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Title: The Female Physician - Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv’d midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child.
Author: Maubray, John
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Female Physician - Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv’d midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child." ***
THE
FEMALE PHYSICIAN,
Containing all the
DISEASES incident to that SEX,
IN
_Virgins_, _Wives_, and _Widows_;
TOGETHER
With their _Causes_ and _Symptoms_, their _Degrees_ of DANGER, and
respective _Methods_ of PREVENTION and CURE:
To which is added,
The Whole ART of _New improv’d_ MIDWIFERY;
COMPREHENDING
The necessary _Qualifications_ of a MIDWIFE, and particular _Directions_
for _laying Women_, in all _Cases_ of _Difficult_ and _Preternatural_
BIRTHS; together with the _Diet_ and _Regimen_ of both the MOTHER and
CHILD.
_By_ JOHN MAUBRAY, _M. D._
—— ——_Opiferq; per Orbem
Dicor_,—— Ovid. Met.
_LONDON_:
Printed for JAMES HOLLAND, at the _Bible_ and
_Ball_, in St. _Paul’s-Church-Yard_. 1724.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Illustration]
_To all Learned and Judicious_ Professors _of_ PHYSICK, _as well as
Ingenuous and Experienced_ Practisers _of_ MIDWIFERY.
_Most Excellent_ SOCIETIES,
I Have generally observ’d, that _Men_ address their WORKS to improper
Hands; _some_ aim at _Personages_ too great, to regard them; _others_
stoop to _Men_ too unlearned, to defend them: _Some_ again make their
_Court_ and apply to Persons in Vogue or in Place, and _others_ cringe
and creep after _Purse-proud Patrons_: But as I pursue not the common
Designs of DEDICATORS, so I have studied no subterfuges of _Flattery_,
nor Flourishes of _Panegyrick_ in this DEDICATION. I know, that,
whatever my _Performance_ may prove, a _substantial_ WORK will stand
securely upon its own Bottom, and make its way into the World, without
any _secondary Helps_; whereas a slight _Defective Piece_ will fall and
be quash’d, tho’ it should even _strut_ with MAJESTY itself in its
glaring _Front_.
Had I then presum’d upon any particular VOUCHER for the FEMALE
PHYSICIAN, it would have look’d like acknowledging _Guilt_ and seeking
for _Defence_; Because _You_, and none else, are the _competent Judges_
in Affairs of this Nature: GOD having entrusted _you_ only with the
_Lives_ of Men; and _you_ (under HIM) being the Sole _Preservers_ of
LIFE and the great _Distributers_ of HEALTH, I have thought it my _Duty_
to make this solemn Application to _your August Societies_ in general;
and in this manner to render you some small _Account_ of the _TALENT_,
which some of your selves have entrusted me with for _Improvement_.
In fine, your _famous Fraternities_ being universally celebrated for
encouraging of _Learning_ and promoting _Ingenuity_, You are still the
more highly entitled to my _Endeavours_ in both respects; and I my self
in all points of _Humanity_ the more secure of your candid
_Interpretation_. The _undertaking_ then being yours by _Birth_, it has
a Natural Claim to your _Care_; And it being the _Duty_ of Men to
provide for their _Off-Spring_, it has a peculiar Right to your
_Patronage_. Wherefore, with all due _Deference_ and becoming
_Submission_ to your _wiser Judgments_, I lay the DEDICATION as well as
the WORK it self entirely at your Feet, in Hopes of your courteous
_Reception_ and benign _Tutelage_ both at Home and Abroad: Upon which
(in short) I beg Leave to Subscribe my self, with profound _Veneration_,
_Your Eminent_ SOCIETIES,
Most Faithful, and
Most Obedient, Servant
_John Maubray_.
[Illustration]
THE
PREFACE
TO THE
READER.
As the Study of _Physick_ has differ’d in every Age, according to the
prevailing Opinions and Ambiguous Determinations of _Philosophers_, so
the Practice of _Midwifery_ has also varied, according to the Judicious
Experiments and successful Operations of _Professors_; until of late
Years, by the many happy Discoveries and strict Inquiries made into the
Secrets of Nature, and Natural Causes, these Healing and obstetricious
_Arts_ are so much improv’d and advanc’d, that, they now seem to be
arriv’d at their very Height of _Perfection_: Insomuch that both the
_one_ and the _other_ stand this Day upon as sure a Foundation, and as
certain Principles, as most other _Sciences_ do, which notwithstanding
are not exempted from the Fate of _Casualties_.
THE Case then being so, it becomes all Men of Ingenuity and Integrity,
to be also _Communicative_ of such Things, as may tend to the Welfare of
their Neighbours and to the Common Good of Mankind; since according to
the Excellent _Poet_,
_Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc, sciat alter._
THIS was the Principle of the _Ancients_, who, as they discover’d the
Natural Debility of the _Female Sex_, and that Women were not only
Subject to all Diseases in common with Men, but also obnoxious to a vast
many Distempers peculiarly singular to themselves, were first mov’d to
write particular _Books_, and respective _Treatises_, upon these Heads:
The most wise and divine _Hippocrates_, first breaking the Ice, after
him _Diocles_, next _Aetius_, and at last many _others_; For the more
Learned and Ingenious that any one found himself in his respective Age,
the more readily he exercis’d himself in these difficult Points.
BUT now a-days _Women_ may well complain, and cry out with _Soranus_,
“_O malè Occupatum virorum Genus, occidimur nos, non Morimur: Et ab
illis, qui inter vos peritissimi existimantur, perperam curatæ, vos vero
de qualibet vel levissima vestrarum Affectionum, Libros ex Libris
facientes, Bibliothecas voluminibus oneratas, de Nostris inter ea diris
ac difficillimis Cruciatibus, nulla vel exigua, & ea quidem satis
oscitanter mentione factâ_”: That _Men_, in short, study their own Good,
and take more Care of Themselves than of the _Women_.
BECAUSE then there are so many Faults and Defects in this part of
_Physick_; in that the _Antients_, by reason of their precise Gravity,
rendred their _Works_ either obscure, or at least difficult to be
understood: As _some_ of the more _modern Authors_ have, treated them
but Partially and Defectively in most respects; _others_ but transiently
and indifferently, or as if they were otherways employ’d: _Some_ again
darkly and briefly; _others_ so confusedly and prolixly, that we may
justly say to them, as the _Lacedemonians_ did to the _Samian Legats_ of
old; “_Prioris orationis vestræ partis sumus obliti, postremam ob primæ
oblivionem non intelleximus_”: We have forgot the Beginning of your
Discourse, and for that reason, cannot understand the latter Part.
THESE being the Reasons of this Undertaking, I shall trouble you with no
farther _Apologies_ in its behalf, save only that I thought it my Duty,
notwithstanding the Considerable _Charge_ and immense _Labour_, not only
so far to endeavour to imitate my _Predecessors_, but also to deserve
well of Humane Kind, and particularly of _English Women_: FIRST by
collecting these things, which I have found clearly written by the most
approved _Authors_, together with what I have conceiv’d to be true and
Rational by my own painful Study, frequent Speculation, and assiduous
Practice; and SECONDLY by publishing this _Praxis_ and _Analysis_ of
Women’s Distempers, as they are accurately, tho’ succinctly comprehended
in this small _Volume_: Yet not so briefly neither, but that most Things
are consider’d and explain’d for removing _Obscurity_; nor so prolixly,
that any Head is swell’d with Trifles or empty Words: And that not only
in our vernacular _Tongue_, but also in a certain middle _Style_,
adapted to the Capacity of the meanest _Reader_; so that if it be
possible, where the _Flowers_ are thinnest Sown, there the _Fruit_ may
appear the thickest; Because I have all along consider’d this to be no
Work of _Eloquence_, but of _Midwifery_, or _Physick_, or _both_
together, if you please, in which I have studied the common Good, but no
vain Glory.
IN composing the WORK, I have follow’d such Methods as seem’d to me the
most conducive towards its Use and Design, and insisted only upon such
_Topicks_, as can be most serviceable to the World, and absolutely
necessary in the Practice of either of these _Arts_; without touching
upon any of the pompous Superfluities, with which _Physick_, as well as
other _Professions_, is now a-days over-run and embarrass’d: The _one_ I
apprehended to concern my Integrity, and the _other_ only an empty
Applause. But that you may be at no Loss in conceiving the Regularity of
my Method, because of the variety of Subjects to be met with, I shall
here delineate or draw out the _Lines_ of the WORK, and give you some
distant _Idea_ of it, if possible, by a general Hint upon every _Part_
or _Section_ of the BOOK, _Viz._
IN the _first Part_, I have explain’d the History of the _Formation_ and
_Animation_ of Man, together with the _Maturation_, _Nutrition_, and
_Position_ of the Infant in the Womb; to which I have subjoin’d the
_Anatomical_ Account of the _Membranes_ and _Waters_, as well as of the
_After-Birth_ and _Navel-String_. I have likewise in this place
previously set forth the Dignity and Excellency of _Man_, together with
the Faculties of our _Souls_, and the Qualities of our _Bodies_; And,
having initiated the whole with the Natural Proofs of a GOD, and a short
Dissertation upon _Nature_, I hope none will take that amiss, because my
Belief in the _one_, and the small Knowledge I have acquir’d of the
_other_, are to be my _Guide_ throughout the Course of my Life, as well
as my _Directory_ in the present Performance.
IN the _Second Part_, I have not only explain’d the Natural _Philosophy_
of the _Maiden-State_, and set forth the Passions, as well as the
Diseases familiar to _Virgins_; but also defin’d the Power of
_Imagination_, and added the Natural Reasons for the various
_Likenesses_ of Children.
IN the _Third_, I have expounded the Mystery of _Conception_, together
with its Diagnostick Signs: I have directed the _Regimen_ of the
Pregnant Woman, and particularly set forth the various _Symptoms_ of the
Months of Gestation, together with the _Acute Diseases_ incident to her
in that Time. I have in the same place insisted at Large upon
_Miscarriage_, and explain’d at length the _Mystical Theory_ of Birth in
general.
IN the _Fourth Section_, I have defin’d the _Art of Midwifery_, and the
Contemplation of its _Theoretical_, as well as its _Practical_
Knowledge: And, that _Women_ practising this _Art_, may not mistake me
in what is said or recommended to them, I have also addressed my self to
_Men_ professing the same _Science_; and, with all imaginable
Impartiality, told them both their _Faults_ and their _Duties_, however
without any intended particular _Reflection_. To which I have subjoin’d
a compleat _Anatomical Description_ of the Parts of _Generation_ proper
to Women; together with the Natural History of the _Matrix_ and its
amazing Faculties.
IN the _Fifth_, I have ingenuously laid open the whole Mystery of
_Midwifery_, as to all Sorts of BIRTHS, whether _Natural_ or
_Preternatural_, and faithfully laid down the Fundamental Principles and
most certain Rules of this _Profession_; and that not only according to
the best _Notions_ of my own Application and Study, or the real
_Dictates_ of my proper Practice and Experience; but also according to
the most ingenious Precepts and infallible _Maxims_ of the ablest and
most polite _Professors_ of this excellent _Art_, and that also
according to its newest and latest _Improvements_: And in these _Cases_,
I have neither fear’d the Invectives of the Æmulous _Zoilus_, nor
regarded the Snarlings of the reprehensive _Momus_: For Wise Men are not
any longer to be entertained with _Ænigmas_, since GOD hath said, _Fiat
Lux_.
IN the _Sixth Part_, I have not only prescrib’d the due _Regimen_, and
provided for the Safety and happy _Recovery_ of the _Child-Bed-Woman_,
but also taken a suitable and corresponding Care of her _Babe_; As I
have farther instilled particularly upon the various Disasters incident
to both _Mother_ and _Child_, in their respective tender Conditions of
_Child-Bed_ and _Infancy_.
IN the _Seventh_, I have dilucidated the _Philosophical History_ of all
the different Sorts of _Preternatural Conceptions_ as well as BIRTHS;
and insisted at large upon the Theme of Women’s _Sterility_ or
_Barrenness_.
IN the _Eighth_ and last _Section_, I have not only defin’d the
_Widow-State_, as far as it concern’d my Purpose, but also diligently
pursued the _Subject-Matter_, and traced down the Particulars of their
common _Grievances_.
THESE, I say, are the general Heads of the WORK, which are all again
sub-divided into their proper respective Particulars; and consequently
every general _Head_ or _Section_ assign’d its own relative _Chapters_,
for the singular Benefit and more easy Comprehension of the _Reader_.
And these _Chapters_ consisting of 130 in Number, I have, with respect
to every singular _Distemper_ mentioned in them, FIRST, defin’d the
Nature of the _Disease_; SECONDLY, accounted for its _Causes_; THIRDLY,
I have given the _Diagnostick Signs_ or _Symptoms_; FOURTHLY, the
_Prognosticks_ or Degrees of Danger; to which I have FIFTHLY and lastly
added the Method of _Prevention_ in many Cases, and That of CURE in All:
So that there is almost not one _Disease_ which can affect the Woman
from her _Birth_ to her _Death_, in _Child_, _Maiden_, _Wife_, or
_Widow-hood_, whose _Essence_, _Species_, _Differences_, _Causes_,
_Signs_, and _Prognosticks_, we have not sufficiently clear’d up.
ALL these Things I have endeavour’d to be most particular in, to the end
that any _Woman_, who reads, so as to be conversant with this BOOK, may
know before She sends for her _Physician_, not only her _Distemper_, but
also the _Danger_, with which she is threatned upon every Sickly
occasion. And in these Things I flatter my self that this WORK will
prove Acceptable, where such a Number of _Diseases_ and _Symptoms_ are
set forth in so clear a Light, that any Person, making use of their Eyes
and Reason only, without being any ways vers’d in the Practice of
_Physick_, or _Midwifery_, may evidently see, perceive, and by
Experience find, every individual _Case_ to answer these Ends, and the
whole to correspond exactly with its _Title_ and _Contents_.
BUT upon the whole, if here and there a brief _Philosophical_ way of
Reasoning has crept in, I would have you consider, that it could not be
avoided; because the _Proofs_ relating to Natural Things are sometimes
taken from very minute _Instruments_; And that the Design of such an
_Interspersion_, is only to assist your Understanding, and conduct your
Thoughts through the WORK. However in such _Cases_ the _Reader_ may go
on, or pass by what does not suit with his _Taste_, as he pleases. Again
if here and there, I have retain’d a _Term of Art_, which the common
_Reader_ may call a hard Word, I declare it is out of no Design to amuse
any one, but out of mere Necessity, since otherways I should have been
ridiculously singular, and far less understood: In the mean time I have
taken what Care I could to explain the most, or at least the most
requisite of _These_, insomuch that whatever _Words_ or _Sentences_ of
this Kind are not fully interpreted, you may slip over, without losing
any thing Material of the Purport of the Matter, such Things concerning
the _Practitioner_ more than the common _Reader_.
HOWEVER yet, if the Measures I have pursued in handling this
uncultivated _Subject_, should not appear so exactly Methodical as some
of you may expect, I shall only say for _Excuse_, that, as it belongs to
hard Labour to cut out new Paths and Ways thro’ _Woods_ and _Desarts_,
and where _Guides_ are wanting, to find out the shortest _Cut_; so it is
only by frequent _Travelling_, that such _Roads_ can become smooth and
easy, however exactly plan’d. Again farther, I would have you also to
consider the Difficulty of the _Task_, to contract Much in a Little; to
omit Nothing which ought to be animadverted; to join Perspicuity with
Brevity; and after all, finally to reduce the whole to the certain
_Precepts_ of ART.
I have incessantly perus’d the vast _Volumes_ of others, _Ancients_ as
well as _Moderns_; and whatever may be found there variously dispers’d,
over-strain’d, or collected profusely, without either Order, or
Coherence, you’ll find here manifestly disposed, and neatly contracted
in this small WORK. I have sever’d the _Grain_ from the CHAFF, winnowed
the _Seeds_ from the HUSKS, and purged the _Gold_ from the ORE, to the
end that I might again successfully _Sow_ what I have thus laboriously
_reaped_; and digest all Things into such an easy and clear _Method_,
that you’ll be at no Loss here for what you want, but may turn to it at
once, whatever the _Case_ may be; you’ll read nothing twice, nor will
you fall into any _Trifles_, which might either confuse, or detain you.
BUT that I may not be misconstrued or misrepresented here, give me Leave
to affirm that the Design of this WORK, is not to reprehend or find
Fault, with any former _Writer’s Performance_; but only to render these
Things, which _others_ have either treated negligently, or
indifferently, confusedly, or obscurely, the more Clear and Evident.
THIS, candid _Reader_, being the Design as well as the Reason of my
_Undertaking_, according to the _Fruit_ you receive by it, Pray, repress
the Minds of the Invidious; and according to the Judgment you make of
its Worth, let it stand or fall in your Esteem. Not that I am so vain in
the _interim_ to imagine, that the Work can stand upon the Foot of its
own _Merit_; and far less can I expect that it will escape the ordinary
Fate of _Censure_: No, I shall take it well, considering its
_Imperfections_, if it undergoes no worse Fate, than what is common to
BOOKS; especially considering that it is no ways set off with a great
_Figure_, under the splendid appearance and modish Trappings of
flourishing _Hypotheses_, so common among our _Modern Writers_.
THERE are many Things altogether New in our _Midwifery_, which I would
have none rashly to stumble at, tho’ I know that _New Opinions_ are
always suspected and generally opposed, merely because they are not
already _Common_: But as I am not in any respect to press my _Notion_ of
Things upon the Belief of _others_, so I desire not to establish any
_Maxims_ of mine in other Peoples _Opinions_, farther than they think
fit. I know the Relish of the _Understanding_, is often as different as
that of the _Palate_; Hence it is that _some_ Men condemn, what _others_
approve; and _some_ despise what _others_ admire: Yea such is the
Uncertainty of Men’s _Judgments_, concerning the Excellency of Things,
that no _Nut_ of Learning was ever yet open’d, whose _Contents_ were
allowed by all to be pure _Kernel_: And no more has any _Truth_ been yet
discover’d, either in _Physick_ or _Midwifery_, which has not been
question’d, and the _Detector_ exclaim’d against as a pedantick
_Innovator_: But all that I shall say to these _Things_ is, that, as
_Antiquity_ will never protect an _Error_ in Judgment, so _Novelty_
shall never prejudice me against TRUTH, whether of my own or other
People’s _Invention_.
UPON the whole, I would in fine recommend my self to the candid
_Reader_’s Benevolent and Charitable Opinion, and if in any particular
Point or Respect (because we are but MEN) I may not have had the
Happiness to please, or to give Satisfaction, Pray impute it not to
_Sloth_ or _Idleness_, but to _Peregrination_ and _Travelling_; in which
it may be well suppos’d that _Studies_ are too often interrupted.
Remember also _that_ of _Pliny_, “_haud ullo in genere veniam Justiorem
esse, si modò mirum non est, Hominem Genitum non omnia Humana novisse_.”
For as none of us can do all Things, nor is sufficient for All; so it is
Natural for _Man_ to fall, to err, and to be deceiv’d: And as we see
some _Blemishes_ in the most beautiful _Bodies_, so there is nothing
altogether _Perfect_, among the Works of Men.
_Farewell._
_From my House, in_
New-Bond-street, _over
against_ Benn’s-Coffee-House,
_near_ Hannover-Square. 1724.
_J. M._
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE
CONTENTS.
[Illustration]
SECT. I.
Chap. 1. _Of God._ Page 1
2. _Of Nature._ 4
3. _Of Man._ 6
4. _Of the Soul._ 8
5. _Of the Faculties of the Soul._ 13
6. _Of the Humane Body._ 16
7. _Of the Formation of the Embryo._ 20
8. _Of the Animation of the Fœtus._ 24
9. _Of the Maturation of the Infant._ 29
10. _Of the Nutrition and Posture of the Infant._ 30
11. _Of the Membranes and Waters._ 32
12. _Of the Secundine or After-Birth._ 33
13. _Of the Umbilical Vessels, or Navel-String._ 34
SECT. II.
Chap. 1. _Of the Symptoms peculiar to the State of
Maiden-Hood._ Page 37
2. _Of Virginity._ 38
3. _Of the Virgin-Disease, commonly call’d the
Green-Sickness._ 42
4. _Of Love._ 49
5. _Of Copulation._ 53
6. _Remarks upon Copulation._ 55
7. _Of the Power of the Imaginative Faculty._ 57
8. _Of the Similitude of Children._ 63
SECT. III.
Chap. 1. _Of Conception._ Page 70
2. _Of the Signs of Conception._ 72
3. _Of the Diet and Regimen of the Pregnant Woman._ 74
4. _Of the Symptoms of the first three Months._ 77
5. _Of Vomitings, or Nauseating._ 79
6. _Of Fastidy, or Loathing._ 80
7. _Of the Pica or Longing._ 81
8. _Of Cholicks and Gripes._ 84
9. _Of a Diarrhea, or Looseness._ 86
10. _Of the Tooth-Ach._ 85
11. _Of the Head-Ach._ 87
12. _Of the Megrim, or Vertigo._ 88
13. _Of the Symptoms of the Middle Three Months._ 92
14. _Of Coughs._ 93
15. _Of Heart-Beatings and Swooning-Fits._ 94
16. _Of Watchings._ 95
17. _Of Pains in the Hips, Loins, &c._ 96
18. _Of Hæmorrhagies, or Bleedings._ 97
19. _Of Fluxes of Blood._ 98
20. _Of the Symptoms of the last three Months._ 101
21. _Of Dysuries, Ischuries, and Stranguries._ 102
22. _Of Costiveness._ 103
23. _Of Tenesms._ 105
24. _Of the Varices, or Vein-Tumours._ 106
25. _Of the Inflations and Tumours of the Legs._ 107
26. _Of Fissures, or Chops of the Belly._ 108
27. _Of Water-Fluxes._ 109
28. _Of Acute Diseases incident to the Child-Bearing
Woman._ 110
29. _Of the Debility and Weakness of the Fœtus._ 115
30. _Of Abortion._ 116
31. _Of a Legitimate Birth._ 131
32. _Of an Illegitimate Birth._ 134
33. _Of a Seven-Months Birth._ 135
34. _Of an Eight-Months Birth._ 140
35. _Of a Nine-Months Birth._ 142
36. _Of a Ten-Months Birth._ 144
37. _Of an Eleven-Months, and all posterior Births._ 147
38. _Of the Reasons why one Number of Months, Weeks and
Days, is more Auspicious to Birth than another._ 150
39. _Of the Diet and Regimen of the Woman, before and
about the Time of Birth._ 159
40. _Of the Natural Causes of Birth, and Pains of Labour._ 161
41. _Of the Causes of a sooner, or later Birth._ 163
SECT. IV.
Chap. 1. _Of Midwifery._ 167
2. _Of the Qualifications of the ordinary Midwife._ 171
3. _Of the Theoretical and Practical Knowledge of the
Midwife._ 174
4. _Of the Qualifications of the Extraordinary Midwife._ 178
5. _Of the External Parts of Generation._ 183
6. _Of the Internal Parts of Generation._ 186
7. _Of the Pelvis._ 190
8. _Of the Bones of the Pelvis._ 191
9. _Of the Womb._ 196
10. _Of the Extensive Faculty of the Womb._ 199
11. _Of the Substantial Density of the Womb._ 200
12. _Of the various Local Motion of the Womb._ 203
13. _Of the oblique Situation of the Womb._ 204
14. _Of Touching or Handling the Woman._ 207
15. _Of the various Uses and Advantages of the Touch._ 208
16. _Of the Genuine and Spurious Labour-Pains._ 213
17. _Of the True Method of Laying the Woman._ 216
18. _Of the Method of Extracting the Secundine, &c._ 220
SECT. V.
Chap. 1. _Of Birth._ 227
2. _Of Natural Births._ 230
3. _Of Natural Difficult Births._ 231
4. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from External
Causes._ 233
5. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from Causes of the
Mother._ 235
6. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from Causes of the
Infant._ 239
7. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from Causes of the
Membranes._ 241
8. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from the Causes of
the Pelvis._ 242
9. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from Causes of the
Bones of the Pelvis._ 245
10. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from Causes of the
Bladder and Rectum._ 250
11. _Of Difficult Births, proceeding from the Causes of
the Vagina._ 252
12. _Of Preternatural Births._ 253
13. _Of Preternatural Births, by the Face’s being turn’d
upwards; or bent forwards, and the Crown backwards._ 257
14. _Of Preternatural Births, by the Hand, Elbow,
Shoulder, Knees, or Buttocks, presenting first._ 259
15. _Of Preternatural Births, by the Breast, Belly, or
Back presenting first; and the Infants, lying
transverse._ 261
16. _Of Preternatural Births, by the Feet presenting
first._ 264
17. _Of Preternatural Births, by Two, or more Infants
presenting themselves ill-turn’d._ 266
18. _Of Preternatural Births, proceeding from Causes of
the Womb._ 268
19. _Of Preternatural Births, from the Womb’s inclining
Forwards._ 270
20. _Of Preternatural Births, from the Womb’s inclining
backwards._ 282
21. _Of Preternatural Births, from the Womb’s inclining to
either Side._ 287
22. _Of Preternatural Births, proceeding from the Median
oblique Situations of the Womb._ 291
23. _Of Preternatural Births, proceeding from complicated
Causes, of both the Infant and the Womb._ 294
24. _Of Preternatural Births, proceeding from the
Navel-String’s coming first, and that either alone,
or with some other Member._ 300
25. _Of Preternatural Births, from the After-Birth’s
coming first into the Passage._ 303
26. _Of Preternatural Births, proceeding from the Death of
the Infant._ 305
SECT. VI.
Chap. 1. _Of the Diet and Regimen of the Puerperial or
Child-Bed Woman._ 309
2. _Of the After-Pains._ 313
3. _Of the Suppression of the Lochia, or
Child-Bed-Purgations._ 314
4. _Of the immoderate Flux of the Lochia._ 317
5. _Of the Acute Distempers incident to Child-Bed-Women._ 319
6. _Of the various other Accidents, incident to the
Child-Bed-Woman._ 323
7. _Of the Constriction of the Navel-String, and the
Swaddling of the Infant._ 325
8. _Of the Nurse and her Regimen, together with the
requisite Qualities of her Milk._ 329
9. _Of the Diet and Ablactation, together with the
farther Regimen of the Child._ 333
10. _Of the various Symptoms and Indispositions, wherewith
the Child may be Born._ 341
11. _Of the Sundry Symptoms, and Diseases, peculiarly
incident to the Infant after Birth._ 346
12. _Of the Acute Diseases of Infants._ 351
SECT. VII.
Chap. 1. _Of Preternatural Conceptions._ 355
2. _Of Superfœtations._ 356
3. _Of a Numerous Conception._ 358
4. _Of False Conceptions._ 360
5. _Of Moles._ 361
6. _Of Monsters._ 366
7. _Of various deformed Conceptions._ 373
8. _Of Imaginary Conceptions._ 378
9. _Of Sterility or Barrenness._ 381
SECT. VIII.
Chap. 1. _Of the Symptoms incident to the State of Widow-hood._ 391
2. _Of the Hysterick Passion._ 393
3. _Of the Strangulation of the Womb._ 398
With a conclusive Application of the whole Work.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE
FEMALE PHYSICIAN.
SECT. I.
CHAP. I.
_Of GOD._
REASON, and the mere Contemplation of _Nature_ (abstracted from the
Light and Assistance of _Revelation_ or _Faith_) afford us sufficient
convincing Arguments, for the _Existence_ of this great and
incomprehensible BEING; as _Heathens_ themselves do testify.
ACCORDING to _Plato_ (that most excellent Heathenish _Divine_)
Philosophical Demonstrations are the only _Catharticks_ (_i. e._
Purgers) of the _Soul_; being the most proper means to cleanse it from
_Error_, and give us an exact Relish of Sacred _Truths_. Wherefore I
shall strictly confine myself to _These_, in proving the BEING of this
_Existence_, from the _Maxims_ of all the four principal _Sects_ of
Heathen Philosophers; which I shall discuss in the briefest _Terms_, by
only touching upon a few of their respective _Proofs_; _viz._
THE _Naturalist_ insists chiefly upon three Heads; That of _Motion_, the
_Final_, and the _Efficient Cause_.
UPON the Axiom of _Motion_, that _Sect_ could not exceed, or go beyond
the _Primum Mobile_ among _created Beings_; and therefore allows, that
there is something _above_ it, which moves _itself_ and is not moved by
_Another_.
UPON that of the _Final Cause_, they could find no _created Being_
capable of directing that _Nature_, which directs and appoints all
_Creatures_ to aim at some peculiar END; and thence conclude, that this
_Nature_ is directed by something _superior_ to itself.
UPON that of the _Efficient Cause_, they confess, from the many
Vicissitudes of _created Beings_, that they’ve all had a _Beginning_:
and (because no _Beginning_ can be without an _Efficient_) acknowledge,
that _something_ more excellent than all _created Beings_, hath created
them.
THE _Metaphysician_ useth a vast Variety of sublime _Arguments_; whereof
I shall only give a few Instances: _viz._
I. THAT every _finite Being_ must needs proceed from _something_ else,
limiting it in that _Finiteness_, in which its _Nature_ conflicts.
II. THAT all _Multitude_ must proceed from _Unity_, as the _Motions_ of
the _lower Orbs_ proceed from that of the _one highest_; or as the many
particular distinct _Actions_ and different _Motions_ of the Man,
proceed from (their _Superior_) the SOUL.
III. THAT the _Subordination_ of the _Creatures_, one serving another,
and all concurring to the _Common Good_, must needs proceed from the
_Disposal_ of some most wise GOVERNOUR.
IV. THAT the wonderful and incomparable ART, observable in the _Make_
and _Form_ of every the minutest Part of the least and most despicable
_Creature_, must necessarily proceed from some very great and omnipotent
ARTIFICER.
V. THIS _Sect_ acknowledges also the _Immortality_ of the SOUL, as
_Cicero_ witnesses; because it is an _immaterial Substance_, and
independent of the _Body_: And consequently they allow it to proceed
from an _immortal Author_, and to return to the _same_, after a
_Dissolution_ from the Body.
AS to the _Moralist_, his way of _Reasoning_ is plainer to our common
Capacities.
I. HE proves this _Argument_ from the _natural Disposition_ and
_Propensity_ of the worst of Men, even _Atheists_ themselves, upon the
Approach of Death or any heavy _Calamity_, to acknowledge some superior
divine Power; as _Seneca_ witnesseth of _Caligula_, &c.
II. FROM the _ultimate End_ and chief _Good_ of Man; which (according to
_Plato_) is nothing _Terrestrial_: Our _Souls_ being _insatiable_ in
this Life, have a constant _Tendency_ to that particular END, for which
we are _created_; which (in his Words) consists only in being
_inseparably_ united to GOD.
III. FROM _Virtue_ and _Vice_, the _Rewards_ and _Punishments_ due to
these from _Nature_ and _Reason_; which agree with _Equity_ and
_Justice_, that they, who _live well_, should be _rewarded_ with this
their _ultimate End_ and _final Felicity_: And those who live
_otherwise_, should be _punished_ by the LOSS thereof forever. Thence
they (of consequence) acknowledge, that there must be a just and
powerful JUDGE, above all _created Beings_, to inflict this impartial
SENTENCE.
THE _Mathematician_ acknowledges _That_ to be some _Being superior_ to
all others; whose _Center_ he finds every where, and whose
_Circumference_ he can limit or discover no where. But because this
_Sect_ borrows the better Part of their _Proofs_ from the other _three_
mentioned, I shall go no farther; designing nothing but _Brevity_
thro’out this Work, especially upon a THESIS so manifest as _This_:
Which indeed I should not so much as have touched upon, considering how
elegantly and copiously many very _learned Divines_, and other eminent
_Writers_, have treated that _Subject_; were it not that some subsequent
_Hypotheses_ depend immediately upon it. Wherefore I proceed to
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of NATURE._
HOWEVER _extensive_ this Word NATURE may be, and whatever secundary
_Definitions_ it may admit of; it is (in effect) nothing else than the
_Denouncer_ of the Divine Will and Pleasure, the _Efficient_ CAUSE of
natural _Works_, and the _Conservant_ of real _Existences_: Or, the
_Order_ and _Series_ of Sacred Works, obeying the Divine Will, Power,
and Commands. At least I think all other _Definitions_ of this Word,
taken in whatsoever Sense, may be _reduced_ to _These_ following; _viz._
_NATURE_ is the implanted and _innate Quality_ of Things.
_NATURE_ is the _Faculty_ and _Propensity_ of every Mind.
_NATURE_ is the _Mixture_ and _Temperature_ of the four Elements.
_NATURE_ is the Philosopher’s _Axiom_ of Motion and Rest.
_NATURE_ is _that_ which giveth _Form_, by a specifick Difference, to
every thing.
WHICH _Power_ (in either Definition) can only be ascribed to that Great
GOD, whose _infinite Existence_ I’ve been hinting upon: Who is the
_Author_ of Nature and _Framer_ of the Universe; who by his own _Breath_
and _Word_, without any _material Help_, and at his own _Will_ and
_Pleasure_, created all Things. In whom all Things _live_, _move_, and
have their _Being_. By whom a vivacious _Faculty_ is infused through all
Things; so as that (by and through HIM) all Things subsist of their own
_peculiar Natures_ and _natural Qualities_; and by these _implanted
Qualities_ increase, maintain, and defend themselves: And _that_ so,
that in such an immense _University_, and such a vast _Variety_ of
Things, nothing is indeed _idle_, _useless_, or _unprofitable_. Nothing
is made _rashly_, _fortuitously_, or _in vain_; but every Thing appears
appointed to some certain _Use_ and _Purpose_, and determined to some
settled _Course_ and _Sphere_ of ACTION: Every _Being_ answering the END
of its _Design_, and the _Design_ of its CREATION.
AS _Man_ was set on the _Theatre_ of this World, to the _End_ that he
might admire, delight, and confide in GOD his great _Creator_; so was
the _Humane Body_ made for the _Divine Soul_, and the _respective
Members_ for the _Body_: which all voluntarily concur in the Discharge
of their _peculiar Functions_, for the Benefit and Use of the WHOLE.
AND so was every _Stem_ endued with its own _Faculty_, and every
_Creature_ with its own _Nature_; which made _Aristotle_[1] most
pertinently say, “_That there’s nothing so minute in the Nature of
Things, nothing so abject or despicable, but may reasonably afford Men
something of Admiration._”
NOW, I think, we may be soon brought to this _Admiration_, when we only
_view_ those Things which are so evidently exposed to our Eyes: such as
the _Elements_, the _Heavens_, the _Rising_ and _Setting_ of the _Sun_,
_Moon_, and _Stars_, the _Diurnal_ and _Nocturnal Vicissitudes_, the
_four Seasons_ of the Year, comprehending the two _Æquinoctials_ of
Spring and Fall, and the two _Solstices_ of Summer and Winter; by whose
_Decourse_ or Descent _Grass_ fades, and _Herbs_ decay; and again, by
their Ascent or _Influence_, spring up and revive.
AND again, when we consider the _Animals_, the _Faculties_ and
_Propension_ of their respective _Natures_, how they are endued with
peculiar _Sense_, because denied particular _Reason_; and how wisely
they are all dispos’d, some inhabiting the _Waters_, some enjoying the
free _Air_, and others possessing the _Desarts_; some _reptile_ and
creeping, some _gradient_ and walking, some _solivagant_ and wandering,
some _wild_ and fierce, and others innocent and _tame_: I say the
marvellous and inimitable _Artifice_ of _Nature_ in these, and all other
_natural Works_, is not only to be admir’d; but also the _Majesty_,
_Glory_, _Fullness_, and _Magnificence_ of the Great CREATOR and
Institutor of this Nature is to be most highly ador’d; in whom all
things originally _center_, as their common _Source_ and Divine
_Fountain_, and to whom all things are finally _reduced_, as the
Primigenious _Essence_ and _Archetype_ of NATURE.
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of MAN._
MAN, to whom all _sublunary Beings_ were subjected, is most excellently
qualified, far above all other _Creatures_ of this World: In him is not
only the vegetative Life of _Plants_, and the sensitive Life of
_Animals_, but also the _Angelical Reason_, the Divine _Understanding_,
the true _Conjunction_ and glorious _Possession_ of all Things: He is
not only endued with _Reason_ and the _Gift of Speaking_, but also with
a _Mind_ and a SOUL, which participates of a _Celestial Nature_ and
_Divinity_ itself; which can relate to the Nature of nothing else, and
be compared to none but GOD himself: In and thro’ _whom_ he has a
_Similitude_ with all things, an _Operation_ with all, and
_Conversation_ with all: He symbolizeth with all Matters in proper
_Subjects_; with the _Elements_ in a fourfold Body; with _Plants_ in a
vegetative Virtue; with _Animals_ in a sensitive Faculty; with the
_Heavens_ in an Etherial Spirit; with _Angels_ in Wisdom and
Understanding, and with GOD himself (as it were) in containing and
comprehending all things, except the Divine Being. Hence nothing can so
expresly represent GOD as the _Soul_ of Man, by which he is dignified
and railed to the very _Image_ and _Similitude_ of himself. And in _MAN_
the mirificent _Wisdom_ shines the more conspicuously; in that the whole
_World_, and the _Fabrick_ of all its Contents, however concise and
artificial, can in no respect compare with the noble Structure of this
_Microcosm_, MAN. It is so marvellously concise, and so wonderfully
artificial, that it seems no otherways, than as if the MAKER (designing
_this_ for his _Master-piece_) would have his chief Glory, Esteem, and
Reputation to depend upon it, and derive itself from _Hence_; or, as if
the _Maker_ (designing this for one signal Instance of his _Divinity_ to
Men) would have us brought, merely by the Understanding and Knowledge of
ourselves, to the true _Knowledge_ and due _Reverence_ of HIMSELF, our
great _ARTIFICER_.
THAT we may be the more duly and sensibly affected towards _him_, and
the more admire and reverence the _Wisdom_ of his Nature, as he
bountifully produced all things for the Use and Utility of _MAN_; so he
most appositely disposed the _Herbs_ of the Field, some to our
_Nourishment_, some to our _Remedies_, and some to _both Necessities_:
assimilating and assigning them to our singular _Members_, so that their
_Powers_ and _Virtues_ are _physically_ convey’d to such _Parts_ of our
_Bodies_, as they are adapted to by _Nature_.
AND in the same manner he imbued the _Roots_ of the Ground with such
_natural Qualities_, that they by their respective innate _Faculties_,
succour and relieve those _Members_, to which they are _specifically_
destinated; and such _Members_ sensibly attract and imbibe from them,
not only wholesome _Nutriment_, but also healthful _Remedies_ peculiarly
appropriated to themselves by _Nature_.
BUT the immortal _SOUL_, which is only peculiar to _MAN_, whereby he so
perfectly assimilates and resembles GOD; and its _Gifts_ and _Graces_,
whereby he excels and out-shines all other sublunary _Creatures_; is
more properly the SUBJECT of the _Divine_, than the _Physician_;
wherefore I shall but touch it transiently.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of the SOUL._
THE _SOUL_ is a certain _divine Light_, created after the Image of GOD;
figured by a _Seal_, whose Character is the _eternal Word_.
THE _SOUL_ is a certain _divine Substance_, individual, and entirely
present in _every Part_ of the Body, depending only upon the Power of
_Him_, who is the ultimate END, and efficient _Cause_ of all things;
whose _Body_ (according to _Plato_) is _Truth_, whose _Shadow_ is
_Light_, and whose _Name_ is GOD.
AND this divine Substance of _Light_, the _SOUL_, immediately proceeding
from that divine Fountain of all Things, GOD, (according to the Opinion
of the _Platonists_) is join’d, by competent _Means_, to the grosser
Matter of the _Body_. Which _Means_ these _Heathens_ account for in
manner following: _viz._
THE _SOUL_, in its Descent, is involved in an _etherial Body_, which
they call the _celestial Vehicle_, or _Chariot_ of the SOUL; thro’ which
_Medium_, by the Command of GOD, (who is the _Center_ of the World) it
is first _infus’d_ into the middle _Punct_ of the _Heart_, which is the
_Center_ of the _Body_; whence it is _diffus’d_ thro’ all the Parts and
Members of the _Body_, joining itself to the _natural Heat_. As a
_Spirit_, generated by _Heat_ from the _Heart_, it plungeth itself into
the _Humours_; and thus inhering in all the respective _Parts_, it
becomes equal in degree of _Proximity_ to all the _Members_.
THUS the immortal _SOUL_ is, by an immortal _Engine_, convey’d to, and
included in the mortal _Body_: But when by _Diseases_, or otherways,
these _Mediums_ (the _Heat_ and _Humours_) begin to dissolve, the _Soul_
recollects itself, and flies back betimes to its first _Receptacle_, the
_Heart_: When the _Spirit_ of the _Heart_ also fails, the _Heat_
extinguishes, and the _Spirit_ leaves the _Man_; He dies, and the _SOUL_
flies away in its _original Vehicle_: When the _Body_ returns to Earth,
whence it came, and the _Spirit_ to GOD, who gave it a _sacred Nature_
and _divine Offspring_: which _Spirit_ judging the _SOUL_, if it has
liv’d ill, subjects it to some general and some particular _Torments of
Hell_, abandoning it also to the Pleasure of the _Devil_: Whereas, if it
has _done well_, it mounts its _celestial Chariot_, rejoicing together
with the _Spirit_, and passes freely to the Choirs of _Heaven_; where it
enjoys all its pure _Senses_ and _Faculties_, the perfect _Knowledge_ of
all things, a perpetual blessed _Felicity_; and at last, the divine
_Vision_, the _Possession_ of the eternal Kingdom, _&c._
THUS far I have prosecuted the _Platonick Doctrine_ of the _SOUL_; so
that even by _This_, the gross Opinion of such as deny the _Existence_
of so _divine_ a SPARK in Man, may be confuted.
AND _this_ being sufficient for that purpose, I need not introduce any
_Christian Arguments_ to second it; which, however important, are
commonly deem’d light by an obstinate _Sett_ of Men. Wherefore I shall
only add, that from the Disparity of _Manners_, _Affections_,
_Dispositions_, _Capacities_, _Judgments_, _Opinions_, and _Passions_ of
Men, it appears most probable and evident, that every _one of us_ is
individually indued with a SOUL, and that with a proper SOUL, peculiar
to our respective _Bodies_, according to the wise _Proverb; So many Men,
so many Minds_: as well as _Horace_’s[2] Saying,
_“Millia, Quot Capitum vivunt, totidem Studiorum._
——And _Persius_[3] says,
_“Mille hominum Species, & rerum discolor Usus;
“Velle suum cuique est, nec voto vivitur uno._
TO which Assertion the great Prophet _David_ assents, in that GOD
fashioned and made the _Hearts_ and _Minds_ of Men one by one, enduing
them with peculiar _Dispositions_, and assigning every SOUL its proper
natural _Conditions_. Hence _Solomon_[4] says, _I was a witty Child, and
had a good Spirit; yea, rather being good, I came into a Body
undefiled_: That is, adapted to the _Disposition_ of his _SOUL_. As we
see some _Torches_ or _Candles_ burn brighter, and some _Fuel_ cast more
_Heat_ and _Light_ than others; so the _Splendour_ of every _SOUL_
shines in a different way, and produces different _Distinctions_ of
_Minds_: as is evident in _Youths_, who (however accurately taught, and
painfully instructed) are not equally capable of learning _Arts_,
_Discipline_, or any sort of _Erudition_.
BUT notwithstanding that some curious _Physicians_ (who have strictly
scrutiniz’d the Works of Nature) would have the _SOUL_ to center in the
BRAIN, whence all its _Senses_, _Faculties_, and _Actions_ proceed; yet
some _Philosophers_ have justly assign’d the _Center_ of the HEART to
its Residence: which Doctrine is also approved by the wise _Solomon_[5],
saying; _Keep thy Heart with all Diligence, for out of it are the Issues
of Life_.
HOWEVER yet, if any should still obstinately persist in denying the
BEING of the _SOUL_, I advise such to go no farther, but look into
_themselves_, and call their own _Minds_ to Counsel; for even there they
will have a full _View_, not only of its BEING, but also of its
supernatural _Excellency_; If they but seriously weigh the eximious
_Gifts_, and unlimited _Faculties_ of _Nature_, together with the
egregious _Ornaments_ of _Reason_, _Understanding_, _Judgment_,
_Memory_, and many other Accomplishments, with which every _Mind_ is
abundantly endued; they will clearly perceive something of a
superexcellent _Nature_, and Supernatural _Quality_ in themselves; which
is nothing else but what I call the SOUL, and which is also of a more
noble and excelling _Substance_, than any _corporeal Matter_ liable to
_Corruption_ can be.
THIS _Being_, only and alone, vivifies, rules, and governs the _Body_;
furnishing it with innumerable _Actions_, and exercising it with as many
curious _Offices_. Hence, from its manifold _Effects_, and different
_Operations_, it has various _Appellations_, according to St.
_Augustine_’s Saying: “_Cùm Corpus animat, Vitâq; imbuit, Anima dicitur:
Dum vult, Animus: dum Scientiâ ornata est, ac Judicandi peritiam
exercet, Mens: dum recolit ac reminiscitur, Memoria: dum ratiocinatur,
ac singula discernit, Ratio: dum Contemplationi insistit, Spiritus: dum
Sentiendi vim obtinet, Sensus._” Which are all the principal _Functions_
of the SOUL, whereby it demonstrates its _Power_, and performs its
relative _Offices_. In the Execution whereof, St. _Cyprian_ asserts,
that the _SOUL_ makes use of the _Body_, as the _Workman_ does of the
_Mallet_, _Hatchet_, or _Anvil_: tho’ (I think) the _Simile_ may be
drawn much nearer, the _SOUL_ being inclosed and dwelling in the _Body_,
as the _Fish_ or the _Snail_ in the _Shell_; without which _Receptacle_,
or _Rampart_ of Defence, it cannot subsist: Which is evident in that, as
soon as the _Body_ labours under any _Grief_, the _SOUL_ is also
affected; not with a primary _Affection_ (as some would have it) but by
a _Law_ of the most strict _Alliance_, and nearest _Affinity_; and hence
it is, that the _Vices_ and _Virtues_ of the _one_ are transfus’d, and
flow into the _other_.
THIS is the only reason why, when the _corporeal Organs_ or
_Instruments_ are vitiated or impeded, the _SOUL_ cannot explicate its
own _Faculties_, according to the Words of _Solomon_[6]; _The
corruptible Body presseth down the Soul, and the earthly Tabernacle
weigheth down the Mind_. Which _Truth_ may serve to obviate two
Objections; _viz._ _That_ of _Childrens_ being destitute of the _SOUL_,
and _that_ of the _SOUL_’s growing up with _Youth_, and declining with
_Age_, or _Sickness_: Since, tho’ it less displays itself in _Infancy_,
_Sickness_, and _Dotage_, yet it still is, and continues furnished with
its proper _Faculties_, and that from the _Beginning_ of Life, until its
_End_; neither does the _SOUL_ in its _Substance_ ever suffer the least
_Diminution_, but only by the _Ineptitude_ of the Instrument or _Organ_,
it may be hindered in the _Discharge_ of its Functions, and _Execution_
of its Offices.
AND tho this _divine Substance_ can contract nothing of _Vice_, _Spot_,
or _Contagion_ from the _Concretion_ of the corruptible _Body_: yet as a
thick _Cloud_ obscures the _Sun-Beams_, and overcasts its _Light_; or,
as by holding a _versicolour Glass_ to our Eyes, Matters appear
_different_ from what they really are: So the _Intemperature_ of the
_Body_ obscures the _Light_ of _Reason_, and overshadows the
_Intellects_ of the _Mind_, which of course obstructs the _Functions_ of
the SOUL. Hence it is, that a _delirious_ or _drunken_ Man thinks he
sees double, or _two things_, tho’ _one_ be the only _Object_ of his
Eyes: And as, for this reason, _melancholick_ Persons imagine
_Absurdities_, and feign _Dreams_ to themselves; so _cholerick_ Persons
grow insensibly _hot_, and are suddenly _incensed_ by the Fumes of
_noxious Humours_ oppressing the _Brain_.
BUT there is another _Sett_ of Miscreants, who don’t so much deny the
_Existence_, as the _Immortality_ of the SOUL. This I esteem a Piece of
the grossest _Impiety_, to think _that_ spiritual Substance _Mortal_ and
_Frail_, which is inspir’d in _Man_ by the Divine _Will_ and _Command_,
proceeding immediately from the very Substance of GOD himself: Since if
Man be made after the _Image_ of GOD, to express his _Similitude_, he
must needs participate of his _Nature_, and consequently be a
_Fellow-Sharer_ of Eternity: And if the _human_ SOUL be Partaker of the
divine _Essence_ or _Substance_, as GOD is _eternal_ and incapable of
_Decay_, so it must needs be _eternal_, and free from all _Corruption_.
MOREOVER, GOD form’d and made all other _Things_ for the sake of _Man_,
but _Him_ he made for his _own sake_, and therefore like unto HIMSELF;
for which reason, he was pleas’d to agglutinate _Immortality_ to
_Mortality_, and _Divinity_ to _Humanity_: By which Means, the _divine_
NATURE incorporates, as it were, with the _human_, and the _human_ is
united to the _divine_.
HENCE we may clearly see how marvellously GOD has been affected towards
us from the _Beginning_; how much he delighted in us, and desired the
entire _Fruition_ and full Enjoyment of our perpetual _Familiarity_, and
eternal _Fellowship_; which _Truth_ Christ[7] (the Wisdom of the
_Father_) confirms by his own _Testimony_.
AND such is still the great Love and Propension of GOD towards _Man_,
that all Things (thro’ his _Grace_) are communicated to _him_ by his
only _SON_;[8] and that more especially because we are conditional
_Sharers_, equal _Inheritors_, and _Joint-Heirs_ with him, agreeable to
the[9] _Apostles Phrase_; and whatever is express’d in _CHRIST_, may
also be in _Man_: Since as _he_ is _eternal_, and lives for ever, so
_Man_ (by his _Grace_ and _Merits_) does the same; for _he_ having
sufficiently bruised _Satan_’s Head, led _Captivity_ Captive, and
conquer’d _Death_, rose again, and became the _Prince_ and _Captain_ of
so glorious a _VICTORY_, that all _Men_, by virtue of that _Triumph_,
might be raised up again at the Last Day, and _that_ to participate of
an IMMORTALITY of _Welfare_ or _Woe_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of the_ FACULTIES _of the SOUL_.
P_lato_, _Alcinous_, and many other learned Men, do agree, that the
_heavenly Spirit’s Composition_, mixing _Fire_, _Air_, _Earth_, and
_Water_, made of them all, put together, _one_ BODY; which they
subjected to the Service of the _SOUL_, assigning the several
_Provinces_ of the _one_, to the sundry _Faculties_ of the _other_: To
the _meaner_ of them, mean and low _Places_; as to _Anger_, the
_Midriff_; to _Lust_, the _Womb_, &c: but to the more _noble Senses_,
the _HEAD_, as the _Tower_ of the whole _Body_.
AS they divide these SENSES into _external_ and _internal_; so they
subdivide the _external Senses_ into _five_: To which are allotted as
many proper _Organs_ or _Subjects_, being so order’d, that they which
are placed in the more eminent _Parts_ of the _Body_, have the greater
Degree of _Purity_.
FOR the _Eyes_, placed in the uppermost part, are the most _pure_, and
have an Affinity with the Nature of _Fire_ and _Light_. The _Ears_ have
the second Order of _Place_ and _Purity_, and are compar’d to the _Air_.
The _Nostrils_ take the third Order, and have a middle Nature betwixt
_Air_ and _Water_. Then the _Organ_ of _Tasting_, which is _grosser_,
and most like to the Nature of _Water_. And, lastly, _Touching_ being
diffus’d through the whole _Body_, is compar’d to the _Grossness_ of
_Earth_.
AND of these, the more _pure SENSES_, are those which perceive their
_Objects_ farthest off; as first _Seeing_, then _Hearing_, then
_Smelling_, which are all more pure than _Taste_, which doth not
perceive but what is _nigh_: whereas the _Touch_ perceives _both Ways_;
it perceives _Bodies nigh_: And as _Sight_ discerns by the _Medium_ of
the _Air_; so the _Touch_ perceives, by the _Medium_ of a _Pole_, Bodies
_hard_, _soft_, _dry_, _moist_, &c.
NOW this Sense of _Touching_, is common indeed to all _Animals_:
However, ’tis certain that _Man_, in this, as well as in the Sense of
_Tasting_, excels all others: whereas, in the other _three_, he is
exceeded by some _Brutes_, as by a _Dog_, which _hears_, _sees_, and
_smells_ much more acutely than MAN. Besides, the _Lynx_, and _Eagle_,
see more acutely than _Man_, or any other _Creature_ in the World.
AS to the _interiour SENSES_, they are (according to _Averroes_) divided
into _Four_; whereof the _first_ is called the _Common Sense_, because
it collects and perfects such _Representations_ as are drawn-in by the
_external SENSES_. The _second_ is the _Imaginative Faculty_, which
retains those receiv’d _Representations_, and presents them to the
_third Faculty_ of _internal SENSE_; which is call’d the _Cogitative
Faculty_, _Phantasy_, or _Power_ of _Judging_: Because it perceives and
judges by the _Representations_ received, what Nature or Kind of Thing
that is, of which the _Representations_ are made; and commits those
_Things_ thus discerned and adjudged, to the _fourth Faculty_ of _Inward
SENSE_, the _Memory_, to be kept there, and retain’d by it.
AND these _Four SENSES_ have their respective _Organs_ in the _Head_:
_Common Sense_ and _Imagination_ possess the two former _Cells_ of the
BRAIN, as the _Cogitative Faculty_ doth the highest, and middle Part of
the _Head_; the _Memory_ taking up the hindmost Part thereof.
THE _Organs_ of SPEECH and VOICE are as many as the inward _Muscles_ of
the THORAX, betwixt the _Ribs_, _Breasts_, _Lungs_, _Arteries_,
_Wind-pipe_, the Bending of the _Tongue_, and all Parts and _Muscles_,
serving for Respiration, or Breathing: But the proper and immediate
_Organ_ of SPEECH, is the _Mouth_, in which are fram’d _Words_ and
_Sentences_, by the _Tongue_, _Teeth_, _Palate_, _Lips_, &c. above the
_sensitive_ SOUL, which expresseth its _Powers_ by the _Organs_ of the
Body. The _incorporeal Mind_ possesseth the highest Place, and hath a
_double Nature_; the _one_ called the _Contemplative_, the _other_ the
_Active Intellect_, because of their respective _Faculties_.
ACCORDING to the _three-fold Order_ of its Faculties there are _three
APPETITES_ in the SOUL. The _first_ is _natural_, which is an
Inclination of Nature unto its End. The _second_ is _Animal_, which is
divided into _irascible_ and _concupiscible_, relating to _Anger_ and
_Desire_. The _third_ is _intellective_, and is call’d the WILL; which
(from its own deprav’d Quality) is affected with _four PASSIONS_, as the
_Body_ sometimes also is. The _first_ is called _Oblectation_; the
_second_, _Effusion_; the _third_, _Ostentation_; the _fourth_, and
last, is what we commonly call ENVY. And
THESE _four PASSIONS_ arising from a deprav’d _APPETITE_ of _Pleasure_;
its _Grief_ or _Perplexity_ doth occasion as many contrary _PASSIONS_:
viz. _Horror_, _Sadness_, _Fear_, and _Sorrow_ at another’s _Good_,
without its own _Hurt_; which is call’d ENVY, being a _Sadness_ at
another’s _Prosperity_, as _Pity_ is a certain kind of _Sadness_ at
another’s _Misery_ or _Adversity_.
BUT not to insist on these _Topicks_, I shall only add a few Words upon
the _PASSIONS of the Mind_; which are nothing else than certain
_Motions_ or _Inclinations_, proceeding from the _Apprehension_ of any
Thing, as of _Good_ or _Evil_, &c.
THESE APPREHENSIONS are of three different Sorts, _viz._ _Sensual_,
_Rational_, and _Intellectual_. And according to _them_, there are
_three_ Sorts of PASSIONS in the _Soul_; the _first_, following the
_sensual_ APPREHENSION, respects a temporal _Good_ or _Evil_, under the
Notion of _Profit_ or _Loss_, _Defence_ or _Offence_, &c: and they are
called _Natural_ or _Animal Passions_.
THE _second_ following the _Rational_ APPREHENSION, respects _Good_ or
_Bad_, under the Notion of _Virtue_ or _Vice_, _Praise_ or _Disgrace_,
&c: and they are called _Rational_ or _Voluntary Passions_.
THE _third_, following the _Intellectual_ APPREHENSION, respects _Good_
or _Evil_, under the Notion of _Truth_ or _Falsehood_, _Justice_ or
_Injustice_, &c: and this Sort is call’d _Intellectual Passions_.
BUT these _three_ different Sorts proceed all from the _Energy_ of the
SOUL; which is divided into _Concupiscible_ and _Irascible_, both
respecting _Good_ and _Evil_, tho’ under different Notions: which
Division affords us _eleven_ PASSIONS of the Mind, _viz._ _Love_,
_Hatred_, _Desire_, _Horror_, _Joy_, _Grief_, _Hope_, _Despair_,
_Boldness_, _Fear_, and _Anger_; all which might be particularly
defin’d: But as _that_ is more the _Philosopher_’s than the
_Physician_’s Business, I shall proceed to that which is more strictly
my _Province_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of the_ HUMANE BODY.
BESIDES what has been said in the preceding _Chapters_, touching the
_SOUL_, its _Powers_ and _Faculties_; when we duly consider the
beautiful _Form_ and amiable _Figure_ of the BODY, so nicely adapted to
the sublime _Qualities_ of the SOUL, with its curious _Structure_, and
majestick _Stature_, erected to _Heaven_, whither its natural Tendency
leads; besides the proportionable _Symmetry_ and exact _Commensuration_
of all its _Parts_: Surely we cannot, I hope, without the greatest
Amazement, contemplate and admire the incomparable _Art_, and
incomprehensible _Skill_, of the great ARTIFICER: And with magnificent
_David_[10], break out in _Eulogies_ of Praise, and ardent
_Exclamations_ of Love and Admiration.
BUT more especially: _first_, when we distinctly view the slender
_Filaments_, the minute _Vessels_, the elaborate _Contextures_, and
various _Configurations_ of the different ORGANS of this BODY.
_Secondly_, When we duly consider the Power of its natural _Faculties_,
the Situation of the _Entrails_, the Rise of the _Nerves_ from the
_Brain_, the Ducts or Conduits of the _Arteries_ from the _Heart_, and
the Original of the _Veins_ from the _Liver_. _Thirdly_, When we call to
remembrance, and ponder what I have been hinting upon, to wit, the
_Power_ of the natural _Faculties_ of the SOUL, by which they execute
their relative _Functions_; besides, the _Ætherial Spirit_ (the Seat and
Vehicle of our _natural Heat_) dividing it self into a _three-fold
Diversity_, and appropriating to itself as many _Residences_, viz. the
_Animal_ in the _Brain_, the _Vital_ in the _Heart_, and the _Natural_
Spirit in the _Liver_: And then again, how these _three_, by a
Fomentation of _native Heat_, and _nutritious Humours_, cherish and
refresh the whole BODY supplying every _Part_ with requisite Strength
and Vigour. _Fourthly_, When at last we contemplate that Piece of
incomprehensible _Artifice_, which gives a respective _Species_ and
_Form_ to every particular _Part_, and implants a peculiar _Faculty_ in
every distinct _Member_, inducing such an Excellency into the whole
BODY; that is, the _Formation_ and _Delineation_ of the FOETUS in the
_Womb_.
THIS is such a great and curious _Master-piece_, that all _Others_, as
well as the _Physician_, will find it not only their _Duty_, but also
their great Satisfaction and Pleasure, to know and examine into this
inimitable MACHINE of the divine _Architect_.
THE great _Galen_ was converted at a _Dissection_, and durst not but
acknowledge a _Supreme Being_, upon that Survey of his admirable
_Handy-work_; saying,[11] “_How much is it our special Duty therefore to
admire the Wisdom and Providence of the Workman? Since, tho’ it is far
more easy to set forth in Words the Beginning of Things, than to form
the Work; yet our Expressions and Words fall so much short of the Wisdom
of him that made us, that we are not able to explain, what gave him so
little trouble to make._”
AND as _this_ was a Man who had not been too _devout_, so if the most
_Profligate_ would seriously weigh and consider the elegant
_Constitution_ of such a vast Variety of different _Textures_, the
Nicety of these _Organical Works_, the Curiosity of these
_Embroideries_, and the Exactitude of these _Figures_, which appear and
seem rather to be fitted for Admiration than Use; they would readily
conclude with that great _Naturalist_, that these Things are the evident
_Characteristicks_ of some divine and omnipotent POWER, in that they are
no ways to be accounted for by such _natural Causes_, as may be thought
sufficient to explain the _Phænomena_ of ignobler Beings.
THIS BODY, therefore, being the Vessel and Receptacle of the SOUL, the
Engine and Instrument, in and through which it operates; I judge it to
be our incumbent _Duty_, to take special Care, and nice Observation of
both SOUL and BODY: Since (in this Life) the _one_ cannot consist
without the _other_, or discharge its respective _Offices_; the _one_
always requiring the _Ministry_ and _Assistance_ of the _other_, which
the _omniscient_ ARTIFICER has so wisely ordered and ordained from all
Eternity.
HOWEVER yet, I cannot agree with St. _Cyprian_, that the animated and
sensible Body is only used by the SOUL, as mechanical _Instruments_ are
by the _Workman_; since I think a more proper _Simile_ may be drawn from
the _Sun_ and _Moon_: For tho’ the _Moon_ borrows LIGHT of the _Sun_,
she is not altogether devoid of such a _Power_ or _Influence_ as is
proper to herself, being guided and sustained by a _peculiar Motion_,
whilst she absolves her _own Circle_; taking LIGHT from the _Sun_, no
otherways than as a _Looking-Glass_, polish’d _Brass_, or _Copper_,
takes Splendor or _Refulgency_ from an opposite _Fire_ or _Light_: For
notwithstanding she exhibits no _Light_, unless illuminated by the
_Sun_; however yet, she is not idle or desidious in accomplishing her
_monthly Course_, and measuring her own _Space_ of the Heavens, and that
without any Assistance of the _Sun_. So the SOUL invigorates and affords
Strength to the BODY, which however is not altogether without its own
implanted _Faculties_ and natural _Powers_; the _four Qualities_ of
_Humours_, with which ev’ry BODY abounds, capacitating and adapting it
to all Things within its own _Sphere_.
FARTHER, as the _Sun_ suffers ECLIPSES, and is obscured by the
Intervention of the _Moon_; and the _Moon_ again (in like manner) is
eclipsed and obscured by the Objection or Interposition of the _Earth_,
the _Sun_ always running thro’ the _Ecliptick Line_ in the same Degree,
and the Moon in _opposite Degrees_: So BODY and SOUL are subject to
their own Impediments and _Eclipses_; sometimes _defending_, and
sometimes _offending_ one another; both _sympathizing_ mutually, and
_participating_ equally of one another’s _Portion_. As it is evident
from the very Words of our _dying_ SAVIOUR, who, by reason of his Human
Weakness, broke out into these[12]Words, _My Soul is exceeding
sorrowful, even unto Death_: Which _Death_, in the next _Verse_, he, in
a manner, deprecates of the FATHER. For though he was not yet insulted,
or laid hands upon, yet his whole _Mind_ and _Thoughts_ running upon his
approaching _Danger_, he was seiz’d with such Horror and Trepidity, as
express’d a _bloody Sweat_, which streamed from his _whole Body_: so
that the Acerbity of his _Grief_ must (of consequence) have been
communicated to _both Parts_; and beginning in the SOUL, did thence
redound into the BODY.
HENCE arises a rational and natural _Argument_, that as SOUL and BODY do
not only _act_ in and thro’ one another, but also _suffer_ mutually,
always _sympathizing_ with each other, and bearing equal _Share_ in the
_Troubles_, _Misfortunes_, and _Inquietudes_ of this Life; and that as
they _both_ inseparably constitute the MAN: So, by reason of that
natural _Sympathy_, and proximous _Affinity_, as the SOUL enjoys
_Immortality_, the renew’d BODY (by the Mystery of the RESURRECTION)
will be a future _Partaker_ of the _same Reward_; and consequently the
_whole Man_ must enjoy _one_ and the _same State_ of _Beatitude_; or
_otherways_, as he shall have promerited. Whence I proceed to
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of the Formation of the_ EMBRYO.
THE _spirituous Substance_ of both SEEDS, by its own generative and
active _Qualities_, in a well disposed WOMB, produceth a small
_Consistence_ within the Space of _Seven Days_, call’d the GENITURA;
which contains three[13] _Bullæ_ (so term’d by _Physicians_)
superlatively MINUTE, design’d for the _three Spermatick Members_: The
_one_ containing the purer Part of the _Seed_, full of _Vital Spirit_,
for the _Heart_; the _other_, the more thick and pinguid Part, full of
_Natural Spirit_, for the _Liver_; and the _third_, the more cold and
crude Part, full of _Animal Spirit_, for the _Brain_.
ACCORDING to[14] _Hippocrates_’s Definition of the GENITURA, it appears
the _likest_ of any Thing to a raw immature EGG, inclosing a certain red
_Liquor_, with some pale-colour’d _Fibres_, of the finest _Contexture_,
not unlike the _Filaments_ of a small _Spider’s Web_, wrap’d up with the
said red thick BLOOD in the _Pellicule_.
BUT in this place I must farther observe, that the abovesaid _spirituous
Substance_, in which the effective Virtue of CONCEPTION resides, is
endued with _four_ distinct _Faculties_, which perfect as _many_
different _Operations_, all subordinately effected in the _Constitution_
of the CONCEPTION, _viz_.
I. THE _animatïve_ or _vivificating_ Faculty of the MENSTRUUM, called by
some the first _Constitutive Faculty_ of _Conception_, operating, as
above, in _Seven Days_; which is otherwise term’d the Time of
_Spumification_, _Lactation_, or _Coagulation_.
II. THE _separative_ or _severing Faculty_ of the Parts of the grosser
_Materials_ of the _Conception_, destinated for the respective
_Constitution_ of the different _Organical Members_; which, being the
Work of the next _Eight_ or _Ten Days_, is perfected about the 15th or
17th _Day_ from CONCEPTION; and this is called the Time of _Lineation_
or _Ramification_, when the GENITURA receives the Name of EMBRYO.
III. THE _collocative_ or _ordinating Faculty_ of all the severed
material Parts of the different _Members_, disposing and placing them
according to the _Law of Nature_, in due Order, Figure, and Situation;
which, happening the following[15] _Twelve_ or _Fifteen Days_, about the
27th or 32d Day from _Conception_, is called the Time of
_Carnification_; when the Embryo receives the Name of FOETUS.
NOW according to the Maxims of _Astrology_, as all _inferiour Bodies_
are govern’d and influenced by _Superiours_, so the _Seven Planets_ have
Dominion over the _Man_, not only from the Day of _Birth_, but also from
the Moment of _Conception_; yet not _All_ at one and the same Time, but
every _one_ in their _Order_, reigning each its _peculiar Month_.
According to which Principles, SATURN reigns the _first_ Month,
suppeditating the humid and liquid _Substance_ of the GENITURA and
EMBRYO, through his frigid and siccid _Quality’s_ due _Coagulation_ for
generating the _Man_; by virtue of whose _Siccity_ the _uterine
Retentions_ also happen.
IV. THE _formative_ and _figurating Faculty_ of all the _Members_ of the
Body, imparting their respective _Shape_, _Figure_, and natural _Form_,
to every particular _one_; which being the Work of the next _Eight_ to
_Eighteen Days_, is perfected about the 35th, to the 50th Day from
CONCEPTION, and is called the Time of _coarticulate Formation_, when the
FOETUS, or CYEMA, is stil’d _Infant_.
AND in this, the _second Month_, JUPITER is supposed to exert his Power
in the _Seed_, by his calid and humid _Qualities_; and thereby to vivify
the _Spirits_, strengthen the _Members_, and give Augmentation and
Growth to the whole FOETUS: So that the _interior Members_ are not[16]
only conspicuous, but also _Legs_ and _Arms_ appear perfectly
delineated, and are (at this time) distinctly _visible_; when also the
_Head_ takes its Distance from the _Shoulders_, the _Arms_ from the
_Sides_, and the _Legs_ are plainly parted.
BUT, however, the above-mention’d _Four remarkable Times_ may be also
thus distinguished; _viz._ The _first_ perfects the Work of
_Spumification_ and _Coagulation_; the _second_ the _Vegetative_; the
_third_ the _Sensitive_; and the _fourth_ begins the _Rational
Operation_: Altho’ _this_ cannot yet be discern’d, because of the
_Redundancy_ of HUMOURS.
FROM the beginning of this _Chapter_, ’tis evident that the more
_noble_, or _three chief Parts_ take the _first beginning_ to FORMATION,
tho’ perhaps last _perfected_, which forthwith distribute their
respective _Branches_ to the whole _Body_; as the HEART sends forth the
_Arteries_, the LIVER the _Veins_, and the BRAIN the _Spinal Marrow_,
with all their other _Dependencies_: And according to _Aristotle_, (who
says, _there must be a different_ MATTER _to every different_ FORM); So
indeed every distinct _Part_ of the Body is _form’d_ of a different
Substance, according to the different _Nature_ and singular
_Disposition_ of every particular _Part_.
HOWEVER, I shall not here pretend to go much farther in describing the
FORMATION, it being more the _Philosopher’s_ than the _Physician’s_
Business: But whatever farther Progress _others_ may attempt, I judge it
a most difficult and ambiguous Matter; for who can be so well vers’d in
those _Indiscoverables_? Or, who can pretend to know sufficiently what
is done in those _Obscurities_? The _Series of Nature_ being profounder
than our _Understandings_, is consequently above our nicest and exactest
_Scrutinies_: Which Consideration makes me astonished at the _Logical
Dissertations_ that some Men offer on these _Principles_, even on the
most minute _Particles_, and smallest _Proportions_, rashly and
inconsiderately assigning every respective _one_ of these, a _precise
definite Time_ for their FORMATION.
I HAVE often been inclin’d to think, that such SCIOLISTS have not read,
or at least not consider’d the Words of the[17] _Preacher_; _As thou
knowest not what is the Way of the_ SPIRIT, _nor how the Bones do grow
in the Womb of her that is with Child; even so thou knowest not the
Works of_ GOD _that maketh all_. Neither do I find that the wise[18]
_Hebrean_ ever enter’d upon such _Syllogisms_, who (to the contrary)
testifies that _the Counsel of_ GOD _is not to be known_; _that our
Thoughts are miserable, and our Devices uncertain_. Upon which
Authority, I say, in this Case, as _that Labour_ is commendable which
can be compar’d to _Possibilities_, so to dive into those _Things_,
which exceed our _Judgments_, and admit of no possible _Comparison_, is
nothing better than _Folly_. Wherefore All that is further requisite, or
possible for us, is to contemplate and admire the _Greatness_ and
_Elegancy_, the _Sublimity_ and _Profundity_ of this wonderful and
amazing Work of FORMATION; which _Subject_ (we find) hath been the
frequent Contemplation of _the Royal Prophet_[19], particularly
expressing himself, in the most eloquent and sublime Terms, according to
the _divine Light_ of his illuminated Understanding: Saying, _Thou hast
possessed my Reins: Thou hast ordered me in my Mother’s Womb. I will
praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy
Works, and that my Soul knoweth right well. My Substance was not hid
from thee, tho’ I was made in secret, and curiously fashioned in the
lowest Parts of the Earth. Thine Eyes did see my Bones, yet being
imperfect; and in thy Book were all my Members written; which Day by Day
were formed, when as yet there was none of them._ Whence I proceed in
order, to
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of the Animation of the FOETUS._
THE _human Fœtus_ being duly form’d and organiz’d about the 50th Day at
the latest, as we observed in the preceeding _Chapter_, it remains to be
_animated_, and that with a three-fold SOUL, _viz._ a _vegetative_, a
_sensitive_, and a _rational Soul_.
THE _First_ of which, according to the most learned _Fortunius[20]
Licetus_, &c. may be ascribed to the MOTHER, as chiefly proceeding from
the Power of her _Menstruum_. The _Second_ may (by the same Authority)
be ascribed to the _Power_ and _Spirit_ of the _Paternal Seed_; but it
is the more generally received Opinion, that the _vegetative Soul_ is
generated from the _Commixture_ of both Seeds with the _Menstruum_, and
therefore as much to be ascribed to the _one_, as to the _other_,
PARENT: And that also the _sensitive SOUL_ proceeds from the proper
_natural Faculty_ of the organiz’d _Fœtus_, as the _rational SOUL_ doth
from the immediate _Infusion_ of the great CREATOR. Touching which
_Infusion_, I desire not to meddle with the _Controversy_ that has so
long subsisted betwixt _Philosophers_ and _Divines_: Only as I have
noted in _Chap._ iv. the Opinion of the greatest _Masters of Nature_; so
if, in _this_, we could, from the Dictates of _Faith_ and _Religion_, as
well as from the Maxims of _natural Philosophy_, set the Matter in a
clearer _Light_, I humbly presume it would not be _disagreeable_: Since
the _Principles_ of EITHER, taken separately, are in themselves
_mysterious_, and can never be fully comprehended by _some_; whereas,
_both_ taken jointly, I mean, the Arguments of the _one_, to reinforce
the Positions of the _other_, may be satisfactory to _all_.
IN order to which, I _first_ observe; That the _Influx_ of celestial
Bodies exerts its Power very efficaciously in all _Sublunaries_ and
_Inferiours_. Hence, touching the _four Humours_ of our Bodies, MARS is
thought to excite the _yellow Bile_, as SATURN exasperates _Melancholy_;
and LUNA to encrease _Phlegm_, as SOL and JUPITER govern the _Blood_.
SECONDLY, I observe, That the Power and _Influence_ of the PLANETS lies
effectually in _Metals_, _Stones_, _Gems_, _Herbs_, _Roots_, and all
_Subterranean Bodies_; as _Gold_, _Silver_, _Copper_, _Iron_, _Tin_,
_Lead_, and whatever is contained in the _Bowels of the Earth_, whether
it tend to _Use_ or _Necessity, Profit_ or _Pleasure_; the _Virtues_ and
_Increase_ of them all proceeding from their _peculiar_ STARS.
THIS we may easily conceive, by considering that GOD, who made all
things for his singular, great, and good Ends, would never have
exhibited to us such a fair and spacious _Heaven_, such a _Course_,
_Order_, _Continuation_, and _Series_ of STARS to delight and feed our
_Eyes_, like an empty _Shadow_, or an idle _Picture_: But, to the
contrary, the _Trees_, the _Roots_, the _Branches_, the _Seas_, the
_Rivers_, the _Streams_, and whatever runs thro’ the Veins of the
_Earth_, or graces the Surface of _Sea_ or _Land_; yea, whatever is, or
may be distinguished by the Variety of _Things_ or _Names_, together
with our _Bodies_, and their implanted _Humours_, HE subjected to the
_Heavens_, that they might perceive some superiour _Impulse_, _Motion_,
and _Agitation_ from the STARS, and experience the Utility of their
_Effects_.
HENCE the learned _Arabians_ ascribed the _Bodies_, _Actions_, and
_Dispositions_ of Men to STARS and SIGNS: As _Proclus_ teacheth, that
_Superiours_ and _Inferiours_ are manifestly _one_ in the _other_. But
these _Inferiours_ are defin’d, some to be SOLAR, others LUNAR; on which
the SUN and MOON make strong _Impressions_, like those of the STARS and
SIGNS they are under. In reference to which, they distribute the _human
Body_ among the _Planets_ and _Signs_ of the ZODIACK; and most
ingeniously demonstrate, that as the _Triplicities_ of those _Signs_
answer one another, and agree in _Celestials_, so they also concur in
the _Members of the_ BODY; which Observation, daily _Experience_ also
confirms. As for example: By a _Coldness_ of the FEET, the _Belly_ and
_Breast_ are affected; and these _Members_ answering to the same
_Triplicity_, any proper _Medicine_ apply’d to the _one_, helps the
_other_; as by warming the _Feet_, the Pain of the _Belly_ ceaseth.
WHEREFORE, if we consider the many _occult Qualities_, and _secret
Influences_ of celestial Bodies, besides these _three_ which are
manifest to us, namely, _Heat_, _Light_, and _Motion_, we shall readily
and rationally agree with _Astrologers_, as well as _Philosophers_, in
this Point; that the _celestial Bodies_ concur with other _natural
Causes_, in the regular _Procession_ of all the different Steps of the
_Conformation_ and _Constitution_ of human CONCEPTION.
MOREOVER, in the Work of _Animation_, they concur not only _physically_,
but _efficiently_; not as formal, final, or material _Causes_, but
meerly by _Action_; upon which Great _Efficient_, all other _Causes_
depend. And yet they concur _efficiently_ not as the only particular,
immediate, and proximous _Agents_, but as the common remote, physical
_Agents_, moving _physically_. Now this _Aristotle_ also plainly
teacheth, saying; that, “As this _inferiour World_ hath Existence from
_superiour Beings_, so all worldly Existences must necessarily be
ordered and directed by _those_, as the common _efficient Cause_ of all
_Sub-celestials_.”
BUT I would farther observe, that the only ACTION of _those Bodies_ in
this Work, is to dispose and govern all proper, special, and singular
_Causes_ pertaining to _Nature_, preserving them _physically_; that is,
by their _Motion_, _Light_, and _Heat_.
THE reason I call _those Bodies_ the remote, not the proximous _Agents_
in the Work, is, because they do not in _Substance_, _Motion_, or
_Light_, immediately reach or touch the FOETUS; but only, by their
secret _Qualities_ and _Influences_, extended to these inferiour ORBS,
penetrate through, and affect the WOMB, tho’ never so closely shut up:
By which means, the _Spirit_ and _Power_ of the SEEDS, the _Faculties_
of the _Womb_, and all concurring _Causes_ are fomented, govern’d,
promoted, preserv’d, and determin’d.
HOWEVER, in this _Constitution_, (whatever _natural Causes_ may be
advanc’d) the great GOD is indisputably and undeniably the prime and
principal _Efficient_: for all other _Causes_, whether proximous or
remote, without his _Concurrence_, would be but vain and insufficient,
for the following Reasons.
I. HE is the only primary AGENT, not _physical_, because not acting
_physically_; not operating by _Motion_, because _immoveable_: but
without _Motion_, and all other _physical Helps_, he powerfully and
clearly displays HIMSELF, most eminently officiating by his own
_All-sufficiency_, and Appointment of _Nature_.
II. HE likewise, as the prime, common, remote, and physical CAUSE,
governs and directs all _other secundary Causes_ supereminently, which
are subjected to, and dependent upon HIMSELF; in constituting,
organizing, and fomenting the _CONCEPTION_.
III. HE finally, as the proper, proximous, and immediate CAUSE, or
AGENT, directing _none else_, nor using any _other Assistance_ in the
Work, neither being _directed_ nor _assisted_ by any _other_, gives to
the organiz’d human FOETUS its greatest Completion; and the _ultimate
finishing Stroke_ of consummate _Perfection_, by infusing and
communicating to it a _Mind_ in a rational _SOUL_, by which the FOETUS
becomes _MAN_.
AND this _Infusion_ comes immediately from, and of HIMSELF, who is (in
_Aristotle_’s Words): “The _Form_ and _Former_ of the UNIVERSE, the
ultimate _End_, the final and efficient _Cause_ of all _celestial
Bodies_, and _created Beings_.”
BUT now, as to the _Time_ of this great Work of ANIMATION, _Naturalists_
agree, that it requires double the _Space_ that FORMATION had from
_Conception_: which seems so far probable, because at _that time_, and
no sooner, the _Infant_ may be sensibly perceiv’d to move; and _that_ by
the _Influence_ of calid and siccid MARS, who (according to
_Astrologers_) now takes charge of it in the _third Month_. For by
virtue of his _hot Quality_, he perfecteth the _three_ principal
Members, separating the _Legs_, _Arms_, and _Head_ (in due proportion)
from the _rest_: Wherefore this _auspicious Planet_ is called the AUTHOR
of the _Infant’s Motion_. So that, in fine, conformable to what is laid
down in the preceeding _Chapter_, the Work of ANIMATION is perfected, at
soonest, about the 70th, and at latest, about the 100th Day from
_CONCEPTION_. Which being done, I proceed to the next _principal Work_
in constituting the MAN.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX
_Of the MATURATION of the INFANT._
NATURALISTS allow the _Infant_, for its ripening in the _Womb_, and to
the legitimate _Time of Birth_, treble the _Space_ that ANIMATION had;
as _Physicians_ agree in allowing _this_ treble the Time that the _first
Motion_ had from _Conception_: and from hence the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th,
_&c._ are called _ripening Months_.
IN the _fourth Month, Astrologers_ will have the _Planet_ SOL to reign
over the INFANT; whose _calid Quality_ gives it entire LIFE, fully
perfecting the _Members_, excavating the _Bones_, and amplifying the
_Pores_ and _Passages_ of the Body.
AS, in the _Fifth_, VENUS presides over the INFANT; who, by her
_Frigidity_ and _Humidity_, mitigates the _Heat_ and _Siccity_ impressed
on it by the _superiour Planets_, absolutely perfecting the _Lineaments_
of the _external Members_. According to which Principles, she, in a
word, forms the _Privities_ of both _Sexes_; and adds Beauty and
Ornament to the _Nose_, _Mouth_, _Hands_, _Fingers_, and all the rest of
the _visible Parts_.
AS also, in the _sixth Month_, MERCURY takes his Turn to assist the
INFANT, which puts the last finishing Hand to the _Work_; perfecting the
_Organs_ of the _Voice_, enlarging the _Eyes_, _Eye-lids_, _Brows_, and
_Nails_; promoting and confirming the _Instruments_ of _Motion_; and at
last, absolving and compleating whatever the _others_ have commenced.
I shall only farther _hypothetically_ observe, that, if the INFANT was
perfectly _form’d_ about the 35th _Day_, it was _animated_ about the
70th, and consequently will be _born_ about the 210th _Day_, the last of
the 7th _Month_.
IF the _Formation_ was perfected about the 40th _Day_, the _Animation_
happen’d about the 80th, and the _BIRTH_ will (unluckily) happen towards
the close of the 8th _Month_.
IF _Formation_ happen’d the 45th, _Animation_ follow’d the 90th _Day_,
and the _BIRTH_ will succeed about the close of 9 _Months_.
IF _Formation_ was compleated the 50th, _Animation_ follow’d the 100th
Day, and consequently the _BIRTH_[21] will appear about the last of 10
_Months_; and so of any other certain _Time_, definite _Day_, or stated
_Hour_.
IT is, in all the above-mentioned _Cases_, to be farther animadverted,
that the MALE, as he proceeds from the more _calid_, _siccid_, and
_spirituous Seed_, arrives sooner to Perfection in _Formation_ and
_Animation_; and is consequently _sooner born_ than the FEMALE, whose
_Nature_ is more _cold_, _flaccid_, and _weak_, even in the WOMB: Hence
an Allowance of a few Days more or less[22], may be justly made,
according to the SEX.
[Illustration]
CHAP. X.
_Of the NUTRITION and POSTURE of the INFANT_.
THIS is manifest, that the FOETUS is nourished in the _first Months_, by
the _Umbilical Vessels_ only: But the several following _Reasons_ engage
me to think; that, in the _latter Months_, it is alimented by the
_Mouth_ also, and _That_ by a glutinous _limpid Liquor_: Which, being
(probably) secreted from the AMNION for that Purpose, is found to
surround it.
I. BECAUSE this _Liquor_, which seems very proper for that _Use_, is
found not only in the _Mouth_, but also in the OESOPHAGUS and _Stomach_
of the _INFANT_.
II. IT is found _changed_ in the smaller _Intestines_[23]; and being
_chylify’d_ in the _Ventricle_, it turns to _Excrements_, call’d
MECONIUM, in the RECTUM, or _strait Gut_.
III. WE find a _large_ Quantity of this _Liquor_, surrounding the FŒTUS
in the _first Months_, and but _little_ in the _last_; which cannot
probably be consum’d any _other_ way, than by the _INFANT_.
IV. BECAUSE[24] that the _Oesophagus_, _Intestines_, _lacteal Vessels_,
and _thoracick Duct_, may continue open, and be gradually accustomed to
their respective _Functions_.
THE Infant’s _Situation_, in the _first_ and _middle Months_, is
various; but, in the _latter_, it is commonly observ’d to be of an _oval
Figure_: Sitting, with the _Head_ hanging down, and the _Chin_ upon the
_Breast_; the _Neck_ bending forwards, the _Back_ is round; embracing
the _Knees_, which are drawn up towards the _Cheeks_ with its _Arms_;
the _Hands_ commonly hanging down, seem to embrace the _Feet_; the
_Heels_ cling close to the _Buttocks_; and while the _Head_ is
uppermost, the _Face_ is towards the _Mother’s Belly_.
