child as with the fruit upon a Tree which being young and tender hangs on brittle stalks and is easily blown off with every wind nay when it is come to its full growth and is stronger sometimes forcible winds bruises or blowes cause them to fall off but when they come to their perfect time of ripeness they fall of themselves So it is in this occult operation of nature many accidents sometimes happen to the Tree which bring the fruit to an untimely birth and oftentimes not without peril of the Womans life nature being dead in the Child that it cannot help it self whereas in those that are alive of their full time nature helps forward the birth the Infant it self striving to finde a way into the World This may be perceived by the breasts for if they be small weak and slack in Women with Child then is a mischance to be expected for then the Child wants nourishment and pines and dies also impatiency or violent motion many times breaks the secundine and then the fruit falls away Signes of a mischance approaching are also pains of the Back-bone Belly and privities to prevent which let the Woman with Child beware sharp and bitter meats and drinks avoid much anger and violent motion and exercise use oftentimes to drink red Wine and keep the body soluble To do which if need require she may use the decoction of Mallowes Mercury and stew'd Prumes forbear Clysters and strong Medicines but if there be any great obstruction in the body then let her eat Cassia out of the Pipes or Cassia new extracted especially if the neck of the matrix have any issue or overmuch moysture then use a little Rubarb in powder mixed with the Cassia which without trouble or danger doth cleanse Flegme and Choler For to stay the slipperiness of the Matrix take Pomegranate Pills and pound them to powder grosly and boyl them in Oyl of Lillies and inject the same into the Matrix A Pessary excellent good for the same Take Mastick Mirrhe Gallia Muscata of each half a dram mix them with one ounce of Goos-grease role it up in Sheeps Wooll and put it up into the place An Oyntment to strengthen Women with Child Take Cypress Nuts Galls Myrtle-seed Juyce of Sloes Hypocistis of each half a dram Blood stone Amber Dragons blood Bolus of each one dram and a half reffuse of Iron half an ounce innermost Peels of Chesnuts one ounce decoct the reffuse of Iron a good while in Vinegar then beat them all together in a Morter to an Oyntment with 3 or 4 whites of Eggs and annoint the belly therewith 4 times a day Another Oyntment for the same Take Oyl of Nuts 4 Ounces Barrowes grease 1 ounce a half Cypres Nuts Mastick of each 1 dram and an half boyl them together gently the space of five houres and therewith annoint the Matrix Womb and Reins of the Back A Plaister for the same Take Dragagant Gum Bdellium of each 1 quarter of an oun Juyce of Sloes Frankincense Hypocistis Sandaraca of each one dram Bolus Dragons blood of each 1 quarter of an ounce wax half an Ounce Paper glew 2 ounces dissolve the glew in red Wine-Vinegar then temper them all together into a Plaister and apply it to the womb and privities For an Ague in Women with Child Take Barley meal Juyce of Sloes and Housleek what quantity you see convenient temper it with Vinegar and lay it upon the belly use it often this defends the Child from all accidents of an Ague To prevent miscarriage through wind Boil Cominseed in water and take three or four spoonfuls of that water with a dram of Mithridate twice a week Chap. XIIII To expell and drive out the dead Childe FOr the expulsion or delivery of a child that is dead the same Medecines that are prescribed to drive forth the unnaturall excrement called Mola and to provoke the Terms are good to be used But first be sure that the child is dead and do not go about to expel a live Child instead of a dead one which may be known by these signes If the Child be dead in the Womb then doth the woman feel great pain in the optick Nerves of her Eys and behind the Neck and on the Back-bone with great pain and anguish in her lower parts And the Burden alwaies falls to that side she lies on because the Ligaments of the Secundine have no power to hold it in one place the thickness of the upper part of the Belly sinks down and the woman feels much pain and cold about the neck of the Matrix Also if one hold a warm hand long upon the Belly and feel no stirring the Child is dead these are signs the Child is dead before it come to putrefaction But when it beginneth to stinke and putrifie which will be in three daies space after it is dead the woman will have a stinking breath stinking corruption issues from the Matrix and pieces of stinking flesh will at last be expelled from the Womb then means is to be used to clense the Womb of the dead Child and to preserve and strengthen the heart from the corruption of filthy sents ascending to it which may be done by this powder following Take white Diplamus one dram and a half Citron peels and seeds each half a dram Pearls prepared four scruples Coriander prepared a scruple Roses two scruples Sugar two ounces and a half make them all to fine powder and take thereof about a quarter of an ounce at once in drink Juice of Vervaine and Hysop drunk in Wine is good to expel the dead Child The innermost skins of the Maws of Hens and Capons washed in Wine and then dryed to powder and give thereof a dram in Wine broth or Rose water is good to expell a dead Child and the Secundine For the same take Betony and Rue of each a handful juyce of Salomons seal an ounce boyl it well in a pint of white Wine and strain it and give her to drink Linseed is very good for the same either to drink the decoction or Bathe therein Also take Mirth the quantity of a Hazle-nut stamped taken in Wine or Mugwort water is good for the same For women that are strong take about a spoonful of the juyce of Garlick with wine or Honey If a woman chance to miscarry through a fright or some such accident then take a Crab and stamp it and wring out the juyce and drink it with water of Mugwort Pills to expel a dead Child Take Trochis of Mirth one scruple Galbanum half a scruple make five Pills thereof with Penny-royal water Another for the same Take of the fruit of the Savine tree one quarter of an ounce Assa foetida Ammoniacum Madder of each half a dram make 11. Pills hereof and take one at a time three times a day morning night and at four of the clock in the afternoone A Fume to expel the dead Child Take some shavings of an Asses hoof or of a Horses if you cannot get the other and make a fume thereof and let the woman sit
taken quite away hindred or impedited or depraved as it happens in all other actions and motions of the body If Conception be quite taken away in a Woman so that she can never conceive this affection is called barrenness or this may be called a barren Woman which you please But if a Woman do conceive sometimes though rarely and seldom this is a weak and diminutive conception or the conceiving faculty is feeble and diminutive And to this kind of debility and weakness may be referred abortive and untimely Births when the Woman doth conceive but through weakness cannot bring the conception to the due time of the birth There is also a depraved conception when in the Womans Womb is contained some unnatural conception as Monsters Mola or superfluous unshapen flesh water wind or the like filling up the Womb and receiving the form of a conceived substance the causes and Remedies of these we shall proceed to declare The holy Scripture makes mention what reproach and how odious and detestable a thing barrenness was accounted in the antient times there was hardly any greater defamation to a woman so that Rachel could cry out to her Husband for Children or else her life lay on it rather then bear the reproach of barrenness and some Women have preferred their Maids to their Husbands so that the Child might be reputed theirs to take away their blemish of barrenness but you will find few Women of that mind now a dayes Therefore we come to speak of the causes of this grief which the Physitians do account many and divers Hippocrates accounteth the principal causes of barrenness to be these Hippoc. lib. de sterilitate if the mouth of the Womb be disterred and turned aside out of its place contrary from the pudenda if the mouth of the Womb appear too big or more wide then is convenient or if the mouth of the Womb be fallen down or hang out below the pudenda then is such a Woman unfit for conception these are therefore great causes of barrenness Many other are the causes of barrenness sometimes more sometimes lesse as Galen excellently teacheth The head and principal beginning of the invention Gal. 3. de Symp. Caus and finding out of all causes which bring hurt or are obnoxious to the faculties of the body is no other but the knowledge of the meanes whereby these faculties perform their actions in the time of health and soundness of body And whereas it hath been already declared that to produce any natural conception there is a necessity of conjunction and carnal copulation both of the man and woman therefore it ought first to be made manifest that the cause of barrenness may be through some defect in the man or in the woman and sometimes in both Although at this time our intent is only to treat of such Diseases as are incident to Women yet nevertheless since the Women have in this case a great interest and a dammage too if the fault be in the man because they may help their Husbands defect and in so doing pleasure themselves if they finde the imperfection to lie in him we shall not praetermit it And again since there is a necessity of the Copulation of man and woman or else there can be no generation and that they be both furnished with fit Instruments for that purpose as the man with the yard stones and seed the woman with Pudenda testes You may easily know what I mean the womb seed and menstruous blood Then all reason tells you that if there be any disaffection or defect in nature in any of these members or parts belonging to this work the fruitfulness and conception must necessarily be either impedited diminished or quite taken away Barrenness in men Few Women do complain of this fault One cause of barrenness on the mans part which is of all Authours condemned is penis longus or the overmuch length of the yard by reason whereof the seed is refrigerated and taketh cold in the passage of the yard before it can be injected from the stones into the womb But although this be a general received reason Avicen lib. 3. tract 1.8 amongst almost all Philosophers yet it may seem vain and suffer contradiction for the seed passing through the Conduit or channel of the yard is cherished and kept hot by the pudenda of the woman so that it seems impossible that it should take cold in the passage but rather the contrary that the long penis is most fit and commodious to further and perfect the Conception by injecting the seed into the inner parts of the womb which is done without any interval or space of time And also contradictive to this Opinion is the relation of Averroes which is credited by Aristotle and other good Philosophers That a certain Maid conceived with Child by standing in a Bath where some seed of man had been cast the Womb drawing the same into it by its natural magnetick attractive faculty which draweth and attracteth to it self the seed of man as the Loadstone draweth Iron But whereas many will have it that the too long yard is unfit for conception This is the worst fault in womens account so there are others on the contrary that affirm the short penis to render men unfruitful and that to be as bad if not a greater fault then the other And this is the more probable reason that the short penis may be more defective then the long one because it cannot so well inject the seed into the inner parts of the womb But to speak freely neither of these causes either of the length or shortness of the yard can be firm reasons of the barrenness or fruitfulness of man or to cause barrenness in the man since it is confirmed by experience of both parts that have had plenty of Children But a greater reason of barrenness in the man may be some vitiousness or defect in the yard as if the same be oblique or crooked if any of the ligaments thereof be distorred or broken whereby the wayes and passages through which the seed should flow be corrupt stopped or vitiated or some Disease or imperfection be either in the proper or in the vicious parts thereof Another cause of barrenness by the defect of the yard is too much weakness and tenderness thereof so that it is not strongly enough erected to inject the seed into the womb for the strength and stifness of the yard very much conduces to conception by reason of the forcible injection of the humane seed into the womb A second cause of barrenness of men may be some natural vice or laesion in the stones Gal. 14. usu part 1. de sem 11 16. if they are so made by nature that they cannot exercise their gift properly in producing seed The stones may be the cause of barrenness by reason of their evil composition or accidents and distempers or continual solution The stones may labour
