere was a Woman who being come to a sufficient age became big she causeth two of the best Midwives of the Country to assist her in her Lying in the hour being come they did as art commanded them which was the Child coming wel into the vvorld to keep her in a good situation to cause her to eat things vvhich vvere only to the purpose to keep her moderately vvarm then to bring her pains to a good issue I excuse the passion and impatience of Friends but I vvould not do any thing against my duty for complacency a fault that is soon committed but not so easily repented of This Woman vvas pretty long as most Women are of their first Children in vvhich time her Husband
thereon and renders them uncapable of conceiving One I have heard of who was afflicted with this disease and voided a great great deal of putrified blood by a certain fumigatio that I taught her was cured I can say this of a certainty that after this Woman had voided this putrefaction she came to see me with a very lusty child and was bigg of another for being discharged of the burden of putrified blood she found her self marvelously free for conception for the Matrix that began to be ulcerated was now fortified and strengthened again and the natural heat began to take possession there again A good Observation in the choice of Nurses THere be two sorts of Nurses which I have found the one is of such Women as are of an ill humor or juice which humors settle all in the milk for that is the place where these fluxes discharge themselves these Women are in a better condition being Nurses then when they are not Nurses and being not Nurses are subject to pains sometimes in the arms and sometimes in the shoulders sometimes in one of their leggs or Thighs or else they are subject to the watring of the eyes or swelling in the corner of the eye or nose these are good Nurses as long as children are fat but the fat is soft and the Infants dul sottish giving no great signs of vivacity coming to bear teeth are very sickly and do ordinarily dye by reason of the flux that pusheth out too great company of teeth at once The children that escape this are more il juic'd in their infancy then are their Fathers and Mothers in their old age If the flux that afflicts them be salt the milk is of a blackish and blewish colour if it be of choler it is more dangerous then the other for that is very dangerous and venemous to the children There is another sort of Nurses more dangerous then these I have now spoken of who presently after they have lain in that is three or four or five or six moneths are taken with their purgations a thing which never happens to good Nurses for this is the course of Nature that all the blood which is retained is dedicated to the nourishment of the Infants This is caused by an immoderate heat which is in their blood and to say truth as soon as ever this happens the Infant must be taken away for they are more apt to conceive then to nurse and if they continue Nurses they do but ruine the children this is too much experimented and I speak this to save the lives of a great many children when seeing them suck I have discovered their want of milk so that I may say there dies a third part of the children for want of taking care in this particular which seem fat and in good case This is the cause of great cholicks and vvindinesses in children vvhich kils them in a moment for the least Fever that takes them carries them avvay Bâ—side this there are some whose milk is so little but vvithall so thick that it sticks upon the tongue palate and throat which causes as it were a vvhite canker vvhich is more and more heated by reason of their forcible drawing in vain possesseth all the throat vvhereby they are hindred froÌ„ sucking These Nurses wil milk after this a drop or two out of their breasts crying look ye the child cares not for sucking I never knew more abuse in any thing then in Nurses for let them make vvhat excuse they vvill it is nothing but necessity that reduceth them to be such although the greatest part do say that it is to get acquaintance yet vvhen they have a childe vvhether they have milk or no yet they desire not to part vvith it no more then they do to drown themselves vvhereby the Parents are often deceived And therefore the mothers ought to have a great care and to make it their business to surprize the Nurses at their ovvn houses that if there be any miscarriage they may find it out And indeed it is very reasonable that the cause of these poor creatures that cannot complain should not be neglected and these she-murderers be made known that they may not go unknown Of a VVoman which I laid two several times and of the difference of her bearing of two children proceeding from several causes I VVas called to lay a Woman who said she was gone her ful time she had the same pains that Women are wout to have in the time of Travail but her waters came not down at one forcible throw she cast forth a great membrane like a hoggs bladder all united within and without only that it had divers branches of veins as you shal see in a bladder which I presently cut and found therein a little Infant wel shaped swimming in black waters it had gone its ful time and was so lean that it resembled a meer picture it had the Navel-string holding fast to the bladder where it is to be supposed those smal branches of the veins do end here as I guess as long as it found any bloud it lay languishing but that beginning to fail it dyed and presently voided those excrements that were contained in the Intestines which being mingled in the waters made them black and as for the Woman her self she was the fullest of humor that ever I saw in my life Another time I brought the same VVoman to bed who was delivered of a child that came the ordinary way into the world with the head formost now I perceiving her in Labour found nothing at first but a certain softness as if the waters were coming down afterwards I perceived