BUT about the Time of _Birth_; the HEAD, which was always before
_Lighter_, becomes considerably _Heavier_ than any other Part. And its
ponderous _Bulk_ bearing much smaller Proportion to its _Substance_ than
it did before, must needs (consequently) tumble Heels over Head, in the
_Waters_ of the MEMBRANES; and the _Head_ falling downwards, the _Feet_
get uppermost, and the _Face_ is turn’d towards the _Mother’s Back_.
BUT because this is a painful and irksome _Posture_, however favourable
for its EXIT; the _Motions_ it makes for its Relief, occasion frequent
_Pains_ to the MOTHER, which cause a Contraction of the _WOMB_, for the
Expulsion of the _Infant_.
AND, in short, this being the _natural Posture_ of the _Infant_ in the
_WOMB_, its _preternatural Positions_ may from thence be easily
conceived.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XI.
_Of the_ MEMBRANES _and_ WATERS.
THE _MEMBRANES_ of the _Infant_, are _Two_ in number, the one
_exteriour_, call’d _CHORION_; the other _interiour, AMNION_: which are
so contiguously joined _one_ to the _other_, that they appear like one
and the same _MEMBRANE_; and, because they are only separable by _Art_,
as a _Silk-Lining_ from a _Cloth_, are sometimes call’d the _double
MEMBRANE_.
THE _Chorion_ is rough and unequal on the _Outside_, but smoother
_within_; where it closely unites itself to the thinner and transparent
_Amnion_.
THIS _Amnion_ covers the _Placenta_, and is fixed to the _Inside_ of the
_Womb_, by its _Circumference_ on all Sides.
THESE MEMBRANES contain the WATERS, in which the _Infant_ swims; which
WATERS encrease along with the _Infant_, generating by degrees, and
proceeding from the _moist Humours_, exhal’d (by way of _Transpiration_)
from the tender _Infant’s_ porous Body.
THESE WATERS are of infinite Service to the _Infant_, during the time of
_Maturation_: As they are to both _Mother_ and _Child_ in the time of
_BIRTH_; which hereafter will more amply appear. And as in Conception,
these MEMBRANES are form’d before the EMBRYO; being, as they are
commonly call’d, the _Coats of the Egg_: So, in time of _Labour_, they
always present themselves, with their peculiar WATERS, to the _ORIFICE_,
before the _Infant_ approaches.
IN Case of _TWINS_ or more _Children_; each has its proper MEMBRANES and
WATERS apart, in which they are separately wrap’d up.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XII.
_Of the SECUNDINE, or AFTER-BIRTH._
THE _SECUNDINE_ is a thick carnous _Mass_, of a soft _vasculous
Substance_, compos’d of the _maternal Menstrua_; which _waxes_ upon the
outside of the _Chorion_ in proportion with the Growth of the FOETUS;
encreasing (as the _Waters_ do) together with the _Infant_. It is also
called the _Womb-Cake_, or _Placenta Uterina_; but most commonly the
_Woman’s AFTER-BIRTH_.
IT is call’d _Placenta_, because of its flat circular _Figure_,
resembling a pretty thick round Cake; being about eight Inches
_Diameter_, and one _Thick_; a little thicker in the _Middle_, where the
_Umbilical Vessels_ are fixed, than at the _Edges_.
ITS _thickest spongious Part_ (properly call’d the _Placenta_) adheres
to the Bottom of the _Womb_ by innumerable _Vessels_, and the
Interposition of a very thin _Membrane_, which is a Continuation of the
_Chorion_.
ITS _Concave Part_ towards the _Infant_, is join’d to the
_Navel-String_, and encompass’d with a smooth _Membrane_, which it
derives from the _Chorion_ and _Amnion_.
THE _Vessels_ terminating in the _Navel-String_, are inserted at _one
End_, almost in the Center of the _Placenta_; as the _other End_ adheres
to the _Navel_ of the INFANT.
THE _SECUNDINE_ is rough and unequal on the _Outside_, and smooth and
soft on the _Inside_; and cannot be extracted, without breaking the
mentioned _Vessels_: From hence an Effusion of _Humours_ and Fluxion of
_Blood_ always follows it; which (according to the _Woman’s State of
Health_) is of a _fairer_, or _darker_, red _Colour_.
THE Use of the _SECUNDINE_, is to receive and absorb the _Nutritious
Juice_ from the WOMB; (as the _Intestines_ imbibe the _Chyle_) which it
afterwards transmits to the _Infant_, by the _Umbilical Vein_.
IN Case of TWINS, or more _Children_, if conceived at _one Time_, they
have but _one common SECUNDINE_, (notwithstanding the contrary Opinion
of _others_) which adheres to the _Fund_ of the WOMB, by the _Placenta_,
as above: Wherefore I must needs reject the _Testimony_ of such
MIDWIVES, who give out that they have found the _SECUNDINE_, _fix’d_ to
any _other Part_ of the WOMB; tho’ I experimentally know, that it is
sometimes found in the _Hinder Part_ near the LOINS, sometimes in the
_Forepart_, sometimes near the _Diaphragma_, sometimes in the _Right_,
and sometimes in the _Left Side_.
BUT however, we should be grossly mistaken, if from hence, we did
conclude, that the _SECUNDINE_ adher’d to _any other Part_, than the
_Bottom_ of the WOMB: Since such erroneous _Apprehensions_ are merely
occasion’d by the various _Motion_, or oblique _Position_ of the WOMB;
as hereafter will appear more at large.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the UMBILICAL VESSELS, or NAVEL-STRING._
THE three _Umbilical Vessels_ consist of _one Vein_ and _Two Arteries_;
which compose the _NAVEL-STRING_, and are wrap’d up in one strong
_Membrane_, proceeding from the CHORION and AMNION, between the _Navel_
and _Placenta_.
THE _Vein_ arises in the _Placenta_, from innumerable minute _Vessels_;
proceeding thence with _Spiral Contortions_ between the _Arteries_,
thro’ the _NAVEL-STRING_, and _Navel_, to the _Liver_ of the _Infant_;
terminating in the _Sinus_ of the _Vena Porta_, into which it pours the
_Blood_ and _nutritious Juice_ received in the _Placenta_; which
immediately proceeds to the _Vena Cava_, and _Heart_, thro’ a
_Cylindrical Canal_ (call’d VENOSUS) opposite to the _Umbilical Vein_.
THE _Arteries_, which are scarce half so large as the _Vein_, arise from
the ILIACS of the _Infant_, or from the AORTA. They pass both Sides of
the _Bladder_ to the _Navel_, and thence through the _NAVEL-STRING_, by
the like _Spiral Windings_, to the _Placenta_: where, after distributing
some _Branches_ to the AMNION and CHORION; they are divided into a very
great Number of _Sprigs_, transferring the _Blood_ from the _Fœtus_ to
the _SECUNDINE_.
THESE _Two Arteries_, with the above-mentioned _one Vein_, make up a
certain _Part_, twisted like a _Rope_, about one Inch thick, and near a
Yard long, call’d the _NAVEL-STRING_; which is so ordained of this
_Length_, that the _Infant_, by its _Motion_, may not pull the
_Placenta_ from the WOMB; and that, by its _Means_, the _SECUNDINE_ may
be commodiously extracted after the _Birth_.
IN Case of TWINS, or more _Children_, every one has its proper
_NAVEL-STRING_; the chief Use of which is, to convey the _Maternal
Blood_ and _nutritious Juices_ by the _Veins_ to the FOETUS, for its
_Aliment_: The _Arteries_ carrying back that which is unfit for this
_Use_, to the _Placenta_; whilst the _Fœtus_ is still supply’d with more
by the _Vein_: So that there’s a _continual Circulation_, or
Communication, between the MOTHER and her INFANT.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. II.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of the SYMPTOMS peculiar to the State of MAIDEN-HOOD._
SUCH _Distempers_ as are incident to this SEX in _Childhood_, are
generally common to the _Other_; wherefore I shall take another
Opportunity to treat of them more _particularly_, and conduct the
_Child_, whether MALE or FEMALE, thro’ all the _Indispositions_, to
which its tender _Age_, or flexile _Nature_, may subject it, from the
Moment of _Birth_, until the Time of _Puberty_: At which _Age_, the more
delicate _Constitution_ of FEMALES, takes a quite different _Turn_ from
That of the _other Sex_.
AT this _Crisis_, or Juncture of Time, the _Imbecility_ of their
_natural Dispositions_ begins to display itself, by various and
different _SYMPTOMS_; to which, some are more, and some less, expos’d
from Henceforward; very few being altogether exempted from what is so
peculiar to their _State_: Wherefore (in the first place) I shall
undertake to lay down the _Causes_, the _Symptoms_, the _Degrees_ of
Danger, and the respective _Methods of Curing_ such _Diseases_ as are
incident to VIRGINS: Which leads me previously to define the
VIRGIN-STATE, in
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of VIRGINITY._
VIRGINITY is an entire _State of Nature_ in this Point; and nothing
else, than the _Integrity_ of the _Muliebrian Parts_ from the Violence
of _Virile Congress_.
TOUCHING the real _Signs_ of _VIRGINITY_, many learned _Controversies_
have risen; particularly as to the _Membrane_, call’d HYMEN: _Some_
great _Anatomists_ and _Physicians_[25] strenuously denying its
_Existence_, and representing it as some _preternatural Production_; and
_Others_[26] as vigorously maintaining the contrary Opinion. Upon which
_Contention_, if I may humbly offer my _Sentiment_; the _later
Authorities_ are so commonly receiv’d, that (I think) this _Dispute_
sufficiently decided.
WE find the _Reality_ of it has been abundantly confirm’d by the
_Greeks_, as it was discover’d by the _Arabians_ of old: And the
_Gentiles_, for that very Reason, call’d their _Nuptial God_, HYMENEUS.
But, moreover, being since so positively asserted, by so many _famous_
and _learned Men_, who openly vouch and aver that they have found and
seen it; I do not see why we should longer doubt of this _Membrane’s_
being to be found in _Most_, if not in _All_, _VIRGINS_, to distinguish
them from the rest of their _Sex_: Especially since ’tis certain, that
something _extraordinary_ happens in the first COITION, which made
_Terentius_ call it, _Coitio Acerrima_. Upon which Notion, _Catullus’s_
Verses are very elegant and _à propos_: viz.
_“Ut flos in Septis secretus nascitur hortis,
“Ignotus pecori, nullo contusus Aratro;
“Quem mulcent Auræ, firmat Sol, educat Imber,
“Multi illum Pueri, multæ optavêre Puellæ:
“Idem cùm tenui carptus defloruit ungui,
“Nulli illum Pueri, nullæ optavêre Puellæ.
“Sic Virgo dum intacta manet, tum chara suis; sed
“Cùm Castum amisit polluto Corpore florem,
“Nec Pueris jucunda manet, nec grata Puellis._
This I take to be a notable _Emblem_ both of the _HYMEN_ and of
_VIRGINITY_ itself.
OTHERS again affirm, that the _Effusion of Blood_, in the first ACT, is
common to all _VIRGINS_; founded upon the _Authority_ of the 22d Chap.
of _Deut_. &c: By which ’tis plain, that _this Criterion_ or _Mark_, has
been of the nicest _Consequence_ among the JEWS; as also in several
other _Nations_: according to _Claudianus_ in the _Epithalamium_ of
_Honorius_, viz.—
_“Et vestes Tyrio Sanguine fulgidas
“Alter Virgineus nobilitet Cruor:
“Tum Victor madido prosiliat Thoro,
“Nocturni referens vulnera prælii._
In short, many _Philosophers_, as well as _Poets_, hold _This_ for an
infallible Symptom.
HOWEVER, tho’ I must confess _This_ to be a certain _Sign_ of
_VIRGINITY_, when it does appear; yet, if it don’t, the _VIRGIN_ is not
therefore to be _suspected_: especially if she be more _adult_, in which
Case the _Parts_ grow both larger and firmer, by the long _Flux_ of the
_Menstrua_; and consequently this _Effusion_ cannot well be expected;
neither can it be supposed in case of any violent _Procatarctick_ or
_Primary Cause_ (and from _That_ she can be no more _secure_, than
another Person) which may break the HYMEN, and dilate the _Parts_ before
COITION. But besides,
NEITHER can the _Mosaical Law_, nor the _Customs_ of other Countries,
imply any thing _farther_; than, that _This_ is the indubitable _Mark_
of _VIRGINITY_ when it appears, without drawing any _suspicious
Consequences_ from its accidental _Non-appearance_: especially
considering, that their _VIRGINS_ married always very _young_, and
commonly about the 12th or 13th Year of their _Age_; when they could
scarce possibly be without some evident _Effusion_.
OTHERS will have the _Astriction_ of the VAGINA, to be a certain _Sign_
of _VIRGINITY_; which, (tho’ I confess, is more astrict in _VIRGINS_,
than in such as have _copulated_) I deny, to be any _certain Sign_:
Since all know, That _Part_ to differ (in this Point) according to
_Age_, _Habit_, and other _Circumstances_ of Body and Health: But
besides, some _astringent Medicines_ would also easily answer this
_End_.
OTHERS again have disputed the _Possibility_ of a _VIRGIN_’s generating
_Milk_; affirming _Milk_ in the _Breasts_, to be a certain _Sign_ of
lost _VIRGINITY_: And (I think) there is some Reason for this Opinion;
for my part, I would inform myself better, before I should credit _Her_,
who would give herself out for a _VIRGIN_, having this _Symptom_;
notwithstanding the contrary Opinion of _others_, founded upon the
Authority of _Hippocrates_[27]: Since, according to the Judgment of the
most learned _Mauritius Cordæus_[28], it very seldom happens. But if
after All, a _VIRGIN_ chances to have _Milk_ in her _Breasts_, it
differs in _Quantity_ as well as _Quality_, from _That_ of a Woman who
has conceiv’d: For which Reason, he distinguishes and describes _Two
Sorts_ of MILK: _viz._
THE _One_, which belongs to _this Case_, he says, is generated of
_Blood_ flowing to the _Breasts_, when deny’d an _Exit_ by the WOMB; and
is nothing but the _superfluous Aliment_ of the _Breasts_, by their
_peculiar Faculty_, turn’d into MILK: Which may happen to _VIRGINS_
irregular in their _Menstrua_; and according to this Interpretation,
_Hippocrates_ is to be rightly understood. The _other_ MILK, he calls
_Puerperial_; which does not generate without a _Big-Belly_, and _That_
pretty far _Gone_: Which MILK is communicated from the WOMB directly to
the _Breasts_.
HE teaches us also, that this _Difference_ of MILK, proceeds from the
Diversity of _Blood_, of which _both Sorts_ are generated; and likewise
from the Variety of the _Veins_ and _Passages_, by which they are
convey’d and carry’d to the _Breasts_.
WHICH _Veins_ are _Two-fold_; namely, _Common_ and _Proper_. The
_Common_ are called _External_, and these are such as only carry the
_Blood_ from the _Vena Cava_, for the Nutrition of the BREASTS; which,
if _superfluous_, or more than is _sufficient_ for that _Use_, is
converted (by the _Glands_ of the BREASTS) into a kind of MILK: Which,
altho’ _white_, is of a _thinner Substance_, not so _sweet_, nor so
_plentiful_, as true MILK. Whereas the proper _Mammary Veins_ carry that
very _Blood_, of which MILK is generated for the Nourishment of the
_Infant_, from the WOMB directly[29]; which happens, by what the
_Greeks_ call an _Anastomosis_, or Conjunction of the _Mammary_ and
_Epigastrick Veins_.
FROM hence we have the Difference of these _two sorts_ of BLOOD and
MILK: Wherefore it is to be concluded, that altho’ the _One_ be found in
the _Breasts_ of _VIRGINS_, they are not therefore to be rashly
suspected of _Pollution_; since, according to _Aristotle_[30], the
_same_ may happen sometimes also to MEN.
BUT, besides what is mention’d, there are many different external
_Methods_ propos’d by _Authors_[31], to distinguish a _Real_, from a
_Supposititious_ _VIRGIN_: Which however I shall not enter upon, lest
what I have intended for the _Benefit_ of All in _general_, might tend
to the _Detriment_ of some in _particular_. And thus having briefly
described the _MAIDEN_ and _MAIDEN-HEAD_, I come now to treat of such
_Indispositions_, as are either _Peculiar_, or more _Familiar_ to her
_STATE_. And, _First_, in order
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of the Virgin-Disease, commonly called the GREEN-SICKNESS._
THIS _Malady_ is an _Indisposition_ visibly discolorating the
Complexion, and nothing else, but a _Complication_ of divers _Diseases_
and _Symptoms_: Wherefore it is variously represented and taken,
sometimes for a _Disease_, and sometimes for a _Symptom_.
BE that as it will; it is so Familiar, or rather Peculiar to _Mature
VIRGINS_, that most _Physicians_ call it the _Virgin-Disease_, or
_Virgin-Fever_; as _others_ call it _Febris Alba_, or pale Fever: Not
that it is always join’d with a _Fever_; but because the _affected
Party_ represents (in most Respects) a _Feverish Person_, by the
Celerity and Frequency of Her PULSE, _&c._
IT is also call’d _Febris Amatoria_; I suppose, (partly) because of the
_Colour_, according to the _POET_; _Palleat omnis Amans_, _Color hic eft
aptus Amanti_: And (partly) because of the _Age_, which may be the
fittest _Time_ for LOVE; which made _Diogenes_ say, at sight of a
certain _Patient_, That _she was dead in her OWN_, _but alive in ANOTHER
Body_: As it is otherwise denominated _Icterus Albus_; because, as in an
_Icterus_ or _JAUNDICE_, the whole _Body_ is tinctur’d _yellow_: So in
this _Disorder_, it is changed _Pale_ and _Wan_; and from hence it is
commonly call’d the _GREEN-SICKNESS_, because of the _Colour_ and
_Aspect_ inclining a little that way. As it is likewise also term’d,
_Fœdus seu pallidus Virginum Color_, or the _ugly pale Colour of
languishing VIRGINS_.
HOWEVER yet I have known many _Women_, in _France_, and _Germany_, who
have been so far from thinking it an ugly _Colour_, that they have
esteem’d it most _Beautiful_; and have used very _pernicious Things_ to
gain and appropriate this _Colour_ to Themselves: Esteeming
_Fresh-looking-Women_, of a fine sanguine _Complexion_, mere _RUSTICKS_.
THIS disagreeable _Affection_ of the Body, however it is _titled_, most
certainly implies a _Complication of several different Maladies_;
annoying all the _Actions_ of the _Natural_, and _Motions_ of the
_Animal Faculty_: Or, in short, perverting the whole OECONOMY of the
_Body_. And because it is always join’d with _Most_, if not with _All_
the following SYMPTOMS, I think it may be regularly thus defin’d.
THE _VIRGIN-DISEASE, is a Change of the natural Colour of the Face into
a pallid greenish Tincture; with a Dejection of Strength, Gravity of all
the Members and Parts of the Body, Fastidy of Victuals, Malacia or Pica,
Heaviness and Palpitation of Heart, Difficulty of Breathing, a slow
Fever, Pains of the Head, Melancholy, Inflations, and Oedematous Tumours
of the Feet, Legs, Eye-lids, and the whole Face; with a frigid
Intemperature, and Cachexy of the whole Body; proceeding from a deprav’d
Nutrition, and the abundance of crude Humours, ingender’d from a
perverse Disposition of the_ LIVER, SPLEEN, _or_ VENTRICLE.
HENCE proceed the _OBSTRUCTIONS_ of the _Uterine Vessels_, and
neighbouring _Parts_, of the _Veins_ of the _LIVER_, and _SPLEEN_; but
especially, of the _MESENTERY_: So that the _natural Calidity_ of the
whole _Body_ being thus suffocated, and oppressed, by those _crude
Humours_, an Irregularity, or Suppression of the _MENSTRUA_, must needs
ensue.
BY this _Definition_, the _DISEASE_ may easily be known; tho’ in some
_Circumstances_, it may differ, according to the different _Quality_ of
the predominant _Humour_: Especially considering, that if all the
foremention’d _Signs_, or _Symptoms_, do not concur in all _PATIENTS_;
yet _Most_ of them commonly do happen in most _Persons_, and ALL in
_Some_. Whence I come _methodically_ to denote more particularly its
CAUSES.
IN order to which, I may justly premise, that the _Proximous Cause_ is a
_Collection_ of deprav’d _crude Humours_ in the Body: As the _Remote
Cause_, is a _Suppression_, or _Irregularity_ in the Course of the
_Menstruous Blood_.
NOW this _Blood_ flowing to the WOMB, as soon as the _VIRGIN_ is
_Mature_; if the _Passages_ are not capacious or patent enough, it
_regorges_ to the _Major Veins_, and thence to the very BOWELS;
extinguishing the _Heat_, and obstructing the _Vessels_ of the _LIVER_,
_SPLEEN_, and _MESENTERY_: From whence proceeds a vicious _Concoction_
and _Sanguification_; and consequently a _Collection of crude Humours_,
which excite various _Symptoms_ thro’ all Parts of the Body. And it
commonly happens, that an irregular or improper _Way of Living_,
especially about the Time of _Puberty_, or in the Time of the _natural
Course_, engenders a pituitous and viscid _Blood_; which, together with
the aforesaid _Humours_, totally obstructs the _Uterine Vessels_.
THIS _Distemper_ is very dangerous, if not timely _cur’d_; because if
the _Heart_ be very much affected, and the _Vital Faculty_ quite
oppressed with it, the _Patient_ often dies suddenly: Or, otherways, it
commonly turns to a _Dropsy_; and, when the _Humours_ fly into the HEAD,
it causes a _Frenzy_.
NOW as I come gradually to set forth the CURE of this _Distemper_, I
shall _First_ observe; that, as various _Diseases_ and _Symptoms_ do
concur towards its _Complication_, all _These_ are to be discreetly
remov’d by proper _Means_ and _Methods_. But that I may be better
understood, _SOME_ are more prudently (perhaps) to be remov’d _singly_;
and _OTHERS_, _jointly_: As for Instance, if any one _Symptom_ be more
troublesome and dangerous than the _Rest_, it ought to be chiefly
regarded above All _others_; and, if not _remov’d_, at least _mitigated_
in the First Place.
SECONDLY, That a proper _Regulation_ of DIET and _Regimen_ of BODY, is
to be judiciously directed, as another initial necessary _Step_ towards
the CURE; which we have hereafter more fully treated of.
THIRDLY, That this _Distemper_ is more easily and sooner _cur’d_, in
_Spring_ or _Summer_-Time, than in _Autumn_ or _Winter_; because when
the proper _Constitution_ of _WEATHER_ and _AIR_ concurs with the
_medicinal Means_, more may be done towards effecting its CURE in a
_Week_, than otherways can be expected in a _Month_. Wherefore _These_
being premised, the CURE will most rationally depend upon the four
following methodical _STEPS_; _viz._
I. THAT the vitious _Humours_ lodged in the _Body_, especially in the
_Bowels_, be duly _prepar’d_ for Expurgation, and then effectually
_evacuated_.
II. THAT the _Intemperature_ and _Obstructions_ of the _VENTRICLE_,
_LIVER_, _SPLEEN_, and _WOMB_, be All carefully and regularly removed.
III. THAT the _Menstrua_ be duly rectify’d, and physically reduc’d to a
_Natural Course_, by the best _Conduct_ of Art and Judgment.
IV. THAT the Rest of the morbifick _Humours_, whether _Crude_,
_Aqueous_, or _Serous_, lurking behind in the _Body_, be in due manner
discharg’d.
BUT more particularly; The CURE may be begun with a gentle _Evacuation
of the Belly_, and, if Strength and other Circumstances shall permit,
with repeated _VENÆSECTIONS_[32], or _Blood-letting_ in the _Foot_, not
only for removing the _Plenitude_, but also for resolving the
_Obstructions_ of the _MENSTRUA_.
AND because the HUMOURS are _Thick_ and _Frigid_, proper _warming_ and
_attenuating_, or preparing and purging _Medicines_ are to be used in
their Turns; or _rarefying_ and _inciding Matters_ may be mixed with the
_Purgatives_. As also in Case the HUMOURS lodge about the _Ventricle_
and _Mesentery_, a gentle VOMIT may be convenient.
BUT because divers _Parts_ suffer _OBSTRUCTIONS_ in this sickly
_Affection_, proper _Aperitives_ are to be made use of; and _Those_
chiefly, which have a _natural Affinity_ with every respective _affected
Part_: As for Example; _Hepaticks_, for the _LIVER_; _Spleneticks_, for
the _SPLEEN_; _Uterines_, for the _WOMB_, &c. Wherefore the _Physician_
ought to weigh and consider well, whether the _Veins_ about the
_VENTRICLE_ and _MESENTERY_, or _LIVER_ and _SPLEEN_, be most
_obstructed_; since the most special Regard must be had to the _Part
most affected_.
IN the _Beginning_, such _Medicines_ as serve best to open the
_Obstructions_ of the _MESENTERY_, _SPLEEN_, and _LIVER_, sparingly
mix’d with such as provoke the _MENSTRUA_ or _MONTHS_, are to be
discreetly used: But afterwards, in _Progress_ of the CURE, the
_Uterines_ may (by Degrees) be prudentially _augmented_.
HOWEVER, at last it often happens, that tho’ the _grosser HUMOURS_ are
evacuated: yet some _watry, serous Humours_ remain in the Circuit of the
Body, too much refrigerating and infesting it still; which are most
conveniently remov’d by _Sudorificks_.
BUT because the compleat _CURE_ of this _Disease_ requires some Length
of Time, I would advise proper _Preparatives, Purgatives_, and
_Corroboratives_, to be exhibited by Turns; as also the very _Form_ and
_Composition_ of the _MEDICINES_ to be varied in their Courses, for the
preventing of _Nauseousness_.
THE _Patient’s REGIMEN_, must likewise be well prescrib’d, and curiously
_regulated_; especially her DIET. She ought to live upon Victuals of the
best _Nutrition_, and easiest _Concoction_, carefully avoiding all
_others_ that are not so agreeable: Especially such as are of a _frigid
or humid Quality_; such as _Pot-herbs_, _Garden-Fruits_, _Milk_ _Fish_,
&c. She may drink generous _Wine_, or good _Ale_ cautiously abstaining
from all _small Drinks_, and other such like noxious _Liquids_, as much
as possible.
MOREOVER, _Motion_ and _Exercise_ are very convenient, not only in the
_Beginning_, but also in the _Declension_ of this _DISEASE_; especially
by strongly _Chafing_ and _Rubbing_, with warm _Flannels_, every Morning
in _Bed_.
BUT _Sleep_ is not to be too much indulged, especially not in the
_Mornings_; altho’ _she_ be _Then_ more propense to it, by reason of the
abundance of _VAPOURS_ ascending to the _Brain_.
LASTLY, to perfect and confirm this _CURE_, I would recommend[33]
_Hippocrates_’s sound Advice to the _Patient_; which is to the following
_Purpose_, of _marrying_ betimes for the sake of _Health_, and to
prevent all the future ill Consequences of this growing _Malady_.
“EGO, _inquit, Autor sum, ut Virgines hoc malo affectæ quàm celerrimè
viris conjungantur; iisq; cohabitent: Si enim conceperint, convalescent.
Si verò in pubertate hoc malo non corripiantur, tum paulo post eas
invadit._”
UPON which excellent _Sentence_, the two following _Observations_ may,
(I hope) appositely here follow and take place, _viz._
I. _Quod etiam Ratione & Experientiâ confirmatur[34]: Venere etenim
Uterus & partes circa Uterum incalescunt, viæq; aperiuntur & laxantur,
ut sanguis Menstruus postea faciliùs ad Uterum confluere & per eundem
effluere possit._
II. _Rectissimè etiam dictum, convalescent, si concipiant; quia Sanguis,
qui præter Naturam antea retinebatur, jam in Fœtûs Formationem
absumitur; & si quid vitiosorum humorum in Utero cumulatum sit, id post
partum evacuatur._
I have thought it proper to insist the _more_ upon this HEAD; because I
know _none_ else among all the _Indispositions_ of Life, which can
properly be accounted _peculiar_ to VIRGINS.
SOME however may think perhaps, that I had a fair Opportunity in this
_Place_, to introduce the various _Diseases_ and _Symptoms_ of the
_WOMB_, _VAGINA_, and _PUDENDUM_; the divers _Symptoms_ of the
MENSTRUOUS FLUX, together with _Those_ which are incident to all _Women_
after PUBERTY.
WHICH _Objection_ I humbly beg leave briefly to answer, that a _twofold
Reason_ dissuaded me from undertaking to treat of _Those Heads_ in this
Place.
I. BECAUSE _They_ are _common_ to all WOMEN in general, and incident to
the _Wife_, or _Widow_, as well as to the _Virgin_; wherefore, I hope,
another _Place_ in this _BOOK_ may be assigned to _Them_, more proper
and convenient than _This_, without any _Digression_.
II. BY reason the several _Branches_ of these HEADS are so very many and
different, that to discuss ’em all _Here_, as I ought to do, would too
much swell the _Bulk_ of the _Volume_, and enhance the _Price_ of this
_BOOK_; which I design for the Good of the _poorer_ Sort of _Women_, as
well as the Benefit of the _Rich_. However, what is most _Essential_ and
necessarily _Requisite_, shall not be omitted (at least _coincidently_)
in its _proper Place_. Wherefore I shall leave the VIRGIN, after a
digressive Hint in the following _Section_, upon her darling _Passion_,
[_LOVE_]: and supposing her to have _alter’d_ her _Condition_, I shall
thenceforward treat her as a WIFE.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of LOVE._
_LOVE_ is the _first Impression_ that affects the APPETITE; proceeding
from the _Pleasure_ conceiv’d in a _Real_ or _Imaginary GOOD_.
IT is the _CEMENT_ of _Affections_, and the _Effect_ of a certain
_Congruity of Minds_; sympathetically arising from the _DIASTOLE_ and
_SYSTOLE_ of _affected Hearts_.
IT is (as a certain _Author_ defines it) a sacred _Frenzy_ of the
_Soul_, and a _Divine Madness_, elevating _Men_ to the Pitch of
_Saints_, and rendring them the Care of Benigner DÆMONS: so far that
they are every where _safe_, being under the Protection of _GODS_ and
_Men_; as the _Poet_ familiarly expresses it, _Quisquis Amore tenetur,
eat tutúsq; sacèrq_;——
IT is a kind of a wonderful satisfactory _Death_, and a voluntary
_Separation_ of SOUL and BODY. The LOVER’S _Mind_ is in _one Place_; his
_Body_, in _Another_; and _He_ himself is _No Where_, if he be not with
the _Object_ of his _LOVE_: So that (in a manner) it transforms the
_LOVER_ into the _Object beloved_; and all this without any _evident
Trouble_, or if there be any _Trouble_, still the _Trouble_ is _lov’d_,
with apparent Satisfaction and Delight. As it is ingeniously said, _Ubi
Amatur, non laboratur; & si laboratur, labor Amatur_.
_LOVE_ always springs and blooms with fresh _Desires_, with young and
vigorous _Inclinations_. It is so riveted in our _Natures_, that our
_Blood_ must first grow cold and be congeal’d by _Death_, before this
_FLAME_ can be extinguish’d: Nay, sometimes it is more _fervent_, tho’
of shorter Duration, in our _latest Hours_, than in our _Prime_. For
like as the _OIL_ which feeds a _Lamp_, when almost spent, the _startled
Flame_ begins to rouze itself, and _burn afresh_, as if it would fain
subsist a _little longer_; tho’ on the very DREGS of its accustomed
Fuel, it crackles and flashes with greater _Noise_ and _Lustre_ than
before, but presently _expires_: So does the _Amorous Fire_, when we are
nearest our _Dissolution_, begin to trouble us most, and makes our SOUL
to blaze with greater FEVERS of _Desire_ and _Grief_, knowing its
_Period_ to be near at hand.
_LOVE_ is like the _Palm-Tree_, the more oppressed with _Weights_, the
_Higher_ it grows. It always desires to encrease, dilate, and stretch
itself farther still, leading to an _Harmonious Union_ of HEARTS.
_Riches_ cannot purchase _Love_. Neither _Threats_ nor _Violence_ can
either force or restrain it; which being free by _Nature_, as proceeding
from the _Freedom of the Will_, disdains all COMPULSION; _subduing_ all,
and _unsubdued_ by any Opposition. In short, it is so generous, that
whereas all other _Affections_ and _Actions_ aim at different _Rewards_;
_LOVE_ only is contented with _Love_, holding nothing else as a
_sufficient Recompence_.
_LOVE_ made _Ulysses_, rather than forsake his dear _Penelope_, refuse
_IMMORTALITY_ itself at _Calipso_’s hands.
_LOVE_ is the oldest of our _Passions_, in that it came into the World
with us; and from thence it becomes _habitual_ to a _good NATURE_, and a
_brave SOUL_.
_LOVE_ is the most noble and generous of our _Passions_, it soon removes
all puny Obstacles in its way. It is ready, prompt, and dexterous to
find _Excuses_ or _Forgiveness_ for the greatest _FAULTS_, and much more
to palliate the _Peccadillo_’s of the BELOVED. It does by a peculiar
Force and Virtue extirpate all _Revenge_, and blot out the _MEMOIRS_ of
_past Unkindnesses_.
_LOVE_ triumphantly _overcomes all Things_. All things yield to its
Power; and the more we oppose it, the stronger _Resistance_ it makes. It
conquers the greatest _Hearts_, and victoriously subdues the most
magnanimous _Souls_. _Alexander_ the Great, was not exempted from this
insuperable _Passion_, at the sight of _Darius_’s fair _Daughters_. No,
_LOVE_ made _Hercules_, the Son of _JUPITER_ himself, stoop and truckle
to the _Female Conqueror_; according to the following known _Distich_,
_“Lenam non potuit, potuit superare Leænant,
“Quem Fera non potuit vincere, vicit Hera._
IN fine, I think it is also ingeniously well defin’d in this ensuing
_Hexastick_, by Mr. _Howel_[35],
_“Fax grata est, gratum est vulnus, mihi grata Catena est,
“Me quibus astringit, lædit & urit Amor;
“Sed Flammam extingui, sanari Vulnera, sulvi
“Vinc’la, etiam ut possem non ego posse velim:
“Mirum equidem Genus hoc Morbi est, Incendia & Ictus
“Vinc’laq; vinctus adhuc, læsus & ustus Amo._
Grateful’s to me the _Fire_, the _Wound_, the _Chain_,
By which LOVE _burns_, LOVE _binds_, and giveth _Pain_:
But for to quench this _Fire_, these _Bonds_ to loose,
These _Wounds_ to heal, I would not, could I, choose:
Strange _Sickness_, where the _Wounds_, the _Bonds_, the _Fire_
That _burns_, that _bind_, that _hurt_, I must desire.
THE Omniscient CREATOR, at the Beginning, implanted in the Nature of
_Both Sexes_ this Faculty of LOVE, accompanied with a fervent Desire of
_Procreation_; furnishing them (for this Purpose) with proper adapted
ORGANS, and other suitable MEANS of _Generation_: which, in themselves,
are no less _wise_ and _wonderful_, than the great DESIGN of propagating
the World by successive _Generations_, is _profound_ and _miraculous_;
as will more manifestly appear, by explaining their _Order_,
_Propriety_, and _Disposition_, in _Sect_. 4. _Chap. 5, 6, &c_.
AND to compensate many subsequent _Griefs_ thereupon, NATURE added to
_Man_ and _Woman_ an ardent Desire of mutual _Embraces_, concomitated
with certain alluring _Enticements_ to _Multiplication_; to the end that
in _Congression_ they might be so delightfully charme’d, as to forget,
or at least vilipend and slight all other trifling _Annoyances_.
THUS, in short, _Nature_ hath cared and provided for _Propagation_ and
_Posterity_; not only in the _Human Race_, but also in all other
_Species_ of Creatures, according to the excellent _Poet_[36];
_“Omne adeo genus in terris hominúmq; Ferarúmq;
“Et genus Æquoreum, pecudes, pictæq; Volucres,
“In furias ignemq; ruunt_: AMOR _omnibus idem.——
“Quid Juvenis_, &c.——
Thus ev’ry _Creature_, and of ev’ry _Kind_,
The secret Joys of sweet COITION find:
Not only _Man_’s imperial Race; but they
That wing the liquid _Air_, or swim the _Sea_,
Or haunt the _Desart_, rush into the _Flame_:
For LOVE is Lord of all; and is in all the _same_.
’Tis with this Rage, the _Mother-Lion_ stung,
Scours o’er the Plain; regardless of her Young:
Demanding _Rites of Love_, she sternly stalks;
And hunts her LOVER, in his lonely Walks.
’Tis then the shapeless _Bear_ his Den forsakes;
In Woods and Fields a vast Destruction makes.
_Boars_ whet their Tusks, to battle _Tygers_ move,
Enrag’d with Hunger, more enrag’d with LOVE.
BUT all ludicrous Diversions apart! I proceed hence to a necessary
_Consequence_ of this Noble Natural _PASSION_; _viz._
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of COPULATION._
THIS _Conjunction_ of both SEXES, is the _Consummation_ of LOVE, and the
_Pinnacle_ of the _Lover_’s natural Felicity. It is the Sum and
superlative Degree of their _terrene Happiness_; above which the
_Lovers_ cannot aspire, naturally speaking, in _Human Society_.
THIS is also the utmost _Height_ of their eager Desires, and the
greatest _Extent_ of their languishing Wishes. It is the _Abatement_, as
well as the _Completion_ of their unbounded _Passions_, and the
_Tranquillity_ of their restless _Minds_. However yet——
THIS ACT is _Two-fold_; _Fæcund_ and successful, or _Sterile_ and
unsuccessful in the Event.
I. AS to the _First_, some most famous AUTHORS have written their Minds
freely and copiously upon it, and have given certain pertinent
_Instructions_, touching the _Time_, and _Manner_, as well as _Conduct_
of the _Parties_ concern’d, both before and after the ACT: Particularly
_Avicenna_[37] (no _Proletarian Writer_, but a most Illustrious and most
Learned _Prince_) has insisted at large upon every Case belonging to
this Head, together with the _Way_ and _Manner_, as well as the proper
_Time_ of begetting either SEX; _“Ubi, inquit, menses defluxerint, sitq;
abstersus Uterus, quod quinto ferè die usu venit, aut septimo; Si Vir
Mulieri congrediatur, à primo quàm est purgata die ad quintum, MAREM
produci: à quinto verò ad octavum, FÆMELLAM: rursus ab octavo ad
duodecimum denuo, MASCULUM, &c.”_
WHICH excellent Opinion is fully proved by _Levinus Lemnius_ (another
great _Master_ of NATURE): According to whose authentick Judgment also,
there are likewise many things[38] of an _occult specifick Quality_, and
_secret Effect_, for answering the same ENDS, as well as _Fecundity_
itself: which both common _Reason_ and daily _Experience_ confirm for
TRUTH.
BUT because I lie under the Disadvantage (at present) of writing in our
_vernacular Tongue_, it may be proper to pass by, what (otherways) might
be plentifully said on this _Head_: However I shall observe, that the
_Generality_ of RULES are most commonly calculated for _Persons_ of a
discording Constitution of natural _Temperaments_ and _Faculties_; which
_Difference of Constitution_ brings often false and ungrounded
_Reproaches_ upon the Reputation of fruitful WOMEN. From whence it is
justly to be remarked, that, tho’ few or no _Children_ are got meerly by
ART; yet if a little _Dexterity_ or ingenious _Subtilty_ was used with
some WOMEN, there would not (perhaps) _One_ in _Three_ of those, who are
rashly accounted so, be found _BARREN_.
II. AS to the _unsuccessful_ ACT of _Coition_, I shall refer what may be
offer’d on _that Point_, until I come to treat of _Sterility_, in
SECTION viii: And therefore I shall only farther observe _Here_, that
the _Parties_ ought not to encounter with full _Stomachs_, _Bellies_, or
_Bladders_; much less when BOTH, or EITHER, are _weary_, _fatigu’d_,
_depriv’d of Sleep_, _angry_, _troubled in Mind_, or in any other real
respect _out of Order_. For in these _Cases_, it is very detrimental to
the Health[39] of such imprudent _Parents_; and (if _Conception_
follows) it infallibly _intails_ some respective EVIL upon the _Innocent
Production_: Because all the _Affections_ or _Disturbances_ of their
MINDS, virtually devolve upon the EMBRYO. And besides, as (by such
perverse Means) the _Conception_ becomes _irregular_; so also does the
_Maturation_, _Nutrition_, and _Birth_ carry the same _Impression_: For
from the least _Perturbation_ of _SPIRIT_, the _Infant_ may contract
various _Blemishes_ of BODY, as well as _Errors_ of MIND.
WHEREFORE, in fine, as this _Affair_ is to be undertaken with a serene
and contented _Mind_, a chearful and undisturbed _Heart_, so it ought to
be perform’d with _Moderation_ and _Decency_: Not in any _brutal Manner_
or _Posture_; but according to the rational _Law_ and proper _Instinct_
of _Nature_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Remarks upon COPULATION._
Supposing now this amicable _Engagement_ of NATURE to be over, I may be
modestly allow’d (I hope) to add a few Words upon its necessary
_Consequences_; and _First_, of what has happen’d in the ACT,
_Retention_, and _Conception_ following.
FIRST then, If the WOMAN has contributed most _Seminal Matter_, it may
reasonably be concluded, that the CHILD will favour the MOTHER most: If
the MAN predominantly, the FATHER: If _Both_ equally, it will resemble
_Both_, or in part the FATHER, and partly the MOTHER.
AND according to _Anaxagoras_, if the SEED has flown into the _Right
Side_ of the WOMB, from the Right _Rein_ of the Man, a _Male_ will be
conceiv’d; if into the _Left_, from the Left _Rein_, a _Female_; by
reason of the _Frigidity_ and _Humidity_ of that Place. Which _Notion_
may seem _probable_; considering, that tho’ the WOMB has but one
_Cavity_, yet it has two _Sinuses_[40] for conceiving the _Two different
Sexes_: As _Nature_ has in other Respects accordingly given the WOMAN
two _Breasts_.
_LACTANTIUS_ also observes[41], That, if peradventure a _Male_ should be
conceiv’d of the SEED fallen to the _left Side_, the Place destinated
for the _Female_, he will make but a SEMIVIRILE MAN; distinguishable by
some _Womanish Qualities_, such as a _weak_ or _tender Heart_, _small
Voice_, a _smooth_, or _unbearded Face_, &c: And so, on the contrary, if
a _Female_ should be conceiv’d of the SEED fallen to the _right Side_,
she will have some distinguishable _Marks_ of VIRILITY; such as a _large
Stature_, _robust Members_, _dusky Colour_, _rough hairy Face_, _coarse
Voice_, &c: And that because the _Conception_ happen’d in that Place,
which _Nature_ had appropriated to the _Male_.
THIS likewise seems to be the best Reason which may be given why _some
Women_, like _Hector’s_ WIFE, mentioned in _Homer’s Iliads_, are
naturally inclin’d to intermeddle with MEN’S _Affairs_; for having thus
(as it were) _originally_ invaded his RIGHT _ex traduce_, they are
always for maintaining their _wrong Conquests_, and defending their
_unjust Possessions_ in future Progress of Time.
BUT I should rather in this Topick agree with _Velthuysius_[42], that
_Both_ SEEDS are each of them naturally endued with the _Faculty_ of
generating its _Like_: I mean, the MAN’S, to produce a _Male_; and the
WOMAN’S, a _Female_: And that therefore by a natural _Predominancy_,
where the _Masculine Faculty_ has prevail’d, a MAN-CHILD is begot; and a
GIRL, where the _Feminine Virtue_ has exceeded it.
THIS, in short, is the best and only Reason I know, why _Children_ like
to either _Parent_ in SEX, may yet differ in _Physiognomy_, _Manners_,
&c: the SEED of the _one_ perhaps prevailing in _making_ the SEX, and
That of the _other_, in _determining_ the rest of the Parts. Hence it
is, in all Probability, that a CHILD like his _Father_ in SEX, may be
like his _Mother_ in natural _Disposition_ and Tenderness of
_Constitution_. Although by the way (without doubt) the _Place_ or
_Sinus_ of the WOMB, _Matter_, _Heat_, and _Imagination_ of the WOMAN,
contribute very much to the _Difference_ of the SEX; as will hereafter
more plainly appear at large. AND, in fine, _This_ is the only _Cause_
of the _Conception_ of HERMAPHRODITES, that the emitted _Substance_ of
BOTH PARENTS containing the full respective _Faculty_ of EACH, is
sufficiently prolifick and prevalent to constitute and distinguish each
proper SEX, in one and the same _personal Production_. But before I
proceed farther on the _Similitude of Children_, I beg leave previously
to describe the _Force_ of _IMAGINATION_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of the Power of the IMAGINATIVE FACULTY._
THE _Imagination_ is the strongest and most efficacious of all the
SENSES; for the _Vivacity_ of all the _others_ (mention’d in Sect. I.
Chap. 5.) in some measure, depend upon it.
IT works upon, and affects, _others_ as well as _ourselves_, and
operates in the very _Soul_, as well as _Body_ of Man; moving the Powers
of all the _Passions_ of the Mind.
AS it happens frequently by reason of the _Similitude_ of things; that
by _seeing_ or _imagining_ ONE to eat some sharp or sour Matter, or
_hearing_ it only mention’d, ANOTHER’S _Teeth_ may be set on edge, and
his _Tongue_ wax tart; so by seeing _One_ gape, _Another_ often falls a
yawning. In like manner, as the _sight_ of any _filthy_ Thing causeth
_Nauseousness_; so the _sight_ of Man’s _Blood_, makes many Persons fall
a-swooning.
_GUILLAUME de Paris_ writes, that he saw a Man, who at the _SIGHT_ of a
_Medicine_, went to _Stool_ as oft as he pleas’d, tho’ it neither in
_Substance_, _Odour_, or _Taste_, did affect him; but only by an
_Apprehension_ of a kind of _Resemblance_. Which is much the same Case
of one in a _Dream_, who thinks he _burns_ and is in a _Fire_, or as
much tormented, as if he did _really burn_, tho’ far enough from any
Substance of _Fire_; only because of a _Resemblance_ apprehended by the
Strength of _IMAGINATION_.
AND besides, this _IMAGINATION_ hath not only such Power over the
_Body_, but also over the very _Soul_ of Man; which Power of the _Soul_,
hath its respective _Influence_ upon the _Body_: As _Avicen_ remarkably
describes a certain _Man_, who (when he pleas’d) could affect his _Body_
with the PALSY.
IT is wonderfully related of _Gallus Vibius_, that he became _Mad_, not
casually, but on purpose; for whilst he imitated Mad-Men, he so
assimilated their _Madness_ to himself by the _Counterfeit_, that he
fell at last into _real_ MADNESS.
ST. _AUSTIN_ mentions _some Men_, who could move their _Ears_; and
_others_ who could move the _Crown_ of their Heads to their _Foreheads_,
and _replace_ them at Pleasure. He writes of _Another_ also, who could
sweat whenever he had a mind.
I have likewise known some _Persons_ myself, who could weep and shed
abundance of _Tears_ at Will and Pleasure; _others_, who could bring up
what they had _swallow’d_ of any kind, as _Gold_, _Silver_, &c; and
_others_ again, who could so naturally _imitate_ and express the VOICES
of _Birds_, _Cattle_, _Dogs_, &c; that they could not easily be
distinguished.
YEA, and farther yet, many _Learned Authors_[43] testify by divers
Examples (of _Cajetava_, _Æmilia_, &c.) that _Women_ have been turn’d
into _Men_: Which some would persuade us to believe, to be an _Effect_
of the Force of a vehement _IMAGINATION_, acting upon the _Soul_, with
which it is of a near _Affinity_, beyond all the Power of SENSE.
AS to this Point, I am no ways to question the _Veracity_ of what so
many excellent Men have confirmed; but (granting it to be so) I think we
may find more probable _Reasons_ for it, than all the _Powers_ of
_IMAGINATION_, how great soever and marvellous they may be: Whereof I
shall mention _That_, which seems to be the most _rational Cause_; viz.
An extinguish’d or latent _forming Faculty_[44], which (however)
sometimes has _exerted_ itself again, like the BLAZING of a raked or
resuscitated _Fire_.
FOR as our _Teeth_ take their Beginning _in_ the WOMB, but are perfected
_without_, as _Bartholomæus Eustachius_ teacheth; and as the _Teeth_,
call’d _Dentes sapientiæ_, are generated, and break out, even after the
30th Year of our Age: So it may be, that the _virile Genitals_ have been
imperfectly begun in the WOMB, and that this _forming Faculty_ has only
perfected them by little and little; so that at last they have sprung
forth and appear’d, after shaking off the _Pudendum_. And consequently
such WOMEN as _Those_ (upon _Dancing-Bouts_, or the like, when the
_Blood_ and _natural Heat_ had been strongly exagitated) have turned
into MEN.
HOWEVER _That_ be, I very well know that when the _Soul_ is elevated and
inflam’d with a fervent _IMAGINATION_, it may not only _affect_ its own
proper _Body_, but also _That_ of ANOTHER.
FOR the _Longing_ of a _Woman_ that has conceiv’d, acts apparently upon
_Another’s Body_, when it _marks_ the _Infant_ in her WOMB with the
_Figure_ or MARK of the _Thing long’d for_: Besides, who knows not that
_one Body_ may be easily affected with the _Vapours_ of _another_
diseased Body? As is plain in Cases of _Plague_, _Leprosy_, and several
other _Distempers_. Thus also in the _Effluvia’s_ or _Vapours_ of the
EYES, there is so great a _Power_, that they can bewitch and infect the
_Beholders_ about them; as the monstrous _Catoblepas_, and _Cockatrice_
or _Basilisk_, kill People with their very _Looks_[45]. So in like
manner _Witches_ by their intent Desire to _hurt_, have been thought to
bewitch Persons most perniciously by their steady malicious _Looks_
only, directed and inforc’d by _IMAGINATION_.
NOW this Force of _IMAGINATION_ affecting other _Bodies_, holds good
even among _Brute-Creatures_; as One bit by a _Mad Dog_, presently falls
a-raging, and the LIKENESS of _Dogs_ is clearly impressed upon his
_Urine_. Moreover, by _IMAGINATION_ in time of _copulating_, PEACOCKS
and other _Birds_, impress a particular _Colour_ upon the _Wings_, &c.
of their Brood; and from hence it is, that the Curious may have store of
_white young-ones_, by hanging the _Places_ where they _couple_ with
white _Linnen-Cloths_, _Papers_, &c: As in _Snowy_ Mountainous Countries
we find always _white Peacocks_, _Quails_, _Wolves_, _Hares_, and other
_Creatures_.
AND _This_ holy JACOB[46] was not ignorant of, when he used that
ingenious subtile _Stratagem_ of placing _white-streaked Rods_ before
LABAN’S _Flocks_; which also answer’d effectually, in the _Cattle_’s
producing their _speckled and white spotted Young_. In like manner by
the same _Experiment_, the curious Admirers may be supply’d with Variety
of _spotted Birds_, _speckled Horses_, _Dogs_, &c.
THE _Mind_ also being inflam’d with a vehement _IMAGINATION_, may affect
both the _Soul_ and _Body_ of ANOTHER: Which we need not wonder at,
considering how much more powerful, fervent, and prevalent the MIND is
in its _Motion_, than any exhaling VAPOURS; and that it does not want
its proper and peculiar _Mediums_ by which it may operate.
THIS (I think) is also evidently shewn from the many MIRACLES, which we
find have been done by _Prophets_, _Apostles_, and other _Holy Men_;
(not to mention those _Wonders_ of _Pythagoras_, _Apollonius_,
_Empedocles_, &c. which cannot come in Competition with the _Others_,
being ascrib’d to _Natural Causes_): Whose _Minds_ being firmly fix’d
upon GOD, with full Intent for _Good_, affected both the SOULS and
BODIES of _others_, as well as _Themselves_, with what _Divine Gifts_,
or other _Blessings_, they wanted.
HENCE it is that _Philosophers_ advise, to shun the _Society_ of wicked
and impious Men; because their _Souls_, being full (as it were) of
pernicious _Rays_, infect them who are _near_, with a _resembling
Contagion_: As they enjoin likewise on the other hand, to keep and
frequent the _Fellowship_ of good and fortunate Men; because (by such a
_Proximity_) they are diffusive of their own _Good_, and infuse it into
_Those_ about them. For as BAD of something _bad_, so GOOD of something
_good_, always descends and adheres to the _nighest_; which virtually
(like the _Smell of Musk_, or _Assa-Fœtida_) continues a long time its
lasting _Impression_.
HERE might be indeed a great deal said upon the EFFICACY of the
_Constancy of the Mind_; but because I’ve already been too prolix on
this _Head_, I shall only observe, that in all our _Business_ and
_Applications_, a strong _IMAGINATION_, zealous _Affection_, firm
_Hope_, and stedfast _Belief_, are great Advantages, and necessary
Helps. As some most excellent _Physicians_ have experimentally verified
this Notion, that a strong _Belief_, and constant _Hope_, together with
the _Love_ and _Confidence_ of the PATIENT towards the _Physician_,
conduce very much to the Recovery of _Health_, and sometimes perhaps
more than the _Medicine_ itself: Because the firm _IMAGINATION_ of the
honest _Physician_ concurring (in effect) with the _Medicine_, and
strongly hoping it will do him _Good_, he thereby influentially changes
the _Symptoms_, and virtually alters the _Qualities_ in the _Body_ of
the _Sick_; especially if the PATIENT reposes an _entire Confidence_ in
him, by which means he becomes mutually disposed to receive the VIRTUE
of the _Physician_, as well as _That_ of the PHYSICK.
THE[47]_Arabian Philosophers_ join’d in this Opinion, establishing it
for a _Fundamental Maxim_ among them; that _whatever the constant Mind_
affected _with a fervent Desire_, _would be_ effected: As in the Case of
the MIND of _Him_, who is vehemently in _Love_, whatever it _affects_,
has an _Efficacy_ to cause LOVE; and so in other such like Cases.
BUT however, to come closer to the _IMAGINATION_ of the Pregnant
_Woman_, who knows not that it _affects_ the INFANT in the _Womb_?
Whence is it then that we have so many _deform’d Persons_, _crooked
Bodies_, _ugly Aspects_, _distorted Mouths_, _wry Noses_, and the like,
in all Countries; but from the _IMAGINATION_ of the _Mother_; while she
either conceives such shapeless _Phantasms_ in her _Mind_, or while she
frequently and intently fixes her _Eyes_ upon such _deform’d Persons_ or
disagreeable _OBJECTS_? Wherefore it is very wrong, and highly imprudent
in _Women_ that have conceived, to please themselves so much in playing
with _Dogs_, _Squirrels_, _Apes_, &c. carrying them in their _Laps_ or
_Bosoms_, and feeding, kissing, or hugging them, as I have both often
heard, and seen with my own Eyes.
AND besides, the same is the Case, when the _Natural Faculties_ are all
at work in _forming_, or ripening the FŒTUS; for if the _Woman_ be
_surpriz’d_ at any sudden Evil, or _frighted_ at any unseemly Sight, the
_Humours_ and _Spirits_ presently retire downwards, and (as it were)
abscond themselves in the _Recess_ of the WOMB: From whence immediately
a strong _IMAGINATION_ of the disagreeable _Thing_ (whether _seen_ or
_heard_ only) seizes her _Mind_; and the _Forming Faculty_ (going on in
the _Interim_) quickly impresses the _Imaginary Idea_ of _That_ thing
heard off, or the _Shape_ and _Form_ of _That_ thing seen, upon the
FŒTUS. The same is the _Reason_, that if a _Mouse_, _Rat_, _Weazel_,
_Cat_, or the like, leaps suddenly upon a _Woman_ that has conceived, or
if an _Apple_, _Pear_, _Plum_, _Cherry_, &c. fall upon any part of her
_Body_; the _MARK_ of the thing (be what it will) is instantly
_imprinted_, and will manifestly appear on the same _Part_, or _Member_
of the _CHILD_: unless the _Woman_ (in that very Moment) wipe _That
Part_ or _Member_, and move her _Hand_ to some more remote, private, or
convenient _Place_ of the _Body_: which done, the _MARK_ is actually
averted, or at least stamped upon the _other Part_ touch’d, where the
deep _Impression_ of the _Mind_, directs, and fixes the _IMAGINATION_;
and whither the _Forming Faculty_ (not so much by any _Virtue_ of the
simple TOUCH, as by _Force_ of the strong _IMAGINATION_) infallibly
converts it.
IN fine, having thus briefly defin’d, and variously described the
_Powers_ of _IMAGINATION_, I come in the next Place, more particularly,
to treat of the Reasons of SIMILITUDE in _Children_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of the SIMILITUDE of Children._
WHATEVER may be advanced on this _Head_, the most probable and solid
Reason for the _Child_’s _Likeness_ or _Resemblance_, is the
_IMAGINATION_ of the _Mother_ in the ACT of _Copulation_; together with
the _Liberty_ she gives herself in her _Thoughts_ and _Actions_, during
the Time of _Formation_, commonly call’d the Time of _Breeding_.
HENCE it is, that whatever she intentively fixes her _Eyes_ upon, or
_conceives_ and _impresses_ in her Mind, the INFANT represents the same
in its _extimous Parts_: And particularly whatever OBJECT she directs
her _Eyes_ or _Thoughts_ upon, in the Interval between the _Embrace_ and
the _Charm_, its _Effigies_ is afterwards manifest in the CHILD. As St.
_Jerom_ thus relates of a certain _Woman_, who conceiv’d and brought
forth a _Black-Child_, tho’ both _She_ and her _Husband_ (the real
Father) were _white_; meerly by eying a _PICTURE_ in the Bed-Chamber at
that _critical Juncture_.
UPON this Chapter[48]_Pliny_ has most elegantly express’d the _Artifice_
of NATURE, together with all the _Reasons_ and _Causes_ of SIMILITUDE,
to this Purpose; _viz._ “_The Cogitations of the Mind make much for the_
SIMILITUDES and RESEMBLANCES _of Children: As many other accidental
Occurrences are thought to be very efficacious in the same, and that
whether they come by_ Sight, Hearing, _or calling to_ Remembrance; _or
by_ Imaginations _conceiv’d, and deeply apprehended in the very Act of_
Generation, _or the very Instant of_ Conception: _The inconstant_ Mind,
_and wandering_ Thought, _of either_ Parent, _is justly suppos’d to be
one_ Cause.”
HENCE it is, that some _Children_ favour and resemble their _Fathers_,
some their _Mothers_, some their _Grandfathers_, or _Mothers_, and some
their _Kinsmen_: And hence also it is, that there is more Difference and
Diversity in the _Rational Kind_, than in all _other Creatures_; because
the Velocity of their _Thoughts_, the Celerity of their _Minds_, and the
Variety of their _Dispositions_, impress a far greater _Diversity_ of
various peculiar _MARKS_: While the rest of _irrational Creatures_ have
their _Minds_ continually fixed (in a manner) immoveable, steady, and
alike: every _One_ of them in its own peculiar Kind, and specifick
Nature.
INSOMUCH that the _Woman’s_ _IMAGINATION_ frequently induces a strange
_Likeness_ to her INFANT; that is, in no Part, and in no Respect,
favouring the FATHER. From whence it often happens, that a _Woman_
abusing her HUSBAND’_s_ Bed, and fearing perhaps to be surpriz’d by him
in the _ACT_, brings forth (in due time) her _CHILD_, no ways
_resembling_ the _real_ FATHER, (namely the GALLANT); but altogether
_LIKE_ to the _injur’d_ HUSBAND.
UPON which Case the following facetious _Epigram_ was occasionally
written by the famous and celebrated Sir _Thomas More_.
_“Quos ante Conjux quatuor
“Natos_, SABINE, _protulit,
“Multùm ecce dissimiles tui,
“Tuos nec ipse deputas.
“Sed quem tibi puellulum
“Enixa jam nuperrimè est,
“Solum tibi simillimum,
“Pro quatuor complecteris.
“Adulterinos quatuor
“Vocas, repellis, abdicas.
“Atqui graves tradunt Sophi,
“Quodcunque matres interim
“Imaginantur fortiter,
“Dum liberis datur opera,
“Ejus latenter & notas
“Certas, & indelebiles
“Modóque inexplicabili
“In semen ipsum congeri.
“Quibus receptis intimè,
“Simúlque concrescentibus,
“A mente Matris insitam
“Natus refert imaginem.
“Quum tot abesses millibus,
“Dum gignit Uxor quatuor,
“Quòd esset admodum tui
“Secura, dissimiles parit.
“Sed unus omnium hic Puer
“Tui refert imaginem,
“Quòd mater hunc dum concipit,
“Sollicita de te plurimùm,
“Te tota cogitaverat,
“Dum pertimescit anxia,
“Ne tu_, SABINE, _incommodus,
“Velútque lupus in fabulâ
“Supervenires interim._
HOWEVER, as to what relates to the _Tempers_, _Dispositions_, _Miens_,
_Manners_, _Qualities_, and _Propensions_ of the MIND, daily _Examples_
convince us, that _Children_, after all, generally much resemble _Those_
of their _Progenitors_; which proceeds merely from the _Efficacy_ of the
SEED, containing the Power of the natural _Faculties_ of their Minds and
_vital Spirits_, which are thence infus’d into their _Posterity_.
BUT I take this _Matter_ to depend much upon the _Passion_, _Indolence_,
or _Indifferency_ of the Mind, with which the ACT of _Copulation_ is
perform’d. For as the _Ardour_ and _Fervency_ of the _Parents_, and
their plentiful prolifick _Contribution_, tend much to the _CHILD’s_
affecting the same _Behaviour_, _Gestures_, _Actions_, _Tempers_, and
_Motions_ of BODY and MIND; even sometimes to their representing the
very _Nature_, and treading the very _Foot-Steps_ of their PARENTS, to
so nice a degree, of an exact Resemblance, that I’ve more than once
observed a MOLE-MARK of a _Father_ plainly impress’d on his _Child_.
Which, I think, is also conformable to[49] _Horace_’s Meaning;
_“Fortes creantur fortibus & bonis:
“Est in Juvencis, est in equis patrum
“Virtus: nec imbellem feroces
“Progenerant Aquilæ Columbam._
To valiant _Fathers_, valiant _Sons_ succeed;
Thus _Bulls_ from _Bulls_ descend, and _martial Horses_ breed.
AND because the _Institution of Nature_, perfects its own _Gifts_,
which, by the Help of _Education_, corrects _Errors_, and abolishes
_Blemishes_; the _Poet_ very pertinently adds,
_“Doctrina sed vim promovet insitam,
“Rectíq; Mores pectora roborant._
Yet the best _Blood_ by _Learning_ is refin’d,
And _Virtue_ arms the _solid Mind_;
Whilst _Vice_ will stain the _noblest Race_,
And the _paternal Stamp_ efface.
BUT, however yet, there are many _Parents_ still less salacious and less
fervid; who rather vilify, than covet, and rather abstain from, than
delight themselves in this _Encounter_. In short, there are some of both
Sexes, who, in patiently gratifying their active _Consorts_, esteem it
rather a sort of _Hardship_ and _TASK_ for _Family-Quiet_, than any
incumbent _DUTY_ of _Nuptial Benevolence_; Which[50]St. _Paul_ seems to
allude to, by calling it the _defrauding of one the other_.
FROM hence it is, that _Children_ often degenerate from the _Nature_ and
_Qualities_ of their PARENTS; from hence also it is, that _brisk Men_
sometimes have _stupid_, and _wise Men_ frequently beget _foolish
Children_. This happens only because of the _Indifferency_, _Indolence_,
or _Coldness_, either of Mind or Constitution, in their _Conjugal
Pleasures_: The dull heavy _Faculty_ of their _Inclinations_ to the ACT,
being diffus’d and transmitted through the SEED into the _Infant_,
according to _Catullus_;
_“Naturæ sequitur semina quisque suæ._
BUT farther still, the SEED flowing from the _principal Parts_ of the
Body, comprehends in itself the _Vigour_ and _Quality_ of their
respective Members: Whence it follows, that _Diseases_, _Imperfections_,
_Blemishes_, or any other _Deformity_, inherent in any _Part_ of the
PARENTS, becomes commonly _hereditary_ to their CHILDREN.
THIS is the Case of the whole Dutchy of upper _Styria_, where all the
_Natives_ have a huge _Excrescence_ of FLESH, which grows up with the
_Body_ (however visibly increasing and decreasing with the MOON)
generally lying upon the Left side from the _Jaw-bone_, and hanging
downwards: So that the _Women_ giving SUCK of that _Breast_, commonly
cast this _carnous Excrescence_ (which they call CRAPE) over their
Shoulders. This is so _Natural_ to them, and remarkable, that in a
Journey once from _Venice_ to _Vienna_, passing thro’ the chief Town of
that Country, call’d _Judenburg_, I had the Curiosity to go off the
_Post-Waggon_, into the _Church_, with five other Gentlemen,
Fellow-Passengers, to be better satisfy’d of the Truth of it. The
_People_ were at MASS, but the sight of us soon confounded, or at least
disturb’d their _Devotion_; for in a Moment, the Eyes of the whole
_Congregation_ were staring upon us, wondering to see so many _deform’d
Men_ (as they call’d us) in that Place at one Time.
AND the same is the only Reason, that most _Children_ in _Spain_ and
_Portugal_, are born with some SYMPTOMS of the _Venereal Disease_;
which, however, is without any infectious _Malignity_, and so _Natural_
to them, that they seldom apply to the _Doctor_ for CURE, until the Case
becomes more dangerous or desperate by the _Party’s_ own Means: which
generally happens to them in a very few Years, being exceedingly
_Salacious_ from their INFANCY, because of the stimulating _Acrimony_ of
the _putrid Humours_ of the Body, which they only strive to mitigate, or
allay, by _continual_ WHORING.
FROM what’s already said, we see that the _Efficacy_ of the _Father’s_
SEED is very considerable; insomuch, that indeed many calamitous
_Misfortunes_ may derive from it, to his _Posterity_: But it is,
however, to be strictly observ’d, that what _Disorder_ soever of a
vitious Nature derives itself this way from the _Mother_, hath yet the
greater _Malignity_, and more powerful _Effect_ upon her _CHILDREN_[51];
the _Habits_ of her Body, Good or Bad, her _Virtues_ or _Vices_, taking
still a deeper _Root_, or firmer _Footing_ in the Constitution of the
FOETUS. Which _Distinction_, in short, must needs be a most plain
_Case_, considering that the _Maternal Blood_ is its chief ALIMENT, and
the very _secundary ORIGIN_ of its _Procreation_.
AND this, in fine, is the only _natural Reason_ to be given, why many
_Things_, no ways commendable in either SEX, are the less excusable in
the WOMAN.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. III.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of CONCEPTION._
CONCEPTION, in a word, is _Two-fold_; True and _Natural_, or False and
_Præternatural_. It is call’d _True_, in opposition to a _False
Conception_; and _Natural_, because it answers to the _Institution of
Nature_. Wherefore I shall begin with _This_, and conduct the _Woman_,
who has truly and naturally _conceiv’d_, thro’ the different _Stages_ of
Life she is to pass; describing plainly, and laying before her the many
various _Scenes_ of every respective _Stage_, which can any ways affect
her Person.
IN this nice Affair, like a faithful PILOT, in a _narrow Channel_, I
shall not only point out the _Barrs_ and _Rocks_, on which she may be
_Shipwreck’d_; but also direct and prescribe her _Course_, by which she
may _sail_ safe into her wish’d-for PORT: Where when I have duly secur’d
_Herself_ and her _Cargo_ to the Best of my Capacity, I shall thereafter
proceed in their Order, to treat of the different _Preternatural
Conceptions_; as I shall in this place now discourse only of the
_Natural_.
THIS _Natural Conception_ then, is the first principal _Action_, and
peculiar _Function_ of the WOMB, in duly commixing and fomenting the
retain’d SEEDS of _Man_ and _Woman_: Since as the SEED of _Plants_
requires the Matrix of the _Earth_, to nourish it well, and safely
defend it; so doth _That_ SEMINAL _Virtue_ of _Men_, the WOMB, in this
_Act_ of _CONCEPTION_.
BUT as to the _Time_ of _CONCEPTION_, I cannot but differ from _Those_,
who protract and put it off till the _seventh Day_ from the first
_Seminal Retention_, for I am clearly of Opinion with _Lud.
Mercatus_[52], that if the SEED be retain’d _seven Hours_, the _Woman_
hath CONCEIV’D: Neither can I find sufficient Reason to think _Nature_
one Moment _Idle_, much less _seven Days_. Therefore _CONCEPTION_ ought
to be reckoned, from the very _Day_[53] of the _First Retention_.
HOWEVER yet, it is certain that, if the _Debility_ of the SEED, or WOMB,
or _Both_, happen to hinder or impugn the Work, _Nature_ ejects the
GENITURA, or _Thing conceiv’d_, on the _seventh_ Day; which Time is the
common _Crisis_ of all _Diseases_, and _Morbifick Accidents_: Whereas if
no such _Effluxion_ happens about that Time, _CONCEPTION_[54] is
certain, and _Formation_ goes on.
THIS _True CONCEPTION_ is likewise known by many various _Signs_;
whereof I shall mention a _Few_, not out of any vain Curiosity, but meer
Necessity: Because, supposing a _Woman_ to labour under any dangerous
_acute Disease_, it is of the greatest _Importance_, to be certain,
whether she hath conceiv’d, or not; by reason that the Means of her
_future Relief_ must (of Necessity) be adapted to her _present
Condition_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of the Signs of CONCEPTION._
THE _Signs_ of CONCEPTION are many and various, and accordingly some
more, some less _certain_, as hereafter set forth; whereof I shall only
mention such as are most common and familiar to the _Generality_ of
WOMEN: _viz._
I. THE _Retention_ or _Suppression_ of the MENSTRUA; when not occasion’d
by some other _Indisposition_.
II. SUDDEN _Weakness_, _Feebleness_, and _Imbecility_ of the Body and
Limbs.
III. LAZINESS, _Weariness_, and _Sleepiness_, with a _Heaviness_ of the
whole Body; but especially of the _Reins_ and the _Thighs_.
IV. A sort of little SPOTS, or hard WARTS, arising in the _Face_ and
_Forehead_.
V. A small _Pain_ about the NAVEL, and _Commotions_ in the _lower_
BELLY.
VI. COLD Shivering, and trembling _Fits_; wandring _Pains_, and
_Head-Aches_.
VII. LOSS of wonted _Colour_, sunk _Eyes_, discolour’d _Eye-Balls_: A
sparkling _Dimness_, and _Glimmering_ of the EYES; the _Ball_ growing
less, and the _White_ larger.
VIII. A _Protuberancy_ or Swelling of the VEINS, and BREASTS; their
growing _Hard_, and giving _Pain_: As the NIPPLES become firm, large,
and dark-colour’d, with a _livid Circle_ around them.
THESE and many other _Signs_ often occur upon _CONCEPTION_; but except a
_Plurality_ of them meet in _one Person_, they are not absolutely to be
rely’d on: It being a _Vulgar Error_ among _Women_, to calculate
precisely from the Time of _missing_ their MONTHS; for as _These_ are
often suppress’d, without any such manifest _Cause_; so I have known
some _Plethorick_ Persons, who have had them several repeated times
after Conception.
YEA, I was once given to understand by a LADY of Distinction, in the
City of _Berlin_, that she never had _Them_, till she first _conceiv’d_
in the 19th Year of her Age; and then they came in _regular Course_,
without any _Detriment_, during the whole FOETURA, or time of
_Gestation_: After which, she had _Them_ no more, till she _conceiv’d_
again, when _They_ return’d, and continued as formerly; and thus it
constantly happen’d to her, till she had done _Child-bearing_.
THERE are _other_ more certain _Signs_ of _CONCEPTION_; touching which,
let it suffice, that the _Physician_ knows them, from the _Relation_ of
the PATIENT: And to these may be added the _Symptoms_ of the _MONTHS_.
BUT notwithstanding all the positive _Diagnosticks_, which most Men have
been, hitherto, guided by; I have met with so many _Fallibilities_ in
this Point, that I shou’d readily have come into the Opinion of[55]
_Paulus Sacchias_, and deny’d the _Certainty_ of _PREGNANCY_, even at an
_advanc’d Time_, had I not been better instructed by Those most
excellent _Physicians_ and MEN-MIDWIVES, Sig. _Garofanzzo_ of _Padua_,
and _Pfizerus_ of _Wittenberg_; who agree in certain _infallible Signs_,
which put an end to all my _Doubts_, as well as to the grand
_Controversy_, touching _CONCEPTION_.
AS to those common _Signs_, which discover the _CONCEPTION_ of a _Boy_
from a _Girl_, or _Vice Versa_; finding _them_ tend only to _Curiosity_,
and to no real _Advantage_, I cannot think it worth while to allow them
any Place _Here_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of the DIET and REGIMEN of the Pregnant Woman._
I Come now, agreeable to my Promise, in the _First Chapter_ of this
SECTION, to direct and prescribe to the _Woman conceiv’d_ her due
COURSE: Whom I would have to consider, _First_, that she is in a very
narrow and dangerous SEA; and, _Secondly_, that, as the PILOT cannot be
always upon the _Watch_; so the Safety of SHIP and CARGO depends
entirely upon the _Care_, _Conduct_, and _Steady Hand_ of the skilful
STEERSMAN.
WHEREFORE the _Woman_ being now satisfy’d of her _CONCEPTION_, she is to
observe a quite different _Oeconomy_ in her _Way of Living_, from what
she formerly practis’d: Since a _double Mischief_ may be the Result of
one _single Fault_ in this Case; the _INFANT_ always participating of
what affects the _MOTHER_. And therefore she is now not only to take
Care of _Herself_, but also of her _Embryo_, or the _Fruit_ of her WOMB;
especially in the _First Months_, when it may be justly compared to the
tender BLOSSOMS of _Trees_, which are easily _blasted_, or _shaken-off_
by the least Accident of _Wind_ or _Rain_.
THIS _Regimen_, which I am about to speak of, is _Two-fold_; the _One_
for such _Women_ as find themselves in a good _State of Health_, by way
of _Prevention_: The _Other_ for those of the _tenderer Sort_ of
Constitutions, who begin to suffer immediately under the common
_Symptoms_: Upon which Affair I shall give a few necessary _Precautions_
adapted to _Both_, with all possible Discretion and Judgment.
I. THE _Conceiv’d Woman_ then is to observe a good, wholesome, and
regular _DIET_; since _Errors_ committed that way, with respect either
to _Quantity_ or _Quality_, may be of _double Damage_; I mean, both to
the MOTHER and the INFANT. She should therefore eat rather _Often_, than
_Much_ at a _Meal_; especially at _Nights_, without fasting too long at
any Time.
II. SHE is discreetly to avoid all unwholesome, or intemperate _Air_,
and not expose herself to any EXCESS of _Heat_ or _Cold_.
III. SHE must not desire rashly to walk much abroad in _Moon-Shine_, nor
to _wash_ her Head in _Sun-Shine_.
IV. SHE ought not to frequent _Gardens_; and that for the following
_Two-fold Reason_: FIRST, lest perchance she happen to sit or tread upon
some _Herb_ of a pernicious _Quality_; as divers are, in provoking
_Abortion_: SECONDLY, lest she covet some _Fruit_ or _Herbs_, which may
be of Damage or Inconveniency if _allow’d_, and the same if _deny’d_
Her.
V. SHE is prudently to avoid all _Odoriferous_ or _Perfum_’d, as well as
_Stinking Nauseous_ SMELLS.
VI. SHE must carefully shun _sitting_ or _lying hard_, and also
_lifting_ any heavy _Weight_, or her _Arms_ above her _Head_.
VII. SHE ought purposely to forbear all _hard Labour_, and _violent
Emotions_ of Body.
VIII. SHE is prudently to avoid all Apprehensions of _Fears_ and
_Frights_, and not to be _surpriz’d_ at any thing she hears or sees.
IX. SHE is cautiously to decline _Watchings_, and sitting up late at
_Nights_; but must indulge _moderate Sleep_.
X. SHE must not _lace_ herself (as _before_) with _Whalebone-Stays_, nor
use _Busks_; which may not only spoil her _Breasts_ and _Belly_, but
also _mis-shape_ the INFANT, if _Abortion_ does not immediately follow.
XI. SHE ought discreetly to suppress all _Anger_, _Passion_, and other
_Perturbations_ of Mind, and avoid entertaining too _serious_ or
_melancholick Thoughts_; since all _such_ tend to impress a _Depravity_
of Nature upon the INFANT’S _Mind_, and _Deformity_ on its _Body_.
XII. SHE is not to be too _Busy_, or _Attentive_, fixing her _Eyes_ too
much upon any one OBJECT; especially on deformed _ugly Persons_, or any
such accidental _disagreeable Sight_.
XIII. AS to her _Appetite_, she ought to set the _Delphick Oracle_
before her (_Nil nimium cupito_) and _desire_ nothing but what _she can
have_ to her Satisfaction.
XIV. SHE must carefully avoid all strong _purging Medicines_,[56]
especially before the _fourth_, and after the _sixth Month_: And even
_Then_ also, unless a Necessity of turgid _Matter_, or unfix’d
_Humours_, oblige her to it, or require _Evacuation_. She is also
likewise to abstain from all PHLEBOTOMY[57], especially in the _latter
Months_.
XV. AS to her _Exercise_, of what kind soever, the following general
_Rule_ may suffice; _viz._ the _first Month_ she ought not to _exercise_
herself at all: The _second_, but seldom and slowly: The _third_, oftner
and briskly: The _fourth_, _fifth_, and _sixth_, moderately and boldly:
The _seventh_, _eighth_, and to the middle of the _ninth_, she should
study by degrees to reduce Herself discreetly, and abstain from all her
wonted _Exercise_, and act very circumspectly in all Regards;
especially[58] the _eighth Month_, which is the most dangerous and
troublesome of all the Time of _Pregnancy_.
XVI. LASTLY, Let her _State of Health_ be never so good, she ought to
take proper _Medicines_ to strengthen the WOMB, as well as the FŒTUS, in
order to prevent _Accidents_, which may happen to the _strongest Woman_.
BUT as to _Women_ of more _tender Constitutions_, they are not only
subject to the _common Symptoms_, but often liable also to _acute
Diseases_; such as _Fevers_, _Pleurisies_, _Squincies_, _Inflammations_,
_Epilepsies_, _Apoplexies_, _Convulsions_, _Contractions_ of the Limbs,
Joints, _&c._ In which _Cases_, I may reasonably recommend the PATIENT
to the ablest _Physician_; since none but the most Judicious ought to
undertake them in such critical Conjunctures. Because it is no ways SAFE
to use the _same Means_ and _Medicines_ with the _Pregnant Woman_ (which
those incident _Diseases_ would otherways regularly require;) without a
due _Distinction_ and a nice _Regard_ had to her other HABITS of _Body_.
THESE _tender Women_ are also sometimes seiz’d with _Chronical
Distempers_; such as _intermitting Fevers_, _lingring Coughs_, &c: But,
in those _Cases_, PRESCRIPTIONS are not so Proper or Convenient, unless
the _Distemper_ be very severe and extremely prejudicial to the FOETUS,
because they commonly wear off before the DELIVERY.
HOWEVER, be the _Constitution_, or Condition, of the _Woman_ as it will,
I mean, _Strong_ or _Weak_, _Healthy_ or _Sickly_, all prudent PARENTS,
who desire to be bless’d with comely, tractable, and hopeful _Children_,
ought not only to perform their _Nuptial Duties_ with great _Serenity of
Mind_, but also to take mutual _Care_ to prevent and suppress all
_Family-Tumults_ or _Domestick Storms_: For there never ought so much as
a _Cloud_ to appear in their _Conjugal Society_; since all such unhappy
_Accidents_ strongly affect the growing INFANT, and intail the same
_Qualities_ of DISPOSITION almost indelibly imprinted upon it.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of the SYMPTOMS of the first three Months._
THE _Prolifick Seed_ being duly coagulated by a gentle _Ebullition_ of
its own _vegetative Faculty_, by the Power of the _Plastick Virtue_ of
the vital _Spirits_, and by the peculiar innate _Quality_ of the MATRIX;
this inlivened Substance produceth an _Organical Body_, of a perfectly
form’d, and delineated FOETUS: Which FOETUS, according to the various
_Steps_ of its Progression in _Formation_, _Animation_, and
_Maturation_, occasions as many various and different _Effects_ upon the
BEARING WOMAN; as necessary _Consequences_ of the said three principal
ACTS of the _Infant’s_ Constitution.
NOW these consequential _Effects_ may be properly divided into _Three_
CLASSES; which are accordingly call’d SYMPTOMS of the _First_, _Second_,
or _Middle_; and of the last _Three Months_.
BUT it is to be observ’d by the Way, that all _Women_ are not alike
subjected to them; SOME being more troubled with _Those_ of the _First_;
OTHERS also with _Those_ of the _Second_; and OTHERS again with the
SYMPTOMS of the _last Three Months_. But there are _some Women_, in
fine, that continue to be troubled, in the _Middle Months_, with the
SYMPTOMS of the _First_; and in the _Latter_, with some of _Those_ of
the _Second_: All which happens according to their various _Regimens_,
_Dispositions_ and _Habits_ of Body.
HOWEVER, to proceed methodically, with all Submission, according to what
competent _Knowledge_ and _Experience_ I have of the CONCEIV’D WOMAN;
the SYMPTOMS most common to _Her_, in the _First Three Months_, may be
briefly reduced to the following principal _Eight_ in Number; namely,
(1.) _Vomiting or Nauseating_. (2.) _Fastidy_ or _Loathing_. (3.) _Pica_
or _Longing_. (4.) _Painful Cholicks_ or _Gripes_. (5.) _Diarrhea_ or
_Looseness_. (6.) _Tooth-Aches_. (7.) _Head-Aches_. And, (8.) _Swimmings
of the Head_. Of all which, I shall now separately treat in their Order.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of VOMITING, or NAUSEATING._
VOMITING is a strong and sudden _Contraction_ of the whole _Stomach_,
occasion’d by the _Animal Spirit’s_ being preternaturally _expanded_ in
its _orbicular_ as well as _oblong Fibres_, and the too quick and
violent _Exertion_ of their _Elastick Power_: Or otherwise, it is a
_Convulsive Motion_ of the _Stomach_, whereby, when the _Fibres_, which
compose its middle or _muscular Tunick_, are all at once strongly
contracted, it endeavours to eject through the _Oesophagus_ and _Mouth_
the Contents of its _Cavity_; to which the _Gullet_ itself (being of a
piece with the _Stomach_) and the _Muscles_ of the _Belly_ contribute
not a little.
WHICH _Definition_ comprehends the _immediate Cause_ of all _Vomitings_;
and tho’ there be many external and internal _mediate Causes_, yet, I
think, in the present Case of the _pregnant Woman_, the Cause of this
SYMPTOM proceeds chiefly from the _Vapours_ of the exhaled HUMOURS, and
the worse Part of the BLOOD; infesting the _Tunicks_ of the _Orifice_ of
the VENTRICLE, and flying into the _Cavity_ of the STOMACH.
WHICH, if _slightly_ affected, occasions only a _nauseous Spitting_, or
_gentle Vomiting_; but if more _severely_, it excites a far worse
_Vomiting_, with a certain grievous _Pain_ and _Torment_ of the Person
afflicted. Now if those _Vapours_ be of a _calid Quality_, they commonly
occasion a stinking and burning kind of _Belching_; but if _frigid_,
perhaps, on the contrary, a troublesome sour, acid, _breaking of Wind_:
Both of which promote _frequent Vomiting_, that carries off the _vicious
Juices_; so that the SYMPTOM commonly ceases (of itself) in the _second_
or _third Month_. Wherefore this ill _Habit_ need not be industriously
restrain’d, unless very _Troublesome_; as in the above-mention’d _Case_,
when attended with extreme _Severity of Pain_: For _then_ it is not
without _Danger_, and therefore requires immediate _Remedy_ or CURE.
WHICH _Cure_, I humbly conceive, maybe judiciously effected by expelling
the _Cause_, and strengthening the _Ventricle_; so that it may be
capable to repel those _Vapours_, or _Humours_, ascending from the WOMB;
and may either entirely subvert or repress _Those_ previously receiv’d.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of FASTIDY, or LOATHING._
THE _Cause_ of this SYMPTOM proceeds from the worse Sort and more
ignoble Part of the BLOOD; which, in concert with the _Humours_,
perverts the _Temperature_ of the STOMACH, by flowing towards its
Orifice: And _This_, upon emitting _Vapours_ to the _same_, strongly
impresseth such _vicious Qualities_ upon it, as doth occasion sometimes
a LOATHING of _All Meats_, and sometimes only an _Aversion_ to some
certain _particular Dishes of Meat_.