to the intent of nature Gal. lib. de hist Phil. lib. 5. plai Ph. 8. are not fully agreed upon by all Galen or rather Plutarch sayes thus Empedocles teacheth That Monsters are created if the seed be too much or too little too much spread abroad or seperated if it be void or injected by inordinate motion or because something is added detracted transposited or inflamed or if the womb be distorted the Vessels corrupted or the formative vertue be deficient or do abound these things hinder the natural conception and due operation of nature Chap. XI Of the unnatural fleshy Conception in the womb called Mola THis unnatural Matter sometimes happens to grow in the wombs of Women that have no Copulation with men and causeth the Belly to arise and all signes to appear as though they were with Child their Termes staying the Breasts grow hard they lose their appetite or stomach to meat their complexion groweth pale and sometimes they may feel a stirring about the Matrix as if they were with Child yet nevertheless they bear no Child which have this mola ingendred in them Of this writes Aetius Aetius lib. ult and Avicen who saith that it is a certain hard substance sometime found to spread it self throughout the whole Matrix Aristotle teacheth that this Mola is nothing else Lib. 4. Gen. Hin Cap. 7. but a certain peece of flesh conceived and ingendred in the womb of a Woman and he reciteth a story of a certain Woman that brought forth a lump of flesh which they called Mola And hereunto Galen also plainly consents Gal. 14. usu part 17.14 Meth. 13 who affirmeth that this Mola is a peece of unprofitable deform'd flesh which is ingendred in the Womb of a Woman without the Copulation with a man as a Hen hath Eggs without a Cock. But now a Question may arise whether the cause of this unnatural Mola proceed from too much heat or too much cold or too much blood For Avicen teacheth Avic fen 21.3 trait 2. cap. 18. that besides the multitude or superfluity of blood there is a vehemency of heat wherein the blood is concocted and thereby the flesh acquires a form But this Aristotle seems to contradict who manifestly writeth that the Mola is no otherwise bred then of impure and imperfect concoction and that it hath its Original from the defect and imbecillity of natural heat And Averroes confirms that the cause is nothing else but debility and weakness of nature corruption of digestion and losse of the last concoction and certainly that rude and deformed flesh called Mola is ingendred of crudities This groweth in the womb in two kinds like a peece of flesh putrified without form or figure resembling rather a peece of spongeous blood wind water then right flesh which hindereth the expelling of the termes and being mixed with the natural seed it groweth sometimes to a hard substance It is also ingendred of superfluous blood and the concourse of tough and unconcocted humours which make the belly swell up as if the Woman were with Child This is an ill accident and putrifieth and spoileth the Matrix breeding there oftentimes Ulcers and Imposthumes Dropsies unnatural Fluxes or some such like infirmities bringing death if it be not well regarded to be prevented The sighes whereby they that labour with this unnatural Masse may be known from Women with Child are generally these The first is motion for this burthen moveth not as Children do because there is neither life nor sense in it But it may move by accident according to the motion of the woman and the ponderousness thereof but that is no true motion The Belly of Women which labour with this unnatural Masse is harder then the Belly of women with Child and will not so easily move from one place to another as theirs that be with Child The Woman that hath this Mola is also more melancholy then those that are with Child and their hands and feet more feeble this Masse also sometimes falleth from one side to another A Woman with Child at nine moneths end is delivered thereof but they go two 3 or 4 years sometimes all their life-time with this burthen For the cure of this Mola Hippocrates before all others prescribes the most perfect method The first means to be used is cleansing and purging of the whole body The second is to mollifie loosen and open the Vessels and ligaments of the Womb wherewith the Mola is bound and fastned there The third is to stir up and strengthen the expulsive faculty whereby this burden may the more easily be expelled from the Womb. All Physicians do agree that this disease cannot be cured without great difficulty and sometimes not at all yet nevertheless meanes must be used and first of all purgation whereby the Belly may be lenified and amongst all other Medicines Hiera obtains the chief place for its molifying and purging quality the better if it be mixed with Cassia as in this manner Take Species of Hiera simplex Cassia new drawn of each 1 dram mix them into a Bolus with Sugar A Sirrup for the same Take of Oximel simplex one Ounce decoction of Betony of Motherwort Mints Peny Royal of each 4 drams mix them together and make a Sirrup thereof but before you take it take this Bolus and Confection following A Bolus Take Conserve of Maidenhair two drams Species of Dia calamint 1 scruple mix them and make a Bolus thereof to be taken before the Sirrup A Confection for the same Take Species Diambre Diacalam of each half a dram Sugar 2 Ounces make a Confection thereof with White-wine and take it before the Sirrup An excellent potion for this Disease Take Elect Diaphen Hiera Diacol of each half a dram Mel. Ros Sol. 4. drams decoction of Betony of Mugwort of each a sufficient quantity to make a potion let the Patient in this Disease abstain from cold and moyst meats and use this potion following which mollifies the Masse or Mola and expels the humors that cause or increase it Take St. Johns Wort Savin Rosemary Field Mints Lovag Mugwort Peny Royal Madder of each one handful Fennel Squinant Parsley seed Calmus Galingale of each 1 dram Hors-radish Roots 4 Ounces boyl them all together in a good quantity of water to make a potion and take thereof every day 3. or 4. Ounces mixing therewith about a quarter of an Ounce of this Trochis following A Trochis Take Cynamon Mirrhe of each 2. drams and a half Rue Savin Field Mints Peny Royal Madder Sagapenum Opopanacum of each 1 dram Cardamum Juniper-wood Rosemary of each 1 dram a half dry them all to powder make Troches thereof and use it as above is directed Also for this Disease this following is a cheap and ready Medicine Take 3 Ounces of warm Fetherfewwater every morning fasting for two moneths together and fast 4 houres after it And every fourth day during the time she drinketh the water let her
take one of these Pills following Pills for the Mola Take Galbanum 1 quarter of an Ounce Flowers of Mugwort St. Johns wort Assarabacca of each 1 scruple dissolve the Galbanum in good wine and make thereof 6 Pills of a dram and take one at a time in 4 dayes as before is directed A Bath for the same Take Mugwort Camomile Dill Holly-hock Roots Mallowes of each one handful Linseed Fenegreek Anniseed Fennel-seed of each one dram make a decoction thereof in common water for a Bath and let the Woman sit hot in it up to her breasts and after use this Oyntment for the same purpose Take juyce of Holli-hocks 2 Ounces Goosgrease Hens grease of each one Ounce Oyl of sweet Almonds of white Lillies of each half an ounce mixe them to an Oyntment and therewith annoint all the external parts against the fire Inwardly let her also take Dia calamint Trochis of Mirrhe and in a word whatsoever is good to provoke the termes and to drive forth the secundide and expell a dead Child the same is effectual for this Disease of which shall be spoken in the ensuing discourse of hard Labours We have now at large written of all special accidents and infirmities incident to the womb and parts of generation and given perfect directions for remedies for the same yet nevertheless though the humane seed may be received and contained yet a mischance may follow or otherwise a weak and feeble fruit that it cannot come to perfection and at last a difficult and hard labour are many if not most of the Daughters of Eve subject to whereby oft-times their lives are in danger thereby if not quite lost with the fruit and all therefore concerning these infirmities and what belongs to fruit-bearing Women and their delivery is the intended subject of the subsequent part of this Book and first of the debility or weakness of the child in its Mothers womb Chap. XII Of the weakness of Children in the Womb. SUch is the frailty of humane nature that the Child is subject to sickness even in his Mothers womb no great marvel then if men are all their lives encumbred with casualties when they begin with them even before they have a visible being the sickness of Children in the womb not being obvious to the eye is the more difficult to finde out but the signes to know it are these If the Woman have her termes much being with Child it must argue debility of the Child because his nourishment and sustenance is taken away from him If Milk flow from Women with Child its evident the Child is weak and not strong enough to draw his nourishment to him If a Woman with Child be afflicted with a strong and violent loosness there is great danger of a mischance But the strength or weakness of the Child depends on heat and cold under which are comprehended all accidents whatsoever If the Child be weak through immoderate heat and dryeth then the remedy is to purge the Mother of Choler for which this following is a convenient Medicine Take Conserve of Prunes half an Ounce three Ounces of whay of milk give it her in the morning and let her fast 5 houres after it Another for the same Take Cassia extracted out of the Cane one Ounce and put to it 4 Ounces of Sorrel-water or Barley-water and give it in like manner as the other Another safe but stronger Medicine both for the Mother and the Child is this following Take 2 Ounces of Manna and 3. or 4. Ounces of Whay mixed with it and use it as the other For the same you may also steep in the same quantity of Whay a dram of Rubarb one night and strain it out well or if you will take half a dram of Rubarb in powder in some whay Let the Woman use such dyet as is cooling and moystning as Barley-water Lettice and use Verjuice and juyce of Lemons with her meat Endive water Syrrup of Roses Endive succoury water are good in this case Forbear all things which provoke vomiting or which force Urine or blood Let the Woman 3 or 4 times every day cool and quench her thirst with Barley-water having half an Ounce of Syrrup of leaves mixt with it An external Medicine for this Disease if you feel great heat to abound may be this Take Citron water Violet water of each 6. Ounces Sorrel-water 12. Ounces Red Sanders burnt Ivory Sorrel seed of each one scruple Saffron half a scruple Vinegar 3 spoonfuls mix them all together and wet a Linnen Cloth in it and lay it on the privities and on the small of the back Take also one Ounce of Pompeon Peels Oyl of Roses Oyl of Water-Lillies of each one Ounce and a half Housleek one Ounce temper them all together and annoint the back and privities therewith 3. or 4. times a day But if the cause of weakness or debility of the Child in its Mothers Womb proceed from cold and moystness then are contrary medicines to be used of which these following are approved Take Buglosse water Saffron seeds Agarins Hermodactils of each 1 scruple Cynamon Ginger Roses Coriander prepared of each 4 grains steep them one night in the Buglosse water then strain it and drink it in the morning fasting Another for the same Take Fethersew-water Balm water of each one Ounce and a half Benedicta laxativa one Ounce Sugar half an Ounce mix them and infuse them together one night then strain it out and use it as the other Have a care to use a good order of Dyet and such things as warm and dry boyl Sage Mints and Rosemary in her Portage and use to drink red Wine with steeled water To mundifie and cleanse the bad humours this Medicine following is very good Take juyce of Mints 4 Ounces Agarick one dram Ginger Roses of each 4 grains Manna half an Ounce steep the Agarick in the juyce of Mints a dayes and nights then put the Manna Roses and Ginger to it let it stand a while and dry against the fire and make it into Pills and take them Use this oftentimes for they gently purge and dry up the warty humors without pain or anguish A Plaister to remedy the corrupt humours Take Roses Cipers Nuts burnt Ivory Sandaraca of each 1 dram Rosen 3 Ounces boyl the Rosen in red Vinegar till the Vinegar be consumed then mix the other things with it and make 2 Plaisters of it and apply one to the back and the other to the womb Another excellent good Plaister to strengthen Women with Child that do not use to go out half their times Take Oyl of Quinces Oyl of Roses Oyl of Mints of each 1 ounce and a half Comphrey Blood-stone red Coral Sandaraca Date-stones burnt of each 1 dram mix it with a sufficient quantity of Wax to make a Salve thereof and with this annoint the Kidneys and Mother Chap. XIII Of Mischances and to prevent the same IT oftentimes comes to passe with women with