a certain bag with hair a thwart which I saw certain great knobs or heads the Infant being come forth was not yet formed the face and the head were like vizards more then any face it had the form of a nose but it was soâ—t like wool the head was ful of water and those knobs which appeared were nothing but the futures of the head which the too great abundance of water had disjoynd in the hands it had nothing but hair in stead of bones and the toes were of the same the VVoman her self was said to be extreamly cholerick and moist Instructions of a famous and dying Midwife to her Daughter touching the practice of this Art DAughter if the excellencies of what is to be known in this world are to be found not in one but in several Countrics certainly they are most able to instruct who have had the greatest experience and longest travel in the world which is the reason that in this small Treatise I have not tyed my self up to the rules solely of my own Nation but have searched the studies also of other Nations that thou mayest be bettered not only by my experience but by the labour of others In the first place therefore I exhort thee to be diligent and to leave nothing unsearched that may tend to the
had from the Apothecaries with her consent or if she be young with the consent of her friends You must take order also that some good broth be made for her to take in the time of her Travail if it should chance to be long and also two hours after her being brought to bed Above all things I charge thee that what ever business thou maist have there that thou go not about them too hastily For there is nothing so nauseous to be seen as the improvident actions of over-busie Women Never be dismayd if every thing go not wel for fear disorders the senses and a person that keeps her wits together without suffering them to be scattered by fear is capable of giving assistance in weighty affairs and especially where things are done with leisure for in such cases Nature helps marvelously when we are most at a stand There is a great necessity of prudence especially in the Age wherein we live There is now no need of Coloquintida to render any thing good in it self bitter and disagreeable to the taste There are few Women now a dayes that do give that respect or have that kindness for them as in former ages for then when their Midwife dyed they shewed a great deale of sorrow and prayed God that now they might have no more Children which though it were not well done yet it shewed their affection Now a dayes Women use them as meer Hirelings There is a great deal of artifice to be used in the pleasing of our Women especially the young ones who many times do make election of men to bring them to bed I blush to speak of them for I take it to be a great piece of impudence to have any recourse to them unless it be in a case of very great danger I do approve it I have approved it and know that it ought to be done so that it be concealed from the Woman all her life long nor that she see the Chirurgeon any more for it is very inconvenient to Husbands that unless in cases of very great danger such th ngs concerning their own Wives should be communicated to any other men but themselves To this purpose shal I tel thee Daughter that being called to the Labour of a friend where were none but two or three of her acquaintance they asked me what I thought of the labour to which I answered that the child did not come wel but that I would do the work with the assistance of God without danger to the child or to the Mother they desired me that I would let a Chirurgeon see her for their satisfaction I consented to it provided that she might not see him for I was fearful lest she should dye with apprehension and shame I perswaded her to slide down toward the feeâ— of the bed I put the bolster upon the middle of the bed and darkned the room on that side where he was to come at the feet he touched her and she was brought to bed without any other assistance save that of God and Nature Since these injuries have been put in fashion there have been observed greater hazards and dangers in lying in then before which might be remedied by persons capable of their profession if they might be let alone But this detraction is so much in request that among some kinde of people there is much adoe to make them believe the truth and especially where they cannot get great advantage by so doing and truly Honorable persons which I have had the honour to serve make other Women seem monstrous to me You shall come into some houses where there are certain persons that hold such false lights to the Mistriss of the house that she sees quite contrary to that which is real which persons if they are not humored your busines will be there soon dispatched Take great heed of coming there for it may chance to gain you nothing but a great deal of care There are some Women that have no children at which they are very much troubled which is so notwithstanding that they might easily be helped if they would tel an understanding Midwife where the defect lay As concerning those who are sent for to lay Women in the Country I must say this that as for those that are not very wel experimented they may incurr many hazards by reason of their ignorance and the multiplicity of accidents that may happen and for those that are knowing to leave their Patients in the City is a thing that may displease and wrong many and run the hazard of being no more entertained among them to their own ruine neither is there any certainty of a Woman that wil run rambling into the Country My last advice is that thou do wel and in so doing fear nothing but God that he may bless thee and thy endeavours FINIS Now Published that excellent and practical peece Intituled Adam in Eden Of the knowledge of all our English Plants with their â—ignatâ—res physically applyed to the body of Man that every man may be his own Physitian in Folio by W. C. M. D. â—nd others