WHICH last _Case_ happens most commonly, and especially at the Time of
_New_ and _Full-Moon_. Now this LOATHING may be _thus_ distinguished: To
wit; if it rises from _bilous_ or _cholerick Humours_, the WOMAN feels a
gnawing or biting of the _Ventricle_, and is afflicted with a frequent
_great Thirst_: If from _putrid Humours_, she is (at several Times)
_feverishly inclined_: And if from _moderate gross Humours_, the only
SIGN is a _frequent Spitting_.
THIS _Symptom_ ceases (of itself) in due Progress of Time: For as the
FOETUS (which as yet is only _sustain’d_ by the better and nobler Part
of the BLOOD) grows _bigger_, it requires the _larger Quantity_, and at
last the WHOLE of the _Menstruous_ BLOOD for its _Sustenance_; at which
Time also the accumulated _Humours_ likewise are lodg’d in their proper
Place: _Both_ which _Causes_ being thus remov’d, the _Effect_ ceases of
course by degrees. However it is prudent, to prevent this _Evil_, from
the beginning of Conception, by proper _Medicines_; but otherways
(whenever it happens) unless the FOETUS be endanger’d for want of
sufficient Aliment, Time and Patience are the fitted _Remedies_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of the PICA or LONGING._
WOMEN subject to this SYMPTOM, are indeed desirous of _Meat_ and
_Drink_; yet commonly of _such_, as is not only _disagreeable_, but also
_offensive_ and _prejudicial_ to NATURE.
THE violent _Excess_ of this _vicious_ or _degenerate Appetite_ is
wonderful; as frequently appears by many _unnatural Instances_, which I
shall forbear mentioning in this Place, for fear of ill Consequences; so
that I can only recommend the _Curious_ to the[59]_Authorities_ of the
MARGIN.
THE _Cause_ of this _SYMPTOM_ proceeds from the various _Humours_ of
deprav’d _Qualities_, inherent in the _Tunicks_ of the _STOMACH_,
vitiating the _Ferment_ of the _VENTRICLE_; and so affecting the
_Orifice_, that it becomes the very _Seat_ and _Source_ of this _Evil_:
from whence arises the _Variety_ of the _Humours_, exciting a strange
and uncommon _Variety_ of APPETITE.
THE _Nature_ and _Quality_ of these _HUMOURS_, have occasion’d many
learned _Disputes_, which yet remain undecided. But tho’ _Platerus_
takes upon himself to call them _Malignant_ and _Poisonous_, yet it is
the _Opinion_ of many _learned Men_, and as excellent _Authors_, that
_They_ are not to be justly accounted for, any farther than that they
are of an _occult perverse Quality_, generated in the _STOMACH_, from
irregular _Diet_, improper _Food_, and bad _Concoction_, attended with
an _erroneous Regimen_ in other Cases.
THIS _Symptom_ begins commonly about the 40th _Day_ from _Conception_,
and continues to the 4th _Month_: Against which time, part of the
_vitious Humours_ are excreted or thrown up by _Vomiting_, and the
Remainder (by degrees) imbib’d by the _growing Infant_; which _Humours_
being so consum’d, the _Distemper_ ceases of Course.
THIS _Effect_ is more extreme and disorderly in bearing a GIRL than a
BOY; the _pituitous Humours_ having less _Concoction_, because of the
want of requisite _Heat_: Which for the same Reason also occasions
disagreeable _Flatulencies_, _Belchings_, and _Fluctuations_.
I have, in the Course of my Experience, observ’d this _Evil_ to be most
common in _Holland_; partly because of the _thick_ condensed _Air_ of
the Country, and partly because the _Commonalty_ of the _Women_ live but
on gross and cold Food, Fruit, Acids, _&c._ and are consequently of a
cold humid _Temperature_, very subject to this Evil.
THE _Diagnostick Signs_ of this _SYMPTOM_, are Weakness of _Body_,
Dissolution of _Limbs_, Gnawing of _Stomach_, Loathing of _wholesome
Food_, (and even _That_ very often which the _Party_ lov’d before)
_Anxiety_, _Pensiveness_, frequent _Spittings_, and (at several times)
_Vomitings_.
IF the _Ventricle_ or _Stomach_ is only slightly affected with some sort
of _viscous_ and _frigid Humours_, the _Party_ generally _longs_ for
_sharp_ and _tart Meats_; if with _calid_ and _hot_ ones, she craves for
those which are _bitter_ and _biting_: But if more severely affected,
with _Humours_ of some perverse _occult Quality_, she longs for _strange
unaccountable Matters_; and hence it is that all _monstrous APPETITES_
proceed.
BUT if such _Humours_ become _Connatural_ to the _Woman_, by the _deep
Impression_ of Diuturnity, she longs for things _resembling_ the very
same _Nature_ of the _Humours_: As for Example, if they be of a
_burning_ or _parching Nature_, she covets to eat _COALS_, _CINDERS_,
&c. if of a _gross_ and _thick Quality_, _CHALK_, _LIME_, &c. if of a
_Saltish_ Kind, _SALT_ itself: if of a _Melancholick_ Temper, _EARTH_,
_CLAY_, _DUST_, &c. For because, as the Thing _containing_ changes the
_Contents_, so the _Contents_ (in process of time, by Force of _constant
Impression_) change the Thing _containing_. In like manner as _deprav’d
Wine_ imparts a vitious _Taste_ or _Savour_ to the _CASK_, so those
_Humours_ convert the Temperature of the _STOMACH_ into their own
_Natural Qualities_.
THE Similitude and Dissimilitude of _Humours_ and _Temperature_, may be
thus known and distinguished, _viz._ The APPETITE, longing for things of
a _like_ or _resembling Nature_ (as above), remains still _unsatisfy’d_,
tho’ plentifully indulg’d with the Thing desir’d: Whereas the APPETITE
of _different_ or[60]_discording_ Things, having obtain’d the Thing
_long’d_ for, is easily _satiated_, and immediately ceaseth.
THIS _Malicious_ or _Lusting SYMPTOM_, is most _dangerous_; degenerating
commonly into a _Cacochymy_, _Dropsy_, _Phthisick_, or some other heavy
_Disease_.
BUT the greatest Hardship or Misfortune, after All, is _This_; that, if
the _Woman_ doth not indulge her corrupt _APPETITE_, she _languishes_
and _pines_ to such a degree, that her[61]Life is often endanger’d,
together with the FOETUS, by the Disappointment: and if she does so
gratify herself, _This_ often proves of the worst of Consequences, even
sometimes to a mortal Fatality.
HOWEVER, in short, this _SYMPTOM_ is like many _Others_, more easily
_prevented_, than _cur’d_: Wherefore all _Women_, as soon as they
_conceive_, ought (at repeated Times) to use proper _Anti-kittean
Medicines_ (that is, against _PICA_ or _Longing_) and be very careful of
their _Regimen_ and _Diet_: But when, perhaps, by neglect of those
_Means_, the _Distemper_ appears inordinate, the Method of CURE consists
in evacuating the Humours, and in absterging, alterating, and
corroborating the STOMACH.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of CHOLICKS and GRIPES._
THO’ the _Cholick_ derives its Name from the Gut _Colon_, I mean by it
not precisely that _Pain_ which affects _This_ only, but that also which
usually invades other _Guts_, whether thin or thick; because one _Gut_
seems not to be more subject than another to this Pain; the _Contexture_
of all of _them_ being the same every where. So that the _Cholick_ is
nothing else than a sorrowful _Sensation_ of a very sharp _Pain_,
infesting the _Guts_, or the Nervous _Plexus_, or _Membranes_ in their
Neighbourhood, proceeding from wandering _Winds_ and _Flatulencies_ in
the ABDOMEN, or lower Belly; arising from the _Humours_ aggregated about
the WOMB: which, dissipating themselves, distend the _Intestines_, and
excite most severe _Pains_ about the NAVEL.
THESE _Effects_ may also proceed from indurated _Excrements_ in the
RECTUM; or from any _other Matter_, which either compresses, obstructs,
or erodes the _Intestines_: Hence _Physicians_ commonly take notice of
_Three_ different Sorts of _Cholicks_; namely, the _Flatulent_, the
_Bilous_, and the _Pituitous_.
NOW _These_ are All thus distinguished: The _Wind-Cholick_ traverses the
Belly, and gives an excruciating wandring _Pain_ in the VISCERA, or
_Bowels_, &c. The _Bilous_ induces a certain Pain, with a very sensible
_Mordacity_; and is generally attended with _Thirst_ and a _Bitterness_
in the MOUTH: The _Pituitous_ gives a most sharp penetrating fixed
_Pain_, resembling (as it were) a driven _Stake_, or perforating
_Instrument_; attended with a _Nausea_, _Vomiting_, and _Retention_ of
Excrements, _&c._ This last Sort _Galen_ calls the most cruel CHOLICK.
HOWEVER I take it to be the _First_ of these, which most commonly
afflicts the _Conceiv’d Woman_; generated of improper _Diet_, or
proceeding from an irregular _Regimen_: And _This_ is also sometimes so
excessive, that I’ve seen the _PATIENT_ fall by its Extremity into a
_Lipothymia_, or _Swooning-Fit_, which generally presages _ABORTION_, if
not seasonably prevented by proper _Discutients_, and convenient _Diet_,
_&c._
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX.
_Of a DIARRHEA, or LOOSENESS._
A _Looseness_, in my Sense, is an immoderate, frequent and sudden going
to STOOL: in which the _liquid_ and _diluted_, as well as _sharp_ and
_peccant_, _Excrements_ are voided, which is commonly preceded by the
_Belly-ach_ and _Gripes_.
IT differs from a LIENTERIA, in that the _Excrements_ are not
indigested, unaltered, or _Chylous_, nor the STOOLS so quick after
Meals: As it also differs from the _bloody Hepatick_, and _Hemorrhoidal
Flux_, in that no _Blood_, _Matter_, or _Liquor_ like that, in which
Meat may have been wash’d, is voided with the _Excrements_.
SOME _Loosenesses_ are call’d _Bilous_, when so much of the sharp _Gall_
is expell’d as tinges the _Excrements Yellow_, however mix’d with other
_serous Matter_: _Others_ are call’d _serous_ and _pituitous_, in which
viscous watery _Humours_, less impregnated with GALL, are frequently and
copiously voided.
THIS _Symptom_ may proceed from a great Variety of _Causes_: For an
_Error_ committed accidentally in _eating_ or _drinking_, or any
_Irregularity_ in the way of Living may occasion it. [62] _HIPPOCRATES_
and many _others_, justly observe this _Case_ to be dangerous; because
it not only relaxes and debilitates the _Body_ of the WOMAN, and
_Ligaments_ of the INFANT; but also necessarily impairs its requisite
_Nourishment_, and provokes _Nature_ to an _untimely Expulsion_ of the
tender Fruit. Which unhappy _Consequence_ ought (by all means) to be
prevented, if possible, and the grievous _Affection_ to be cured without
any Loss of Time: Now I presume _That_ may be done _first_, by gentle
_Abstergents_ and _Corroborants_; and _Then_ afterwards by proper
_Restringents_ and _Strengthners_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. X.
_Of the TOOTH-ACH._
THE _Cause_ of this SYMPTOM, proceeds from the sharper part of the
_Humours_; which, ascending to the _Head_, vitiates the BLOOD, and
thence occasions a _effluxion_ of _Rheum_ upon the TEETH: So that _This_
vitious _Rheum_ fixing itself at some of their _Roots_, affects the
_Membranous Parts_ so sensibly, that instead of a small _Ach_, it proves
a great _Pain_, and almost intolerable _Torment_ to the SUFFERER.
THIS ill _Affection_ may also proceed from some _Frigid_ or _Calid_,
_Serous_ or _Salt-Humour_, falling down upon the _Membrane_ of the JAWS,
or _Nerves_ of the TEETH: Where, if it corrupts and lies putrefying, it
commonly engenders WORMS.
IN all which _Cases_, I humbly conceive, it may be _cur’d_ by Variety of
respective _Means_, according to the different Quality of the CAUSE,
whether _Frigid_, _Calid_, _Serous_, _Saltish_, or _Acrimonious_:
Otherways it ceases (of itself) in process of Time, by good Conduct and
keeping warm, &c.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XI.
_Of the HEAD-ACH._
OF all the _Parts_ of the Body, the HEAD is most expos’d to _Pains_;
that is, to a troublesome and grievous _Sensation_ of the _Membranous
Parts_; proceeding from _Vapours_ of the noxious _Humours_; which
ascending to the HEAD, distend and rend, in a manner, the _Membranes_ of
the BRAIN.
THE _Parts_ most commonly affected, are the _Hairy Scalp_, the
_Pericranium_, and the _Diploe_; That is, the medullous _Duplicature_ of
the CRANIUM, otherways call’d the _Meditullium_: For these _Parts_, by a
continual _Solution_, when it happens so, are always most severely
pain’d. But besides, in a _Woman_ that has conceiv’d, the _Pains_
commonly shift and move from one Place, to another, of the HEAD; and
take certain _Intervals_, longer or shorter, betwixt their _Access_ and
_Recess_.
BUT as the _Infant_ grows, and exhausts a greater Quantity, or at last
the _whole_ of the BLOOD; and as the _Humours_ fix in their proper
Place: So this SYMPTOM gradually goes off, and quite ceases.
HOWEVER, in case the _Accesses_ be long and violent, they may be
discreetly _cur’d_ by repelling and mitigating _Applications_, or by
peculiar _Corroboratives_ and _Discutients_, or proper _Alteratives_,
according to the _Nature_ and _Quality_ of the CAUSE. I refer what may
be farther added on this Head, to _Sect._ IX. _Chap._ 3.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XII.
_Of the MEGRIM, or VERTIGO._
THIS _Symptom_ begins with a _Swimming_, _Giddiness_, or _Dizziness_ of
the HEAD, and proceeds (in the _conceiv’d Woman_) from _Vapours_ of the
_Humours_; which, ascending partly thro’ the _Veins_ and _Arteries_
tending to the BRAIN, and partly thro’ the OESOPHAGUS or _Gullet_,
disturb the Animal Spirits.
NOW This _Distemper_ is _Two-fold_, and distinguished by the Words
VERTIGO and TENEBRICOSA; which last the _Arabian Physicians_ have call’d
_Scotomia_, I suppose from the _Greek_ Word Σκοτος, _Tenebræ_, Darkness;
and is now generally receiv’d by that Name.
BUT because this sad _Affection_ is too common to both _Sexes_, young
and old, I shall proceed to a farther Dilucidation of it, for the
universal Good and Benefit of All.
FIRST then, the[63]_VERTIGO_ is a deprav’d _Imagination_, attended with
the vitiated SENSES of _Hearing_ and _Seeing_; proceeding from the
violent Commotion of the _Animal Spirits_. _Secondly_, The _SCOTOMIA_ is
also a deprav’d _Imagination_, accompany’d with loss of _Sight_, and
sometimes of the _Motion_ of the _Animals_ affected with it, because of
some _Interruption_ in their circular Passage. In the _first Case_, the
_PATIENT_ imagines his Head only to be turn’d round, or winded about: In
the _other_, he thinks that _circular Motion_ to consist in the
_external Objects_.
NOW the _VERTIGO_ is attended with the vitiated SENSE of _Hearing_, as
well as _Seeing_: Because, as something like a _Cloud_, _Smoak_, or
_Web_, seems to appear before the PATIENT’s _Eyes_; so there is a
certain _Whistling_, _Hissing_, or Tinkling always in his _Ears_. The
SCOTOMIA, in like manner, is attended with Loss of _Sight_, and
_Motion_; because of some _Disorder_ of the _Ventricles_ of the BRAIN
obstructing or impeding the _Transition_ of the SPIRITS.
IN the VERTIGO, an _Agitation_ happens in the _Membranes_ of the VEINS
and ARTERIES, as also in the _Membranes_ of the BRAIN; by which violent
_Motion_, the very _Continent Parts_ are vehemently shaken and
concuss’d, and at length so disquieted, that the PATIENT thinks his HEAD
wheels round about.
IN the SCOTOMIA, the _Animal Spirits_ having in themselves the _Species_
of all Sensibles, and those _Species_ being presented to the
_Imagination_: As such _Images_ of external _Objects_ are moved in it,
so the _Party_ thinks the same _real Objects_ to be moved. For,
according to _Avicen_, it is the same thing, whether that which is
_seen_, or that by which we _see_, is moved: As seeing _Land_ from on
board a _Ship_, in a smooth Sea, being insensible of the _Ship’s Way_,
we imagine (and sometimes very strongly too) that the LAND is in
_Motion_.
THAT by which we _see_, is the _visible Species_ reserved in the
_Spirit_: Hence when this _Species_ is moved, the _external Object_
seems also to be _moved_.
BUT in explaining the _Circular Motion_ of the _Animal Spirits_, we must
consider it to be _twofold_; namely, _Natural_ and _Preternatural_: The
_Natural Motion_ is that which begins in the _Carotide Arteries_, thence
tending to the _Plexus Choroideus_, or the _anteriour Ventricles_ of the
BRAIN; from _These_ to the _middle_; from the _middle_ to the
_Posteriours_; and from the _posteriour Ventricles_ of the BRAIN, the
_Spirits_ are imparted to the NERVES. The _Preternatural Motion_ is just
the _Reverse_ of this Case.
THE _Causes_ of both these Cases and Conditions are either _immediate_
or _mediate_. The _immediate Causes_ may be reduced to _Three Classes_;
to wit, _Causes_ of an _inordinate Motion_ of the Animal Spirits,
_Causes_ of the _Circular Motions_, and _Causes_ of lost _Sense_,
_Sight_, and _Motion_.
THE _Causes_ of the _Spirits_[64] moving inordinately, are either
_External_ or _Internal_. The _Externals_ are the _Sun_, _Hot Baths_,
_Frictions_, and _Concussions of the_ HEAD; or a _Fall_, _Blow_,
_Contusion_, and all inordinate and immoderate _Motions_ of the whole
Body: such as _Running_, _Leaping_, _Riding_, _Dancing_, too much
_Venery_, or hard _Drinking_; as also the Use of _Acids_, or acrimonious
Things, and all Things replenishing or stuffing the HEAD; such as
_Garlick_, _Mustard_, _Anise_, _Parsley_, _Leeks_, _Onions_, _Radish_,
strong _Snuffs_, _Drinks_, &c.
THE _internal immediate Causes_ are the _Imagination_ of the PATIENT,
_Vapours_ of the whole Body, frigid _Flatulencies_, and[65]a sudden
_Fluxion_ of the _vital Spirits_ into the HEAD.
THE _mediate Causes_ are _Material_; and this _Matter_[66] (almost all
_Physicians_ agree) is _frigid_. From hence it is certain, that the
_Distemper_ proceeds from _Crudities_, and _Victuals_ of a crude Juice;
such as _Pulses_, _Cheese_, _Tarts_, _Fish_, and all _other Sorts_ of
the like frigid and humid _Qualities_: But _these_ are only to be
reckon’d _concurring_, not _efficient Causes_.
THE most common _material Cause_ is, according to _Galen_[67], the BILE;
which, seeking for Vent at the _Mouth of the Stomach_, is the _Cause_ of
these _Symptoms_, and is[68]properly to be educed or evacuated by a due
_Vomit_.
BUT in Case of VAPOURS, _Heat_ is always the _efficient Cause_,
elevating them from the peccant _Matter_; since a _Cold_, or a
refrigerated _Body_, can never engender VAPOURS or _Wind_ from any
Material Cause.
I shall not now enter upon the particular _Diagnosticks_ of this
_Distemper_, because they are as _Various_, as the _Causes_, and
affected _Places_ are different. Let me observe only, that the _simple_
VERTIGO is easily known by the _Imagination_ of the _Circular Motion_ of
the _Patient’s_ HEAD, or That of _external Objects_, or by vitiated
_Seeing_ and _Hearing_.
BUT the SCOTOMIA differs from the VERTIGO, in that besides the
_Imagination_ of the _circular Motion_, the PATIENT often loses his
_Sight_, staggers, tumbles, or falls to the Ground. And yet the _same_
is distinguished from the _Epilepsy_, in that the PATIENT retains his
principal _Functions_, and neither _Foams_ at Mouth, nor is
_Convulsive_.
HOWEVER, as to the _Distinction_ of Causes, if the _internal Cause_
proceeds from _Calidity_, it is known by the _hot Temperament_ of the
whole Body, as well as by a _Swelling_ and _Pulsation_ of the ARTERIES
about the _Throat_: Besides that this VERTIGO easily _accedes_ and
_recedes_, it is always attended with _Calidity_ and _Redness_ of Face
and Eyes; with _Watchings_, _Deliriums_, &c: And it commonly follows
_Fevers_, _Watchings_, _Anger_, the _Use of Calids_, hot Things, _&c._
In which _Cases_, it is always to be helped by the _Use of Frigids_, or
Coolers.
IF it arises from _frigid Flatulencies_, the _Paroxysms_ or Fits are
preceded by a _Hissing_ or _Tingling_ in the EARS; the PATIENT turns
_pale_ and _wan_, and is taken with an odd extensive _Pain_ of the HEAD:
And if these _Flatulencies_ generate in the HEAD, the _Party_ feels it
_ponderous_, _lumpish_, and _heavy_; and is consequently much inclin’d
to _Sleep_, _Stupidity_, _Dullness_, and _Inactivity_.
IF the _Distemper_ is derived from a _flatulent Stomach_, the _PATIENT_
is troubled with _Rifting_ and _Rumbling_ of the Belly; with _Sobbing_
and _Sighing_, with _Hickups_, _Yawnings_, _Extensions_, _Inflations_,
and frequent _Spittings_.
IF it comes from a _Mordacity_ of the _Mouth of the Stomach_, the
_Party_ is infested with a _Nausea_, _Loathing_ and _Fastidy_; with a
Dejection of _Appetite_, a lasting or frequent _Thirst_, and a
_Bitterness_ of the Mouth. But this _Affection_ also very often proceeds
from the WOMB, and that either because of the suppress’d _Menstrua_, or
longretain’d _Seed_; as will hereafter more fully appear in _Sect._ ix.
_Chap. 8_.
AS to the _Prognosticks_ of this _Distemper_, it does not always seem
_Dangerous_, much less _Lethal_, at first; but its _Consequences_ are
(however) very _Fatal_[69], if not timely prevented: For it often turns
to _Inflammations_[70] of the HEAD, or _Convulsions_; sometimes to
_Melancholy_ or _Madness_; and sometimes to _Epilepsies_ or
_Apoplexies_.
NOW because this _Affection_ observes _Lunar Periods_, and in extreme
Cases, is near a-kin to the _Falling-Sickness_;[71] _Cœlius Aurelianus_
informs us, That it was call’d by the _Ancients_ the _little Epilepsy_:
And as it admits of _periodical Accessions_ and _Circulations_ (I mean
coming and going _Fits_) which depend chiefly upon the Power and
Influence of the _New_ and _Full-Moon_; so it is to be treated with
respect to _Cure_, in a different manner; one way in the _Access_,
another in the _Interval_.
BUT this _Cure_ is as different, as the Causes and Degrees of the
_Distemper_ are various; wherefore I can, by no means, enter upon it in
this place, for Brevity-sake.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the SYMPTOMS of the middle Three Months._
THE FOETUS having receiv’d a distinct FORM, constituted of various
_Organical Members_, and produced of divers _substantial Matters_, takes
a various _Situation_; the different _Members_ possessing different
_Places_, according to the _Institution of NATURE_.
AFTER an absolute and compleat _Conformation_ of ORGANS, the rational
_Soul_ is infus’d and adapted; which is the ultimate Perfection of the
_Human_ FOETUS: By which it becomes MAN and receives _Life_, living and
subsisting henceforward by its own vivacious _Faculties_, distinct from
those of the MOTHER. Now the Great and All-wise CREATOR undoubtedly is
the only _Supream_, _Efficient_, and Immediate _Author_ and _Finisher_
of this noble _Work_; which, according to the nicest _Calculation_ of
the greatest _Masters_ of _Nature_, is most commonly accomplished about
the _Beginning_ of these _Middle Months_: At which time, the usual _Turn
of Nature_ necessarily occasions different _Effects_ to the
_Child-bearing Woman_; which are call’d _SYMPTOMS_ of the _Middle
Months_.
AND these _SYMPTOMS_, in short, I reduce to the following _Seven_ in
Number; _viz._ 1. _Coughs_; 2. _Palpitations_ or _Heart-Beatings_; 3.
_Swoonings_ or _Syncopes_; 4. _Watchings_; 5. _Pains_ in the _Hips_ and
_Loins_; 6. _Hemorrhages_ or _Bleedings_; and, 7. _Fluxes_ of _Blood_.
Of which, in their due Order.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIV.
_Of COUGHS._
COUGHS are either _Humid_ or _Siccid_: They are call’d _Humid_, when the
_Humours_ contain’d in the _Aspera Arteria_, of whatsoever Nature, are
expell’d by its own Force thro’ the _Mouth_. And _Siccid_, or dry
COUGHS, when, notwithstanding great Pains and Trouble, nothing is
_excreted_, only the whole Body fatigued by a continual irritated
Endeavour to _Cough_ and _spit-out_; whence arise Pains of the _Head_,
_Hypochondriacks_, and other Parts.
THE _Cause_ of which _SYMPTOM_ is _Four-fold_, and proceeds either from
the sharp acid _Vapours_ of the _Humours_ flying towards the _Lungs_,
_Wind-pipe_, and _Jaws_; irritating the natural Faculty to _Expulsion_:
Or, from the finer Part of the _Blood_, converting itself to the
_pectoral Veins_: Or, from the _Humours_ themselves ascending to the
_Head_, and relapsing upon the _Breast_: Or, in fine, from the
suppressed _Albedines_ or WHITES, and whatsoever may vellicate the
_Aspera Arteria_, or in any respect oppress or irritate the _same_.
THIS _Symptom_ (however slighted or lightly esteem’d) is very Dangerous;
forasmuch as it attenuates and weakens the _whole Body_, enervates or
destroys its _Strength_ and _Vigour_, causes difficult _Respiration_,
excites _Head-Aches_, hinders _natural Rest_, occasions _Watchings_,
promotes Defluxions, and finally gives _Origin_ to _Fevers_, as well as
most other _Diseases_: Besides that, it continually exagitates and
distresses the _Muscles_ of the ABDOMEN, or lower Belly; and thereby too
commonly provokes _Miscarriage_.
FOR these Reasons this _SYMPTOM_ ought to be carefully _mitigated_, if
not _cur’d_, without any loss of Time: But the CURE itself, in my humble
Opinion, may be easily effected, by evacuating the _peccant Humours_, by
purging and corroborating the _Head_, and by the right _Use_ of proper
_Thoracick Medicines_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XV.
_Of HEART-BEATINGS and SWOONING-FITS._
THESE Beatings or _Palpitations_ are nothing else but a sudden Loss of
all the Strength, with an immoderate _Concussion_, by a vehement
_Diastole_, and molestous _Systole_ of the _HEART_: From hence this
_SYMPTOM_ easily turns to a _Cardialgia_, _Lipothymia_, or _Syncope_;
which are _All_ of near _Affinity_, in the Case of the _Pregnant Woman_,
so that I shall treat of them _conjunctly_, and first observe; that
THE _Cause_ of all such _SYMPTOMS_ are but _Two-fold_, and proceed
either from a _flatulent_ Substance of the _Humours_, ascending, thro’
the _Arteries_, or the _Vena Cava_, to the _HEART_: Or from the
_Abundance_ of BLOOD, which (not finding passage by the WOMB) seeks to
the _superiour Parts_, and thence oppresses the _HEART_ and _vital
Faculty_.
THIS _Last_ is the most dangerous _Condition_, being (in such
_Plethorick Women_) the certain _Prognostick_ of imminent _ABORTION_: To
prevent which unhappy _Accident_, the principal Part of the CURE,
depends very much on cautious _Venæ-Sections_, or letting Blood, proper
_Diet_, &c: Whereas, in the _First Case_, proper _Discutients_,
_Cordials_, and _Corroborants_, are the most convenient and successful.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVI.
_Of WATCHINGS._
THIS _Symptom_ is nothing else, more than an immoderate _Exercitation_
of the SENSES, from too great a _Motion_ of the _Animal Spirits_:
Proceeding from some acrimonious and siccid _Vapours_ of the _Humours_,
ascending to the BRAIN, and there disturbing the _Spirits_, by exciting
their vehement Motion; which so exagitates the SENSES, that the vigilant
restless _Woman_ gets either none at all, or but very _short Sleep_.
THIS watchful _Affection_ is distinguished by a _siccid_, or _calid_ and
_siccid Intemperature_; attended sometimes with a _Melancholick_,
_Bilous_, or _Pituitous_, _Saltish_ Matter; which is either essentially
lodg’d in the HEAD, or communicated to it from the _Mouth of the
Stomach_, or the Veins of the whole Body.
SOME have been so overtaken with this _SYMPTOM_, that they have not only
continued _Awake_ for some Days and Nights, but also Weeks and Months:
Insomuch that _Hercules Saxon_[72] relates of his own _Father_, that He,
being melancholick, suffer’d such like WATCHINGS, without the least
SLEEP, _seven Months long_.
HOWEVER in the _Child-bearing Woman_, the least Degree of such
immoderate _WATCHING_[73] is dangerous; insomuch that it often occasions
_Deliriums_, and _Convulsions_, by the continual Stretch and _Tension_
of the FIBRES.
HOWEVER the CURE of this _SYMPTOM_ may (I hope) be well perform’d both
by _external_ and _internal Means_; externally, by proper _Lotions_,
_Inunctions_, and _Frictions_; internally, by proper Soporiferous
_Medicines_ adapted to the Quality of the Intemperature.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVII.
_Of PAINS in the Hips, Loins_, &c.
ALTHOUGH these _PAINS_ (in general Terms) are the _Effects_ of the
_Compression_ of the extended WOMB, hanging on, and bearing too much
upon the neighbouring _Parts_, by its Gravity and Weight: Yet the
particular _Cause_ of such _SYMPTOMS_ (in my Opinion) is _Two-fold_; and
proceeds either from the Abundance of BLOOD lodging in the _Veins_ of
those Parts; or from the growing FOETUS, so extending the _Ligaments_ of
the WOMB, as to oblige the neighbouring Parts to sympathize. From hence
the _broad Ligaments_ cause the _PAINS_ of the _Back_ and _Loins_,
answering to the _Reins_, to which _Parts_ they are strongly fixed; as
the _round Ones_ affect the _Groins_, _Hips_, and _Thighs_, where they
terminate. Which _Ligaments_ are sometimes so violently extended,
especially in the first Time of _Pregnancy_, that (by the Concurrence of
any slight _procatarctick Cause_) they have been often known to break.
THE _Cure_ of these _SYMPTOMS_, in the _first Case_ above-mentioned,
depends chiefly upon cautious _Phlebotomy_, and good _Repose_ in Bed;
and in the _Second_, upon proper _Swathes_, _Unguents_, &c.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVIII.
_Of HÆMORRHAGIES, or BLEEDINGS._
THESE _Symptoms_ are to be understood to happen only from the superiour
Parts; as _Nostrils_, _Mouth_, or _Ears_: And the _Cause_ seems to be
_Three-fold_: proceeding either from a more than ordinary _Plenty_ of
BLOOD; or from a gross Mixture of _Humours_ and BLOOD, prompting Nature
to _Excretion_; or, lastly, from a _Debility_ and _Weakness_ of the
INFANT, when not able to attract the due Quantity of BLOOD to its
_Subsistence_.
IN the _first Case_, the _Woman_ usually looks _sanguine_ and
well-colour’d, and hath more _Plethorick Marks_ upon her; which, if it
happens, without any great _Inconvenience_, as it is without _Danger_,
the _Woman_ may easily bear and dispense with it.
IN the _second Case_, the BLOOD so lost falls dropping away, and with
_Pain_; it is ugly and _ill-colour’d_, of an _acid Quality_, and
_stinking Smell_: And the PATIENT hath more _Cacochymic Signs_ upon her,
whereby she is threatned with _Abortion_ and imminent Danger.
IN the _third Case_, the SIGNS of a _Debilitated Fœtus_, and instant
_Abortion_, are evidently presented; as mention’d in Chap. 29, and 30,
of this _Section_: When, if she chance to escape _Miscarriage_, (which
most commonly happens in this _Condition_, if not timely and artfully
prevented) a difficult and laborious BIRTH is the certain _Consequence_;
and sometimes a protracted Time of BEARING to the _Close_ of the 10th,
or (as I have observ’d) to the _Beginning_ of the 11th _Month_.
THIS _Symptom_ is to be judg’d of, and _cur’d_ according to the
above-mention’d, and what other concomitating _Diagnostick Signs_
appear.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIX.
_Of FLUXES of BLOOD._
THIS _Symptom_ is to be understood to happen from the _inferiour Parts_;
namely, by way of the _Hæmorrhoidal Veins_, or by the _Passage_ of the
WOMB, but most commonly by the _Last_.
THE _Cause_ then of this _SYMPTOM_, happening by the _Hæmorrhoids_, is
_Three-fold_; and proceeds, either from too great a _Quantity_ of BLOOD
abounding; or from the disorder’d and deprav’d _Quality_ of that BLOOD;
or from _Both_ these _Indispositions_ jointly: And this sanguine
_Affection_ is commonly without any great Danger (tho’ not without some
Trouble) to the _Woman_; ceasing gradually (of itself) after a safe and
successful _DELIVERY_.
THIS _Symptom_ from the WOMB, happens _Four_ different Ways; to wit,
either by the _Vessels_, which run to the _Neck_ of the WOMB; or by
_Those_, which tend to the _Body_ and _Cavity_ of the SAME; or by
_Those_, that adhere to the _Membrane_ call’d CHORION, and to the
_Infant_, by which it attracts its _Nutriment_; or by _Those_, that
_Nature_ hath reserv’d for a _Superfœtation_, or the _Necessity_ of
expurging this BLOOD when it chances to be Superfluous.
WHATEVER way this FLUX happens, its _Cause_ is _Three-fold_; and
proceeds, either from an _Apertion_ of some of the mentioned _Uterine
Vessels_; or from their _Dilatation_; or from a _Rupture_ of those
Vessels.
THEY are _open’d_ by a _Redundancy_ or _Superfluity_ of BLOOD; which
_Wise Nature_ takes this _Method_ of fiercing and throwing-off, the
_Natural Evacuation_ being stopped. They are _dilated_ by the _Acrimony_
of the _Humours_, or by their own rarefy’d and thin _Contexture_, And,
in fine, they may be _bursten_ or _broken_, by a great Variety of
_Accidents_; such as _Running_, _Leaping_, _Falling_, _Striking_,
_Lifting_ a heavy Weight, violent _Motion_, _Coughs_, great _Pains_,
_Vapours_, _Costiveness_, _Looseness_, immoderate _Heat_, or _Cold_; as
also by any violent _Perturbation_ of Mind.
THE _First Case_ (being the Work of _Nature_) happens with great Ease,
and without any Pain or Trouble; it _flows_ moderately and regularly, is
of _short Continuance_, and not attended with any immediate _Danger_, so
long as the _Woman_ enjoys her _Health_, and continues well-colour’d in
_Complexion_.
THE _Second Case_ is called an ANASTOMOSIS; and what happens by such
irregular _Dilatations_, falls _Drop_ by _Drop_ away; and is All _Acid_,
_Ill-colour’d_, _Stinking_, _Thin_, _Pale_, _Serous Stuff_.
THE _Third Case_ is known by an immoderate and irregular _Flooding_, as
it were in _Heaps_; attended with PAINS of the _Groins_, _Loins_, &c:
And at last aggravated with _Faintings_ and _Convulsions_. The true
STATE of which _Case_ is particularly noted in Sect. V. Chap. 7. Only
give me leave to add here, that the _Procatarctick Cause_, is always
sufficiently known, from the _Relation_ of the PATIENT.
BUT however, it is also proper to know in all the above-mention’d
_Cases_, from what _Place_, and by what _Vessels_ this _Flux_ happens:
Which may be rightly thus distinguished; for if from the _Neck_ of the
WOMB, it flows orderly and moderately; as it likewise does, if it comes
from _Vessels_ no ways adhering to the INFANT: but if it arises from the
_Bottom_ of the WOMB, it flows in less _Order_, and greater _Quantity_;
and if it happens, in fine, from the _Vessels_ fixed to the INFANT, and
the CHORION, then it does _flow_ most irregularly of all, and in very
great _Quantities_.
THE _Prognosticks_ of this _SYMPTOM_ are, either a[74] weak debilitated
INFANT, or an approaching _Abortion_: But besides also, it sometimes
portends a _hard_, _laborious_, and _protracted BIRTH_, perhaps even to
the 11th _Month_.
WHICH _Prognosticks_ are indeed founded upon sufficient relative
_Reasons_: The _First_, because the _INFANT_ is not able to convert the
_whole_ of the _superabundant_ BLOOD, to its _Aliment_: The _Second_,
because the _INFANT_ (tho’ perhaps Strong and Able enough) is depriv’d
of its requisite _Sustenance_: The _Third_, because (according to
_Hippocrates_, &c.) a _sickly Gestation_ always indicates a difficult
and laborious _BIRTH_: And besides the reason of a _protracted Birth_
(beyond the _ordinary Time_) is very plain and perspicuous; because, if
a _strong healthy CHILD_ requires _two Months_, to recover itself after
the first _Onset_ or _Attempt_ of the _7th Month_, (as is more amply
explain’d in _Chap._ 34. of this Section) it is but highly reasonable to
think, that a _weak sickly One_, requires a _longer Time_ of Gestation.
THE _first Case_ of this _SYMPTOM_, seems to be the most favourable of
the _Three_; yet I would advise such _Sanguine_ or _Plethorick Women_,
to guard against _one ill Consequence_, which I have known sometimes to
happen in the same burthensome _Condition_: Namely, that from too great
a _Plenty_ or _Superfluity_ of BLOOD, it sometimes runs through the
_interiour Veins_ into the _Cavity_ of the WOMB, which renders the
_Case_ by far the most dangerous; because this BLOOD[75] (being out of
its proper _Canal_ or _Center_) irregularly extravas’d, immediately
_corrupts_ and _suppurates_; which corrupted BLOOD, in Concert with the
_INFANT_, (whose _Aliment_ is thereby impair’d) always obliges the WOMB,
to dilate and yield up its _Contents_: So that, in short, this
particular _SYMPTOM_[76] is, in all its different Cases or Conditions,
the most Pernicious and Dangerous.
WHEREFORE it is, that the respective CURES of these sundry _Cases_,
belong only to the Ablest _Physician_, and _That_ (most properly) to
_Him_ who professes and practices MIDWIFERY: Because, when _Medicinal
Helps_ fail, and cannot prevent _Misfortunes_, HE will at least know
best then, how to _Compose_, and _Mitigate_ them, by delivering the
Woman, if Necessity so require.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XX.
_Of the SYMPTOMS of the last three Months_.
TWO _third Parts_ of the common Duration and Conjuncture of
CHILD-BEARING, being, by this time faithfully, if not so fully,
accounted for; it remains now, that we also more particularly consider
the MOTHER and her INFANT throughout the last _Three Months-Travail_.
These are the _Finishing Maturating Months_ of the _INFANT_: I mean
peculiarly, as to its _Strength_ and _Vigour_; since in other respects,
the _Middle Months_ have duly _perfected_ the Ornaments of the
_particular Members_, and gracefully compleated the SHAPE and FORM of
the whole Body.
WHEREFORE, as, in these _latter Months_, the _CHILD_ encreases in
_Bulk_, _Vigour_, and _Activity_, it then affords the tender MOTHER
incredible _Uneasinesses_, and grows sometimes almost _Obstreperous_:
Which _Augmentation_ of the FOETUS (of natural Consequence) occasions in
her Constitution of Body various different _Effects_; call’d _SYMPTOMS_
of the last _Three Months_.
NOW these _SYMPTOMS_, I hope I may pertinently reduce to the following
_Nine_, in Number; namely, 1. _Dysuries_; 2. _Ischuries_; 3.
_Stranguries_; 4. _Costiveness_; 5. _Tenesms_; 6. _Varices_; 7.
_Inflations_ of the _Legs_; 8. _Fissures_ of the Belly; and 9. and
lastly, _Water-Fluxes_. Of which I shall take leave to treat separately,
in their proper Order.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXI.
_Of DYSURIES, ISCHURIES, and STRANGURIES._
THE _Dysuria_ is a painful and difficult _Excretion_ of _Urine_; as the
_Ischuria_ is an entire _Suppression_ of the SAME: And the _Stranguria_
nothing but an _Effect_ of the other TWO; being an _Excretion_ made Drop
by Drop, with a continual _Stimulation_ or _Propensity_ to make Water,
however without any acute _Pain_, tho’ not without some _Uneasiness_.
NOW these _three SYMPTOMS_ have all their respective _Causes_, which I
shall not particularly enter upon here at large; but only, take notice
by the By, that in the _Pregnant Woman_, they most commonly proceed from
_One_ and the same _Original_: Wherefore I shall in this Place discourse
of them _conjunctly_; and observe that all three _SYMPTOMS_ may proceed
from the _ponderous_ WOMB, lying upon, and depressing the _Neck of the
Bladder_; and _that_ the more heavily, the nearer the _Woman_ is to her
TIME. The _pungent Acrimony_ of the URINE sometimes also occasions
_Incontinence_, or want of _Retention_; as its _Inflammatory Heat_
causeth almost a total _Suppression_. However, in short, such _SYMPTOMS_
may likewise proceed from some _crude_ and _unconcocted Matter_,
obstructing and oppressing the _Sphincter-Muscles_.
BE _That_ as it will, in the present _Case_, the CURE is but very seldom
of great _Difficulty_; being frequently effected, by lifting up the
_Bottom of her Belly_ with both Hands when she is about to _make Water_:
Or, by wearing a convenient large SWATHE. But if Need require, the
_Region_ of the BLADDER may be cherished with proper _emollient
Fomentations_, _Injections_, or _Cataplasms_; as (upon any _Extremity_
at last) a CATHETER may be prudently used.
IF the _SYMPTOM_ however proceeds from any _Inflammatory_, or
_Acrimonious Quality_ of the URINE; it may be sufficiently helped by a
proper, regular, cooling _Diet_: As, if it arises from any _undigested_,
_crude Matter_; it may be assisted or reliev’d by a good _Draught_[77]
of _warm_ generous _WINE_; which not only helps _Concoction_, but also
facilitates and promotes _URINE_: But in case of absolute _Necessity_,
after all, gentle PHLEBOTOMY ought to be carefully used.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXII.
_Of COSTIVENESS._
THE _Belly_ discharges it self sometimes more _seldom_ or infrequently;
sometimes with more _Pain_ and _Difficulty_; and sometimes in less
_Quantity_ than is convenient for _Nature_.
THERE have been many _Instances_ given of this _Disorder_, by[78]Learned
Men, where some PATIENTS have gone to _Stool_ but once in _Eight_, once
in _Fourteen_, and once in _Twenty_ or more _Days_.
YEA,[79]_Dominicus Panarolus_ relates of a certain Friend of his, whose
_Belly_ was so exsiccated, that he sometimes liv’d three _Months_
without going to _Stool_.
BUT what I mean by _Costiveness_, is not that Distemper, where there is
a total Suppression, for that rather belongs to the _Iliack Passion_;
but that only, where the _Excrements_ lodging longer than their due
natural _Time_, perhaps three or four Days more or less, are at last
voided hard and dry with some small Straining.
Which irregular _Accident_ may proceed from many different _Causes_.
Although in the _pregnant Woman_, I take the following to be the most
_Common_: That is to say, the _Calidity_ and _Siccity_ of the _LIVER_,
or _SPLEEN_; occasion’d by the _Lusty Child’s_ attracting too much of
the _Radical_ and Succid _Moisture_ of the _MOTHER_, and compressing the
_Intestines_.
THIS _Symptom_ proves often of dangerous _Consequence_: For by the
pressing _Force_, commonly us’d in such a _Case_ to ease the BELLY, some
_Vessels_ or _Ligaments_ may be easily and readily _broken_. And not
only so, but the retain’d _Fæces_ always affect the HEAD, and
contaminate the BLOOD with noxious _Vapours_; and thereby impede or
hinder the _Concoction_ of the _Ventricle_, and the Separation of the
better and purer, from the grosser and impurer part of the _Chyle_:
Whence proceed many other various _Disorders_ to the whole _Body_, from
the long Retention of the _Excrements_.
THE _Cure_ consists in temperating the _Calidity_ of the _VISCERA_, and
relaxing the _BELLY_ by proper _Diet_, _Dissolvents_, &c. And in _Case_
of any sudden _VOMITING_, which sometimes happens upon _Costiveness_,
humectant and emollient _Clysters_ may be most properly and cautiously
used, to restrain and prevent all such _Revulsions_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXIII.
_Of TENESMS._
A TENESMS is an irregular _Retention_ of NATURE, and nothing else but a
continual _Desire_ or _Inclination_ of going to _STOOL_; attended with
_Pain_, without voiding any thing but _Slime_, or an indigested
MUCOSITY: And this is in the ANUS, what a _Strangury_ is in the BLADDER;
being _Both_ a violent _Contraction_ of the FIBRES, or _Disorder_ of the
SPHINCTER-MUSCLES.
WHICH tenacious _Symptom_ proceeds from a great Variety of _Causes_,
occasionally provoking the _expulsive Faculty_ of the _strait Gut_,
call’d the RECTUM, without a _Power_ to expel; such as may happen to
be an unusual _Exulceration_, or _Constriction_ of, or an
_Acid-Salt-Humour_ in the same INTESTINE: So likewise a _Stone_ in the
Neck of the BLADDER, a _Tumour_ of the adjacent _Parts_, or seminal
_Vessels_, a frigid _Intemperature_, the _Hemorrhoides_, a
_Dysenteria_, _Dysuria_, _Ischuria_ or _Stranguria_, &c. may very
shrewdly occasion the TENESMUS.
WHICH binding _SYMPTOM_ is of the same dangerous _Nature_
and[80]_Consequence_ with the preceding _Case_; both having an equal
_Effect_ of Power, if not prevented, to expel and dislodge the INFANT.
Which _Notion_ cannot be otherways better maintain’d; for the WOMB being
situated upon the _Intestinum Rectum_, must suffer great _Commotions_ by
continual _Needings_ and _Strainings_ in both Cases.
BUT the safest CURE, in short, in my humble Opinion, is to be perform’d
by proper _Decoctions_, _Fomentations_, and absterging _Clysters_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXIV.
_Of the VARICES, or Vein-Tumours._
THIS _Symptom_ is nothing else, than a _Distention_ or _Dilatation_ of
the HIP, THIGH, and LEG-VEINS: Which however chiefly appears about the
HAM; and it happens most commonly to _Plethorick Women_, who walk much,
or exercise themselves more freely upon any Occasion.
THE _Cause_ proceeds only from a _Plenty_, or _Superfluity_ of the
suppressed BLOOD, more than the _Infant_ can consume: which being
carry’d by the _Arteries_ to the _lower Parts_, is thence received by
the _Crural_ and _Saphene_ or _Ankle-Veins_. Insomuch that the WOMB,
being (by this time) both _Ponderous_ and _Bulky_, so presseth the
ILIAC-VEINS, that it hinders the BLOOD in its _Course_, and obstructs
its free _Motion_ and _Circulation_; whereby (of consequence) these
_inferiour Veins_ must swell and distend themselves proportionably.
HOWEVER, the _Danger_ of the _SYMPTOM_ is not great; because after a
safe _BIRTH_, when the super-abounding BLOOD and _Humours_ are
evacuated, these preternatural _Tumours_ settle, and the VEINS return to
their _Pristine State_.
WHEREFORE the only necessary _Relief_ of this Malady, consists chiefly
in the _Woman’s_ abstaining from too much _Walking_, and all other
extravagant _Exercises_; upon indulging her _inferiour Limbs_, by
keeping them rais’d upon a _Couch_ or _Stool_, that the BLOOD may not
settle too much to these _lower Parts_: Or (which is far better) let her
prudently keep her _Bed_; in which _Posture_, the BLOOD can meet with no
such _Difficulty_ in returning by these _Veins_ to the HEART, as it will
find when it must ascend by the _Woman’s SITTING_ or _STANDING_ upright;
so that consequently it must needs _circulate_ the more readily and with
more _Ease_. Hence in short, it is, that from this more Free and Easy
CIRCULATION in _Bed_, such _Women_ are always more easy, or better
dispos’d, and far less _pain’d_ or troubled in the _Mornings_, than at
_Nights_, in This Condition.
BUT if, after All, the _PATIENT’s_ Convenience will not permit such
_Indulgences_, Then a proper _Swathe_ of three or four Fingers Breadth,
is most adviseable; beginning to _swathe_ this _Varicose_, or _Swelling
Part_, from the _Bottom upwards_, as far as the _Varices_ or _Tumours_
extend. But in Case of more _Plethorick Marks_, at last, in the _other
Parts_ of the Body, _Phlebotomy_ may be most safely made Use of.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXV.
_Of the INFLATIONS and TUMOURS of the LEGS._
THESE bloating _Symptoms_ not only happen to some _Women_ before, but
also after _BIRTH_; especially when the LOCHIA, or Child-bed Cleansings,
do not flow in a regular _Measure_ or sufficient _Quantity_.
THE _Cause_ of the present disorder’d _Case_, proceeds either from the
Suppression of some _Aqueous Flux_ of the WOMB; or from some such
_watery serous_ BLOOD descending to the LEGS; or from the Abundance of
retain’d _Menstruous_ BLOOD, more than the INFANT can dispense with:
which, being of no Service either to _MOTHER_ or _CHILD_, settles
downwards to these aggriev’d _Parts_. But _these Things_ are to be
considered with this Distinction and Difference, that if the _LIVER_ be
debilitated, and the BLOOD becom’s _Pituitous_ or _Aqueous_, the
_Woman_’s LEGS are so _Oedematous_ or _Tumid_, that when pressed with
the Finger, it leaves the Impression of a _Dent_ and _Hollowness_: But
if the BLOOD grows _corrupted_ and _bilous_, her LEGS are _inflam’d_,
and sometimes occasionally _exulcerated_, as in _Scorbutick Cases_: And
if none of _These_ happen, then a gross thick BLOOD only abounds,
tending vitiously downwards. Upon which there are only some _Livid_ or
_Blueish Marks_[81] to be discover’d with those _Tumours_, such as the
_VARICES_ or _Swellings_ occasion in the preceeding _Case_.
IN fine, the _Woman_ troubled with these _Symptoms_, commonly bears a
_Female_; as all _Women_, having sickly times of _GESTATION_, generally
do. However yet, tho’ this swelling _Affection_ is very troublesome, its
_Danger_ is not great; because it ordinarily ceases of it self with good
Care after the _BIRTH_. Wherefore in this Condition a _CURE_ is not
always to be attempted, lest the _Humours_ recoiling upwards, affect
some _nobler Part_. Nevertheless, if the _SWELLING_ be too considerably
Painful or Troublesome, proper _Digerents_ and _Discutients_ may be
apply’d, and the LEGS fomented with a convenient _Lixivy_, _Decoction_,
or _Cataplasm_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXVI.
_Of FISSURES or CHOPS of the BELLY._
THIS _Symptom_ only happens to _Women_ bearing their _first_ or _second
CHILD_; whole _lower BELLIES_ have not yet been sufficiently _extended_
by frequent _CONCEPTION_.
THE _Cause_ proceeds only from the _natural Lenitude_ and _Constriction_
of the Skin of the _ABDOMEN_ or _lower Belly_; which (in proportion to
the _Growth_ of the _INFANT_) must dilate and distend itself: So far as
that towards the _latter Months_, it gives way to such a large degree,
that it appears not otherways than as if the _SKIN_ was to be divided,
and almost crack or break by its thin _Attenuation_.
HOWEVER it occasions also very often great _Pain_, as well as a
_permanent wrinkled_ DEFORMITY of that _Part_. Wherefore _Laxative
Liniments_, and proper _Unguents_, are pertinently to be made use of by
way of _Precaution_, from the _fourth Month_, until the Time of
Delivery.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXVII.
_Of WATER-FLUXES._
THE _Water_ which is gather’d in the Time of _GESTATION_, between the
_Membranes_ involving the _INFANT_, is at last upon the approaching
_BIRTH_ effus’d: For the _CHILD_ having broke the AMNION, feels these
_WATERS_ troublesome, and consequently obliges the CHORION also to give
way. From whence proceeds naturally a _copious Effusion_ of the same
WATERS.
BUT of this natural _Flooding_, I am not properly to treat in this
Place; only of _that_ preposterous FLUX, which happens before the due
time of _BIRTH_, the _immediate Cause_ of which proceeds from some
_Procatarctick Accident_: Such as a _Perturbation of Mind_, an unlucky
_Fall_, a _Leap_, a _Stroke_, or any other Violence.
THIS _Symptom_ happens _Two ways_, either by a _Disruption_, or
_Dilatation_ of the _MEMBRANES_: the _first_ by _external_, the other
commonly by _internal Causes_. In the _first Case_, the FLUX comes
suddenly, irregularly, and in a great _Quantity_; in the _second_, by
little and little, or by degrees, and less in _Quantity_.
THE _first Case_ is most dangerous, being the infallible _PROGNOSTICK_
of instant _Abortion_, if not timely and judiciously prevented. The
_second Case_ is of the following bad _Consequence_, that this WATER,
which has hitherto defended the INFANT from the _Rigidity_ of the
circumjacent _Parts_, being at last (how leisurely soever) exhausted and
spent; the CHILD is soon sensible of its _Loss_, and finding its wonted
SEAT become uneasy, it thereupon being restless or discontented,
endeavours to move and seek for a _Better_: By which means (if
_Abortion_ does not presently ensue) it falls into a _preternatural
Situation_, which (of course) occasions a _preternatural BIRTH_. But
abstracting from _This_, the bare _Deficiency_ of the WATERS, for
moistening the _Passages_ in time of _LABOUR_, is enough to effect the
same Unhappiness.
HOWEVER, the _Cure_ of this _SYMPTOM_ depends chiefly upon a good
_Regimen_ of _DIET_, and _external_, as well as _internal
Corroboratives_.
IN short, having thus discuss’d the several _SYMPTOMS_ of the Nine
_Months_, and such as are most common and familiar to the _Woman_ during
her FOETURA, or the whole Time of her _CHILD-BEARING_; I shall proceed
now in the next Place with all due _Method_ and peculiar _Regard_ for
her GOOD.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXVIII.
_Of Acute DISEASES incident to the CHILD-BEARING WOMAN._
IT sometimes, and more than too often, happens, that besides the common
_SYMPTOMS_ of the _Months_, the _conceiv’d Woman_ is also suddenly taken
with some _acute DISEASE_ or other; upon which I shall offer my sincere
_Opinion_, and according to the best of my Judgment, give a brief
_Account_ of _Those_ several _Maladies_, with their _Definition_ and
_Cause_, _Nature_ and _Quality_, _Danger_ and CURE.
FIRST then, the great _Galen_ defines _acute DISEASES_ to be such, whose
_Motion is swift_, attended with sudden and immediate _Danger_.
THE learned _Brassavole_ calls such _DISEASES Acute_, as come
_suddenly_, continue a _short Time_, and have very severe or violent
_SYMPTOMS_.
THE ingenious _Blancard_ calls those _DISEASES Acute_, which are _over
in a little Time_, but not without _imminent Danger_. Now _Those_ are
deem’d either _very Acute_, or _most Acute_; the _latter_ is meant when
the _Distemper_ is over the 4th _Day_; but the _former_ is that which
continues till the 7th _Day_: For the more _acute_ the _DISEASE_ is, the
sooner follows its _Determination_, either for Life or Death. Again, a
Disease is call’d _simply acute_, when it lasts 14 or 21 _Days_; or
lastly, it is term’d _Acute ex decidentiâ_, which lasts 42 Days at
least.
AND according to the diligent Dr. _Sydenham_[82], the _Despumation_ of
_Acute DISEASES_ happens in 336 _Hours_; which he also justly applies to
_intermitting FEVERS_, reckoning 5 Hours and a half for a _Paroxysm_:
Because what we call DAYS in _Acute Fevers_, are so many PERIODS in
_intermitting Fevers_: The only difference of _Those_ consisting in that
the _one_ perfects its _Fermentation_ at _once_, which the _other_
accomplishes at reiterated _Times_, and divers _Turns_, by the same Duct
of _Nature_. He farther still, observes that _Autumnal Quartan Fevers_
continue six Months; in which Time, if the Number of the recurrent
_Paroxysms_ be summed up, they will exactly amount to the aforesaid 336
Hours, or 14 Days, which is the _Term_ or _End_ of the regular and
_continual Fevers_ of that Season.
AND the wise HIPPOCRATES observes[83] that as an exquisite _continual
Fever_ ceases within the 7th Day, so an exquisite _Tertian_ has seven
_periodical Circuits_; because every _Access_ in the latter, makes up a
_Day_ in the former Case. Hence it is manifest that all _Epidemick
Diseases_ have their due and regular _Times_[84] of encreasing,
continuing, and decreasing; and that These _Laws_ of _Nature_ are so
constant and permanent, that however _Fevers_ differ in other
Circumstances, they are equal as to the Duration of _Time_; counting
according to the _Periods_ or Fits of the _intermitting_, and the
continued Number of _Days_ of the never _intermitting Fever_.
GALEN[85] further explains _Acute DISEASES_, and calls them _Two-fold_:
The _one_ attended with a continual FEVER; such as are _burning Fevers_,
_Frenzies_, _Lethargies_, _Pleurisies_, _Squincies_, _Inflammations_,
&c. The _other_ without any Fever, such as _Epilepsies_, _Apoplexies_,
_Convulsions_, _Palsies_, _Contraction of LIMBS_, _JOINTS_, &c. Now
the[86] _Accesses_ and _Crises_ of all _These_ proceed from the
_Influence_ of the MOON; which in over-ruling terrestrial Things,
surpasses all the other PLANETS and STARS, not so much because of her
_Power_, as by her _Approximation_ or _Vicinity_.
THE _Cause_ of both the _one_ and the _other_ seems to be the _same_;
tho’ it _affecteth differently_, according to the various _Regimen_ and
_Disposition_ of the Woman: And it most probably proceeds either from
the _vitious Humours_, which have abounded in the Body before
_Conception_; or from such _Humours_ as have been congested afterwards
by the _suppressed_ MENSES, or _Months_: Which being irritated by
improper or depraved _Food_, by bad or negligent _Regimen_, either
before or after _Conception_; those _Humours_ (like _Yest_ in _Ale_)
ferment the BLOOD, to such a Degree, that (all on a sudden) the PATIENT
is violently taken with one or other of those _Acute_ DISEASES, which
are determined by a certain _Lunary_ CRISIS; that is to say, by a
certain _Motion_ of NATURE, accelerated by the _Power_ of the MOON, to a
gradual _Expulsion_ of the _peccant Matter_ thro’ the PORES of the Body.
But this CRISIS, in short, happens always with most Ease and Safety upon
the _New_ or _Full-Moon_, because the ambient _Air_ does not at that
time so much affect the _Superficies_ of the Body, nor so violently
repress the _Motion_ of the FLUIDS.
HOWEVER, this melancholy _Accident_ can never happen worse than to the
_Conceiv’d Woman_; and the _farther_ she is gone in her Time, the more
_Danger_ still. And that because of the _Scarcity_ or _Want_ of _pure_
BLOOD, which ought to be imbibed by the _Infant_, either in part or in
whole, according to its Age and Strength: Or, because of the _Plenty_ of
_vitious_ BLOOD, which tends to no other end, than to _imbecilitate_ the
Woman, and render her _incapable_ of suffering the _Insults_ of such
_acute_ DISEASES. For _Nature_ may (perhaps) be able to bear up against
_one simple Effect_, but when it is joined and aggravated by _another_,
the PATIENT is too often obliged to _succumb_, and yield herself up to
be _overpower’d_ in the Struggle of Life.
BUT, after all yet, _acute_ DISEASES are not always _mortal_ to the
_Conceived Woman_; for, as Experience teaches, SOME have the good
Fortune to _escape_, tho’ indeed the Odds[87] are very great on the
other Side. But of such sharp MALADIES, _those_ without any _Fever_ are
reckoned most _dangerous_; because they are not only _Acute_, but also
_most Acute_: And by _those_ the MOTHER is more immediately endangered
than the INFANT; whereas by _those_ which come with a _Fever_, the
tender INFANT is first and chiefly endangered, because of the MOTHER’s
internal _Calidity_ and _Depravation_, which easily affects, and soon
suffocates or stifles it in a short time.
HOWEVER, it is very observable, that a _Woman_[88], bearing a FEMALE, is
more readily seized, and more easily freed or cured of _acute_ DISEASES,
than _she_ who bears a MALE: And that because FEMALES are naturally more
obnoxious to _Distempers_, proceeding from the _Retention_ of the
MENSTRUA, and consequently more _favourably affected_, because of the
_natural Affinity_ and _Familiarity_ of the Case.
AND this is the Reason that FEMALES, after the _first Months_, do bear
and sustain more _Pains_ than the MALES; as daily Experience confirms,
in that a _Female Miscarriage_[89] seldom happens after the _first
Months_: whereas the _Male Abortion_ is most of all to be feared, after
the TIME of _Motion_ or _Animation_, because the ACETABULA, or
_Cavities_, being then more _siccid_, are the more easily broken by its
_stronger Motion_.
IN Cases of _Acute_ DISEASES, the worst is, that the necessary _Helps_,
which such incident _Distempers_ otherways absolutely require, are not
always safe and convenient for the _Child-bearing Woman_: which
Condition, (with respect to the CURE) renders the CASE one of the
_nicest Points_ in the ART of _Physick_. Wherefore I would, with
Submission, advise, that _none_ but the ablest and well-qualified
_Physician_ should undertake either the _Care_ or the CURE of such a
PATIENT. To whom I am not to prescribe _Rules_, and therefore I shall
only refer him to his own more _Acute Judgment_, and the _Curious
Solutions_ of (that most learned PHYSICIAN) _Daniel Senertus_[90], upon
the _six following Questions_, thus stated by himself, _viz._
I. HOW _far slender Diet is convenient for the Child-bearing Woman_,
_labouring under an acute Disease?_
II. HOW _far it is convenient to open a Vein or bleed this Woman upon
such an Occasion?_
III. HOW _far it may be proper to purge her on the same Occasion?_
IV. WHETHER _Venæ-Sections or Purges are most dangerous in such a Case?_
V. WHETHER _it is practicable_ (_in such a dangerous Case_) _to excite
Abortion_, _for the Woman’s Health and Recovery?_
VI. HOW _far Clysters_, _Diureticks_, _and Diaphoreticks are convenient
on such Occasions?_
HAVING, thus, now, in fine, briefly hinted upon the _sundry_ HEADS of
this _Chapter_, I shall, in the next Place, offer a few Words upon THAT,
which (I think) is the most common Consequence of the foregoing EFFECTS,
_viz._
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXIX.
_Of the DEBILITY and WEAKNESS of the_ Fœtus.
BESIDES all the enumerated SYMPTOMS, _Acute_ and _Chronical Distempers_,
to which the _Child-bearing Woman_ is subject; it also happens over and
above (too frequently) that the INFANT becomes _Weak_ and _Sick_ in the
WOMB.
THE _Cause_ of which unhappy _Accident_ I take to be _fourfold_: As it
proceeds, either from a _Debility_ and _Insufficiency_ of the _Parental_
SEED, or from a _Scarcity_ or _Want_ of requisite _Sustenance_, or from
a certain _Depravation_ of that _Sustenance_, or from some immediate
_Procatarctick Cause_ of the MOTHER; which may all be thus rationally
distinguished, and severally accounted for; _viz._
THE _Cause_ certainly lies in the SEED, if the _Woman_ has continued
always _healthy_, eating, drinking, and living regularly.
IT may be imputed to the _Scarcity_ of ALIMENT, if she has often
laboured under _Diseases_, or been exposed to _Hunger_, _Want_,
_Penury_, or any such like manifest retrenching CAUSE.
IT may be adjudged to a _Depravity_ of ALIMENT, when the _Woman_ (by a
vitiated Constitution of Body) is subject to some certain _Distempers_;
and, besides, in short, any _Procatarctick Cause_ is discoverable from
the _Relation_ of the PATIENT.
BUT whatever the _Cause_ may be, the _Diagnostick Signs_ of this unhappy
_Affection_, are commonly _One_ or _more_ of the following SIX; _viz._
1. THE turgid swell’d BREASTS of the _Pregnant Woman_, all on a
sudden[91], fall and extenuate into a _Flabbiness_.
2.[92]THEY diffuse copiously a thin _Waterish Milk_, not half digested
to its due Perfection.
3. THE _Menstrua_ return at an uncommon _Rate_, and in an irregular
_Manner_.
4. THE _Woman_ personally is either very frequently _Sick_, or long
expos’d to a lasting _Sickness_. Or,
5. SHE is either subject to a very frequent, or long continu’d
_Looseness_, and constant _Diarrhæa_.
6. THE _Infant_ which used (as it ought) to _move briskly_, is now but
very _seldom_, and more _faintly_ perceiv’d in _Motion_.
ON the other hand, the _Prognosticks_ of this CASE, are briefly _Two_:
For either _Abortion_ follows, or (which is worse) the _Infant_ dies; if
not timely prevented, by removing the _Efficient Cause_ of it, upon
_comforting_ and _strengthening_ both the WOMAN and the CHILD.
IN a Word, the _Latter_ of these tragical _Events_ I shall refer to
SECT. V. _Chap._ last. But the _Former_ leads me more immediately to
consider it in the proper Method of my Discourse.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXX.
_Of ABORTION._
WOMEN _miscarry_ so frequently, that if any curious Persons will
diligently observe and examine that _Matter_, they will find the Number
of MISCARRIAGES to exceed _That_ of _timely_ BIRTHS: Wherefore I have
reason to think, that this _Head_ deserves to be handled more at large,
and to be more particularly insisted upon, in the following manner.
THE _Modern Practisers_ in _MIDWIFERY_, distinguish MISCARRIAGES, by
_four_ different _Appellations_; according to the _four_ different
_Times_ of the _Constitution_ of the _CONCEPTION_. viz.
A MISCARRIAGE happening in the Time of _Spumification_, is call’d an
_Effluxion of the GENITURA_: That which happeneth in the _Vegetation_,
or Time of _Ramification_, or (as some will have it) before the 40th
_Day_, is call’d a _Deperdition_ of the EMBRYO: _That_ which falls out
in the _sensitive_ Progression, or Time of _Carnification_, or (as
others will have it) before the _90th Day_ from _CONCEPTION_, they call
an _Abortion_ of the FOETUS. But what so happens afterwards preceding
the _7th Month_, is properly call’d an entire _Abortion_ of the INFANT.
HOWEVER, _Others_ will have a _fifth Distinction_ made; namely, what so
happens in the 7th, 8th, and preceding the 20th Day of the 9th _Month_,
to be call’d an untimely _BIRTH_; because tho’ born with _Life_, they
alledge it to be very seldom, or never really _Vital_, or likely to
_Live_: Upon which I shall, in good Time, introduce my own _Sentiment_
in the subsequent Chapters of this _Section_.
NOTWITHSTANDING, this _Definition_ signifies but little to the Purpose;
let the _MISCARRIAGE_ happen when it will, and under whatsoever _Name_
or _Denomination_, It is nothing else in general, than an untimely
_Exclusion_ of an imperfect and immature BIRTH; which unhappy _Accident_
may proceed from a vast Variety of _Causes_, stimulating NATURE to such
a violent _Expulsion_.
IN treating therefore of this _Accidental BIRTH_, I shall make use of
none of those _Distinctions_; but rather (to prevent Mistakes) shall
call all its several SPECIES, of whatsoever _Time_, by the general (and
most common) Name of _ABORTION_.
AND of this _ABORTION_, happen when it will, the _proximous Cause_ is
always the _Expulsive Faculty_ of the WOMB; which being _hurt_, or
violently _disorder’d_ in any respect, irritates and debilitates the
_Retentive Power_: And then again, on the other hand, this _Retentive
Faculty_ (tho’ not the _proximous Cause_) is sometimes _first hurt_ or
_injur’d_, and by that means incapacitated to _retain_ the _INFANT_;
which (in that Case) offends and provokes the _Expulsive Power_[93],
which is the proper _proximous Cause_ of all _ABORTIONS_.
BUT most commonly the _Expulsive_ receives the _First Hurt_; from whence
the _Retentive_ is oblig’d to _Sympathize_, and yield to its over-ruling
_Motions_. And, according to _Galen_[94], the _Expulsive Faculty_ may be
injur’d and irritated by _Three_ different _Causes_; viz. 1. By the
_Bulk_ of the INFANT, when the WOMB cannot distend itself far enough to
contain it: 2. By its _Weight_, when heavier than the WOMB and
_Ligaments_ can bear: And, 3. By the _Humours_ (when the _Membranes_
break) flowing into the WOMB; occasioning a _Mordacious Itching_ there,
or _putrefying_ the INFANT in its Place.
TO which _three Efficients_, some Modern Authors have thought it
sufficient to add the _similar_, _organical_, and _common Diseases_ of
the WOMB; together with some _Procatarctick Causes_.
HOWEVER, because I have generally observ’d _Those_, to be very
promiscuously and confusedly treated of, I shall (according to my best
Ability) endeavour to reduce the many different _Causes_ of _ABORTION_
to such plain _Heads_, and set them in such a clear _Light_, that they
shall prove evident and manifest to the meanest _Capacity_: That _Women_
(whose peculiar _Good_ I have only at Heart in the Performance of this
Work) may readily conceive them, and thereby be enabled (in most
_Cases_) to prevent their greatest _Misfortunes_. And that whether the
_Cause_ happens proximously and immediately from a _stimulated
Expulsive_, or mediately from a _læs’d_ and _injur’d Retentive Faculty_.
WHEREFORE I shall now reduce those _Causes_ to the following _Four
general Heads_; namely, 1. To the _Constitution_ of the MOTHER: 2. The
_Constitution_ of the INFANT: 3. The _Symptoms_ of the MONTHS: And, 4.
To the various _Procatarctick Causes_ of this Tragical Case.
FIRST the _Causes of ABORTION_, proceeding from the _Constitution_ of
the MOTHER, are _Three-fold_, and respect either her _whole Body_, her
WOMB only, or its _neighbouring Parts_. THOSE respecting her _whole
Body_, are,
I. THE _four Intemperatures_ of the Body; as the CALID, which, by its
_Hot Quality_, exhausts the _Humours_ (that are naturally necessary) to
the Prejudice and Loss of the INFANT.
II. THE FRIGID; which, by its _Cold Quality_, vitiates and attenuates
the INFANT’S _Aliment_, to a starving Condition.
III. THE SICCID; which, by its _adust dry Quality_, scorches and
consumes the _Ligaments_, that they break, like so many _Strings_ that
snap before the _Sun_: Upon which the INFANT (being deprived of those
_Mediums_, through which NATURE has appointed its _Sustenance_) corrupts
and decays, like a _PLANT_ in _Arid Sandy Ground_.
IV. THE HUMID _Intemperature_; which, by its _moist Quality_,
debilitates the _Retentive Faculty_, hinders the _Ligaments_ to
consolidate and close firmly, and opens the shut _Orifice_ of the WOMB.
But besides all This also, by filling the _ACETABULA_ with _superfluous
Humours_, it may suffocate and stifle the _INFANT_.
V. A _nimious_ and too great an _Obesity_ or _Fatness_, and too great a
_Gracility_ or _Leanness_ of the _Woman_’s Body: For the _One_ converts
the _CHILD_’s _Nourishment_ to itself; and the _Other_ starves the
_INFANT_ for want of its _natural Requisites_.
VI. A _PLETHORY_, or too great a _Repletion_ of BLOOD in her Body; which
frequently choaks and suffocates the _INFANT_.
VII. ALL _Corporeal Causes_, exagitating the _Spirits_ and _Humours_;
which have the same _Effect_ and _Force_ to irritate the _Expulsive
Faculty_.
VIII. ALL _Diseases_ incident to the Body, whether they be _Acute_,
_Remiss_, or _Diuturnal_; which may easily effect _ABORTION_. But
SECONDLY, The _Causes_ on the part of the WOMB, are not to be lightly or
slightly considered; because if it be not both naturally well
_constituted_, and carefully well _dispos’d_, it can neither foment,
cherish, nor retain the INFANT. For the least _Flaw_ of its _morbifick
Causes_, stimulates to a great Degree the _expulsive Faculty_: which
_Causes_ are, in my Opinion, as follow; viz.
I. THE WOMB’s _Præternatural SIZE_, either in _Magnitude_, or
_Exiguity_: The _one_ giving room for the _Infant_’s too much tumbling
or too frequent Motion; and the _other_ restraining the _CHILD_ too
much, even to the _suppressing_ and _stifling_ of it.
II. ITS _præternatural_ _CONSTRICTION_ or _Coarctation_; which may
resist its necessary due _Extension_, for containing the growing INFANT.
III. ITS _præternatural_ _DENSITY_; which may not only hinder the
requisite _Distention_, but also prevent the SECUNDINE[95] from being
firmly connected to the _Vessels_.
IV. ITS _LAXITY_ of the _Orifice_, or _Lavity_ of the interiour
_Surface_; proceeding from _pituitous_[96] or _viscous Humours_, which
slacken the _Ligaments_, and give way to the FOETUS.
V. THE WOMB’S too _frigid_ and _siccid Intemperature_; which Qualities
are the greatest Enemies to _Nature_ and all the _Actions_ of _Female
LIFE_.
VI. ITS _frigid_ and _humid Intemperature_; which (abounding with
_Mucosities_ or _slimy Humours_) so relaxes the _Ligaments_, that they
cannot hold or detain the _INFANT_.
VII. ALL obdurated and confirmed _Tumours_ and _Ulcers_, all
_Erysipelas_ and _Inflammations_ of the WOMB: Which often prove the
_Causes_ of the same _Effect_.
VIII. A _præternatural Situation_, or an _oblique Position_ may become
the _8th_ and _last Cause_ of _ABORTION_, which I shall mention on part
of the WOMB.
FROM hence I come, _Thirdly_, in a due Method, to _Those Causes_
respecting the _neighbouring Parts_; which I humbly conceive to be as
follow.
I. ALL _Diseases_, _Pains_, and what _Causes_ soever of those _Parts_,
may tend much to deject or affect the _Spirits_, and stir up the
_Humours_ with unusual Alteration.
II. ALL _Causes_ and bad _Affections_ compressing the _lower Belly_, and
exagitating or straining its MUSCLES.
III. A _præternatural Site_ and inapt _CONFORMATION_[97] of the
_Umbilical Vessels_, for their due Operation.
BUT then again, _Secondly_, It also often happens that, tho’ the
_pregnant Woman_ labours under no _Disease_ or _Misfortune_, either in
BODY, WOMB, or _neighbouring_ PARTS, yet notwithstanding the _Expulsive
Faculty_ is irritated to EJECTION by several _Causes_ of the
_Constitution_ of the _INFANT_ itself, as follow; _viz._
I. ITS _præternatural_ BULK, or vitious _Conformation_, oppressing and
straining the WOMB, either in _Whole_ or in _Part_.
II. ITS _Debility_ and _Weakness_, or contracted, infirm, feeble
_Constitution_, as mentioned in the preceding _Chapter_.
III. THE _Death_ of the _INFANT_, emitting nauseous _Vapours_ and
putrefy’d _Matter_, stimulates the WOMB sooner or later to _Expulsion_:
And (in this _tragical Case_) the _sooner_ the _Better_; as will
hereafter appear.
AND moreover, _Thirdly_, the _SYMPTOMS_ of the _Months_, frequently
prove _Causes_ of _ABORTION_; of which _SYMPTOMS_, having already
treated particularly, I shall in this place repeat little or nothing,
only refer the READER to their respective _Chapters_ in the preceding
_Part_ of this SECTION: And yet under this present _Head_, may be also
comprehended all _Acute Diseases_, which (too often) prove of the same
bad _Consequence_; as is evident from Chap. 28.
FOURTHLY, There is a great _Variety_ of _Procatarctick Causes_, distinct
from all _those_ above-mentioned, which most frequently occasion
_ABORTION_: And _Those_ are _Two-fold_, _INTERNAL_ and _EXTERNAL_. Of
which the _Internal_ are as follow, in my Judgment.
I. THE _Passions_ of the Mind (mentioned in SECT. I. _Chap._ 5.) because
such immoderate _Affections_ too much excite the _Humours_, and incense
the _Spirits_.
II. VICTUALS; if taken _too much_ at a time, suffocate the _INFANT_; if
_too little_, it is _starved_, and the _MOTHER_ brought to a very low
Condition of Life; and if _improper_, or of ill _Concoction_, the
_CHILD_ is thereby either much _weaken’d_, or (which is worse) it dies
of course.
III. DRINKING immoderately, extinguisheth the _natural Calidity_ of the
WOMB and the _INFANT_; as certainly _strong_ or _hot Liquors_ impress a
vitious _Intemperature_ upon _Both_.
IV. WATCHINGS a-Nights, too much exhaust and dissipate the _Spirits_; as
too much SLEEP, on the other hand, dulls, lessens, and obtunds the
_natural Heat_.
V. ALL inward disorderly _Causes_ dissolving the _Uterine_ ACETABULA,
_Ligaments_, or _Vessels_, by which the _INFANT_ attracts its
_Nourishment_.
VI. ALL _Venenated_, _Cathartick_, and _Diaphoretick MEDICINES_,
_Acrimonious Clysters_, _Venæ-Sections_, _Baths_, &c: Which partly by
exagitating the _Spirits_ and _Humours_, and partly by diminishing the
_Aliment_, occasion frequent _ABORTIONS_. Again
THE _external Procatarctick Causes_ are These, which ensue in their due
Order.
I. ALL inclement _Constitutions_ or bad _Influences_ of the WEATHER,
WINDS,[98]and AIR; such as _Cold_, which pinches; or as _Heat_, which
intercepts the _Breath_, and stifles the _INFANT_, &c.
II. SMELLING or _Touching_, _Sitting_, or _Treading_ upon some Sorts of
pernicious HERBS.
III. ALL violent MOTIONS, immoderate _Exercises_, &c. such as _Running_,
_Leaping_, _Dancing_, _Riding_, or _Coaching_, _Lifting_, or _Carrying a
heavy Weight_, also _long Fasting_, _strait Lacing_, a _Fall_, a _Blow_
on the _Back_ or the _Belly_, &c. as I hinted before occasionally.
IV. ALL _frightful_ OBJECTS, and _sudden Surprizes_ by hasty NEWS, FIRE,
or such like terrifying Accidents.
V. ALL _astonishing_ and terrible affecting _NOISES_; such as sudden
Claps of _Thunder_, _Cannons_, _Guns_ &c.
VI. ALL nauseous STINKS, on the one hand, and odoriferous SMELLS, _&c._
on the other, being _both_ disagreeable and dangerous.
THOSE, and many other _trifling Matters_, such as the SMELL of an
_extinguished Light_, or _Candle_, are known (too often) to be the
_Reason_ and _Cause_ of _ABORTION_: which made (that great _Naturalist_)
_Pliny_[99] justly take occasion to deplore the FRAILTY of Man.
“HE bewails and is asham’d (as he expresseth it) to think how
_frivolous_ the _ORIGIN_ of the _proudest of Creatures_ is; such a mere
TRIFLE (as is mentioned) being frequently the _Cause_ of his _FATALITY_.
And the _Philosopher_ most pertinently adds, that _He_ who now glories
in so many _VANITIES_, trusting in the _Strength_ of his _Body_,
vaunting in the _Riches_ of his _Possessions_, and upon every _Smile of
Fortune_, believes himself to be a GOD, _&c._ little considers how many
ways he might have _miscarried_ in coming into the World, or how many
ways he may yet, even to-day, go out of it, and come to his _last GASP_,
as _Anacreon_, the wanton _Lyrick Poet_, did, who was suddenly choak’d
with the STONE _of a Grape_; or as _Fabius_ (that noble _Dictator_ of
ROME) dy’d, who was immediately strangl’d by a _HAIR_ in a _Draught of
Milk_.”
I say, _He_ little considers, how many _Trials_ and _Hardships_ he was
expos’d to, before he had BEING: or, how many ways he might have been
_stifled_ before he had BREATH, and have been _dead_ even before he was
BORN.
WHICH Consideration leads me to the Thought of _another Cause_ of
_ABORTION_, mentioned by the holy Prophet[100]_Hosea_, where he says:
“_Because they have deeply corrupted themselves, and separated
themselves unto that Shame at_ Baalpeor, (i. e. defiled themselves at
the _Statues_ of PRIAPUS) _their Glory shall fly away like a Bird, from
the_ Womb, _from the_ Conception, _and from the_ Birth; _dry Breasts,
and a miscarrying_ Womb _shall be given them_, &c.”
AND having thus far briefly defin’d and descanted upon _ABORTION_, and
the _Nature_ of its _Efficients_, I come now, in the next place, to shew
by what _DIAGNOSTICK SIGNS_, every _Woman_ may infallibly know an
approaching or instant _MISCARRIAGE_, either in _herself_ or _another_:
As also to set forth, by what _PROGNOSTICK SIGNS_, she may know the
_Danger_ she is threatned with upon that Occasion.
WHICH Undertaking, I hope, may prove _conducive_ to the Welfare of that
tender SEX; it being too common for _Women_ to neglect the _proper
Means_, through a supine _Ignorance_ of the _Nature_, and _Danger_ of
their _CONDITION_. But This, however, is generally owing to indiscreet
OLD WOMEN about them; (as I have often observ’d, and oft’ner had
Occasion to hear) who either keep the _PATIENT_ in _Suspence_, wheedling
and telling her idle Stories, that the CASE is not so _dangerous_, the
_Pains_, _Floodings_, &c. will go off in good Time, and the like: Or
afterwards (upon appearance of more severe growing SYMPTOMS) they
extenuate the _Danger_, telling her to submit with _Patience_, the
common MISFORTUNE cannot possibly be prevented, _&c._
TO which usual _Suggestions_, I answer; that as the _one_ is an ignorant
and imprudent _Insinuation_, the _other_ is a downright _Falsity_: For
in the _first CASE_, the _Woman_ is diverted by foolish _Hopes_ from
applying for proper ADVICE, until perhaps it is past all REMEDY; and in
the _second_, she is misled very often to her utter _RUIN_: Since
whatever hath not yet _happen’d_, may peradventure be happily
_prevented_; and even upon the _last Extremity_ of the most _violent
Occasion_, the _Severity_ of the CASE may possibly be averted by good
Management, and the _Danger_ entirely compounded for by proper Conduct.
WHEREFORE, I cannot but think, it is worth any _Woman_’s while to know
the MARKS of an _approaching_ and _instant ABORTION_: Whereof the
_DIAGNOSTICKS_ are as follow, _viz._
I. A sudden EXTENUATION and _Falling_ of the BREASTS[101]; sometimes
only of _One_, but more commonly of _Both_: That of _One_ denoting the
_Woman_ to bear TWINS, of which she is about to lose _One_; and which,
if the _right_ BREAST falls, is a MALE; but if the _left_, a FEMALE.
II. A WATERY MILK flows[102] in Abundance from those _FALLEN BREASTS_,
discovering the future Danger.
III. PALPITATIONS of the _Heart_, frequently accompany’d with a
_Coarctation_ of the _Sides_ and _Upper Belly_, very much incommoding
the PATIENT.
IV. A _GRAVITY_ or _Heaviness_ of the _Loins_, and _Thighs_; _Gnawing_
of the _Stomach_, _Pains_ of the _Head_ and _Eyes_.
V. A _TREMOR_, or _Trembling_ and _Quaking FITS_, attended with a
_Frigidity_ of the exteriour _Limbs_.
VI. A _Rigor_ and Stiffness, or a _Vibration_ and Concussion of the
_SKIN_ and _MUSCLES_ of the whole Body, with a concomitant _Chilness_.
VII. HORROUR, _Fevers_, _Faintings_, _Swoonings_, and sometimes
_Convulsions_, _Cramps_, &c. all foreboding the coming _Malady_. These
are the usual and principal Marks of an _approaching ABORTION_: Which
when _Instant_, and the _Time_ at Hand, then the
VIII^{th} _DIAGNOSTICK_ plainly appears; which is a _corrupt WATER_
flowing _first_, next a _bloody WATER_, then _pure_ BLOOD, after that
small _Clods_ of BLOOD, and at length, the INFANT itself (_form’d_ or
_inform’d_) follows of Course.
HENCE I proceed to the usual _Prognosticks_ of _ABORTION_; which take as
follow in their proper Order, _viz._
I. ALL _Women_ are more endanger’d in a MISCARRIAGE, than in a _Natural
Birth_: because THAT happening at a _preternatural Time_, is of greater
_Violence_ than THIS. For like as _ripe Fruit_, whose _Stalk_ is so
loose in its Season from the _Tree_, that the _Fruit_ falls of its own
Accord: So it is in a _Natural Birth_, for the _Vessels_ and
_Ligaments_, by which the INFANT adheres to the WOMB, easily loose and
break spontaneously; which in an Abortion, must needs happen by a more
dangerous painful _Force_ and _Violence_.