over it Basilium is good for the same to be used in like manner and so is likewise the fume of Laudanum and Galbanum A Bath to expel a dead Child Take ten handfuls of Mints and boyl them well in a sufficient quantity of water and let the woman sit therein up to the middle Chap. XV. Of hard Labour and means to procure easie Delivery THat all women should bear children with pain and sorrow was a punishment inflicted on them by God for the disobedience of the first Mother for which cause they undergo more anguish and peril in bringing forth then any other Creatures Yet nevertheless there may be many causes and accidents which render the delivery more dangerous and difficult in some then in others for which our purpose is here to prescribe some remedies A most excellent Plaister to strengthen women with child to wear all the time they be with child Take oyl Olive two pound four ounces red Lead one pound Spanish Sope twelve ounces Incorporate them altogether in an earthen pot and when the Sope cometh upwards put it upon a small fire of coals and continue it an hour and a half stirring it with an Iron or stick then drop a drop of it upon a trencher if it cleave not it is enough spread it on cloths or lay it on a board till it cools then make it up into Rolls it will last twenty years the older the better and when you have occasion to use it for this purpose spread a Plaister of it and apply it to the Backâ— and when you have tryed it you will give me thanks for it It is likewise good for the bloody Flux Running of the Reins or any weakness in the Back for any bruise to draw out a Thorn out of the flesh and easeth Cornes and is good for a strain and for the Head-ach being applyed to the Temples But to proceed when the woman with child begins to draw near her time then let her use such meats and drinks as nourish well but use no excesse of either but especially let her take care to keep her Body soluble for which and also to prepare the Body for an easy delivery this Bath is very good to be used A Bath good for women with Child when they draw near their time to procure easie delivery Take Holly-hock roots and leaves two handfuls Mallows Betony of each one handful Mugwort Marjoram Mints Camomile of each half a handful Linseed two handfuls bruise the Linseed grosly and put that together with the hearbs into two bags and boyl them well in water enough to make a Bath for the woman to sit in up to the Navel when it is warm and let her sit upon one bag and hold the other upon her Navel And afterwards use to annoint the Belly Back and privities with this Salve following being warmed A preparative Salve to cause easy delivery in Child bearing women Take oyl of sweet Almonds of Lillies Violets of each-half an ounce Linseed Holly-hock roots Fenugreek Butter Hens grease of each one quarter of an ounce Quince kernels Dragagant of each an ounce stamp the seeds small and slice the roots and boyl them all together in rain water then take out the Muscilage and temper the same with the oyl then let the powned Dragagant and Hens grease boyl so long till the Muscilage be consumed then make thereof a Salve and annoint therewith as before is directed Another Ointment for the same Take oyl of sweet Almonds of Lillies of Violets each half an ounce Hens grease Ducks grease three drams mix them together with Wax as much as is needful to make a Salve and use it as the other With any of these Salves a woman is to be annointed about the parts before mentioned every day the space of five or six weeks before her time Now when the time of Labour is come then use any of these things which follow as the cause requires but above all things this powder following is most effectual An excellent Powder for women in travel with Child-bearing Take Dittany of Crete Penny-royall Aristolochia round each half a scruple Cinamon Saffron of each twelve grains Let them be all beaten into a fine powder and given in Wine or some convenient decoction as the decoction of red Pease of Penny-royal or of Parsley For outward Medecines there be many things used to be held to the privities as Egrimony with the roots to be held to the Matrix and immediately after the birth to be thrown away lest it draw down the Matrix also Henbane roots Polypody roots Bistorta are very good for the same Also take Polypody roots and Mallows of each a handful and a handful of Mugwort bruise them small and boyl them well and apply it moderately warm upon the Matrix and after the Delivery immediately take it away Some use to tie a Snakes skin about the Thigh but what vertue there is in that they know that have tryed it Bay-berries beat and applyed to the Navel are good to further the Birth but inwardly this Powder is commended Take Cinamon Mirrh of each half a dram make them into powder and give it with a little White-wine Another for the same Take Cinamon one dram Saffron half a dram Cassia wood Cassia pipes of each two scruples scrape off the uttermost black bark from the Cassia Pipes and make it all into fine powder and give it four or five times in the decoction of red Pease Pills for the same Take Mirrh Bever-cod red Storax of each half a scruple Cinamon Savin of each half a scruple make it into Pills with the decoction of red Pease and so give it Another for the same Take Mirth Costus red Storax of each half a dram Ammoniacum Savin of each half a dram beat them very small and give it in the decoction of red Pease use it three or four times If the throws be too weak or do not continue let all sweet savours as Musk or the like be kept from the woman in labour for that hinders throwes and holds back the Birth But to forward the Birth make this decoction Take Betony three handfulls Mugwort one handful Camomile Penny-royal Hysop of each one handful Linseeds two handfuls bruise the Linseed grossly and cut the hearbs small and put them all in a bag and boyl it well in Wine and water with this decoction foment the Matrix five or six times with a spunge and then annoint the place with the oyl of Wall-flowers even to the Neck of the Mother if it can be done with conveniency But if this help not then give her a good draught of this Potion following every two hours Take Mugwort Penny-royal Hysop of each half a handful Betony one handful boyl all these in a pint and a half of Renish Wine till the fourth part be consumed strain
De Morbis Foemineis THE Womans Counsellour OR The Feminine Physitian MODESTLY Treating of such occult accidents and secret Diseases as are incident to that Sex which their too much modesty too often to their sorrow causes them to conceal from others for a Remedy whereof they are here taught to be their own helpers especially in these particulars Of barrenness and Abortion of natural and unnatural Births of the suppression of the Termes the immoderate Flux thereof and other infirmities Dicere quae puduit Scribere jussit With a brief Appendix touching the Kindes Causes and Cures of Dropsies and Tympanies of all sorts Translated out of Massarius de morbis Mulier By R. T. φιλομαθης 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for John Streater and are to be sold by the Booksellers in London 1657. To the Reader Courteous Reader I Am now to write to two Sexes both Masculine and Feminine This Treatise is composed useful for both Men and Women for men who are English Students in the excellent works of nature the knowledge of Physick who want some English subject of this nature there being nothing of it yet extant And this Authour comming to my hands almost worn out with the Canker of Time I have bestowed the pains to new dresse and revive with many additions there being no subject more useful To the Feminine Gender Women of all sorts be they Maids Wives or Widows what private and occult infirmities they are subject to are here described with their causes and Cures Those that are or intend to take on them the honourable practice of Midwives may be instructed in some difficulties that will happen in their Offices whereby they may be helpful to those they undertake I mean not the Theorical part of a Midwives Office and Duty what appertains to that they are sufficiently and excellently directed by that late deceased and yet living English Apollo Mr. Culpepper in his Midwives Directory and here followes the practical part directing what means is to be used in any accident there or that followes or precedes Child-birth I have bestowed the pains plainly to English the Receipt of every Medicine in words at length and not in figures that every one may understand them and thereby over modest Maids and VVomen may help themselves in many private infirmities which oftentimes they languist under and will not discover Then make use hereby as you have occasion and as you finde the Benefit give God the prayse who hath given power to his weak Creatures the Herbs of the Field to be your helpers and preservers which is the desire of R. T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A TABLE OF THE Contents of the Chapters OF Womens Diseases in general The Introduction Chap. 1. Of the Menstrue or Termes C. 2. Of the suppression or stopping of the Termes Chap. 3. Of the immoderate Flux of the Termes Chap. 4. Of the Flux of the Womb or the Whites Chap. 5. Of the Fits of the Mother or suffocation and drawing up of the Matrix Chap. 6. Of the falling down of the Womb. Chap. 7. Of natural Conceptions Chap. 8. Of Barrenness Chap. 9. Of monstrous and unnatural births C. 10. Of the unnatural fleshy Conception in the Womb called Mola Chap. 11. Of weakness of Children in the Womb. Chap. 12. Of Mischances and to prevent the same Chap. 13. To expel and drive forth a dead Child out of the womb Chap. 14. Of hard Labour find meanes to procure easie Delivery Chap. 15. Of superfluity of milk and other accidents happening after the Birth as sore breasts Chap. 16. Meanes and Remedies for Nurses that want milk Chap. 17. Of Dropsies and Tympanies an Appendix THE WOMANS COUNSELLOUR The Introduction Chap. I. Of Womens diseases in generall THis being a Subiect which too much modesty or indeed as it is simple folly of many of the female Sex hath hindred them from attaining to and others to fill their purses have and do still endeavour to conceale But the want thereof being much and the benefit great to save the health and sometimes the lives of many poor women whom God made as like himself as he did the greatest Queen in the world is the cause of bringing this so much necessary work to every ones capacity And to treate peculiarly of the Diseases and Infirmities incident to women which as they want a particular Treatise so they require a peculiar and proper Cure Hipp. I. de morbis mul. 331. as Hippocrates at large teacheth For the women do much differ from the men from their beginning and therefore do labour under and suffer many Diseases peculiar and proper only to that Sex which men can never surfer neither are they incident to them Wherefore Is it not requisite to call such infirmities womens diseases and for them to instittute not only a proper Treatise but a special Cure Neverthelesse it hath been and perhaps still is contended against by some learned and famous men who would account this Treatise needlesse and seem to averre that there is no such vast distinction to be used between the Male and Female but their Diseases having only respect to the Sex may be cured by one and the same general method And this indeed may be true in some common and generall Diseases usual to both sexes but in such infirmities as appertain only to the women and are not at all contingent to the men their falsity plainly appears And therefore Galen Hippocrates Dioscorides and many others have taken the pains to write whole Commentaries meerly upon the Diseases of women but yet their works are much incused by the corruption of time though full of much variety of speech gravity and excellency of Learning This Treatise of the Diseases of women is so occult intricate and difficult to perform that there is nothing to be found in all the Cabinets of nature or secrets of the medicinal Art more abstruse and difficult The causes of this are many as Hippocrates numbers them in his Book Hipp. de morbis mul. pag. 331. De morbis mul. pag. 131. The first cause is that women carry Diseases a long time about them and root it in them and yet are either voluntarily or foolishly ignorant thereof either they do not know or else are so superfluously modest as they will not discover the same until time and necessity too late to their pain teaches them to know them by experience And from hence it followes that their Cure is not onely difficult but oftentimes their Diseases are incurable The second cause Hippocrates numbreth to be this That a great many women that are troubled with some secret Disease and do well know the same yet are so shamefac't and modest as rather to suffer under the same than to communicate their minds to the Physician Whereas he that wears the shoo best knows where it wrings and amongst other Causes the information of the Patient discovers to the Physician the knowledge and so consequently the Cure of
the Disease may be the easier effected Now the Physician being destitute of that help by reason of the silence of the women the knowledge of the Disease is the more hard to find out and consequently the Cure more difficult This also may be added for a third cause the too much verecundity or timidity of the Physicians dealing too carelesly with the women being too shamefac'd or bashful to deal plainly with them and to inquire of them diligently and perfectly the causes of their infirmities and also absconditos locos suos attingere tractare which is necessary and needfully required Of which negligence Hippocrates doth much reprove and reprehend many Physicians who do not accurately and carefully study to search out and understand the true Causes of womens Diseases without the knowledge whereof their going about to Cure them is rash and indiscreet But to passe by these Causes which are of no small moment it will not be amiss to add another that the ignorance of Midwives not knowing the internal secret parts of nature nor how to exhibite in word or outward remedies may cause to the women difficult and hard labours From all which is consequently gathered that the Causes finding out the matter and knowledge of womens Diseases containeth in it many secrets and great difficulties But these difficulties carry with them and comprehend in themselves a recompence of jucundity and profit For what is more delightful to man than to understand so great secrets and mysteries of Nature And what can be more profitable to a Physician than to finde out and know the way and manner of curing and helping the infirmities and diseases of women For since that the infirmities which do most frequently afflict miserable women are very many most acute and grievous in so much that their complaints may be heard almost continually from the very Womb certainly Physicians in the study of their Cure shall not only gain great esteem and honour but much profit This therefore induceth me to render this Treatise plainly in the English tongue that the women themselves may be their own Physicians The first thing therefore here intended to be handled is of the Conception of man and therein the first thing to be noted is the distinction and difference of the Sexes of man and woman without which no Conception can be had nor the Course of nature maintained of which that it may be fully and perfectly understood by you we shall speak plainly I say therefore as the Philosophers teach that all things whatsoever that are have a twofold ens or being some ingenerative incorruptible eternal as Intelligences and Heaven others generative corruptible and momentary as these inferiour Elements and those things which consist of the Elements Although the Elements as to the whole are ingenerative and incorruptible neverthelesse according to the parts they are generated and corrupted and are subject to continual transmutation But the Cause thereof is the materia prima or first matter which alwaies desires new forms as the Phylosophers in their Physicks every where teach But to let passe all other circumstances Gal. 14. cap. 11. Galen tells you there was a man so studious in the secrets of Nature as to seek if it were possible to be immortal and bring immortality upon the Body But the materia prima or which if you will call it God himself knew this to be unlawful and this Galen sufficiently declareth Gal. 1 cap. 1. For that which consisteth of Arteries Veins Nerves Bones and Flesh is the compound of Nature and therefore is subject to corruption for the Frabricatum or building of Nature is a plain way yet impossible to bring a man to immortality his structures are subject to fall The greatest of Cities and the wisest of men be their Counsels never so great or their people never so many and their wisdom and their providence never so much time will bring them all to nothing Therefore the workes of Nature are wonderful as that as one dies another lives and instead of one another succeeds and by that Rule you may call nature to be immortal but this is no other but the continual Generation of mankind Gal. 6.7.14 3 De usu part so teacheth Philosophy and so the learned write There is no part of the Body but is necessary to be used and competent to the protection of life as the Brain the Heart the Liver the Eyes the Nose the Ears but if we should particularly instance the primum mobile of Nature we must then speak of the four principal parts which carry a distinction between the Male and the Female and are the preservers and continuers of mankind I 'le presume so much modesty as to give you these tearms in the old tongue Turner my meaning cannot be unknown 't was lawfull for Ovid to write what he would not speak and you may know my meaning the parts following which we must treat of are the maintainers and continues of the World before the confusion of Babel called pudenda testes utert You know my mind if you do not his in English such things as have the best sense of feeling Of this which we said before we intend only to discriminate the Sexes without which no Generation can be had in any Creature whatsoever without the perfect mixture of Male and Female And therefore Aristotle in all his works Arist. de gen c. 2 counted the Earth to be the Mother of all Creatures the Sun the Father and begetter of them so saith likewise Plato and all others that the Man and the Woman consist of two Elements of the Sun and Moon the Father and begetter to be the Fire or Sun the woman or conceiver to be the Earth or Moon of which the whole World is built and consists As the Macrocosmus or great world consists Turner and is properly supported by the Sun and Moon which are the male and female of the same great World so the Microcosmus Man by the woman which is the Moon of the man and the Earth of the Microcosmus and the field of his generation products the continual generation of mankind To speak of the differences of Sects and parts between man and woman would take up a Volume in Philosophy beyond our present intention which intends only the infirmities incident to the Moon of the man or that Creature which we call a woman Something may be said how the Sun and Moon of the Microcosme or the man and the woman differ in parts and nature Philosophy largely teacheth it but we say no more but only they differ in Faculty For the Man or the Sun of the Microcosme hath a power or faculty to ingender in another that is in the Moon but the woman hath also a faculty in power of generating or bringing forth in her self by the help of the Sun her husband without which mutual conjunction no Generation can be had I hope you have wit enough to know
what I mean by the Sun and the Moon that I may not be forc'd to English one thing twice and if you be Men or Women then know that by the Sun I mean the Man and by the Moon the Woman which if she be a whore I cannot help it That 's an Eclipse to the microcosmical Sun And as these two differ in Sex so they differ in Nature and in the several Faculties of Nature and Members belonging to procreation and Generation of Creatures accomodated the one to the other but if you will take the distinction Aristotle he calleth them in Women Pudenda and uterus and in Men Testes and Membrum virile Testes signifies properly witnesses and a man without such witnesses will have bad success in his cause Turner if women be of the Jury And therefore the first Mover and Maker of all things knew it necessary to have a procreation of Mankind for the continual supply of the World which should be as well Male as Female and therefore he made the Woman and fitted her answerably to be accomodated to receive the Instrument of the Microcosmical Sun the Man necessarily fitting one to the other for the Act of generation and this was the cause why 't was thought not fit the Man should be alone for if he had been so the World had ceased in him and 't was not only sufficient to make a Man and a Woman so and furnish them with Instruments proper to conjunction and copulation but also that as well in the Man as in the Woman there should be a desire and magnetical attraction to the Act of copulation by a sympathy between themselves or else the very Act it self would be abhorred and the species of humane Generation frustrate and come to nothing by an abhorrency of the Act it self naturally as it is whereby the intention of Nature would have fallen to the ground and one Man and one Woman onely been made in vain Therefore the sagacity of Nature to cause propensity in both Sexes to the Act of Generation for procreation sake endued both with a reciprocal pleasure and delight in the Act of Coition it self And this propensity and pleasure is not ordained in men and women only but in all other Animals to maintain a continual succession of generations amongst them as appears by the great fierceness and earnest desire of all Creatures to this Act of which the Philosophers largely write but we passe it as not pertinent to our present intent and come to speak of the menstrual or monethly Courses by the natural constitution whereof all women are more or lesse weak or strong diseased or sound more or lesse able and meet for Conception according to the species or degrees thereof Chap. II. Of the Menstrua or Terms ARistotle delivers Arist 1. de gen Anim. cap. 19. that the Menstrua is an Excrement and in proportion as the Seed of man and that they happen to Women at the same age as the men begin to have Seed And that the humours of the Terms are purged forth by Nature as superfluous and unprofitable therefore they may be comprehended under the general notion of an Excrement the principal use thereof is for generation sake which is the first Institution thereof the Birth desiring a copious matter for nutriment The Terms generally begin in all Women The time about the fourteenth year of their age about which time also Men begin to have Seed and both men and women change their voice and are subject to many other mutations in their Bodies And they cease as the same Philosopher writes about the 50th year seldome longer continuing The time of their flowing is not in all alike for some have these purgations but one day others two three and four dayes according to the age and temperament of the Woman For sometimes they flow more and sometimes lesse sometimes longer sometimes shorter In women that are sound of body they moderately flow two or three dayes if any longer or shorter time that Woman is sickly or barren And so much for the Terms in general we will proceed now to speak of the suppression or stopping thereof Chap. III. Of the stopping or suppression of the Terms WHereas by the institution of Nature it is necessarily provided that all Women should haâ—e their monethly natural purgations by reason of the temperature of this Sex and many other causes but if they be supprest or stopt there followes to that Woman much peril and many sicknesses but on the other side if they have their purgations according to the law of Nature it keeps them in health and preserves them from many Diseases The Causes The Causes of the suppression of the Terms or diminishing of them are principally four The first is the vitiousness of the Womb and of the Vessels pertaining thereunto The second is the vice or corruption of the blood The third the viciousnesse of the whole Body The fourth and the last are the viciousness and the Faculties of the Body to which all other causes may be referred First therefore the Terms are supprest or diminisht by reason of the Womb and the Vessels belonging thereunto by which the Terms ought to be purged if therefore the Womb labour under any Disease which may be many as that if the substance of the womb be too hard or too thick otherwise then is agreeable to Nature that causes a stopping of the Terms that must be brought to a better habit with fit medicaments and used in time for a convenient remedy Secondly there doth happen Diseases of intemperateness which are various simple and compound some with matter and some without matter under all which the Womb may labour partly by Nature and from the Birth and partly growing in time against Nature as hardnesse and thicknesse of which we have spoken Of these Causes the Simple are cold and dry the Compound hot and dry both which may stop the Terms cause the Womb to grow thick and hard destroy the blood and impedite the natural purgation Then there are Diseases of intemperatenesse with matter as Inflammations Swellings Tumours and Cancers against Nature Then there are other Diseases as Ulcers Fistulaes Imposthums and the like which the Womb is subject to which also impedite the Terms The second cause of the suppression of the Terms is corruption of blood which may be either too thick or too glutinous by reason of the vicious thickness of the humours the Diet and many other causes frequently happening The third Cause which causes Women many times not to have their Purgations at all is the viciousnesse of the whole Body that it sends not blood sufficient to the Womb for this matter to be digested of the humour inclining to other parts of the Body either caused by ill Diet or too much exercise as often happens in some rustick Women whereby their temperament becomes too hot and dry almost inclining to the nature of men Another Cause of the