II. THO’ _Women_ (in this _Case_) may frequently escape with their
_Lives_, yet their _Natural Constitution_ is thereby too often broke at
least, and debilitated, or thereupon subjected to one or other heavy
_SYMPTOM_ or _DISEASE_; if not also rendred quite _BARREN_.
FOR sometimes, because of the _Pains_, _Flux_, or _Putrefaction_ of the
retain’d BLOOD, _Fevers_, and other _Distempers_ generally ensue:
Sometimes by the violent _Disruption_ of the _Vessels_, great
_Floodings_ and Loss of BLOOD happen; upon which _Faintings_,
_Swoonings_, _Convulsions_, and at length DEATH it self follows: But, in
fine, _Convulsions_ happening[103] either _at the Time_, or _after
ABORTION_, the _Case_ is most _dangerous_; for then the PATIENT seldom
escapes.
III. THE _first MISCARRIAGE_ is most _dangerous_ to all; because the
_Genital Parts_ are more streight or constricted, and less acquainted
with such severe distending _Pains_: And besides the ORIFICES of the
_Vessels_ being so violently dilacerated, the _Party_ often continues
afterwards _Sterile_ or _Barren_ the rest of her Life[104].
IV. LEAN and _tender Women_ are much endanger’d in _ABORTION_, by Reason
of their _Debility_ and _Infirmity_: As Women too fat are, on the other
Hand; because of the great _Astriction_ and _Narrowness_ of the
PASSAGES.
V. THE _younger_ the ABORTIVE _Production_ happens to be, the less the
_Woman_ is endanger’d; because the _larger_ the INFANT is, it gives the
greater _Pains_ and _Ruption_ of the _Vessels_.
VI. WHATEVER happens in the 7th or 9th _Month_, may be reckon’d a _safe
BIRTH_, provided the _Child_ be ALIVE: Whereas if DEAD, it is extremely
dangerous. But above _All_, the _Eighth_ MONTH is to be most _dreaded_,
not only because of the _Largeness_ of the _INFANT_, but also because of
the _pernicious Quality_ of _that_ MONTH; as will hereafter more amply
appear in Chap. 34.
WHICH Consideration leads me farther to observe; That, from the
Beginning of the _5th_, until the Middle of the _6th_ _Month_, the
_INFANT_ is least liable to _Danger_[105]: So next in the _4th_, and
from the Middle of the _6th_, until the Close of the 7_th Month_: Then
of course it is _safer_ in the _3d_ and _2d_ _Months_, than in the _1st_
or _9th_. For the least _Cause_ may expell the EMBRYO in the _First_,
and break the _Mature Ligaments_ of the _INFANT_ in the _Ninth_. But of
all the whole Time, as I said before, the _8th_ _Month_ is the
_most_[106] _dangerous_, both to _MOTHER_ and _INFANT_: according to
which Consideration and Order of TIME, the prudent _Physician_ may, with
more or less either _Fear_ on the _one hand_, or _Assurance_ on the
_other_, exhibit or prescribe proper _REMEDIES_ for the _Preservation_
or _Recovery_ of his PATIENTS.
FROM whence I come in the next place to offer my serious _Sentiments_
upon the CURE of this _Malady_, and the _Prevention_ of _ABORTION_:
Which difficult _Work_ depends chiefly upon the _Preservation_ of both
_MOTHER_ and _INFANT_; for when the MISCARRIAGE is once over, the CURE
then does not much differ from the _Case_ of a _natural BIRTH_.
HOWEVER in all _Cases_ of this nature, it is an infallible _Maxim_, that
it is more easy to prevent MISCARRIAGE, than to relieve or rectify the
_Miscarrying Woman_; and more proper to begin that _Prevention_ BEFORE,
than AFTER _Conception_: Because the most proper _Remedies_ for
obviating many _Causes_ of _ABORTION_, cannot so well be adhibited to
the _Woman_ after she is PREGNANT. And besides, as _those Causes_ are
very _Different_ and various (as more fully appears from what has been
said); so the Manner and Method of _Prevention_ cannot be altogether
exactly _Uniform_; every _Cause_ requiring its respective CURE, before a
_Prevention_ can be effected.
WHEREFORE, in my humble Opinion, the _first Step_ towards this
_Prevention_ is to weigh well and consider carefully the _CONSTITUTION_
of the yet _unimpregnated Woman_; in order to know and discover the
_Cause_ or _Causes_ either of BODY, or WOMB, which may or can occasion
any future _ABORTION_. Now in this CASE, _Women_ having once
_miscarry’d_, or oftner, methinks they may easily find out the CAUSE
_Themselves_, by the Help of their _Midwives_; which being done, they
should endeavour to have it remov’d, and effectually _cur’d_, before
they _conceive_ any more. However, if it chance to be neglected at that
time, it may be more prudently undertaken afterwards, with such
_Precaution_, as the _Nature_ of the _CAUSE_ and _CONSTITUTION_ of the
_Woman_ require: Always remembring, but especially _before_ or _about_
the usual _Time_ of _ABORTION_, to make use of proper _Corroboratives_
for strengthening both the _INFANT_ and _WOMB_; since _Women_,
_miscarrying_ from any one internal _Cause_, commonly bear their
_Conceptions_ to a certain TIME, which they cannot exceed, unless that
_Cause_ be judiciously removed beforehand.
I ONCE had an accidental Opportunity of being fully satisfied of the
Veracity of this CASE, in a _Woman_ of good Note in the City of
_Dresden_; who _miscarried fourteen Times_ in less than _eight Years_;
being never able to _go_ beyond the _tenth Day_ of the _fourth Month_,
and commonly losing the FOETUS about the _last_ of the _Third_.
AT my Arrival in that _Place_, I found my _Credit_, for my necessary
_Supplies_, upon a certain MERCHANT; who (with great Concern) gave me
this melancholick Account of his SPOUSE, desiring my good _Offices_, if
possibly any Means could be of Service. Upon which, I first made it my
Business to discover, _that internal Cause_, wherein _she_, and her
ordinary _Midwives_, had been so often mistaken; this being done, I
happily performed the CURE, tho’ (as a _Traveller_) I had not the
Satisfaction of staying there to see the _Consequence_. But, however, by
my last Advices from the grateful _Husband_, I find _she_ is now MOTHER
of two pretty _Boys_ and a fine _Girl_.
THE _Cause_ of ABORTION then being duly and discreetly _first_
discovered, if it proceeds from any _Intemperature_ either of the BODY
or the WOMB; the _same_ may be prevented chiefly by introducing the
_contrary Temperament_, according to _Hippocrates_’s[107] Judgment, that
_Contraries are the_ REMEDIES _of Contraries_.
IF it proceeds from too much FATNESS, her _Body_ is to be reduced; if it
comes from too much LEANNESS, a convenient _Diet_ and good _Regimen_,
&c. will help to restore her.
IF it happens from a _PLETHORY_, the too much abounding _BLOOD_ is to be
circumspectly lessened: As the Humours are to be judiciously evacuated,
if it arises from a _Cacochymy_; and all Causes affecting the Spirits
and Humours are to be carefully removed and avoided.
DISEASES of the whole _Body_ are to be prevented as much as possible, by
a _Regularity_ of proper _DIET_ and _REGIMEN_ of Health; but whenever
_These_ are incident, they ought to be cured, as the _Nature_ of the
_DISEASE_ and _CONSTITUTION_ of the _Woman_ will prudentially permit.
IF _ABORTION_ happens from any _Cause_ on the part of the WOMB, _that_
must absolutely be removed before _CONCEPTION_, and resisted afterwards
during the _FOETURA_, by the discreet _Use_ of proper Means.
IF it arises from any _Cause_ of the _Neighbouring Parts_, that is to be
carefully managed or avoided, and _prevented_ more easily than _cured_.
AS to the _Causes_ on the Part of the _INFANT_, I shall refer the
_READER_ to the preceding _Chapter_ only; as I do likewise if it comes
from any _SYMPTOM_ of the _Months_, or from any _Acute Disease_, to
their respective _Chapters_ in this _SECTION_.
FINALLY, If it proceeds from any _Procatarctick CAUSES_, either
_internal_ or _external_, all such are to be sedulously avoided and
prevented; but whenever _These_ happen, they are generally _cured_ by
proper _ALTERATIVES_ of an _Astringent Quality_, for confirming the
_Ligaments_; and _CORROBORATIVES_ for comforting the _INFANT_, and
cherishing the _WOMB_.
BUT supposing, at last, the _Case_ desperate, and past all REMEDY,
through _Negligence_ or _Delay_, that the CURE cannot possibly be
effected, nor the _Misfortune_ of _Instant_ ABORTION prevented; why then
the _Woman_ ought to be carefully comforted and strengthened, the
_Ligaments_ relaxed, the _Passages_ dilated, and the _expulsive Faculty_
assisted; so that the worse _Consequences_ and greater _Danger_ may be
averted.
AND having now, in fine, thus at large treated upon the Subject of
ABORTION, it leads me methodically (of Course) to touch upon all other
BIRTHS respecting _Time_; I mean _Legitimate_ and _Illegitimate_ BIRTHS:
Which (however) I shall discuss in as _Succinct Terms_ as I can, to
oblige the READER. And _first_,
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXI.
_Of a LEGITIMATE BIRTH._
A _Legitimate_ _BIRTH_ respects TIME only, and that is properly so
called, which most frequently happens, according to the _Common Law_ of
NATURE.
IT is never sufficiently to be admired as _Wonderful_, that MAN, who is
born _HEREDITARY LORD_ of the _Universe_, and invested with _SUPREME
DOMINION_ over all _Creatures_, should, however yet, be the only one
deprived of some certain _definite Time_ for his _BIRTH_[108]; it
happening often in the _seventh_, commonly in the _ninth_ and _tenth_,
and sometimes in the _eighth_ and _eleventh Months_, and _That_ also at
all Times of the Year: Whereas, on the other hand, all the rest of
_inferiour Creatures_ have their certain _prefixed Times_, both of
_carrying_ their _YOUNG_, and _bringing them forth_, beyond which they
cannot go, nor controul the Order of _NATURE_.
HOWEVER, this being the _Good Work_ and _Will_ of the Great _CREATOR_,
deserves more our silent _Wonder_ and _Admiration_, than our bold
_Enquiry_, or curious _Scrutiny_, into the _REASON_ of it.
BUT notwithstanding, I hope, we may easily account for the _Latitude_ of
_TIME_ allowed our _Births_, when we consider what has been said of the
Times of _Formation_ and _Animation_ in their proper Places[109]. If
then these require a proportionable _Latitude_, what wonder is it that
the _Legitimate Time_ of Birth is of such _Extent_? Not that I mean that
the _rational Soul_ is introduced either at different Times, or by
Piece-meals, only that it is not _done_ this or that Day _precisely_.
And farther (according to _AVERROES_, that great _Commentator_)
_Man_[110], not only in the Womb, but also after Birth, even until his
_Juvenile Age_, is but _a-generating_; and from that Time to old Age he
begins to _decline_: yet we daily see that _this Change_ is not equal to
all, in that some Men do but arrive to their most robust and _vigorous
State_ about the fortieth Year of their Age, whereas others come to that
Length about the thirtieth, and most about the thirty-fifth.
AS it is an _Auspicious Crisis_ which happens any Time of the _Critical
Day_, whether anticipated or postponed by a few Hours: And as the
_Fruit_ of _Trees_ have their constituted Time of _Maturity_, which
notwithstanding some are perfected sooner, and some later; so (I think)
it may be also in the present Case of _Births_.
HOWEVER yet, to go a little further, without Offence: As to the
_Legitimacy_ of _BIRTHS_, I don’t see any Reason why every _Birth_,
producing a _vital Child_, may not be justly esteemed timely _lawful_,
whether it be of the _seventh_, _eighth_, _ninth_, _tenth_, or _eleventh
Month_: But because few of our antient and learned _Predecessors_ have
been inclined to admit any standing _RULE_ of such a large _Extent_, in
this _CASE_ we shall be far from desiring to establish any _New One_, or
advance any _Paradox_.
I SHALL therefore (in this Place) only touch upon _That_ which most
_Authors_ seem to have agreed upon, and reckon the most common
_Legitimate Birth_; namely, which happens (at the soonest) about the
_260th_ _Day_ from _CONCEPTION_, being the _first_ of the _38th_ _Week_,
or the _20th_ of the _ninth Month_; as it doth also sometimes fall out
(_ten Days later_) about the _270th_, when it is neither _too soon_, nor
_too late_; and which likewise (at the latest) happens before the
_280th_ _Day_; that is, the _last_ of the _40th_ _Week_, or the _10th_
_Day_ of the _10th_ _Month_.
BUT _This_ (if I may be permitted to speak my Mind) depends much upon
the _Time of Conception_; it being my Opinion, that if the Woman did
conceive when _recently purged_, I mean shortly after the natural Flux,
she may _bring forth_ in the beginning[111] of the _9th_ _Month_;
whereas, if when the _Menstrua_ were almost ready to _flow_, towards
_its Close_, or later: And if in the _Interval_ betwixt these Times, she
may _produce her Child_ in the _middle_ of the Month: Because as
_Plants_ or _Corn_ arrive much sooner to _Maturity_ after the _New_ than
after the _Full-Moon_, so it may be also with the _Fœtus_, because of
the more or less _Vigour_ of the _Womb_.
HOWEVER, in short, it is to be observed, that in all these _Cases_, we
may commonly allow a few _more Days_ for the _GIRL_ than the _BOY_, as
appears from _Sect._ I. _Chap._ 9.
AND, in fine, according to the Opinion of the most Learned and Curious
_Practisers_ in _MIDWIFERY_, this _BIRTH_ happens always[112] at the
_self-same Hour_ of the _Day_ or _Night_, in which the _Woman_
CONCEIV’D: So that from hence it is, that most _BIRTHS_ happen in the
_Night_, or Dawning of the _Day_; wherefore they All agree, that a
_Legitimate BIRTH_ requires not only a certain definite Number of
_Days_, but also of _Hours_, &c. To proceed therefore to
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXII.
_Of an ILLEGITIMATE BIRTH._
AS an _Illegitimate BIRTH_ also respects _TIME_, so _That_ is only to be
call’d so, which happens _before_ or _after_ the _TIME_ instituted by
the _Law_ of _Nature_. Hence all unhappy _ABORTIONS_ belong to this
_Head_; which being largely handled (apart) in the _Chapter_ just
aforegoing, I shall only here cursorily touch upon _That_, which (in a
distinct sense) is accounted an _Illegitimate BIRTH_.
THAT I may the better define _This Sort_ of _BIRTH_, I shall _first_
observe, that _Nature_ has instituted Nothing _rashly_, nor in _vain_,
neither does it ever act by CHANCE. _She_ having then limited a certain
TIME (however at large) within which all _Legitimate BIRTHS_ happen, and
all _vital Children_ are born; of consequence, whatever happens _before_
or _after_ that _Time_, is an _Illegitimate BIRTH_, and seldom or never
produces a _Living_ or _Lively_ CHILD.
HOWEVER, _Vallesius_[113], _Cardanus_[114], and some _Others_ relate
divers strange Precedents, and affirm that they have known and seen
_Children_ born in the _fifth_ and _sixth Months_, which have liv’d to
the Years of Discretion; It is notwithstanding my Opinion, that _Those
great Men_ giving ear to the frivolous _Relations_ and idle _Reports_ of
_simple Women_, have suffer’d their _Credulity_ to impose so far upon
their better _Judgments_. And I am besides the more induc’d to think so,
because since _Their days_, we have not heard of any _one Example_ of
this wonderful _Kind_, which deserv’d the least _Notice_ or _Credit_.
BUT there are _Others_ again; who (in a manner) ridiculing these
_Instances_, fall into grosser _Absurditys_ themselves; denying the
LEGITIMACY of a _seven_ or _eight-Months BIRTH_; yea, _Some_ even of a
_Ten Months_, after the _Tenth Day_, as well as of all _posteriour
BIRTHS_. Upon which erroneous _Mistakes_, (if it may be without Offence
permitted) I would freely offer my _simple Judgment_, in manner
following: and thereupon, _First_,
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXIII.
_Of a Seven-Months BIRTH._
TO prove the LEGITIMACY of this _BIRTH_, and the _Possibility_ of this
_Month_’s producing a _vital Child_, I need not confine myself to the
_Judgments_ of the most Wise and Divine _Hippocrates_, _Galen_, and
_others_, nor to the _Principles_ of PHYSICK in particular: but may
justly appeal to All the rest of the _Liberal Arts_ and _Sciences_,
which (as far as I am duly acquainted with them) generally agree in
_Defence_ of This Position.
IT is (however) certain, that the CHILD born _before_ the _Twentieth
Day_ of this _Month_ is commonly _weak_ and _infirm_. And for that
Reason the _later_ the _BIRTH_ happens in the _Month_, the more _brisk_
and _lively_ is the CHILD: As I have more than once observ’d, that the
_Latter Part_ (about the _210th_ _Day_ from _CONCEPTION_) hath produced
as sprightly vivacious _Children_ as any at All. Wherefore, in short, I
cannot help having full as good an Opinion of such a CHILD born about
the _last_ of the _SEVENTH_, as of any such born in the beginning of the
_Ninth Month_, provided it be not expell’d by some _preternatural
Cause_.
TO examine this nice Matter a little more clearly, let us inspect into
the _Nature_ and _Quality_ of the Month: In order to which, I hope, we
may rationally observe,
I. THAT (according to the best _Astrologers_) the latter of the PLANETS,
(the _Moon_) influentially presides over the INFANT in this _Month_;
whose frigid and humid _Qualitys_ are thought to afford the several
_Parts_ of it a certain _Fatness_, thereby relaxing and easily
distending the MATRIX: Which being done, and the CHILD now perfected by
the whole Body of the PLANETS, that have _All_ particularly (in their
order) duly discharg’d their respective _Functions_ towards its
Perfection; provided it has a Competency of _Strength_ and _Vigour_, it
forwardly appears about the Close of this _Month_ with great _Ease_ and
_Facility_, and may continue both _Healthy_ and _Lively_ after its
_Birth_.
II. THIS is universally acknowledged to be a _perfect_ and _compleat_
NUMBER; from whence _Cicero_ calls it _NODUS OMNIUM_, or the _Knot of
all Things_. As the Wise _Pythagoreans_ justly term it otherwise the
_Vehicle of Man’s Life_: Not only because that, according to the
_Violence_ of any DISEASE, and the _Strength_ of the PATIENT, a _CRISIS_
happens either in the _Seventh_, or the _multiply’d Seventh Day_; but
also because, as CONCEPTION is certain upon _Seven-Hours Retention_; and
the Work of _Coagulation_ perfected in _Seven Days_, so may That of full
_Maturity_ be in _Seven Months_, and accordingly this _MONTH_ may very
reasonably produce _vital Children_. But by the way,
HOWEVER fictitious such things as savour of _Astrology_, may be reckon’d
by _Some_, yet who knows not that the _Seventh Hour_, and _Seventh Day_
after its _BIRTH_, determines the CHILD either to _Life_ or _Death_? Who
does not well know, That in the _Seventh Month_, its TEETH begin to
break out and appear? That in the _Seventh Year_ (according to
_Plutarch_) it changes its TEETH? Who does not find, That[115] the _Age
of Man_ depends upon _SEPTENARY Mutations_? That the _First Seven Years_
conclude his INFANCY; as the _Second_ finish his PUERITIA, or
_Childhood_; and the _Third_ compleat his ADOLESCENTIA, or _Youthful
Growing Age_? To which his JUVENTUS, or more vigorous _Youthfulness_,
succeeds; which is absolv’d in _twice Seven Years_ more: For in _This
Juvenile_ Age, the _Body_ attains to its full STATURE; as the _Bones_,
_Membranes_, and _Fibres_ arrive to their due Solidity.
THIS again is succeeded by the _Fifth_, call’d VIRILITAS, the _Virile_
or _Manly Age_; consisting of _twice Seven Years_ more, being in all
_Seven times Seven Years_: In which MANHOOD, the _Facultys_ of the MIND,
as well as the _Strength_ of the BODY, are most resplendent and perfect;
tho’ in almost All _Women_, the _Generative Power_ begins to cease at
this AGE, as their TERMS commonly do, however, not without a great
_Disorder_ of the Motion of the BLOOD.
THE _Sixth Age_ of Man, or the SENECTUS, is compos’d of _twice Seven
Years_ more, and extends itself to _Sixty Three_: In _This Old Age_ the
_Natural VIGOUR_ very much declines, the _BODY_ waxes both _dry_ and
_lean_, the _MEMORY_ begins to fail, and the _PERSON_ grows more
_Anxious_, _Careful_ and _Covetous_. As in the _Seventh_ and _Last Age_,
(or DOTAGE, as it were) he becomes _Feeble_ and _Decrepit_; which
generally consists of _Seven Years_ more. So that, in fine, according to
this very rational and plausible _Computation_, of the Learned and most
Ingenious Dr. _Sprengell_, the AGE and LIFE of MAN is commonly reckon’d
to amount to _Seven times Ten Years_.
IT is also farther observable, that as the SOUL of Man has _seven_
different _Appellations_, according to its seven principal _Offices_,
(as amply appears by _Sect._ I. _Chap._ 4.) so there are _SEVEN Degrees_
in the BODY, to compleat its _Dimensions_; viz. _Marrow_, _Bone_,
_Nerve_, _Vein_, _Artery_, _Flesh_, and _Skin_: As there are also
_SEVEN_ in Number, which (according to _Macrobius_) the _Greeks_ call
_BLACK MEMBERS_; viz. the _Tongue_, _Heart_, _Lungs_, _Liver_, _Spleen_,
and _Two Kidneys_, to consummate the _Compositum_. Yea,
_Hippocrates_[116] himself confirms the _Efficacy_ and _Præstancy_,
_Fulness_ and _Perfection_ of this Number.
I have also remarkably observ’d, that the Number _Seven_ is most
powerful and signally predominant in _Cœlestials_; as the _Seven
Circles_ in the HEAVENS, according to the _Longitude of the Axle-Tree_:
The _Seven Stars_ about the _Artick-Pole_, called CHARLES’S-WAIN: The
_Seven Stars_ also call’d PLEIADES: The _Seven Planets_, giving Names to
the _Seven Days of the_ WEEK: The _Periodical Revolution_ of the MOON
every _Seventh Day_, running round the Compass of the whole ZODIACK in
_Four Times Seven Days_; that is, considering her _Phases_ as obverted
to the SUN. And _Linus_, a most ancient celebrated Poet, sings thus:
_“Septima cùm venit Lux, cuncta absolvere cœpit
“Omnipotens Pater, atque bonis, & Septima, & ipsa,
“Est etiam rerum cunctarum Septima Origo;
“Septima prima eadem perfecta, & Septima Septem,
“Unde etiam Cœlum stellis errantibus aptum
“Volvitur, & Circ’lis totidem circum undique fertur._
THIS _Number_ seems likewise to be of the greatest Esteem in _Religion_;
and from hence among the _Hebrews_, to swear, is call’d
_SEPTENARE_[117], (that is, to _protest_ by _Seven_:) So _Abraham_
making the COVENANT with _Abimelech_, appointed _Seven Ewe-Lambs_ for a
Testimony: The _Seventh Day_ the Great _CREATOR_ rested from his Work:
_Jacob_ served _Seven Years_: _Seven Days_ the People bewail’d the Death
of _Jacob_: _Elisha_ (the Prophet) said unto _Naaman_ (the _Syrian_
Captain) Go and wash thy self _Seven Times_ in _Jordan_, and thou shalt
be made whole, and thy Flesh become clean: And, in fine, _David_ said,
_Seven Times_ a day do I praise _THEE_, because of thy righteous
Judgments.
THESE, and innumerable such like _Sentences_ are not only couch’d in the
_Books_ of _Moses_, and the whole _Volume_ of the _Old Testament_; but
also expresly contain’d in the GOSPEL, and interspers’d through the
whole _Bulk_ of the _New_: As the _Seven Beatitudes_, the _Seven
Virtues_, the _Seven Vices_, the _Seven Petitions_ of the _LORD’s
PRAYER_, the _Seven Words_ of our _SAVIOUR_ upon the _Cross_, &c. But
besides, in the _Apocalypse_ or _Revelation_ of St. _JOHN_, this
mysterious _NUMBER_ is most frequently mention’d, to denote its
_Efficacy_ and _Excellency_ of representing some _Ænigmatical_ Truth or
Emblem.
MOREOVER, the _Divine Apostle_ signifies and sets forth there, the
_Persecution_ of the _CHURCH_ (under the Tyrants, _Domitian_, _Trajan_,
&c. which began in the _Primitive CHURCH_ in his own Days, and continued
for three hundred Years, even to the Reign of _Constantine_ the Great)
by the _Allegory_ of[118]_SEVEN SEALS_. He figures out the _Heresys_ of
the _ARIANS_, &c. (from the Time of _Constantine_ to the Reign of
_Theodosius_, being three hundred Years more) by that of[119]_SEVEN
TRUMPETS_. And, in fine, he mystically alludes to the future _Plagues_
of _ANTI-CHRIST_ (from the Time of _Pope Bonifacius_, to these our
present Days) by[120]_SEVEN VIALS_, according to the Interpretation of
that most Learned Divine, _Peter Palladius_ Bishop of _Rochel_.
I say, with Submission to wiser Heads, that _These_ and the whole Train
of those Sacred _Allegorical Allusions_ used in this _Book_, might have
been as pertinently express’d by any _other Number_, as the _SEPTENARY_;
were it not that, this _Number_ better implies a certain _FULNESS_ of
_Sacred Mysterys_: As I think that _Number_ likewise (in all rational
probability) may properly portend here, _PERFECTION_ in _Maturity_, and
_COMPLETION_ in _Vitality_ to every _Full Seven-Months_ CHILD.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXIV.
_Of an Eight-Months BIRTH._
AS to this Point, the _Case_ indeed differs much in my Judgment from the
_Former_: For tho’ I have heard some loquacious _Women_ strenuously aver
the _contrary_, because of their own rash _Mistakes_; yet I cannot help
being of the same Opinion still, that this MONTH seldom or never
produces a _living_, or _lively_ CHILD: And that because, if the INFANT
hath _Strength_ enough, it must needs appear about the _Close_ of the
_Seventh Month_; but if not, the _Attempts_ are the same, according to
its greater or less _Abilitys_; (as most MOTHERS may very sensibly
observe in their own Conditions, by its extraordinary _Motions_ and
Struggles at that _Time_) whereby it is so _weaken’d_ and _debilitated_,
that it requires the _Eighth full Month_, and Part of the _Ninth_, to
recover itself, and recollect its _exhausted Strength_ and _Vigour_.
ANOTHER Natural _Reason_ besides may be given for _This_; because that
this MONTH is peculiar to the _Planet_ SATURN, which is an Enemy to all
_Creatures_ that breath LIFE: For he now returns not with the same
_Meekness_ and _Lenity_ of Influence that he used in the _First Month_
of the _CONCEPTION_, but with a far greater _Severity_ of Tyranny and
Enmity; as by his _Frigidity_, lessening and extinguishing the _Native
Heat_ of the _INFANT_, rendering it Unactive and Slow to _Motion_; so by
his _Siccity_, constringing the _Passages_ and _Orifice_ of the WOMB:
which, if so, must (of necessity) very much endanger both the _MOTHER_
and the _INFANT_.
BE this as it will, yet it is most certain, that the CHILD born in this
MONTH is always very _Weak_ and _Sickly_; However if, by chance, it
survives the _14th_, it may live till about the _40th Day_, when it most
commonly _breathes its Last_: Yet if it also survives this _Time_, the
greatest _Danger_ being then over, it may, by the means of tender CARE
and ART, be brought up as _others_ are usually reared: But how
_long-liv’d_ soever, or well-governed its _Health_ may be, it will still
continue of a _weakly_ and _tender Constitution_ of Body, if not also
half-witted[121] in Mind.
UPON this _Head_ some _Egyptian Writers_ mention, that because
_Dionysius_, who was born in the _EIGHTH MONTH_, lived in the _Island_
of _NAXOS_; therefore both this _Number_ and the _Island_ were dedicated
to his everlasting _Memory_; Whereupon, they say, he obtained the
_Prerogative_ and _Privilege_ from the _GODS_, that the _Women_ of
_NAXOS_ only, in this _MONTH_, should bring forth in _Safety_, and their
_CHILDREN_ only enjoy _Vitality_.
WHICH _Fable_ may however serve to satisfy us, that they have had no
better Opinion of an _Eight-Months BIRTH_, in those _Antient Days_, than
the Generality of _Learned Men_ yet have in these _Modern_ Times:
signifying in the main, by this comical _Allusion_ to that _little
Island_ in the _Ægean Sea_, that if, peradventure, an _Octimestrian
BIRTH_, by its more propitious _Destiny_, should be determined to
_Life_; _that_ ought to be looked upon as something _Extraordinary_, and
not laid down for any general _Hypothesis_: especially for this manifest
Reason, because in all _other Nations_, such _CHILDREN_ are commonly
observed to be but short-liv’d; as the _Women_, labouring with _CHILD_
at that critical[122] or fatal _TIME_, are absolutely exposed to the
severest of _excruciating PAINS_, and the greatest of _imminent
DANGERS_.
MOREOVER, _Hippocrates_ himself testifies, that the very
_Gestation_[123] of the _eighth Month_ is the most _onerous_ and
_difficult_ of all the Time, as well on account of the _Indisposition_
of the _Womb_, as by reason of the _Mother’s_ being affected by the
_disturbing Motions_ of the _Infant_: Wherefore if the _Birth_ then
draws on, it receives a double Damage, and suffers as well because of
these _Affections_ of the _Mother_ and _Womb_, as by its own proper
_Motions_ in precipitating itself.
FROM what is said, we may easily comprehend what _HIPPOCRATES_ means by
that obscure[124] _Ænigma_, which some have formerly reckoned more
inextricable than any _Herculean Knot_, viz. _An Octimestrian Birth is
and is not_; signifying thereby nothing else than that the _Child born_
in the _eighth Month_ (in some respect) may be supposed in _Being_, but
really and indeed _is not_, because it soon vanishes and _dies_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXV.
_Of a Nine-Months BIRTH._
THE Generality of _Modern Writers_ have too strictly confined a
_Legitimate_ BIRTH, and tied it down to this very MONTH only; and _some_
even restrain it to the narrow _Limits_ of its _Latter Half_: Both
equally affirming _That_ TIME to produce the most vigorous and lively
_Children_, and strenuously alledging it to be the _only_ appointed TIME
of _Nature_; because (as they say) _it happens most frequently_.
BUT unless they could produce some better _natural Reasons_ than THIS,
or any _others_ indeed that I have yet heard of, they shall scarce
_influence_ me to agree with their popular _Notions_ or vulgar Errors:
For their fond Opinion seems not to be so much supported by any
_Arguments_ of _Natural Reason_, as by an _imaginary Experience_,
founded upon _Hearsay_, or the _general Misconstruction_ of WOMEN.
HOWEVER, in Condescension and Good-Manners to _Female Authority_ (to
which I owe all imaginable _Deference_) I shall not launch out into any
immodest or disagreeable _Contradictions_; but, on the contrary, I shall
endeavour to make it evidently appear from the _Nature_ of the MONTH
itself, that it indisputably induceth both _Perfection_ and _Vitality_
to the CHILD, whether it be _born_ at this _Time_ or not: For I must
frankly own this _Truth_ indeed, that many _Auspicious_ BIRTHS happen in
this very same MONTH, for several good Reasons.
I. BECAUSE _then_, if we will believe _Astrologers_, JUPITER now returns
with his _Serene Aspect_, by his pure healing _Heat_ and _Humidity_,
cherishing and renovating the _Life_ of the INFANT (which consists of
those two _vital Qualities_) and quite effacing the former _Mischiefs_
and _Injuries_ of noxious SATURN: whereby he renders _This ninth Month_
not only most conducive to the BIRTH, but also to the future _Welfare_
and _Prosperity_ of the INFANT.
II. BECAUSE this auspicious _Number_ NINE is dedicated to the MUSES,
according to the Order of the Celestial SPHERES: Hence as we have _nine
moveable Spheres_, _viz._ the _Primum Mobile_, the _Starry Heaven_, and
the _Spheres_ of _SATURN_, _JUPITER_, _MARS_, _SOL_, _VENUS_, _MERCURY_,
and _LUNA_; so there are _Nine_ MUSES appropriated to them, to
accomplish their _Harmony_ or _Consort_.
III. BECAUSE to denote the _Sufficiency_ of this NUMBER, there are also
_nine_ ORDERS and CHOIRS of blessed ANGELS; namely, _Seraphims_,
_Cherubims_, _Thrones_, _Dominations_, _Powers_, _Virtues_,
_Principalities_, _Archangels_, and _Angels_: Which the _Prophet
EZEKIEL_[125] emblematically figures out by Nine STONES; as the
_Saphire_, _Emerald_, _Carbuncle_, _Beril_, _Onyx_, _Chrysolite_,
_Jasper_, _Topaz_, and the _Sardis_.
BUT besides the _Nine_ internal and external SENSES, mentioned in
_Sect._ I. _Chap._ 5. more plainly and familiarly denote the
_Perfection_ of this NUMBER: As, in like manner, the most learned
_Authors_ of all Ages take great Notice of it in the AGE of _Man_,
calling _this Ninth_, together with the _Seventh_, CLIMACTERICAL
_Years_.
NOT to mention the _Ninth Hour_, in which our Blessed SAVIOUR breathed
out his Holy Spirit; the _Ninth Day_ the _Antients_ buried their DEAD,
and many such remarkable Instances. Yet however, in most _Natural_ and
_Philosophical Cases_, this NUMBER implies still some _Imperfection_;
because it comes short of the _Complement_ of the Great _Number_ TEN
(being deficient by ONE) as St. _Austin_ interprets it of the TEN
LEPERS. Wherefore not to go too far in these MYSTICAL _Matters_, I
proceed to
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXVI.
_Of a Ten-Months BIRTH._
AS to this Point, it is not only True in _Part_; to wit, _during the
First Ten Days_ of the _10th Month_, as SOME would have it, but rather
(in my Opinion) _Altogether_, and at any time of it, as LEGITIMATE as
the _9th Month_; according to _Plautus_ the Comick _Poet_; _Tunc illa
quam compresserat, decimo post exacto Mense hanc peperit Filiam_.
FOR altho’ _Women_ commonly reckon their BIRTHS more frequent in the
_Ninth Month_; yet many _Learned Men_ have left it (as a doubtful
Controversy) undecided whether THAT or THIS be the most proper natural
Time: Whereas _Some_ of the _first_ RANK[126] have more positively
determined a _Legitimate BIRTH_ to happen in the _Tenth Month_ ONLY,
according also to _Virgil_’s excellent Poetical Computation—
“_Matri longa decem tulerunt fastidia Menses._”
MOREOVER, for a farther Proof of this Argument, I need only refer to
_Solomon_, the wisest of _Kings_; who being the greatest _Master of all
ARTS_, cannot be supposed to have been ignorant of This _Truth_: And
whose express Decision of this Doubt, we have set down in the Beginning
of the 7th _Chapter_ of his _Book_ of _WISDOM_; saying, “_I myself also
am a mortal Man, and the Offspring of him that was first made of the
Earth_, _and in my Mother’s Womb was fashioned to be Flesh in the time
of TEN MONTHS_, &c.”
BUT farther yet, as to the _Nature_ of this _Month_, _MARS_ is presumed
to succeed in it, who indulges the INFANT by his _amicable Qualities_,
or _benign Influences_: For _He_ is deemed a Friend to _LIFE_, as he
affords _Vitality_ to the _BIRTHS_ happening in it.
AND again, this _Number_ TEN is reckoned a _Compleat_ and _Universal_
NUMBER in all _Sciences_; because we cannot account beyond it, but by
_Replication_, a _Re-assumption_ of the UNIT, or _Repetition_ of the
_Nine Figures_, to perfect the Progression. But farther still, to denote
the Excellency and Perfection of this MONTH, there are TEN _Singers_ of
_Psalms_ mentioned in Holy Scripture; namely, _ADAM_, _ABRAHAM_,
_MELCHISEDECH_, _MOSES_, _ASAPH_, _DAVID_, _SOLOMON_, and the _three
Sons of CHORAH_: TEN _Musical Instruments_: TEN _Strings_ in the
_Psaltery_: TEN _Curtains_ in the _Temple_: TEN _Commandments_
instituted and given directly by GOD himself: AND, in fine, the TENTH
Day after _Ascension_ the _HOLY GHOST_ came down, _&c._
THERE are besides also TEN _Parts_, of which MAN himself consists
intrinsically; _viz._ the _Spirit_, _Brain_, _Lungs_, _Heart_, _Liver_,
_Gall_, _Spleen_, _Kidneys_, _Testicles_, and _Matrix_: And likewise TEN
_Simple Integral Parts_ constituting the MAN, to wit, _Bone_,
_Cartilage_, _Nerve_, _Fibre_, _Ligament_, _Artery_, _Vein_, _Membrane_,
_Flesh_, and _Skin_. In short just so, after this manner, there are TEN
_Months_ required to form and maturate the _MAN_, in the substantial
_Completion_ of THESE to Perfection.
BUT, after All, lest I should be thought, by this way of Reasoning on
the _Numbers_ of the _MONTHS_, to vend some fictitious _Notions_ for
mechanical _Causes_, or vain _Fictions_ for the _Laws of Nature_, I
shall in this Place, to avoid that Censure or Reproach, make a small
_Digression_, and that upon _NUMBERS_ in general.
FIRST then, I think it appears very Plain from the _Three preceding
Chapters_, that _NUMBERS_ are of a certain wonderful Efficacy and Virtue
even in SUPERNATURALS.
SECONDLY, In _Natural Things_ also the Virtues of _NUMBERS_ (so
_mystically_ constituted and _mysteriously_ intended) are conspicuously
manifest: As is evident in the _Herb_, call’d PENTAPHYLLON, which is
said to resist _Poisons_ by Virtue of _Number FIVE_; as _one Leaf_ of it
taken _twice_ a day in _Wine_, cures the QUOTIDIAN; _three_, the
TERTIAN; and four, the QUARTAN _Fever_. So likewise in the _Herb_
HELIOTROPIUM TRICOCCON[127], _three Grains_ whereof cures the TERTIAN:
and _four_, the QUARTAN _Ague_. In like manner, as a _Serpent_, if
struck ONCE with a _Spear_, _dies_; but if TWICE, is said to recover
_Strength_. So much for the Curious.
HOWEVER, These and many other Things might be mentioned, both in
_Natural_, and _Supernatural Beings_, upon the wonderful _Power_ and
_Efficacy_ of _NUMBERS_: Which plausible _Doctrine_ not only the most
Eminent _Philosophers_, but also the most Learned _Catholick DOCTORS_,
namely, St. _Jerom_, _Austin_, _Origen_, _Ambrose_, _Athanasius_, &c.
All unanimously teach; as well as the most famous Dr. _Rabanus_
(Archbishop of _Mentz_) who in his Time compos’d an excellent _Book_ to
this purpose chiefly upon the _Virtues_ of Numbers.
BUT notwithstanding all This, I am far from believing that there is any
peculiar _Virtue_ in _NUMBERS_, considered _abstractedly_: Only, I would
hereby demonstrate, that as the _Omniscient CREATOR_ has appointed every
thing a _certain TIME_ for its _Production_, _Augmentation_,
_Perfection_, _Declension_, and _Duration_; so in all probability, the
same _Decree_ or Good-Will of _Divine Providence_ may have ordered
_NUMBERS_, and _Sett-Days_ or _Times_ to concur with the apparent
Necessity of _Corporeal_, _Natural_, and _Mechanical_ CAUSES. For in
Truth, at last, I cannot think that, unless there had been some great
and distinct _Mysterys_ of _GOD_ and _Nature_ comprehended in _NUMBERS_,
the Great DIVINE[128] would otherwise have recommended That _Search_ to
the World of Understanding to count the _NUMBER_ of the _Beast_: saying,
_It is the Number of a Man_. But to proceed:
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXVII.
_Of an Eleven-Months, and all posteriour BIRTHS._
As to this MONTH, many _Authors_[129] agree to legitimate its _BIRTH_;
because of several repeated _Instances_ that really happen’d in their
Days: To which I can add _ONE_ of my own proper _Experience_, during my
itinerant _Practice_ in the City of _Prague_. Where, as I came
recommended to the Acquaintance of some Eminent _Physicians_ of the
Place, I happen’d once to be call’d (by _one_ of them) to a _Lady_ in
LABOUR; whom I had the good Fortune to deliver immediately, of a fine,
lusty, and lively _Girl_. After which, I had the Honour to attend her in
_Child-Bed_; I mean, to visit and prescribe for her, by the concurring
Advice of my Honoured _Friend_ (the most Learned and Ingenious Dr. _Von
Overberg_, who was her near Relation) in order to prevent some
_Disasters_ under which she had formerly suffer’d on the like Occasion.
Upon This, she was pleas’d to tell me out of her own Mouth, that, before
the _Day_ of her DELIVERY, her _Husband_, (who was a _Colonel_ in the
Imperial Service) had been gone to the _Army_, then in _Sicily_, TEN
MONTHS and _two Days_; so that this _Proculean_ CHILD was born (at
soonest) the _Third Day_ of the _Eleventh Month_. And in this _Case_, I
dare say, I was no ways mistaken, or impos’d upon; that _Lady_ being
endued with no less true _Honour_ and strict _Virtue_, than she was
otherways deservedly esteem’d, of a singular good _Character_, and great
_Distinction_ in that Place.
UPON which happy Occasion, I was the first Time fully satisfy’d, and
convinc’d, as to the due Proportion and Distinction of the _Four
controverted Terms_; _viz._ that, by how much the _latter Part_ of the
TENTH MONTH is preferable to the _Beginning_ of the NINTH; by so much is
the _Beginning_ of the ELEVENTH, preferable to any _BIRTH_[130]
happening in the _latter Part_ of the SEVENTH MONTH: So that, upon the
whole Matter, I can find no plausible Reason why All _Those_ may not be
accounted _Legitimate terms_ of Time in _Child-Bearing_, as well as the
_latter Part_ of the NINTH, and _Beginning_ of the TENTH MONTH.
WHICH probable Opinion we may the more readily agree to, and acquiesce
in; especially because (if what has been said of the rest of the
PLANETS, in the respective _Chapters_ of _This_ and the _First SECTION_,
be true) the SUN in this ELEVENTH MONTH returns to take care of the
INFANT (yet unborn;) by virtue of whose vivacious _Influence_ and
beneficent _Quality_, _BIRTHS_ of this MONTH are accounted no less
_vital_ and _successful_, than any _others_ differently time’d.
THERE are also many _Authors_, over and above, who make mention of
_BIRTHS_, in the _Twelfth_, _Thirteenth_, _Fourteenth_, and _Fifteenth_
MONTH. Yes verily, and there is _one remarkable Instance_, of the
Physical _College_ at _Montpelier_, where a grand _Consultation_ was
held about the Year 1590, in _Favour_ of a certain MARCHIONESS; who
(after some fair _Legitimate BIRTHS_) had _Two_[131] running
successively, the _one_ in the _Eighteenth_, the _other_ in the
_Twentieth_ MONTH: upon which, divers curious _Reasonings_ happened, and
various _Sentiments_ were deliver’d. However, because such _Precedents_
are so very few and uncommon, I shall take up no more _Time_ about them.
Only
AS to what is said in this, and the preceding Chapters, touching the
_Months_, I desire to be understood, as meaning _Solar_, not _Lunar_
Months: By _Solar_ Months, I mean that Space of Time, which the _Sun_
continues in either, or every, _Sign_ of the _Zodiack_, comprehending
thirty Days.
BUT it may (perhaps) be objected, that the _Antients_ (especially the
_Greeks_) reckon’d their Years by _Lunar Revolutions_ only, and had none
else but _Lunar Months_. To which I answer, that the _Wise_ and _Divine
HIPPOCRATES_ computes[132] the Time of _Birth_ by _Decads of Weeks_;
which _Decad_ contains Seventy, as every Week consists of Seven full
Days: Hence _He_ makes out the Legitimacy of a _Seven-Months Child_;
because that _Term_ comprehends _three Decads_ of Weeks, or 210 Days:
And hence it is evident, that he has measur’d that Time of _Gestation_
by _Solar_ Months, of which each contains 30 Days, answering alike in
_Births_ of all Months. For if we _divide_ those 210 Days by 7, for the
Number of Months, we shall find a _Quotient_ of 30 Days to each; or if
we _multiply_ 30 by 7, we’ll find a _Product_ of 210 Days in all. And
this _Computation_ he farther elucidates, saying[133], _As thirty Suns
form the Fœtus, so seventy move it, and two hundred and ten perfect it_.
Hence it is evident and certain, that HIPPOCRATES also considered and
regarded the _Circuits_ of the _Sun_. Which leads me farther, to
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXVIII.
_Of the Reasons why ONE Number of Months, Weeks, and Days, is more
Auspicious to BIRTH, than ANOTHER._
WHAT has been said in the _Seven preceeding Chapters_ particularly,
concerning _Months_, _Weeks_, &c. leads me directly to descant upon
_THESE_ in general: Which _Topick_, tho’ I could willingly resign it to
the more _Judicious_ to enter upon, and recommend to the more _Learned_
to discuss; yet lest I may be thought to evade or omit any material
_Point_ which I have undertaken, I shall endeavour (according to the
Best of my weak _Capacity_) to explain, _en passant_, and to unfold this
_Mystery_, by declaring the most plausible _Orthodox Reasons_ why _ONE
Number of Days, Weeks and Months, is more Auspicious to the BIRTH_, and
affords more _Vitality_ to the CHILD than _ANOTHER_.
IN handling of which _Subject-Matter_, as I propose to be very _Brief_,
so I shall only observe in short, that such _Reasons_ are chiefly
founded upon a _double Principle_; That is, of daily _Experience_, and
natural _Knowledge_.
I. UPON daily _Experience_; in that it is notoriously well known that
CHILDREN born in _different Months_, are not equally _Vital_ or
_Lively_; and in that it is evidently manifest, that the _7th_, _9th_,
and _10th_, and perhaps the _11th Month_ also, are endued with some
certain _Virtues_, and prevalent _Qualitys_ before all OTHERS in this
Case.
II. UPON Natural _Knowledge_; insomuch that it is the Opinion of all
Judicious _Naturalists_ (either _Philosophers_ or _Physicians_) that
this _inferiour World_ is moved and govern’d by _superiour Bodys_, and
that all _Terrestrial Vicissitudes_ and _Changes_ depend upon
_Cælestials_, and those chiefly upon the SUN and MOON: which both
possess great _influential Virtues_, and exercise great directing
_Powers_ over all _Inferiour Bodys_. From hence the _Antients_ always
maintain’d, that the _Periodical Accessions_ and _Circulations_ of many
DISTEMPERS depended entirely on their noxious _Influences_; especially
upon that of the Moon, because of her _Proximity_.
NAY, some _Authors_ have advanced so far, as to ascribe the only _Cause_
of them to the _Powers_ of the STARS and PLANETS. But tho’ I am no ways
to countenance _These Notions_ to this ridiculous Length, nor in the
least to defend the vain _Fictions_, or foolish _Ostentations_ of the
vulgar _ASTROLOGERS_; yet I shall make no scruple to assert that both
the STARS and PLANETS are concurring or co-operating, tho not sole
_efficient Causes_, in these _Cases_: And This, I hope, I may rationally
be allow’d to do, supposing I had not the direct _Authority_ of such a
Great Man, as the most Learned and Excellent Dr. _Mead_[134], over and
above to back me; who says, “_It is moreover to be consider’d, that the
rest of the_ STARS _and_ PLANETS _have each their Power and Influence,
which tho’ they be not Equal to that of the_ SUN _and_ MOON; _yet
notwithstanding they conspire to augment or diminish their Powers on
human Bodys; and this Concourse is of so great Consequence_ (says this
Eminent Author) _that we must refer to it the sudden and hidden Power of
most Distempers in all Countries_, &c.”
BUT the _Powers_ of the two great and glorious LUMINARYS, we are more
_sensible_ of, as they are more manifestly _conspicuous_; and _These_ we
may in many other _Cases_, (as well as in _BIRTHS_) hold for _efficient
Causes_.
FOR who knows not that the Influence of the SUN fructifies all sorts of
_Grain_, and ripens _Fruit_, _Corn_, &c? Who knows not that by its
_Force_ or _Influx_ only, divers _Animals_, _Insects_, &c. engender and
spring out of the _Dust_ and the _Earth_? Or, who knows not that its
_Power_ prompts all Creatures to _Coition_, and excites them to
propagate their respective _Species_, each one its own _Kind_, &c.
NEITHER is the _Influence_ of the MOON less evident: For does it not
change the _Constitution_ of the WEATHER, raise the AIR, heighten the
WINDS, swell and exagitate the _Surface_ of the SEA, and finally,
augment and increase the very _Tides_ of the OCEAN? Do not all
_Animals_, as well as the _Menstruous_ and _Pregnant Woman_ sensibly
feel the _Power_ of the LUNAR _Influence_? Yes verily, as my last quoted
_Author_ justly[135] observes, _unless their REGIMEN be perverted, by
which means the Body may be disqualify’d or rendred unapt to receive the
Impression_.
NOW _this_ does not only happen to _Four-footed Beasts_, and all that
possess the dry _LAND_; but also more especially to the _Inhabitants_ of
the _SEA_: And how remarkable is it, that the very _Shell-Fish_, (how
closely soever shut up, and how low soever buried, as it were, in the
very _ABYSS_ of the _Deeps_) cannot be exempted from the sensible
Impression of this LUNAR _Power_? To this Point and Purpose (I think)
_Lucilius_[136], that Learned Poet, manifestly alludes, saying,
_“Luna alit Ostrea, & implet Echinos, Muribus
“Fibras & Pecui addit._
And after _Him_, _Manilius_[137], that great _Astronomer_, writes _à
propos_ upon this _Topick_, when he says,
_“Sic submersa fretis Concharum & Carcere clausa
“Ad Lunæ motum variant Animalia Corpus._
THESE Things then being evidently so, and it being a most certain and
undeniable _Truth_, that the SUN and MOON have each their respective
_Influence_ upon all _Inferiour Bodys_: (as has also been already shewn
in _Sect._ I. _Chap._ 8.) I come now to observe that such _Mutations_ as
are _Quick_ and _Brief_, or such _Changes_ as are accomplished in a _Few
Days_, may be entirely ascribed to the _Power_ of the MOON: As in the
_Reverse_ of these _Cases_, which cannot be determin’d under a _Long
Time_; the _Course_ of the SUN is more chiefly to be consider’d and
principally regarded.
SO _Acute Fevers_ (because _SHORT_) are generally assuaged and dissolved
in _14 Days_: Whereas _Quartans_ (because _LONG_) on the contrary are
only determin’d in _six Months_. It’s true indeed, the _Antients_
ascribed these _Laws_ of NATURE, to _Pythagorean Numbers_, and
distinguish’d the _Times_ of FEVERS according to their _Critical Days_,
which they strictly animadverted, as they laid great _Stress_ upon that
Ceremonious Observation.
HOWEVER, _Galen_ made a far stricter _Disquisition_ in this Matter, and
conceiv’d (as the _Truth_ indeed is) that the _Accessions_ and _Crises_
of FEVERS had no _Connexion_ with any _NUMBERS_ or _odd Days_, but took
_Origin_ only from the _Efficacy_ of the MOON: (as is more fully
explain’d in _Chap._ 28. of this _Section_.) According to which
_MAXIM_[138], _Acute Distempers_ have their _Circulations_ in _Seven
Days_, and take their _Accesses_ and _Declinations_ from the _Course_ of
the MOON; which every _Seventh Day_, when NEW, HALF-FULL, or FULL, has
her greatest _Influence_.
HE farther observes that the _Quarter-Day_ of the MOON may fall upon the
_6th_ or _8th_ Day of the DISTEMPER, and consequently _either_ of _these
Days_ may determine it as well as the _SEVENTH_. For (according to Dr.
_Mead_’s excellent Judgment) the _Dissolution_ of a FEVER sometimes
happens _To-day_, which according to the ordinary _Course_ of the
DISTEMPER ought to happen _To-morrow_; or, on the contrary, the _same_
may be procrastinated till _To-morrow_, which might be expected
_To-day_: And _That_ for the various _Reasons_[139] most ingeniously by
him alledg’d and irrefragably established.
IN fine, such _Mutations_ and _Circulations_ of Things as are perfected
and perform’d in a _few Days_, are directed by the _Property_ of the
MOON: whereas such _Changes_ and _Alterations_ as require the
Dissolution and Determination of _Months_, refer only to the
_Government_ of the SUN. Which I would have thus candidly understood,
_viz._
AS from the beginning of the _Month_ to the FULL-MOON are almost _14
Days_, which accomplish half the _Lunar Circuit_, and comprehend two
_Quarter-Changes_; so from the Beginning of _Spring_ to the End of
_Summer_ are six _Months_, which comprehend _two Seasons_ or half of the
Year: And so that _Mediety_ or _Half of the Month_, from _FULL-MOON_, to
the Time of _Occultation_ or _NEW-MOON_, answers to the other _six
Months_, from the beginning of _Autumn_ to the last of _Winter_, which
conclude the other Half of the Year.
FOR as we divide the _Course_ of the _MOON_ by _4 Weeks_, according to
its 4 quarter _Changes_; so we distribute the _Course_ of the _SUN_ into
_4 Stations_, according to the _four Seasons_ of the Year: Hence it is
that all _Times_ of the _Year_ answer in proportion to the different
_Weeks_ of the _Month_, and all _Stations_ of the _SUN_ (in like manner)
to the different _Changes_ of the _MOON_. Wherefore as the _7th Day_,
which is the 4th Part of the _Lunar Month_, determines _acute
Distempers_; so the _Change_ of the _Season_ of the Year dissolves
_Diuturnal Diseases_. The _SPRING_ commonly shakes off any _Malady_
generated in _WINTER_, as the _SUMMER_ does what is begun in the
_SPRING_; and the _AUTUMN_ discusseth any _Affection_ excited in
_SUMMER_, as the _WINTER_ does what happen’d in _AUTUMN_.
THESE Things being thus cleared-up by the way, we have now only to
consider, that the Time of _GESTATION_ is no _Acute_, but a _Diuturnal
Effect_; and that BIRTH is nothing else but the CRISIS of the same
_Affection_, according to[140]_Hippocrates_’s Sense. Which, if so, it is
evidently manifest that, in defining the _Time_ of BIRTH, we ought
chiefly to regard the _Course_ of the _SUN_, and strictly observe the
_Number_ of _MONTHS_; However so, as not to neglect the _Motions_ of the
_MOON_, and consequently, we ought also to consider duly the neat
_Number_ of _DAYS_: Wherefore (I say) in BIRTH we are to have a just
Regard to, and take a strict Observation of, not only the _Changes_ of
the _MOON_, but also of the _Mutations_ of the _SUN_; because both the
_One_ and the _Other_ act very powerfully in _BIRTH_. Which I thus beg
leave to illustrate as follows, _viz._
AS the _first seven Days_ have the greatest Power of determining _Acute
Diseases_, so the _first three Months_ of _GESTATION_ (which answer to
those Days) determine the _CONCEPTION_: And as of _those_ the _7th Day_
is the most powerful, so of _these_ the _third Month_ is the most
prevalent. From hence it is that the FOETUS suffers such manifest
_Alterations_ and _Changes_ of Nature in this MONTH: For it is now
metamorphos’d or chang’d from an _Inanimate_ into an _Animate Being_: It
now becomes a _Living_ and _Moving Body_, subsisting henceforward by its
own proper vivacious _Faculties_; yet not so however, that _this_ MONTH
can be presum’d to produce a _vital Birth_: No, because as every perfect
and plausible _CRISIS_ of the _7th Day_, requires the _Concurrence_ of
the digested _Humour_, together with the _Ability_ and _Strength_ of the
_PATIENT_; so in BIRTH, the _Disposition_ of the _INFANT_ must
necessarily concur with all _These_, which it can never be suppos’d to
do in the short Space of _Three Months_.
MOREOVER again, as the _Days_ of the Interval from the _7th_ to the
_14th_, have but small _Power_ in dissolving _acute Diseases_; so
neither have the _4th_ or _5th Months_ (which assimilate _these Days_)
any _Efficacy_ tending to BIRTH. Wherefore if an unlucky _Ejection_ of
the _Foetus_ happens in _these Months_, it can be no otherwise judged
of, than as when _Symptomatical_ (not _Critical_) _Excretions_ fall out
on DAYS not _Decretory_: Hence we (of consequence) may collect, that the
very _First Time_, in which a _legitimate Term_ can be suppos’d to
concur effectually, together with the _Disposition_ and _Strength_ of
the _INFANT_, in case of BIRTH, will be (as _Hippocrates_ has well
observed[141]) about the _182d Day_, or at the _half Year’s End_: Which
(however) he calls a _Septimestrian_ BIRTH, because the _Ancients_
reckon’d their Year by _Lunar Months_, as they did their _Months_ by the
Course of the MOON; whereof 13 with some _Days_ of the _14th Month_
constitute the _Solar Year_: Not that I mean they in the Interim were at
all ignorant of the _Solar Periods_. And however, tho’ this _Number of
182 Days_ make but up _six Solar Months_; yet, as it comprehends _seven
Lunar Months_, and almost constitutes three DECADES of _Lunar Weeks_,
there can be no _Repugnancy_ in that _Wise Man’s Meaning_, whatever some
literal _Interpreters_ may imagine to the contrary.
NOW this _sixth Month_ being the _second Solar Mutation_, in it the WOMB
begins to be more severely oppress’d with the _Weight_ and _Bulk_ of its
Burthen; for now the _INFANT_ has assum’d _Perfection_, and (perhaps)
got _Strength_ sufficient to undergo its _Fatigue_ in LABOUR, and
_Power_ enough to support _Life_, after its BIRTH; especially if
procreated of the more vivid, valid, or excellent SEED; whose powerful
_Faculty_ and vigorous _Quality_ may perhaps have perform’d the Work of
_Formation_ in 30, which otherwise would require 35, or _more Days_: In
this _Case_ (of consequence) the BIRTH will succeed at the
above-mentioned _happy Time_; as appears more amply from what has been
already set forth in SECT. 1. _Chap._ 9.
NOW from what has been said, I hope it appears highly reasonable to
compute the _legitimate Time_ of BIRTH, not only by _Months_ and
_Moons_, but also by _Weeks_ and _Days_: Which however yet, I look not
upon to be any very full, exact, or sufficient satisfactory
_Calculation_; because (I think) we have also just Reason to compute
this _Time_ even by _Hours_ and _Minutes_. Therefore how just soever
_Aristotle_’s Observation (mentioned by _Pliny_[142]) may be, _that no
Animal expires but in the Reflux or Ebb of the Sea_; I am yet positive,
that Monsieur _Paschal_’s Notion (mentioned by Doctor _Mead_[143]) _that
all Births as well as Deaths fall out in the Reflux, and that no Animal
is born or dies in the Flux_, may be rationally controverted: For I must
needs assert that, without any regard to his _Senarian Fluxes_ and
_Refluxes_, BIRTHS happen at every _Hour_ of the DAY or NIGHT: and
perhaps more naturally too in the FLUX, than in the REFLUX of the _Sea_.
And this, I think, may appear evident, even from the self-same Reasons
by which he endeavours to make out the Contrary[144]; namely, that
intermitting _Fevers_ have their greatest _Paroxisms_ in the Time of the
FLUX, whereas they cease in the REFLUX by _sweating_: collecting from
hence, that the Motion, Vigour, and Force of _Distempers_ are chiefly
advanc’d in the _Senary_ of the FLUX; and on the contrary, that they are
dissolved in the _Senary_ of the REFLUX. Which Observation, with respect
to _Fevers_, this most excellent _Doctor_ has found experimentally[145]
_True_, as a great many others have also done.
BUT in the _Case_ of a Woman in LABOUR, as (with Submission) I judge the
_Paroxisms_ to differ from the Nature of those in a _Fever_, so I humbly
conceive that the _Effect_ must prove the REVERSE. For the _Paroxisms_
in BIRTH, are nothing else than the _Pains_ or _Pangs_ of LABOUR; and
who knows not that (in Case of a _natural Situation_ of the _INFANT_ and
the _WOMB_) the greater _These_ are, the more _Success_ and _Expedition_
attends the BIRTH? And who again knows not, that in this Case, the more
vigorous _Motion_ the _INFANT_ makes, and the more _Force_ and
_Strength_ that attends the _Pains_, the sooner the DELIVERY is
perfected? Which, of consequence, according to his own Opinion, will
fall out in the _Senary_ of the FLUX? In fine, again I farther observe,
that, as the REFLUX may be the appointed Time of Nature destinated to
_Death_, so may the FLUX be allotted to BIRTH; which (in my Mind) is as
opposite to _Death_, as the FLUX is to the REFLUX of the _Tide_ of the
Sea.
WHEREFORE I am obliged to repeat it again here, that we ought to
calculate the _Legitimate Time_ of BIRTH, not only by _Months_, _Weeks_,
and _Days_, but perhaps also by _Hours_ and _Minutes_; and _that_
because, according to the Great _Galen_’s Observation[146], as the
_Year_, _Month_, or _Week_ does not consist of entire _Days_, so neither
does the DAY of entire _Hours_: For as the _Year_ consists of 365
_Days_, six _Hours_, and a few _Minutes_; and the _Month_ of thirty
_Days_, ten and a half _Hours_; and the _Week_ of seven _Days_, two
_Hours_, and twenty-seven _Minutes_; so the _Day_ (in proportion)
consists of 24 _Hours_ and 21 _Minutes_: From whence I conclude (with
that wise _Man_) that we can make no very nice _Computation_ in this
Affair, by _full Days_, without FRACTIONS.
WHEREFORE it is that the most Learned and Inquisitive _Boethogynists_,
or _Female Physicians_ maintain, that they have always observed their
WOMEN to bring forth the self-same HOUR of the _Night_ or _Day_, in
which they conceived: And _This_ also daily Experience seems to confirm
for _Truth_; because it is certain, that most BIRTHS happen in the
_Night-Time_, or _Dawning of the Day_; at which _Times_, we may very
probably suppose the Generality of _Parents_ to be most employ’d that
way: Whereupon, if This be True, Mr. _Paschal_’s Position will fall of
course; and then that _Assertion_ of a _Legitimate BIRTH_’s requiring,
not only a certain and prefinite Number of _Days_, but also of _Hours_
and _Minutes_, will more rationally be establish’d in its Room:
Notwithstanding that Saying of _Hippocrates_[147] himself, after having
distinguished upon the _Times_ of _BIRTH_, _That these Things fall out
in a few Days more or less_.
HOWEVER, in fine, from what has been said, (I hope) the _Reasons_ I have
given here, why _one Number_ of _Months_, _Weeks_, and _Days_ is more
auspicious to the _BIRTH_, and more fortunate to the CHILD, than
_another_, are by this Time made manifestly clear and self-evident. Now
these Things being thus briefly accounted for, I must proceed in the
next place (with the READER’s good Leave) to provide for and prepare the
_Pregnant Woman_, against the _Expiration_ of these _Months_, _Weeks_,
and _Days_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXXIX.
_Of the DIET and REGIMEN of the Woman, before and about the Time of
BIRTH._
THO’ the _Woman_ ought to be cautious of her _DIET_ and _REGIMEN_ during
the whole time of _Pregnancy_, as advis’d in _Chap._ 3. of this SECTION;
yet she is now oblig’d in the _first place_ (especially from the
beginning of the _9th_ MONTH) to be much more circumspect; to use
nothing but FOOD of good _Nutrition_ and easy _Concoction_, of an
_Aperitive_ and _Laxative_ Quality, _little_ at a time, but frequently
taken.
II. SHE ought to _stir_ often, and exercise herself _moderately_,
without _stooping_ or _bending_ the Body too much, lest the _UMBILICALS_
may entangle the _Infant_.
III. SHE should discreetly rest herself at certain Times, and indulge
herself in composing _Sleep_; lying altogether on her BACK, not on
either _Side_, that the INFANT may freely turn itself.
IV. FROM the _tenth Day_, proper Emollient and Laxative _Decoctions_ by
way of BATHS, may necessarily be used twice or thrice a _Week_, for
moistening the _Passages_, and facilitating the BIRTH: Or otherwise, the
BELLY and proper _Parts_ need only be fomented with _Cloths_, or
_Spunges_ dipp’d in such _Decoctions_, and the neighbouring _Places_
anointed with apposite _Liniments_ or requisite _Ointments_: But no
_Laconick_ or _Sweating_ BATHS or BAGNIO’S, ought to be used at this
_Juncture_; notwithstanding some contrary _Opinions_.
V. THE _Infant_ is to be cherish’d, and strengthen’d by proper
_Cordials_ inwardly taken, as well as by outward _Applications_.
VI. THE _Room_ or _Chamber_ in which the Woman is to undergo her TRAVAIL
and _Lying-In_, ought to be conveniently _temperate_, neither too _cold_
nor too _hot_: By reason that the _one_ certainly constringes and shuts
the WOMB; as the _other_ dissipates and debilitates the _Spirits_.
In short, I have known _Women_, who have often had most painful,
lingring, and laborious BIRTHS before; to have been LAID _afterwards_
with the greatest Ease imaginable in a very short time, by only
carefully observing the _above-prescrib’d REGIMEN_. Wherefore I shall
take leave to go on farther, to
[Illustration]
CHAP. XL.
_Of the Natural Causes of BIRTH, and Pains of LABOUR._
THE _Causes_ of a _Legitimate_ or timely natural _Birth_, are chiefly
_Three_; viz. I. The suppressed or defective _Respiration_, by the
encreasing _Calidity_ of the HEART; which defatigates the INFANT so
much, that it cannot live without more free _Ventilation_.
II. PENURY or _Scarcity_ of ALIMENT; the INFANT now requiring _More_
than it can possibly imbibe from the _Mother_; and therefore it is
forced to seek, what _Nourishment_ it farther requires, Elsewhere.
III. THE strict _CONFINEMENT_ of its narrow _Lodging_; the WOMB being
now too little to accommodate and entertain the well-grown-INFANT: Like
to the YOUNG of _Birds_ or _Fowls_; which neither finding sufficient
_Aliment_ nor _Room_ in the EGG, restlessly seek for _Both_, and in vain
endeavour for _Either_, until at last they break the _Pellicules_: Which
as soon as the _Mother_ perceives, she scratches or pecks the _Shell_,
and so brings out the oppressed indigent CHICKEN. Thus also in the WOMB,
it happens not unlike; for, when the _Membranes_ break, the _Humours_
and _Blood_ flow plentifully; and upon this Occasion various _Pains_
afflict the Woman: Which are always the greater and more severe in the
_First BIRTH_; because of the _Coarctation_ of the _Passages_, besides
the _Party_’s being unaccustomed to such sorrowful Griefs, and
penetrating Pains.
NOW the _Reasons_ why WOMEN only, are so much afflicted with dolorous
_Pains_ in _BIRTH_ (the rest of the _Creatures_ being in a great measure
of Proportion exempted from them) ought, as some _Divines_ would have us
believe, to be ascribed only to the _SIN_ of the _First Woman_; GOD
resolving (for that Reason) to punish her whole SEX, by subjecting them
to those Calamities mentioned in the holy _Scripture_[148]: “_I will
greatly multiply thy Sorrow_, _and thy Conception; in Sorrow thou shalt
bring forth Children_, &c.”——
BUT besides this _Doctrine_, I conceive there are _Four_ very
considerable _natural Causes_ that may be reasonably assign’d for it;
_viz._
I. THE _DEBILITY_ of _Human Nature_, which in Time of _Labour_ requires
sometimes the whole _Strength_ of the WOMAN, and sometimes that of the
_INFANT_ too; and that commonly above what _Either_ can well afford.
II. THE dull _Sedentary Life_ which _Women_ generally lead and indulge
themselves in; as appears plain from what I have often observed in
_Germany_ and _Holland_: For the _Women_ of those _Countries_ generally
accustoming themselves to some sort of active _Labour_ and industrious
_Exercise_, have much easier _BIRTHS_ than any _Others_ that I know.
III. BUT one general and universal _Reason_ of it is, that the _Bone_
call’d OS COCCYGIS, which is loosely join’d to the inferiour Extremity
of the _Bone_ call’d SACRUM, bending outwards during the Time of LABOUR;
as the _CHILD_ advances, its _Head_ presseth the _Gut_ call’d RECTUM
hard against it; which causeth most severe, acute, and extreme _PAINS_.
IV. ANOTHER principal and universal _Reason_ of it, is, the BULK of the
_Head_ of the _INFANT_; which (according to _Albertus Magnus_) is equal
in the time of _BIRTH_, to the rest of the _Whole Man_; causing a
violent _Dilatation_ of the WOMB, that is very _strait_ in comparison of
this BULK; and _That_ being a very sensible _Membranous Composition_,
_This_ must (of Necessity) occasion most grievous and almost intolerable
_PAINS_. Whence I come to
[Illustration]
CHAP. XLI.
_Of the CAUSES of a sooner, or later BIRTH._
MANY great Men have written and answer’d promiscuously on this _Head_,
suggesting a vast Variety of _Reasons_ for it: But as _Every One_ is
left to think and judge the Best he can for Himself, so I shall (in this
place) only animadvert upon _Those Causes_, which I most entirely
approve of; and as they are _Fivefold_, so I think, they either depend
upon the _Genital Seed_; the _Formative Faculty_; the _Temperature_ of
the WOMB; the _Constitution_ of the WOMAN; or the _Influence_ of
_Superiour Bodies_.
I. THE _natural Cause_ may depend upon the SEED: Because as there is
among GRAIN several _sorts_, some of which fructify and ripen in
_Three_, some in _Four Months_, and others which require much _longer
Time_; so it may be also in _human_ SEED, that it may differ as much in
its Kind. Which Truth is very evident from what has been frequently
observed, that _Women_ bring forth the _Children_ of different FATHERS,
at different Times; whereof I shall only mention the remarkable Instance
of _Vestilia_[149]: who was thus deliver’d of _Three Children_ to her
_Three several Husbands_, HERDITIUS, POMPONIUS, and ORSITUS, all noble
Citizens of _Rome_: _viz._ Of the _one_ in the _7th_, of the _other_ in
the _11th_, and of the _last_ at the Expiration of _8 Months_.
II. THE _natural Cause_ may also depend upon the _FORMING FACULTY_; so
far, as the _Formation_ and _Perfection_ of the _FOETUS_ depend upon its
_Strength_ or _Debility_: For as it may be evidently observ’d after the
_BIRTH_, that _some Children_ grow a-pace and very suddenly; _others_
(because of a _sickly Constitution_) thrive but very little, and grow
slowly; so it happens also with the _FOETUS_ in the WOMB: for the
_stronger_ that this _Faculty_ is, the sooner _Formation_ is perfected,
and consequently the sooner the _BIRTH_ follows successfully.
III. THE Natural _Cause_ again may depend upon the _Temperature_ of the
WOMB: Because that the _Woman_ (being the only _one_ of all Creatures
which tolerates _Copulation_ during the time of _Pregnancy_) may be, by
its frequent or immoderate _Use_, disorder’d in that noble _Part_; which
may infallibly confound and pervert the regular TIME. For as the BUDS of
_Vines_ cherish’d in the Bosom of the _Earth_, may be easily cut or
dissipated by the _Plough_; so as at least to alter the TIME of
_Fructification_, if not quite to destroy _Them_: So it is not very
unlikely with the INFANT in the WOMB; and therefore wise _Nature_
(sollicitous of _Propagation_ and _Preservation_ of the _Human_ FOETUS)
will not allow that a _Woman_ should have one _precise Time_ of _BIRTH_.
IV. THE Natural _Cause_ may also depend upon the _Constitution_ of the
MOTHER, so far as her _Habits_ of Body, and _Way of Living_, are
conducive (or _not_) to the _Maturation_, _Perfection_, _Strength_, or
_Debility_ of the _INFANT_.
V. AND finally, the _Cause_ may depend upon a _superiour Influence_, in
so far that, as we see with our _Eyes_, such _Grain_ as is _sowed_, and
such _Plants_ or _Trees_ as are _planted_ in the _Interlunium_, or
_silent Moon_, and before _Full-Moon_, to fructify and _ripen_ sooner
than others: Or, as we see and perceive our very _Nails_ and _Hair_
which are _cut_ in that Time, to _grow_ faster and sooner, than what is
so _cut_ after the _Full-Moon_: So we may as easily comprehend by our
_Reason_, that these _Times_ may have the same Natural _Effect_ in
the[150]_Human Seed_. And as then the _Parts_ are more _Succulent_, and
the _Generative Virtue_ more _excitated_, not only in the _Human Seed_,
but also in all other _Seeds_ and _Roots_, what wonder is it, that the
_Womb_ be also more _efficacious_ and _prestant_ at the same
_Conjuncture_?
This I take to have been _Pliny_’s[151] Meaning, saying none are _born_
in the 7th Month, but they who have been _conceiv’d_ in the very
_Change_ of the _Moon_, or within a Day of it, under or over. Hence I
may justly observe, that all _slower Births_ have been _begotten_ at
opposite Times; for which, I think, I have also sufficient Authority
from[152]_HIPPOCRATES_ himself, saying, when a _Woman conceives_ after
_Full-Moon_, that _Conception_ must, of Necessity, reach the 11th Month.
HAVING thus far (according to the Best of my Judgment) dilucidated these
_Cases_, and having hitherto conducted the _Woman with Child_, and
brought her safe this Length, thro’ all the _Difficulties_ she has been
expos’d to, and the many _Hardships_ she has met with in her _Gestation_
or _Bearing-Time_, to the compleat _Number_ of her _MONTHS_, or precise
_Time_ of her _LABOUR_: It remains now, that I should also direct her
_Safety_ upon that emergent Occasion; since if we should now lose our
good and fruitful _Woman_ at last, all our previous _Pains_ and _Care_
have been _Labour in vain_, and nothing but _Frustration_. But, because
the _Work_ of _DELIVERY_, does not always depend upon the _Woman_
herself, and but seldom in these _Countries_, upon the _Physician_;
before I commit her to the _Hands_ of the rude or unskilful, (whether
_MAN_ or _WOMAN-MIDWIFE_) I shall in the next Place, (with all due
_Deference_ to my _SUPERIOURS_, especially the eminent _Professors_ of
_Physick_, and _Practisers_ of MIDWIFERY in the _City_ of _LONDON_)
endeavour to instruct such Persons in the _Fundamentals_ of their _ART_,
and to qualify them with the necessary _Knowledge_, and indispensible
_Duty_ of their _BUSINESS_.
IN fine, I shall attempt now to perform This _Undertaking_ in the
plainest and most succinct _Terms_ following.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. IV.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of MIDWIFERY._
BIRTH, and whatever may depend of, take Rise from, or have any
antecedent, concomitant, or consequent Relation to it, is the only
proper Business of MIDWIFERY, and justly deemed the common Boundary of
the _Knowledge_ and _Practice_ of the MIDWIFE.
WHICH _Art_ of MIDWIFERY is (in itself) as excellent and ingenious, as
its _Practice_ is useful, and absolutely necessary to the
_Commonwealth_; insomuch that this will admit of no _Contradiction_,
when we rightly consider the following few, but important, general
_Heads_, to which I reduce it throughout this Work, _viz._
I. THIS _Art_ distinguisheth a _Fertile_ from a _Sterile_ or Barren
WOMB; it supports and corroborates the _one_, and rectifies and cures
the _other_, in most (if not in all) _Cases_.
II. IT distinguisheth an impregnated from an unconceived WOMB, a real
from a false _Big-Belly_, and a natural from a preternatural
_CONCEPTION_.
III. IT teacheth the _Regimen_ of the conceived Woman, for averting the
Severity of the SYMPTOMS of the several _Months_, and all acute
_Diseases_, in order to strengthen the _Infant_, and prevent any
MISCARRIAGE.
IV. IT instructeth by the _Touch_ or _Handling_ only, to discover, from
time to time, the true _State_ and Condition of the _Conceived Woman_,
not only during the Time of _Pregnancy_, but also before and in the time
of LABOUR.
V. IT immediately (in the beginning of LABOUR) discriminates a _Natural_
from a _Preternatural_, and an _easy_ and _speedy_ from a _difficult_
and _lingring_ future BIRTH.
VI. IT presently discovers any _one_ or more of the many different,
general, or particular _CAUSES_ of _difficult_ or _preternatural_
BIRTHS.
VII. IT informeth the fair _Practiser_ how to remove and correct those
_CAUSES_, and deliver the _Woman_, not at all by _butcherly
Instruments_, but by _Judgment_ and _Help_ of HAND only.
VIII. IT sheweth not only how to extract _dead Children_, and sometimes
MONSTERS, but also false _Conceptions_, _Superfœtations_, _Moles_, &c.
IX. AND Lastly, this ART teacheth the true _Regimen_ of the
_CHILD-BED-WOMAN_, and her _BABE_, together with the proper _Methods_
and _Means_ of _HELP_ in all Cases incident to them _Both_.
THESE _Heads_ (I think) fully comprehend the whole _Art_ of MIDWIFERY:
And what can be more _ingenious_ now? What can be more _conducive_ to
the common Good, or more _serviceable_ to any Country, than the
Preservation of the _Health_ and _Lives_ of its multiplying _WOMEN_ and
_CHILDREN_?
THIS _Art_ has been in such _Esteem_ among the _ANTIENTS_, that it was
(in all Ages) the _Study_ of the most Learned PHYSICIANS; tho’ its
_Practice_ succeeded best only, first in _France_, then in _Italy_, and
afterwards in _Germany_. For in these _Countrys_ their _Women_ of all
Ranks (the most Precise and Virtuous) have accustom’d themselves (upon
this Occasion) to lay aside all _childish Bashfulness_ and _imaginary
Modesty_, in order to secure their _Own_ and their _Childrens_ Safety,
by inviting the _Assistance_ of _both SEXES_. And indeed _MEN_ (whom I
may justly call the truest and best _Boethogynists_) being better versed
in _Anatomy_, better acquainted with _Physical Helps_, and commonly
endued with greater _Presence of Mind_, have been always found readier
or discreeter, to devise something more _new_, and to give quicker
_Relief_ in Cases of _difficult_ or _preternatural BIRTHS_, than common
_MIDWIFES_ generally understand; By which means it comes to pass, that
this ART is now brought to its greatest _Perfection_ in these
_Countries_: Insomuch that, if I might be allowed to adopt a _new Term_
into our Language, instead of _MAN-MIDWIFE_, which seems to be a
Contradiction in _Terms_, I would call him the ANDRO-BOETHOGYNIST, or
_Man-Helper of Woman_, for his excellent Skill in _MIDWIFERY_.
MOREOVER, the _Authors_ of these Countries have not been remiss, in
communicating their _Experience_ and _Methods_ taken to prevent and
remedy the many various _Difficulties_ which have occurred in this nice
Affair. No, _Senertus_, _Rod. à Castro_, _Viardel_, _Mauriceau_,
_Portal_, _Daventer_, _Bartine_, _Garofanzzo_, _Pfizerus_, &c. have
promerited our immortal _Praises_ as well as _Thanks_, for such famous
and generous Instances as they have given of their great _Beneficence_
to _MANKIND_.
THE _Four latter_ have made vast _Improvements_ of this ART: but
particularly, the most Learned, Ingenious, and excellent PHYSICIANS, and
_Men-Midwives_, (as vulgarly called) Sig. _Garofanzzo_ and _Pfizerus_
(my most honoured _Instructors_ in this ART) have absolutely perfected
the WORK begun by _others_; for their Rules are firmly founded on sound
Anatomy, and their _Doctrines_ are more extensive, particular, plain,
and infallible, than all their _PREDECESSORS_ Discoveries.
THEY explain this ART upon firm _Mathematical Foundations_, and solid
_Demonstrations_ of Truth. Besides they give many new, and most
necessary _Directions_, in regard to _Touching_ or _Handling_ of Women;
whereby _MIDWIVES_ may not only foresee all _Difficulties_, which can
possibly happen, but also prevent them in due Time.
THEIR great _Ingenuity_ and _Dexterity_ in this _ART_, has (to the Glory
of _GOD_ Almighty’s good _Providence_, and the Honour of their own
_Profession_) rendred the _Use_ of INSTRUMENTS, not only needless and
superfluous, but also odious and ridiculous. They instruct us how to
remedy the most difficult _Occurrences_, by a right _Understanding_ of
the Business, and a nice subtile skilful _HAND_ only, without any manner
of other _INSTRUMENT_; excepting only in the Case of a _MONSTROUS_ or
_dead BIRTH_.
UPON whose great _Authorities_, and the small _Knowledge_ I myself have
of the _Parts_ of Generation, if I affirm the imminent and manifest
_Danger_ of such dilating INSTRUMENTS, as are commonly us’d upon every
trifling Occasion, I hope it will not be taken amiss by the _READER_:
Since my _Design_ is not so much to discourage any in their _Practice_,
as only to excite such _Practitioners_ to apply themselves to the
above-mention’d far more _Safe_, _Easy_, and _Commendable_ METHOD: which
if they shall think fit to do, the Excellency of the _Profession_ will
shine as bright _Here_ as in _other Parts_ of the World; and at the same
time, the absurd _Imputations_ and false _Suggestions_ of the Ignorant
(who imagine all _Women_ to be deliver’d either by CHANCE, or by such
barbarous USAGE) will be clean wip’d off: For (I am fully satisfy’d)
that our ART, no ways depends upon CHANCE or FORTUNE, and running any
_Risque_ or _Hazard_; but (to the contrary) on as firm a _Foundation_,
and as infallible _Rules_, as a great many _other Professions_, which
however yet are sometimes subject to _ACCIDENTS_. All which I shall
endeavour to make evidently appear, in the next _SECTION_; where I shall
treat of the CAUSES of _difficult_ and _preternatural BIRTHS_, together
with the respective _Methods_ of preventing, correcting, or removing
them effectually.
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of the Qualifications of the Ordinary MIDWIFE._
IT is indeed indifferent whether _Men_ or _Women_ practise this ART, so
the _Practisers_ be properly adapted, and duly qualified for the Purpose
of so great a WORK. As for Instance, in _France_, MEN only profess this
Business; in _Italy_, and _Germany_, MEN and WOMEN promiscuously; in
_England_, _Scotland_, _Holland_, &c. MEN are stiled Extraordinary
MIDWIVES, being seldom or never call’d but in extraordinary _Cases_ of
difficult and preternatural BIRTHS. Wherefore, upon this Account, I
shall _first_ observe and denote the _Qualifications_ most requisite and
absolutely necessary for _WOMEN_ practising this ART.
NOW as all _Arts_ and _Sciences_ require _Instruction_, _Application_,
_Pains_, and _Time_, for qualifying any _Person_ to become a MASTER in
the _Practice_ of them; so the ART of _Midwifery_ requires not the least
Regard, Attention, and Information. Wherefore it is quite wrong for any
_Persons_, who have not a _Body_ and _Mind_ particularly adapted to this
Business, to spend their Time in _qualifying_ themselves for, and
_applying_ themselves to the Performance of this good Office. For such
as _These_ ought to leave _This Province_ to THOSE _Persons_, whom
_Nature_ has more signally mark’d out for the Purpose.
AND that I may the better distinguish upon what I have here propos’d, I
shall _first_ speak in the _Negative_, and _then_ in the _Affirmative
Sense_ of the Affair; Or _first_, of her _Natural_, and _then_ of her
_Acquir’d Qualifications_.
I. THEREFORE, _She_ who would discreetly undertake MIDWIFERY, ought not
to begin the _Practice_ too _YOUNG_, nor continue it till grown too
_OLD_: For the _one_ will want, perhaps, due _Experience_, as well as
decent _Gravity_ and _Solidity_; the _other_ will, peradventure, want
requisite _Strength_ and _Vigour_ of Body, as well as the Free
_Exercise_, and ready _Use_ of her _Senses_.
II. SHE ought to be no _weak_, _infirm_, or _diseased_ Person, incapable
of undergoing the _Fatigues_ which the Business too often requires: Such
as _watching Night_ and _Day_; turning the _INFANTS_, when in a wrong
_Posture_; or extracting them at length; which _Action_ frequently
requires the full _Strength_ of a strong _MAN_, instead of a weak
_Woman_. For _thus_ the most learned and excellent _Fabricius d’
Aquapendente_, testifies of himself, that he has often been so _weary_
and _tired_, that he has been obliged to leave the Work for his
_Assistant_ to finish; and as _Daventer_ also (a robust Man) relates of
himself, that in the coldest Time of _Winter_, being but thinly
_cloathed_, and at a Distance from any _Fire_, his _Hair_ has been wet,
and all his _Body_ in a SWEAT, and both his _Loins_ and his _Limbs_ have
aked egregiously some Days after _delivering_ a Woman.
III. SHE ought not to be too _Fat_ or _Gross_, but especially not to
have thick or fleshy _Hands_ and _Arms_, or large-_Bon’d Wrists_; which
(of Necessity) must occasion racking _Pains_ to the tender _labouring
Woman_.
IV. SHE ought not to be _lame_ or _maim’d_, nor have stiff or crooked
_Fingers_, _Hands_, or _Arms_; for these _Parts_ are to be used in
different _Manners_ and _Postures_, even so that the _Success_ of the
LABOUR often depends upon their _Readiness_ and _Agility_.
V. SHE ought not to be, _negatively_ speaking, a _conceiv’d_ or
_Child-bearing Woman_; because _This_ may be of bad Consequence, not
only to the _labouring Woman_; (who depends on her, for more than she’s
able to _perform_, especially in a _strong_ LABOUR) but also to the
conceiv’d _MIDWIFE_ herself, and her own _INFANT_.
VI. SHE ought not to be an _Ignorant_, _Stupid_, _Indolent_, or a _dull_
Person; and especially not incapable of conceiving Matters distinctly,
or judging of Things aright: Neither ought _she_ to be a
_Self-Indulger_, _Slothful_, or _Lazy_; nor a _Light_, _Dissolute_, or
_Daring_ Person: _She_ ought not to be _inconsiderate_, _negligent_, or
_forgetful_; nor _proud_, _passionate_, or _obstinate_: Neither
_peevish_, _morose_, or _surly_; nor _fearful_, _doubtful_, or
_wavering-minded_: neither ought _she_ to be a _Tipler_ or _Drunkard_,
nor a _Tatler_ or _Vagabond_, nor a _covetous_, or _mercenary_ Person.
BUT on the _other Hand_, in the _Affirmative_, _SHE_ (_First_) ought to
be a _Woman_ of a good _middle Age_, of _solid Parts_, of _full
Experience_, of a _healthy_, _strong_, and _vigorous Body_, with clever
_small Hands_: Since nothing can be more agreeable and conducive to the
_Art_ of _MIDWIFERY_, than _slender Hands_, _long Fingers_, and a _ready
Feeling_.
II. SHE ought to be _Grave_ and _Considerate_, endued with _Resolution_
and _Presence of Mind_, in order to foresee and prevent _ACCIDENTS_;
_Sagacious_ and _Prudent_ in difficult _Cases_, so as not to take _All_
upon her own Shoulders or _Judgment_, but to have immediate _Recourse_
to the ablest _Practiser_ in the ART, and freely submit her _Thoughts_
to the discerning _Faculty_ of the more Learned and Skilful.
III. SHE ought to be _Watchful_, _Diligent_, and _Expert_ in all Cases
and Conditions that can or may occur; so that no _Opportunity_ in the
Beginning of the LABOUR be lost: Since I have more than once observ’d,
that the _Neglect_ or _Mistake_ of improving a _critical_ MINUTE, hath
cost the MOTHER many violent or heavy _Pains_ afterwards, and the CHILD
also its _Life_. For which Reason it is of the greatest _Importance_, to
nick the _Opportunity_, conformable to _Cato_’s Saying——
_Fronte capillata, post est Occasio calva._
IV. SHE ought to be a true _Fearer_ of GOD, a _Conscientious_ Person, of
good _Life_ and _Conversation_: Since Matters of the greatest _Moment_
are committed to her _Care_; and depend entirely upon the faithful
_Discharge_ of her Duty: For _she_ has the first and best _Opportunity_
of shewing her _Compassion_, and _Tenderness_ to Mankind, in this
_Infant_ and _Helpless State_. In short, CHARITY ought always to engage
her, to be as ready to help the _Poor_ as the _Rich_; the LIFE of the
_One_ being as Dear as the _Other’s_, and the _Image_ of GOD being
equally stamp’d upon _Both_: For the ineffable _Recompence_ of CHARITY
far exceeds all other _Considerations_ of trifling GAIN.
V. SHE ought to be _Patient_ and _Pleasant_; _Soft_, _Meek_, and _Mild_
in her _Temper_, in order to encourage and comfort the _labouring
Woman_. SHE should pass by and forgive her small _Failings_, and peevish
_Faults_, instructing her gently when she _does_ or says _amiss_: But if
she will not follow _Advice_, and Necessity require, the MIDWIFE ought
to reprimand and put her smartly in mind of her _Duty_; yet always in
such a manner, however, as to encourage her with the _Hopes_ of a happy
and speedy DELIVERY.
VI. IN like manner as she ought to be _Modest_, _Temperate_, and
_Sober_, so she ought to be _Faithful_ and _Silent_; always upon her
_Guard_ to conceal those Things, which ought not to be spoken of.
THESE, in fine, are the chief of the natural _Qualities_ requisite for
_MIDWIFERY_; from whence I come to the _Theoretical_ and _Practical
Part_, without which all _Others_ are (in effect) Nothing to the
Purpose.
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of the THEORETICAL and PRACTICAL Knowledge of the MIDWIFE._
SHE, who finds herself thus (properly) adapted both in _Body_ and
_Mind_, according to the _Rules_ of the preceding _Chapter_, does a Good
and Laudable Work, if she also studies to _qualify_ herself well,
_first_ in the _THEORY_, and then in the _PRACTICE_ of _Midwifery_.
WHICH, in order that she may most easily and accurately do, I shall
reduce the whole _Theoretical Part_ (absolutely necessary) to the
following _Seven general Heads_; of Which she ought not only to have a
general and superficial, but also a distinct, special, and perfect
_Knowledge_; viz.
I. OF the _external_ and _internal Parts_ of Generation, and the
_adjacent Parts_; together with a competent Skill of the respective
_Substance_ and _Nature_, _Connexion_ and _Function_ of each of _These_
in the Time of _BIRTH_.
II. OF the PELVIS, or _Bason_, and its _Contents_; together with the
true Knowledge of its _Bones_, their _Form_ or _Figure_, _Office_ and
_Connexion_, &c. upon that Occasion.
III. OF that Wonderful _Body_, the MATRIX, and its _Vagina_ or _Neck_;
together with the understanding of its _Substance_ and _Structure_,
_Duty_ and _Function_ in Time of LABOUR.
IV. OF the Strange Natural _Qualities_, and amazing singular _Faculties_
of This _Body_, in distinguishing all its peculiar _Properties_.
V. OF the TOUCH, or _Handling_ the _Woman_; together with knowing its
many various _Uses_, and manifold distinct _Advantages_.
VI. OF the _Genuine_, and _Real_; as well as of the _Spurious_ or
_Bastard-Labour-Pains_: How they differ in themselves, and are to be
carefully distinguished.
VII. OF the _Method_ of LAYING the _Woman_, and _Manner_ of extracting
the AFTER-BIRTH; together with all the _heterogeneous_ and
_preternatural Contents_ of the WOMB.
THESE _speculative Heads_, in short, shall be the particular _Subjects_
of the respective _Chapters_, of the consequent Part of this SECTION,
for the requisite _Instruction_ and indispensible _Qualification_ of all
young _MIDWIVES_: As the _Practical Part_ shall be the _Subject-Matter_
of the two next following SECTIONS. Which _Practical Part_, I shall now
likewise reduce to the _Three_ subsequent general _Heads_; of which she
ought also to have a full and compleat _Knowledge_, viz.
I. OF the various _Methods_ to be taken for the present _Ease_, and
expeditious _Relief_ of the LABOURING _Woman_.
II. OF the discreet _Method_ of TURNING an ill-situated _INFANT_,
(whatsoever the preternatural _Posture_ may be) and drawing it forth
_safely_ by the FEET.
III. OF Her own personal _Duty_ (as _MIDWIFE_) both to the _MOTHER_ and
the _CHILD_ after _Delivery_; as also towards all _Labouring Women_, to
whom she may be call’d, upon _critical Conjunctures_.
THESE I call _practical Heads_, because they depend more upon _Practice_
and _Experience_, or _Judgment_ and _Charity_, than upon any
_fundamental Rules_; which however yet ought also to be reckon’d
_Branches_ of her _THEORY_.
BUT notwithstanding all these natural and acquir’d _Qualifications_, the
_young MIDWIFE_ is not to run at once into the _Practice_: Nor to hurry
herself rashly to lay _Hands_ upon the _ARK_, before she is thoroughly
well accomplished for so sacred a _Work_; lest (like _Uzzah_) _she_ be
punished for her _Temerity_; whereof I have seen several exemplary
_Precedents_. No, the _Work_ is too important, and the _Concern_ too
weighty for that hasty indiscreet _Undertaking_; for there is no less
than the _Life_ of the MOTHER, and _one_ CHILD at least, (if not
sometimes _more_) at _Stake_: Both which may be soon saved, or quickly
lost, according to the Good or Bad _Conduct_ and _Management_ of the
_MIDWIFE_.
WHEREFORE, to the End, that she may obtain the necessary _Experience_,
and perfect her Judgment, _&c._ in due Course, she ought to satisfy
herself at first to go (for some time) as an _Assistant_ to some
_skilful Woman_ of good Business, and so by degrees advance herself into
the _Practice_: Because _Dexterity_ in this _ART_, is only acquir’d by
_Time_ and _Exercise_; the _practical Part_ of _MIDWIFERY_ being
attended with so many complicated Circumstances of _accidental
Difficulties_, that it is almost impossible for any Persons, who never
apply’d themselves this way, to believe how much it differs from all the
_THEORY_, that the most ingenious _MAN_ can make himself _Master_ of.
I SHALL only (in this place) farther explain, what I mean, by the
_MIDWIFE_’s _Duty_ to all _Women_ in _LABOUR_, to whom she may be call’d
upon _critical Conjunctures_; as the latter part of the above-mentioned
last General _Head_ purports: namely this, That the _MIDWIFE_, in the
Course of her _Practice_, ought always to observe carefully, and follow
strictly the _Rules_ of _EQUITY_ and _CHARITY_: That is, supposing the
_MIDWIFE_ to be sent for by a Person in LABOUR, whose _Case_ is Natural
and all Things likely to go well; and in the mean time, after she has
taken her in Hand, is peradventure sent for to _another Woman_, whose
difficult or preternatural _Case_ threatens imminent _Danger_.
IN this _Case_, the _MIDWIFE_ knowing herself to be better qualified
than _Others_, and that _Another_ not equally expert is able to lay the
_Former_, she ought to attend and assist the _Latter_: And _That_ also
notwithstanding the _First_ be RICH, and the _Latter_, POOR; since _GOD_
is no _Respecter of Persons_.
BUT, if it happen, that _one Rich_, and _another poor Woman_, want HELP
both at a time, and are in equal Danger: In _that Case_, without any
regard to the _one’s WEALTH_, or the _other’s POVERTY_; the _MIDWIFE_ is
to assist _Her_ first, whom _Divine Providence_ first call’d her to, or
first engag’d her withal. And as the _Cases_ of _Women_ in LABOUR may
differ, so she ought impartially to act and dispose of herself; having
always an Eye to something _superiour_ to, and far above that of mean
LUCRE.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of the QUALIFICATIONS of the Extraordinary MIDWIFE._
THE _Extraordinary MIDWIFE_, or _Andro-Boethogynist_ (whether
_Physician_ or _Surgeon_ practicing this ART) ought not only to be
endued with all the _Qualities_ and _Qualifications_ mentioned in the
_Two_ preceding _Chapters_, but also to excel the WOMAN-MIDWIFE in many
special _Particulars_, and ingenious _Points_; which no ways belong to
her _Female Province_.
FOR it is not enough that He knows how to relieve and _lay_ the
_labouring Woman_, however difficult or preternatural her _Case_ may be;
nor is it sufficient that he understands how to _help_ and succour both
the _MOTHER_ and the _INFANT_ after such a _Delivery_: No, so much of
his Business might be easily learn’d and enhanced by _old Women_, were
they but _Docile_, and not such obstinate _Creatures_.
BUT _He_ ought farther also to know (_first_) how to prevent all
preternatural _Disasters_ incident to both the _one_ and the _other_, in
their respective _States_ of CHILD-BED and INFANCY: And, _Secondly_, how
to administer Relief and perform the CURE, in _Case_ of any dismal
_Accident_ whatsoever to _one_ or _either_ of them in their dangerous
Condition.
MOREOVER, his _Knowledge_ ought neither to commence nor terminate in
these Things; it being also his _Duty_ over and above to know, how to
conduct the _Woman_ safely through all the _Months_ of _GESTATION_, and
to avert from her the _Severity_ of their respective _SYMPTOMS_, to
which she is so much expos’d, as mentioned in their proper _Chapters_,
SECT. III. And not only so neither, but He ought also to understand
well, how to guard against the ACCESSES of all _Acute Diseases_, so as
at least to avert their ill _Consequences_; and especially (of course)
to know thoroughly how to prevent _ABORTION_ itself.
THESE are the _Cases_ which most commonly require the ingenious
Assistance of the _Extraordinary MIDWIFE_: And _These_ are they which
try his _Skill_ and _Knowledge_ most, as the _Tempest_ or _Storm_ best
discovers the _Judgment_ and _Capacity_ of the MASTER-MARINER.
AND yet, neither ought even _these Limits_ to be the narrow _Boundary_
of his STUDIES: Since the more extensive his ART and _Knowledge_ is,
especially in what relates to the _natural Constitution_ of WOMEN, the
_fitter Man_ He is to take upon himself the _Practice_ of this noble and
most ingenious _Profession_.
NOT that I would be thought tacitely to insinuate in this place by the
By, as if my own _Knowledge_ was in any degree SUPERIOUR to _other
Men’s_: No, I am too sensible of my own _Weakness_, to mean so, or to
entertain any such vain selfish Thought; neither have I any fond
_Ambition_ to aim at standing in _Competition_ with _others_ in these
Respects. For it shall suffice me, and sufficiently gratify my Highest
_Aim_, if possibly a simple Word may drop from my _Pen_, which the more
Ingenious may sometime improve to the common Good of _Women_, and the
Welfare of their _Children_: And this I would desire the more, because I
know no larger _FIELD_, that the _Learned_ can launch out into; nor any
profounder _Study_, that they can descant upon, than the _Nature_ and
_Constitution_ of this tender SEX, which is so peculiarly different from
all other _Natural Works_, and so singularly discrepant from all other
_Created Beings_.
BUT more particularly in order, that the _MAN-MIDWIFE_ or
_Andro-Boethogynist_ may be thus duly qualify’d and completely
accomplished;
I. HE ought not only to be liberally _instructed_ and generously
_educated_, but also to be a MAN of good _Breeding_ and _Conversation_,
as well as _Courtesy_ and _Complaisance_.
II. HE ought not only to be a MAN of diligent _Study_ and sedulous
_Application_ of Mind, but also of great _Humanity_ and _Integrity_,
_Temperance_ and _Sobriety_, endued with solid _Resolution_, quick
_Apprehension_, and great _Presence_ of Mind.
III. HE ought not only to be a MAN of _strict Virtue_ and _Chastity_,
but also of unspotted _Life_ and _Conversation_, _Charity_ and
_Companion_; delighting in _Hospitality_, and doing GOOD; acting the
_Christian_ as well as the _Gentleman_ in all respects.
IV. HE ought not only to be a Man of known _Discretion_ and _Secresy_,
_Sagacity_ and _Judgment_, but also of a pleasant _Countenance_; neat
and clean in _Person_ and _Cloathes_, Agreeable and Decent in _Words_
and _Actions_, carefully adverting (at all times) to give no Occasion of
_Shame_ or _Confusion_ to the _Labouring Woman_, or the _By-standers_.
V. HE ought, in fine, to _handle_ Her _decently_, and treat her
_gently_; considering _Her_ as the _weaker Vessel_, whose elegant tender
BODY, will admit of no _rough Usage_: Wherefore upon this Account it is,
that I would have all _Practitioners_ whatsoever in this ART, debarr’d
from the _Use_ of _INSTRUMENTS_, which would secure many a MOTHER from
being wounded or mangled, and many an INFANT from being cut or torn to
Pieces.
NOT that I would be thought for all that to imitate Mr. _Mauriceau_,
saying of himself (in some Passages of his _Book_ of _MIDWIFERY_) that
_he differs from all others_: No, far from it; For I have the
_Indisputable Authority_ of the most Learned and Polite _Practisers_ on
my side, as mention’d before in _Chap._ 1. of this _SECTION_.
HOWEVER yet, I do not deny, but that _INSTRUMENTS_ have been universally
used, till of late Years; but the reason of That is Plain: Because in
former Times, MEN were only call’d upon _extraordinary Occasions_; some
of which (however Skilful and Ingenious) had not the Opportunity of
_Laying a Woman_ perhaps in many Months. For which Reason it could not
be otherways, but that they must have been at a loss in not
understanding thoroughly the _Practical Part_, having so few
Opportunities of improving _manual Operation_: Whereas since the
_Politer Part_ of the World has call’d them generally to the ordinary
and common _Practice_ of this _ART_; they have advanced their
_Dexterity_ by degrees, and are now come to the length of discharging
that _Office_ by _Slight of Hand_ only, which formerly required so many
_frightful INSTRUMENTS_.
I may well indeed say _frightful_; for what can be more inconsistent
with the tender _NATURE_ of _Women_, or more _terrible_ to them, than to
see MEN come _armed_ against _Themselves_ and their _tenderer INFANTS_,
with _Knives_, _Hooks_, _Iron-Forceps_, &c. thereby (as it were) to
_help_ them in time of their extremest _Agony_? For my part, I am
Positive, that let who will use _INSTRUMENTS_, they _kill_ many more
_INFANTS_ than they _save_, and _ruin_ many more _WOMEN_ than they
_deliver_ fairly: And this, I think, will be easily agreed to, by all
those who have any Knowledge of the _Parts_ of _Generation_ in that SEX;
as (I believe) it is also sufficiently evident even to _Those_ who have
no _Judgment_ that way, by the notorious _Fatalities_ and tragical
_Events_ they daily hear of in Fact.
HOWEVER I know, some _Chirurgeon-Practitioners_ are too much acquainted
with the _Use_ of _INSTRUMENTS_, to lay them aside; no, they do not (it
may be) think themselves in their _Duty_, or proper _Office_, if they
have not their cruel _Accoutrements_ in Hand: And what is most
unaccountable and unbecoming a _Christian_, is that, when they have
perhaps wounded the _MOTHER_, kill’d the _INFANT_, and with violent
_Torture_ and inexpressible _Pain_, drawn it out by _Piece-meal_, they
think no _Reward_ sufficient for such an extraordinary Piece of mangled
Work.
BUT, in short, I would advise such to practise _Butchery_ rather than
_MIDWIFERY_; for in _that Case_, they could _sell_ what they _slay_; but
in _this_, by _handling_ MAN so, they only bring _Infamy_ upon their
_Profession_, and expose it to the _Contempt_ and _Hatred_ of OTHERS.
COVETOUSNESS is the blackest of _Vices_, and in this _Case_ (I am sure)
it is an unpardonable SIN, to thirst after sordid _Lucre_ for procuring
the _Health_ or preserving the _Life_ of our Neighbour; as, I doubt, is
but too common among some mercenary People: Who (as we have been
creditably inform’d) have refus’d to take _Women_ in Hand at the very
Point of Extremity or Time of Need, before a certain SUM of _Money_ was
first deposited; tho’ perhaps borrow’d upon _Pledge_, or collected
amongst their charitable _Neighbours_ for GOD’Ssake.
I do not say however, but that the _Workman_ is worthy of his _Reward_,
and _That_ which ought to be paid according to the _Merit_ and _Dignity_
of his Performance; not according to the _Time_ he spends about it, as
hired _Labourers_ are paid their WAGES: No, that fruitless _Labour_
would not be worth while; no _Gentleman_ would undertake MIDWIFERY upon
such unprofitable _Terms_: For as it is in his Power to save the _Life_
of the MOTHER, or the INFANT, or _Both_, (which he often does
effectually) _He_ undoubtedly deserves an extraordinary _Recompence_
worthy of so great and good a PIECE of SERVICE.
BUT notwithstanding all This, an extravagant _Price_ is not to be
arbitrarily demanded, nor ought the Reward to exceed the _Ability_ of
the _PATIENT_; neither are _Those_ to be forsaken or left destitute of
_Help_, and expos’d to imminent _Danger_, at all Hazards of _Life_, who
cannot afford us MONEY: But rather (on the contrary) they are to be
forthwith taken in Hand chearfully, attended by Night or Day diligently,
and a trifle of MONEY _given_ (by us) rather than _taken_ from them,
when our _Fellow-Christian_’s Circumstances so require it. For _this_ is
the right way to secure GOD’S _Blessing_ to _Ourselves_, and _Success_
to all our _Endeavours_.
AND, in short, I humbly pray, that HE may (out of his infinite
_Goodness_ and _Mercy_) always enable ME, according to my best
Inclinations, faithfully to perform these good _Offices_, which I know
to be so much my indispensible and incumbent _Duty_, in that _STATION_,
his All-wise _Providence_ hath allotted me, as to the Affairs of LIFE.
WHENCE I come, in the next Place, by due Order, to treat particularly of
the _Contents_ of the preceding _Chapter_; and, _First_, to set forth an
_Anatomical Description_ of the several PARTS of _Generation_ in manner
following.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of the External Parts of GENERATION._
THESE _Parts_ are generally so well known, that I would not so much as
mention them, out of _Modesty_, were it not, that, I presume, the _young
MIDWIFE_ may find something in the ensuing _Description_ worth her
singular _Notice_; which however, I shall not so much insist upon: But
succinctly——
BEGINNING with the _First_, call’d the VULVA or PUDENDUM; we find it
situated below the OS PUBIS, having a great _Chink_ or _Fissure_ in the
_Middle_, as it has the FRÆNULUM and PERINÆUM in the _lower Part_. And
above the _Chink_ there is a little _Protuberance_ occasioned by _Fat_
under the Skin, call’d MONS VENERIS.
THE two LABIA VULVÆ being a little separated, the NYMPHÆ appear, join’d
one to each interior Side of them: _They_ are two small Pieces of red
_Membranous Flesh_, much resembling _Pullet’s Gills_: _They_ encrease
the Pleasure of _Copulation_, and direct the Course of the _Urine_.
IN the upper Part of the _Chink_, next to the OS PUBIS, are several
little round _Substances_; which the most ingenious _Fallopius_ call’d
the CLITORIS, almost hid under the _Skin_ denominated the PRÆPUTIUM.
A little deeper, or straight below the CLITORIS, is the URETHRA, or
_Orifice_ of the Neck of the Bladder; being a little _Hole_ as big as a
_Goose-Quill_; which discovers itself by a small Eminence, and is about
two _Inches long_.
BETWIXT the _Muscle_, call’d SPHINCTER URETHRÆ, and the inner _Membrane_
of the VAGINA, are several small _Glands_; whose excretory _Ducts_ are
the _Holes_ observable about the _URETHRA_, call’d[153]_LACUNÆ GRAFFI_;
which discharge a _Liquor_ for lubricating or making the VAGINA
slippery, and encreasing the _Venereal Titillation_.
IN the _Orifice_ of the VAGINA, there is a slender subtile _Membrane_
situated a-cross, which is call’d the HYMEN, of a different _Form_ in
different _Women_; being sometimes _Annular_, and sometimes _Semilunar_:
It is almost always to be found in _young Girls_, having a small _Hole_
into the VAGINA; which _Hole_ in ADULTS is somewhat larger. In the first
_Act_ of _COPULATION_ this _Membrane_ is torn, which generally occasions
an Effusion of a little _Blood_; but this may also happen by many other
_Procatarctick Causes_[154], and accidental Occasions.
THE _GLANDULÆ_ or _CARUNCULÆ Myrtiformes_ are constituted of the
contracted _Fibres_ of the dilacerated _HYMEN_; and are situated on the
Side opposite to the _URETHRA_, next the _ANUS_, in the _FOSSA Magna_,
or _Navicularis_; being the same Place where the _HYMEN_ was at first
established. _These_ are small fleshy _Eminences_, and are sometimes
_Two_ or _Three_, and sometimes _Four_ or _Five_ in Number: _They_ are
deficient in _GIRLS_, and _defaced_ in _those WOMEN_ who have had
_CHILDREN_.
THE _VAGINA_ or _Neck_ of the WOMB, is a long and round _Canal_,
reaching from these _Caruncles_ to the _Orifice_ of the WOMB; not very
unlike a _strong small Gut_: Its _Orifice_ is narrow in _Virgins_, and
in _All_ Women much narrower than its _other_ Parts: It’s _Substance_
(according to _Ruysche_’s Observations) is _membranous_, _nervous_,
_papillary_, and _wrinkled_ WITHIN; which consequently must be of an
_exquisitive_ SENSE: In _Virgins_ the _WRINKLES_ are very _Large_,
especially in the _Fore-Part_; but after frequent _Embraces_ they are
_Less_, and after repeated _BIRTHS_, they entirely _disappear_.
THE _VAGINA_ lies betwixt the _Bladder_ and the _strait Gut_, or RECTUM;
with which last it is wrapt up in the same common _Membrane_, from the
_PERITONÆUM_, adhering to it, all its _Length upwards_, from its
_Orifice_ to that of the WOMB, and quite round on the _lower Side_, as
it does to the Neck of the _BLADDER_ _above_.
IN MAIDS, the _VAGINA_ is about Five Inches _Long_, and one and a half
_Wide_: But in _CHILD-BEARING-WOMEN_, it cannot be determin’d; because
it _lengthens_ in the time of _PREGNANCY_, and _dilates_ in time of
_BIRTH_; having likewise (in all) some little _Holes_ or _Ducts_ in it,
which discharge a _mucous Liquor_. The _VAGINA_ Serves also, in fine,
for a necessary _Conduit_ to the _MENSTRUA_ and _LOCHIA_, as it does for
a proper _Passage_ to the _INFANT_, &c.
THESE are, in short, all the _external Parts_ of _GENERATION_ in
_Women_; and _these_ have all their proper respective _Functions_
assign’d them by NATURE; contributing conjunctly and severally to the
_Charms_ of _COPULATION_: Which _ACTION_ alters the very _Course_ of the
BLOOD, and _Motion_ of the _Animal SPIRITS_; and consequently sets all
the describ’d _Parts_ in full _AGITATION_. Namely, thus
THE LABIA dilate: the ORIFICE swells: the NYMPHÆ give way: the CLITORIS
(of exquisite Sensibility) erects: The GLANDS (by a _Protuberancy_ of
the Parts) yield their _succous Contents_: The VAGINA draws close: The
_Fibres_ of the WOMB complicate to open its _Orifice_: The _Branches_ of
the _Spermatick_ ARTERY contract to draw the Extremities of the _Tubes_
to the _OVARIA_, as they carry the SEED to them: The SEED circulating in
the _Veins_, which open in the _Cavity_ of the _VAGINA_ and _MATRIX_, it
ferments immediately with the _Mass of Blood_: This _Fermentation_
swells the _Membranes_ of the TUBES, opens the _Cavity_ of the WOMB, and
disposes _All_ perfectly for the right Reception of the _impregnated_
EGG.
FROM hence we may plainly see, in what a miraculous _Order_ and
_Manner_, all _These Parts_ minister, and are subservient unto that (yet
more) admirable and wonderful _Body_ the WOMB. Which being thus in brief
_anatomically_ described, I come next in Course to
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of the Internal Parts of GENERATION._
IN discoursing of _These_, I shall begin with the chief _Part_, to which
the rest are but _Subservients_.
_FIRST_ then, the _MATRIX_ or _Womb_, is situated in the upper Part of
the Cavity of the _PELVIS_, or _Bason_, between the _Bladder_ and
_Streight Gut_. It is placed there in the Middle of the _HYPOGASTRIUM_,
for the Convenience of COPULATION, and the more easy and ready
_Extrusion_ of the INFANT.
_SECONDLY_, The _Bones_ of the _PELVIS_ (as described hereafter below)
stand as a _Rampart_, fencing it against all external _Injuries_; That
is to say, the _OS PUBIS_ protects it _before_; the _SACRUM behind_; and
the _ILIUM_ on _each Side_: Like as the _BLADDER_ and _RECTUM_ on the
other Hand defend this Noble _Part_ again from the _Rigidity_ of these
BONES.
_THIRDLY_, the _Figure_ of the WOMB, from its internal _Orifice_ to its
Bottom, in a _Natural State_, resembles a large compress’d _PEAR_. Its
_Length_ is about three Inches; its _Breadth_ two in the _Hinder_, and
one in the _Fore-Part_; its _Thickness_ half an Inch large: But I take
the _Dimensions_ of it, in general, to differ accord-to the _Age_ and
_Constitution_ of the BODY.
IN _MAIDS_ however its _Cavity_ is much _less_, and can scarcely contain
the Bigness of a BEAN: whereas in _Women with Child_, the _Dimensions_
and _Figure_, as well as the _Cavity_ itself differs, according to the
different _Times_ of _GESTATION_.
AS I have said before, its _Anterior Part_ coheres _above_ with the
_BLADDER_, _below_ with the _RECTUM_; the _Hinder Part_ being free: But
the _lateral Parts_ are tied by _Four Ligaments_ of different Sorts;
whereof _Two_ are placed _Above_, and _Two Below_; the _Superiors_ are
called LIGAMENTA LATA, or broad; the _Inferiors_ ROTUNDA, or round
_Ligaments_.
THE _two broad Ligaments_ are _Membranous_, and call’d ALÆ
VESPERTILIONUM; which spring from the PERITONÆUM, and join the WOMB on
each Side to the _OSSA ILIA_: So that the _OVARIA_ are fasten’d to _one
End_ of them, and the TUBÆ _Fallopianæ_ lie along the _Other_.
THE _two round Ligaments_ arise from the _Fore_ and _lateral Part_ of
the Bottom of the WOMB, and pass thro’ the Rings of the _Muscles_ of the
ABDOMEN, terminating in _Fat_ near the GROINS. _They_ are of a hard
_Substance_, pretty _Big_ at the Bottom of the WOMB; but _smaller_ and
_flatter_, as they approach the _OS PUBIS_. Now Those _Four Ligaments_
serve to keep the WOMB streight, steady, and firm in its proper Place
_before BIRTH_, and to restore it to its natural _Position_, by the Help
of CONTRACTION, _After_.
THE _Orifice_ of the WOMB opening into the _VAGINA_, is of the same
_Figure_ with the _Nut_ of the _PENIS_: This in _VIRGINS_ is very
_small_, scarcely admitting a _Specillum_ or _Probe_; in OTHERS it is
much _larger_; but in _Women with Child_, several small _Ducts_ or
Vesicles open among the RUGÆ, which discharge a _Glutinous Liquor_ to
close and seal up this _Orifice_, till the Time of _BIRTH_.
THE _Substance_ of the WOMB is _Solid_ and _Muscular_, composed of a
various PLEXUS, or Web of fleshy _Fibres_, woven like a NET, with the
Interposition of innumerable _Vessels_, of _ARTERIES_, _VEINS_,
_NERVES_, &c. _Without_, it is surrounded with a _Thin_ and _Smooth
Membrane_ from the PERITONÆUM; and _within_ its _Cavity_, furnished with
a _Thick_, _Porous_, and _Nervous one_, call’d the proper _Membrane_ of
the WOMB.
THE _Veins_ and _Arteries_ of the WOMB, proceed from the _Spermatick
Vessels_, and HYPOGASTRICKS; which _Vessels_ are all inserted in the
proper _Membrane_. The _Arteries_ convey the BLOOD for its Nourishment;
which accumulating and abounding there in _great Quantity_, at
_Maturity_ of Years (when no _more_ is requir’d for the _Encrease_ or
_Growth_ of the Body) it distends the _Vessels_, and distills into the
Bottom of the WOMB: Whence proceeds the _Blood_ which nourisheth the
FOETUS in the _Pregnant Woman_, and the _Monthly Terms_ or MENSTRUA in
the _Woman not with Child_; which _Evacuation_, MEN Themselves are also
subject to in a great Measure; (notwithstanding their inconsiderate
_Detractions_ and vain _Talk_ on this Head) save only that in THEM the
_Redundant Humour_ passes off a different Way by _Urine_, by the _Nose_,
and sometimes by the _Hemorrhoidal Veins_, &c.
THE _VEINS_ Serve only to reconduct to the _Heart_, the BLOOD which is
neither wholly evacuated nor consum’d, as I observed more at large
_Before_. But the NERVES arise from the _Intercostals_, and those of the
OS SACRUM; remarkable _Branches_ of which run along the Back of the
_Clitoris_, from whence this _Part_ is susceptible of the very slightest
_Impression_.
THERE are moreover other small _Vessels_, springing one from another,
which tend to this _Orifice_, and serve in _Plethorick Women_ with
_CHILD_, to carry off the Superfluity of the _Humours_. And, in short,
prudent _Nature_, seems to have so ordered _These_ to prevent
_ABORTION_, which might easily happen, if the _pregnant_ WOMB was too
much expos’d, or was to open itself for this Purpose.
THE _Seminal_ or _Spermatick Vessels_ are _Four_, like as they are
computed to be also in MEN, and differ only in being _shorter_. The
_Blood Vessels_ are very winding; and the _Spermatick Arteries_ arising
with a narrow Origin from the _Aorta_, form various _Plexus’s_, and
_Inosculations_, as _These_ do: And the _Spermatick Veins_ (tho’ without
_Valves_) have the like _Inosculations_ with the _Arteries_, which
however in _These_ are more conspicuous.
THE _OVARIA_, or _TESTICLES_, are _Two Bodies_, on each Side _One_,
annexed to the Bottom of the WOMB, at about Two Fingers Distance, near
the _broad Ligaments_: _They_ are fixed to the PERITONÆUM at the ILIA,
nigh the _Spermatick Vessels_: Their _Figure_ is almost _Oval_, a little
depressed on the _Upper Part_, where the SPERMATICKS enter.
THEIR _SIZE_ is generally about half as _Big_ as _MEN_’s are; but _this_
differs according to the _Age_ and _Constitution_ of Persons: Their
_Surface_ is smooth, and even in _Virgins_; but wrinkled, uneven, and
dry in _old Women_: They are encompass’d with a proper strong
_Membrane_, deriving its _Original_ from the _PERITONÆUM_; which also
covers all the _Spermatick Vessels_.
THEIR _Substance_ is Membranous and Fibrous, interwoven with a vast
Number of _Vessels_; among which are some round _Vesicles_, containing a
viscous HUMOUR, when boil’d, of the _Colour_, _Consistence_, and _Taste_
of the boil’d _White of an Egg_: From whence they are call’d EGGS,
because of this _Analogy_. _These_ also differ in _Size_ and _Number_,
according to _Age_ and _Constitution_, although (ordinarily) the
_Biggest_ of them scarcely equals a PEA; and there are in _some_ Persons
10 or 12 of them, in _others_ (perhaps) but _One_ or _Two_ discernible.
THE TUBÆ FALLOPIANÆ, are _Two winding Canals_, resembling _Two
Trumpets_, situated on the _Right_ and _Left_ Side of the WOMB, annexed
close to its _Bottom_, by their double _Membrane_; which is only a
Continuation of the _exterior_ and _interior Membranes_ of the WOMB:
They in _SIZE_ equal a little _Finger_ about the Middle; tho’ the
_Cavity_ opening into the WOMB, will scarce admit a _Hog’s Bristle_; but
the _other Extremity_, floating loose in the ABDOMEN, will admit the
Point or Tip of a little _Finger_: They are of a Membranous and
Cavernous _Substance_, about 5 or 6 Inches long, and have the same
_Veins_, _Arteries_, and _Nerves_, as the _OVARIA_.
THESE _Tubes_, to be brief, (in time of _COITION_) are erected by a
copious Influx of _Blood_ and _Spirits_; which also, by the Assistance
of their _muscular Fringes_, embrace the _OVARIUM_, transmit the
_prolifick Masculine_ SEED, afterwards receive the _impregnated_ EGG,
and at last convey it thence into the WOMB. In fine, these are all the
_internal Parts_, as I conceive, tending to _GENERATION_. But more
particularly, to proceed to
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of the PELVIS._
THIS being that _Cavity_ in which the WOMB is placed, and through which
the _INFANT_ passes in time of _BIRTH_; it is my Opinion that a distinct
_Knowledge_ of it is highly necessary for all _MIDWIVES_ to accomplish
their _Practice_: For without that _Qualification_, they cannot help
committing a great many _Blunders_, and being guilty of innumerable
_Mistakes_; since they must proceed upon gross _Uncertainties_, and use
their _Hands_ like _MEN_ groping in the _Dark_, as hereafter will more
plainly appear.
THIS is that _Cavity_ betwixt the OSSA INNOMINATA and OS SACRUM; which
join themselves in the _Posterior Part_ of it on each side, by
_Cartilages_ and _Ligaments_: so that they, forming there a strong and
firm _Juncture_, compose this _Cavity_ of the _PELVIS_, which is
vulgarly call’d the _Bason_ of the WOMB.
THE upper Part of the OSSA PUBIS forms the _Borders_ of this CAVITY
_before_, and the Hanging forwards or bending down of the OS SACRUM
makes _Those_ of it _behind_; as the OSSA ILIA compose the _same_ on
each side.
THESE OSSA ILIA are (by _some_) call’d the _Wings_ and _Bounds_ of the
_PELVIS_; but they are mightily mistaken, who imagine that they surround
or encompass the _PELVIS_: For they are only annexed to it on _each
side_, and more extended towards the _Back_ than the _Forepart_. As they
are also very much in the _wrong_, who think that the _Cavity_ of the
_PELVIS_ extends in its _Length_, according to the _Length_ of the
BACK-BONE: since it rises from the _Bottom_ obliquely, ascending
_Forwards_, and so proceeds, as if a Person might, through its
_Passage_, easily touch the NAVEL.
IN fine, it is here Remarkable also, that we do not always find the
largest _PELVIS_ in _Women_ of the largest SIZE, but often the quite
_contrary_; for it differs as the _INFANT_ does in _Bulk_, exactly
answering to the _Bigness_ of its HEAD: And in some _Women_ it is
_Deeper_, in some _Larger_, in some _Broader_, in some _Flatter_, in
some more _Oval_, and in some at last _Rounder_. From whence arise
sundry _Observations_ both useful and necessary, for the better
_Information_ of _MIDWIVES_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of the BONES of the PELVIS._
I Doubt not in the least but _This_ and the _proceeding Chapter_ will
seem needless, and appear superfluous to some Persons, in the _Practice_
of _MIDWIFERY_; namely, to such as know not the _New Improvements_ of
this ART: But especially to such as are accustom’d to the _Use_ of
INSTRUMENTS, they’ll appear altogether _Useless_ and _Vain_; since such
_Practitioners_ can easily (upon any Occasion, without the curious
_Anatomical Knowledge_ of _these Parts_) first slay the _INFANT_, and
then either _deliver_ or _kill_ the _WOMAN_, as _Chance_ may _direct_
their _SHARPS_.
BUT for my Part, because I have no Notion of such sort of WEAPONS, I
shall endeavour to acquit my self more _honourably_, and teach my
_Followers_ another way, and _That_ without BLOOD-SHED; as I hope will
hereafter more amply appear.
AND FIRST therefore in speaking of the _Bones_ of the _PELVIS_, I shall
begin with the _OSSA Innominata_; which are _two_ large _Bones_ joined
to the _Sides_ of the _OS SACRUM_. _They_ are compos’d of _Three_
distinct _Pieces_, each of which has its respective _Name_: The FIRST
and _superior_ is call’d OS ILIUM; because the _Guts_ ILIA lie upon it
directly. It is _Large_ and almost of a _Semicircular Figure_, a little
_Convex_ and _Uneven_ on its _External Side_; as it is _Concave_ and
_Smooth_ on the _Internal_. In short, it is join’d to the _Sides_ of the
_three Superior_ VERTEBRÆ of the OS SACRUM, and is _Larger_ in _WOMEN_
than in _MEN_.
THE SECOND and _Anterior_ is call’d OS PUBIS; which is united in the
_Forepart_ to its _Fellow-BONE_ of the _other Side_, by an intervening
_Cartilage_: By the Extension of which _Cartilage_, the OSSA PUBIS in
_Young Women_, sometimes recede a little from _One another_, to
facilitate a difficult BIRTH.
THE THIRD is the _Inferiour_ and _Posteriour_, call’d OS ISCHIUM, or
COXENDIX, which has a large _Cavity_ call’d _Acetabulum Coxendicis_; and
This receives the _Head_ of the OS FEMORIS; the _Supercilium_ or _Top_
of which _Cavity_ joins the OS PUBIS.
THESE _Three Bones_, until the Age of _Puberty_, may be seen distinctly,
tho’ afterwards they grow together, and become _one BONE_, without
leaving any Mark of _Division_. They adhere on each _side_ to the OS
SACRUM by _two Strong Ligaments_; the _Upper_ of which passes from the
_Posteriour Acute Process_ of the ISCHIUM to the SACRUM; as the _Lower_
joins the _Tuberculum_ ISCHII to the SACRUM.
THESE _Bones_ in _WOMEN_ are more distant or separated from _One
another_, and are _smaller_ than in _MEN_; especially the OS PUBIS, to
the end that the _Cavity_ of the _PELVIS_, and the _Angle_ betwixt the
OS PUBIS and ISCHIUM, may be the _Larger_, for the more commodious
_Bearing_ of the INFANT, and the more easy _Exclusion_ of it in BIRTH.
But from hence I would no ways infer, that the OSSA PUBIS and ILIA sever
themselves in time of _LABOUR_; (notwithstanding the _Opinion_ of _some
Authors_) for I am fully satisfied of the _contrary_: Because I have
conducted more than one _Woman_ in my Time, upon walking out of _one
Chamber_ into _another_, immediately after _DELIVERY_; which could never
have happen’d in _Case_ of such a distant or dislocated _Separation_.
THESE _Bones_ call’d _Innominata_ are of wonderful _Use_ and _Service_:
For besides that they form the _PELVIS_, and defend every Part of its
_Contents_, they also give _Connexion_ and _Juncture_ of the rest of the
Body, to the _Thigh-Bones_; as they likewise give _Rise_ and _Origin_ to
many MUSCLES, and are the _Basis_ of Support of the SPINE of the _Back_,
as well as of all the _Superior Parts_. Whence I come _à propos_ to
descant a little upon this particular _Part_, as far as concerns our
present Purpose.
THE SPINE then is that _Bony Column_ or _Ridge_, which extends itself
down the _Back_ from the HEAD to the _Fundament_, containing the _Spinal
Marrow_, and resembling the _Letter_ S in figure.
IN This SPINA therefore we must consider its _Fivefold Division_;
namely, into NECK, BACK, LOINS, OS SACRUM, and OS COCCYGIS. The First
_Three_ consist of 24 VERTEBRÆ; whereof the _Neck_ has 7, the _Back_ 12,
and 5 belong to the _Loins_. _Those_ of the NECK bend _inwards_; those
of the BACK _outwards_, for enlarging the _Cavity_ of the THORAX;
_Those_ of the LOINS bend _inwards_ again; and _Those_ of the OS SACRUM
_outwards_, to enlarge the _Cavity_ of the _PELVIS_.
THE VERTEBRÆ of the _two last_ concern us most in this Place; wherefore
I shall say no more of the _rest_, save only by the By, or coincidently,
as they fall in my way. _Those_ of the LOINS then are the _Thickest_ and
_Broadest_, and the _Last_ of them is the _Largest_ of all the VERTEBRÆ;
as their _Cartilages_ are thicker and stronger than any of the _Others_,
and their _Acute Processes_ are at a greater _Distance_ from one
another. From whence it comes to pass, that the greatest _Motion_ of the
BACK is perform’d by the VERTEBRÆ of the LOINS.
THE VERTEBRÆ of the OS SACRUM grow so close together in _Adults_, that
they make but one large solid _BONE_, of a _Triangular Figure_; and yet
not without the _Mark_ of a four or five-fold _Division_: As in
CHILDREN, it consists of many more _Pieces_ or _Divisions_. However, its
_Basis_ is tyed to the last VERTEBRÆ of the LOINS, and the _Upper part_
of its _Sides_ to the ILIA; as its _Point_ is to the OS COCCYGIS.
THE OS COCCYGIS is also in _Adults_, for the most part, but one entire
_BONE_; tho’ in _younger Persons_ it is compos’d of 3 or 4 small
_Divisions_; Of which the _Lower_ is still less than the _Upper_; till
the _Last_ ends in a small _Cartilage_. It is join’d in its _Glenoide
Cavity_ to the Extremity of the OS SACRUM; being short and bent
_inwards_: It supports the INTESTINUM RECTUM, and yields to the
_Pressure_ of the _INFANT_ in _Travail_: But _MIDWIVES_ ought not to
thrust it back or repel it with _Violence_; No, they should rather
handle it _gently_, if they would prevent dangerous _Consequences_, as
well as great _Pain_ to the _Woman_ in _LABOUR_.
FROM hence it is manifest, that _they_ are mistaken who imagine that the
_Opening_ and _Enlargement_ of the _PELVIS_, in making way for the
_INFANT_, does depend upon the _Separation_ of the OSSA PUBIS: For it
much more depends upon the _yielding_ of the OS SACRUM, or its giving
way naturally; especially _This Part_ of it call’d OS COCCYGIS. Neither
doth the _Straitness_ of the _Upper Part_ of the _PELVIS_ so much
occasion a difficult _BIRTH_, as the _small Distance_ that is betwixt
the _Points_ of the OSSA PUBIS, call’d OSSA SEDENTARIA or _Seat-Bones_,
and the OS COCCYGIS: No indeed, neither of _These_ can be any great
_Hindrance_ to the Passage of the INFANT; since all BONES, never so
closely knit together with LIGAMENTS, may be moved _extensively_ upon
occasion, by carefully and gently _stretching_ the said LIGAMENTS. But,
in short, it most commonly happens, that the _Ill Position_ of the
INFANT itself, or the bad _Condition_ and _Situation_ of the WOMB, or
_Both_, occasion a difficult or preternatural BIRTH.
BUT I would here farther observe yet, that as these BONES differ
frequently both in _Form_ and _Size_, according to the different
_Constitution_ of the Body; so neither are _they_ always of the _same
Substance_: For in _some Women_, we find a great many _Nervous_ and
_Cartilaginous_ LIGAMENTS, which penetrate into the _solid Substance_ of
the BONES themselves; in which the LIGAMENTS are so fast bound together,
that it is hard to distinguish whether they are _One_ or _More_ BONES.
From whence, however, it will hereafter appear, that _One Woman_ is more
easily delivered than _Another_; the BONES in _One_ being more firm and
immoveable, altogether resisting any _Relaxation_; which in _Another_
are more loose and pliable, easily give way and yield freely to the
_Force_ of the Endeavouring and Struggling _INFANT_.
THE _Contents_ of this SECTION will appear more evident, by looking
curiously upon a _Female SKELETON_: In which (for Distinction’s-sake I
recite _This_) that the lower Parts of the _Seat-Bones_, are generally
more _distant_, and not so much bent _inwards_, down towards the Point
of the OS COCCYGIS, as in a _Male SKELETON_. Which Difference, in short,
the Omniscient CREATOR has so order’d, for preventing difficult
_BIRTHS_; and yet, notwithstanding all this wise Provision of Nature,
they happen too often in the World. However, having thus, in fine,
described the PELVIS and its BONES, as far as is requisite for
_MIDWIVES_, I come next, more particularly to describe that astonishing
_Piece_ of GOD’S _Handy-work_, to which all the afore-mention’d _Parts_
are ordain’d to _minister_, and that both _conjunctly_ and _severally_,
without any _Exception_: viz.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX.
_Of the WOMB._
I Say this is that _Body_, which the _Learned Great Men_ of all Ages
have esteem’d and look’d upon as the most wonderful MIRACLE of _Nature_,
not only because of its singular _Substance_ and _Structure_, but also
of its peculiar _Qualities_ and _Faculties_.
AS to the _Substance_ and _Structure_, I have before observed in _Chap.
6._ of this SECTION, that it is singularly composed, of an innumerable
Multitude of _Fibrous Vessels_ and _Muscular Parts_; which being _All_
most curiously interwoven, are admirably form’d together in its
Constitution.
BUT how particular soever I have been on this _Head_, in _Chap. 5_, and
_6_. I must resume this _Topick_ here, and add, that the WOMB, and its
_Vagina_ or _Neck_, are closely join’d together: For it terminates in a
POINT near its _Orifice_, intrudes itself into the _Vagina_, and hangs
so down, that in _Women not with_ CHILD, and sometimes also in the first
Months of _Pregnancy_, This sharp POINT may be perceiv’d by the _Touch_.
AND how closely soever this _Orifice_ of the WOMB is shut after
_Conception_ or during _Pregnancy_; yet in a _BIRTH_ it is so expanded,
that the WOMB and _Vagina_ both seem to have but _One_ and the _same
Cavity_, like a BAG of equal Dimensions; there being then no Difference
perceivable between that _Orifice_ and the _Vagina_, excepting that the
_VAGINA_ is _Softer_ and _Thinner_.
THE WOMB may be otherwise aptly compar’d to the EARTH; because the same
Degree of _Affinity_ that the EARTH has to the _Seed of Plants_, the
WOMB bears to the _Seed of Men_: It being the very _Secundary Cause_ in
the _Constitution_ of the _Human Conception_; not indeed the
_Instrumental_ only, but also the _Active Cause_: For whereas the
_Instrument_ takes _Motion_ from, and _operates_ by Virtue of _Another_,
the WOMB only _acts_ of _itself_ and _operates_ by Virtue of its own
_Active Faculties_.
BUT more particularly, the WOMB has sundry proper _Actions_ in this
_Constitution_, which are peculiarly dependent of, and accordingly
discharged by ITSELF only; and therefore it is not the sole or pure
Instrumental _Agent_. But the Reason that I call it the _Secundary_ or
_Disponent_, not the _Primary Cause_, in constituting the FOETUS, is,
because the _Actions_ of the WOMB do not precisely terminate in this
_Constitution_, but chiefly in disposing the _Causes_ constituting the
MAN. And as (I think) there are _Eight_ such _Actions_ belonging to the
WOMB, I shall undertake to define them all particularly in a few Words.
And,
I. THE _FIRST Action_ of the WOMB is, that by its _attractive Faculty_,
it may allure the _Masculine Seed_ infus’d by Coition into the FUND of
its _Capacity_, after the same manner as a _famishing Stomach_ snatches
at the Victuals by the _Gullet_ from the _Mouth_ of the Eater.
II. THE _SECOND_ is like unto the _FIRST_, and consists in _attracting_
(after the same manner) the _Muliebrian_ SEED from the Vessels of the
TESTICLES, into the same _Cavity_.
III. THE _THIRD Function_ of the WOMB, is the _Copulation_ and mutual
_Conjunction_ of the SEEDS of both Parents; which it prepares and
perfects by its innate _Power_, constricting itself in all Parts: And
this _Action_, I do not (in this place) call a _Permistion_ of these
SEEDS, as it is generally term’d, because a _Mixture_ is properly
perform’d only by the concording _Qualities_ and mutual _Actions_ of two
or more miscible _Copulatives_, without any _Assistance_ of the _Thing
Containing_.
IV. THE _FOURTH Office_ of the WOMB, is an _Effusion_ of the _Menstruous
Blood_ upon the aggregated _Seed_, from a Relaxation of the little
_Orifices_ of the VEINS terminating in its interiour _Surface_.
V. THE _FIFTH Action_ of the WOMB, is, the _Retention_ of those three
conjoin’d _Bodies_; to effect which _Work_, the WOMB contracts itself on
all sides, and shuts up all its _Orifices_, even to the sensible
Animadversion of the WOMAN.
VI. THE _SIXTH Function_ of the WOMB, is to excite the Virtue of the
_Torpent Lifeless_ SEED, and rouze it up from _Idleness_ to _Activity_;
as the latent Virtue of PHYSICK in the Body is _excited_ to Operation by
the _natural Heat_ of the VISCERA.
VII. THE _SEVENTH Office_ of the WOMB, is (after the FOETUS is Form’d
and Organiz’d) the _Attraction_ of the BLOOD from the _Maternal Veins_,
into the _Umbilical Vessels_, for its _Nutrication_ and Growth.
VIII. THE _EIGHTH_ and last _Function_ of the WOMB, is _Birth_, which I
shall remember to speak more particularly of in its proper Place.
FROM all which we may easily collect the sundry proper _Uses_ of the
WOMB, and readily comprehend that it is not only destin’d by _Nature_ to
admit the SEED, and receive the _impregnated_ EGG from the OVARIUM and
the _Fallopian Tube_; but also to contain the _Organizing Matter_, and
all necessary _Principles_ (_Active_ and _Passive_) for constituting the
_Conception_; fomenting the receiv’d SEEDS, by its natural _Calidity_,
preserving the same, and preparing the _Maternal Blood_ by its inherent
_Temperament_, for the Use of the FOETUS: Which FOETUS it surrounds and
defends from external _Accidents_, by its Substantial _Corpulency_;
containing and nourishing the INFANT, about the Space of 9 or 10
_Months_, by its Faculties of _Extension_ and _Attraction_; and at last
forcing it into the World, by _that_ of _Expulsion_.
UPON which Occasion, that the _MIDWIFE_ may the better discharge her
_Duty_, and assist the _Labouring Woman_ more effectually, without Fear
or Danger, and without committing any Blunder or Mistake; as I have
already taught her in what _Place_ the WOMB is seated, to what _Parts_
it tends, and how it is _annexed_, &c; so I shall now proceed to
describe its _Qualities_ and _Faculties_, so far as is necessary, and
absolutely requisite in the _Practice_ of _MIDWIFERY_. And, FIRST,
then——
[Illustration]
CHAP. X.
_Of the Extensive Faculty of the WOMB._
NATURE has endued the WOMB with this _Faculty_, to the end that it may
(in _Pregnancy_) extend and dilate itself Day by Day, in _Proportion_ to
the _Growth_ of the INFANT, _Secundine_, and _Humours_.
NOW the WOMB in its _lower Part_ being straitly tied to the _Intestinum
Rectum_ and _Bladder_; it is to be understood that the _Distention_
happens mostly in its superiour Part or _Bottom_: Which is not only most
_Free_ and at greatest _Liberty_, but also _Thickest_ and aptest for
_Dilatation_.
THIS will appear more evident, when we consider how the INFANT adheres
to that Part, the _Bottom_, by means of the _Secundine_: How the INFANT
also as it grows, begins to separate the _Humours_ in the _Secundine_,
which (of consequence) encrease as the _Infant_ does: And how again the
Encrease of the _Humours_ fill up the _Chinks_ and VACUUMS, as I may
call them, which the INFANT cannot possess. From hence it is that the
WOMB extends itself in the _Form_ of a PEAR, only a little _Plainer_ at
Both Ends.
THUS the _Secundine_ adhering[155] to the _Bottom_ of the WOMB, by its
_thicker Part_ (call’d the PLACENTA,) thence it is that the WOMB
encreases and extends itself more in its _Bottom_, than in any
_inferiour Part_.
WHEREFORE the WOMB being most extended in its upper Part, call’d the
_Bottom_; and both the _Bladder_ and RECTUM below being soft loose
_Parts_, it necessarily follows, that the WOMB may freely _ascend_ and
_descend_ upon Occasion, as we often find it in the _Cavity_ of the
_Belly_; which, however, does not happen to All _Women_ alike.
BUT, in short, these _extensive_ and _ascensive Faculties_ of the WOMB,
chiefly residing in its _Bottom_; I would have it laid down for a
certain _Maxim_ of Truth, that _These_ exert themselves, without any the
least _Extenuation_ to the _Uterine Substance_: Which Position leads me
directly to consider——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XI.
_Of the Substantial Density of the WOMB._
TOUCHING the _Thickness_ of the _Pregnant_ WOMB, _Authors_ have differ’d
extremely: _Some_ thinking, that as the WOMB grows _Larger_, it grows
_Thicker_; and _Others_ the _Reverse_, that as it _extends_, it grows
_Thinner_.
NOW these _Opinions_ being both diametrically opposite _One_ to the
_Other_, as _Both_ (perhaps) may be contrary to _Truth_, I shall freely
and ingenuously offer my _Sentiments_ in a few Words; not that I vainly
desire to engage myself in any _Controversy_: Save only, because the
true _Knowledge_ of this Point, is so Material and Consequential for all
_MIDWIVES_, especially in _Cases_ of difficult and preternatural BIRTHS,
that I cannot well excuse myself, should I pass it by with _Silence_ in
this Place.
MR. _MAURICEAU_, in his _Book_ of the _Diseases_ of Women, contradicting
the Authority of _Riolanus_, _Bartholinus_, and the whole Body of the
most Renown’d and Ingenious _Anatomists_, both _Ancient_ and _Modern_,
is at great Pains to make us believe, that the _impregnated_ WOMB is
(like the _Bladder_) in this Case; _the more it is extended, the thinner
it grows_.
BUT as his quoted Authority of _Galen_ and _Carol_. _Stephanus_ cannot
be sufficient against so many good _Authors_ of the _contrary Opinion_;
so neither will his _Demonstrations_ of WAX, nor _Comparisons with the_
WOMBS of _Animals_, be sufficient to make out his _Argument_, against
confirm’d _Experience_, common _Sense_, and current _Reason_. Which
Point of _Experience_ I judge this _Author_ to have been deficient in,
otherwise he would certainly have given us some _particular Instance_ or
other of it, and not had _Recourse_ to _Inconsistencies_ for supporting
his new-fashion’d unreceiv’d _Notion_. For what _Comparison_ can there
be betwixt an _Animate_ and _Inanimate Body_? Or what _Affinity_ betwixt
the _WOMB_ of _Animals_ and that of _Women_, who are form’d after the
_Image_ of GOD, and (by a _Prerogative_ above all other _Creatures_) are
furnished with a _WOMB_ very _different_ from them?
I ingenuously acknowledge, when I first met with this _Author’s Works_,
not daring then to be too _Positive_ in this _Point_, I was put into
some _Suspence_ of Judgment; which made me not only consult with the
best of _Authors_ and _Professors_ of ANATOMY, but also induc’d me to
embrace every Opportunity of satisfying myself otherways to a full
_Conviction_.
WHEREFORE at all _Dissections_ of _pregnant Women_, where I have been
present, I carefully observed and took notice of this particular
_Point_; upon which I must needs affirm, that I always found the _WOMB_
(however _Big_ or _Little_) of its _natural Thickness_, and rather
_thicker_ than _thinner_: For tho’ _It_ is expanded by the _growing
Infant_, &c. yet _it_ may (most probably) be equally condensed, by the
Imbibition of the _fluent Humours_, which consolidate into _itself_ by
the _Pores_ of its _Plexus Body_. Nay, I have not only satisfy’d myself
in _dead_, but also in _living Bodies_, with respect to this Matter; for
by passing _One Hand_ into the _WOMB_ to take away the _Secundine_, when
the _Other_ laid upon the BELLY, I clearly discerned the _Truth_ by
SENSE, and have sometimes found the _WOMB_ not only incredibly _Thick_,
but also RIGID withal: And in this Matter, I have not been singular; for
I find the _ingenious Daventer_ writes to the same purpose, upon this
_Head_, in his Book of _Midwifery_. Having therefore thus, in short,
perceiv’d the _Thickness_ of the _WOMB_, both with my _Hands_ and
_Eyes_, I must trust my SENSES, and prefer my _Experience_ before any
_Man’s bare Conjecture_; for tho’ I often _see not_ those Things which I
_believe_, yet I must still _believe_ those Things which I _see_.
WHENCE I conclude, that the _WOMB_, tho’ of a different _Bigness_ from
the _Conception_ to the BIRTH, is always, at least, of one _Thickness_
with the _unconceiv’d_ WOMB: Which the _Divine Wisdom_ (no doubt) has so
ordered for the _Preservation_ of the MOTHER and INFANT; for if the
_WOMB_ in Time of _Pregnancy_ did grow _Thinner_, according to its
_Extension_, it must of Consequence grow _Weaker_, and, in that _Case_
the INFANT would be liable to perforate it with _Foot_ or _Hand_, which
would infallibly terminate in the _Loss_ of both their LIVES.
BUT besides, if the _WOMB_ was so _Thin_ and _Weak_ as Mr. _Mauriceau_
imagines; as the _Pregnant Woman_ would be liable to imminent _Danger_
every Moment _Before_, as well as _In Time_ of LABOUR; so the MIDWIFE
would be expos’d to the greatest of _Difficulties_: For who then durst,
without _Horror_, offer to turn the INFANT, so closely compress’d in
those _thin Membranes_ of the _WOMB_? Or who could have _Resolution_
enough to separate and pull away the AFTER-BIRTH?
HOWEVER, I could produce innumerable _Instances_ of most Learned and
Ingenious _Men_ to support my above-mentioned _Opinion_; but I shall
content myself now with ONE, who (I think) is of sufficient Authority:
For hearing lately that Mr. _Mauriceau_’s mention’d Book (which I had
only read before in its _Original French_) was translated by Dr.
_Chamberlain_, I doubted not but I should fully discover that Eminent
TRANSLATOR’S _Sentiment_ upon this single _Point_; whereupon this most
famous _Physician_ and _Boethogynist_ marks by way of Observation or a
_Bene Notandum_, that his _Charity_ for his _Author_ makes him believe
that _French-Women_ differ in this _Point_ from _Our English_, with whom
it is apparently otherwise order’d. And in the farther Explication of
his _Author’s Opinion_ on this _Head_, he adds, That _Experience_ will
convince any inquisitive Person of the _Contrary_.
TO which I reply, in short, with all due Submission, that the
_French-Women_ do not differ one Jot in this respect from _Ours_, nor
_Ours_ from any _Others_: Which (no doubt) the worthy _Doctor_ was very
sensible of, notwithstanding his great _Complaisance_ to his _Author_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XII.
_Of the various Local Motion of the WOMB._
ALTHOUGH the _Ligaments_ are fixed to the _WOMB_ on each side, under the
_Tubes_, near the _Bottom_, on purpose to keep it duly in the _Middle_,
from falling to either _Side_; yet we may easily perceive, FIRST, That
the _Pregnant WOMB_, as it dilates and extends itself most (in the
_Bottom_) above the _Ligaments_, so it rises _Highest_ and becomes
_Heaviest_ in that Part; by which means it cannot always be contained in
the _narrow Compass_ of the PELVIS, and the _Larger_ the _INFANT_ is,
the _Higher_ the _WOMB_ rises (above the _Ligaments_) in the BELLY.
Insomuch that when the _Cavity_ of the PELVIS is not sufficient to
contain a large _WOMB_, fill’d with _One_ or _more_ well-grown
_INFANTS_, together with the _Secundines_ and _Humours_, it must (of
necessity) ascend into the _Cavity_ of the BELLY; as is evident from
_Chap. 10_.
SECONDLY, The _WOMB_ being in Form of a PEAR, much larger _above_ than
_below_ the _Ligaments_, and that _superiour Bulk_ being only sustain’d
at the _lower Part_ by subtile _Ligaments_ apt to extend, as well as
supported near the _Orifice_ by the _Bladder_ and RECTUM, which are
soft, loose, and _extensive Parts_: Hence, I say, we may easily
conceive, that as _These_ are not sufficient to hinder a large WOMB from
ascending above the Borders of the PELVIS into the _Cavity_ of the
BELLY; so neither are _they_ able to keep it from leaning or inclining
_this_ or _that way_, by reason of its _Weight_ in the _Bottom_, which
is always the farther distant from the _Ligaments_, the more it is
_extended_: And the _extended_ WOMB being not of the same _Firmness_ and
_Solidity_ with THAT in a _natural State_, is the more apt and ready to
move _aside_, either on the Right or the Left Hand.
NOW this various _Motion_ of the WOMB, in short, will appear more
manifestly _Probable_, when we consider how variously _Women_ with CHILD
move their _Bodies_, bending them every way for _Relief_, when oppress’d
with _Pain_; both _sitting_ and _lying_ in different _Postures_: All
which may easily give the WOMB a _Tendency_ this or that way, sliding
either _Forwards_ or _Backwards_, to the right or the left _Side_ of the
Person.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the Oblique Situation of the WOMB._
I Doubt not in the least but among the _Many_, some will reject _this_
THESIS as _False_ or _New-fangled_; but _They_ who are _Ignorant_ of it,
are meer blind _Novices_ in the _Art_ of MIDWIFERY: For repeated
_Experience_ has taught _Myself_ and many _Others_ the Certainty of this
_Truth_; as will more amply appear from the following Discourse.
THE _Womb_ having then ascended into the _Cavity_ of the BELLY, if its
_pointed Parts_ tend perpendicularly into the PELVIS, so as that its
_Orifice_ may be easily touch’d on every _Side_ with the Fingers, its
_Bottom_ is placed about the NAVEL; and _This_ I call a right or
_natural Situation_: But when otherways, the _Posture_ is changed,
inclining _this_ or _that way_, and the _Orifice_ suspended so _High_,
that it can scarce or not at all be touch’d, I call _That_ a wrong and
_preternatural Position_, or _oblique Situation_ of the WOMB; which may
not only be occasion’d (as is said) by the _Weight_ and _Bulk_ of its
_Bottom_, above the extended and relaxed _Ligaments_, but also by many
other different _Causes_; such as an obdurated _Gland_, a _Cicatrix_, an
_Ulcer_, an _Obstruction_ of the _Vessels_ in the _Ligaments_ or
adjacent _Parts_, &c.
HENCE it is that the _wrong Positions_ of the _WOMB_ are manifold, which
would be very tedious to enumerate exactly here; but only, that I may
not pass by what is so _material_, I shall reduce them to a _Four-fold
Difference_; as the _Ancients_ did the _Winds_, because of the _Four
Regions_ or _Limits_ of the Heavens. And _Those Four_ will (I hope)
comprehend all other _wrong Situations_ of the _WOMB_, not very
improperly or _mal-à-propos_, as _Ovid_[156] has comprehended _These_ in
the following elegant _Verses_, viz.
_“Eurus ad Auroram Nabathæáq; regna recessit,
“Persidáq; & radiis Juga subdita matutinis.
“Vesper & Occiduo quæ littora sole tepescunt,
“Proxima sunt Zephyro, Scythiam septémque triones
“Horrifer invasit Boreas. Contraria Tellus
“Nubibus assiduis, pluvióq; madescit ab Austro._
THE _first_ bad _Position_ of which is, when the _Bottom_ of the _WOMB_
is placed on the _left Side_ of the Woman, a little raised or depress’d;
the _Orifice_ being turn’d towards the SPINE of the right OS ILIUM or OS
PUBIS, against which the INFANT in time of BIRTH commonly pushes its
_Head_, beats out its Brains, and sticks there to Death: Or else passing
the said SPINE, it lies _a-thwart_ the PELVIS.
THE _Second_ ill _Position_ of the _WOMB_ is, when the _Bottom_ is
seated on the _right Side_; the _Orifice_ being turn’d towards the _left
Part_ of the PELVIS, directly opposite to the _other Position_, and
attended with the same _Inconveniencies_.
THE _Third_ is, when, in _Women_ having large _Bellies_, the _WOMB_
hangs too much _Forwards_; the _Orifice_ being turn’d towards the OS
SACRUM: So that the INFANT falls down by the _Head_ into the Bent, or
crooked _Cavity_ of the OS COCCYGIS, where it fatally sticks fast.
THE _fourth Oblique Situation_ of the _WOMB_ is, when its _Bottom_ is
press’d too near the DIAPHRAGMA, and its _Body_ too near the VERTEBRÆ of
the _Loins_; the _Orifice_ being elevated, is thereby turned too near
the _OS PUBIS_, where the INFANT striking its _Head_ against these
_Bones_, remains immoveable and perishes: Or, (which is worse) sliding
with its _Head_ upon the _OSSA PUBIS_, it is turn’d on one or other
_Side_ or _Backwards_; when (commonly with _Hand_ or _Arm_ out of the
Body) it lies _a-thwart_ the Passage, and infallibly occasions its OWN
or its MOTHER’S _Death_, or _Both_; unless (as in the _three_ preceding
_Cases_) it be in due time prevented by the _Assistance_ of some very
skilful HAND.
THOSE are the _Four_ most difficult and principal wrong, or chief
_preternatural Situations_, of the _WOMB_; from whence we may easily
frame a competent Conjecture of the _Rest_; to wit, when the _Bottom_ of
the _WOMB_ is more or less turn’d to the _right_, or the _left Side_, or
_forwards_, or _backwards_: Since as _that_ differs more or less from
the _natural Position_, so the BIRTH in like manner is (of consequence)
the more or less _Difficult_, as will hereafter manifestly appear.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIV.
_Of TOUCHING or HANDLING the Woman._
THE _Midwife_ ought to have a special _Knowledge_ in _This_ Matter,
since a Thing of so much Moment as LIFE itself often depends upon it;
yea, and _this Knowledge_ is of absolute Necessity to all Persons
practising MIDWIFERY, because many different Points of the greatest
_Importance_, are thereby plainly discover’d: But before I enter upon
these Things, I would have it rightly understood, that nothing else is
meant here by the _Performance_ of the TOUCH, than (upon having first
pared the _Nails_ short, equal, and smooth) _passing the two
Fore-fingers of either Hand, (previously well anointed with Fat or
Butter, when proper Oils are not to be had) through the_ VULVA _into
the_ VAGINA, _in order to reach the Orifice of the WOMB_, and to discern
its FORM, by feeling it on each Side.
AND it is not only requisite that the Woman in LABOUR be _touched_,
before her _Pains_ come on, because then the _Membrane_ containing the
_Humours_ being loose, the INFANT’s _Posture_ may be the better
distinguish’d; but the same TOUCH also is to be continued during the
_Force_ of the _Pains_, the better to know their _Nature_ and _Effects_;
whether the INFANT continues still at the _Passage_ or not; and whether
the _Humours_ are contracted _length-ways_, or press’d into a _Flat
Form_, and the like. For after the _Pains_ are over, it is easily to be
perceiv’d, whether they have _promoted_ the BIRTH or _Not_.
BUT during this _Performance_ of the TOUCH, great Care must be taken not
to handle the _Membranes_ containing the _Humours_ too roughly, lest
they should break in the Action.
NOW that the MIDWIFE may the more readily perform her TOUCH, she must
take good Heed to what is said of the _Cavity_ of the[157] PELVIS: for
as it rises from the _Bottom_ obliquely, ascending forwards; so, upon
this Occasion, in seeking for the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, she must not
thrust her _Fingers_ streight along according to the _Length_ of the
Body, towards the bending of the OS SACRUM; but guide them _upwards_
from the _Bottom_, as if thro’ the VAGINA, she would touch the _Navel_:
For Thus her _Hand_ being turn’d inward, and her _Fingers_ tending
towards the _Navel_, the _Orifice_ of the WOMB lying directly in the
way, she meets with it readily at first. Whereas they who go otherways
to work, seek it in vain, and find it with Difficulty.
THIS Observation I thought the more requisite in this Place, because
_MIDWIVES_ not accurately understanding the _Situation_ of the _Bones_
of the PELVIS, think that the WOMB and its _Neck_ or VAGINA reach
according to the _Length_ of the Woman, and make use of their _Hands_
accordingly: First hurting the VAGINA and RECTUM in the Bending of the
SACRUM; and then finding no farther _Passage_ for their _Fingers_; but
being altogether ignorant of the above-mentioned Method of finding the
said _Orifice_, they are very often surpriz’d, fall into great
_Confusion_ for want of better _Instruction_. Whence I proceed to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XV.
_Of the various Uses and Advantages of the TOUCH._
BY the TOUCH then, to be brief, the _MIDWIFE_ gains the certain
_Knowledge_ of the following important _Heads_: viz.
FIRST, Whether a _Woman_ be with _CHILD_ or not: For I must needs own,
that some of the most certain _Signs_ of _Pregnancy_ are discover’d by
the _TOUCH_; since the WOMB shuts itself close up, immediately after
CONCEPTION, and its _Orifice_ becomes more _pointed_, _hard_, and
_solid_, resembling (according to _Mauriceau’s_ just Comparison) the
_Mouth_ of a _Puppy_ newly pupp’d.
BUT in time of the _INFANT_’s ripening, this _Orifice_ begins to
_swell_, and becomes _softer_, _smoother_, and _thinner_ than it was
Before.
SECONDLY, The _MIDWIFE_ discovers by the _TOUCH_, whether the Time of
BIRTH is near at hand, and how near it is. However, in speaking to this
Point, I desire to be rightly understood, not meaning _Miscarriages_, or
_Illegitimate BIRTHS_, but only such as are intirely _Legitimate_.
AS then the _INFANT_ advances in _Maturation_, so the _Orifice_ of the
WOMB from the _Third Month_, grows _smoother_, _thinner_, and _softer_;
and consequently the more _smooth_, _thin_, and _soft_ it appears at any
time afterwards to the _TOUCH_, so much the _nearer_ draws on the _Time_
of BIRTH.
IN _some Women_, this _ORIFICE_ begins to open two or three _Months_
before BIRTH; and this _Aperture_ enlarging itself by degrees, becomes
soon as wide as a _Shilling-Piece_, when the _Motion_ of the _INFANT_
may be distinctly perceiv’d: And in _others_ it is so much more
enlarged, that one single _Pain_ or two accomplishes the BIRTH.
BUT as all _Women_ are not _alike_, so this _RULE_ will admit of sundry
_Exceptions_; for _strong-body’d_ Women, Women of their _First Child_,
and those somewhat in Years, their WOMBS continue generally shut up to
the last, and open not without the severest _Pains_: And not only so,
but the _Orifice_ of the WOMB differs also, in all difficult and
_Preternatural Cases_, as well by reason of its own _oblique Situation_,
as of the _INFANT_’s ill Posture. For this Reason it is, that an
Experienced and Judicious _Hand_ is most requisite upon such Occasions;
since such an _One_ can clearly distinguish, what _Another_ cannot so
much as guess at.
THIRDLY, The _MIDWIFE_ immediately knows by the _TOUCH_, whether the
Woman be taken with the real and genuine LABOUR-PAINS or _Not_. Which is
a Point of the _greatest Moment_; since as it is of bad Consequence to
_delay_ the BIRTH, when the Woman is so taken, especially if the _WOMB_
and _INFANT_ be _Both_ well situated, lest the _Pains_ should vanish,
and the Opportunity of DELIVERY should thereby be lost: so, on the other
hand, to force a Woman to LABOUR, unseasonably, when but seiz’d with
_Bastard-Pains_, is a most pernicious Thing.
BUT both these _Cases_ too often happen, even to the _Hazard_, if not
the _Loss_ also of both LIVES; especially the _Latter_, when the
_MIDWIFE_ does not know how to distinguish these _False Pains_, either
the _Cholick_, or other _Gripes_, from the _genuine Pains_ by the
_TOUCH_: As will be more fully and amply explain’d in the next following
_Chapter_.
GIVE me Leave to say then, that BIRTH is not to be provok’d by any
Means, until the _MIDWIFE_, by touching the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, is
certain, that the Woman labours under the _True Pains_; which is not to
be judiciously suppos’d to happen before the _Seventh Month_ at soonest.
_BIRTH_ at that Time approaching, the Woman is afflicted with great
PAINS in her _Groin_, _Loins_, and about the _Navel_, tending downwards
with a depressing Force upon the WOMB and other _Private Parts_. But
these PAINS are not continual, for they only go-off and come-on by
_turns_; at which Time, by their violent _Depressure_, the _MIDWIFE_
finds the _Orifice_ of the WOMB _open_, or at least _opening_, and upon
Renewal of the PAIN, she finds it more and more dilated and relaxed:
whereas, on the other hand, when the PAINS are _Spurious_, they disperse
themselves through the whole _Body_, as well as the _Abdomen_; and then
the WOMB (as if it were securing itself) is found more closely
_contracted_.
FOURTHLY, It is likewise well known by the _TOUCH_, whether the BIRTH
will be _Easy_ and _Speedy_, or _Difficult_ and _Lingring_, on several
Occasions: 1. When the _MIDWIFE_ finds the _Head_ of the INFANT and the
lower Part of the WOMB fallen into the _Cavity_ of the PELVIS, so that
_She_ can touch it in the Confines of the VAGINA: 2. When the _Orifice_
of the WOMB is very soft, thin, and wide-open, so that (through it) she
finds the _Head_ of the INFANT foremost, without any Obstruction by the
_Arms_ or _Umbilical Vessels_ in the way, between the _Head_ of the
INFANT, and _Orifice_ of the WOMB; as often happens: And, 3. When the
_Humours_, by the _right Situation_ of the WOMB and the INFANT, are
found compressed into a _Flat Form_. I say, when Matters are found so
(by the _TOUCH_) in this _Natural Posture_, there is no great doubt
(under GOD) of a _Speedy_ and _Easy_ DELIVERY.
WHEREAS, on the contrary, when the _Orifice_ is found by Experience
_higher_, _little_ or not at all _open_; _sharp_, _hard_, and _thick_,
with the _Humours_ pressed up length-ways: _Then_ the _Case_ is quite
revers’d, and the _MIDWIFE_, if she _understands_ her Business, must
resolve to _sweat at her Work_.
NOW the Reason of such _Difficult_ BIRTHS commonly proceeds, either from
the _wrong Situation_ of the INFANT, or _That_ of the WOMB; the _latter_
of which always occasions the greater _Difficulty_, especially when it
is accidentally join’d with the _First_, to a vast Degree of
_Aggravation_: Of which, as follows of course.
FIFTHLY, Another _Advantage_ of the _TOUCH_, is the truly Knowing
whether the INFANT be in a _Natural_, or _Preternatural Posture_. For
the _MIDWIFE_ finding the _Orifice_ of the WOMB so _open_, that it
admits one or two _Fingers_, she may distinctly feel the _Chin_ of the
INFANT in a _Natural Position_, lying forwards on its _Breast_, and the
_Neck_ in the _Middle_ of the _Orifice_, or streight _Before_ it; so
that the _Head_ being foremost and lowest within the Borders of the
_Orifice_, the _Fingers_ cannot pass any _Farther_.
HOWEVER, supposing the _Clunes_, _Knee_, or _Elbow_, to present
themselves _First_ in the _ORIFICE_; It is true, they have their
_Roundness_, but then they are easily distinguished from the _Head_: For
the _Globular Part_ of it is much _broader_ and _smoother_, than either
_Knee_ or _Elbow_, and _harder_ than the _Buttocks_; which _Fleshy Part_
is soon distinguished from the _Bones_, or the _soft Membrane_ betwixt
the _Bones_ of the HEAD.
BUT as a capable _MIDWIFE_ can hereby distinguish all _These_ with
Facility, even before the _Waters_ begin to flow; so I need not mention
the _Hands_, which distinguish themselves by the _Fingers_, as the
_Feet_ do, by the _Toes_ or _Heels_; and the _Navel-string_ discovers
itself by its _Softness_, _Thinness_, and _Roundness_: All which,
however yet, are more easily known when the _Membrane_ is broke, and the
_Waters_ have actually flown. For the _Parts_, which were before covered
with this _Membrane_, lie now naked in the _ORIFICE_: Hence it often
unluckily happens, that _few MIDWIVES_ make an exact _Scrutiny_, about
the _Situation_ of the INFANT, till this Time of FLOODING; erroneously
thinking they are then _soon_ enough, which is an unaccountable Mistake;
as will hereafter abundantly appear.
SIXTHLY, It is perfectly known by the TOUCH, whether the WOMB be in a
_Natural_ or _Preternatural Posture_, as is plainly taught more at large
in the foregoing _Chapter_.
FINALLY, in short, we most assuredly know by the TOUCH, what is proper
to be done in all _Preternatural Cases_, upon giving _Assistance_ both
to the MOTHER and INFANT; as hereafter will fully appear by a more
copious _Dissertation_ to that Purpose.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVI.
_Of the Genuine and Spurious LABOUR-PAINS._
THE sole Reason I add this _Chapter_, is, because our common _MIDWIVES_
are so often mistaken, and do so frequently err in this _Point_, having
no thorough-pac’d _Knowledge_ of either sort of these _PAINS_: For when
she comes to a Woman, taken ill with severe _PAINS_ in the _Belly_ or
_Loins_, being ignorant of the accurate Nicety of the TOUCH, she
presently concludes _These_ to be the true _labouring PAINS_, because
they indeed often resemble them very much; and she farther finding
perhaps the _ORIFICE_ a little _relax’d_ and _open_, expects it to
enlarge to her Satisfaction. Which, however, not answering her Hopes,
nor the _PAINS_ encreasing; she endeavours by _stimulating Medicines_
and other sinistrous _Means_, conformable to the perverse _Rules_ of her
PRACTICE, to raise and provoke _Them_: So that this, in short, is the
_Cause_, not only of many an _untimely BIRTH_, but also too commonly of
many an _untimely DEATH_.
NOW the _Wind-Cholick_, either in the Lower or Upper Part of the
_Belly_, occasions frequent racking _PAINS_, as do also the HUMOURS by
Virtue of their _Acidity_, corroding the _Intestines_; and these
_Mordacious PAINS_ are generally attended with a subsequent _Looseness_.
In which _Cases_, I always use proper _mitigating_ and _repelling_
MEANS, (such as a _Carminative_ and _Emollient Clyster_, &c: upon
extreme Occasions); which proper _Means_ infallibly answer my Ends in
either Condition. For if the _PAINS_ that afflict the Woman are
_Spurious_, They are thereby suddenly _laid_ and repressed; and if
_Genuine_, These very self-same _Means_ most effectually promote and
advance _them_ to _BIRTH_.
BUT again, _some Women_ are taken with a mix’d Complication of _Genuine_
and _Spurious_, or _Real_ and _False PAINS_, that are properly called
_Tergiversant_; which one Moment seem to _depress_ the _BIRTH_, and
_encourage_ the Woman to LABOUR; and the next convert themselves into
scatter’d CRAMPS, and other contracting _PAINS_: And these dispersed
_Bastard-Pains_ are always more pernicious to the Woman, than the most
severe _natural_ LABOUR-PAINS: _This Case_ is also easily distinguished
by the TOUCH; which done, the _false wandring Pains_ are first to be
assuag’d or carry’d off, before the _BIRTH_ can well succeed.
NOW, as to the real _Natural_ and _Genuine Pains_, They are, (methinks)
in short, easily to be judged of by the _Manner_ in which they always
seize the _Woman_; viz.
I. FROM the _Navel_ downwards to the _Groin_, reflecting towards the
_Loins_, with a depressing and bearing down upon the WOMB and PRIVITIES,
as occasionally mentioned in the preceding _Chapter_: And tho’ _These_
are intermitting (not _continual_) _PAINS_, yet their Severity and
Violence extenuate the _Umbilical_, and protuberate the _Genital Parts_,
opening and distending the _Passages_. But besides, as the _Blood_ is
exagitated and fermented, it excites a Velocity of PULSE, and a _Redness
of Face_; whilst the BELLY waxes _Fiery-hot_, and a _Feverish Shivering_
or _Trembling-Fit_ invades the _whole Woman_, especially the inferiour
LIMBS, but without any _Frigidity_.
II. THE _Membranes_, with their _Contents_, which _MIDWIVES_ commonly
call the _Gathering of the Waters_, now present themselves at the
_Orifice_ before the _Head_ of the INFANT, resembling (to the TOUCH)
_Abortive Eggs_ without any SHELL: upon _These_ breaking, the _Waters_
begin to flow; at first more _Sparingly_, but by and by more
_profusely_, and at last a _waterish Blood_ follows, when a _GIRL_ is to
be born; or a _pure-colour’d Blood_, when a _BOY_: But I also farther
distinguish the _BIRTH_ of an approaching _BOY_ from _that_ of a _GIRL_,
by the _Labour-Pains_; for in the _first Case_, these are far more
severe and penetrating, and accordingly the _BIRTH_ much more
expeditious, than in _Case_ of a _GIRL_: In which (however) the _PAINS_
are more constant and regular.
III. AND now, at last, the _OSSA COCCYGIS_ and _COXENDICIS_ begin to
yield, and give way; while the _Bottom_ contracts, the _Orifice_ of the
WOMB opens, and the VAGINA dilates itself fully: So that _now_, and not
_before_, most of the abovesaid _Signs_ evidently appear, I give my
patient _Woman_ the WORD to _Labour her best_; because if she begins
_sooner_, she too much debilitates both _Herself_ and fatigues the
_CHILD_ before its due Time.
MOREOVER, I have seen _some Women_ in LABOUR taken with a sudden
_Vomiting_, that I suppose proceeded from the _natural Sympathy_, which
the STOMACH bears to the WOMB: Whereupon it discharges a certain
_Viscous Matter_, which I have always observ’d, upon its turning
_Bloody_, to presage an easy _LABOUR_, and an expeditious _DELIVERY_.
FARTHER yet, the _MIDWIFE_ must always remember, that when the commenced
_real PAINS_ of _Labour_ chance to cease, the Woman’s _Labouring
Efforts_ must also terminate with them in Course: And as this _Case_
denotes a _Debility_ of the _Expulsive Faculty_; so if it be not both
_Timely_ and _Judiciously_ assisted, It may prove of the worst of
Consequences. In a word, so much I have thought previously _necessary_
to my Purpose, before I enter upon——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVII.