The use of these Lotions and Baths is twofold First to wash and Bathe the Thighs and lower parts of the Woman with the water decocted and secondly for the woman to sit in a Bath up to her middle The second sort of external medecines are injections or medecines to be injected into the Womb and Pessaries or Suppositories to be put into the Womb and remain there a space Suppositories are made of medecines wrapt up in wooll or bombast or some such like thing and so put up into the Womb and there a great while to be detained But alwaies remember that you tie a string thereunto put about the Thigh that it may again be taken out when you please A Pessary for the Terms Take the leaves roots and juyce of Mercury and make thereof a Pessary and apply it alone it may also be mixed with other Medicaments Pessaries of odoriferous things and Aromaticks are very good An Aromatick Pessary to draw down the Flowers Take of Gum Ladanum the best two parts of Belzoine and Mirrh of each one part of Musk one part mix the Aromaticks with oyl of white Lillies a sufficient quantity to make it into a fit form and so put it up Pessaries more strong in operation are such as are made of Coloquintida Briony Scammony and the like an example whereof take following A Pessary to move the Terms Take of Ox gall the juyce of Briony of each one ounce Pulp of Goloquintida two drams of Mirrh one dram make this into a Pessary as before is directed and so apply it In the third place outward means to be used are fumes and suffumigations and they are best to be made of odoriferous Aromatick things whereof take this example A Fumigation to procure the Terms Take Belzoinum Storax Calamint Mirrh Bdellium of each a dram These you may have at the Apothecaries Gallia Muscata Mes half a dram Libethum half a scruple Storax liquid or oyl of Spike perfumed a sufficient quantity to make it into Pills or Trochis This is to be put on a moderate fire that the fume may ascend and the Woman is to be so comodiously placed that she may receive the fume up into the Matrix through a vessel or funnel fit for that purpose which is to be made broad at that end next the fire that it may receive all the smoke and with a narrow neck like a funnel to inject the fume into the Matrix But these Fumigations as Hippocrates teacheth Hipp. 5. Apho. 28. use to cause the Headach Therefore the Woman ought to be well covered fortified with clothes that the vapours may be kept from ascending to the Head In the fourth place amongst the external Medicines unguents and plaisters are to be used and applyed to the Abdomina or secret places Letting of blood is also to be used in the Foot or else where as need requires us An Oyl good to bring down the Flowers Take oyl of sweet Almonds two ounces of white Lillies one ounce Oyl of Anniseed two drams Mixe them and therewith anoint c. it is very effectual for infirmities in those parts A Plaister to apply to move the Terms Take of Penny-royal Calamint Ditanny Mugwort of each one handful Cinamon Cloves Mirth Balsom of each a dam meal of Pease a pound mixe them with White-wine upon the fire and make thereof a plaister and apply it to the pundenda An Ointment for the same Take Mussilage of Fleawort and Linseed of each an ounce Butter Unsalted two ounces Hens grease Ducks grease Goose grease Marrow of Calves bones of each half an ounce Ammoniacum a quarter of an ounce oyl of Sesanum oyl of sweet Almonds of each five drams Wax sufficient to make it into a salve With this Ointment anoint the Body behind and before from the Navel downwards but not before you have used all other inward means and outward of Bathing letting blood Fumes Pessaries c. A Plaister for the same Take Confectio benedicta half an ounce Turbith a quarter of an ounce Nigella seed three drams clarified Honey enough to make it into a Plaister This Plaister is to be applyed over the Privities as before is directed If you perceive the Courses begin to appear then take this drink following Take Mugwort Sene leaves and Penny-royal of each half a handful Cinamon half an ounce Mace three drams boil these altogether in three pints of good Wine until the fourth part be wasted boil it in a pot stopt close in boiling water otherwise called Balneo Mariae In the last place is to be used frictions or often rubbing of the Thighs and inferiour parts to draw the humour downwards Ligatures or binding the Thigh hard with a string Cupping glasses to be applyed to the Hips and Thighs and the inferiour parts both with scarification and without Let the sick party beware of all slimy meat and hard meat and from all salt cold binding things as are hard of digestion omit hatred sorrow and melancholinesse and alwaies in these cases begin with the mildest Medicines first of which you have sufficient before directed And thus far for the suppression or stopping of the Terms we proceed to the extraordinary Flux an evil also incident to Women and the remedies thereof Chap. IIII. Of the immoderate Flux of the Terms HAving hitherto fully declared the Symptomes Causes and Cure of that great Feminine infirmity the stopping or obstruction of the termes ' we provide now in order to treat of the immoderate Flux or overflowing of Womens courses which oftentimes brings to the party afflicted there with many other infirmities and great weakness and sickness pains in the back and stomack losse of appetite ill digestion and many other diseases as Dropsie Consumption and others This infirmity may and often times is caused by some fall blow thrust over-straining too much exercise over-heating the body and thereby making the blood thin and fluxible It is also caused by some unnatural and untimely birth breaking of a vein or some bruisings in the womb some vein there being broken or through some weakness in the retentive faculty and too much strength of the expulsive too much moysture and slipperiness in the Matrix Many suppose the immoderate Flux of the termes and the continual Issue of women to be one and the same disease but they are besides the Cussion for they are 2 several distinct diseases as Galen plainly teacheth for in the superfluous Flux of the termes blood only issueth as it useth to appear in the natural monthly purgations but only it flowes immoderately but in the issue or Flux of Women not only blood but various excrements sometimes watry and of another substance are evacuated The Termes or courses are said to flow immoderately after a twofold manner First when they flow excessively and beyond measure in a small time Secondly When this evacuation continues many dayes beyond its natural course and time And to this purpose writes Galen when he saith
Blood-stone washed one dram Shepherds purse two scruples fine Bolus half a dram Roses Corral of each half a dram Cinamon a quarter of an ounce make them all into a fine powder and mix them with Sugar as much as you please and take it in broth or strewed on meat Another Powder for the same Take fine Bolus one dram Terra sigillata two scruples Tormentil half a dram Shepherds purse a scruple Pearl prepared one dram Species de gemmis frigidis one dram and a half Pomgranates half a scruple Roses Saunders red Coral of each a scruple Sugar three ounces Mix them all together and make them a fine powder and give it as the other in broth or stewed meat An Electuary for the same Take Conserve of Roses six ounces Conserve of Burrage Buglas Balm of each an ounce Bolus prepared a dram Pearl prepared a quarter of an ounce of Rubies Jacinths Saphir each a Scruple Cinamon a dram mix these together and make an Electuary thereof Another Electuary to stay the Flowers Take Conserve of Roses three ounces Marmalade two ounces and half red Corral a dram Bolus prepared half a dram Blood-stone prepared two drams mix them all together with the syrup of Myrtles and make an Electuary thereof and take it as you please A Confection for the same Take Conserve of Roses three ounces Marmalade two ounces and a half Conserves of Burrage Buglas each one ounce Bolus prepared a dram and a half Pearl two drams and a half Tormentil two scruples red Saunders one dram mix them all together and make a Confection thereof with the Syrup of Myrtles The Confection of black Cherries and preserved Barberries are also very good for this use A tost of bread steeped in red Wine and Nutmegs in powder strewed thereon is very good Another for the same Take Tormentil and Nutmegs of each a like quantity Plaintain seeds half as much beat them all to powder and give it evening and morning with stale beer Red Corral taken every day before meales in Plantain water is also very good to stay the Flux For the same Take burnt Harts-horn and Nettle-seeds of each a like quantity and beat them to powder and take thereof a dram at a time in Plantain water and about a spoonful of the juyce of Yarrow Galingal chewed in the Mouth is also good A Clyster to stay the immoderate Flux of the Terms Take Fetherfew Balm Rue Scabious Rosemary flowers Southernwood Comin Bay-berries Cassia wood Cassia sistula of each a dram and an half Dill seed Anniseed each a handful and a half shaven Ivory two handfuls boyl them altogether by a mild fire in two quarts of water till half be consumed and then strain it out and take of this Decoction 12. ounces oyl of Sesanum Rue and Pepper of each half an ounce Indian Salt one dram Diacastore Confection of Bay-berries and Benedictaâ— of each three drams temper them all very well together and administer it very warm Thus far of such Medecines as are to be given inwardly we now proceed to external or outward applications of which there are divers but all ought to be of an astringent stopping quality such are Pessaries Unguents and Plaisters c. A Pessary to stop the excessive Course of the Terms Take Baulustes bark of Pomgranates Mirtles each half a dram mix them with a sufficient quantity of Honey and make thereof a Pessary and put it up into the Matrix There are also more liquid Medecines which may very commodiously be injected with a fit Instrument like Clysters An Injection to stay the Flux of the Terms Take Baulustes Pomgranate Pill Tragant of each a dram Comfrey four drams make a decoction thereof and mix it with four drams of the Juyce of Plantane and make an Injection thereof A Pessary for the same Take juyce of Plantane juice of Sloes and juyce of Pimpernel and make a Pessary thereof with Cotton A Cataplasme for the same or a Pultis which you please to call it Take Wormwood Knot-grasse Nights-shade of each a like quantity pound them together and strain out the juyce then temper with it Rye-meal a sufficient quantity to make it into the thickness of a Pultis and lay it all over the Belly from the Navel to the Matrix A precious salve to stay the immoderate Flux of Womens Courses Take Comin Carraway Rueseed Ameos Seseli and Gallia Moscata of each a dram and a half Rosin three drams oyl of Dill two ounces oyl Olive one ounce Lignum Aloes Cloves of each half a dram melt the Rosin in the oyl and temper the other things with it being beaten small into fine powder and incorporate them together by stirring until it become a thick salve Herewith anoint the Hips and Reins it is excellent to stop the superfluous flux of the Terms It is also good against vomiting and perbreaking and to expel wind being applyed to the Navel and Stomach Be sure to observe whether the woman abound with heat or cold and frame your Medicines accordingly if cold be predominant use such things as cause heat and are good to stop blood such are Frankincense Mastick Cipress nuts Sandaraca Laudanum Mirrh Storax Annis and the like If heat abound such things are to be prepared as are cold and astringent as cool and bind and such is the nature of these following Camphire the juyce of Sloes burnt Ivory Coriander Dragons blood Saunders Blood-stone fine Bolus Hypocistis the seeds of Kneeholm or Butchers broom call it which you will these seeds and also the decoction of the root are very effectual if you would know where to find the seeds look into the inside of the red berries thereof and there you shall be sure to find them but not before you have found the hearb for they grow together and the Kneeholme hearb is a common companion almost with every holly bush These are also cooling and astringent Mirtle seeds Galls Pomgranates flowers called Balaustes the seeds of Plantane of Melons Cucumber gourds and of Pompeons and the roots of Pimpernel Some are glad to eat what they can get yet ye must as near as ye can avoid what is hurtful Let the manner of dier be such as is nourishing and breedeth good juyce and is easily digested especially such as thicken the blood and hinder the fluxibility thereof as Birds those especially of the Mountains are highly commended if you can catch them Let their drink be astringent Wine or use to quench Steel in their drink or boyl therein the seeds leaves and roots of Plantane And thus much of the Flux of the Terms Chap. V. Of the Flux of the Womb or the Whites in Women WEe have already declared that the immoderate Flux of the monethly Courses and the Flux of the Womb or the white Menstrue Gal. 6. loc affe ad finem are two several Diseases as Galen plainly teacheth We proceed now to speak of the Whites or white Flux in women called by the Physicians Gal.