_Of the True Method of LAYING the Woman._
UPON this Occasion, the _MIDWIFE_ ought, in the _first place_, carefully
to observe the CONTENTS of the foregoing _Chapter_; and, _Secondly_, To
follow this general RULE, which I lay down out of absolute _Necessity_:
viz. _That the Woman be delivered, and the Child brought forth into the
World as soon as possible after_ FLOODING; and _that_ because the WOMB
immediately, after _This_ is over, falls, shrinks, and contracts itself
again, and of Consequence compresses the _BIRTH_ very closely.
BUT in order to effect _this_ Matter, as much depends upon the right
_Situation_ or _Placing_ of the WOMAN; so I advise, in the first place,
that, as soon as the WATERS begin to flow, _She_ be commodiously
_placed_ either in a BED, CHAIR, or STOOL, properly adapted for that
Purpose, and _laid_ with great Skill and Judgment, not too _Supine_, nor
altogether _Upright_; but (as it were) between a _standing_ and _lying
Posture_: having her _Back_ a little erected for the freer
_Respiration_, and the better LABOUR; with her _Thighs_ at a due Liberty
and Distance, only separated as much as possibly they may; her _Knees_ a
little elevated; her _Feet_ stayed against something _Firm_, and her
_Heels_ bending _Backwards_.
HOWEVER I must farther observe in this place, that the _POSITIONS_ of
_parturient Women_ are very various and different; _some_ doing this
_Work_ (as above) in a _Bed_, _others_ in a _Stool_, and _some_ again I
have seen deliver’d _standing_, and _leaning_ only a little _Forwards_
upon the _Bed-stead_. Hence, I say, that the _POSTURES_ in time of
LABOUR, differ not only according to the _Necessity_, but also sometimes
(in _Natural Easy Cases_) according to the _Custom_ of the WOMAN.
BE that as it will, I would advise all _Labouring Women_, FIRST to make
_Choice_ of a dextrous and ingenious _MIDWIFE_ to attend them at that
_critical Juncture_, since the poetical _Proverb_ (_Accidit in puncto,
quod non speratur in Anno_) holds as True in _BIRTH_ as in any _Case_ I
know; for _some Women_ after having sundry repeated Natural easy
_BIRTHS_, come at last to suffer by some difficult or _preternatural
Accident_, which may happen in a _Moment of Time_.
SECONDLY, I would advise all _parturient Women_, to give themselves over
into the Hands of such a _MIDWIFE_, to be universally _advised_ and
_entirely_ directed by her Conduct: And thus being under the watchful
_Eye_ and diligent _Care_ of the prudent and skilful _MIDWIFE_, the good
_Woman in her Travail_ has Nothing else to do (besides following
_Instruction_) but only to assume _Courage_ and _Resolution_ to assist
her own _PAINS_ as she feels them coming on, by _drawing_ and _holding_
her BREATH, as if she was to _sob_ or _sigh_, by contracting the
_MUSCLES_ of her _Belly_, as much as possible; insomuch that the
forcible _Impression_ may bear alike upon each side of the WOMB, and
depress the _Diaphragma_, which (of Consequence) suppresses the WOMB.
But then again in this _Case_ I would observe briefly, that she is
strictly to regard the _TIME_ of a _right true Travail, as at that
Juncture_ only to use _these_ her best and strongest _Endeavours_.
BUT now to return to the _Duty_ of the attending _MIDWIFE_; as occasion
requires, She is to direct her WOMAN, either to _lie_, _sit_, _stand_,
or _walk_, keeping her always _Warm_, and as close _cover’d_ in Time of
TOUCHING as possible; for the least Breath almost of _Cold Air_ may
occasion _Convulsions_, and _other_ most dangerous _Accidents_.
BECAUSE I have often observ’d _Women_ to be _Costive_ and bound in their
_Bellys_ upon this Occasion, which is of dangerous Consequence, I would
therefore advise in this _Case_ to adhibite a gentle _Emollient
Clyster_; not only that (by the RECTUM being so emptied) there may be
the more _Room_ for the necessary _Dilatation_ of the _PARTS_, but also
that the unfortunate _Effects_ of COSTIVENESS may be timely prevented:
And the same _Means_ I would use, in Case of _Heavy_, _Dull_, or
_Languid PAINS_; ordering the _Clyster_ only in this _Case_ to be made a
little more _Carminative_; as mentioned in the preceeding _Chapter_.
BUT _this_ however I would have done in the _Beginning_ of the
_Travail_, and reiterated (if need so require) before the _CHILD_ be
advanced too far _Forwards_.
NOW the _MIDWIFE_ finding all things in a _Natural Posture_, and the
CHILD in a _Forward way_, is to advance her _Hand_ skilfully, (which at
every individual TOUCH ought to be fresh-anointed with the _Oil_ of
white _Lillies_, _Roses_, &c. or _Fresh-Butter_, _Hogs-Lard_, or
whatsoever of this Nature is readiest at Hand) entering the _ORIFICE_
with the _Fingers-Ends_, dilating it by opening _them_ gently as the
PAINS come on: Thrusting gradually the _Sides_ of the _ORIFICE_ towards
the _OCCIPUT_ or Hinder part of the CHILD’S Head, and moistening these
_Passages_ also with what she uses for her _Hands_.
WHEN the _VERTEX_, or _Crown of the Head_, appears without the
_Privities_, the _MIDWIFE_ most commonly calls out or says the CHILD is
in the _Passage_; and the _parturient Woman_ then finding these Parts
(as it were) scratch’d or prick’d with PINS, often groundlessly imagines
that her _MIDWIFE_ deals roughly by _Her_ with _Nails_ and _Fingers_;
whereas that _Pungency_ is only occasioned by a violent _Distension_, or
perhaps a _Laceration_, sometimes inevitably made, by the BULK of the
_Head_ of the _INFANT_.
HOWEVER that be, and whatever the _Woman_ may think or say, the
_MIDWIFE_ is only to mind her own Business, and discharge her Duty
faithfully upon this _CRISIS_; in order to which, it is now High Time
that she also place herself in a convenient _Posture_ to receive the
_BIRTH_: Which (when advanced as far as the _EARS_, or _thereabouts_)
she is to take gentle hold of, by _both Sides_ of the _HEAD_ with _both
Hands_; so that by this _Means_ she may be ready and able, against the
first _Onset_ of the next good PAIN, to draw forth the CHILD. In doing
whereof, she must take special _Care_ that the _NAVEL-STRING_ be not
entangled about the _Neck_, or any other _Part_, lest the _Secundine_ or
the _Womb_ itself thereby suffer Violence, and consequently cause either
_Flooding_, or break the _String_, which may render the _Case_ dangerous
and the _BIRTH_ difficult.
BUT in thus attracting the _INFANT_, the _MIDWIFE_ must carefully
observe, not to draw the _HEAD_ straight-forwards, but move it gently
from _Side to Side_, that the _Shoulders_ may the more readily and
easily take Place: For _these_ must immediately follow the _HEAD_
without _Loss of Time_, otherways the _BIRTH_ may be strangled in the
_Passage_ by the _WOMB_ shutting upon its _Neck_: To prevent which
_Tragical Catastrophe_, the Cunning Expert _MIDWIFE_ directly slides in
her _Fingers_ under the _Arm-Pitts_, and then draws discreetly the
_BODY_ forth without any Difficulty or Danger.
_THUS_, in fine, We have discreetly deliver’d our good _WOMAN_, in
_Case_ of a _Natural Easy Birth_; but on the other Side, in difficult
and _Preternatural Cases_, the several Conditions and Circumstances will
mightily differ from the Beginning; because in _these_ the _PAINS_ are
not always sufficient to produce the _BIRTH_. Hence it is sometimes more
convenient for the _WOMAN_ to be _Passive_, rather than _Active_;
especially when the POSITION of either the _Womb_, or the _Infant_ is
_Preternatural_: For then it is the _MIDWIFE’s_ whole Business to
_labour_ more than the _WOMAN_; then her ingenious TOUCH is of infinite
Service to the _PARTURIENT_, since by that only she can distinguish the
Degree of the _Ill Situation_ whether of the _CHILD_ or the _WOMB_.
Which being dextrously done, _She_ is in the next Place, prudently to
consider what kind of _POSTURE_, _Sitting_ or _Lying_, is most
convenient, that she may the _better_ discharge her own good _Office_
and _Duty_: Of which I shall treat more particularly in the following
respective _Chapters_; since it still remains here, by the way, that we
also deliver our above-mentioned _Woman_ of her AFTER-BIRTH, _&c._
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVIII.
_Of the Method of Extracting the SECUNDINE_,
&c.
AFTER all, to perfect or finish the _Woman’s DELIVERY_, it still remains
that _She_ be freed of her AFTER-BIRTH, or SECUNDINE. Now this I advise
to be done with all imaginable Speed, after the CHILD _is born_, even
before the _NAVEL-STRING_ is cut: Because the WOMB immediately
_contracts_ itself, so that _This_ cannot be accomplish’d afterwards
without great _Difficulty_.
HOWEVER, I know beforehand, that my Method of performing this Work,
which I am about to lay down, will be thought a strange _Innovation_ in
_Midwifery_; but without any regard to that, in speaking to this
_Point_, I shall _First_ suppose this _Body_ to be already loosen’d from
the WOMB; in which _Case_ the MIDWIFE has nothing to do, but to draw the
_STRING_ gently, which she holds in _One Hand_, twisted twice or thrice
around one or more of her _Fingers_, while she passes the _Other Hand_
into the WOMB, following always the _STRING_ (as her _Guide_) to the
Place where the BURTHEN lies: And where, as in this _Case_, it naturally
presents itself to the ORIFICE, _She_ stretches her _Hand_ up
length-ways, taking hold of it betwixt her _Fingers_; and thus, by the
Assistance of the _other Hand_ always attracting softly the _STRING_,
she brings it at last most commodiously away.
SECONDLY, I shall suppose, in the mean Time, this _Body_ to continue
_fixed_ to the WOMB, either in _Part_ or in _Whole_: In which _Case_, if
in _Part_, the MIDWIFE finding by the TOUCH the other _Loose Part_,
moves her _Hand thither_ betwixt _That_ and the WOMB, shaking or
stirring it gently _backwards_ and _forwards_, until such time as it is
entirely _loosen’d_, when she proceeds as _Before_: But if in _whole_,
and that it sticks very _Fast_, then the _MIDWIFE_ places her _Hindmost
Fingers_ on its _Exteriour Part_ against the WOMB, and her
_Fore-Fingers_ against the _Inside_; so that thus by pulling softly on
all _Sides_ quite round, it is easily _loosen’d_ and _extracted_ as
Above.
THIRDLY, I shall suppose this _SECUNDINE_ also (tho’ loosen’d
successfully) to be so very _Large_, that it cannot pass through the
_ORIFICE_: In this _Case_, I only desire my _deliver’d Woman_ to concur
with me, and behave herself as if she was forcing or expelling the
_CHILD_; for then whilst I at the same time gently attract the _STRING_,
it immediately follows.
I very well know that Mr. _Mauriceau_ and all _others_ either _in_ and
_before_ his Time, teach quite different _Methods_ of extruding the
_AFTER-BIRTH_; such as are by the _WOMAN’s blowing in her Fist, putting
her Finger in her Throat, and the like_; which when the _poor Patient_
has done, and stood them All out _ineffectually_, together with their
many other various _uncertain Experiments_ to no _Purpose_, and none of
them have succeeded (as it has often happen’d): Then at last, and not
till then, they direct the aforesaid _Method_ of the _HAND_ to be used.
But now-a-days, we know better Things than to run such indiscreet
_Risques_, when we may go a safer Way to work; or to make use of
_Uncertainties_, when we know more _Infallible Means_. As I shall, I
hope, make this _Method_ plainly appear to be; notwithstanding all the
great _Cautions_ of those Authors publish’d, and the Difficulties they
make of it in our Practice of _MIDWIFERY_: And that I will endeavour to
do from the following _Considerations_, viz.
I. IF after the BIRTH of the INFANT, the _Hand_ be presently pass’d into
the WOMB, it slips in together with Part of the _Arm_, as far as is
needful, without the least _Trouble_ or _Inconvenience_ to the WOMAN;
the WOMB as well as its ORIFICE continuing always, so long as _this_ may
be done, sufficiently _Open_: And thus the BIRTH maybe skilfully
accomplished or perfected, as it were, in an _Instant_; while _others_
(trying their vain _Projects_) spend many trifling _Hours_ about it, and
it is _ten to one_, if at last they succeed.
II. BY these means, moreover, I presently know whether there be _One_,
_Another_, or _More INFANTS_ to follow; whether there be a _dead CHILD_,
_false CONCEPTION_, or any _Foreign Body_ whatsoever, lodged in the
WOMB; whether any _Part_, or _Pieces_ of the SECUNDINE, or _Membranes_,
or _Lumps_ of _Clotted Blood_, be left behind and retain’d: All which I
propose to bring away either _before_, or _after_ the SECUNDINE, as
Occasion serves, with the greatest _Safety_ as well as _Expedition_.
III. AFTER having thoroughly searched on all _Sides_, and thus duly
cleans’d the WOMB, by continuing my _Hand_ in it, until it contracts
about that _Hand_, first _above_ towards the _Bottom_, and then _below_
towards the _Orifice_, which happens very quickly: I find myself _then_,
by great Experience, able to rectify all _Oblique_ and _Preternatural
Situations_ of the WOMB; as in _Case_ of a PROLAPSUS, (or _Falling
down_) I can hereby move it carefully _Up_ again: If it lies too much
_Backwards_, by elevating it while it gradually contracts, I can easily
bring it _Forwards_, to its _Natural Position_: If it hangs too much
_Forwards_, I can quickly reduce it _Backwards_: If it tends to _either
Side_, I can directly move it to its Center. And thus, in short, I hope
I may be allow’d gently and gradually to restore the WOMB to its
_Natural Place_ and _Posture_, how _Preternaturally_ and _Obliquely_
soever its _Situation_ may happen to be disorder’d.
NOW This being so successfully done, I can, in fine, assure and secure
any _Lying-in-Woman_, that her WOMB is both duly _purg’d_, and naturally
_shut_ again as it ought to be; which I take to be the greatest
_Satisfaction_ the CHILD-BED-WOMAN can conceive in her Condition.
Whereas,
IV. THEY who leave all these Things to mere NATURE, risque their
PATIENT’S future _Welfare_, and very often her _Life_ too, as
innumerable _Tragical Examples_ witness: For NATURE itself most
particularly requires our special _Assistance_ in this _Case_. But
(according to their indifferent _Notions_) it is _Time_ enough to assist
NATURE, when it is found _Deficient_; and then, in _Case_ of EXTREMITY,
they unanimously agree that there is no other way to help or save the
_Woman’s_ LIFE, but by this METHOD of _Manual Operation_. To which I
answer, that NATURE operates not in an _Instant_, but (in all _Cases_)
requires a competent _Time_, to discharge its respective _Functions_;
and being left too long to itself, for want of Help, is many a-time (by
intervening _Accidents_) found at last _Incapable_: Upon which, then
_They_, beginning their Endeavours to _second it_, generally come too
late. For if the _Case_ does not prove to be past all _Remedy_, it is at
least (by this _Protraction of Time_) often rendred not only
_difficult_, but also _desperate_; as will evidently appear in the _Case
in hand_, from what follows, _viz._
I. WHILE _They_ (conformable to the general and universal _Practice_ of
common _MIDWIVES_) expect the _Performance_ of NATURE, or the _Success_
of their _trifling Means_, in the mean time, the _Orifice_ of the WOMB
is so _closely shut up_, that in the space of an Hour or two, it cannot
be _penetrated_, without renovating the most severe racking PAINS to the
_Woman_, who (perhaps) has been sufficiently spent before, by the
DELIVERY of her INFANT, and is _now_ consequently incapable of standing
out the renew’d PANGS: whereby of course _She_ must succumb at last, and
_give up_ the _Ghost_, for want of _Timely Help_; as innumerable
_Instances_ confirm for an undeniable Truth. But,
II. SUPPOSING the _Woman_ to be able to undergo the _PAINS_, yet the
WOMB is however contracted, and the _SECUNDINE_ bound so close up, that
this _Body_, which before adher’d _Cake-ways_ to its _Bottom_ in a
_smooth_ and _broad Form_, is now so squeez’d into a _small_ and _long
Figure_, that it is even now a _Difficulty_ next to Impossible, to reach
the _Bottom_ of the WOMB, and still a _harder Task_ to extract an entire
_Secundine_, without prejudicing the WOMB.
III. THEY who altogether neglect _Manual Operation_, may (I confess)
sometimes _deliver_ their WOMAN, when _Success_ accidentally answers
their WISH: But without this _Mean_, they cannot possibly restore a
_prolaps’d_, _fallen-down_, or an _obliquely situated_ WOMB, to its
_natural Position_. No, to the Contrary, Nothing is more common among
ignorant unwary _MIDWIVES_, than to _invert_ and _draw down_ the
_Bottom_ of the WOMB itself, by pulling the _Navel-String_, as they
foolishly intend by _means_ of it only to extract the _SECUNDINE_.
Neither does the _Mischief_ always end here, but mistaking this _Body_,
when so found by their TOUCH, they immediately imagine it to be the
_Head_ of another INFANT; and persevering in this _false Conjecture_,
they manifestly expose the poor WOMAN to the Hazard of her _Life_.
Neither,
IV. POSSIBLY can _They_, without the _Use_ of the HAND, so cleanse the
WOMB of the _Reliques_ of the _SECUNDINE_, which may stick up and down
to the WOMB; or of the _Pieces_ or _Parts_ of the _Membranes_, which may
remain there; or of the _clotted Blood_, which commonly stays behind.
From hence therefore it necessarily follows, that (without the _Means_
of the HAND) _They_ cannot be Positive or Certain in any _Circumstance_,
relating to the _True State of the Woman_. _They_ can neither assure
Herself, nor those concern’d, that her WOMB is duly purged; if
(perchance) of the _SECUNDINE_, which they may guess at by the _Sight_,
yet not of the _Fragments_ of the _Membranes_, nor of the _clotted
Blood_, which they can never be certain of, but by this METHOD. I
mention these _Things_, because the _least Part_ of EITHER being
retain’d, or left _Behind_ in the WOMB, may cost the WOMAN her _Life_,
as innumerable _Precedents_ do testify. Nor,
V. CAN they possibly secure the _Woman_, that her _WOMB_ is _duly shut
and contracted_; much less can they (without these _Means_) affirm that
it is orderly _situated_ in its _proper natural_ CENTER: By the Neglect
or Fault of which _Condition_, she is not only rendred _Barren_
afterwards, but also most infirm all the Days of her _Life_.
BUT notwithstanding how _plain_ and _easy_ soever, I have endeavour’d to
make out the above-mention’d METHOD, I would over and above recommend
_It_ only to the _judicious_ and _well-qualify’d MIDWIFE_; by no Means
to those that are _ignorant_ in the _Parts_ of _GENERATION_, nor to any
_stiff clumsy-fisted Person_: And that for the _Two following Reasons_;
viz.
I. LEST the STRING (by some _Accident_ or other) should break, and she,
missing this _Guide_ to the _SECUNDINE_, should take _One Part_ for
_Another_, and consequently _dislodge_ the WOMB instead of the
AFTER-BIRTH; which has undoubtedly often happen’d by such blind DOINGS,
notwithstanding this very remarkable _Difference_ between _Them_, that
the _SECUNDINE_ distinguishes itself from the _Other_, by a great many
little _Inequalities_ on the Outside, occasion’d by the ROOTS of the
_Umbilical Vessels_. And,
II. LEST _she_ should unwarily either _break_, _tear_, or _scratch_ the
WOMB, with her _thick_, _fleshy_, _rough_, and _rigid_ HAND, or with her
_stiff_ and _crooked_ FINGERS: _Either_ of which _Accidents_, may give
ORIGIN to various _Misfortunes_; such as a PROLAPSUS, or _Falling-down_,
a _preternatural Flooding_, an _Inflammation_, or _Gangrene_, &c.
BUT we will now, in fine, suppose that the _Ingenuous MIDWIFE_ has after
All discharged her faithful _Duty_ in these Respects, with _Care_,
_Lenity_, and good _Conduct_, as well as with great _Art_ and
_Judgment_: In which _Case_, it only remains, that _she_ take the
necessary and usual _Care_ of the CHILD-BED-WOMAN and INFANT; as
hereafter will be directed in the respective _Chapters_ of _SECTION_
VIth, to come.
IN the mean Time, these curious _Things_ being thus amply premised in
this Place, the READER has no more superfluous _Repetitions_ to expect
concerning _them_ in the following _Performance_: And therefore with
these _Preliminaries_ I conclude my _Fourth SECTION_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. V.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of BIRTH._
MAN’s appointed Time may as reasonably allude to his _BIRTH_, as to his
_DEATH_: His _Days_ and his _Months_ (mentioned by holy JOB[158]) being
as much determin’d, _naturally_ speaking, in the _One_, as in the _other
Case_.
THE _INFANT_ thus being thoroughly ripen’d, and arrived to full
_Perfection_ of MATURITY, the _Hour_ approaches, in which it scorns any
longer _Confinement_ to such narrow Bounds. For the _Animal Spirits_
being discontented, for want of due _Liberty_ and free _Motion_; the
_Vitals_, for want of _Refrigeration_ and _Refreshment_; and the
_Natural Spirits_, for want of sufficient _Respiration_ and _Nutrition_:
_They_ all concur to make a _Commotion_, and (as it were) a victorious
_Revolt_ or an _Effort_ pushing for _CONQUEST_.
THE _INFANT_ being thus irritated, immediately shakes off its _Fetters_,
breaks the _Ligaments_, rents the _Membranes_, thrusts through the
_Enclosures_, and makes its most vigorous _Attempts_ to enlarge itself
from the _Prison_ of the WOMB, into that of the WORLD.
WHICH _Enlargement_ depends very much indeed upon _NATURE_, but more
particularly on the _Strength_ and _Vigour_ of the _INFANT_, seconded by
a peculiar _Faculty_ of the WOMB, that by degrees is drawn-in to
_Consent_, and _Endeavour_ to dislodge and expel its troublesome and
obstreperous _GUEST_.
NOW the _INFANT_, during the whole Time of _Gestation_, adhering to the
_WOMB_, by the _Umbilicals_, as the _Fruit_ does to the TREE by the
_Stalks_, upon this Occasion distends the _WOMB_, and having valiantly
turn’d itself, breaks the _Membranes_, and dissolves the _Acetabula_:
When also the _Orifice_ of the _WOMB_ is competently open’d; and _That_
(in _Avicenna_’s memorable Words[159]) at the Command of the great GOD.
Upon This the _Waters_ flow; the _Umbilicals_ parting from the _WOMB_
and their proper _Vessels_, and the _Veins_ and _Arteries_ of the
_SECUNDINE_ severing themselves, in like manner; As ripe _Fruit_, or the
_Leaves_ of TREES in _Autumn_ fall-off naturally, or break from their
proper _Stalks_.
THUS the _WOMB_, exerting its extensive and expulsive _Faculties_,
excludes the Legitimate _INFANT_: To which great _Work_ also, the
_Painful Labours_, and _Labouring Pangs_ of the _MOTHER_ (in the manner
they happen with the contracted _Spirits_, depress’d _Midriff_, and
compress’d _Muscles_ of the ABDOMEN) contribute not a little _Help_.
And, in short, this stupendous _Work_ or _Action_ is called _BIRTH_; and
is nothing else, but an _Exclusion_ of the _mature CHILD_.
WHICH _BIRTH_ proceeds either from _Causes_ of the _INFANT_, or from
_Causes_ of the _WOMB_: Of the _INFANT_, because through the strict
_Confinement_ of a narrow Place, and Defect[160] of _Aliment_, and
_Refrigeration_, It kicks and spurns for its EXIT: Of the _WOMB_,
because about that _Time_, being overloaded and aggrieved by the _Bulk_
and _Weight_ of the CHILD, it endeavours, by its own expulsive
_Faculty_, to disburthen itself, and propel or drive it forth to the
utmost of its Power. For——
AS it is the proper _Function_ of the STOMACH, to eject the _noxious
Humours_ by Vomit, and deject the _Natural Excrements_ into the
_INTESTINES_; as it is also the _Office_ of the _RECTUM_ to evacuate the
_Fæces_; as likewise the _Profusion of the Urine_ is the _Action_ of the
BLADDER; as again the _Extrusion_ of all _fuliginous Matters_ is the
_Work_ of the HEART and LUNGS; and as, at last, the _Effusion_ of the
_Genital_ SEED (in _Venery_) is the _Operation_ of the _Virile_
TESTICLES: So the _Exclusion_ of the _Mature FOETUS_ is the
_Eighth_[161] and last proper _Action_ of the _WOMB_; which is justly
deem’d the only _Primary Agent_ and _Active Cause_ of _BIRTH_, as the
excluded _FOETUS_ is the _Passive_.
BUT this _BIRTH_ is not always _Uniform_; for as it differs in _Time_,
so it does also in _Manner_: From hence we have with respect to the
TIME, _Legitimate_ and _Illegitimate BIRTHS_, which being already
discuss’d[162], I shall resume nothing by way of _Repetition_ in this
Place: And with respect to the MANNER, we have also two general SORTS,
namely, _Natural_ and _Preternatural BIRTHS_; which together with their
particular _Branches_, I am now to enter upon, without any farther
Digression.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of Natural BIRTHS._
BY a _Natural BIRTH_, I mean nothing else, but that which is perform’d
without any _ART_ or _Artificial Means_; which _BIRTH_ (of itself)
strictly observes the Order and Appointment of _Nature_: That is, in the
_INFANT_’s coming _Head foremost_, _Face downwards_, _Arms following_,
extended (along the _Sides_) strait _upwards_, towards the _Thighs_.
_HIPPOCRATES_’s _Reason_[163], in short, for the _CHILD_’s thus turning
and presenting itself, is very good; _viz._ Because of all the _Parts_,
the HEAD is the Heaviest about the Time of _BIRTH_, as appears more at
large from _Sect._ I. _Chap._ 10.
BUT besides this Argument, I believe Wise _Nature_ has also order’d it
_thus_; because _This_ indubitably is the most _safe_ and _easy Manner_
of _EXITION_ both for the _Mother_ and _Infant_: Insomuch that by all
other _Methods_ of _EXTRACTION_, _One_ or the _Other_, and sometimes
_Both Lives_ are, or may be, endanger’d, if not very dextrously
perform’d, according to the best Laws of Art and Judgment, as by and by
will more manifestly appear.
BUT because I have generally observ’d most _Authors_ to treat
promiscuously of _BIRTHS_, not only accounting some, which are really
_Natural_, to be _Preternatural_; but also both handling and writing of
them as _such_, only because attended with some difficult Circumstances:
I shall (in this place) take Leave to make an agreeable _Distinction_
betwixt the _different Sorts_ of _Natural BIRTHS_, in order to make
every thing the more clear and obvious to the _Conception_ of the
READER. Upon which Account therefore, I shall reduce _These_ to _two
Heads_, and that under the TITLES of _Natural Easy_, and _Natural
Difficult BIRTHS_.
THE _FIRST_ of which I include in this _Chapter_; but because in this
_Case_ (which I call a _Natural Easy BIRTH_), _Nature_ alone always
performs the _Work_, without any Help of _ART_ or _Artful Means_; and
because also the MIDWIFE (upon this Occasion) has but little or nothing
to do, save only to observe the concluding _Chapters_ of the last
preceding SECTION; and upon receiving the CHILD, immediately to manage
and provide both for the MOTHER and the INFANT according to their
several _Necessities_, as hereafter shall be inculcated in the
respective _Chapters_ of the next following SECTION: I say, for these
_Reasons_, I have no Room here to insist farther on this present HEAD;
wherefore I proceed in course to the _SECOND Sort_ of these _BIRTHS_.
Namely——
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of Natural Difficult BIRTHS._
THO’ indeed every _difficult Expulsion_ of the _INFANT_, from whatsoever
_Cause_ it may proceed, is verily a _Difficult BIRTH_; yet I shall here
distinguish a _difficult One_ from a _preternatural BIRTH_; not only
that I may thereby, the better avoid the _Confusion_ which others have
led themselves into, by treating of BOTH promiscuously, but also that my
_Method_ may tend the more to the peculiar Benefit and Advantage of the
Ingenious READER.
WHEREFORE I call that a _Difficult BIRTH_; where, notwithstanding the
_Figure_ and _Dimensions_ of the _CHILD_, answer in all respects to its
proper _natural Posture_, in a _Perpendicular_ WOMB, duly situated, yet
the _Exclusion_ of the _INFANT_, is retarded, by some certain
_Opposition_ or _Difficulty_. From hence proceeds the real _Difference_
between _This_ and the _Natural Easy BIRTH_, forasmuch as _This_ always
requires _less_ or _more_ skilful _Assistance_, according to various
Circumstances, and _That_ but _Little_ or _none at all_.
NOW the _Causes_ of _Difficult BIRTHS_ are very various, and according
to the _Nature_ of them, _This_ sometimes proves equally as dangerous as
the _Preternatural_; but when so it happens, I have commonly observed
the _Fault_ to be, for the most Part wholly owing to the arrogant
_MIDWIFE_, who either knew not how to remove the _Cause_ and facilitate
the _BIRTH herself_, or delay’d applying betimes to some _Abler Person_,
for the _Relief_ and _Safety_ of her Labouring _WOMAN_.
HENCE arises a Fundamental MAXIM, which I would lay down for a memorable
_Rule_ to all such IGNORANTS; that no _MIDWIFE_ ought to keep a WOMAN in
this Condition under her _Hands_ (especially in a _Place_ where
extraordinary _Help_ is to be had) any _longer_, than she finds the
_Advances_ of _BIRTH_ answer to the Proportion of _Time_ spent about it:
But forthwith she ought to deliver her up to the _Care_ of the more
Skilful and Judicious _Practiser_ in this ART. In which _Case_, of
_Compliance_ and _Condescension_, she is to be highly commended for her
tender _Care_, and cautious _Concern_; whereas upon acting contrary to
this good _Rule_ out of Pride or Obstinacy, and the _fatal Accident_
ensuing, I have known the _MIDWIFE_ to have been try’d for her _Life_ in
the City of _Venice_.
BUT that I may render every thing _Plain_ and _Easy_ to the
_Apprehension_ of the weakest READER, by reason that the _Causes_ of
_Difficult BIRTHS_ are both _different_ and _numerous_, I shall again
reduce them to _Two_ CLASSES; namely, _External_ and _Internal_: The
_External_, I shall include in the next following _Chapter_; but the
_Internal Causes_, requiring a more Curious and Extensive
_Dilucidation_, may (I hope) be pertinently divided into a _Three-fold
Difference_; viz. _Causes_ of the MOTHER, of the INFANT, and of the
PASSAGES; which I propose to handle particularly, all in their due
_Order_. But _First_,
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from External Causes._
IN all _difficult Cases_, the CURE or _Remedy_ chiefly depends upon the
certain _Knowledge_ of the _Nature of the Case_, and the _Cause_ of the
_Difficulty_: Since (according to _Celsus_[164], that noble _Roman
Physician_) it is not to be suppos’d that _He_ should know how to
_remedy Diseases_, who knows not their _Original Causes_.
FOR as in other _Cases_, so also in _MIDWIFERY_, the _Cause_ being
known, the _Difficulty_ is easily remov’d; but especially when it only
proceeds from _External Causes_, it requires no great ART, save only the
_MIDWIFE_’S particular _Notice_ and discreet _Animadversion_.
AS, _FIRST_, for Instance, in _Case_ of any _Difficulty_, occasion’d by
an _Intemperature_, or inclement _Constitution_ of WEATHER and AIR; the
more adverse or inclement the WEATHER is, the more tender _Care_ ought
to be taken of the _Labouring Woman_: Namely, in SUMMER, when the _Heat_
scorches so much as to dissipate the _Woman’s Strength_, she ought to
LABOUR in a _Ground-Chamber_ backwards, which may be strewed (for the
Purpose) with _Vine_ or _Willow-Leaves_, _Rose-Water_, and a little
_Vinegar_; as it is customary in _hot Countries_.
IN WINTER, when the _Cold_ pinches so as to condense and astringe the
WOMB and the _Passages_, she ought to LABOUR in an _Upper-Room_, kept
moderately warm with one continued _Fire_; the _MIDWIFE_ rubbing gently
the _Hypogastrick_ and _Ischiatick Regions_ every now and then with hot
_Cloathes_.
IN SPRING and FALL, when parching dry _Weather_, with _North_ and _East
Winds_ most abound, the _MIDWIFE_ ought not only to rub these _Inferiour
Regions_ with hot _Cloaths_; but also to qualify the _Influences_ of the
_Siccid AIR_, by anointing the _Passages_ with proper _Unguents_.
A SECOND _External Cause_ may proceed from the _Passions_ of the Will or
Mind, as it often does from _Fear_ and _Despair_, _Dejection_ and
_Pusillanimity_: In which _Case_, it is the _MIDWIFE_’s Duty to
encourage her WOMAN by the Hopes of a _Speedy DELIVERY_, and doing well
under GOD’s Blessing. When the Cause arises from _Anger_ or _Sorrow_,
these are to be assuaged by the repeated _Christian Exhortations_, and
_Friendly Admonitions_ of the MIDWIFE and GOSSIPS. When it comes from
_Pride_ and _Obstinacy_, as has been the _Case_ of some _Lofty Women_;
who (deeming themselves too good, to be treated after the _common
Course_ of Mankind) have refused to undergo or permit the proper
_Means_, absolutely necessary for their own _Relief_; THIS ought to be
severely check’d by the _Company_, especially by the _nearest Friends_;
the MIDWIFE (by proper _Remonstrances_) convincing her to her Shame of
her obstinate SIN. When it proceeds, in fine, from _Bashfulness_ or too
strict a _Modesty_, she may be justly reprehended of _Folly_; for no
Woman of good SENSE (how _Modest_ and _Virtuous_ soever) will expose her
own _Life_ or her INFANT’s to _Danger_, for the trifling _Fancies_ or
_Caprices_ of her own vain Imagination, especially in a _Case_ where
_like things happen to All_ equally of Flesh and Blood.
BUT when it happens to proceed from the _Woman_’s being ill-affected, or
owing a private _Grudge_ or _Hatred_ to any in the _Company_, (as I once
knew it to be the _Cause_ of a difficult and lingring _BIRTH_) _She_
ought to speak her Mind freely, at least to her _MIDWIFE_; who ought to
give the _Person_ civil Notice to retire forthwith, for certain Reasons,
_&c._
A THIRD _External Cause_ of a _difficult BIRTH_ may proceed from a
_wrong Position_, or other _sinistrous Methods_ taken to assist the
WOMAN: In which _Case_, such _Inconveniencies_ are to be alter’d, and
better _Measures_ practis’d; for _thus_ the _Cause_ being removed, the
_BIRTH_ differs in Nothing from _That_ of the _Natural Easy Case_.
WHENCE I come, in the next Place, to speak of _Difficult BIRTHS_,
proceeding from _Internal Causes_; and because they are _Three-fold_, as
has been before observed, I shall assign them as many respective
_Chapters_, treating of _Each_ in their due Order, as mentioned.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from Causes of the MOTHER._
IN _this_ (as in the _former Case_) the MIDWIFE must use her most acute
and nicest _Judgment_, to find out the particular _Cause_ of the
_Difficulty_. Which being done,
I. IF _She_ finds it arises from the WOMAN’s being too _Young_, or too
_Old_, of her _first Child_, or too _Lean_ at last; _she_ is to anoint
the _Passages_ with proper _Unguents_, which ought to be done some time
_before_, as well as in the _Hour_ of _LABOUR_: When _she_ is likewise
to employ her _subtile Hand_, in assisting and augmenting the
_Dilatation_ of the _Orifice_; as is requisite also in _Case_ of the
WOMAN being too _Fat_ or _Gross_.
II. IF the WOMAN be too _small_, _short_, _crooked_, or _misshaped_, not
having a _Breast_ strong enough to forward and bear down her _PAINS_; or
if she be over _tender_, _sensible_, and _apprehensive_ of _PAIN_; or
too _weak_, and not _able_ to contribute or assist by her own forcing
_Endeavours_; or _short-winded_, and not capable to constrain her
_Spirits_ downwards: In all these _Cases_ she is to be kept _upright_,
for the more free _Respiration_, as well as for encreasing her _PAINS_,
_standing_ or _walking_ about the Room, according to her _Strength_,
being supported under her _Arms_, and not put to BED until at least the
_WATERS_ are broke. But, in the mean Time, the _weak_ and _tender_ WOMAN
ought to be now and then comforted and refreshed with _fresh soft Eggs_,
good _Broths_, _Jellies_, a little _Wine_ and _Toast_, a little _Wine_
and _Water_, or such like convenient _Things_, as well as with the
_Hopes_ of a _speedy_ DELIVERY.
III. WHEN the _PAINS_ are not _Natural_ or _Genuine_; but _Spurious_,
_Faint_ and _Languid_; or _Shifting_ and _Tergiversant_; such are to be
assuaged by proper _Lenitives_ and _Anodynes_; which being regularly
done, the _Genuine Pains_ may be excited by proper _Clysters_, and
divers other Means. But I would advise none to a _Profuse Use_ of
_MEDICINES_ in such _Cases_, since I well know that many a WOMAN has
lost her _Life_ by using _dolorifick Medicines_, prescribed by imprudent
_MIDWIVES_, without considering, or so much as knowing the true
Circumstances of the _Condition_: Whereas in most _Cases_, by the
ingenious _Motion_ of an _Experienc’d Hand_ only, the PAINS may be
sufficiently awaken’d, and the BIRTH safely promoted.
IV. WHEN the _Difficulty_ proceeds from the _Debility_ of the WOMB, or
its _Expulsive Faculty_, not being able or capable to _Exclude_ the
_INFANT_, because of a more strong and valid _Retentive Power_: In this
_Condition_, if there be no evident _External Cause_ to be obviated, it
depends chiefly upon the _Subtile Hand_ of the _MIDWIFE_, to assist the
WOMB in its _Function_; and otherways the _PATIENT_ is only to be
treated as in the _Case_ of the _weak_ and _tender_ WOMAN
above-mentioned.
V. WHEN the WOMAN is taken with any _Acute Disease_, the _BIRTH_ is to
be prompted by all safe _Means_; and if a _Natural DELIVERY_ does not
presently succeed, an _Artificial_ one must (without Loss of _Time_) be
undertaken. As in the _Case_ of immoderate and continual _Floodings_,
with concomitant _Convulsions_, which always proceed from the Separation
of the _SECUNDINE_ (either in whole or in part) from the WOMB, and
happen many different ways, as already mentioned at large[165].
IN these _Cases_, especially if the SECUNDINE is found (by the TOUCH) at
the _Orifice_, there is no Hope of _Stopping_ them by any other _Means_,
than by _delivering_ the WOMAN; which now the _sooner_ done, the
_better_ (for saving two _Lives_) and _that_ whether at full time of
_Reckoning_ or not. But this _Operation_, I conceive, is to be most
discreetly _Undertaken_ in the manner following, _viz._
THE _Woman_ is to be placed in BED, with the _Upper_ and _Lower_ Part of
her Body almost _equal_, then the MIDWIFE is gently and gradually to
introduce her _Fingers_ into the _Orifice_, dilating it cautiously with
_one_ or _two_, until she can enter them _All_; when opening the MATRIX
by Degrees, she gets in her _Whole Hand_, and thereby _first_ carefully
tears the _Membrane_ with her _Nails_, if the _WATERS_ are not
previously broke: Then she puts her _Hand_ in the same _Membrane_ to the
INFANT’s _Feet_, seeking them in their _Place_, where they are to be
found, when they don’t present themselves at _First_: Because, the
_Hold_ by the _FEET_ being _Better_, it is more easy to _deliver_ by
_Them_, in this Case, than by the _HEAD_, or any _other Part_. After
_this_ the _FEET_ being found, the CHILD is easily _turn’d_, as long as
the WOMB is loose and slippery, and the _Humours_ not quite flown off;
which being nicely done, the _FEET_ are to be drawn out _both together_,
if possible; but if otherways, _they_ must be drawn down _separately_,
with _great_ Caution: And so being conjoin’d or held fast together, they
are to be drawn forward with _one Hand_, whilst the _other_ is
circumspectly thrust towards the _Knees_ or _Buttocks_ of the CHILD, in
order thereby to turn also the whole Body of the INFANT, so that its
_Face_, _Belly_, and _Toes_ may tend downwards towards the _RECTUM_.
IN this _Posture_ the CHILD may be gently and gradually extracted with
Ease; next the _SECUNDINE_ must be fetch’d away in its Turn, and lastly
the WOMB is to be thoroughly cleans’d of all _heterogeneous_ Bodies, as
formerly directed[166]. And thus the WOMB (having yielded up its
_Contents_) immediately contracts, by which _MEANS_ of divine
Appointment, the Vessels close and shut firmly, and consequently the
_FLUX_ ceases, together with all the concomitant _SYMPTOMS_.
BUT it is to be well remembred, that this _Operation_ ought to be
_timely_ perform’d; that is, before the WOMAN has lost too much _Blood_,
or is too much spent; in which _Condition_ such a painful Attempt would
but accelerate her _Death_. As to her _Regimen_ next, upon this
melancholy Occasion, _She_ must be duly provided for _beforehand_, that
she may be able to undergo and stand out such an extream difficult
_DELIVERY_; and afterwards, that she may recruit her _Spirits_, and
retrieve her exhausted _Strength_: For which Purposes, she ought to be
supplied from time to time with some good _Broths_, _Jellys_, and a
little generous _Wine_, smelling continually _Rose-Vinegar_, and
applying repeated warm _Toasts_ dipt in _Wine_ (in which _Cinnamon_ has
been infus’d or boil’d) to the _Region_ of her HEART, as also _Napkins_
dipt in a Mixture of _Water_ and _Vinegar_ about her REINS, in order for
turning the _Course_ of the FLUX.
THESE Things being all duly and artfully perform’d, the PATIENT (under
God) will soon _recover_ and be _in Statu quo_. Now _These_, in short,
are all the _principal_ and most common _Causes_ of _difficult_ BIRTHS
proceeding from the part of the MOTHER; which being thus discussed with
all Brevity, I go on to——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS proceeding from Causes of the INFANT._
IT sometimes also happens, that the _Difficulty_ in LABOUR arises from
the INFANT: And _that FIRST_ when _Two_ or _More_ strive for _Priority_
in _BIRTH_.
NOW this _Condition_ the MIDWIFE can no otherways distinguish or
discover, but by the TOUCH; and when the _one_ is more _forward_ than
the _other_, ’tis not to be done or known, until she has even _touch’d_
the very _Fund_ of the WOMB: Because sometimes it so happens, that _One_
CHILD has its _Hands_ and _Feet_ so intermix’d, that whatever way _She_
turns her _Hand_, she finds _Legs_ or _Arms_, _Hands_ or _Feet_, which
often deceives MIDWIVES, believing there are _TWINS_. But in this
perplex’d _Case_ the most sure and only certain _Sign_, is, when she
feels _two Heads_ or _two Backs_; for then she cannot be Mistaken, since
_one Body_ cannot have _two Heads_, unless it be a MONSTER, which may be
soon discover’d by feeling if the _double Head_ be fix’d to _one_ and
the _same Body_.
BUT in the _Case_ of _TWINS_ or _more Children_ (as long as they come
right) the DELIVERY is perform’d, as if the _Woman_ had but ONE, in the
_Natural Case_ already Stated; so that I shall repeat or recapitulate
Nothing of what I have said, only that the AFTER-BIRTH, or BIRTHS are
not to be _touch’d_, until all the _CHILDREN_ are Born: Upon which
drawing gently the _Navel Strings_ (in their Turns) with the _One Hand_,
the _Other_ brings them forth easily and orderly; as is set forth more
fully in SECT. IV. _Chap._ 18.
A SECOND _difficult LABOUR_ may proceed from the _Weakness_ and
_Debility_ of the INFANT, or from its being too _Small-grown_; in which
_Case_, both the WOMAN and the MIDWIFE are to use their best mutual
_Endeavours_ to promote the _BIRTH_, since the _CHILD_ can do little or
nothing for itself, and the _Less_ it is, the less it is affected with
the _THROWS_ of the _Mother_, and the less _Impression_ her Impulses
make upon it: Whereupon _Nature_ is to be assisted in this weak
_Condition_ by all convenient _Means_, whereof _THAT_ of the _Agile_ or
_Nimble Hand_ is the most effectual.
A THIRD _difficult BIRTH_ may proceed from the INFANT’s being too _Big_;
In which Place I must previously apprize the _READER_, that I no ways
mean a _MONSTER_ or _Hydropical CHILD_, but only _One full_, _well_, or
_Big-grown_, which is only reckoned too _Big_ in regard of the _Maternal
Passages_, which may be too _Small_ in Proportion.
IN this _Case_, there is an absolute Necessity for _Manual Assistance_,
since the PAINS (however penetrating or forcible) cannot effect the
_Work_. But and if the _INFANT_ is fallen down (well turn’d) into the
PELVIS, the MIDWIFE using her best and most skilful Endeavours to
_dilate_ the _Passages_ below near the OS COCCYGIS, the CHILD may be
easily brought forth (without any dangerous _Instrument_) by her
dextrous _Hand_ only accomplishing the _Work_. In the mean Time,
however, it is to be minded always, that _This_ is still more safely and
commodiously done by the FEET, than by the HEAD, after carefully
dilating the OS COCCYGIS, taking this Opportunity in the beginning of
the LABOUR, before the _INFANT_ is too much press’d down into the
PELVIS.
NOW _these_ are, in fine, the most common _Causes_ on the Part of the
_INFANT_, whence I come to touch upon _difficult BIRTHS_, proceeding
from _Causes_ of the _Passages_; which, because they are various, I
subdivide into a _Fivefold Diversity_; viz. _Difficult BIRTHS_,
proceeding from _Causes_ of the MEMBRANES, from _Causes_ of the PELVIS,
from _Causes_ of the BONES of the PELVIS, from _Causes_ of the BLADDER
and RECTUM, and from _Causes_ of the VAGINA: And because all these
require to be singularly explain’d, and particularly insisted upon, I
shall assign them as many respective _Chapters_. And _First_——
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from Causes of the MEMBRANES._
SUCH _Difficulties_ as These, in _BIRTH_, may arise, _FIRST_ from the
_Strength_ and _Firmness_ of the MEMBRANES; when they happen to be so
_gross_, _callous_, or _thick_, that the _INFANT_ cannot easily break
through them.
In this _Case_, when the _MIDWIFE_ finds the _Orifice_ of the WOMB
sufficiently dilated, for the _Circumference_ of the HEAD, and the CHILD
so forward in the _Passage_, that it is ready for _BIRTH_, and only
impeded by the rigid or stiff MEMBRANE; then _she_ has just Authority to
break it gently with her _Nails_ and _Fingers_; taking Care in the ACT
not to draw the MEMBRANE towards _her_, because thereby the SECUNDINE
(of which the MEMBRANE, tho’ distinguish’d from the PLACENTA, is in
Effect, but the _Thinner Part_) would be untimely separated from the
WOMB, and the _INFANT undone_, unless presently _Born_.
BUT the _MIDWIFE_, after All, must always remember, not to attempt
_This_, before these mentioned _Signs_ are obvious to her TOUCH;
otherways the WATERS being too soon discharged, the _CHILD_ is left
behind, the _Passages_ grow dry, and _that_ which might have been an
_Easy_ and _Speedy_, proves a _Difficult_ and _Lingring BIRTH_.
AND the self-same _Consequences_ arise from the _Weakness_ and _Tenuity_
of the _MEMBRANES_; when they are so _thin_ and _soft_, that they break,
and the WATERS (which are destin’d to lubricate and moisten the
_Passages_) flow before their Time: In both which _Cases_, the _Office_
of the WATERS must be supply’d by proper _Fomentations_, and _Oils_,
which (however costly) falls far short of the _Effect_ of what is so
_Natural_. However, in short, neither of these _Conditions_, under the
diligent _Hand_ of the expert MIDWIFE, can differ far from the _Case_ of
an _Easy BIRTH_, as already defin’d; wherefore I proceed regularly to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from the Causes of the PELVIS._
DIFFICULT _BIRTHS_ on part of the _Passages_, happen frequently, because
of some perverse _Form_ of the _PELVIS_, in these Respects; as by its
being either too _Large_, too _Narrow_, or too _Smooth_. But that I may
be the better understood in this Matter: _FIRST_, by a _PELVIS_ too
_large_, I mean such an _One_, as is so in comparison with the WOMB or
INFANT; in which _Condition_, as the Womb can neither be firmly _fix’d_,
compactly _inclos’d_, or duly supported, so neither can the HEAD of the
_Infant_ and the _WATERS_ be exactly depressed upon the _Orifice_: Hence
it often happens, that (besides the MIDWIFE’S careful _Hand_) the
_Privities_ are the best, if not the only _Defence_, against both the
WOMB and the CHILD’S falling out of the Body.
SECONDLY, By a _PELVIS_ too _small_, I mean, _such_ an _One_ as is so,
in Consideration of the SIZE of the whole Body; in which _Condition_,
the _INFANT_ commonly answering to that _Proportion_, its _Head_ can by
no Possibility pass thro’ the _PELVIS_, in a WOMB well seated, without
great _Force_, by which Means the WOMB may be easily turn’d _obliquely_:
And thus consequently the _Smallness_ of the _PELVIS_, may sometimes
prove the _Cause_ of a _Preternatural_, as well as of a _Difficult
BIRTH_; and not only so, but also the _Death_ of both the _MOTHER_ and
_CHILD_ may ensue thereupon, unless timely deliver’d by an _Artful
Hand_.
THIRDLY, By a _PELVIS_ too _smooth_, I mean such an _One_, whose
_Distance_ betwixt the _OSSA PUBIS_ and the prominent Part of the _OS
SACRUM_ is too _narrow_; in which _Condition_, tho’ the WOMB be well
placed, it cannot admit the _Head_ (especially if large and well-grown)
without great _Difficulty_: And this _smooth PELVIS_ may also very
easily turn the WOMB (either way) _obliquely_, and consequently prove of
the same dangerous consequential _Effect_ with the preceeding _Case_.
HENCE (I think) it evidently appears, how necessary it is that all
_MIDWIVES_ should not only know the _Form_ and _Size_ of the _PELVIS_,
but also the _Situation_ and _Connexion_ of its BONES, as already
describ’d at large[167], that _she_ may thereby the better distinguish
the _Circumstances_ by plainly discerning the _Causes_, and judge
accurately of the _Position_ of both the _WOMB_ and the _INFANT_; so
that in the beginning of the LABOUR, she may immediately discover how
the PELVIS and its _Entrance_ is form’d, whether _Large_ or _Narrow_,
_Smooth_ or _Round_.
FOR this Reason, the _first Thing_ that the _MIDWIFE_ ought to do, when
she comes to a _Woman_ in LABOUR, is to try by the TOUCH, how all is
circumstantiated, with respect to these Things; and _This_ is to be done
before the _WOMB_ and the _CHILD_ are fallen down into the PELVIS, that
she may contrive her _Work_ accordingly. Because sometimes the
_Exclusion_ of the _INFANT_, is to be hoped for, from the PAINS only;
sometimes _Nature_ is to be prudently assisted; sometimes there is an
absolute Necessity for _extracting_ the CHILD (without loss of Time) by
an _Artful Hand_, as will hereafter more clearly appear; and sometimes
again the same Necessity obliges us to _protract_ the _BIRTH_, than we
may save _One_ or _Both Lives_: As in the _Case_ of a _smooth_ PELVIS,
the OS PUBIS and the VERTEBRÆ of the SACRUM being but little distant,
the CHILD’s _Head_ is stopped; when if the MOTHER should labour much, or
endeavour to force an expeditious _BIRTH_, its tender _Head_ (of course)
must suffer in proportion; Or perhaps the BRAIN may break, by so hard a
_Pressure_ against the _Bones_; or, finally (which is worse) it may be
so closely squeez’d between the _Bones_, that both the _MOTHER_ and the
_INFANT_ may peradventure die, before any _BIRTH_ can possibly succeed
or come happily into the World.
BUT in this critical _Condition_, the WOMAN is to _labour_ gently, and
bear her _PAINS_ (how violent soever) patiently; the _MIDWIFE_ always
directing the _Head_, at the same time by her safe _Hand_, into the
_larger Space_; by which _Means_ at last, it passes gradually through
that _narrow Passage_ without the least _Danger_.
THE same also is the _Condition_ when the _PELVIS_ is too _small_ or
_narrow_; for by the _Woman_’s labouring gently and deliberately, the
_Head_ is depressed softly into an _oblique Figure_, and passes easily
by Degrees: Whereas, on the other hand, if it is forced by _Violence_,
it becomes _flat_ and _broad_, and consequently incapable of _Passing_,
if not also _dash’d to Pieces_, as aforesaid.
HENCE we clearly see, how easily _Ignorance_ in this Point, may lead
common MIDWIVES into the grossest of _Mistakes_; For what is more
ordinary with them, even in all _Cases_, than to advise the WOMAN to
_strong Labour_, and to force her to _violent Depressions_: Insomuch
that SOME have _Arrogance_ enough to carry their BOTTLES or POWDERS
about them, of which they neither know the _Quality_ nor _Virtue_;
taking them only as they are told (by the confident QUACKS or _Mercenary
Hands_ which vend them) that they may encrease and promote the PAINS of
Labour, and _This_ without having any regard to the _Form_ of the
PELVIS, or the _Position_ of either the _WOMB_, or the _INFANT_.
IN short, the mature _Consideration_ of this very CASE, was not the
least _Motive_ which induced me to the WORK in Hand; since I cannot but
heartily commiserate so many fine delicate WOMEN, as are _thus_ every
day miserably handled, tormented, and exhausted, by the _preposterous
Management_ of such indiscreet and imprudent _MIDWIVES_. I may well say
_exhausted_, or _worn-out_; _This_ being too evident, from the vast
Number of most beautiful _Women_, who, by this ill-manag’d _Condition_,
(notwithstanding they have all along heretofore, enjoy’d a good State of
_Health_, together with the _Affluence_ of other Worldly _Blessings_)
have been more dejected and broken both in _Complexion_ and
_Constitution_, after _one_ or _two BIRTHS_, than some _others_
(judiciously and expertly _delivered_) have been after _Twenty_: Such is
the great _Difference_ betwixt the unskilful _Hands_ or _Conduct_ of
common MIDWIVES, and those Dextrous TOUCHES or ingenious _Operations_ of
the more judicious _Andro-Boethogynists_. Whence I come in Course to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from Causes of the Bones of the
PELVIS._
THE READER may easily conceive, by the way, that _these_ are neither to
be made _bigger_ or _lesser_ by ART; notwithstanding which, by using
them _Skilfully_, and treating them _Judiciously_, many a _Difficult
BIRTH_ may not only be prevented, but also many a LIFE saved, as will
manifestly appear from what follows.
NOW the _Bones_, upon which the Success of the _BIRTH_ chiefly depends,
are the OS COCCYGIS, and the Point of the SACRUM; which sometimes bend
too much _inwards_, and thereby obstruct and render the PASSAGE so
_narrow_, that no _BIRTH_ can possibly succeed. And again, It sometimes
happens, that the _INFANT_ falling down into the _PELVIS_, and
presenting itself _Head foremost_, is oppos’d and stopped there by the
OS COCCYGIS: As it also sometimes falls out, that the _Shoulders_ stick
fast against the _Edge_ of these BONES; or the _Buttocks_ falling down
and offering themselves _first_, may be so fastened or affixed to them,
that they can never be _extracted_.
THESE Misfortunes may proceed from _Either_ of these two different
_Causes_; viz. Either from the _Grossness_ or large _Size_ of these
_Parts_ of the INFANT, or from the _Narrowness_ of the _PELVIS_,
occasion’d by an ill _Position_ of its _Bones_, particularly of the OS
COCCYGIS; which _Bone_ when the _Head_ cannot make it yield or move,
neither can it then possibly reach the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, to dilate
it sufficiently: And, in short, if the _Head_ cannot effect this
_essential Point_, much less can the _Buttocks_, or any other _Part_ be
supposed capable of doing it.
BUT in all the above-mentioned _Cases_, I am sensible, that most
_MIDWIVES_ (not knowing better) ascribe the whole _Difficulty_ to the
_Orifice_ of the WOMB and the VAGINA; upon which they ignorantly fall
atearing and dilating both the _One_ and the _Other_, (never minding the
_Point_ of the SACRUM); and finding _these Orifices_ but little
_open’d_, notwithstanding the frequent _Repetition_ of very severe
_PAINS_, they imagine that their substantial _Hardness_ or _Thickness_
is the only CAUSE: So that therefore (without regarding any _adjacent
Part_) they go on violently dilacerating sometimes the _Mouth_ of the
WOMB, and sometimes _That_ of the _PRIVITIES_, (as I have found it by
Experience) quite to the RECTUM. For such is their _Stupidity_ in this
Condition of LIFE (as _Daventer_ well observes) that whilst they _thus_
tear and rend the WOMAN to _Pieces_ in a manner, they allow her to sit
over and above with the _Point_ of the OS SACRUM, upon her _Seat_ or
_Bed_; or in some other wrong _Posture_, which so presses and confines
the OS COCCYGIS at the same Time, that neither of _these_ can move: Not
minding at all that the chief _Pressures_ and _Impulses_ of the HEAD,
must first bear upon the OS COCCYGIS in order to remove it, before it
can effect the _Dilatation_ of the _Orifice_ or _Mouth_ of the WOMB.
Thus they spend the WOMAN’s _Strength_ in vain, break her _Spirits_, and
ruin her _Constitution_ thro’ Ignorance; whilst a capable _Person_,
administring seasonable and judicious _Help_, according to the
Circumstances of the _Case_, refreshes _Nature_, renews _Strength_,
gives _Courage_, and fills the (otherways languishing and despairing)
_WOMAN_, with _Hopes_ and _Assurances_ of a happy _DELIVERY_.
IN short, the True _Method_ of _Delivering_ and helping the WOMAN
conveniently, in the different _Conditions_ contain’d in this _Chapter_,
depends entirely upon _repelling_ or thrusting back the _Point_ of the
OS SACRUM, together with the OS COCCYGIS. I say (therefore) the whole
_Point_ of the OS SACRUM, and that _Fleshy Part_ lying about it, is to
be _thrust back_ and _dilated_, so that the _Passage_ may be
sufficiently opened for the INFANT to pass through; which patent
_Dilatation_ is to be promoted by _pressing_ also _back_ the OS
COCCYGIS. Now these Things, in short, may be all done cautiously without
creating any intense _Pain_, or the least Damage; and _thus_ the
obstructed _Passage_ being clear’d and open’d, the BIRTH advances
regularly of Course, and the _CHILD_ is born with the greatest _Ease_,
in the Space of a few Minutes: Whereas otherways (without the Use of
these _Means_) both its _Own_ and the MOTHER’s _Destiny_ may be
precarious or uncertain after some _Days_ LABOUR.
THUS it is certain, that by assisting a _Woman_ in LABOUR seasonably and
skilfully, her _PAINS_ are happily excited and encreased; whereas, on
the contrary, by _imprudent Treatment_ they unhappily cease and vanish,
to her great Prejudice. Moreover, daily _Experience_ teaches us, that
the very _different_ TOUCHING of Things, occasions different
_Sensations_; and from thence it is, that the _dextrous MIDWIFE_ knows
by _one_ way of TOUCHING, how to promote the _PAINS_ of _Labour_; and by
_another_, how to retard or put them off according as the Necessity of
the _Case_ requires; which hereafter will appear more at large.
BUT that we may more particularly satisfy such _MIDWIVES_, of our
_Method_ of repressing these BONES, and _Delivering_ the _WOMAN_ in the
abovesaid _Cases_; I must add, that, after placing the _PATIENT_ in the
most convenient _Posture_ for a _WOMAN_ in _Labour_, as before fully
enjoin’d[168], I would direct _Her_ to be _supported_ by two Women, and
mov’d so far off the BED or COUCH, that the _Point_ of the OS SACRUM may
be free to yield or give way _backwards_, without any the least
_Impediment_: Then I would pass my whole _Hand_ at once (being first
well anointed or dipp’d in _Oil_) into the _VAGINA_, and from thence (if
the _Head_ will admit it) into the _WOMB_, as occasion should require:
where, upon opening my _Hand broad_, that it may press equally every
where, I turn the _PALM upwards_, and the _BACK downwards_ against the
_RECTUM_, and the _OS SACRUM_: Thus I extend my _Fingers_ as far as
possible to the _Head_, thrusting it a little _backwards_, rather than
hinder my _Hand_ from being firmly placed against the OS COCCYGIS: Upon
my _Hand_ being thus properly placed, as soon as the _PAIN_ begins to
threaten (which I commonly perceive before the _WOMAN_) I advise her, to
make good Use of the approaching _Pains_, in order to _Labour_ mutually,
and depress with all her Power, promising her my most faithful
_Assistance_: By which Time, as soon as the PAINS have seiz’d her, and
she doing her _Part_, I press my HAND _backwards_, first _softly_, and
by degrees more _strongly_, against the _Point_ of the SACRUM, bringing
it at the same time gradually _downwards_, that I may thereby make Room
for the _Head_ sliding the same way; so that the more _severe_ the
_PAINS_ are, the more I depress still, and the _harder_ I press down
with _Effectual PAIN_, the more vigorously and successfully the _WOMAN_
is able to _Labour_.
THUS I enlarge the _Passage_ with great Moderation, so that the INFANT’s
_Head_ succeeds or follows my _Hand_, as I bring it by little and little
_back_ again; and this adviseable _Method_ I would reiterate as often as
the _Case_ should require, always encouraging my _WOMAN_, by the most
obliging Words: Upon which _She_ suffering no _PAIN_ in vain, finds
immediate _Relief_, recovers her _Strength_, recollects her _Spirits_,
and by jointly _labouring_ her _Best_ with all her Force and Might, at
last produces her CHILD with Comfort and Satisfaction, whilst I
congratulate her upon the Success of being a _joyful MOTHER_.
BUT supposing by the way, that the _INFANT_ offers its _Buttocks_ first,
they being neither so _round_ nor _hard_ as the _HEAD_, I would then
intrude all my _Fingers_ into the WOMB more easily; some of which (or
sometimes _All_) I would pass into the _Orifice_ of the WOMB under the
_Buttocks_ as before into the _VAGINA_. Now my _HAND_ being placed
there, I intently observe the _PAINS_ as they come on; then inviting the
_Woman_ to _Labour_, I gradually press _backwards_ as hard as I can
conveniently, drawing my _HAND downwards_ as before: But if in
attracting it so, the _HAND_ should slide too much out of the WOMB,
(which however I endeavour to prevent) while the _PAINS_ are yet upon
her; then as soon as they are over, I pass it up again, that I may be
ready against their _Return_. And _this_ I would reiterate upon every
_PAIN_, so that the CHILD (guided by my _HAND_) may slide down at every
Turn, until at last the _Passage_ is so dilated, that it may advance
gradually with _ease_ into the World.
BY these judicious _Means_; forcing back the _OS COCCYGIS_ by the
_Pressure_ of the _HAND_, as the _PAINS_ come on, I may not only dilate
the _Passage_, and enlarge the _Orifice_ of the WOMB; but also upon
retracting the _HAND_ by degrees, I can gradually attract the _CHILD_
out of the WOMB, through the _Narrowness_ of the _PELVIS_: And thus, by
this curious ART, (which I take to be one of the chief _Points_
belonging to MIDWIFERY) I do fairly _deliver_ the WOMAN, who by no other
_Means_ whatsoever, could be preserved, together with her _INFANT_, in
all Probability.
HOWEVER, tho’ I have candidly laid down this _Method_, (conformable to
the Doctrine of the most excellent and ingenious _Instructers_) yet I
would not advise every coarse _Clumsy HAND_ to undertake it, nor _such_
as are not thoroughly acquainted with the _Parts_ of Generation: For
this _Performance_ requires _Judgment_ and _Prudence_, as well as ART
and _Experience_. But however yet in _Case_ of _Necessity_, where no
_Extraordinary Person’s Assistance_ can be had, as it often happens in
the _Country_, the _Ordinary MIDWIFE_ ought not to neglect her _Duty_:
nevertheless, before she offers to attempt this piece of extraordinary
_Skill_, she ought to be very certain that these _BONES_ are the great
_Impediment_ and _Difficulty_ of the Delivery.
[Illustration]
CHAP. X.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS, proceeding from Causes of the BLADDER and RECTUM_.
DIFFICULTY in _BIRTH_ may also proceed from the _BLADDER_, as (in like
manner) it may from the _RECTUM_ or _Strait Gut_.
I. FROM the _BLADDER_, when affected with _Tumours_, _Ulcers_, or
_Glands_, obstructing the _Passages_; which however is more frequently
occasioned by _Stones_ lodged in the _BLADDER_, or in its _Neck_: In
either of which _Conditions_, the MIDWIFE, by dilating the _Passage_
with a subtile _HAND_, must repel the _OS COCCYGIS_ according to ART (as
taught in the preceeding _Chapter_) that the _HEAD_ in falling down, may
the less offend the _BLADDER_.
II. THE same _Difficulty_ may arise from the _RECTUM_, when it happens
in the same _Manner_, to be affected with such obdurated _Glands_,
_Tumours_, &c. for the _Consequence_ is the same in shutting up the
_Passages_: In which _Case_ the _MIDWIFE_ is to depress gently such
_Excrescences_, of what kind soever, with her cautious _HAND_, and
consequently to dilate the _Passages_ by degrees (how much soever
obstructed) for receiving the _Head_ of the _INFANT_; always having a
respect to the _affected Parts_, and bearing no harder upon them than
Necessity requires.
MOREOVER sometimes it happens, that the only _Difficulty_ in _LABOUR_
proceeds from _hardened Excrements_ in this _Gut_, which may as
effectually stop or shut up the _Passage_, as any thing else, until duly
voided and evacuated by _one_ or _more_ proper _CLYSTERS_, as Occasion
directs.
BUT sometimes it also happens, that such _Difficulties_ arise from the
falling out of the _Fundament_ by the strong and violent _THROWS_ that
the _Woman_ Suffers in LABOUR: In which _Condition_, if the _CHILD_ is
very forward in the _Passage_, before it _happens_, it may be prevented
by dissuading or hindering the WOMAN from _Labouring_ so vehemently; but
if it happen’d before that time, it must be left so until the _BIRTH_ be
accomplished; after which time, it is to be put up exactly, and reduced
to its proper _Place_, in the same manner as the WOMB might be (in Case
of its _Prolapse_, as mentioned in the following _Chapter_) after duly
_fomenting_ and _bathing_ it with proper _Applicatives_: advertising
always to use no _CLYSTERS_, in time of CHILD-BED; because such Means
would readily excite it again to a slippery _Relapse_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XI.
_Of Difficult BIRTHS proceeding from the Causes of the VAGINA._
DIFFICULTY likewise in _LABOUR_ may also arise from the _VAGINA_, or
_Neck_ of the WOMB; this _Part_ being no less liable to the Affection of
_Tumours_, _Glands_, _Ulcers_, &c. than any _Other_ before-mentioned: In
_Either_ of which _Cases_, my above-mentioned _Method_ in the foregoing
_Chapter_, shall suffice for the _MIDWIFE_’s _Instruction_; as also in
_Case_ of an _Inflation_ or _Inflammation_ of the _Pudendum_.
BUT sometimes also this _Difficulty_ happens from the falling down of
the _VAGINA_; which _Accident_ may as well precede as follow after the
BIRTH, and _that_ by the _Orifice_ of the WOMB pressing _hard_ into that
of the _Privities_: So that sometimes, when the _MEMBRANE_ is _broke_,
the _Head_ of the _INFANT_, as well as the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, slides
down so far, as to hang out of the _Body_; whereby the stressed
_Ligaments_ (being too much relaxed) give way to the falling down not
only of the _VAGINA_, but also of the WOMB it self.
IN this sad _Condition_ the WOMAN must keep her BED, and her _Body_
equally situated, that either the fallen _VAGINA_ or _WOMB_, may recover
and be immediately restored to its _proper Place_; which being done,
other Matters may be easily prevented by the _Care_ and Diligence of the
prudent _MIDWIFE_, stopping and restraining the _Orifice_ of the WOMB
before it comes so far to that Extremity: Wherefore _she_ ought to keep
it up in the _VAGINA_ (as much as possible) with her HANDS, until the
WOMAN has happily extruded both the _CHILD_ and the _AFTER-BIRTH_.
UPON This afterwards, _she_ is to use her best Endeavours, to restore
both the WOMB and _VAGINA_ to their due _Situation_; laying the
_Wrinkles Smooth_ in their proper _Order_, not one upon another, then
placing the WOMAN conveniently in BED, with her _Head_ and _Shoulders_
declining, _Exsiccant_ or _drying MEDICINES_ are to be judiciously
applied, and _Strengthening_ or _Astringent Fomentations_ often used;
whereby (in good Time) _both_ may be again confirmed in their proper
Natural _Places_.
NOW having thus, in fine, candidly explained the _Different Causes_ of
all _Difficult BIRTHS_, and carefully laid down the _genuine Methods_ of
correcting and removing them, and consequently of _Delivering_ the good
WOMAN successfully in all such nice _Cases_, it remains now in Course
that I proceed to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XII.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS._
SUCH _BIRTHS_, (properly speaking) are only _Preternatural_, which
degenerate from the _Natural_, in respect either to the _Situation_ of
the INFANT, or the WOMB, or of _both_ these jointly: Such (I say) may be
well call’d _Preternatural_, because of the imminent Danger that (in
these _Conditions_) threatens both the MOTHER and the CHILD.
HENCE we find the Difference between _This_ and the _Natural BIRTH_; in
as much as the _One_ depends entirely upon ART, and the _Other_ merely
upon NATURE: In _That_ the _INFANT_ is artificially extracted by the
_Hand_, but in _this_ it is naturally extruded by the _PAINS_.
_HIPPOCRATES_ gives[169] us a _Two-fold-Cause_ or Reason of a
_Preternatural BIRTH_; to wit, the _Amplitude_ of the WOMB, and the
_inordinate Motion_ of the Woman about the Time of _LABOUR_: Who,
because of her afflicting _PAINS_ and great _Ailments_, keeps her Body
in a restless and unsteady _Posture_, throwing herself sometimes _here_,
and sometimes _there_, sometimes on _One side_, and sometimes on
_Another_ through Uneasiness. By which means it cannot be otherways, but
that the _INFANT_ may be easily turn’d into some _Preternatural
Situation_.
AND to _These Causes_, _Senertus_, _Rodericus à Castro_, &c. add the
_Two_ following; namely, the _Solidity_ of the _MEMBRANES_, and the
_Debility_ of the _Head_ of the _CHILD_: Because (as they well observe)
when _This_ is not strong enough to break through _Those_, the _INFANT_
endeavouring it otherways, (with _Feet_ or _Hands_) may readily fall
into some _Preternatural Position_.
BUT because I find, that _Preternatural BIRTHS_ deviate in different
Degrees, and vary in many respects from the _Natural_, and _that_ also
according to a great Variety of _CAUSES_ (no ways known to those most
_Learned Authors_) but only of late discovered; I shall now again reduce
the different _Species_ of _Preternatural BIRTHS_ to four _Classes_;
namely, _Preternatural BIRTHS_ on Part of the _INFANT_, on Part of the
WOMB, on Part of _Both_ those jointly, and lastly on Part of some
_intervening Accidents_.
IN treating of which, I shall according to my best Judgment, _state_
these respective _HEADS_ in due Order, and assign each its proper
_Branches_; which I shall particularly discuss in brief _Terms_, for the
Facility and Benefit of the _Candid READER_, whether _MAN_ or
_Woman-Midwife_; That they may (by this plain and easy Method) be
enabled the more readily to judge of, and distinguish the several
Circumstances, and consequently the better discharge their Duties (upon
Occasion) to the Comfort and Satisfaction of those _PATIENTS_ concerned,
and the Honour of their own ingenious _Profession_.
BUT before I enter upon _These_, I would willingly in this place,
previously subjoin a Word or two of _Advice_ (by way of _Precaution_) to
the Young _Andro-Boethogynist_: Which, in short, consists in this
_Point_, that as it is the too common _Practice_ here in _England_, for
an obstinate SET of _Women_ to keep their _Labouring PATIENTS_ so long
under their own Hands only, until the very last _Extremity_; so I would
not counsel him at that Time, when sent for, upon such a ticklish
Occasion, to go _Head-long_ to such a _Work_, nor to undertake the
DELIVERY of such a _Woman_, before He makes some requisite
_Observations_: And _that_ I mean no ways because of any Danger of the
_Preternatural BIRTH_ which she labours under, how difficult soever it
may be; but merely, on account of the _Woman_’s exhausted _Strength_ and
_Ability_, to undergo the respective _Operation_ in her weaken’d
_Condition_; which I would very much question in most Women, after
_One_, _Two_, or _Three Hours_ strong LABOUR, and that in SOME far
sooner, notwithstanding that _others_ have been known to stand it out,
and struggle a much _longer Time_.
HOWEVER, be this as it will, I commonly guess at the _Woman’s State of
Ability_, not only by her PULSE, if _strong_ or _weak_, _unequal_ or
_intermitting_; by her EYES, if _dejected_; by her SPEECH, if _faint_;
by touching the EXTREMITIES of her Body, if _frigid_: but also by some
other SYMPTOMS, which infallibly appear, if the _Woman_ be too far
spent, such as _Cold Sweats_, _Swoonings_, _Convulsions_, _Loss of
Sense_, &c. Whereupon I say in these _Cases_, it is more adviseable to
let alone or decline the _Office_, than to undertake such a precarious
uncertain Piece of _Work_; because if the _Woman_ happens to die under
his _Hand_, He may perhaps be (however unjustly) blam’d for the errant
_Midwife_’s Faults, or at least He will scarce avoid the CENSURE of the
_Ignorant_ and _Malevolous_.
YET this _Advice_ (however wholesome and prudent) is, I confess, what I
would but seldom have Recourse to, or follow myself, notwithstanding the
worst _Consequences_ of the _Case_; since as long as there is _Life_,
there is _Hope_ with me, by the Blessing of GOD: Which tho’ never so
_little_, I should think myself obliged in Conscience to do what both
ART and NATURE command, and rather in all _Conditions_ of LIFE to
attempt an uncertain CURE[170], than abandon the _Distressed_ to certain
DEATH, as some _Politicians_ in _Physical_ Affairs commonly do, who
prize their vain _Reputation_ above the LIFE of their Neighbour. But
_thus_, in short, (for my own Part) I would chuse to _act_, because I
have often seen, and known _NATURE_ to have perform’d, and recover’d a
weak spent parturient PATIENT, even beyond all human Probability.
NOT but that I would take the proper _Precautions_ along with me, before
putting my _Hand_ to the critical _Work_, upon any such desperate or
dangerous _Occasion_, by giving my ingenuous PROGNOSTICK to the nearest
_Friends_ and _By-standers_ of the extreme _Danger_ that both LIVES may
be in: Whereupon after thoroughly examining all _Circumstances_, with
respect to the CHILD, whether _One_ or _More_, _Dead_ or _Alive_, &c. I
would chearfully begin my _Endeavours_ to relieve the afflicted Woman,
encouraging and exhorting her in the first Place, for GOD’s-sake, as
well as _her own_, and the tender INFANT’s _Life_, to put herself
entirely into my HANDS, to undergo her LABOUR patiently, and contribute
what she can to the DELIVERY.
BUT to return from this pardonable _Digression_ to what is here
proposed; as I come first to speak of _Preternatural BIRTHS_ on the part
of the INFANT, I would observe that all ill _Postures_ of the CHILD, in
a WOMB well situated, are the only _Causes_ (meant in this place) of
_Preternatural BIRTHS_ on its _own Part_: Which _Postures_ being very
various and different, and each requiring a different peculiar
_Operation_; I shall _state_ them particularly (as above-mentioned) and
_that_ in their respective _Chapters_, after the manner following:
_viz._—
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIII.
_Of Præternatural BIRTHS, by the FACE’s being turn’d upwards; or bent
forwards, and the CROWN backwards._
AMONG the many various _Preternatural Positions_ of the _INFANT_, I
cannot but reckon THIS _One_: FIRST when, tho’ the _CHILD_ offers itself
_Head foremost_, yet the FACE is turn’d upwards; and _that_ because the
_INFANT_ in such a _Posture_ can never be commodiously bent and adapted
to the _Form_ of the PELVIS.
IN this _Case_, the _MIDWIFE_ ought to take special Care, that the HEAD
_fall down directly_ and safely, without being _hurt_, whilst she
endeavours to bring it _forward_: For this Purpose, she is to enlarge
the _Passage_ as much as possible, dilating the _Privities_, and
depressing the OS COCCYGIS; which however must be done, without lifting
the HEAD with her _Hand_, for fear of bruising the FACE against the OS
PUBIS. By this Method the _BIRTH_ (how _Preternatural_ soever) may be
pretty well and easily perform’d.
BUT because the _CHILD_ can only be said to be _well turn’d_, when it
comes with its CHIN leaning upon its _Breast_, and its _Top_ or _Crown_
of the HEAD tending directly to the _Orifice_; I reckon THIS _another
Preternatural Position_, when the _INFANT_ presents itself with the
CROWN bent _backwards_, and consequently with the FACE _forwards_: By
reason that in this _Case_, the _Orifice_ itself and all the rest of the
_Passage_ must be much more dilated, than in the _natural Condition_;
and the HEAD (being thus bent _backwards_) requires more severe PAINS
and hard LABOUR, to make it slide through the _Passages_.
IN which _Case_, the _MIDWIFE_, having timely discover’d this
_Situation_ by the TOUCH, ought immediately (upon the flowing of the
_Waters_) to bend the HEAD gently _forwards_ to the BREAST, all the
while adverting to handle the FACE, especially the _Nose_ and _Eyes_,
very tenderly: And to this End, the _Woman_ may be laid down on her
_Back_, with her _Head_ low; by no means _labouring_ with the _PAINS_,
before the HEAD of the _CHILD_ is so conveniently turned: which may be
thus most properly perform’d; _viz._ By laying the Palm of the _Hand_ on
the _INFANT_’s _Breast_, near its _Throat_, pressing it entirely _back_
towards the _Fund_ of the WOMB; by which means the HEAD falls _forwards_
of its own Accord upon the _MIDWIFE_’s _Arm_, and _she_ with-drawing her
_Hand_, will find the HEAD _well turn’d_.
BUT supposing the HEAD to be very strictly bent or pressed _back_, then
the _MIDWIFE_ is to attract it gently _forwards_ by her _Thumb_, or
_Fore-Finger_ thrust into its MOUTH; or by the Points of all _Four_
thrust betwixt the WOMB and the _back Part_ of the HEAD. And thus, in
fine, the HEAD being _well Turned_, and dextrously brought into the
_Passage_; the _Woman_ is then to be placed commodiously for _BIRTH_,
and to labour her _Best_ as in other _Cases_.
HOWEVER to this _Case_, I must add, by way of _Remark_ for the
_MIDWIFE_’s farther Information and better Government, that, if the HEAD
is not brought into the _Passage_, as soon as the _Waters_ have flow’d,
it commonly happens, that the HANDS offer themselves _first_; which if
she do not instantly repel, the HEAD is turn’d up _forwards_ with the
FACE, near the _Chin_, upon the OS PUBIS; in which _Condition_, by
reason of the _Siccity_ and _Contraction_ of the WOMB, the only
Expedient is to _thrust back_ the ARMS, and so passing the _Hand_ under
the _CHILD_’S _Breast_, to take hold of, and extract it by the FEET.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIV.
_Of Præternatural BIRTHS, by the Hand, Elbow, Shoulder, Knees, or
Buttocks presenting first._
THE _CHILD_ also sometimes offers itself _preternaturally_ to the
_Orifice_, with its HAND, ELBOW, SHOULDER, KNEES, or BUTTOCKS _first_:
In which _Condition_, the HAND always gives an easier _BIRTH_ than the
ELBOW, the ELBOW than the SHOULDER, the SHOULDER than the KNEES, and the
KNEES than the BUTTOCKS: For the HAND being commonly placed near the
_Head_, it is no great Wonder, if it presents itself _before_, or
_along_ with it; as sometimes (after _Flooding_) the HAND may slide
together with the _Head_ obliquely to either _Side_, and thereby either
ELBOW or SHOULDER unfortunately fall into the _Passage_.
THIS is one great Reason, why I have before inculcated, that the
_MIDWIFE_ ought to be diligent and accurate in _Touching_ her Woman,
even before the MEMBRANE breaks, that she may thereby discover and
prevent this _Case_: Which is easily perform’d, either by _repelling_
the HANDS, or by pinching the _INFANT_ sensibly by the _Fingers_, and
then it soon retracts them; for thus, in short, by moving my own _Hand_
seasonably, the HEAD (of its own accord) slips of course down into the
_Passage_. But and if it happens otherways, ’tis no difficult Matter to
_turn_ and bring it down, by directing my _Fingers_ beyond the FACE to
the _CHILD_’s _Forehead_; which however must be done immediately after
FLOODING: Whereas, if _This_ be neglected until the _dry_ WOMB is
contracted, THEN, and in that _Condition_, the _FEET_ may be looked for,
which (in such a _Posture_) are soon found, with the _KNEES_ next the
_Belly_; and the _INFANT_ may be readily drawn out by them. But
WHEN it so happens, that the _CHILD_ comes with its _KNEES foremost_, it
commonly has its _LEGS_ folded towards the _BUTTOCKS_; by which means
many a _MIDWIFE_ has been deceiv’d, especially when _she_ feels but one
_KNEE_, mistaking it for the _HEAD_, because of its _Hardness_ and
_Roundness_.
IN this _preternatural Condition_, the _INFANT_ must be stopped and
hindered from advancing _farther_; wherefore having placed the _Woman_
aright, I would gently repel the _KNEES_, that I may the more
commodiously _unfold_ the complicated _LEGS_, one after another; which I
commonly do by directing _one_ or _more Fingers_ under the HAM,
gradually along behind the _LEG_, until I come to the FOOT; drawing
always a little _obliquely_, that I may come the easier to its
_Extremity_: And thus, in short, having disengaged the _One_, I
accordingly manage the _Other_ after the same manner; and by bringing
both _FEET_ at last together, I finish my _Work_, as if the _Child_ had
come _FEET_ foremost, of which in course.
MOREOVER again it also happens sometimes, that the _CHILD_ falls with
its _BUTTOCKS forwards_; in which _preternatural Condition_, the MIDWIFE
must industriously prevent it from coming _too low_ in the PASSAGE,
before it be duly corrected or rectify’d; since the INFANT cannot
possibly come, after this manner, into the World; unless it be very
_small_, and the _PASSAGE_, on the other hand, very _large_. Wherefore
in this _Case_, after the _Woman_ is decently laid upon her _Back_, with
her _Head_ declining, I would advise to thrust back the _BUTTOCKS_ as
well as possible; then passing up my _Hand_ along the _THIGHS_ to the
_Legs_, I would take hold of the _FEET_, and bring them gently, and one
by one, forth gradually; which being done, I would attract them by the
_HEELS_ towards the _Side_ as far as the Length of the _BUTTOCKS_; and
then at last taking good _Hold_ under the _HIPS_, I would easily and
softly with the greatest _Deliberation_, draw out the whole Body
successively.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XV.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, by the Breast, Belly, or Back, presenting
first; and the INFANT’s lying transverse._
SOMETIMES likewise the _CHILD_ offers its BREAST or BELLY _first_, along
with the _Navel-string_; which _Preternatural Figure_ is most dangerous
for the _BIRTH_, because of the _Body’s bending backwards_.
IN this difficult _Case_, the attentive _MIDWIFE_ places her _Woman_
conveniently, as soon as the _Waters_ have flow’d, and sliding her
_Hand_ into the WOMB, removes the _String_, and endeavours to bring the
_HEAD forwards_ into the _PASSAGE_; which she easily performs, as long
as the INFANT is suspended on high, and its _Back_ not too much _bent_,
by putting-in her _Hand_ gently up to the _hinder Part_ of the _CHILD_’S
_Head_, attracting it gradually _downwards_. But if in this _Condition_
the _BIRTH_ be fallen too _far down_, it is more adviseable _first_ to
attract the _FEET_ considerately.
I say _considerately_, because it is not sufficient to penetrate with
the _Hand_ to the _FEET_; which however yet, in this _Posture_ is pretty
difficult: But also to know exactly in what manner they are to be _drawn
down_; since it is no indifferent Matter to understand how that is to be
rightly perform’d with Success. Wherefore I shall in this place take
upon me to set forth _two different Ways of Turning the INFANT_ in this
_Condition_; viz.
I. I would _either_ FIRST pass my _Right Hand_ to the _Left Thigh_ of
the _CHILD_, and taking hold of it near the _KNEE_, push it _upwards_
with my _Thumb_, drawing it at the same time _downwards_ with my
_Fingers_ placed behind: _Thus_ I would bring _down one KNEE_ to the
_Passage_, leaving the FOOT yet above, and then the _other KNEE_ in its
Turn; which being done, I would change my _Hand_, and put the _Left_ up
to the _INFANT_’s _Belly_ or _Breast_; where, as I _thrust back_ its
Body _upwards_, there is presently _Room_ enough: then I would take hold
again of _one_ or _both KNEES_, to move the _CHILD higher_, that so the
_FEET_ may be more conveniently brought into the _Passage_ one by one,
if not _Both_ at once: Or, upon the _LEGS_ being bent with the _Right
Hand_, and the _KNEES_ brought into the _Passage_ (as above) I would
take hold of them below the HAM, and bring them past the _Orifice_ of
the WOMB, till the _FEET_ are before the _Passage_; whereupon I would
then readily endeavour to extract the INFANT by the _FEET_. _Or_,
SECONDLY,
II. I would put my _Right Hand_ up along the _Belly_ to either THIGH, or
KNEE, having at the same time a thin _Bandage_ doubled and dipp’d in
_Oil_, upon my _Fingers’ Ends_, in order to be put about the KNEE, that
I may attract it gently thereby; which I would draw out again by the
_Right Hand_, whilst my _Left_ holds the Ends of the _Bandage_, that
they may not move out of their Place: Then I would take the Extremities
of the _Bandage_ in my _Right Hand_, attracting it softly thereby,
whilst I pass up my _Left_ into the WOMB, to thrust the _CHILD_’s _Belly
upwards_. By which ingenious and regular Means, I think, Dr. _Daventer_
first moved the _upper Part_ of the BODY _upwards_, and the FEET
_downwards_, because the KNEES are thereby brought nearer to the
_Orifice_. Now these, in short, are the only safe, and proper _Methods_
to be taken in this present _Case_, or nice Conjuncture; because, by all
_other_ inconsiderate and temerarious _Means_, the _INFANT_’s LOINS may
be _twisted_, its HIPS or KNEES _disjointed_, its FEET _lamed_, and
itself at last quite lost or destroy’d.
IN like manner it happens not very seldom, that the _INFANT_ comes with
its BACK _forwards_ into the _Passage_; and in this _Posture_ the
NAVEL-STRING falls commonly down _there_, so that besides _itself_,
nothing else is to be felt by the TOUCH: In this _Case_, the MIDWIFE is
to observe well the FLOODING; immediately upon which, _she_ is to seek
for the FEET, which are more easily come at than the _HEAD_, tho’ the
same is even also a very difficult TASK, by reason that the _CHILD_’s
_Back_ takes up the whole Space of _Room_; which, notwithstanding, must
be cautiously done, and the _INFANT_ discreetly extracted by _them_.
BUT again sometimes, the _BIRTH_ lies also _Transverse_, or a-cross the
WOMB; in which dangerous _Case_, I confess the _MIDWIFE_ cannot well
perceive, so as to distinguish Matters by the _Touch_, before
_Flooding_: Because the _INFANT_ (swimming in the _Waters_) is as yet
seated high, and then moving its HANDS and FEET variously, _she_
sometimes feels _one_, and sometimes _another Member_ at the _Orifice_;
or, one Moment she finds _Something_, and another _Nothing_ at all
there. However, in fine, _she_ may perceive the _Humours_ most commonly
compressed into an _acuminated_ or _oblong Form_.
WHEREFORE in this difficult _Preternatural Condition_, the _MIDWIFE_
ought primarily and chiefly to consider and discover the _Posture_ of
the WOMB, whether it be _direct_ or _oblique_; since according to THAT
_she_ must proceed in assisting her _Woman_ with true Discretion. As for
_Example_, if _she_ finds it in a streight or _natural State_, and the
_Waters_ sufficiently exuberant, extended _length-ways_, &c. as
aforesaid, _She_ must, without _Loss of Time_, break the _MEMBRANE_, and
presently, removing all _Impediments_ of _HAND_, _FOOT_, or
_NAVEL-STRING_, judiciously direct the _HEAD_ into the _Passage_; which
may be very easily and safely done immediately upon the FLOODING.
Whereas if _this Method_ be delay’d, or not taken in _due Time_, and
consequently the _HANDS_ (as the readiest) present themselves to the
_Orifice first_: In this _Condition_, I would lay the _Woman_ discreetly
upon her _Back_, with the _upper Part_ of her Body _lowest_; after
which, I would move the _INFANT_’s _Hands_ back with my _own_; whereby
at the same time bringing its _FEET_ into the _Passage_, I would in the
next Place gently extract the whole Body with all possible _Conduct_ and
_Success_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVI.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, by the Feet presenting first._
IN like manner again, it often happens, that the _CHILD_ offers its
_FEET foremost_; which next to a _Natural BIRTH_ is the most easy and
safe _Position_, however I have been oblig’d to postpone it to the
_rest_, for Method’s sake: In this _Case_, the _MIDWIFE_, observing _one
FOOT_ presenting itself in the _Passage_ after _FLOODING_, ought to stop
and retain it _there_, that it may not slide through, until _she_ meets
with the _other_. In order to which Performance, _she_ must immediately
seek for _it_, with either _Hand_, according as she perceives the
_INFANT_’s great _Toe_ situated, since it is only to be sought for along
its _Side_; and being found, it is to be gently _drawn down_, and placed
near its _Fellow_ in the _Passage_.
BUT it falls out sometimes, that the _MIDWIFE_ comes too late, and finds
_one LEG_ so far through, that the BUTTOCKS are strictly confin’d: In
this _Condition_, I would advise to lay the _Woman_ conveniently upon
her _Back_, with her _Head_ low, that both the WOMB and the CHILD may
_retreat_ a little; then taking hold of the _right LEG_ with my _Right
Hand_, I would thrust the _INFANT back_, till the whole FOOT (or at
least the KNEE) is brought back into the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, in order
that I may have the more _Room_ for passing my _Hand_ along the _LEG_:
By which means I get hold of the _other_ FOOT; and bringing it also into
the _Passage_, I place it along with the _other_, that both may come
forth successfully together.
WHICH Thing, happening so when it will, that _both FEET_ are excluded,
whether done _spontaneously_ or by ART, they are never to be _repell’d_
or _thrust back_ again; but, on the contrary, the way is to be duly
cleared for their PASSAGE; _This_ being a very commodious _Situation_,
provided the CHILD be _well turned_, I mean, with _HEELS_ and _BUTTOCKS
upwards_, and _TOES_ and _BELLY downwards_: Whereas, if otherways, the
_CHIN_ may be easily hooked upon the _OSSA PUBIS_; which (if not so
happily _turned_ at first) I commonly prevent in the most adviseable
manner following; _viz._
UPON attracting the _INFANT_, I _turn_ it cautiously at the same time,
using _both Hands_ in the ensuing _Method_; namely, The _One_ I put up
under its _Body_ as far as possible, whilst with the _Other_ I hold both
_FEET_ together: Insomuch that by this Means I gradually _turn_, not
only the _FEET_ and the _LEGS_, but also the _whole Body_; bringing it
always _forwards_ in the Interim, till at last it lies with its _BELLY
downwards_, and is _out_ above half way: Upon this I then give my
_Woman_ the Motion, to begin her LABOUR and endeavour her _Best_;
because the _HEAD_ and _ARMS_ must necessarily pass through _All at
once_. For notwithstanding the contrary Opinion of most _Authors_, who
teach us to draw down the ARMS _one_ by _one_, and place them upon the
_Body_, I cannot but agree with _Daventer_, and positively advise in
_this_ and all such _other like Cases_, to leave the ARMS about the
_HEAD_, that they may be excluded along with it: Because, as he says,
tho’ the _Woman_ in so doing, is obliged to force her _INFANT forwards_
with all possible Endeavours, yet like a small transient CLOUD, it is
soon over.
WHEREFORE I commonly make it my Business to prevent the _Woman_’s
_PAINS_, until I have brought the _CHILD_ this _Length_; when allowing
her a little Time to rest, I heartily encourage and positively promise
_Her_, that, she performing her _Part_ effectually, (by using all her
_Strength_, and behaving herself as if the _PAINS_ were most really
_pressing_ upon her, whether so or not) the _BIRTH_ will immediately
succeed: And upon this _Promise_, with the _PATIENT_’s mutual
Assistances concurring, I never yet fail’d; neither will any _Persons_
who faithfully and ingeniously follow this _Method_, in comfortably
helping the _Woman_ upon such an Occasion, by drawing the _CHILD_
cautiously _downwards_, with whatsoever judicious _Force_: I mean not
_downwards_, according to the _Woman_’s LENGTH, but _downwards_ towards
the _strait Gut_. And as I every Moment insinuate to the _MOTHER_, that
her _BABE_’s _Life_ depends entirely upon her vigorous confederate
LABOUR; so _she_ mutually concurring with me, in endeavouring to do our
_Best_, the AGRIPPA _INFANT_ is presently _brought forth_ to the great
Satisfaction of _Both_.
BY these _Means_ and _Methods_, we prevent the _Tragical Consequences_,
which Mr. _Portal_ and many _others_ confess they have often met with in
their _Practice_; viz. That the _HEAD_ has been sometimes pulled-off
from the _SHOULDERS_, or that the _CHILD_ has been frequently _stifled_,
by the WOMB’s contracting and shutting-up about the _NECK_: Which was
altogether owing to the injudicious _Method_ of their Practice, in
drawing down the ARMS awkwardly (as mentioned above) along the SIDES of
the _Body_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVII.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, by Two, or more INFANTS presenting themselves
ill-Turn’d._
THIS _Case_ also happens sometimes remarkably; upon which, if _Both_ or
_All_ are contain’d in _one_ and the _same SECUNDINE_, or when the
_MEMBRANES_ are broken, _then_ the right VERSION is very difficult; not
so much for want of _Room_, as because their _HANDS_ and _FEET_ are
commonly interwoven and twisted together: In which _preternatural
Condition_, when so complicated and entangled, they are to be unfolded
and cleared off _one another_ with the nicest Circumspection and
Judgment.
BUT besides, farther, they are otherways, only to be treated in this
difficult Point, as if there was but _one CHILD_; for _turning_ them
always _One_ by _One_ duly, I would bring all their FEET into the
_Passage_, and consequently handle them, as if they had offer’d
themselves so at _first_. The _first CHILD_ being born, I would give it
to the next capable _Person_ to tie and cut its STRING; whilst I
directly repass up my _Hand_, to seek for the _other_’s FEET, by which I
would also _draw it forth_, after breaking its proper _MEMBRANES_, in
Case the _second_ FLOODING is not yet over, and _that_ notwithstanding
the HEAD should present itself _First_.
BUT and if it happens, that _each CHILD_ has its own proper and
_distinct SECUNDINE_, and _That_ of the _INFANT_ already _brought forth_
chance to be loose and separated from the WOMB; In that _Case_, I would
presently fetch it away, and then extract the _other INFANT_, as long as
there is _any_ yet left behind, and _that_ also by the FEET, as
aforesaid: Whereas otherwise, the _BIRTHS_, together with the
_Constriction_ of their _UMBILICALS_, are to be previously accomplished.
IN fine, having _thus_ accounted for all the _Preternatural BIRTHS_
whatsoever, which may or can occur on the _Part_ of the _INFANT_, and
_that_ conformable to the most nice and polite _Rules_ of ART; It
remains now in the next place, that I acquit myself in a consonant
manner, with respect to _Those_ proceeding from the _Part_ of the WOMB.
Of which _First_ in general——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XVIII.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, proceeding from Causes of the WOMB._
MOST, if not all, _Authors_ having hitherto imagin’d, that all
_Preternatural BIRTHS_ took their sole _Rise_ and _Origin_ from the
wrong _Positions_ of the _INFANTS_ only; I come in this place, with all
due Submission, not only to affirm a quite contrary _Opinion_, but also
to lay down a directly opposite MAXIM: Namely, that the most difficult
and dangerous _Preternatural BIRTHS_ proceed merely from the ill
_Situation_ of the WOMB; which I take to be the most common _Cause_ of
the CHILD’s wrong _Posture_. The Truth of which I hope to make evidently
appear, to all such, who know and will consider, that this _Noble Part_
is no less subject to various _Accidents_ and different _Diseases_, than
the _Rest_ of the BODY; which springing from divers _Sources_, may
rationally be suppos’d to occasion _Preternatural BIRTHS_, and _those_
more or less dangerous, according to the _Nature_ of the EFFICIENT: as
for _Instance_,
IN _Case_ of an _Inflammation_, _Exulceration_, _Putrefaction_, or the
WOMB’s being _Schirrous_, _Callous_, or _Hard_; affected with a
CARCINOMA or _Cancer_; an obdurated _Gland_, _Cicatrix_, or any _carnous
Excrescence_; or in _Case_ of the WOMB’s being _Dry_ and _Rigid_, and
the _Orifice_’s being _Hard_ and _Thick_, as commonly happens to WOMEN
_in Years_, especially of their _First CHILD_; I say, from either of
_these_, or any such like _Causes_, a _Preternatural BIRTH_ may ensue,
and _that_ even tho’ the PELVIS and PASSAGE be _larger_, but much more
if _those_ be _narrower_, and the Point of the OS SACRUM bent _Inwards_.
I. IN the _Larger_ PELVIS, the greatest _Difficulty_ of this _BIRTH_
proceeds from too great a _Descent_ of the WOMB; which relaxes the
_Ligaments_ and _Fibres_ of the VAGINA, and so much depresses the
_Bladder_, that an _Incontinency_ of URINE presently follows, which in
this _Case_ is commonly succeeded by a _Falling Down_ of the WOMB or
VAGINA, as already observ’d in _Chap._ XI. where the Diligent MIDWIFE
will find the due _Method_ of preventing such growing _Mischiefs_, and
of opening the _Orifice_ of the WOMB both safely and readily, and
consequently _Delivering_ her _Woman_ more easily and expeditiously,
with good Success as well as Security.
II. IN the _narrower_ PELVIS, the _MIDWIFE_ needs no ways fear the
above-named _Accident_, and therefore is not to be at so much Pains in
_retaining_ the ORIFICE in its proper Place, whatever Trouble she may
have in _opening_ it; which would be no easy TASK, was not the OS
COCCYGIS to be _thrust back_, (as set forth, _Chap._ IX.) And which I
must (for this Reason) recommend once more to all Careful _MIDWIVES_, as
the best and most effectual METHOD of performing this happy _Apertion_.
FROM what is said here therefore, we may now conclude, that a great
_Variety_ of CAUSES may subject the WOMB to a Diversity of ACCIDENTS,
and _those_ of sundry _Degrees_, which may more or less affect its
_Motion_ and _Situation_, as already set forth[171].
AND hence it is that we have so many _Degrees_ of _Preternatural BIRTHS_
on _Part_ of the WOMB, _All_ which to enumerate particularly in this
Place, would be a WORK as _Superfluous_ as _Tedious_: wherefore, to be
brief, I shall here also reduce them to the FOUR following, (as before
mentioned, SECT. IV. _Chap._ 13.) viz. _Preternatural BIRTHS_,
proceeding from an _oblique Situation_ of the WOMB inclining _Forwards_,
or _Backwards_, or to (either _Side_) _Right_ or _Left_: which fourfold
_Situation_ of the WOMB may be rightly and properly compar’d to the
_Four Cardinal Points_ of the COMPASS, as the rest of its _oblique
Positions_ may be analogously adequated to the _Collateral_ and _Middle
Points_: For because, as they decline from the _Meridian_, and derive
themselves from EAST, WEST, NORTH, and SOUTH, as formerly observ’d[172];
so _those_ are less difficult _BIRTHS_, and branch out from the _Four_
mentioned Extremities: since the WOMB, like a _Magnetick Needle_, may
run quite round, and be ill-seated every way, or on every _side_. In all
which _Cases_, the _INFANT_ must absolutely be _Turned_; which
_Performance_ in any _oblique_ WOMB, requires a competent solid
_Knowledge_ and sound _Judgment_, as well as the best adapted and
experienced _Hands_. But of _those_, more particularly hereafter; and
_First_, accordingly——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XIX.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, from the WOMB’s inclining Forwards._
IN speaking to this critical _Point_, I shall _first_ give the _Reason_
of such a _BIRTH_, occasion’d by this _Position_; to wit, The _WOMB_
hanging much _forwards_, especially in _Women_ carrying it too _low_ in
the ABDOMEN, the _INFANT_ (betwixt the _Pains_) must needs be forced
upon the OS SACRUM, or the VERTEBRÆ bending _inwards_; which stops the
HEAD that it cannot conveniently or without Obstruction fall into the
PELVIS.
HOWEVER, in this _Condition_ we suppose the _INFANT_ to be _well
turn’d_, I mean (both _here_ and _elsewhere_) _well turn’d_ in respect
of the _WOMB_, with the _Crown_ of the HEAD lying against the _Orifice_;
than which nothing can be more _Right_ or _Natural_ in regard of the
_WOMB_ itself, nor more _Wrong_ and _Preternatural_ in respect of the
_PELVIS_ and _Vagina_ of the _WOMB_, in this _forward Situation_:
Because by reason of this _Posture_, the _INFANT_ falls _transverse_
upon the OSSA PELVIS, especially upon the OS SACRUM or _hindmost_
VERTEBRÆ; upon which it commonly offers itself with the FACE _prone_ or
_turn’d Downwards_, tho’ it is not brought forth, but with the FACE
_Supine_ or _Upwards_. For as it passes, it must be _turn’d round_,
partly in a _Circle_, with its HEAD _prone_, and FEET drawn up under it;
which happens not in the _WOMB_, but only as it passes the _Orifice_
into the _PELVIS_ or _VAGINA_.
NOW what I mean is more plainly _This_, that as soon as the INFANT comes
into the _Turning_ (which it must pass) it necessarily _bends_ and
_crooks_ itself, as it finds its PASSAGE _bent_ or _crooked_; by which
means the FACE is sometimes _turn’d down_, and sometimes _upwards_: And
_This proceeds_ from THAT, in short, as soon as the HEAD begins to enter
the _Orifice_, it presently fixes upon (and sticks fast to) the last
VERTEBRÆ of the _Loins_ standing _forwards_, or to the OS SACRUM; so
that it cannot naturally or possibly go _forwards_, except the HEAD is
_bent downwards_, and the _Neck_ and whole _Body_ be accommodated to
that BENDING.
HENCE it is, that _THAT_ which just now was _situated prone_ upon its
BELLY in the _WOMB_, now passing through the _VAGINA_, is _bent upwards
supine_ upon its _BACK_; and from thence it’s evident, that _That
Inversion_ is not properly in the _WOMB_, but in the _VAGINA_, or (if
you please) in the _Confines_ of BOTH: And, in fine, this _forward
Inversion_ (as it happens) occasions a most difficult _Preternatural
BIRTH_.
BUT _this_, in short, happens to the _Woman_ with _CHILD_, because her
_WOMB hangs forward_, or is _resupin’d_, according to the _Depression_
made on the _WOMB_ by the _Intestines_, forcing it _this_ or _that way_;
or to either _Side_, as will by and by more fully appear[173]. But——
SINCE it is most requisite to know presently in the _Beginning_ of
_LABOUR_, whether the _WOMB_ be placed _forwards_, in order that the
Means of Help may be taken accordingly; I shall in the _second place_
add the _SIGNS_, or _Tokens_, by which the _MIDWIFE_ may know this
_Position_ of the _WOMB_, and what _she_ has best to do in such a nice
ticklish _STATE_ of Affairs.
FIRST then, _She_ may know it, principally, by the _Hanging forwards_
and _Thickness_ of the BELLY, or perhaps by the good _Woman’s
Information_ of the PLACE, where she chiefly feels the _INFANT_
stirring; for it cannot _move_ but where ’tis _placed_.
HOWEVER yet a prudent _MIDWIFE_ will have no great regard to such
_Uncertainties_, but betake herself immediately to _that_ which cannot
fail her, the TOUCH; which (in this _Case_) affords her the following
certain _SIGNS_; viz.
I. THE _Orifice_ of the WOMB is suspended _higher_ than usual; which
_she_ cannot _Touch_, by reaching, without a great deal of _Difficulty_.
II. SHE can only _Touch_ the lower Border of the _Orifice_, and that
only as the WOMB hangs more or less _forwards_; and by no means the
_upper Edge_, except the _Orifice_ has begun to _fall down_.
III. SHE cannot at all, or very hardly, get her _Finger_ into the
opening of the _Orifice_, and because of that Difficulty, it must then
also be _crooked_ or _bent_.
IV. SHE will find the _Orifice_ opposite to the _bending_ of the last
VERTEBRÆ or the OS SACRUM, and feel it so strongly pressed against the
said VERTEBRÆ, when the _Pains_ come on, that it cannot _fall down_: and
lastly, she’ll feel the WATERS (if they hang over the _Passage_) in a
thin _slender Form_.
UPON _This_ the Skilfull _MIDWIFE_ finding these concurring _SIGNS_,
_she_ may be assur’d that the WOMB hangs too much _forwards_; which
_Condition_ requires the immediate _Help_ of _Ingenuity_ and _ART_ to
correct this ill untoward _Position_, and to promote the _BIRTH_
expeditiously. But then _these Things_ are to be carefully perceived and
distinguished in the _Beginning_ of LABOUR, before the PAINS have either
closed up, or too much depressed the _Orifice_; yea, in short, even
before it sensibly _opens_: since afterwards all those _SIGNS_ are
variously chang’d and alter’d, till at last they entirely _vanish_.
WHEREFORE let it be deem’d as a certain _Rule_, that the true _Posture_
of the _WOMB_ is always best discover’d by the TOUCH in the _Beginning_
of the LABOUR: At which time may the _Orifice_ be suspended never so
_high_, the _MIDWIFE_ ought to penetrate so far, until _she reaches_ it;
if not sufficiently with her FINGERS, the _whole Hand_ is to be
judiciously used, and passed up that Length, because this particular
TOUCH is absolutely Necessary for that good End: Insomuch that if any
_Labouring Woman_ be against this _manual Operation_ or opposes it,
_she_ thereby debars her _MIDWIFE_ of an infallible _Method_, of
discovering the true _Posture_ of her WOMB, and consequently of taking
the most immediate proper MEANS for _Her own_ as well as her INFANT’s
Relief.
BUT now supposing, after all, the _MIDWIFE_ to be certain that the WOMB
_hanging too much forwards_, in a prominent BELLY bearing pretty much
out, is deeper depressed than it ought to be; _She_ is obliged then in
this _Circumstance_ to consider accordingly how to correct this
_Preternatural Situation_, and assist both the MOTHER and INFANT for the
best: To which End, _She_ ought FIRST to endeavour that the HEAD may
_fall down_ into the PELVIS, even to the _bending_ of the OS COCCYGIS;
and then, SECONDLY, _She_ is thence to advance the HEAD gradually, that
the _Exclusion_ of the _CHILD_ may be expedited and intirely perfected
at last.
NOW in order that the HEAD, together with the _Orifice_ of the WOMB, may
be so discreetly brought _forwards_ into the PELVIS, the _Woman_ is to
be placed with the _upper part of her Body lower than the inferiour_; I
mean, with _Head and Shoulders bending downwards_, and the _Buttocks
upwards_; by which Means, the _Bottom_ of the WOMB is elevated, and
gives the _Orifice_ an Opportunity of being brought more easily into the
PELVIS.
THEN the parturient _Woman being so placed_, the _MIDWIFE_ (using both
_Hands_) ought to clear the WOMB, together with the _Head_ of the
INFANT, by putting the _one_ up, as far as there’s occasion, into the
VAGINA, and laying the _other_ upon the _Woman_’s BELLY, in manner
following: _viz._——
THE _Hand_ in the VAGINA is (by having two or three of its _Fingers
Ends_ extended to the upper Border of the _Orifice_ of the WOMB) to move
it a little beyond the _Head_ of the _CHILD_, and to direct it into the
_Mouth_ of the PELVIS, so that it may fall the more readily down into
the design’d Place. But in this critical Juncture the _MIDWIFE_ must
always take special _Care_ not to squeeze or press the _Top_ of the HEAD
too much, nor to handle it too hard, lest _She_ should thereby _wound_,
if not also _kill_ the INFANT.
AGAIN the Business of the _other Hand_, used externally, is to _drive
back_ the WOMB, by pressing the _Abdomen_; which must be perform’d also
with great Caution and Judgement, not by drawing the HAND from _above
downwards_, but pressing as much as the _Woman_ can bear it, from _below
upwards_; so that (if possible) the WOMB may be thereby _resupin’d_ or
turn’d _backwards_. Minding always, by the way, that
THIS _Pressure_ of the WOMB is not to be attempted, before the _one
Hand_ is first conveniently placed _within_. But if all _This Menage_
should not yet succeed the _first time_ according to Wish, then it may
be safely repeated again by turns so often, until the _MIDWIFE_ feels
the _Crown_ of the HEAD; that is to say, till _She_ feels the Borders of
the _Orifice_ quite round about _hanging over the Entrance of the_
PELVIS. Upon which happy _Discovery_, she may with reason rejoice in her
_Labour_, and be heartily glad of her good _Success_: Because now the
_Force_ of good depressing PAINS only will effectually perfect the Work.
BUT before Matters are happily brought this prepared _Length_, the
_bearing Woman_ is upon no account to begin her _LABOUR_; since _That_
would not only be in _vain_, and otherways debilitate the Strength of
her Body; but also be of great _Hindrance_ to the MIDWIFE (to whom all
the _LABOUR_ hitherto belongs) who, as _she_ feels the _PAINS_ growing
and rushing in upon the _Woman_, before their proper Time, ought to
charge her strictly, to forbear _working_ along with them, and as much
as possible to abstain from any _co-operating Depression_. And in fine,
as the _MIDWIFE_ by having her _Hand_ diligently apply’d to the
_Orifice_ of the WOMB, by strict Attention, may most commonly observe,
and previously discern the approaching _PAINS_, before the Patient
_Woman_ herself can be sensible of them: So she ought also for her _own
helping Part_, _ex Officio_, to be quiet and attempt nothing till
_Then_, but take her convenient _Opportunities_, always as soon as the
_PAINS_ are over.
THUS by seasonably lending NATURE an artificial _helping Hand_, BOTH
_jointly_ may easily effect, what _neither_ can do _separately_: For as
it sometimes happens, that the _MIDWIFE_ ought to _cease_, while she
perceives (by the PAINS) that _Nature_ is a working, and therefore ought
to _work_ only when the _PAINS_ are past; so it also falls out often,
upon other Occasions, that _she_ is to _work_ along with the _PAINS_,
and when those are _past_, to _cease_. And thus, in fine, according to
different _Circumstances_, the discreet _MIDWIFE_ knows always the
NEEDFULL, _what’s to be done_, or _let alone_.
BUT in this Place, I doubt not, many _MIDWIVES_ will object, and say,
How is it possible for _Us_ to perceive the _PAINS_ coming on before the
parturient _Woman herself_? To which I ingenuously _answer_, that _This_
also is one of the many Advantages of the TOUCH; since by _That_, I can
presently feel a kind of _subtile Motion_, _Contraction_, or
_Compression_ beginning in the _Orifice_ of the WOMB; which is only
observable as the _Muscles_ are affected with a _New Sense_, excited by
a _New Influx_ of the SPIRITS; occasioning a _New Force_ or _Impression_
upon the WOMB, which we commonly call a PANG: So that, in short, by
distinguishing _this Motion_ from _others_, I am always able to foretell
or advise the _Woman_ of what is a-coming, and to admonish her
accordingly of her bounden DUTY, as the _Case_ requires.
MATTERS now being fairly brought thus far, that the _Orifice_ and the
HEAD begin to slide down into the _PELVIS_; the _MIDWIFE_ is at this
Time to study how to succour and assist the _CHILD_, by rendring its
_Passage_ easy. In order to which, _she_ must first observe to raise the
_upper Part_ of the Woman’s Body a little, and give her some short
_Respite_, before she offers to bring the _Orifice_ into the _PELVIS_;
because the _Posture_ above-directed, occasions considerable _Pain_ as
well as great Inconveniency: Which being done, the _Woman_ for the
future is to _sympathize_ with every _PAIN_, and _Labour_ as much as
possible, co-operating mutually with them; since now the PAINS (by the
Assistance of the HEAD) begin to open the _Orifice_, and gradually force
the INFANT forward to its _Birth_.
HOWEVER yet the _MIDWIFE_ ought in this _Case_, to be very careful in
sustaining, and nice in keeping up the _Orifice_ of the _Womb_, lest it
should _fall down_ together with the _Vertex_ or _Crown_ of the _HEAD_
into the _Sinus Sacri_; which is a _Point_ so curious and critical, tho’
an _Accident_ too common, that I dare well say, not one in _Fifty
Practitioners_ in _MIDWIFERY_ understands it thoroughly; otherways I am
confident, and morally certain, that many _fine Women_ would have been
_living Monuments_ of their _Ingenuity_, who are at this day only the
_Dead Remains_ of their _Ignorance_.
THIS I think is past all _Contradiction_, when we consider, how some
_Practisers_ sacrifice the INFANT, first by _opening_, and (as they call
it) _braining_ the HEAD, and then by drawing it forth with their
_Instrument_ call’d _FORCEPS_: How _others_ also esteem themselves
_Masters_ of the greatest _ARCANUM_, boasting that they can, without so
much as _braining_ the _HEAD_, extract the _INFANT_ by their _Tool_
call’d an _EDUCTOR_: How a _Third Set_ again pretending themselves to be
the only _genuine Sons_ of APOLLO, come slily to correct the _Rest_, by
fixing only a couple of HOOKS in the _Eyes_, _Ears_, or somewhere else
in the Child’s _HEAD_; by which means they as wretchedly produce the
_innocent_ dead _Babe_ as any of the _others_: For it can no more be
suppos’d to _survive_ this cruel _Treatment_, than the other mentioned
_Barbarities_; not to speak of the _Anguish_ and _Perplexity_ over and
above, besides the real Danger all the while brought upon the
_distressed Mother_.
UPON this grand Affair of Life and Death, the Desidious and Capricious
_MIDWIFE_ cries at length, GOD knows I have taken all the _Pains_ and
Care I could, but to no _Purpose_, for this or that trifling _Reason_,
falsely alledged. The _SURGEON_ (if he don’t pretend the _CHILD_ to be
already _Dead_) says, Come, it is better to dispense with _one Life_
than _Two_; _One must go_, &c. In consequence of which, he prepares his
_FORCEPS_, _EDUCTOR_, _KNIVES_, _HOOKS_, &c. to draw out the _INFANT
Dead_, or _Alive_, _Whole_ or in _Pieces_, by such disingenuous and
barbarous _Means_ to save the _MOTHER_. Thus behold the excellent _Art_
of _MIDWIFERY_ ignorantly perverted! O Deplorable Woman! O Miserable
Babe! How much abused! when there is no _other Mean_ left to rescue the
tender _Life_ of the poor _Mother_, but by the massacrous _Death_ of her
dearest _CHILD_! This _Case_ indeed would be very _Melancholy_, but
Glory be to _GOD_ who has neither left the _One_ nor the _Other_ to
perish at this untimely or inhuman Rate, excepting it be by _Ignorance_,
or _Wilfulness_, &c. as aforesaid: No, on the contrary he has provided
an _EXPEDIENT_ for every _Extremity_, and a _REMEDY_ for every _Malady_,
as in the present _Case_ will appear farther by what follows, _Viz._——
THAT such _Tragical Events_ may be prudently prevented, I use my
constant and unwearied Endeavours to sustain the _Orifice_, that it may
not come below its proper _Place_; and that having clear’d the _HEAD_ of
the _WOMB_, I may only bring _it_ alone down; which I can much more
easily do, than if it was cover’d about with the WOMB, sticking fast (as
above) in the _SINUS SACRI_. And supposing the _MEMBRANE_ to press
strongly instead of the HEAD, I treat it all one as if it was the HEAD,
taking always Care not to _break_ it, tho’ the _forming_ of the _WATERS_
is not to be obstructed; for which Cause, I upon all Occasions stretch
out my _Fingers_ wide, applying them only to the Edges of the _Orifice_,
not to the _Membrane_: And this I continue doing, until the _MEMBRANE_
spontaneously _breaks_; upon which I manage the _Head_ as aforesaid.
THUS the _Infant’s HEAD_ being excluded with the _Crown foremost_, there
is no more Occasion to be at any Pains in _keeping up the Orifice_;
wherefore I now suffer it, together with the _HEAD_, to _fall down_ past
the _Bending_ of the _OS SACRUM_; which now also, the _major Part_ of it
being bare, more easily happens, than it possibly could whilst it was
cover’d with the _Orifice_. Upon this, that the CHILD may be farther
relieved and brought out, I now again make use of both _Hands_, the
_one_ inwardly, the other _outwardly_, as before: But as the _Condition_
is now much _alter’d_ from what it was at that time, I at present
proceed after a quite _different Manner_, and work along with the PAINS,
_resting_ only as their _Force_ ceases: For thus I not only observe the
PAINS my self, but also at the same time encourage my _Woman_ to
_Labour_, and to persist in her _LABOUR_ with all her Strength; and by
Turns, as the _PAINS_ come on, to conjoin their _Force_ with her own and
my mutual _Endeavours_, in the manner following: namely,
HAVING _One Hand_ in the _Vagina_, with its _Back_ turn’d towards the
RECTUM, I thrust very cautiously the Points of my _Fingers_ as far as I
can under the _HEAD_, where I hold that _Hand_ constantly, until the
_PAIN_ comes on; laying the _other Hand_ upon the _Belly_, about that
Part where the _Bottom_ of the WOMB lies: Then as I perceive the _PAINS_
come on, I begin to work with both _Hands_; to wit, by pressing the
_internal Hand_ gently _downwards_, against the Point of the SACRUM to
remove it _back_ out of the way; whilst by the _external Hand_, I gently
raise the WOMB into a _resupine Posture_, pressing it also softly
_downwards_: I mean _softly_ in Proportion (howsoever) to the _Force_ of
the _PAIN_: for as it gradually _encreases_, and more and more excites
strong LABOUR; so I also by degrees _press down more strongly_.
HOWEVER yet the _External Depression_ ought always to be _Moderate_, as
the _Internal_ ought to be _Strong_ and _Vigorous_: Whereupon _Matters_
being carefully well observ’d, (as laid down in _Chap._ 9.) no _MIDWIFE_
needs be afraid of _hurting_ her _Patient Woman_ in the least; no
rather, on the contrary, the more _Strength_ I use now, the more
grateful and agreeable I prove to _Her_ being thus circumstantiated.
And, in fine, the _upper Part_ of the _CHILD_’s Body being once past
that _Sinuous Bending_ above, it presently breaks out all together, and
comes away so happily into the World. After which the _MIDWIFE_ is only
farther to behave herself with respect to both the MOTHER and the CHILD,
as in the _Natural Case_[174], carefully cleansing, restoring,
contracting, and shutting the WOMB as _Before_. In a Word, with so great
Success at last the _BIRTH_ is accomplished, provided these _Precepts_
be carefully and timely observed.
BUT that the _Ingenious_ may be at no _Loss_ in this momentous Affair
upon any Occasion, we shall now particularly _state_ the CASE, in which
the ordinary MIDWIFE has thro’ Ignorance or Negligence, let _Matters_
come so far, that the _acuminated_ or _lower Part_ of the WOMB is fallen
into the PELVIS; and the _Orifice_, together with the HEAD, is broken
thro’ into the _crooked Sinus_ of the OS SACRUM, and is fixed-up there;
that the MEMBRANE is _broke_; that the _Infant_’s HEAD is but a little
_bare_; that the poor _Woman_ (after the _Fatigues_ of a strong or long
_Travail_) is quite spent and tired; and _finally_, that all these
Things have _happen’d_ before the extraordinary _MIDWIFE_ is perhaps
sent for, or at least before He can conveniently be with the _Woman_.
IN this Pitiful _Case_, the HEAD being yet but a little _bared_, and
sticking fast in the _Sinus_ of the OS COCCYGIS (as abovesaid) the
_CHILD_ cannot possibly make any _Impression_ upon the _Orifice_, so as
to open it; and therefore the _Situation_ of the WOMB is to be alter’d:
In order to which, I first place the _Woman_ on a commodious _Seat_
adapted to the Purpose, such as upon a _Pallet_, or _Low Bed_, or some
_Pillows_ laid on the Ground; that she may lie with her FACE _downwards
upon her Knees_, with her _Head low_; her _Arms_ being supported with so
many _Pillows_ as are requisite to sustain her _Body_ (leaning upon
them) without moving.
NOW I doubt not but some People will think this a _strange helpless
Posture_; but as strange as it is, it is certainly the most _effectual_,
and the _absolute best One_, which can be devis’d for the _Woman_’s
desir’d _Relief_ in this desperate _Condition_: For by the Help and
Means of it, the WOMB is carried down into the _lowest Part of the
Belly_, through its own _Weight_ only; and consequently releases itself
out of the foremention’d _crooked_ SINUS; which that it may the sooner
and more commodiously do, I put my _Fingers_ into the _VAGINA_ behind,
betwixt the RECTUM and the HEAD of the _Infant_, where I press down the
WOMB, till the _Orifice_ is so far _forced back_, that there is _Room_
enough to hold it up, in order that it may not relapse; and also that
there may be _Room_ for the HEAD to be depressed into, and open the
_Orifice_. Thus the WOMB and the _CHILD_ being at last _forced so far
back_, by an expert _Hand_, the _BIRTH_ may be successfully perfected by
the above-prescrib’d _Means_ and _Method_; provided always that the
_Woman_ has sufficient _Strength_ and _PAINS_ to carry her through the
fatiguing _Tryal_.
BUT we will how suppose, for better Instruction-sake, her _Strength_ to
be quite spent, and the _PAINS_ to be deficient; in this CASE the happy
_Issue_ of the _BIRTH_ is most dubious; but however, then I place the
_Woman_ again as before, and depress the WOMB as much as I can, until I
reduce the _Orifice_ farther up into the _larger Space_ of the _PELVIS_,
that I may the more conveniently _open_ it by the Help of an _inward
Hand_; and by _that_ also moving aside the _Child_’s HEAD, I then seek
for, until I find, the FEET; which, upon the INFANT’s being right
turn’d, with its TOES _downwards_ towards the _Mother_’s RECTUM, I bring
into the _Passage_. Now the FEET being thus in the _Passage_, the
_Woman_ needs not lie any longer in the abovesaid _Posture_; but,
turning herself, may now lie with her FACE _upwards_: When I also give
her previous _Notice_ to prepare herself to _depress_ vigorously; I mean
as much as she can possibly, when occasion requires.
IN the Interim, holding the FEET all the while with my _internal Hand_,
I attract them gently _outwards_, until the BUTTOCKS and the BELLY are
excluded: Then taking fast hold of the _CHILD_ by _one Hand_ under the
BELLY, and the _other_ upon its BACK; I advise the good _Woman_, in
_Case_ she feels no _PAIN_, to behave herself as if the _PAINS_ were
most pressing upon _Her_, and to contribute by _forcing downwards_ what
lies in her Power; whilst I continually _attract_, and gently _draw_ the
INFANT towards me, until by this discreet _Management_ the HEAD is
totally excluded, together with the ARMS into the World. And _thus_ at
length the _Distressed Woman_ may be happily delivered in all these
different _Cases_, and difficult _Conditions_ of Life. Whence I come
to——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XX.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, from the WOMB’s inclining backwards._
Experience teaches us, that the WOMB may be also too much _resupin’d_;
or tending with its _Bottom backwards_, may be pressed too much towards
the SPINE: So that its _Orifice_ is not only raised _too high_ in the
BELLY, but is also so _obliquely seated_, that it no more answers to the
_VAGINA_ in a _right Line_, varying more or less, according to the
Proportion of this _Tendency_ to the BACK-BONE.
FROM this _Posture_ of the WOMB now, it necessarily follows, that the
HEAD (tho’ never so well _turned_) falls upon, and is violently forced
against the OSSA PUBIS; where the tender HEAD sticking, often happens by
its own _Struggles_ and the _Mother_’s _PAINS_, to be grievously
squeez’d and gradually crush’d, so that, until it is removed and brought
into the _PELVIS_, the _Woman_ can by no means bring forth her _INFANT_.
Wherefore the diligent and careful _MIDWIFE_ must (by due Attention)
make it her Business to discern at the _first_ TOUCH this _ill Position_
of the WOMB, and presently upon the _first Pang_ of LABOUR, try to help
both the _MOTHER_ and the _CHILD_.
WHEREAS otherwise the slothful and ignorant _MIDWIFE_, may continue the
poor _Woman_ in an irregular LABOUR perhaps some Days, without
perceiving the HEAD to be fixed upon _these Bones_, always erroneously
imagining the _INFANT_ only to be situated _too high_, (because it lies
out of the reach of her _shallow_ TOUCH) and that it must in due Time
_fall down lower_ within her _Ken_. Or peradventure otherwise, when by
the TOUCH, _she_ feels a kind of _Roundness_ or _Hardness_, thro’ the
WOMB, mistaking _This_ for the HEAD, _she_ thinks the _INFANT_ is well
turned, and wants only _strong PAINS_ to drive it forwards with Success.
THIS _Ignorance_ is chiefly owing to her own _Stupidity_, in that _she_
cannot clearly distinguish between the WOMB and the VAGINA by the TOUCH;
nor the _Orifice_ of the WOMB from the _Parts_ of the _CHILD_, or
_MEMBRANE_; which (in this _Case_) frequently occasions the _Death_ of
many a _Dear MOTHER_ and _INFANT_.
BUT here it is to be moreover noted of this difficult _Situation_ of the
WOMB, that the _MIDWIFE_ (how skilful soever) perhaps can either not
_touch_ the ORIFICE at all, or but very little, except it lies _wide
open_, when she may _touch_ at least some Part of the CIRCLE of the
_Border_: For the HEAD being fixed upon the PUBIS above, the whole
_upper Part_ of the _Edges_ of the ORIFICE can no ways peradventure be
_touched_ with the _Fingers_, which may only reach the _lower Part_ that
is _Open_.
UPON which, these _Fingers_ are cautiously and prudently to be thrust in
farther betwixt the _Neck_ of the BLADDER, and the _Orifice_ of the
WOMB: Then being so near the Neck of the Bladder, a discerning _MIDWIFE_
will feel a sort of a _Circular Border_, namely, that of the _Orifice_
of the WOMB; which if she penetrates with her _Fingers_, she will also
find the hard Part of the HEAD, which is _Smooth_ and _Globular_, or the
opening of the VERTEX; whence she may be certain, that the _INFANT_, as
well as the _WOMB_, is too close to the SPINE of the _Back_. Whereupon
she ought, without loss of Time, to assist and help the _CHILD_ in the
following _Manner_; viz.
SHE is to hinder the _Woman_ from _labouring_ all this while, advising
her to bear and put by her _PAINS_, until this _Posture_ of the _INFANT_
can be duly corrected: In order to which, I would FIRST order the
_Woman_ to _make Water_, if she can, that the BLADDER being thereby
emptied, may not be hurt by the _Pressure_ of the _MIDWIFE_’s _Hand_, or
the _CHILD_’s _Head_: SECONDLY, if the _MEMBRANE_ is not yet broken, and
the PAINS but _few_ and _faint_, I would prescribe a gentle CLYSTER, not
only to awaken _These_, but also to remove all _Inconveniencies_ of the
_RECTUM_: THIRDLY, I would then advise to lay the _Woman_ in a
convenient manner, upon her BACK with the _superior_ Part of her Body
lower than the _inferiour_, that both the WOMB and the INFANT may the
more easily recede or _give way back_.
THEN taking cautiously Hold of the _Border_ of the ORIFICE with the
_Fingers_ of _either Hand_, I would press and draw it _back_ towards the
_RECTUM_, whilst I employ’d my _other Hand_ outwardly upon the
_ABDOMEN_, a little above the _OS PUBIS_: I mean, that the _Child’s
HEAD_ ought to be _thrust back_ a little with the _Hand on the outside_,
pressing it discreetly _down_; as the _ORIFICE_ is to be drawn _back_
towards the _RECTUM_, and at the same time also _downwards_, with the
_internal Hand_.
IN the next Place, as I feel the HEAD and the WOMB mov’d a little
_downwards_, so I would also advise the good _Woman_ to raise the _upper
Part_ of her Body, yet so as not to stir the _Lower_, and to _bend_
herself as much as possible _Forwards_, sitting as if she was going to
_Stool_: Because by this _Posture_, she raises both the INFANT and the
WOMB _behind_, and consequently drives them _BOTH Forwards_, whilst I
would in the _Interim_ keep my _HANDS_ very fast placed as aforesaid,
ready to depress the _HEAD before_, that it may fall directly into the
PELVIS. In short, the _HEAD_ being thus disengag’d, I would now advise
the _Woman_ to observe her _PAINS_, and mutually _labour_ with them what
she can, with her Body mostly still in a _Sitting Posture_, or kneeling
with her _Arms_ conveniently supported.
BUT supposing the _INFANT_ to stick very fast upon the PUBIS (which
commonly happens by _Loss of Time_, or by misimproving a critical
_Minute_;) and that the capable MIDWIFE finds both the MOTHER and the
CHILD in this miserable _Condition_, thro’ the Neglect and Ignorance of
_Another_: In this _Case_ I would lay the _Woman_ altogether upon her
_BACK_, with her _HEAD low_, and her _BODY_ a little _elevated_; then by
the abovesaid _Method_ I would try to depress the _Infant’s HEAD_,
observing however yet not only to press it _down_ from _above_, but also
first to _thrust it back_, and _depressing_ it at the same Time: By thus
_repelling_ it, I would save the tender _HEAD_ from being hurt by the
_Depression_; since otherways these BONES would leave a _Dent_ or an
_Impression_ upon it, if not also wound it over and above.
MOREOVER, supposing that the _MEMBRANE_ should break by Chance, and that
by enlarging the _Orifice_, the _HEAD_ should be much _bared_: Then I
would let the _Border_ of the WOMB alone, and endeavour to thrust my
_FINGERS_ betwixt the _HEAD_ (towards its _Upper Part_) and the _OSSA
PUBIS_; by which means One may most probably draw the _HEAD downwards_,
along with the _Orifice_. However, in fine, this _Case_, (as well as all
other _preternatural BIRTHS_) absolutely requires a sound _Judgment_, a
quick _Comprehension_, a good _Conduct_, an easy _soft Hand_, and a
dextrous gentle _Method_ of treating the _parturient_ and _patient
WOMAN_. But, farther——
WE will again in the next Place _state_ the _CASE_ thus, that suppose
the _HEAD_ is too Big, and the CHILD so much compressed, that it cannot
be brought into the _PELVIS_ without great Trouble and Difficulty: In
this _Condition_, before _Matters_ come to an Extremity, I would
(without Loss of Time) find out the FEET; in order to which, the
_Orifice_ (which is now commonly less _open_) ought to be cautiously
_open’d_ with a gentle _Force_, by thrusting first _one_, and then more
FINGERS _upwards_, which are to be gradually _distended_, until at last
the whole _HAND_ is entered up to the _Wrist_: Whereby (after prudently
breaking the _MEMBRANE_) I would now and then _thrust back_ the HEAD,
and put it upon one _Side_, as much as possible by ART.
BUT upon _This_ here it must be carefully observ’d by the way, that I
would pass my _Hand_ close up along the _INFANT’s Body_ from the
_Orifice_ to the _Fund_ of the WOMB, or to the FEET, that it may not
come between the _SECUNDINE_ and the WOMB, but betwixt the _MEMBRANE_
and the _CHILD_: By this _Method_ I shall neither hurt the WOMB, nor the
_INFANT_; but the _HAND_ distinguishing clearly all the _Parts_ of the
_CHILD_, I cannot miss finding the _Feet_ with the greatest Certainty.
Tho’ I must acknowledge by the By, this to be the _Work_ of a very
strong and agile _HAND_, as well as of a sound and ready _Judgment_;
because of the immense _Labour_ and Difficulty, first in opening the
_narrow ORIFICE_, and then in penetrating through it to the _Bottom_ of
the WOMB, as the _INFANT_ obstructs the Way: not to mention the great
_Inconveniencies_ also besides, which arise from the _Turnings_ and
_Windings_, as well as from the _Length_ and _Constriction_ of the
_Passage_. However yet——
THUS having found _one_ or _both FEET_, I would draw them down _both
together_, if possible, always turning the _TOES_ towards the _FACE_.
Whereas if only _ONE_ can be found to be conveniently _attracted_, as it
often happens, I make it fast by a running _Knot on a broad Ribband_, or
by a certain _Bandage_, called _MITRA_, or with a soft _Linnen Rag_
about four Inches broad; which I _twist_ together, and hold in the _Hand
without the Body_, as I pass the _other_ up along this _LEG_, duly
observing whether it is the _Right_ or the _Left_, that I may know which
of my _HANDS_ will most commodiously find out the _other LEG_; and that
_HAND_ having reached the _CHILD’s Belly_ or _Buttocks_, I slide it
along the _THIGH_ to the other _LEG_: So that the _FOOT_ being thus
found, I bring it also down into the _PASSAGE_, according to the
_POSTURE_ of the _INFANT_.
BOTH _FEET_ being now thus _brought down_, if they chance to be
_ill-turned_, that is, with _TOES_ up and _HEELS downwards_, I
discreetly _turn_ the _CHILD_, whilst I gradually draw forth the _FEET_.
_These_, together with the _BELLY_, being fairly excluded, I hold the
_FEET_ with _one Hand_, whilst I put the _other_ under the _BELLY_ and
_BREAST_, as far as possible: Or, resting the _FEET_ in my _Lap_, with
_one Hand_ above, and _another_ below, I take good hold of the _BODY_,
attracting it gently. Upon this I advise and encourage my _Woman_ now to
_labour_ her best, and that whether she feels any _PAINS_ or not, since
they are now no longer to be waited for with the Impatience of a happy
_Delivery_.
BY this regular _Method_, in fine, the _HEAD_ and _both ARMS_ pass thro’
the _Orifice_ at once, and that without the least _Danger_; because the
_Smoothness_ of the _TEMPLES_ affords always sufficient _Room_ for the
_ARMS_, as the _Orifice_ relaxes and dilates, as has been already
observed[175]. Now _this_, in short, I take, with Submission, to be the
only genuine _METHOD_ of perfecting a successful _DELIVERY_ in the
present _preternatural Condition_, whether the _BIRTH_ be _Dead_ or
_Alive_: So that hence I proceed in course to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXI.
_Of Præternatural BIRTHS, from the WOMB’s inclining to either Side._
THO’ the _WOMB_ may be _obliquated_ (as has been said) either to the
_right_ or _left Side_; yet, to abbreviate this Work, I shall contract
_both Situations_ into _one_; and because the ingenious _Reader_ may
easily apply what is said of the _one_ to the _other_, I shall only
treat of that inclining to the _right Side_.
THE most difficult _Posture_ of this kind is, when the _Bottom_ of the
_WOMB_ is placed deeper in the _right Side_ towards the LOINS, tending
more to the _Back_ than the _Forepart_. Which the MIDWIFE may know to
distinguish by the following _Signs_; namely, 1. By the _Place_ where
the Woman feels the _INFANT_ move most. 2. By that part of the _Belly_
which is most pointed and hard on the _Outside_. 3. By trying the Woman
in the beginning of the _Labour_, before the _Pains_ have moved the
_WOMB_ out of its Place, she will find the _Orifice_ of the _WOMB_
suspended higher, compressed to the _Spine_ of the left _OS PUBIS_ or
_COXENDICIS_; by which means the said _Orifice_ cannot be _touched_
without Difficulty; and by no means the _whole_ of it, but only the
_lower Border_. 4. She will find the _INFANT’s Head_ thro’ the _WOMB_
and _VAGINA_ (tho’ not bare) laid _a-cross_ the _PELVIS_, but cannot
come at the _lower Part_ of it; only with one or more _Fingers_, she may
sometimes penetrate betwixt the _Spine_ of the said Bones, and touch the
_VERTEX_.
BY these _Signs_ the _MIDWIFE_ soon finds her _Task_ most heavy and
perplexed; for from thence proceeds the following _Difficulties_.
I. IN this _Posture_ the _INFANT’s Head_ (as soon as it makes the lead
_Apertion_ of the _Orifice_) is fixed upon the _Spine_ of the left _OS
PUBIS_ or _COXENDICIS_; and the _Head_ thus fixed cannot pass forwards,
because those _Bones_ cannot give way: From hence arise the _Aquæ
Furtivæ_, or a flowing of the _Waters_ by Stealth, or as it were, by
_Distillation_; the _Orifice_ as well as the _INFANT’s Head_ being shut
up by the said _Bones_, so that neither the _Head_ nor the _Humours_ can
open it; save only a little on the _lower Side_: Where the _Waters_, by
pressing the _Membranes_ downwards in an _acute Form_, break thro’ that
_acuminated_ Part as they also force the _Head_ upwards, near to the
_Border_ of the said BONES.
II. IT often happens, by these means, that the _right Arm_ is excluded,
and falls down to the _Shoulder_ in the _PASSAGE_, the _INFANT_ being
left dry by the unseasonable flowing of the _Waters_: And the _Arm_
being thus thrust forwards into the _PASSAGE_, the _Head_ is more and
more forced-back _upwards_, so that the _Neck_ of Consequence is so
bent, that it may easily break; and the _Crown_ of the _HEAD_ (falling
against the _Spine_ of the _PUBIS_ or _COXENDICIS_) is so pressed upon
it by the violent _Pains_, that the _BRAIN_ may be readily affringed,
and consequently the _INFANT_ die before _BIRTH_.
III. THE most deplorable _Condition_ of all is when, after all _Pains_
and _Labours_ suffered in vain, the MOTHER herself expires, without
bringing forth her _Child_; as it too often happens, that after a long
continued and miserable _Torment_, the BIRTH is not a Jot advanced,
whereby of course the wretched _Woman_ must undoubtedly _yield up the
Ghost_ for want of effectual _Help_. I say for want of _Help_, because
the _Help_ of such MIDWIVES as are ignorant of the various _Postures_ of
the WOMB, and the _Method_ of correcting them; and of such as do not
thorowly understand the TOUCH, but place all their Hopes in _Nature_ and
_Divine Mercy_; is as nothing, and of no Effect upon this _critical
Occasion_: Since the audacious _Ignorance_ of such Creatures serves only
to tempt GOD and his _Providence_.
HAVING thus defin’d and laid down the fatal Inconveniences of this
_Preternatural Situation_, I come now to shew People concern’d how to
correct it and dispatch a happy _BIRTH_: In order to which, the
_præliminary Articles_ are the _MIDWIFE’S_ indefatigable _Industry_, and
accurate _Attention_ to the Circumstances of Things.
THEN supposing an _INFANT_ to be brought forth _HEAD foremost_; the
_Woman_ is to be placed with the upper part of her Body a little
elevated, the _MIDWIFE_ then finding (by the TOUCH) the _Orifice_ to be
but moderately press’d upon the _Left OS PUBIS_, or _COXENDICIS_; in
this _Case_, she is to be laid down full upon the _right Side_ a little
obliquely, that the WOMB may fall back by its own Weight, and not
relapse against those _Bones_.
NEXT after this I would endeavour to get my _right Hand-Fingers_ above
the upper Border of the _Orifice_, and thereby remove it a little, and
bring it down nearer the _Cavity_ of the PELVIS. To facilitate which
_Work_, I would order some of the _By-Standing Women_ to raise her
_right Side_ a little, which of Consequence raises the WOMB itself; and
thus I would, by raising and letting it down by Degrees, move it
_forwards_ into the _PELVIS_: However, always taking special Care, that
the WOMB, together with the _Head_, do not slip down too far into the
crooked _Sinus_ of the _OS SACRUM_, so as to stick there, (as has been
already precaution’d in the preceding _Chapter_:) to prevent which
unlucky _Accident_, I would advise to apply all possible Care and Pains
in the Beginning, to sustain and keep up the _Orifice_, and to bare the
_HEAD_ sufficiently before its Descent; observing also the same
Management in point of the _Humours_, until the _Membrane_ breaks; which
being broken, I would treat the _Head_ in Manner as aforesaid.
NOW tho’ the _HEAD_ in this _Posture_ offers itself as if it were _bent
aside_, because of the _lateral Distorsion_ of the WOMB, I would first
bring it to a right _Position_, and then manage it as if it had
presented itself _directly_: And besides, the _HEAD_ being thus directed
into the PELVIS, I would always take care that the _Woman’s Body_ be
bent a little towards the _left Side_, that the CHILD may the more
readily be carried down by its own _Weight_ into the _PELVIS_. But, in
short, as to the farther Exclusion of the INFANT, and _After-Birth_, as
well as the _Cleansing_ and _Contraction_ of the WOMB; These Things are
to be perform’d, as directed by the foregoing _Chapter_.
HOWEVER, we will now state the _Case_, and suppose that the _Woman_ is
spent and tired out with continual hard _Labour_, before the capable
_MIDWIFE_ is sent for: Upon this _Condition_ the _BIRTH_ is to be
hastened by all possible prudent Means. In order to which, I would
(without Loss of Time) endeavour to _turn_ the _INFANT_, and extract it
by the _Feet_; Because to direct it otherways into the PELVIS, would be
too tedious upon this Juncture. For to bring it _Head foremost_, would
create vehement _Pains_, which infallibly would expose _both Lives_ to
extream Danger. But now, in fine, having thus at large insisted upon the
various _Cases_ of _Preternatural Births_, arising from the four extream
_oblique Situations_ of the WOMB; It remains yet still, that I also
subjoin a few Words, upon such _Preternatural Cases_, as may proceed
from the less _oblique Positions of the same Body_; and that briefly in
manner following——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXII.
_Of Præternatural BIRTHS, proceeding from the Median oblique Situations
of the WOMB._
AS the three preceeding _Chapters_ concern only the Extremities of an
_obliquated_ WOMB, so they necessarily lead me in this Place to offer a
short _Hint_ Upon the _Median_ or _Less oblique Uterine Positions_.
Which notwithstanding their great _Variety_, according to the just
Comparison formerly made[176], I shall for Brevity-sake comprehend in
_One_, and treat of in general _Terms_ as subsequently follows.
I. I observe that however conspicuous and remarkable the _Difference_ of
these _Preternatural Postures_ may be, especially _That_ betwixt the
_Four_ mention’d _Extremes_ and the _Natural Situation_ of the WOMB; yet
I fear, that there is too much Reason to suspect, that this _Difference_
is but little known to the generality of _Practitioners_ in _MIDWIFERY_,
otherways I am sure _Patience_ would not be so much cry’d up, or at
least _Time_ would not be so much trifled away, (at every difficult
_LABOUR_) by the _Ordinary Boethogynists_, neither would the Use of
_SHARPS_ be so much practis’d by the _Extraordinary MIDWIFE_.
II. I observe, that tho’ a WOMB _less oblique_, occasions a _less
Difficult_, or more easy _BIRTH_, than any of the _Extremes_, yet the
least Degree of an _oblique uterine Posture_, may be of great Hindrance,
and imminent Danger to the _Woman_, whose attending _MIDWIFE_ is
ignorant of it, as well as of the exact _Method_ of restoring it to its
_Natural State_.
III. I would observe by the way, that as the fatal _Consequences_ of
such Ignorance, have already been sufficiently precaution’d in the
preceeding _Chapters_; so it would be _supervacaneous_, and altogether
needless to re-assume or repeat them in _This_: Wherefore I shall only
farther, once for all, exhort and adjure such _MIDWIVES_, as have any
regard for their own _Consciences_, and the _Lives_ of their Neighbours,
that they would qualify themselves duly in these excellent Points of
Knowledge. And _This_ I have the more Reason to inculcate, because I
never yet knew an assiduous _MIDWIFE_, who was _thus perfectly_ well
endued with the _essential Qualifications_ of her PROFESSION, but the
great _GOD_ rather (to whom the Glory of all Things is due) perpetually
compleated his own _Gifts_, and crown’d the _Labour_ of her Hands with
desirable _Success_.
FOR as the _Husband-Man_, who never _sowed_, can never expect to _reap_;
or as the _Gardener_, who never _planted_, can never hope to _gather_;
so neither can the _MIDWIFE_ who was never regularly qualified, ever
justly hope or expect to effect a happy _DELIVERY_; especially not in
_Cases_ of Difficult and _Preternatural BIRTHS_: Neither can the
_Consequences_ of her Mistakes or Ignorance on the other Hand, ever
detract from, or lessen, the _Divine Power_, which is still the SAME,
and _can always do all Things that it will, but will not always do all
that it can_. Besides _HE_, who has been pleased to lay such _Burthens_
upon us, to try the _Patience_ and _Constancy_ of _One_, and to exercise
the _Industry_ and _Charity_ of _another_; _HE_, I say, often executes
his _Judgments_ upon _some_, for the _Sins_ of _both Offenders_, that
all Things may the more manifestly tend to his own eternal Glory.
IV. I come now in the _fourth_ Place by certain _Demonstration_, to
explain the Nature of a WOMB less _obliquated_, and to lay down the
genuine Method of correcting any _Preternatural Situation_ whatsoever of
the disorder’d or distorted WOMB.
IN order to which, I would previously observe, that all such _Postures_
of the WOMB, whether more or less, either tending _aside_, or _prone_,
or _supine_, are only best discover’d by the _TOUCH_: Because the
_Orifice_ always answering in a _strait Line_ to the opposite
_Situation_ of the _Bottom_ of the WOMB, can never fail to shew its
_Posture_ to the judicious _MIDWIFE_.
HENCE if the _MIDWIFE_ does but know exactly the _Natural Position_ of
the _ORIFICE_, she may thence easily conceive by how much it differs in
an _obliquated_ WOMB, and accordingly thereby readily judge whereabouts
the _Bottom_ is seated: Which _Situations_ of _Bottom_ and _Orifice_
being known, she can consequently be at no loss to comprehend the
_Disposition_ of the whole _Uterine Body_. And if she now remembers or
recollects what has been said of _restoring_ and _replacing_ the most
_extream_, or most _oblique_ WOMB, she will have no Difficulty in
restoring any WOMB _less oblique_ to its _Natural Posture_; This
depending entirely upon that Method, to which I refer[177], for
Brevity’s sake.
IN short, I shall here only add, that if the _INFANT_ offers itself
_well turn’d_, in this _less oblique_ WOMB; the _MIDWIFE_, having
restored the WOMB to its right Place and natural _Posture_, will find
nothing more to do, but to take Care to facilitate and enlarge the
_Passage_, and receive the _CHILD_ tenderly with the _Head foremost_.
Whereas in _Case_ the _INFANT_ presents itself _ill-turn’d_ in this
WOMB, it is to be very circumspectly extracted by the Feet; as by and by
will more amply appear from what ensues, _Viz._——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXIII.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, proceeding from complicated Causes, of both
the INFANT and the WOMB._
BY this sort of _BIRTHS_, I mean such as are _Preternatural_, both in
respect of the _Situation_ of the _CHILD_, and of the WOMB. Which
complicated _Preternatural BIRTH_ is (of all _others_) the most
dangerous; because of an _Indefinity_ of Accidents and Difficulties with
which it is always attended, according to the many various _Postures_ in
which both the _INFANT_ and the WOMB are found: All which to enumerate
here, and to guard particularly against them, as I have done in the
preceeding _Cases_, would not only augment the _Bulk_ and _Charge_ of
this _WORK_, but also be in some respect altogether _Needless_: Because
if I was to content my self to treat this _Chapter_ in _general_
(without descending to _particular_) _TERMS_, I would not doubt but that
the ingenious _Reader_ would even thence readily form a clear _IDEA_ of
all such _BIRTHS_, from the many different _Cases_ already stated and
discussed; which if thoroughly well understood, the Rest cannot but be
easily comprehended.
HOWEVER, that I may not leave the weaker _Capacity_, or the doubtful
_MIDWIFE_ to the Uncertainties of her own scrupulous _Judgement_, I
shall propose and resolve some of the most difficult and dangerous
_Cases_ belonging to this _preternatural Subject_, and _that_ as far as
is really requisite, in manner following; _viz._——
I. WE Shall suppose that the _INFANT_ is ill-turned, and presents itself
_preternaturally_, with FACE, CHIN, HAND, ELBOW, SHOULDER, BREAST, BACK,
BELLY, SIDE, BUTTOCK, KNEE, FOOT, or any _other Part_ or _Member_ first,
in a WOMB tending _obliquely forwards_. In this _Condition_, I shall
_first_ show the _MIDWIFE_ how, and by what _Signs_, she may know and
discover such perverse _Postures_; and _secondly_ how, and by what
Means, _These_ may be rectify’d, the _CHILD_ extricated, and the
_MOTHER_ reliev’d in Life.
THEN as to the _First Point_, I would have it minded, that the TOUCH is
the only _Expedient_, by which the _Situation_ of the _INFANT_ in any
WOMB, whether _Oblique_ or _Direct_, is to be discover’d and perfectly
known. Which when the _MIDWIFE_ finds to be _preternatural_, she needs
not much trouble herself about what _precise Part_ offers or comes
_first_ in the _PASSAGE_: Because of this short _Rule_, which I would
not have her to forget; namely, That, when the HEAD does not present
itself _first_ in this complicated _Case_, the _CHILD_ is to be drawn
out by the _FEET_. For in this ill _Position_ of both the _INFANT_ and
the _WOMB_, the _Version_ of the _CHILD_ succeeds more easily than if
the HEAD was _foremost_: Wherefore I would lose no Time, but as Soon as
I had discover’d all _Circumstances_ aright, I would commence my
Business upon this Occasion, before either the _MOTHER_ or the _INFANT_
are much spent, that I may perform my _Work_, while they both can
mutually concur with me towards their own _Relief_; That is, while the
WOMB is yet suspended in the _upper Part_ of the PELVIS, and the
_Membrane_ not yet broken.
IN order to this _Second Point_, the _Woman_ being commodiously placed,
the _MIDWIFE_ is to pass up her _Hand_ into the _VAGINA_, and dispose
the _Orifice_ of the WOMB to open, which is now sooner done than if the
HEAD came _first_: _This_ being done dextrously, she is to put first
_one_ or _two Fingers_, then _all_ of them successively into the
_Aperture_; and when that is sufficiently enlarged, she is to penetrate
into the WOMB, and either break the _MEMBRANE_, or wait its _spontaneous
Breaking_, as she judges best by occurring _Circumstances_. In the next
place, she is to look for and find the _FEET_; and, the _TOES_ being
always turn’d towards the RECTUM, they are to be forthwith brought into
the PASSAGE: proceeding still farther in the due and regular _Method_ of
extracting the CHILD, as already taught[178] and dilucidated.
II. WE will suppose moreover, that the INFANT is _ill-seated_, and
presents itself _preternaturally_ with any of the aforementioned
_Members first_, in a WOMB hanging _obliquely to either Side_. In this
_Case_, I would sincerely advise the _MIDWIFE_, to lose no Time in
opening the WOMB, breaking the MEMBRANE, turning the CHILD, and
extracting it by the FEET: Because in this _Posture_ of both the _BIRTH_
and the _WOMB_, Experience has taught me that nothing can be safer and
less dangerous than this _Method_, when ingeniously and presently
perform’d with Dexterity.
IT is true indeed it may be _objected_, that I dissent in _this Matter_,
from most (if not from all) _Authors_: To which I _answer_, in short,
that _Those_ from whom I do differ, were never acquainted with this
_complicated preternatural Condition_, but always supposed the _WOMB_ to
continue in its proper Place, never dreaming of its various _Motion_,
nor suspecting its _oblique Situation_; erroneously imagining all
_preternatural BIRTHS_ to proceed merely from the ill _Version_ of the
INFANT: In which _Circumstance_ however, when it happens so, I confess
they are so far in the right, that the HEAD is to be _first_ brought
into the PASSAGE, and the CHILD excluded by it with all possible
Expedition.
BUT that I may farther elucidate the true _State_ of this _Case_, as it
becomes me to speak the _Truth_ ingenuously, it is my candid Opinion
that, in any _oblique Posture_ of the _WOMB_, it is the safest,
quickest, and most convenient _Method_ to extract the INFANT by the
FEET, and that presently in the _Beginning_ of the LABOUR, either before
or at least presently after FLOODING, as occasion requires. For this
very Reason, and to this Purpose, I hope, I may farther justly lay down
_one certain Rule_; namely, that all _BIRTHS ill-turn’d_, in a _WOMB
ill-seated_, are to be rightly _turn’d_ again, and drawn out by the
FEET. Which _Rule_, if duly observed, will, I am positive, save a World
of _Women_ and _Children_, that otherwise must inevitably perish; since
as for my part, I know no _Situation_ of the INFANT in an _oblique
WOMB_, more difficult or dangerous than the HEAD’s _offering itself
first_; and _that_ because the _BIRTH_ cannot be then _turned_ without
the greatest _Difficulty_ and most extreme _Pains_.
THIS, in short, will be readily granted by All, who do consider or
conceive that the _WOMB_ (being fixed by _Ligaments_ on both sides) is
always more inclinable to _fall Forwards_ or _Backwards_, than to either
_Side_, and first most commonly _bends back_ before it comes to any
_lateral Posture_; and that from hence of consequence, the _WOMB_ is
_distorted_ as well as _obliquely situated_. By reason of which
_Distortion_, if the _CHILD_ comes _Head foremost_, it falls down in the
PELVIS _obliquely_; and tho’ a judicious _MIDWIFE_ may bring the HEAD
directly into the PELVIS, yet the _Shoulders_ following, must needs fall
upon the PELVIS _a-cross_, in its narrower Part; whereby of reasonable
Consequence the INFANT must be distorted in the _Passage_.
NOW in this _Case_, no PAINS, how violent soever, can avail to force
forwards the _BIRTH_ so fixed upon these _Bones_; wherefore (I say) when
the _WOMB_ is thus _seated_, it is most safe in the _Beginning_ of the
_LABOUR_, to open its _Orifice_, break the _Membrane_, turn the _CHILD_,
and take it out by the _FEET_; since by the HEAD’s coming now
_foremost_, both _Lives_ are at Stake and in great Jeopardy.
HOWEVER yet it may be again _objected_, that I have already prescribed
another _Method_ in _Chap._ 21; _viz._ of bringing the _Orifice_
together with the HEAD into the PELVIS, and promoting the _BIRTH_ in
that Manner: To this I _answer_, that my _Reason_ for so doing, was not
only to convince some People, that I know _their Method_ as well as _my
own_; but also to whet or assist the _Judgment_ of such good _MIDWIVES_
as cannot forsake their own old _By-Paths_; Not that I ever design’d to
recommend _it_ to any, tho’ I must however acknowledge, that sometimes
it may effect the desirable _Ends_; but according to the _Rules_ of
irrefragable _Truth_, and sound Judgment, we find that, in this
_Position_ of the WOMB, let the _BIRTH_ offer itself as it will, the
only laudable _Method_ is without Loss of Time to extract the INFANT,
and deliver the _Woman_ as above-directed.
III. I observe upon the whole, that as the immediate present _Case_ is
applicable to either (_right_ or _left_) _Side_; so what is said of the
foregoing _Condition_, with respect to the WOMB’s _inclining forwards_,
may be easily apply’d to the _Case_ of its _tending backwards_: Only
with this considerable Difference, that the _oblique forward Posture_ of
the WOMB, is the most commodious of the _Four_ mentioned _Extremes_, and
consequently admits of a more easy _Exclusion_ of the _BIRTH_ by the
_Head_, than any of the rest mentioned.
NOT but that either of these grand or complicated _preternatural BIRTHS_
imply and prognosticate imminent Danger to the _MOTHER_, or the _CHILD_,
or _Both_; as well as incredible _Labour_ and _Fatigue_ to the faithful
_MIDWIFE_; who, in such _Cases_, can less distinctly feel, less
commodiously handle, and more difficultly come at the Matter, so as to
dispose the _INFANT_’S _Members_ for _Attraction_, than in any other
_Condition_ of _BIRTH_: Hence it is, in short, that so many _MIDWIVES_
are liable to the most egregious Mistakes, and unaccountable Deceptions
upon these unlucky Occasions. But——
AGAIN farther, I hope I may freely speak my Mind, and openly avow, that
the most of these BIRTHS proceed merely from want of seasonable and
skilful _Assistance_ in the beginning of the LABOUR: Because the _BIRTH_
(however well seated then) by reason of the _bad Situation_ of the WOMB,
cannot possibly pass thro’ the PELVIS of itself; and not being
judiciously assisted at that nice Juncture, behold, from a _Natural_, it
falls on a sudden also into a _Preternatural Posture_. From hence we
have this extreme difficult and most dangerous sort of _Preternatural
BIRTHS_, as will more conspicuously appear from a deliberate
_Reflection_ upon the preceding _Chapters_. And This much (I hope) may
finally suffice any intelligent _Reader_, to conceive the different
_Circumstances_ of all _complicated Preternatural BIRTHS_ whatsoever.
Whence I go on to the _Fourth_ and last Sort of _Preternatural BIRTHS_
proposed; namely, _Those_ proceeding from intervening _accidental
Causes_; which because they are also different, I shall handle briefly
and separately in the ensuing Manner; _viz._——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXIV.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, proceeding from the NAVEL-STRING’s coming
first, and that either alone, or with some other Member._
AMONG the various unhappy _Accidents_, which may happen in or about the
Time of LABOUR, the present _Case_ is none of the most auspicious; in as
much as it may, in sundry Respects, occasion a very difficult
_Preternatural BIRTH_, according to the Difference of Circumstances: For
the NAVEL-STRING having fallen down and come _first_ in the _Passage_,
may be variously turn’d, and consequently cause several and sundry
_Inconveniences_, as follow, _viz._——
I. WHEN the _Umbilical Vessel_ falls down alone into the PASSAGE,
without any other _Part_, the _BIRTH_ is then commonly situated a-cross
in the WOMB; and in this _Condition_, _BACK_ or _BELLY_, _HAND_ or
_FOOT_, may be probably expected to come _first_: Wherefore the active
_MIDWIFE_ ought to discover the _real Posture_ by the TOUCH, and _that_
at least before all the _Waters_ are yet flow’d off and evacuated; and
then betimes to fetch away the _CHILD_ by the _FEET_, unless the HEAD be
more convenient or pat for the Purpose. But these _Cases_ being already
particularly discussed[179], I shall add nothing farther upon them in
this Place.
II. THE _String_ may fall down _double_, and so swell with _Cold_, as to
obstruct the _Passage_, which however is but the smallest Consideration
in this _Condition_, because by its hanging down _double_, it may be so
shortned, that the _CHILD_ may be detain’d, appending by it in the
_Orifice_, until the BLOOD of the _Umbilicals_ coagulating either by
_Cold_, or by _Compression_ in the _Passage_, the due _Circulation_ is
obstructed, and the INFANT expos’d to the greatest of _Dangers_, if a
very speedy _DELIVERY_ does not prevent the fatal Accident.
THE Prudent _MIDWIFE_ ought always to be very sollicitous about this
_Case_, making it her particular _Care_ from the beginning of the
LABOUR, as soon as perceiv’d by the TOUCH, and before the _Waters_
break, to avert or hinder its either coming _before_, or _along with
the_ HEAD, by removing it judiciously according to _Art_. But supposing
she comes too late to prevent the _Mischief_, and that the STRING is
already in the _Passage_; then it is to be _put back behind the_ HEAD
immediately, and kept there until the HEAD be fully directed into and
lodg’d in the _Passage_. However it sometimes happens that it cannot be
kept-up so _long_, and that the _MIDWIFE_, whatever _Pains_ she may
take, cannot hinder it from extruding itself at every PANG: In this
_Condition_, I would advise her (without delay) to extract the BIRTH by
the FEET, and that notwithstanding the HEAD should be _foremost_.
III. IT also happens sometimes, that the STRING without hanging down, is
variously compress’d betwixt the HEAD and the _Bones_ of the PELVIS,
which (stopping or impeding the _Motion_ of the BLOOD) soon occasions
the INFANT’s inevitable Death.
IN which _Case_, if pressed against the OSSA PUBIS, having laid the
_Woman_ on her _Back_ with her _Head low_, and the _lower Part of her
Body raised_, I would press _back_ the INFANT’s _Head_, and put the
_STRING_ as much as possible behind it; upon which, then I would bring
the _Head_ forthwith into the PELVIS, unless it be more convenient to
_turn_ and _extract_ it by the _FEET_.
AS also, tho’ seldom, it may happen, that the _Umbilical_ may be
_pressed back_ by the HEAD against the OS SACRUM: In which State of
Affairs, I would turn the _Woman_, if Strength may permit, upon her
KNEES, whilst I employ either _Hand_ on the _Back Part_, in order to
remove the HEAD, how firmly soever fixed: Whereas if the _Patient_ be
weak, I would lay her upon either _Side_, drawing up one _Foot_ to her
_Belly_, for the Advantage of obtaining more Room, in order to effect
the same Thing; which, tho’ difficult, is no impossible _Task_ for the
expert _MIDWIFE_.
BUT if it chances to be pressed against either of the OSSA ILIA, having
laid the _Woman_ on the contrary _Side_, with the _lower Part_ of her
Body elevated, I would remove the _HEAD_ with the opposite _Hand_, and
free the _STRING_; proceeding otherways as in the former _Cases_, with
_HEAD_ or _FEET_, as I should find most convenient.
IV. AGAIN, it also sometimes comes to pass, that the _STRING_ is found
lying upon the _Forehead_, which is indeed most _dangerous_; but it is
easily removed with good Judgement to the _Temples_ of the HEAD, which I
take to be a safe _Position_, because there the _Pressure_ is much less
aggravated.
V. MOREOVER it likewise sometimes happens, that the _STRING_ comes along
with the _Shoulder_, _Elbow_, _Hand_, _Foot_, &c. without touching the
_HEAD_: Upon this then as soon as the _Humours_ have flow’d, I would
pass my _Hand_ quickly up, and bring the _CHILD_, _Head_ or _Feet
foremost_ into the _Passage_, according to its _Situation_, always
detaining or stopping the _STRING_ from coming out before the _BIRTH_:
Whereas if the _STRING_ be already excluded along with the _Foot_ or the
_Arm_, it is to be _repelled_ with all necessary Speed, Conduct, and
Caution, and then the _INFANT_ ought to be dextrously drawn out by the
_Feet_.
VI. I have also seen the _CHILD_ brought forth by the _HEAD_, with the
_Umbilical_ circumvolv’d, or turn’d twice or thrice round the _NECK_; by
which means of the _STRING_’s being so much shortned, the _BIRTH_ was
stopped or retained in the _Passage_: Upon this Occasion, I endeavour’d
to slacken the _STRING_, and so bring it over the _HEAD_, but finding it
too _strait_ and _short_ to be so ordered, I _tied_ it in two places (at
about two or three _Inches_ distance) and then _cut it in two_ betwixt
the _Ligatures_: That being done, it was my Business to lose no Time in
attracting the _INFANT_ and delivering the _WOMAN_; otherways in this
_Condition_, it would have soon expired.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXV.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, from the AFTER-BIRTH’s coming first into the
PASSAGE._
ANOTHER _Preternatural Accident_ to which the _BIRTH_ is also sometimes
liable, is the _Falling down of the_ PLACENTA into the _Orifice_ of the
WOMB; which of course must needs obstruct the _Passage_, and prevent the
timely _Egress_ of the _INFANT_.
NOW tho’ the ignorant MIDWIFE often occasions this untoward _Accident_
by her own unskilful and imprudent _Treatment_, or rough and indecent
_Usage_; yet the Ingenious _MIDWIFE_ discovers this _Case_ in time by
_two_ certain different _Ways_: Namely, FIRST, by the TOUCH, when she
can neither feel the _MEMBRANE_, nor the naked _HEAD_; but (on the
contrary) perceives a thick, soft, fleshy, boneless _Substance_:
SECONDLY, by a _Bloody Flooding_, which constantly attends this
_Condition_; whereby both the _MOTHER_ and the _CHILD_ are imminently
endangered, as is already more abundantly set forth[180]: Unless the
skilful _MIDWIFE_ can prevent the fatal _Consequence_, by accelerating
the _BIRTH_; which, however yet, is not to be rashly attempted without
due Circumspection.
BUT notwithstanding the daring _Difficulties_, and time-serving
_Precautions_, mentioned by most _Authors_ of my reading and revolving,
in this _Case_; I can conceive no extraordinary _Perplexity_ which can
attend it, if the _DELIVERY_ be but _timely_ or _seasonably_ undertaken,
before the _Woman’s Strength_ and _Blood_ be too much exhausted. I know
_Daventer_, _Peu_, and some _others_, make long _Ambages_ or
Circumlocutions upon this _Head_; for _some_ are at great Pains to teach
us how to perforate the _SECUNDINE_ with a _Hair-Needle_ instead of our
_Fingers_, and _others_ how to keep it back, until the _INFANT_ be first
born: But for my part, as I already foresee sundry _Difficulties_ that
will arise in these Practices, so I shall be loth to come into them, and
that because——
FIRST, in penetrating the PLACENTA with any _acute Instrument_, the
_CHILD_ (if not the _MOTHER_ also) may be easily wounded: SECONDLY,
supposing it to be done with the FINGERS, the _Hole_ must be dilated in
proportion to the _Aperture_ of the Mouth of the WOMB, and then _this_
mangled MASS must be dispersed to _all Sides_ of the _Orifice_; by which
Means, _Daventer_ himself acknowledges, that it often perfectly
_congeals_ with BLOOD, and sticks so fast to the WOMB or VAGINA, that
the _Ignorant_ would not only take them to be _grown together_, but also
believe them rather to be _one and the same Body_: Which consequently
must require both great _Pains_ and _Difficulty_ to be separated, and at
last a very diligent _Scrutiny_ must be made, that no _Fragment_ be left
any where _Behind_, since in this _Condition_ no just _Conjecture_ can
be made by the Eye: THIRDLY, by retaining the _SECUNDINE_ in the WOMB,
when its heaviest and most bulky _Part_ (the PLACENTA) is fallen down
into the _Entrance_, let it be never so judiciously managed and moved,
it possesses a considerable deal of _Room_, and consequently obstructs
the _Operation_ of the _MIDWIFE_’s _Hand_, lying as a cross thwarting
_Impediment_ in her way, which at the same Time _blockades_ or totally
shuts up the _Passage_ of the _CHILD_.
WHEREFORE, and considering that this _Body_, when so loosened and
separated from the WOMB, can never possibly be any more _serviceable_;
but, on the contrary, highly _detrimental_ to both the _MOTHER_ and the
_INFANT_, as aforesaid; I cannot but be of Opinion, that it is both the
safest and shortest Way, to extract the _SECUNDINE first_; by which
expeditious _Step_, the _MIDWIFE_ not only gains more _Room_ to turn the
CHILD, but also (this being done) she can much more commodiously draw it
out by the HEELS: Animadverting always by the way, that in this critical
_Condition_, the _BIRTH_ must immediately follow the _SECUNDINE_,
without the Loss of one Moment’s Time, and _that_ especially for
stopping the _Floodings_, which would otherways not only soon suffocate
the weak INFANT, but also in a short Space of Time effect the certain
_Death_ of the tender MOTHER.
[Illustration]
CHAP. XXVI.
_Of Preternatural BIRTHS, proceeding from the Death of the INFANT._
AMONG the many _Preternatural BIRTHS_ mentioned, I think _that_ of a
_Dead CHILD_, may now at last justly take place.
BUT because this _Case_ is too commonly mistaken, and that the _Live
INFANT_ is too often taken for _Dead_, and consequently the wretched
innocent _Creature_ treated accordingly; I think it may not be amiss,
before I enter upon this DELIVERY, that I make a few previous requisite
_Remarks_; by which the extraordinary _MIDWIFE_, who is commonly sent
for too late, may perfectly know whether the _BIRTH_ be _dead_ or
_alive_; to the End that, so also in Case of _Necessity_, it may be
accordingly managed: Since in this fatal _Condition_ I have known
_several Persons_ to have been grossly deceiv’d, who have depended upon
the _Relation_ of the sick WOMAN, or taken it upon the _Credit_ of the
ignorant attending _MIDWIFE_.
FIRST then I know it to be ALIVE, if, by laying my _Hand_ on the
MOTHER’s _Belly_, I find it _stir_ or _move_: Or, SECONDLY, If I have
not full _Satisfaction_ this way, I would convey my _Hand_ into the
WOMB, as soon as the _Waters_ break, to feel the _Pulsation_ of the
NAVEL-STRING; which the nearer I feel to the _CHILD_’s _Belly_, the
stronger I find it _beat_, if ALIVE: Or, THIRDLY, I would put my
_Finger_ into the _INFANT_’s _Mouth_ to feel its _Tongue_, which (if
ALIVE) I should perceive it to _stir_, as if it would _suck_.