Oyntment for the same called Unguentum sandalinum Take red Sanders 2 drams and a half yellow Sanders 1 dram and a half Roses 3 drams Fine Bolus a quarter of an Ounce burnt Ivory a dram Camphire half a dram white Wax an Ounce Oyl of Roses 3 Ounces Melt the Wax first amongst the Oyl then temper the other things amongst them and make them into an Oyntment This Oyntment is not only good to annoint the secret parts for this Disease but also to cool the inflammations of the Kidnies Liver and Stomack and all other parts being annointed with it A Salve for the same Disease Take Oyl of Roses Oyl of Mirtles Mastick of each half a dram shaven Ivory a scruple Camphire 2 grains pound that which is to be powned and with a little Wax make them into a Salve with this annoint the Reins and Kidnies it is excellent good for the whites Another Confection very good for the same Take ripe Black berries or bramble berries which you will call them and boyl them unto a Confection either with Honey or Sugar and take there of every day as much as you please this you may make when the Black-berries be ripe and keep it in a readiness by you all the year it is also good for any soreness or swelling in the throat and for inflammations in the mouth A Powder also excellent for the same Take the young buds of the Blackberry Bush and the Berries thereof dryed pound them and drink a dram thereof twice a day in red wine You may gather the green buds when the branches first spring and keep them dry by you and gather the Berries too when they be ripe if you be not afraid to prick your fingers keep them dry by you and when you have occasion beat them to powder and take them in red Wine as before is directed You that will not regard this Medicine because it is too cheap may let it alone for them that will there be Medicines enough to be had to fit your turns if you think the vertue consists in their dearness and I do not desire to hinder those that can furnish you with them but those that will make use of this will finde it worthy their acceptance But if in case this Disease issue from some cold cause it will not be then amiss to use this Medicine following For the Whites Take the Seeds of Arch Angel or dead Nettles in powder about a dram at a time in red Wine Confected Aniseeds is also very good for this Disease and not improperly may be given in either case this following Another for the same or Reds Take 4 spoonfuls of red Rose-water a new-laid Egge a peny worth of white Sugar Candy in powder and a Nutmeg grated incorporate all these and beat them well together and drink it last at night going to bed You may also if the Issue be sharp so as to cause pain and soreness use an Injection or Pessary A Pessary for the whites in Women Take some Whites of Eggs and beat them well in red Rose-water and make it into a Pessary with some Cotten or linnen Cloaths wet in it and so put it up into the Matrix alwayes remembring to tie a string to it to pull it out again when you please If the Whites flow from the abundance of superfluous humours it will not be unnecessary to endeavour to evacuate the same through the skin by using often frictions or rubbing of the whole body first gently and then more hard by which means the humours may be purged through the skin And to use unctions is also very good if necessity urge of Oyl of Camomile of sweet Almonds or the like so that of all sorts of remedies you have here your choyce and therefore we shall proceed to another Chapter Chap. VI. Of the fits of the Mother or suffocation or drawing up of the Matrix MAny Women sorely labour under this Disease it hath great affinity with the Syncope passion and the Disease called Epilepsia or the Falling Sickness and that because of the Sympathy that is between the heart and the brain and the Matrix This happens to Women through several causes Oftentimes when there is an obstruction or stoppage of the Termes which do burthen the Brain and Matrix with bad humors Sometimes by reason of the retention of their natural Seed as in Widows and old Maids for this retention causeth wind to ascend and ill vapors from the Matrix to the Diaphragma or Midrif and there stoppeth the passage of the breath it often therefore troubleth such as have been used to have carnal Copulation and afterwards are constrained to want it and therefore saith Galen it doth most frequently trouble Widows Likewise the overmuch retention of the Seed causeth it to putrifie and send up ill vapours to the head causing many troublesome accidents as drousiness dulness giddiness pains in the head sometimes madness it self shortness of breath and panting of the heart The Complexion alters into a sandy colour swarthy or yellow pale and sometimes redness of the face or eyes When they are thus taken with this evil distemper they begin to gnash their teeth and immediately lose their speech by reason their breath is stopt and sometimes it is so violent that neither breath nor pulse nor life can be discerned but lie as if they were dead which is the worst condition of all for the breath cannot be retained but death will ensue for breath is the life of the body without which no Creature can live This accident also happens through some sudden fright and some sorrowful newes or sad accident suddenly happening or some sorrow or grief whereby melancholy prevails and overcomes the body It may likewise be caused by reason of some strong and violent Cold which may so draw the breath and pulse inwardly that no feeling or sense thereof outwardly appears but this case is not so dangerous as the other But to proceed to Remedies when this Disease commeth suddenly speedily cast cold water on her face and give her cold water to drink Let another Woman dip her finger in some sweet smelling odoriferous Oyl as Oyl of Lillies of Cloves or of sweet Almonds mixed together and gently rub the neck of the womb and Matrix and that will draw the Matrix downwards If it be a married Woman her Husband may give her a present remedy which lest it offend the Maids pudoris gratia I leave it in my Authours own Language Si maritus ungat penem suum cum oleo gariophillorum admixto parum olei Amygdal dulc ad Caliditatem prioris temperandum Cum uxore coeat Matrix subito descendet it is a speedy Remedy You must have a care to keep away all sweet and pleasant things from the Patients nose and apply stinking things thereunto and on the contrary anoyne foment and fume the Matrix with sweet Aromatick things For the Matrix is drawn and attracted to sweet things and
under distempers either simple or compound either with or without matter As if the stones be oppressed with any inflammation or tumour wound or Ulcer or drawn up within the belly not appearing outwardly all such causes of the stones may be the reason of barrenness in the man Also the man may be barren by reason of the defect of the seed and that may come from a twofold cause The first If he ingender and cast forth no seed at all or in lesse substance then is needful And secondly If the seed generated and cast forth be vitious and unfit for generation The seed is hindred from generation in those bodies which are grosse and fat the matter of it being defective And on the other side too much leaness or a continual wasting or consumption of the body destroyes the seed nature turning all the matter and substance thereof into nutriment for the body The seed may also be corrupt and vitious by reason of many internal and external causes If the Instruments and Vessels of seed be intemperate or disaffected or in any wayes corrupted that they cannot attract the matter of the fruitful seed and so that they cannot concoct the attracted matter and retain the same so long until it can receive its whole and perfect absolution as for examples sake it frequently happens to those who have a long time laboured with the Gonorrhea or running of the Reins or if the principal parts of the body be so ill affected that they conceit ill nutriment that causeth vitious seed to be generated unfit for conception Likewise many outward causes may so alter and disaffect our bodies as that they may cause the seed to be vitious and unfruitful Too frequent carnal Copulation Gal. 1. de sem Cap. 16. is one great cause of barrenness of men which attracteth the seminal moisture from the stones before it is sufficiently prepared and concocted as all other members of the body by the institution of nature do use to draw their accustomed juyce to themselves So if any one by daily Copulation do exhaust and draw out all the moysture of his seed then do the stones draw the moyst humours from the superior veins unto themselves and so having but a little blood in them they are forced of necessity to cast it out raw and unconcocted and thus the stones be violently deprived of the moysture of their veins attract the same from the other superior veins and the superior veins from all the other parts of the body for their proper nutriment to the great violating of the body depriving the same of the vital spirits It is therefore no wonder if those that use immoderate Copulation are very weak in their bodies seeing the whole body is thereby deprived of its best purest blood of the vital spirits insomuch that many who have bin too much addicted to the pleasure have killed themselves in the act But chiefly It is no wonder if such seed not well concocted and digested be unfit for generation Gluttony and drunkenness do also much hinder men from fruitfulness and maketh them unfit for generation But amongst other causes of barrenness in men this also is one that maketh them barren and of the nature of Eunuchs the incision or cutting of their veins behinde their ears which for a Disease many times is done This saith Hippocrates causeth barrenness in them Gal. Lib. de genitur whose veins behinde their eares are cut to which Galen agrees for he saith that especially more then from any other parts of the body the seed flowes from the brain by those veins behinde the eares which also Aristotle confirms From whence it probably appears that the transmission of the seed is impedited by the Section of the Veins behinde the eares so that it cannot at all descend to the lower parts of the body or else very crude and raw And thus have we shown the causes of barrennesse in men Now we come to speak of barrennesse in women Although there are many causes of the barrenness of women yet the chief and principal are internal and they may be all referred to the privy parts of the Body the Seed or the menstruous blood Therefore Hippocrates speaking of the easy and difficult Conception of Women saith thus The first consideration is to be had of their Species for little Women are more apt to conceive then great slender then grosse white and fair then ruddy and high coloured black then pale and wan Those which have their Veins conspicuous are more apt then others but to be very fleshy is evil to have great swelling Breasts good The next thing to be considered is their Courses or monethly purgations whether they have them duty every Moneth if they flow plentifully and are of a good colour whether they have them equal every moneth at their certain daies and times for so their purgations ought to be Then the Womb or place of Conception is to be considered it ought to be clean and sound dry and soft the Womb not retracted nor drawn up nor prone or descended downwards and the mouth thereof ought not to be turned awry nor everst nor too close shut But to come to consider of these Causes more distinctly and particularly The first parts therefore to be spoken of are the pudenda that is the privie member and the Womb which parts are shut enclosed either by nature or against nature from hence such women are called inperforate For in some Women the mouth of their Womb continueth compressed closed up from the time of their Birth until the time of the ripeness of their Courses and then on a sudden when their Terms provoke forwards to purgation they are molested with great pain and sickness some break of their own accord others are dissected and opened by Physitians to some it brings death or else they are forced to break or never break at all And this Aetius distinctly handles who writeth that the Wombs of women are shut three manner of waies which hinders Conception The first is When the lips of the Pudenda do grow or cleave together Secondly Although the lips seem open yet there are certain Membrances growing in the middle part of the Matrix within The third Though the lips and bosome of the Pudenda may appear fair and open yet the Mouth of the Womb may be quite shut up all which three kinds of Closures are impediments to the Conceptions of women They do hinder in the first place the performance of three offices the use of man their purgations and their Conception In the second place they are two impediments the communication with men and Conception thereby And thirdly two other impediments to themselves Purgation and Conception there might also fall in by the way a discourse of the Hymen or that Membrane which is so called but that only serves for the testimony of true virginity to them that know it which lock the losse of a Maidenhead opens
but that seems a digression from this intention But amongst all causes of barrenness in a Woman in the instruments of generation it is certain that the greatest is in the Womb for the Wombe is the field of generation and if this field be corrupt and not well disposed it is in vain to expect any fruit let it be never so well tilled and sown for the Womb is subject to many diseases and thence it followes that it may be often unfit for generation distempers many are subject to it as over much heat and over much cold Women whose Wombs are too thick and cold cannot in any wise conceive because coldness extinguisheth the natural heat of the humane Seed Another cause of barrenness may be immoderate moisture of the Womb which destroys the Seed of the man as Corn sown in ponds and marshes A third cause of barrenness of the Woman is over much dryness of the Womb so that the humane Seed perisheth for want of nutriment and becomes as Corn sown upon stones or sandy ground A fourth cause of womens barrenness is the immoderate heat of the Womb which scorcheth up the Seed of man as Corn sown in the drought of Summer for immoderate heat hurts all the parts of the Body and no Conception can live or be nourished in that woman Many other may be the distempers which the Womb is subject to that may render it unfit for Conception and be the cause of barrenness as when unnatural humors are ingendred in the Womb too much flegm Tympanies worms wind water or any such peccant humour abounding contrary to nature But amongst all other causes which produce fertility or barrenness to a woman the monethly Terms are greatly to be respected as hinderers or furtherers thereof if they come not in due order it must necessarily cause barrennesse of that woman to follow but of them we have already spoken and given directions how to promote and further the same But having sufficiently spoken of the causes of barrenness in man and woman we shall methodically proceed for procreation sake to lay down such remedies as may naturally serve to prefer generation and hinder accidental barrenness in either But if in men the cause be and that in the shortness of the penis I cannot help that the women must in that case help themselves as well as they can of any too long there is seldom any complaint A woman may also have some other accidentall causes which may hinder her conception as sudden frights and anger fear grief and perturbations of the mind too violent exercise or stirring after Carnal copupulation leaping dancing running or the like If the cause of barrenness be in the man through over much hear in his Seed the woman may easily see that in receiving it If the nature of the woman be too hot and by that cause she is unfit for Copulation it may appear by these Signs Such a woman whose cause of barrenness is by reason of too much heat she hath her Terms or Flowers very little and they are mixt with some yellownesse such a woman is very hasty and Chollerick quick witted and crafty thirsty and desirous after Carnal Copulation her pulse very swift Some say that by these signes you may know where the fault lies whether in the man or the woman Sprinkle both Urines of the man and of the woman upon a Lettice leave and that which dries away first is unfruitful Also take five Wheat corns seven Barley corns and seven Beans put them all into an earthen pot and pisse thereon and let it stand seven daies if they begin to sprout the party is fruitful if they rot then barren be it man or woman Another way to know whether a woman be fruitful Take Mirth red Storax and some such like odoriferous things and make a perfume thereof which let the woman receive into the neck of the Womb through a tunnel if the woman feel the smoke ascend through her Body to her Nose then she is fruitful Another experiment for the same Take Garlick and beat it and let the woman lie on her Back upon it and if she feel the sent thereof to her Nose it s a sign of fruitfulnesse But I could tell you a more infallible rule for either the man or woman to find out where the fault lies but they are too apt to learn it without teaching therefore I passe it by If the barrenness be proceeding from a hot cause then take these directions Let such beware of hot air and hot dwellings if they can and that they use not too hot cloths about the sinews and parts of the Womb. Let them avoid hot meats I speak now to women hot Spices strong Wine fat meats warm hearbs use not over much watching lye not much on the Reins and Kidneys and as much as possibly may be eschew great labour anger heaviness and all such motions as disturb the mind and use moderately cooling things as thus To further Conception and take away barrenness proceeding of hot causes Take oftentimes Conserve of Roses cold Lozinges made of Dragagant the Confections of Triasantali and use to smell to Camphire Rose water and Saunders It is also good to breathe the Basilica or Liver Vein and take out four or five ounces of blood and then take this purge A Purge against Barrenness through heat Take Electuarium de Epithymo de succo rosarum of each two drams and a half whey of milk four ounces mix them well together and take it in the morning fasting sleep after it about an hour and an half and fast four hours after it and then drink a good draught of Whey about an hour before you eat any thing Another for the same Take water Lilly water four ounces Mandrogara water one ounce Sassron half a scruple beat the Safron to powder and mix it with the waters and drink them warm in the morning use this eight daies together Pills against Barrenness Take Broom flowers Smallage Parsley seed Comin Mugwort Fetherfew of each half a scruple Aloes half an ounce Indy Salt Saffron of each half a dram beat mix them all well together put to it five ounces of Fetherfew water warm stop it up close let it stand and dry in a warm place and thus do two or three times one after another Then make each dram into 6 Pills and take one of them every other day before supper all the while the said Potion is used and afterwards when the drink is done take one of these Pills every third or fourth day And after that Potion proceed with this purging Medecine following Take Conserve Benedicta lax one quarter of an ounce de Psillio three drams Elect. de Succo rosarum one dram mix them together with Fetherfew water and drink it in the morning betimes About three daies after the Patient hath taken this purge let her be let blood four or five ounces in the Median vein in the right foot And then
take five daies one after another filed Ivory a dram and a half in Fetherfew water and during that time let her sit in this Bath following an hour together morning and night Take wild yellow rapes Daucus Balsam wood and fruit Ash-keys of each two handfuls red Behen white Behen Broom flowers of each a handful Musk three grains Amber Saffron of each one scruple Boil all in water sufficiently but the Musk Saffron Amber and Broom flowers put them into the decoction after it is boiled and strained A Confection profitable against barrennes Take Pistacia Pingles Eringos of each half an ounce Saffron one dram Lignum Aloes Galingale Mace Gariophilata Balm flowers red Behen white Behen of each four scruples shaven Ivory Cassia bark of each two scruples syrup of confected Ginger twelve ounces white Sugar six ounces decoct all these well together in twelve ounces of Balm water and stir it well together then put to it of Musk and Amber of each half a scruple Take hereof the quantity of a Nutmeg three times a day in the morning an hour before noon and an hour after supper But if the cause of Barrenness in man or woman be through scarcity or diminution of the natural Seed then such things are to be taken as do increase Seed and incite and stir up Venery For this is good yellow Rape seed baked in bread young fat flesh not too much salted Saffron the tailes of Stincus and long Pepper are good prepared in Wine Let such parties eschew all sowre sharp doughy and slimy meats long sleep after meat surfetting and drunkennesse and as near as possibly you can keep your selves from sorrow grief vexation and care To encrease natural seed Generally these things following encrease natural seed and stir up venery and recover the Seed again when it is lost viz. Eggs Milk Rice boyled in milk Sparrows brains flesh and bones and all The Stones and Pissels of Bulls Cocks Bucks Rams and Bores Portages good to encrease natural Seed are such as are made of Beans Pease and Lupines cast away the first bitter broth of the Lupines and mix the rest with Sugar French Beans Wheat sodden in broth Anniseeds Fennel-seed Mustard seed Colewort seed and Nettle seed Roots good to increase the natural Seed Oynions stewed Garlick Leeks yellow Rapes fresh Ragwort roots confected Sugar confected Eringo roots confected Ginger Costus roots Sperage Thistle roots Radish roots Zedoary confected Assarabacca Of fruits Hazel nuts Cypress nuts Pistacia Almonds and Marchpane made thereof Spices commodious to stir up Venery are In general Cinamon Cardamome Galingale long Pepper Cloves Ginger and Saffron Assa foetida taken a dram and a half at a time in good Wine is very good for this purpose and so likewise is Dragagant Borax is also fit to be taken in like manner Of Compositions these Confections following are good to increase the natural Seed The Confection Dia Moscha Aromaticum rosarum Diambra Dianthos Diagalanga Tryon pipetion Dia margariton calidum Mithridate and especially the Confection of Diasatyrion but these are dear Lozinges or a Confection to increase the naturall Seed Take Ginger one dram and a half Almonds Pingles Pistacia of each one ounce Kernels of Indian Nuts Sysarum of each half an ounce Harts Pisle five drams Cinque-foiâ—e Palma Chriâ—â—i one dram and a half Galingale Cloves Cinamon Mustard-seed long Pepper yellow Rape seed white Behen of each one dram Onion seed Radish seed Rape seed Ashen keys of each two scruples sides of Stymus tails of Stymus three drams Borrage one quarter of an ounce Sugar two pound boil them altogether in Wine sufficient to make a Confection or Lozinges thereof and take about the quantity of a Nutmeg at a time Another for the same Take yellow Rapes Onions Sperage roots Mustard seed Radish seed Pingles Ash-keyes Eringo roots Satyrion Roots Costus Roots Ginger long Pepper Cresses seeds of each a like make all these into fine Powder and mix them well together and add to every Ounce of the Powder 3. Ounces of clarified Honey and therewith make it into a Confection take of this Confection about 3 drams at a time with a little Sugar and new milk For the weakness and debility of the yard of a man use this Oyntment Take Wax Oyl of Bever-cod Marjerom gentle and Oyl of Costus of each a like quantity make it into an Oyntment and put to it a little Musk and therewith annoint the yard and other members adjacent Another Oyntment for the same Take of Horse Emmers 3 drams oyl of white Sesamum oyl of Lillies of each one Ounce pound and bruise the Ants and put them to the Oyl and let them stand in the Sun 6 dayes then strain out the Oyl and add to it Euphorbium 1 scruple Pepper Rue of each one dram Mustard-seed half a dram â—et this again altogether in the Sun 2 or 3 dayes then annoint all the Instruments of Generation therewith Another for the same Take Oyl of Lillies 2 Ounces Oyl of Bever Cod 1 Ounce Euphorbium Pepper Mustard-seed of each 1 dram Muscus half a scruple mix them together unto an Oyntment and use it as the other Remedies against barrenness in Women through Cold. Care must be taken in this case to cleanse the womb from all excessive moysture and not to overcharge the stomack with meat and refrain from much sleep and not addict her self to anger nor sorrow neither if she can avoid it to use moderate exercise and stirring unless it be immediately after she hath bin helping her Husband to get a Child or endevouring to do it then let her rest from exercise and motion of the body at least 2 houres after it Let her abstain from eating of much fish milk or fresh cheese and from fat flesh and Vinegar these are obnoxious to the womb To cleanse the womb from moysture Take a potion prepared of Oximel of Squils or of Oximel compositum and Sirrup of Wormwood with a decoction of Annis Fennel Comin and Harts Tongue And afterwards take 1 dram of Pill benedicta once in 14. dayes and fast 5 houres after it A Bath for the same Take Storax Calamita Field Mints Asphalatus Annis Seseli Rue Balsame wood and fruits Behen red and white of each half 1 Ounce boyl all together in water and make a Bath thereof and let the party sit in it up to the navel Also use often to annoynt the parts about the womb with warm and drying Oyl such as Oyl of Spike Oyl of Elder and the like Another Bath for the same wherein the Woman may either bathe her whole body or sit in it up to the middle Take Mugwort Sage of each two handfuls Calamint Dittany of each half a handful Fennel Roots Sparagus Parsley of each one handful Bay-berries Juniper Annis Comin of each two drams mixe them and boyl them all in water and make a Bath thereof and use it as before is directed A Confection good against barrenness caused through too much coldness
and moysture in the womb Take Cinamon Cardamon Saffron Cloves Mace long Pepper Cypers Roots Nutmegs Cummin Lignum Aloes Cassia wood of each 1 scruple Cucubes Doronicum of each four scruples Musk Amber Balsom one dram fine Sugar 18 Ounces boyl the Sugar with the rest with Malmsey and Buglosse-water enough to make it into a Confection and take thereof about a spoonful going to bed and half a spoonful a little before Supper To dry a moyst and slippery womb Take Silver Mountain red Behen white Behen Ash Keyes shaven Ivory yellow Rape-seed of each one dram Cynamon Mace Cloves Galingale long Pepper Rosemary flowers Balsom wood Marjerom gentle Peny royal of each 4 scruples Balm Bugloss Citron peels of each 2 scruples Pearls 1 scruple Musk 2 grains white Sugar 24 Oun seeth these with Malmsey make thereof a Confection and use it as the other If there be any infirmity in the retentive faculty of the womb so that it cannot retain and keep the seed injected into it so as to come in thereby if the same be caused through overmuch coldness of that part as oftentimes it doth which the Woman her self may be sensible of whether heat or cold do most abound I say if cold abound and weaken the retent ivevirtue of the womb then you are to use such things as strengthen comfort and warm the same such are Amber Frankincense Mastick Cloves Lignum Aloes Nutmegs Sage and the like And in this case it is good to boyl Cypers Roots in the water and often bathe and wash the neck of the Matrix therewith And for this it is good to make a fume of Mastick strewed upon Coals and to receive the same into the Matrix below An Oyntment for the same Take the juyce of Roses of Pomegranates Cloves of each an Ounce Frankincense Hypocistis prepared Coriander Mastick Juyce of Sloes Iron Drosse of each one dram sealed Earth Starch of each one Ounce beat all these together to an Oyntment and annoint the privy members and womb often therewith But if the operation of the retentive faculty of the womb be impedited from performing its natural office through some distemper of heat then are such Medicines to be applyed as are cooling astringent and corroborating yet let them be tempered with some warm things The cold things to be used for this purpose are these burnt Harts-horn Amber Juyce of sloes Hypocistis burnt Muscle shells Bolus Dragons blood terra sigillata Pomegranate flowers and Pills Acorns and their Cups Medlars both fruit and bark of the Tree Services and Mirtle-seed of any of these simples you may make unguents Plaisters Confections and Electuaries or other Medicines as occasion shall require If any yet desire other Medicines they may use Plaisters and Pessaries and trochis for a fumigation of which here follows examples A Plaister to comfort the womb against barrenness Take Landanum 1 Ounce Storax Calamite half an Ounce Cynamon Cloves Lignum Aloes of each 1 dram Species Diambre Gallia Moscata of each half a dram Oyl of Spikenard Oyl of Lillies and Wax a sufficient quantity to make it into a Plaister or Cerot This Plaister may be applyed to the womb and quite down to the lower Region of the Abdomen and worn thereupon a long time For a Fame these Troches following may be taken Take of Mugwort a dram Mirrhe Benzoi-Storax Calamint of each half a dram Lignum Aloes 1 scruple Musk Amber of each 10 grains beat all these together to a Powder and with Oyl of Spikenard make Troches of it put some of it upon Coals and let the Woman receive the fume thereof through a convenient Instrument A Pessary for the same Take Mugwort Ditany Marioram of each 1 dram Aniseeds Rue Citron of each half a dram Species Galliae Moschatae one scruple Musk Amber Saffron of each 15 grains beat them all together into a Masse and make a Pessary thereof wrapped up in Linnen and put it up into the Matrix And now we have largely declared to you the external and internal causes of natural and accidental barrenness and sterility both in man and woman and the Physical both external and internal means to be used to remedy the same what else is to be done your own natural kindness must excite you to which if it be but dull we have given you sufficient Rules whereby you may quicken the same Some other things there are which the Physicians say do prefer fruitfulness by hidden quality as the stones of a Fox and the like but they are already declared and described in compound Medicines Physitians do likewise tell long stories about the time of the year what time is best for Copulation all agree the Spring is the most convenient time and fit for procreation for then the blood is in its vigour and in the heat of Summer it ought to be forborn altogether if possible but then Venus takes most pleasure to be jolly and to her girles then most opportunities offer themselves But the most convenient and fit time for a Woman to conceive is immediately after her purgations cease for then the womb is cleansed from superfluous excrements and the most fit houre for conception is after meat and before sleep that she may sleep and rest after it Chap. X. Of monstrous and unnatural Conceptions IT followes now in order in the next place to speak something of Conceptions contrary to nature and unnatural Births which is called a depraved Conception For since it is the certain institution and intent of nature that Women should bring forth perfect man-kind and nothing else then it followes that whatsoever else is conceived in the womb besides man-kind the same is a vitious and depraved conception against the Rules and Lawes of nature Which though these vitious and unnatural Conceptions may be many wayes yet they may all generally be reduced unto one of these heads to wit Monsters Mola winde and water all which we often finde to be conceived and grow in the womb Of Monsters there is much written either historically fabulously or philosophically but that appertains not to our present intent or purpose And therefore the Philosopher in his Book of Generation 2 Phys 82.4 Gen. Animal and the causes thereof teacheth that a Monster is nothing else but a peccant vice of deficient nature whereby nature is impedited and hindered from effecting her end as it is in any Art when the Artist fails by reason of some defect in him that he cannot attain to accomplish his desired end And although these unnatural Births may happen many wayes yet all these errors of nature may be referred to the Diseases proceeding of evil composition as for example to the Disease in number as when a man is born with one eye one foot or two heads Of Diseases of magnitude the same the figure of the body demonstrates to the rest Gal de causis morb 7. which Doctrine Galen manifestly teacheth But the causes why Monsters are generated contrary
it our and put to it half a dram of Saffron and amongst each draught put half a dram of one of the powders before mentioned Also this following is very good to quickn the throwes Take half a dram of beaten Amber and give it in water of Lillies or in the decoction of red Pease An excellent Medicine to procure easie delivery in women Take Pippins cut them in thin slices and fry them with oyl of sweet Almonds and eat thereof in the morning and at four a clock in the afternoon use it constantly a matter of five or six weeks before your time till you are brought to bed and mix some oyl of sweet Almonds and Sperma coeti together and annoint the Belly and Matrix once every day therewith warm or oftner if you can conveniently Another for the same Take Hysop Vervaine Betony of each one handful stamp them small and strain them in good stale Ale and let the Patient drink a good draught thereof it gives present help To expel the Secundine or after-Birth The Secundine or after-Birth is that skin or caule wherein the child is formed and wrapped up till the time it break forth to the Birth doth or at least ought to come away immediatly after the Birth of the child But sometimes it remains behind and causeth great peril to the woman and many ill accidents as Agues stinking breath pain of the Head Swooning and the like if it be not expelled It commonly remains behind when the woman hath had very hard labour and is thereby grown so weak and feeble that nature hath not strength enough to drive it forth she must therefore have some comfortable things given her to strengthen and comfort her heart as Dia margaâ—iton and Manus Christi ' then let her rest a little and if the Secondine do not follow annoint the Belly and parts adjacent with oyl of Lillies and oyl of Elder flowers and use such things as are directed for the delivery of a dead child as Corn flowers given in Lilly water also Garlick half an egg-shell full of the juyce thereof given in honeyed water doth expel the dead child and after-birth as before hath been prescribed To ease the After-throws Take Spikenard and Squinant of each one quarter of an ounce boyl them together in a good quantity of Mugwort water till half be consumed and drink thereof two or three times Also to asswage the pain make a Cawdle with Malmsey or some other good Wine and put therein yolks of Eggs and Cinamon and so give it For the fame take Triphes à magna half an ounce Saffron half a dram Mace a scruple and give this at twice in warm Wine To stay the excessive flood after the Birth The Remedies before prescribed for the asswaging of the excessive Flux of the Terms in women be also very good for this Disease and for all Women in Child-bed yet nevethelesse take this Confection following A Confection for an excessive flood in Women lying in Child-bed Take Conserve of Piony one Ounce Conserve of Roses one ounce Conserve of Burrage Bugios Balm of each half an ounce prepared Bolus half a dram prepared Pearls 1 dram Cynamon 1 dram and a half mix them all together and make a Confection thereof For the same use this Powder following Take Bolus prepared Pearls of each one dram sealed Earth 2 scruples Tormentil half a dram Shepheards Purse 1 scruple Species de gemmis frigidis 1 dram and a half Roses Corral Sanders of each one scruple Cynamon 2. scruples and a half Sugar 3 Ounces mix them all well together and take it with Hen-broth Lozinges very effectual for the same Take Blood-stone 1 dram and a half red Coral one dram Tormentil Trochis de Sodio of each half a dram scraped Ivory burnt Hartshorn of each 1 scruple Pearls prepared 4 scruples fine Bolus 2. scruples Shepheards purse red Sanders of each a scruple Cynamon 1 dram Sugar six ounces wash the Blood-stone in Plantain-water and make a Powder or Lozinges thereof Chap. XVI Of the superfluity of Milk and other accidents happening after the Birth EXcessive abounding of the milk after a Woman is delivered if it flow more than the Child can grow there oftentimes ensues Imposthumes and other Inflammations and distempers in the breasts for Remedies whereof use these prescriptions following The Patient must eat and drink but moderately and avoid all such things as ingender much blood use means to dry and take away the superfluous blood as Rue and wild Rue with the seeds Basil and stampt together if one take every day a quarter of an ounce the same is very good to dry up the milk To dry up the milk Take Rosen a good quantity and temper it with Cream and lay it luke-warm over the breasts For the same Take 8 ounces of Honey and two pints of water boyl them well together and scum it and dip therein a threefold Cloth and lay it on the breasts and when it is cold renew it again Also for the same take one dram of Saffron and 8 ounces of Malmsey wet a Cloth therein and lay it on the breasts as aforesaid Also take Garden Mints stamp them and mix them with Oyl of Roses and use it as the other For a Plaister to dry up the milk take bean meal oyl of Roses and red Vinegar a sufficient quantity to make a Plaister and apply it to the breasts For clotted or congealed milk in the Breasts Let Women keep sobriety in eating and drinking and use moyst meats that may ingender subtile milk Mints Saffron and Cynamon is good to be used in their meats Take grated bread new milk and Oyl of Roses of each a like quantity seeth them together to a pap and lay it warm upon the breasts For congealed milk and pain in the Brests Take Cork and burn it to ashes and temper it with oyl of Roses and a little Vinegar and therewith annoint the breast A Salve to dissolve congealed milk in the Breasts Take Deares Suet 3 quarters of an oun liquid Styrax 1 oun Wormwood Cummin Dill-seeds of each 1 ounce oyl of Wormwood Ducks grease of each 1 ounce and an half Saffron one scruple make an oyntment or Plaister hereof and apply it to the breasts For milk congealed with Inflammation in the breasts Take a quantity of the muscilage of Fleawort Fenegreek and Purslain seeds of each a like and make an oyntment thereof wieh wax and annoint the breasts therewith Also for the same take Chickweed and lay it warm upon the breasts Also beat oyl of Roses and Vinegar of Roses together and lay it on the breasts If the Woman hath taken some extreme cold then take this following especially if there be an Ague with it take Camomile Melilot Fennel seeds Anniseeds Dill seeds Fenegreek Linseeds Southernwood Ginger Bazil beat them together and with oyl of Camomile make a Plaister of it and apply it to the breasts A good Plaister to dissolve hard knots in the