WHEREAS, on the contrary, we may know it to be DEAD, when a certain
nauseous and cadaverous _Humour_ flows from the WOMB: Or, when the
_Woman_ feels a great ponderous _Weight_ in her _BELLY_, tumbling always
towards that _Side_, which she inclines to, or lies upon: As also when
we find the _CHILD cold_ in the WOMB; or the _Umbilical_ Vessel without
PULSE; or the TONGUE _immoveable_: Or lastly, when I perceive the
_Dissolution of the Cuticle_ on the Top of the HEAD, I am then positive
that the FOETUS is DEAD; because, as _this_ is not easily _dissolved_,
neither does it happen immediately, but some Space of time after DEATH.
IN this _Case_ then of a _dead CHILD_, the _Labour_ is commonly lingring
and dangerous, because of the few, faint, and slow _PAINS_ which seize
the _Woman_; so that _Nature_, being half overthrown by the _Death_ of
the _INFANT_, which now can no ways help itself, absolutely requires to
be assisted by the most expeditious ART: And _that_ best, in my humble
Opinion, by the _Means_ and _Method_ following, _viz._——
FIRST I would endeavour to awaken and promote the _PAINS_, by one or
more sharp and strong _Clysters_: But SECONDLY, if _these_ do not
succeed so expeditiously as necessary, I would introduce my _Hand_ into
the WOMB, sliding it all along under the BELLY towards the FEET; and so,
with _Face_ and _Breast_ downwards, I would gently extract it by them;
in the same manner, as if it was ALIVE. Only, in this _Case_, great
_Care_ must be taken, that the HEAD may not unhappily _sever_ itself
from the _Body_, and consequently _stay behind_ in the WOMB; which
Accident may easily happen in the _Passage_, especially if the _BIRTH_
is any ways _putrefy’d_.
HOWEVER, after all, in _Case_ of such an untoward _Occurrence_, I would
still excuse myself from the _Use_ of an EDUCTOR, and debar myself from
the Practice of any _Instrument_ whatsoever, save only that of my own
natural HAND; which, I think, in all _Conditions_ of _BIRTHS_, whether
_Natural_ or _Preternatural_, _Dead_ or _Alive_, is solely _obliged_,
and only best serves, according to the _Rules_ of my _Profession_, to
discharge the _Duty_ of all the _INSTRUMENTS_ in the _Surgeon’s Shop_;
excepting only in the _Case_ of a _MONSTER_ or a very _Hydropical
CHILD_.
BUT in the present _Circumstance_ of the HEAD’s being separated from the
_Body_, as soon as I have extracted the _CARCASE_, as above; I would
instantly convey back my _Hand_ into the _WOMB_, and put one or two of
its _Fingers_ into the _Mouth_ of the _HEAD_, placing my _Thumb_ under
the _Chin_: For by _thus_ taking Hold of it by the _Jaw_, I would
extract it gently, and _that_ with the greatest _Ease_ and _Safety_ to
the _PATIENT Woman_.
NOW having thus, in fine, both particularly and at large, treated of the
several _Sorts_ of _Natural_, _Difficult_, and _Preternatural BIRTHS_:
And having also for the common _Good of Mankind_, without any
Affectation, Hesitation, or Reservation, candidly laid down, and
ingenuously set forth the most _certain_, _brief_, _plain_, _easy_, and
_unprejudiced INSTRUCTIONS_, which perhaps have ever yet been committed
to PRINT, upon the excellent _Subject_ of _MIDWIFERY_: And having
likewise, in a Word _lastly_, for the true _Direction_ and good
_Government_ of all _MIDWIVES_, fairly laid (as it were) and faithfully
_delivered_ the _big-belly’d Woman_, in every relative _Case_ or
_Condition_ of _BIRTH_, which may or can happen to her: It now only
remains, I would modestly think, that I should (in the next place) come
to take all the necessary _Care_, and make the most requisite
_Provision_ possible for the perfect _Recovery_ of my CHILD-BED-WOMAN;
and _that_ in the ensuing _Method_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. VI.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of the DIET and REGIMEN of the Puerperial or Child-Bed-Woman._
THE _Good Woman_ being now delivered, and laid in CHILD-BED, may rightly
be compared to a SHIP, which, after a dangerous nine or ten Months
_Voyage_, rides at _Anchor_ in her PORT; where, tho’ arriv’d with great
Security, yet if not well _moor’d_ against sudden _Winds_ and _Storms_,
she may perhaps at last drive from her _Anchors_ and suffer SHIPWRECK:
So in like manner if both the MOTHER and the CHILD be not duly taken
_Care_ of after the _BIRTH_, _Both_ may be still expos’d to the Danger
of _DEATH_. Wherefore, to prevent all such melancholy _Accidents_, I
shall first point out the proper _REGIMEN_ of the _One_, and then
successively direct THAT of the _Other_, in the following Manner;
_viz._——
I. THEN, immediately after the _BIRTH_, a soft gentle _Closure_ may be
apply’d to the WOMB for repelling of the _cold Air_; of which we must be
now very cautious, if we will _avert_ the fatal _Consequences_ that may
thereby happen: As also a small _Plaister_ of GALBANUM with a little
_Civet_ in its Center, may be applied to the _NAVEL_ for attracting, or
rather retaining the WOMB in its proper Place, where the _MIDWIFE_’s
careful _Hand_ has fixed it after the _DELIVERY_.
II. THE _Patient_ having her _Body_ wrap’d about with a _warm Cloth_,
and her _Hips_ girt round with the same, is to be placed conveniently in
a _warm_ BED; that is, directly upon her _Back-Bone_, with her _Head_
and _Body_ a little elevated, for her _breathing_ and _cleansing_ the
Better; as her _Thighs_ and _Legs_ also are to be stretched down close
together: Whereupon _now_, if not _before_, she ought to have a little
good _Chicken_ or _Pullet-Broth_ for her Refreshment; which being done,
all _Doors_ and _Windows_ are to be shut, and the _Bed-Curtains_ drawn
close, that she may rest and sleep quietly.
III. IN the next place, the _Closures_ are to be remov’d, and the
_clotted_ BLOOD taken away; which being diligently done, the _BELLY_,
_LOINS_, and _PRIVITIES_ are to be anointed with the Oil of _sweet
Almonds_, or _white Lillies_, mixed with a little warm _Wine_, which may
be repeated at pleasure, for allaying the _PAINS_ of these _Parts_: And
as the _Woman_ is to be carefully kept always very _warm_, as well as
disposed to _Rest_ and _Sleep_; so every now and then, she is to be
comforted with some small Matter of any convenient FOOD; abstaining
however chiefly from _strong Meats_, as well as from all _hot_ or
_strong Liquors_.
IV. A DECOCTION of _Barley_, _Linseed_, and _Chervil_, or
_Marsh-Mallows_ and _Violet-Leaves_, with a little Honey of _Roses_, may
be afterwards used _Milk-warm_ three or four times a Day, by way of
_Fomentation_ for the first five or six Days of _CHILD-BED_: Or, instead
of these Things, fresh _warm Milk_, or _Barley-Water_ only may be
properly used; always remembring that the _Parts_ be duly cleansed from
the _clotted_ BLOOD, _&c._
V. IN the mean time, the _Woman’s_ BREASTS are all along to be kept very
close and warm-cover’d with soft _Cloaths_, that the _MILK_ may not
_curdle_; which however is no ways yet in the beginning fit for the
_CHILD’s Nourishment_, until the _Conflux_ of the _MILK_ and the
_Humours_ is over; which, upon the first days after _DELIVERY_, run in
abundance to the BREASTS.
VI. SPECIAL Care also must be taken, when the _Woman_ is resolv’d not to
_Nurse_ the _CHILD_ herself, that the LOCHIA or _Child-Bed-Evacuations_
flow-off plentifully, in order that thereby the _Shock_ of the _BLOOD_
may be averted from the _BREASTS_; which if not sufficient to prevent
that _Inconveniency_, they may be properly anointed with the Oil of
_ROSES_ and a little _Vinegar_ beat-up together; or a _CATAPLASM_ of the
Meal of _Beans_ and _Vetches_ mixed with _Oxymel_ may be applied to the
_BREASTS_; or they may be fomented with a _Decoction_ of the Leaves of
_Mint_, _Dill_, or _Parsley_.
VII. IN the time of _Cleansing_, all Noise and Clamour about the _Woman_
ought to be suppressed; and as she herself ought not to talk much, or
_aloud_, neither ought any Person about her to be _obstreperous_:
Because her _Repose_ is not only thereby disturb’d, but also her
_Spirits_ exagitated; which violent Commotion of _Humours_ may readily
stop the _natural Course_. And as for the same Reason, all _Passions_ of
the Mind are to be suppressed; so the _Woman_ is to keep herself as much
as she conveniently can upon her _Back_, carefully avoiding frequent
_TURNINGS_ to either Side.
VIII. AFTER ten or twelve Days, proper Measures may be taken to fortify
and strengthen the _Members_; and after she has fully done cleansing
(which may be about the 20th _Day_, sooner or later after _DELIVERY_,
according to the PATIENT’s _Constitution_, or her way of _Living_) some
proper _Astringent Medicines_ may be discreetly made use of, for
corroborating and reconsolidating the _Parts_.
IX. AS to her _DIET_, during this Time, she ought to be very regular,
and live _abstemiously_ (especially the _first Days_) as if she had a
FEVER, using only good _Broths_, _Jellies_, fresh-laid _Eggs_,
_Ale-soup_ made with fresh _Butter_, or the like; after which, she may
begin by degrees to eat a little _Chicken_, _Pullet_, _Capon_, _Veal_,
_Mutton_, or any thing else of good _Nutrition_ and easy _Concoction_.
AS to her _DRINK_, if she has no _Fever_, she may use besides her
_Cawdles_, small _White-Wine_ and _Water_ for Variety’s sake; but in
case of a _Fever_, Water boil’d with a little _Cinnamon_, or
_Coriander-Seed_; or a _Ptisan_ of _Liquorish_, _Figs_, and _Aniseeds_
boil’d in Water; or _small Ale_ a little butter’d, as the _Woman_
pleases, are far more convenient; observing always carefully that her
_DRINK_, of whatsoever sort, be at all times a little _warmed_.
X. FINALLY, as the _Child-Bed-Woman_’s Body is always to be kept open,
if not otherways naturally so, by a proper gentle _CLYSTER_, repeated as
often as Necessity requires, until the _Course_ of the LOCHIA is quite
over; so afterwards she ought to take one or more proper gentle PURGES,
for cleansing the _Stomach_ and the _Bowels_ of such vitious _Humours_,
as _Nature_ could not otherways evacuate: Upon which, a repeated
Strengthening _BATH_ may be most pertinently used, as also, in order
that she may again the more successfully _begin upon a new Score_, other
proper Measures may be prudently taken.
THUS we suppose that all things have succeeded well with our _Puerperial
Woman_; in which Condition the above-mention’d is her only requisite
_REGIMEN_: But in Case of any _Preternatural Accident_, we must come to
her _Assistance_, according as the Nature of _Circumstances_ does
require: Of all which in their Order, as they most commonly happen to
the _Woman_ in her present _Condition_; and FIRST——
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of the AFTER-PAINS._
THESE PAINS, which usually accompany or follow after the _BIRTH_, are
common to all _Child-Bed-Women_; and in that _Natural Sense_, as they
proceed only from the quantity of _BLOOD_ abounding in the relaxed Womb,
distending its _MEMBRANES_, or arise from its _Acrimony_; so they
gradually cease, and in two or three days quite vanish: Wherefore I am
not to insist upon _Those_, which only affect the debilitated WOMB.
BUT it often and too commonly also happens, that another Sort, justly
call’d _Preternatural AFTER-PAINS_, afflict the _Woman_; which she
sometimes feels about her _Loins_ and her _Groins_, sometimes about the
_Navel_, sometimes all over the _Belly_, and sometimes in the WOMB only,
and that sometimes with a little, and sometimes without any
_Intermission_.
THE most common _Cause_ of which _PAINS_ is generally one of the _Five_
following; _Viz._ 1. The _External AIR_, especially the more _frigid_,
which easily penetrates into the WOMB, if not carefully prevented: 2.
_Clotted BLOOD_, or some other _foreign Body_ left behind in the WOMB:
3. Some _Acrid_, and _Mordacious_ BLOOD adhering to the WOMB, which
excites and stimulates _Excretion_: 4. The _SERUM_ vellicating or
twitching the _excoriated_ part of the WOMB: Or, 5. _WINDS_ elevated
from the _Humours_ fermenting in its _Substance_; which, together with
those turgent _Humours_, tear its tender _TUNICKS_.
NOW because these PAINS often excruciate the _Woman_ as much as the
_real_ LABOUR-PAINS do, and since they are not always without _Danger_,
Necessity demands that they should be either _cured_, or at least
_mitigated_: Which may be most properly done, by convenient relaxing and
attenuating _Medicines_ outwardly applied, as well as inwardly taken,
when the _Case_ does not require the _Hand-Cure_, or manual Operation.
HOWEVER, yet more particularly, in respect of the PAINS, from what
_Cause_ soever they may proceed, _CLYSTERS_ of _Milk_ with the _Yolks of
Eggs_ are proper; as are also emollient _Fomentations_ mix’d with
attenuating and _Uterine Medicines_; a _Fumigation_ of _BRANDY_; a
_Decoction_ of the _Recrements_ of the _Regulus_ of _Antimony_; such
things being of a _sulphurous Nature_: And moreover, in fine, all
_AFTER-PAINS_ are eased by _Aromatick_ and _Carminative Remedies_; such
as Seeds of _Anise_, _Carway_, _Cummin_, _Fennel_, _Penny-Royal_,
_Roman-Camomil_, &c. infus’d or boil’d in _Wine_ or _Water_, adding
thereto a very little _Mace_ and _Saffron_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of the Suppression of the LOCHIA, or Child-Bed-Purgations._
THE _LOCHIA_ are nothing else, but the ignobler part of the _Blood_ and
congested _Humours_, which after the _BIRTH Nature_ evacuates and
discharges out of the _Uterine Vessels_, in consequence of the
_Divulsion_ and _Separation_ of the PLACENTA from the WOMB. Which
_LOCHIA_ however differ always according to the Constitution and
Disposition of the _Woman_, and that not only in _Quantity_, but also in
_Quality_: For if the _PATIENT_ be otherways Healthy, and Well-disposed,
_these_ are at first of a _florid rosy Colour_, degenerating day by day
into a _Pale-dye_; Whereas if otherways, they are sometimes _Aqueous_,
and sometimes _Bilous_, _Melancholick_, &c. And, according also to the
usual _Habit_ of Body, and _Way of Living_, _some_ Women _flood_ more
plentifully, _others_ more sparingly; _some_ a longer, and _others_ a
shorter Time: as for Instance——
A _Woman_ given to _Ease_, and _high Living_, being delivered of a MALE,
may _cleanse_ from twenty to thirty Days; and if of a FEMALE, from
thirty to forty-two Days at most, however still declining in _Quantity_
from Day to Day: Whereas _another_ given to _Exercise_, may _flood_ only
from eight to fifteen Days; and _that_ also perhaps more _sparingly_, or
by _Intervals_ of one or two Days. But it oftentimes happens, that this
_Evacuation_ is either suppressed in Whole, or in Part; of which
_Suppression_ or _Preternatural Retention_, I am now about to speak.——
FIRST then, the _Cause_ of this EVIL, proceeds either from an
_Obstruction_ of the _Uterine Vessels_, occasion’d by _thick BLOOD_
stopping the _Passages_: Or, SECONDLY, from a _Constriction_ or
_Compression_ of the same _Vessels_, occasioned by an _oblique
Situation_ of the WOMB, or by cold _Air_, cold _Drink_, or the like,
which readily constrict their _Orifices_, as well as contract the WOMB
itself: Or, THIRDLY and lastly, the _Cause_ may proceed from the
_BLOOD_’s being retracted and converted to some _other Part_ of the
Body; which is most commonly occasion’d by some _Passion_ or
_Perturbation_ of Mind, that may not only turn the _Shock_ of the
_BLOOD_ to the BREASTS, but also retard the _Motion_, and thicken the
MASS of the same _BLOOD_.
THE _DIAGNOSTICKS_ however of this _Distemper_ are manifest; for either
no _BLOOD_ is voided at all, or too small a _Quantity_, in respect to
the _Size_, _Temperament_, and _Constitution_ of the _PATIENT_: But
besides, it may be also known by the following _Symptoms_; viz. a
_SWELLING_ of the _BELLY_, upon the Retention of the _Humours_ that
ought to be evacuated; a _Difficulty of Breathing_ arises; PAINS seize
the _Abdomen_, as also the _Loins_ and the _Groins_; a _Fever_ and
_Tremblings_ follow; as _Faintings_ do upon a weak, quick and unequal
_Pulse_; something _fuliginous_ appears in the _Urine_; and a livid,
black, grumous, or nauseous _Matter_ is excreted.
HENCE proceed various _PROGNOSTICKS_; viz. _Fevers_, _Spitting_ or
_Vomiting_ of BLOOD, _Melancholy_, _Inflammations_ of the _Liver_,
_Quincy_, _Pleurisy_, _Frenzy_, _Dropsy_, _Apoplexy_, and _Madness_
itself: The _least_ of which may prove of fatal _Consequence_, wherefore
Delays in this _Condition_ are most dangerous; because when any of
_these_ heavy SYMPTOMS has befallen the _Woman_, there is scarce any
Hope left for her _Recovery_; whereas _before_, they may be artfully
prevented, and the _Cure_ duly perfected by convenient _DIET_,
_Venæsections_, _Revulsive Medicines_, &c.
BUT more particularly the _Cure_ ought to vary, according to the
_difference_ of the co-incident SYMPTOMS: For since continual _Fevers_
and _Inflammatory Diseases_ most commonly follow upon this _Suppression_
or _Diminution_ of the LOCHIA, we must take great Care that,
endeavouring to promote the _FLUX_, and to open the _Uterine Vessels_,
we do not augment the _FEVER_ and _Inflammation_; which will certainly
happen, (if without distinction) we use the _hot Medicines_ prescribed
by many AUTHORS.
WHEREFORE in this _Case_ repeated _Venæsections_ sometimes in the
_Ancle_, and sometimes in the _Arm_; and _cupping Glasses_ applied to
the _Thighs_ and _Shins_; as also _Rubbing_ of the _Legs_ and _Thighs_
well, are generally sufficient _Remedies_; especially if followed with
one or more Cleansing, or partly opening, partly cooling, and Emollient
_CLYSTERS_, of a _Decoction_ of _Mallows_, _Pellitory_, or the like; in
which strain’d _Liquor_, the _Pulp_ of _CASSIA_ with a Dram of _Nitre_,
and _Sugar_, and _Honey_ may be dissolved: As also _Fomentations_ and
_Fumigations_ of Emollient and Aperient _Medicines_ that are not sharp,
may be very pertinently used. Finally, the _Infusion_ of JESUITS-BARK in
Water, may be properly given three or four Times a day; and purging
_PTISANS_, after the _first days_, are of good _Service_ in the present
_Case_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of the immoderate Flux of the LOCHIA._
THE too copious and long lasting, or immoderate FLUX of the _Child-Bed
Purgations_, is no less _Preternatural_, than the former _Case_ of their
being altogether _suppressed_, or in part _diminished_. Tho’ it is
however to be observ’d, that there can be no certain _Quantity_ of
flowing BLOOD, nor any certain _Time of Duration_ of this FLUX prefix’d
or determined to the _Puerperial Woman_, as aforesaid: Wherefore the
_Excess_ of this _Evacuation_ is best known by the _Loss of Strength_,
_sinking of the_ SPIRITS, and the great _Uneasiness_ of the PATIENT.
THE _Cause_ of this _Distemper_ is, either _1st_, a too great _Plenty_
of the abounding BLOOD; or _2dly_, its _Tenuity_ and _Acrimony_
stimulating Nature to _Excretion_; or _3dly_, too great an _Apertion_ of
the _Uterine Vessels_; or _4thly_ and lastly, a violent _Extraction_ of
the _AFTER-BIRTH_: For the _Flux of the LOCHIA_ proceeding meerly from
the _Separation_ of the PLACENTA from the WOMB, the more strong and
violent this _Separation_ or _Divulsion_ is, the more the _Vessels_ in
the _Concave Part_ of the WOMB are torn or dilacerated; and so being
either too much _opened_, or too difficult to _reconsolidate_, they
discharge BLOOD immoderately.
HENCE, I say, this immoderate _FLOODING_, is not only known by the great
_Quantities_ of _BLOOD_ voided, by its _Continuance_, or by coming away
in _Clods_, and much at a time; but also by the _Loss of Strength_, and
a _Defect_ of _SPIRITS_; upon which follows a low, debilitated and
frequent _PULSE_; Loathing of _VICTUALS_; _PAINS_ in the
_Hypochondriacks_, with a _Twisting_ of the _GUTS_, and _Griping_ of the
_BELLY_; a _Dimness_ of _SIGHT_; a _Hissing_ of the _EARS_; and at last
_Swoonings_ or _Convulsions_, proceeding from the _Depauperation_ of the
_BLOOD_: Which after an immoderate _FLUX_ always disorders the
_SPIRITS_, because when the MASS of it is much lessened, it cannot keep
its due _Mixture_ and _Disposition_.
IN this _Case_ the true PROGNOSTICK is, that, if all immoderate
_Hæmorrhagies_ are dangerous; because by them, the _Treasure_ of _LIFE_
(the _natural Heat_) is exhausted: _Then_, without Controversy, the
immoderate _Flux_ of the LOCHIA, whether after LABOUR, or after a
_MISCARRIAGE_, is full of _Danger_; as coming upon the _PATIENT_ at a
most unseasonable time, when her _Strength_ is already spent.
THE _Cure_ of this _Distemper_ ought to be well-weigh’d, and very
cautiously perform’d, because the definite _Quantity_ of _BLOOD_ to be
evacuated cannot be well or certainly known: And because if any Part of
_That_ be stopped, which ought to be ejected, it of course flows to some
_other Part_, and excites _Inflammations_ or other heavy _SYMPTOMS_.
Wherefore this is only, in the Beginning, to be corrected by proper
_DIET_, and some other convenient light Means: But afterwards by
repeated _Venæ-Sections_ in the ARMS, if _Strength_ will permit; and
proper _Astringents_ inwardly taken, as well as outwardly applied;
continuing always a _Thickening_, _Cooling_, and _Astringent DIET_: But
farther yet, as the Patient grows _weaker_, she ought also to have some
_corroborative Remedies_, to enable her to stand out the _Cure_.
_Fomentations_ for the _lower Belly_ of OXYCRAT, or an astringent
_Decoction_; _Fumigations_ of the same _Decoction_, or of hot OXYCRAT,
are very convenient and helpful on this Occasion, as are also
_astringent Injections_.
BUT however sometimes, and not seldom, it happens, that this _Case_
proceeds from the negligent or ignorant _MIDWIFE_, by her not duly
_cleansing_ the WOMB; by which Means, some part (how small soever) of
the _SECUNDINE_ or _Membrane_, or some _clotted BLOOD_, or perhaps a
_MOLE_, miscall’d a _false Conception_, may be left behind in the WOMB;
which distending that _Body_, occasions not only an immoderate FLUX, but
also stirs up violent PAINS, not unlike to _those_ of LABOUR: In this
pitiful _Condition_, all possible Diligence must be prudently used to
fetch away and remove this _Cause_, which is only most effectually to be
done by the _Hand-Cure_, in the manner already abundantly set forth.
AFTER which, the _PATIENT_ is to be treated as _before_, laying her
_equally flat upon her Back_, and keeping her very _still_ and _quiet_
in BED; which BED may however in this _Case_ be kept a little _Cool_, as
well as her _Chamber_, lest HEAT should provoke and continue the
_Course_ of the FLUX.
MOREOVER, in fine, it also sometimes happens, that immoderate
_Purgations_ proceed from some gross _Excrements_ contain’d in the
RECTUM antecedent to the Time of LABOUR; which, as they puff up the
_Belly_, so they also commonly occasion severe CHOLICKS; but these being
discreetly evacuated by a pretty strong emollient CLYSTER, the FLOODING
immediately ceases.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of the Acute Distempers incident to CHILD-BED-WOMEN._
WE are in this place only to consider the _Acute Distempers_ of the
_Puerperial Woman_, because the Time of _lying-in_ is not of such a long
_Continuance_ as to admit of _Chronick Diseases_: And these _Acute
Ones_, in short, which they are most commonly subject to, are continual
FEVERS, (Either, 1. _Essential_, that is, FEVERS proceeding first from
the BLOOD; or, 2. _Symptomatick_ FEVERS, that is, such as follow upon
the internal _Inflammations_, which often attend the _Child-Bed-Woman_;)
as also _Frenzies_, _Watchings_, _Lethargies_, _Convulsions_,
_Epilepsies_, &c.—
BUT more especially there is _one_ particular kind of FEVER, which
invades almost all labouring _Women_ the third or fourth Day after the
_BIRTH_, and is commonly call’d the _MILK-FEVER_; because about that
time, the _MILK_ begins to generate more plentifully in the BREASTS,
taking its _Rise_ from the Motion and Agitation of the BLOOD, which
converts it from the WOMB to the BREASTS. This _Distemper_, resolving
itself about the ninth Day by SWEAT, is of no dangerous _Consequence_;
provided the _PATIENT_ observes a good and proper DIET, and duly
prevents all _Cold_, that might readily stop the SWEAT, and carefully
preserves the MILK from _coagulating_ or _putrefying_ in her BREASTS,
whence the _Symptomatick FEVERS_ commonly arise: Wherefore, I say, this
_MILK-FEVER_, being of the extended _Ephemerick_ Sort, and ceasing of
itself, requires no great _Cure_.
ONLY in this _Case_, it is a vulgar _Error_ among the _good Women_, that
because this _FEVER_ lasts only four or five Days at most, coming on
about the fourth, and ending about the ninth Day after the _BIRTH_, they
take all _Fevers_ in this time, for the _MILK-FEVER_; and consequently
thro’ this _Mistake_, neglecting, or not regarding duly the true
_Condition_, the PATIENT is very often endanger’d: Which _Mistake_, that
they may for the future diligently avoid, I shall subjoin here some
certain SIGNS of _Distinction_ in due Course. But previously——
THE _Causes_ of all _FEVERS_ incident to the _Child-Bed-Woman_, are
either the _Suppression_ of the LOCHIA in whole or in part; or the
vitious _Quality_ of the _Humours_ accumulated in _Gestation_, and
exasperated in the BIRTH; or a vitious irregular _DIET_ in the time of
_lying-in_; or the cold AIR, or any such _Accident_ by bad Management,
may readily convert the _MILK-FEVER_ into a putrid and dangerous _one_;
as a latent _CACOCHYMY_ may also easily dispose it to _Corruption_.
THE true _DIAGNOSTICKS_, in my Opinion, are as follow, _viz._ FIRST, the
_MILK-FEVER_ is known from hence, that it always begins about the
_Fourth Day_, when the _BREASTS_ begin to fill with _MILK_; and then the
_LOCHIA_ flowing regularly, the _Woman_ finds a certain _Gravity_ or
Weight in her _Back_ and _Shoulders_.
BUT, SECONDLY, when the _LOCHIA_ are _suppressed_, whether in whole, or
in part, ’tis then certain that the present _FEVER_ proceeds from
thence; the _BELLY_ thereby swells and is puffed up, as also it is
_pained_ when _touched_; and the _Humours_, at last, putrefying in the
_WOMB_, it ejects a certain _fœtid or corrupt Matter_.
WHEREAS, THIRDLY, if the _FEVER_ neither proceeds from the _MILK_, nor
from any Irregularity of the _LOCHIA_, why then it must necessarily
either proceed from the _vitious Quality_ and Preparation of the
_Humours_; or from a _Cacochymical Habit_ of Body; or from an _irregular
Way of Living_ in time of _GESTATION_.
THE most certain _PROGNOSTICKS_ are as follow, _viz._ FIRST, All _Acute
Diseases_ in _Child-bed Women_, whose _Strength_ is impaired by their
_LABOUR_, are much more dangerous than in any _Others_. SECONDLY, These
which proceed from the _Suppression_ of the _LOCHIA_ are most dangerous;
because the _Humours_ putrefying in the _WOMB_, occasion most severe
_SYMPTOMS_, yea and too commonly _DEATH_ itself, unless a lucky
_Diarrhæa_, or a timely _Ejection_ of the corrupted Matter, prevents the
_Misfortune_. THIRDLY, The self-same is the unfortunate _Consequence_,
when the _Distemper_ proceeds from the vitious _HUMOURS_; for _Nature_
then not being able to expurgate their abounding Superfluity by the
_LOCHIA_, the _PATIENT_ must needs be greatly endanger’d, if not
overwhelm’d.
THE most adviseable _Cure_, FIRST, as to the _MILK-FEVER_, is only to be
committed to _Nature_, the _Woman_ using always a proper _DIET_, and
carefully animadverting, that the _SWEAT_, in which it commonly
terminates, be no ways checked, impeded, or obstructed.
SECONDLY, As to the _Watchings_, _Deliria’s_, _Epilepsies_, &c. which
the _PATIENT_ is subject to in this Condition; as they proceed only from
_Vapours_ of the _BLOOD_ and _Humours_, ascending to the _Head_, when
the _LOCHIA_ do not flow regularly, or when the _Woman_ is _Feverish_:
So the _Cure_ of these distemper’d _Cases_ depends (at first) chiefly
upon retracting the _HUMOURS_ from the _Head_ to the inferiour Parts,
and correcting the _Course_ of the _LOCHIA_: Because, if these flow
orderly, and the vitious _Humours_, from which such depraved _Vapours_
as affect the _Head_, be removed and evacuated, all such _SYMPTOMS_
quickly cease and vanish of their own Accord.
THIRDLY, in the other above-mentioned _Cases_, the _PATIENT_ ought
always to be treated according to the various Circumstances of her
_Condition_; I mean, according to the attending _SYMPTOMS_, conformable
also to which the ingenious _Physician_ will always judiciously take his
prudent Measures: Since the _Cure_ does not always depend upon the _same
Method_; especially when a _symptomatick_, or concomitant _FEVER_, joins
the _first_, as it very often happens, by an _Inflammation_ of some
_particular Part_, proceeding from something of the vitious _HUMOURS_
enforcing itself upon the same very _Part_.
NOW, in short, tho’ such _Inflammations_ may affect any _Part_ of the
Body, yet (I think) the most common _Case_ is, that which affects the
_PLEURA_; and from hence (the _Pleurisy_ joining the _FEVER_) the
_Woman_ labours under both these complicated _Acute Diseases_ at once.
The _Cure_ of which difficult and dangerous _Condition_ belongs only to
the ablest _Physician_, to whom I should be justly censured, in
impertinently offering any _Instruction_ upon this Subject. Finally, in
a word, from what has been said in the _Chapter_ of the _Acute Diseases_
of Women with _CHILD_[181], we may more fully gather what is to be
prudently done to Women in _CHILD-BED_, afflicted with the like
_Distempers_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of the various other Accidents incident to the CHILD-BED-WOMAN._
FIRST then, Because these _accidental_ Distempers are very many and
numerous, as well as various and different in _Kind_: SECONDLY, Because
_some_ of them have been already treated, or occasionally discoursed
upon at large: And, THIRDLY, because _others_ are only to be named in
this Place; I shall take leave to include and comprehend them all, for
_Brevity’s_ sake, in this present _Chapter_.
IN order to which, I may first observe, that most (if not All) of these
unfortunate _Accidents_, depend entirely upon the indiscreet _Conduct_
of the _MIDWIFE_ in time of _LABOUR_, or the _ill Management_ of the
_Woman_ after the _BIRTH_: Since by the prudent and judicious _Means_ of
the expert _MIDWIFE_, many _Accidents_ may be prevented, which otherways
must necessarily happen, especially in difficult or _preternatural
BIRTHS_; as also, on the other hand, by treating the _Woman_ orderly,
and guiding her carefully, many _Distempers_ may be totally averted,
which otherways will inevitably seize the _PATIENT_. As for Instance——
IT sometimes happens, that she is troubled with a _Prolapse_, or bearing
down of the _WOMB_, or _Vagina_, or _Both_; as also sometimes with a
_Falling out of the FUNDAMENT_: In all which unhappy _Conditions_ the
industrious _MIDWIFE_ will find her _Instructions_, not only with
respect to the _Cure_, but also with respect to the _Prevention_ (which
concerns her most) particularly set down and accounted for in _SECT._ V.
_Chap._ 10, and 11. as she will also, upon _Perusal_, find the _Method_
of preventing that deplorable _Accident_, of making a _Rupture_ in, or
renting the _Perinæum_, in _Chap._ 9.
BUT in _case_ of _Contusions_, or Smaller _Rents_ in the _VULVA_, or
_Vagina_, which sometimes cannot be well prevented, especially in the
_First BIRTHS_; _such_ are by no means to be neglected, lest they
degenerate into malignant _ULCERS_: Wherefore they ought to be _cured_,
as soon as possible, after the _Woman’s DELIVERY_; which _Cure_ is
easily performed, when taken in hand _betimes_, by proper
_Fomentations_, and convenient _CATAPLASMS_.
SOMETIMES again, the _WOMB_, the _Belly_, and the _Feet_ swell much
after the _BIRTH_; which _SYMPTOMS_ commonly proceed from some _Cold_,
or from _drinking too much_, or from either a _Suppression_ or
_Diminution_ of the _LOCHIA_, or from any _irregular way of Living_
during the time of _GESTATION_: By which means the vitious _HUMOURS_,
resolving themselves into _Flatulencies_, swell and puff up both the
_WOMB_ and the _ABDOMEN_; and these _Winds_ descending, have the same
Effect upon the _Legs_. But the _Cure_, however, of all such _SYMPTOMS_,
is readily accomplished by convenient _DIET_, proper _Fomentations_, and
discutient _Medicines_.
HENCE I might orderly descend to an _Indefinity_ of Particulars,
deriving from the following general _Heads_, which I Shall only name at
this time; _viz._ the various _Diseases_ of the _PUDENDUM_ and _Vagina_,
as well as of the _MATRIX_ itself, together with their _co-incident
SYMPTOMS_; as also the divers _Distempers_, and different _SYMPTOMS_ of
the _Woman’s BREASTS_. But _These Subjects_ being as different as
numerous (which I have already hinted) I must refer them to another
Opportunity; being resolved to keep the present Work, for the common
Good, within the _Purchase_ of all sorts of People as far as possible;
and until such time as something on _these Heads_ appears more judicious
or elaborate, either from _my own_, or some more _capable Hand_, I hope
_English Women_ can be at no great Loss for good _Instruction_, or ready
_Assistance_; especially not in this famous _City_ of LONDON, which is,
by the Divine Mercy, abundantly well-stock’d, and singularly well
provided, with some of the most excellent _Physicians_ of the Age, as
well as with some very ingenious _Practisers_ in the Art of _MIDWIFERY_.
AND, thus, in fine, having _piloted_ the good _Woman_ (as it were) thro’
the _three Gulphs_ of _GESTATION_; _BIRTH_, and _CHILD-BED_, and at last
brought her into safe _Harbour_; we may now (I hope) securely leave her
there, to _refit_ for the same prosperous _Voyage_ again; whilst we, in
the next Place, undertake to provide for the _Safety_ of her _CARGO_, or
direct the _Regimen_ and _Nursing_ of the _CHILD_. And FIRST—
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of the Constriction of the NAVEL-STRING, and the Swaddling of the
Infant_.
IF after the _Torrents_ of Difficulties and _Oceans_ of Danger that the
MOTHER has painfully gone through, and narrowly evaded, the CHILD should
at last be lost; the _Comfort_ of her _Burden_ would be but small, and
the _Reward_ of her _Sufferings_ but very little: Wherefore special
_Care_ ought to be taken to prevent such melancholy _Events_; in order
to which, we are not only to remedy such _Indispositions_ as it (too
often) brings with it into the World, but also to defend it from the
many periculous _Contingencies_, to which the _Tenderness_ of its Body,
and the _Debility_ of its Age expose it.
THE first _Duty_ then, that the _INFANT_ requires of us after _BIRTH_,
whether born by the _Head_, or extracted by the _Feet_, is the _tying_
and _cutting_ of the _Umbilical Vein_, or _NAVEL-STRING_; which being a
thing generally well known, I shall have no Occasion to insist upon it,
especially since tho’ the common GOSSIPS may differ in the
_Performance_, yet they always agree in the _Fact_.
HOWEVER, that we may not pass this _essential Point_ by in Silence, in
case a notable Word may drop by the By, I would,——
I. OBSERVE, that, until the _STRING_ be cut, the CHILD is to be
carefully laid on _one Side_, not on its _Back_, for fear that the
_HUMOURS_, running to its _Mouth_ or _Nose_, may choke it, for want of
free Evacuation.
II. I would take notice, that, if need require, while the _MIDWIFE_ is
busy about the _Mother_, in extracting the _AFTER-BIRTH_, cleansing the
_WOMB_, &c. the most capable of the GOSSIPS should _tie_ and _cut_ the
_STRING_, especially if the _INFANT_ is weak or ill; otherways it may be
deferred until the _Woman_ be entirely _delivered_, and fairly _laid_.
Then,——
III. AS to the _Performance_ of this Matter, it may be _tied_ with a
good strong _Thread_, laid four or five-fold, according to its Strength;
and the KNOT tied close within _two Inches_ of the _CHILD’s_ Body: Tho’,
I say, that the KNOT is to be _tied_ close, yet it must not be so
strictly _tied_ as to cut asunder the _STRING_; which might easily
happen, especially to the _INFANTS_ of a tenderer Constitution. And the
Reason that I would have the _Constriction_ made _two Inches_ from the
Body, is this, That in case any _Blood_ should happen to drop out
afterwards (as it often happens) there may be _room_ enough to _tie_ it
again nearer the _NAVEL_.
IV. THE _STRING_ is not to be _cut off_ close to the KNOT, but also _two
or three Inches_ from it; so that, if it happens to swell with Wind (as
is very common) after being _tied_, it may be _loosed_ again, the _Wind_
discharged, and itself conveniently _retied_. But the far better and
preferable way is, to tie this VEIN in _two Places_, and cut it asunder
betwixt the _Ligatures_; being thereby secure from losing BLOOD. Some (I
know) will not have the VEIN to be _tied_ before the _CHILD_ cries or
makes _Water_; but, however, long _Delays_ in this _Case_ are no ways
convenient, nor without Danger.
V. THIS VEIN or STRING being _cut_, must be wrapped up in a _three_ or
_fourfold Rag_, to defend the _BABE_ from Cold or Pains of the _Belly_;
which otherways might ensue from the _naked_ VEIN’s lying upon its Body:
Which being done, this Part of the STRING is to be laid on the _upper
Part of the Belly_, with a small _Boulster_ on the Top of it; and then
swathed with a _Linnen Swath_ of about _four Inches broad_, to keep it
firm and steady.
VI. THE first time that the _CHILD_ is _unswathed_, a new KNOT ought to
be made or _tied_, and that to prevent all _Danger_ by Loss of _BLOOD_,
which may readily happen by the first KNOT’s relaxing, as the _STRING_
begins to wither away or contract.
THIS being so duly taken care of, it remains only in general, that the
Infant be presently _washed_, cleansed, and examined all over, and at
last orderly _swaddled_. All which if the _MIDWIFE_ does not perform
with her own Hands, she ought at least to see it carefully accomplished:
Upon which she may then say, she has faithfully discharged her _Duty_ to
both the _MOTHER_ and the _CHILD_.
VII. BUT more particularly, in the _seventh Place_, I must take notice,
that as soon as the _NAVEL-STRING_ is thus duly handled and provided
for, the _INFANT_ is to be tenderly cleansed of the adhering
_Excrements_, and washed all over in a little warm _Wine_, _Milk_, or
_Ale_; especially its _Head_, _Arm-Pits_, _Groins_, _Cods_, or
_Privities_, &c. are to be softly cleansed and gently bathed with a soft
_Spunge_ or _Rag_, dipt in the same _Liquors_: But if the _viscous
Matter_ sticks too fast or close to the tender Body, a little _Oil of
sweet Almonds_, or fresh _Butter_, may be added to either of the
foresaid _Liquors_. As also the _Ears_ and _Nostrils_ ought to be well
cleansed and unstopped with small Tents of _fine Rags_ wet therein; and
the _Eyes_ wiped with a soft dry _Cloth_; as the _Mouth_, _Tongue_, and
_Jaws_ may be cleans’d by the _Finger_.
VIII. THESE things being all very carefully and tenderly performed,
every Part of the Body ought to be diligently searched, in case of a
_Dislocation_, or any other _Accident_, happened by _Violence_ in the
_BIRTH_, or otherways; that present _Remedies_ may be used, according to
the Nature of the _Circumstances_: And especially the two _Conduits_ of
the _URINE_ and _ORDURE_ are to be examined; since it sometimes falls
out that _these_ are not perforated, and consequently that the
_Meconium_ cannot be voided, which inevitably proves fatal, unless
timely _Care_ be taken.
IX. AS to the _URINE_, all _Children_ discharge it as soon as born, at
least as soon as they feel the _Heat_ of the Fire; when if the
_Excrements_, properly called _MECONIUM_, tho’ improperly _COLLOSTRO_ by
the _Italians_, do not follow a little after; I mean within an _Hour or
two_; then a small _Suppository_ may be used, such as a _sugar’d Almond_
anointed with a little boiled _Honey_; or a Piece of _Venice-Soap_
anointed with fresh _Butter_; as also a little _Syrup_ of _Roses_ or
_Violets_, mixed with the Oil of _sweet Almonds_ by Expression, that is,
drawn without Fire, may be given in the _Mouth_, anointing the _Belly_
with the same _Oil_, or with fresh _Butter_; in like manner as a small
_Clyster_ (upon occasion) may be discreetly used and managed to purpose.
X. THE _INFANT_ being in these respects _provided_ for, it is now to be
duly dressed and swaddled in its _Swathing-Cloathes_; and beginning with
the _HEAD_, a _Compress_ of a three or fourfold fine _Linnen Rag_, about
_four Inches broad_, is to be applied to the _MOULD_, for defending the
(yet open) _BRAIN_ from _Cold_, &c. which _Compress_ is to be carefully
covered with, and pinned to the ordinary _CAPS_ made on purpose. Next
then, some small soft _RAGS_ are to be laid behind the _Ears_, upon the
_Breast_, in the _Arm-Pits_, and the _Groins_; after which the _BABE_ is
to be wrapped softly up in _warm Blankets_, and discreetly _swathed_;
not too strait, especially not about the _Breast_ and _Stomach_, that it
may _breathe_ the freer, and the better retain the _MILK_ it sucks. The
_ARMS_ are to be stretched along the _Sides_, and the _LEGS_ equally
_streight_, with a little of the _Bed_ betwixt them; and the _HEAD_ is
always to be kept steady, as the whole _CHILD_ is to be preserved _thus_
warmly wrapped up, and judiciously appointed. But now because the
_INFANT_ is commonly committed to the _Nurse’s Care_, I shall, in the
next Place, enter upon the _Description_ of the proper _Person_ for that
purpose.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of the NURSE and her Regimen, together with the requisite Qualities of
her MILK._
THO’ the _BABE_ may be brought up by the Hand only, without _Suckling_,
as many Instances of very thriving _Children_ testify; yet because the
most natural, common, and commendable way is to _suckle_ it, I come now
to touch upon the proper _NURSE_, her _Milk_, and _Diet_. Upon which I
first observe, that the prime and chief _Quality_ of a good _NURSE_ is,
that she be the _Mother_ of the _Fosterling INFANT_ herself; and that
because her _MILK_, being generated of the same _Blood_, of which the
_CHILD_ is formed, and has hitherto been nourished, is of a nearer
_Affinity_ with the Nature of her _BABE_, than the _MILK_ of any _other
strange Woman_ whatsoever; which can differ no less from the _Maternal
Milk_, than the own _Mother_, and the _other_ differ in _Constitution_
and _Temperament_ of Body, _Regimen_, and _Method of Living_, &c. All
which affect the _INFANT_ in no small Degree; for as the BLOOD is
generated of the _Chyle_, and the _Spirits_ of the BLOOD, so the _CHILD_
imbibes the very _Manners_ and _Disposition_, as well as the gross
_Humours_ and _Qualities_ of the _NURSE_ with her _Milk_.
AS a _Lamb_ sucking a _Goat_, changes not only its _Nature_, but even
its _Skin_ and _Wool_ into the GOAT-_Kind_; so it is also among the
_rational Creatures_: From hence we have justly the _old Proverb_,
touching an _ill-natured Person_, that some _Brute_ or other has been
his _NURSE_. And hence it is that _Romulus_ and _Remus_, the Sons of
MARS (without any Reality) are said to have been nursed by a WOLF[182];
_Pelias_, the Son of _Neptune_, by a MARE; _Telephus_, the Son of
_Hercules_, by a HIND, &c. Not that they ever actually sucked such
_Creatures_, only their _NURSES_ were of such _Tempers_ and _Natures_,
which they were thus supposed to have by the BREAST infused into them.
AND, in short, daily _Experience_, as well as many _Learned
Authorities_, may sufficiently convince us, that CHILDREN really _suck_
in the several _vitious Inclinations_ and _depraved Passions_ of their
_NURSES_; such as _Anger_, _Malice_, _Fear_, _Melancholy_, &c. Agreeable
to which Opinion, _Diodorus_ says[183], that _Nero_ the Emperor’s
_NURSE_ was very much addicted to _Drinking_; which Habit _Nero_ imbibed
from _her_, to such a Degree, that the People took notice of it, and
from thence instead of CLAUDIUS TIBERIUS NERO, call’d him _Caldius
Biberius Mero_. The same Author relates of _Caligula_, that his _NURSE_
used frequently to moisten her _Nipples_ with BLOOD, that he might take
the better hold of them; which (says the same _Diodorus_) was the
_Cause_ of his being so cruel and _Blood-thirsty_ all the Days of his
Life; that he not only committed frequent _Murders_ by his own Hand, but
even wished that all humane Race was but one NECK, that he might have
the pleasure to _cut it off_.
IN short, _honest Parents_ perceiving their _Children_ to incline
variously, _one_ to _Thieving_, _another_ to _Drinking_; _one_ to
_Stupidity_, _another_ to _Barbarity_; are amazed at such _Degeneracies_
of Mankind, not knowing after whom the _Child_ can take those
Propensions. But abstracting from _this_, how many fine _Children_ do we
daily see thrown into _Fits_, _Rickets_, _Consumptions_, &c. merely by
_sucking_ their imprudent _NURSES_, when enraged, or otherways in a
Passion? If then the _Case_ stands thus, that every _Disorder_ of the
_NURSE_ is a real _Detriment_ to the _INFANT_, surely, upon this
Account, all _Parents_ ought to know HER well, to whom they entrust
these _Dear Pledges_ of their sacred and natural Desires.
MOREOVER yet, besides all these Things, the tender _Care_, as well as
the _Love_ and _Affection_ of the MOTHER to her own CHILD, by far
surpasses that of any _mercenary NURSE_ whatsoever. Wherefore the
MOTHER, tho’ perhaps not the best _NURSE_ in other respects, is always
preferable to a _STRANGER_: Which if People of _Probity_ and _Honour_
would more observe, I sincerely believe that there would not be so many
graceless, disobedient, and undutiful _CHILDREN_ of our Age. I do not
think what I have read of _Scipio Africanus_ to be any singular
_Instance_; namely, that He esteemed _Her_ more for his MOTHER, who
nursed him two Years after his _Birth_, than HER who brought him forth,
and then forsook him in the World. Agreeable to which, and most _à
propos_, was the Answer of the Philosopher, _Favorinus_[184], to the
MOTHER of a certain _Noble-woman_ in _CHILD-BED_, who was dissuading her
_Daughter_ to _nurse_ the _CHILD_ she had born; _viz._ _I entreat thee
Woman_ (says he) _suffer her to be the whole and entire Mother of her
own Son_. And verily, SHE only can be properly so called, who carefully
_nurses_ as well as _brings forth_ her own _CHILDREN_. Hence it is that
the _Earth_ is called the MOTHER of all Things, not so much because she
produces all Things, as because she _maintains_ and _nurses_ what she
produces.
ALL which, notwithstanding, there is sometimes a _Necessity_ (on account
of sundry Reasons) to provide another _NURSE_ for the _CHILD_; wherefore
I come now briefly to describe the most proper _Person_ for this
_TRUST_, and to set forth the _Qualities_ of the most convenient _MILK_,
for the wholesome Nourishment of the INFANT.
FIRST then, the _NURSE_ ought to be a Woman between the 20th and 35th
_Year of her Age_, perfectly graced with the _Blessings_ and _Ornaments_
of _Nature_; and a Person of _Probity_ and _Reputation_ in her _Rank_,
endued with _Love_, _Pity_, and _Tender-heartedness_: As she also ought
to be _sound_ and _healthy_, of a good _Habit_ and _Disposition_ of Body
and Mind, of a sanguine _Complexion_, and rosy _Colour_; of a _middle
Stature_, having black or brown _Hair_, a _lively Eye_, _sweet Breath_,
sound and white _Teeth_, with an agreeable chearful _Countenance_. In
short, she ought also to be a _well-mannered_, _modest_, and _sober
Person_, having middle-sized, well shaped, not flabby nor hanging down,
but solid fleshy BREASTS, with elegant, firm, and well perforated
_Nipples_.
SECONDLY, As to her _MILK_, it ought neither to be too _new_, nor too
_old_; but at any time from the _Puerperial Flux_, until the 6th or 8th
Month thereafter, it is not to be rejected; especially if it be of a
good _Consistence_, neither too _thick_ nor too _thin_, of a pure _white
Colour_, an agreeable pleasant _Smell_, and a perfect sweet _Taste_.
BUT it sometimes however happens, that the _Milk_ of a _NURSE_,
otherways a very _proper Person_, degenerates from some of the abovesaid
_Qualities_: In which _Case_ it is no ways convenient to change the
_NURSE_, especially if it so happen to the MOTHER; only the _MILK_ is to
be corrected according to _Art_, which may be easily performed by proper
_Medicinal Means_, and that as well with respect to its _Quality_ as
_Quantity_: However, as _this Case_ belongs to the _SYMPTOMS_ of the
_Breasts_, which I have already declined speaking to, as in the
foregoing _Chapter_, so I shall no ways enter upon it in this Place. But
again——
THIRDLY as to her _Regimen_, such a NURSE is to make use of, and enjoy a
good and convenient _Diet_; abstaining carefully from all _salt_ and
_sharp Victuals_, as well as from high-spiced _Meats_, and strong or
spirituous _Liquors_. In short, as she ought to avoid all Sorts of
_intemperate Air_, and keep herself clean both in _Person_ and
_Cloaths_; so she ought always to exercise herself by some light
_Labour_, and keep herself in a moderate active Motion; prudently
suppressing, at all Times and upon all Occasions, the various _Passions
of the Mind_: By which means, any _Woman_ as above described, may make a
very good _NURSE_, and that even without abstaining altogether either
from the moderate Use of _Wine_, or of _Conjugal Conversation_;
notwithstanding the contrary Opinion of most _Authors_, provided only
that she does not give the _CHILD suck_ for an Hour or two after
_Copulation_.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX.
_Of the Diet and Ablactation, together with the farther Regimen of the
CHILD._
BESIDES the _external_ and _internal Excrements_ mention’d in the
foregoing _Chapter_, the INFANT in a few days after _BIRTH_, pukes up a
certain Sort of _viscid Phlegm_; for which Reason it ought to have no
_SUCK_ until this _Humour_ be evacuated, lest the MILK incorporating
with that Matter, _both_ should corrupt: To prevent which Inconveniency,
_some_ order a little _Oil of sweet Almonds by Expression_, and a small
Quantity of _Sugar-Candy_, or a little fresh _Butter_ and _Honey_ mixed.
INSTEAD of which, however, I have seen some _Jewish Matrons_ give also
the new-born CHILD for the first Thing, a little SALT dissolv’d and
mix’d in a Spoonful of _Hysop_, or _Saxifrage-Water_; which (tho’ no
improper _Prescription_ in itself) yet I conceive their chief Reason for
it to proceed from _Ezek._ 16. 4. where the LORD summing up the Duty of
the _MIDWIFE_, says, _Thou wast not salted at all_, &c. Again farther——
THE Learned _Arnoldus de Villa Nova_, advises us to give the _CHILD_,
for the first Thing, half a Scruple of fine _pulverized Coral_ in a
little of the _Woman’s MILK_; and that (says he) to prevent _FITS_, to
which new-born _Children_ are very subject.
ALL which may be indifferently us’d, according to Pleasure, tho’ I take
a small Spoonful of _Sugar’d Wine_, given twice or thrice a day, for the
first four or five days running, to be the most preferable _Remedy_ for
Prevention: By reason that the _Wine_ cuts and loosens the _Acid
Humour_, preparing afterwards by _Concoction_ and _Digestion_ what
remains, as the _Sugar_ temperates and helps to expurge the _Acrimony_:
Which being duly done, I would order the INFANT always to rest, laying
it not on its _Back_, but on its _Side_, that this _morbifick Matter_
may be the more commodiously voided by the _Mouth_, as already
precautioned in _Chap._ 7.——
THIS _Humour_ being then thus prepared and discharg’d, the _Breast_ of
some other clean and sound _Woman_ may be given the _CHILD_, until the
_Mother’s Milk_ be purified for its proper _Use_; which it can scarce be
supposed to be, before the _Dissolution_ of the _MILK-FEVER_, that is
before the _ninth day_ after _DELIVERY_: From which time, it is to be
maintain’d and nourish’d for the first three or four _Months_ by
_BREAST-MILK_ only; augmenting however its _Allowance_ from day to day,
in proportion to its _Age_ and _Strength_, that the weak _Stomach_ may
never be overloaded, so as to occasion _Vomiting_, or (which is worse) a
_DIARRHÆA_: To prevent which _Inconveniency_, let the _INFANT_ rather
_suck often_, and a _little at a Time_, than too much at once.
AFTER these first Months are over, a little thin _PAP_ may be given it
every Morning, and in time twice a day; which is commonly made of
_Flower_ and _Milk_, or _Ale_, with a little _Sugar_ and _Butter_: But
because _FLOWER_ is of itself _humid_ and _viscid_, and may not only
occasion _Pains_ and _Obstructions_, but also, engender _Gravel_ and
_Worms_, it ought to be first well _dryed_ in a new or clean earthen
_Pot_ in an _Oven_; or, what is better, the PAP may be made of the
_Crumb_ of a Loaf: Which Diet is properly observ’d, until the time of
_Teething_, laying it still, a little after its _Meal_, to rest upon its
_Side_, or now and then upon its _Back_, with the _Head_ a little
rais’d; however not in the _Bed_ with the NURSE, for fear of overlaying
it, but in a CRADLE close by her _Bed-side_; always very carefully
covering the CHILD’S _Face_, that the _Light_ may not offend its tender
_Eyes_, and render them any ways _distorted_ or _goggled_: And as the
INFANT may be brought up by the _Hand_ without _Suckling_, so it may
easily be accustomed to Sleep without _Rocking_. But be that as it will,
as soon as the _CHILD_ is furnish’d with TEETH, it is proper by degrees
to use it to a little more solid _Food_, such as _Bread_ and tender
_Meats_ or _Fleshes_, however, a little chewed by the _NURSE_: In the
mean time no _Crude_, or _Meats_ of hard _Digestion_, are to be allow’d
it, because _such_ Things produce a _Corruption_ of _Humours_, whence
_Worms_ engender, and other various, grievous, and irregular _Symptoms_
arise.
BUT before I proceed farther, I ought to observe, that the Duty of the
Nurse does not consist entirely in the abovesaid Conditions; for the
_BABE_ must be as duly _washed_ and _shifted_, _unswaddled_ and
_reswaddled_ as FED: Wherefore from the BIRTH, until the third or fourth
_Month_, it ought to be _loosed_ and _washed_ all over in _warm Water_
twice or thrice a day, before the warm Fire; as also in the night time
if necessary, that the _Acrimony_ of the _Excrements_ may not offend it:
Upon which at every singular Occasion, the NURSE may also _rub_ its
tender Body gently, not only for the better _Concoction_ of its
_Aliment_, but also for strengthening and consolidating its _Members_;
which Offices being all carefully and affectionately done, the INFANT is
to be _shifted toties quoties_, and orderly reswaddled in clean, dry and
warm _Clouts_ and _Blankets_. However yet, from the third Month until
the _Teething-Time_, the Body needs only be _washed once a day_, or (if
you please) every other day; as from thence forward it may only be
_twice a Week_.
MOREOVER, when the _CHILD_ begins to use its _Hands_ and _Feet_, if it
moves briskly from place to place, it is a good Sign of a strong and
lively _Constitution_; as it is the _Reverse_, when it sits torpidly or
drowsily still and unactive. Which notwithstanding, these _brisk
INFANTS_ are not to be allow’d such _Motions_ too soon, I mean not to
use their _Feet_ prematurely or too fast, as many ignorant Nurses
commonly encourage them to do: Because by these means, their tender Legs
may be easily distorted or become crooked. Whereas when they are more
firm and well-grown, they may be learned to walk by the help of the
NURSE’S _Hand_, or of a _Leading-String_; as afterwards they may be
inur’d to walk of themselves, by the means of a small _Vehicle_ or
_Chariot_, as is generally well known in populous Places.
AS to the time of _Ablactation_, or weaning the _CHILD_ from the
_Breast_, it is not always the same; _some_ being more robust and lively
than _others_, and consequently may be sooner _wean’d_; but _others_ are
more weak and tender, and accordingly require longer time of the
_Breast_. However this be, the INFANT ought not to be wean’d before it
has its compleat _Sett of Teeth_; _because_ if sooner, it can no ways
duly prepare its _VICTUALS_ by the _Mouth_, for _Concoction_ in the
_STOMACH_, which may be of very bad Consequence; Besides, in the time of
_Teething_, especially about the _Eruption_ of those call’d the
DOG-TEETH, the CHILD is subject to _Fevers_, Pains of the _Gums_, and
various other _Symptoms_, which would certainly be of more _Danger_ by
far, if it was at that _Juncture_ to be deprived of the BREAST.
OTHERWAYS, I take the due and proper Time for _Weaning_ the INFANT, to
be about the 18th or 24th _Month_, rather longer than shorter; because
it surely finds the Benefit of this proper and benign _Aliment_ all the
Days of its Life. Yet at what time soever it happens to be done, the
CHILD is not on a sudden to be accustomed to _different sorts_ of
VICTUALS, but rather, while it yet _Sucks_, to be gradually brought to
the _Use_ of what is most convenient for its _Nutrition_, such as _Hen_
or _Chicken-Broth_, or the _Soup_ of other Meats, mix’d with a little
_Crumb of Bread_; or a _Soup_ made of Ale, and _Crumbs_, with a little
_Fresh-Butter_, which is of excellent _Nourishment_: As before, or about
the Time that the INFANT is to be _Wean’d_, a little half _chew’d Meat_
of any Sort, provided _sweet_ and _fresh_, may be given it for a good
_weaning Repast_.
UPON this Head, I shall only farther observe, that the ABLACTATION, or
Weaning, always happens more conveniently in the _Spring_ or _Autumn_,
than in the _Summer_ or _Winter_, and _that_ more auspiciously with the
_encreasing_ than with the _decreasing Moon_: And _this_, because
otherways, besides the _Alteration_ which happens to the CHILD from the
Change of its _Diet_ and _Aliment_, another may easily affect it from
the _Calidity_ or _Frigidity_ of the _Ambient Air_.
BUT besides, in short, that the INFANT may be the better and the more
readily _Wean’d_, the NURSE’S _Nipples_ may be anointed with the fresh
_Juice of Wormwood_; or with a _Liniment_ of the same _Juice_, _Honey_
and _Aloes_; or any other proper _Ingredients_, discreetly us’d, that
its tender _Lips_ or _Gums_ may not be inflam’d, nor the weak _Stomach_
hurt or offended. However, the better way is, that the NURSE withdraw
herself from the CHILD’S _Presence_; upon which it is to be plentifully
_fed_, as already advis’d, allowing it a little _Ale_, but no _Wine_,
for its Drink.
NOW as to the DIET and _Regimen_ of _Children_ from ABLACTATION to the
first _Seventh Year of their Age_, I would farther observe, that it
differs yet altogether from that of more _adult Persons_, since their
infirm _Habits_ and tender _Bodies_ can no way tolerate, or withstand
the consequential _Effects_ of an irregular DIET, or an Erroneous
_Regimen_: Besides this Age requires VICTUALS frequently, and _that_ not
only what is sufficient for _Nutriment_, but also for _Growth_: And
moreover they ought still to be now and then _bathed_ or _washed_ at
Times.
BUT touching the _Affections_ and _Passions_ of their Minds, great
_Care_ must be taken, that they be not provoked to _Wrath_ or _Anger_,
nor frighted with fearful _Notions_ or _Phantasms_; since such Things
make strong _Impressions_ upon their soft Bodies, and frequently give
ORIGIN to _Convulsions_, _Epilepsies_, &c. However, as _Children_ are
naturally more prone to _Evil_ than to _Good_, and to _Vice_ rather than
to _Virtue_, they are not to be too much indulged; but from their
_Infancy_ upwards, all such perverse _Faculties_ and _Passions_ of Mind
are to be so curbed and moderated, that they may become subservient and
obedient to _Reason_; and _that_ because this very _Age_ is the proper
Time to lay the _Foundation_ of their future good _Qualities_ and
_Disposition_, agreeable to the _Rules_ and _Præscripts_ of a right
rational OECONOMY.
I know _This_ is sometimes accounted a hard _Task_, but if we consider
that the WHELPS of Savage _Bears_ and _Lions_ may be so tamed, as to
obey the _Motions_ of their KEEPER, how much more easily may the _Sons_
of MEN be inur’d to follow the _Laws_ of right _Reason_? Their _Passion_
first discover themselves most commonly by _Crying_ and _Tears_, tho’
sometimes also otherways; wherefore such FITS of _Anger_ or _Passion_
ought to be prudently reprehended in them; and when neither
_Admonitions_ nor _Commands_ may prevail, then _Threats_ ought to take
place, that all _Frowardness_ and _Obstinacy_ may be stifled in the BUD;
for the Mind of _Youth_ may be justly compar’d to a _Mass_ of WAX or
CLAY, on which we may readily _stamp_ what _Impression_ we please to
make.
FOR these _Reasons_, their _Attendants_, or such other Persons as may be
occasionally about _Children_, ought carefully to avoid _doing_ or
_saying_ any _mean_, _base_ or _vile Thing_, especially in their
Presence or to their Knowledge; since here the _old Proverb_ holds most
true, that, _we are drawn by Precept, but led by Example_. Wherefore to
moderate and mitigate their _Passions_, CHILDREN ought to be allowed
proper _Diversions_, and such _Exercises_ of Body as their _Age_ and
_Constitution_ will permit; and _that_ also, because if they were to be
brought up lazily or sluggishly, without _Motion_ or _Exercise_, their
VICTUALS which is now commonly given them both plentifully and
frequently, could not possibly _disperse_ itself nor _digest_, upon
which the _innate Heat_ would infallibly suffer a sensible _Decay_.
THESE Things being duly observed, it now only farther remains, that the
CHILD be well train’d up, and carefully educated; instilling all along
into its Mind the _Principles_ of _Humanity_ and _Morality_, and
instructing it gradually in the Knowledge of _Arts_ and _Sciences_;
which it will even at this tender Age be found capable of Conceiving:
For the _Human Mind_ being naturally adapted to attain to the
_Cognition_ of all sublunary Things, may be thus endued and furnished
with the most laudable _Arts_, before it can distinguish the USE of
them; since according to the _Philosopher_’s wise saying[185], _Nostrum
scire nihil aliud est, quam Reminsisci_. Because (I say) the _Mind of
Man_ perceives and comprehends the Notion and Knowledge of all temporal
Things in it self, notwithstanding that it cannot easily display it
self, by reason of the burthensome Oppression of the _Body_ and its
gross _Humours_: Like as a FIRE, overlaid with _Ashes_, must be raised
up and fomented, before its engender’d or retain’d _Sparkles_ can exert
themselves with any _Lustre_; so it is even with us, before the _Light_
and _Instinct_ of our Natures can shine forth: For as some ROOTS cast no
_Smell_, or breathe no _Fragrancy_ of themselves, unless they be softly
touched or squeezed with the _Hand_; so neither do our _Natural Powers_
and _Faculties_ exert or show themselves, unless they be diligently
exercised and cultivated.
THUS we have now guided and conducted the CHILD from its BIRTH, to the
_Seventh Year of his Age_; which being only meant by the INFANT, that
was safely _Born_, and continued all along in _Health_; I come now in
the next place, to hint upon what is farther _Requisite_ towards the
_rearing of such_ CHILDREN, whole _Misfortune_ it may be, either to come
into the World with _Infirmities_, or to be afterwards subjected to them
in their _Cradles_. And FIRST,
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. X.
_Of the various Symptoms and Indispositions wherewith the_ CHILD _may be
Born._
SINCE _some_ only, not _all_ CHILDREN, happen to bring _Infirmities_
with them into the World; and because such _Indispositions_ as are
chiefly meant here, discover themselves presently at the Time of BIRTH,
and require immediate _Cure_; I shall concisely enter upon, and briefly
comprehend them All here, as they most commonly fall out, in this
present _Chapter_.
IN order to which, I shall previously observe, that such
_Inconveniencies_ happening to the INFANT, may have a double _Origin_,
and proceed either from a _Defect_ in Nature, or the _Effect_ of a
difficult BIRTH: The _First_ may take Rise from various Causes, such as
of the _Parental Seed_, the _Forming Faculty_, the _Maternal_ or
_Uterine Constitution_, an _illegitimate Time_ of BIRTH, and the like;
as the _Latter_ may also arrive, not only from a _Difficult_, or
_Preternatural_ LABOUR, _&c._ but also from the ignorant, rough Usage,
or barbarous Treatment of the MIDWIFE. However, not to insist too long
on these Things, it very often, and too commonly happens.
I. THAT, The CHILD suffers so much in the _Birth_, that (when born) it
is hard to know, whether it be _dead_ or _alive_, not one part of the
Body being perceiv’d to _move_; which however may be _thus_ well known,
_viz._ by laying my _Hand_ upon its _Breast_, I shall feel the Motion of
the _Heart_, if alive, tho’ never so weak; as I shall also perceive a
small _Pulsation_ of the _Arteries_, by touching the NAVEL-STRING near
the _Belly_.
IN which _Case_, I would immediately order the INFANT to be laid in a
_Warm Bed_ or _Blanket_, and quickly carried to the FIRE; where its
_Mouth_ is to be open’d, as its _Nose_ is to be clean’d and unstopp’d
with small TENTS dipp’d in warm _White-Wine_, and _Linnen_ wet with the
same applied to its _Breast_ and _Belly_; spurting always in the mean
time, a little of the same _Wine_ into its _Mouth_ and _Nose_, until it
begin to stir: Or then I would distil a drop of _Aqua-Vitæ_, from time
to time upon its _Tongue_, bathing its _Pulses_ and _Nostrils_ with the
same, while I anointed its _Mouth_ with _Honey_.
II. IT sometimes only happens, that the tender FACE is bruised _Black_
or _Blew_, _Pale_ or _Livid_; which may also as well proceed from the
Bones of the PELVIS, or from the CHILD’S being Born _Face-upwards_, as
from the MIDWIFE’S hard Usage. In this _Condition_, I would only order
it to be frequently anointed with the _Oil of Sweet Almonds_, drawn
without FIRE, that is, by Expression; upon which it soon recovers its
_Natural Colour_.
III. AGAIN sometimes the INFANT is born with a KNOB or TUMOUR on the
_Crown of its Head_, occasion’d by its hard _Pressure_ against the
ORIFICE, or by its strict _Compression_ in the same: In which
_Condition_, I would immediately foment it with _warm Wine_ or
_Aqua-Vitæ_, and apply a COMPRESS to it, either wet in the _same_, or in
the _Oil of Roses_ and _Wine_ beat together; and the same _Fomentation_
and _Compress_ may serve for any other Part of the Body, which may be
swell’d by _rough Usage_, or otherways, in a _difficult_ BIRTH. But in
_Case_ of _Suppuration_, it must be open’d in a proper place with a
LANCET, applying afterwards a _Plaister_ of _Betony_. As also in _Case_
of a _Fracture_, or any sort of _Dislocation_, the _Parts_ must be
join’d and reunited, and duly retain’d in their _Natural Position_ by
convenient _Boulsters_ or _Splinters_, until they be firmly closed and
reconjoin’d. Moreover
IV. IN _Difficult_ BIRTHS, it very commonly falls out that the HEAD is
pressed into an _oblong Form_ by the _Bones_ of the _Pelvis_, because
the SCULL not being made of one piece, is not equally _hard_ or _firm_;
the _Sutures_ being only surrounded with _Membranes_, especially the
_Top_ of the HEAD is so _Membranous_ and soft, that the _Bones_ forming
the SCULL may be easily pressed one upon another; from whence we have
this _oblong Figure_ of the HEAD. However, in short, this may be
corrected and reduced to its _Natural Shape_, by frequent, but cautious
and skilful, _Handling_.
V. WEAK CHILDREN, and such as come _præmaturely_, or before their Time,
into the World, have the _Mould_ and _Sutures_ very open, and the
_Bones_ far distant: In which Condition they are only to be softly bound
about with a small _Cross-Cloth_, committing the rest to _Nature_; which
in time, and by degrees, will close up and consolidate these _Sutures_;
and sooner or later, according to the _innate Heat_ and _Moisture_ of
the INFANT, unite and join the _Bones_ of the HEAD.
VI. SOMETIMES also it happens that the Child is _Tongue-ty’d_, by the
too strait _Astriction_ of its BRIDLE; so that this _Member_ cannot
freely extend or move itself, thro’ the _Capacity_ of the MOUTH; which
in the _Infancy_ impedes or hinders its _Sucking_, as in riper Years it
does the _Faculty_ of SPEAKING: In this _Case_, the TONGUE, being
supported or held up, on each side of the String, by a small forked
_Instrument_, ought to be _cut a-cross_ by sharp SCISSORS as much as is
needful; which however must be done with Caution, not to hurt the
_Veins_ under the TONGUE.
VII. THE INFANT is also sometimes troubled with a small round _Tumour_
under the TONGUE, fill’d with _vitious Blood_, or _pituitous Matter_;
which _Aëtius_ and _Paulus Ægineta_ call’d RANULA LINGUÆ; Which _Case_
may be managed, and the _Tumour_ dissolved by a little _Ammoniac Salt_,
or such other proper _Remedies_; but if Occasion require, the same may
be open’d by a _Lancet_.
VIII. IT also happens, tho’ but seldom, that the CHILD is born with a
close _Fundament_; and _that_ sometimes shut up by the single SKIN, and
sometimes by a _fleshy Substance_: In the first _Condition_, there
appear some _livid Marks_ of the MECONIUM thro’ the _Skin_, which feels
soft to the _Touch_. Upon which occasion, an _Apertion_ must be made
with a small _Incision-Knife_, a-cross, not long-ways, that it may the
better receive a _round Form_, and not so easily grow again together;
which however must be done with great Caution, that the SPHINCTER of the
_Rectum_ may not be hurt: And the _Meconium_ being afterwards voided,
whether by a _Suppository_, _Clyster_, or otherways; the _Orifice_ is to
be stopp’d up with a _Linnen-Tent_, anointed at the beginning with
ROSE-HONEY, but afterwards with some drying and cicatrizing _Ointment_,
such as UNGUENTUM-ALEUM, POMPHOLYX, _&c._ Dressing it always as often,
and as soon, as the _Excrements_ are evacuated, lest the _Apertion_
should turn to an ULCER.
BUT in the other _Case_, where the FUNDAMENT is stopped up with _Flesh_,
that neither any Mark nor Appearance of the RECTUM is seen or felt,
whereby its true _Situation_ may be known, or the proper place where the
_Aperture_ ought to be made; The _Operation_ is much more difficult, and
the INFANT but seldom escapes the fatal Consequence of this
_Misfortune_: Which Difficulty notwithstanding, we are diligently to do
our Best upon such Occasions; to which End, an _Apertion_ must be made
within _half_ an Inch of the CHILD’S _Rump_, being the certain place of
the RECTUM; which in the _interim_ must be perform’d with the greatest
Care and Judgment by a small _Incision-Knife_ with one Edge, turning the
_Back upwards_, and thrusting it so forward, until the _Aperture_ be
made big enough for the _Excrements_ to pass thro’, always prudently
regarding the SPHINCTER as above; upon which the _Wound_, &c. are to be
dressed and order’d, as in the preceding _Case_.
IX. IN like manner, it also may happen that the INFANT is born with its
_Urinary Passage_ shut up; upon which Occasion, a convenient _Apertion_
must also be made with a proper LANCET: Which _Operation_ must likewise
be perform’d with great Prudence and Ingenuity.
X. MOREOVER, It also sometimes falls out, that the CHILD is infected
with the _Venereal Lues_, from the Predominancy of that _Distemper_ in
the MOTHER; _which_ Case easily discovers itself by many _Pustules_ and
_Ulcers_ appearing at the BIRTH in diverse Parts of its Body, especially
about the HEAD, BELLY, THIGHS and CLUNES: Upon which the _Cure_ may be
pertinently protracted to a more advanced Age, tho’ prudent _Measures_
may be taken, to keep the _Distemper under_, but if the _Condition_ be
Malignant, the _Remedy_ is commonly prevented by DEATH.
XI. FINALLY as to the small or puny _Faults_ of NATURE, such as a
distorted or wry _Mouth_, crooked or flat NOSE, thick or flabby LIPS,
rough or ugly VISAGE, or the like _Blemishes_,——
THE CHILD’S _Body_ being tractable like a piece of _Wax_, or the
_Potter’s Clay_, These may be Judiciously corrected and Ingeniously
amended, and a more Delectable and Amiable FORM given to[186] every
_Part_; as in _Case_ of any _Blemish_ of the EYES, whether they be
Discoloured, or Sparkling, Dim or Short-sighted, Squint or Goggle,
Rolling or Goat-eyed; a Lovely _black Colour_, and a _graceful Beauty_,
may be also artfully given them[187].
NOW (I think) These are all the most common _Symptoms_ or
_Indispositions_ which the CHILD brings with it into the World; which
being thus briefly discuss’d, I come at length to——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XI.
_Of the Sundry Symptoms and Diseases, peculiarly incident to the_ INFANT
_after its_ BIRTH.
NOTWITHSTANDING that the CHILD may be born free from all apparent
_Symptoms_ of any _Indisposition_, and however careful the Honest Nurse
may be of its _Diet_ and _Regimen_; yet it seldom happens, but it
undergoes some one or more of the _following subitaneous
Inconveniencies_, viz.——
I. GRIPES or _Pains_ of the BELLY, which may proceed either from the
MECONIUM, its not being timely, or not fully evacuated; or from the
NURSE’S _Milk_, its generating _Wind_ and _acid Humours_, either by her
using improper flatulent FOOD, or from the BABE’S sucking more _Milk_
than its _Stomach_ can digest: Or the same _Pains_ and _Gripes_ may also
proceed from the _Effects_ of cold AIR, or from WORMS in the
_Intestines_, or from the _unseasonable use_ of PAP, _&c._
THIS Affection in general is known by the _Inquietude_ and _Crying_ of
the INFANT, which is now (in a manner) averse to the BREAST, continually
turning itself here and there, without Rest or Intermission of _Pain_;
But more particularly, _This_ proceeding from the MECONIUM, may be
distinguished and known by the _Colour_ of the _Excrements_, since the
MECONIUM is always _black_, and as soon as it is altogether voided, the
STOOL becomes _pale_; and _that_ may be readily cured by the means
already prescribed[188]. If this _Affection_ proceeds from WIND, it may
be known by the CHILD’S frequently _belching_ and the BELLY’S
_swelling_, if from COLD, the _use_ of PAP, or from any _pituitous
viscid Humour_, the BELLY is most commonly _bound_, and the _Cure_
differs but little from the preceeding _Case_. If from corrupted MILK or
_acid Humours_, the _Condition_ is most commonly attended with a
DIARRHÆA, and the _Excrements_ are of a greenish or _Saffron Colour_:
The _Cure_ of which, depends upon proper _Abstergents_ and Evacuations.
If at last from WORMS, their proper _Diagnosticks_ shew it, of which in
their Place.
II. SOMETIMES an _Extension_ or shooting forth of the NAVEL happens to
the CHILD, and that frequently to the Bigness of an EGG, more or less;
which _Case_ is properly call’d an EXOMPHALON, and proceeds either from
the continual _Cries_, or violent _Coughs_ of the INFANT, or from a
_Laxation_ or _Rupture_ of the PERITONÆUM, or sometimes from an
_Exulceration_ of the NAVEL.
IN this _Condition_, whatever the _Cause_ may be, the sooner that the
_Cure_ is undertaken, the more easily it is perform’d; for which End,
after removing the Causes of _Crying_ or _Coughing_, the relaxed
PERITONÆUM may be strengthened and astringed; as when bursten, it may be
reunited and consolidated by proper CATAPLASMS and SWATHS; after
replacing the _Intestines_ (if fallen down) keeping the CHILD for the
most part in _Bed_, with its BELLY always _loose_, and never _too full_.
III. AND the same is the Method of _Cure_, in _Case_ of an _Intestinal_
RUPTURE, otherwise call’d ENTEROCELE, i. e. HERNIA; only, That a _Truss_
is now more convenient than a SWATH: However in this Place I would
observe that all _Tumours_ of the SCROTUM, are not to be mistaken for
the present _Bursten Case_; because the same may also happen from a
_Watry Humour_ collected in that Part, which is more properly call’d an
HYDROCELE, and is easily distinguish’d from the ENTEROCELE: Insomuch,
that, in this _Condition_ the _Tumour_ is most commonly, in one part of
the SCROTUM, I mean in its _Right_ or _Left Side_; when also the fallen
_Intestines_ may be perceiv’d by the _Touch_; as the RUPTURE or _Hole_
through which the _Intestines_ are fallen, may be by the _Finger_:
Whereas in the _Case_ of an HYDROCELE, the _Tumour_ is commonly in _both
Sides_, and the SCROTUM is more puffed up, neither is there any _Hole_
of a RUPTURE to be found in the PERITONÆUM. The _Cure_ of which _Case_
depends entirely upon proper _Absorbents_, or _Discutients_, for
resolving and drying up the WATER, or dissipating the WIND, and
afterwards upon _Corroboratives_ for confirming the _Parts_. But after
All, in the mean Time this _Tumour_ is also sometimes, upon occasion,
properly open’d by a LANCET to evacuate its _preternatural Contents_.
IV. AN _Inflammation_ or _Exulceration_ of the NAVEL may happen to the
CHILD, by the _String’s_ falling off too soon, or before it be fully
clos’d and _cicatriz’d_; which may proceed from any violent Agitation of
the BELLY, by continual _Crying_, vehement _Coughing_, &c. as it also
may from an unskilful _Ligature_ of the STRING, or from cold AIR; upon
which sometimes follows a great loss of _Blood_, and even DEATH itself,
if not timely prevented.
THIS _Inflammation_ is known by the NAVEL’S swelling-up, being red and
hard with _Heat_ and _Pulsation_; In which _Case_ after appeasing the
INFANT’S _Coughs_, or _Cries_, &c.—I would apply to it the _Unguentum
refrigerans Galeni & Populeon_, each one half mix’d; or a small
_Bolster_ dip’d in the _Oil of Roses_ with a little _Vinegar_.
BUT, and if the NAVEL continues _Ulcer’d_ after the falling of the
STRING from it; in that _Case_ proper _Desiccative_ and _Astringent
Medicines_ are to be apply’d, such as small _Rags_ dipp’d in
_Lime-Water_, but not too strong; or in _Plantane-Water_, wherein a
little ALUM has been dissolved. If the ULCER be but small, a _Pledget_
of _Dry Lint_ will be sufficient; observing always to keep a good
_Linnen Compress_ on the _Top_ of whatsoever _Remedy_ is us’d, with a
SWATH to keep all fast, until the NAVEL be perfectly heal’d and
_cicatriz’d_; lest at the same time it should also force itself
_outwards_, as in the ’foregoing _Case_.
V. THE _Child_ is also very frequently troubled with the APHTHÆ, or
_Ulcers of the Mouth_; commonly call’d the THRUSH: Proceeding either
from vitious _Milk_, or from its _Corruption_, in the STOMACH; emitting
sharp _Vapours_, which readily affect the tender Skin and Superfice of
the INFANT’S _Mouth_, and _that_ the more easily, because the same
_Tunick_, or _Skin_, which invests the _Mouth_, is common to the
_Gullet_, which naturally communicates the _Affections_ of the VENTRICLE
to the _Jaws_. Hence it is that the _Nice Taste_ of the _delicate_
TONGUE so readily distinguishes all _Relishes_; and hence it is that the
Ingenious _Physician_, by looking upon the TONGUE only, is able to judge
of the prevailing _Intemperament_ of the whole Body.
THE _Cure_ of these THRUSHES, proceeding as aforesaid from the _acid
Vapours_ of bad MILK, or from its ill _Digestion_, depends properly and
entirely upon defeating and obtunding the ACRIMONY, by _proper
Absorbents_, and gentle _Purgatives_.
VI. ANOTHER _Symptom_ not only familiar, but even _Natural_, to all
CHILDREN, is their _Teething_; which tho’ _This_ be the mere Work of
NATURE, yet because of the various _Distempers_ and _Symptoms_, which
commonly attend and conjoin this DENTITION, it is not improperly
reckon’d in the CATEGORY of the _Diseases_ of INFANTS: Which however is
to be understood, not of the _Simple_ DENTITION, but of the difficult
_Breeding of Teeth_; Not but that the CHILD is furnished with _Teeth_
even before BIRTH, tho’ they lurk so long in their proper _Sockets_,
being cover’d with the GUMS, until their due Time of _Eruption_[189].
Tho’ in the _Interim_, it has been observed that some CHILDREN have
brought eminent TEETH with them into the World[190], as it is also for
_Instance_, particularly reported of LEWIS the XIV of _France_.
BUT however the TEETH most commonly break out about the _Seventh Month_,
and first those call’d _Dentes Incisores_, or the _four_ fore-TEETH;
which after a short _Interval_, are followed by the _two_ _Dog-Teeth_,
commonly call’d the EYE-TEETH; and at last succeeded by the eight
_Cheek-Teeth_ or GRINDERS, in each Jaw; the two last of the _Molares_,
properly called _Dentes Sapientiæ_, springing only out about, or after
the one and twentieth Year. Now as this _Eruption_, particularly _that_
of the DOG-TEETH, because of their very deep _Root_ and small _Nerve_,
cannot happen without an _exquisite Sense_, and _intense Pain_ to the
INFANT; so, from the continual _Solution_ of the GUMS, many
præternatural _Affections_ seize the CHILD, according to _Hippocrates’s_
Catalogue[191]; to which, in short, I must only refer: Because if I was
to enter upon the particular _Detail_ of all _These_, I should extend
the _Limits_ of this WORK beyond all measure; wherefore I shall
endeavour to comprehend them all under the _one following general Head_;
viz.——
[Illustration]
CHAP. XII.
_Of the Acute Diseases of_ INFANTS.
THE very tender _Nature_ and infirm _Constitution_ of CHILDREN, subject
them to many various and grievous _Symptoms_, besides those to which
they are expos’d by a vast variety of _Procatarctick Causes_. But as I
am not in this place to enter upon the _Detail_ of these particular
_Symptoms_, neither shall I enumerate their respective _Causes_: Which
however is the less requisite, considering the _Regimen_ and _Nursement_
of the CHILD already prescribed in the foregoing _Chapters_; since the
_least step_, degenerating from what is there inculcated, may prove an
effectual _mediate Cause_; for all that indeed, according to the most
Learned and Excellent Dr. _Harris_, the only _immediate Cause_ of all
CHILDREN’S _Diseases_ is, an _Active_ and _prevailing_ ACID[192].
THIS _Doctrine_, in as much as the _Constitution_ of INFANTS is
undeniably most _Humid_, appears also evident from _Hippocrates_’s his
own Words, saying, _the Rise of all Diseases is one and the same, the
Place only makes the Difference_[193]. Hence we may justly conclude,
FIRST, _That_, however the _Symptoms_ may differ in _degree_, the
_Diseases_ of the INFANT-_State_ are but very _few_: SECONDLY, That the
_Cure_ of _these_ is far more Safe and Easy, than _those_ of full _grown
Persons_: THIRDLY, That the _Younger_ the _Sick_ CHILD is, the more easy
still is the _Cure_: Because its tender Body, abounding with _Natural_
and _acquired Moisture_, is soft and flexile, and consequently apt to
receive any _Alteration_: And FOURTHLY, I observe that the INFANT easily
falls into _Sickness_, or may be suddenly taken Ill, and as readily
restored to _Health_, if but carefully and ingenuously _treated_:
Because any _Impression_ whatsoever, good or bad, is sooner received by
a _Soft_, than by a _Hard Body_; tho’, I confess, the same is more
_Lasting_, if once strongly impressed upon the _Hard adult
Constitution_.
NOW as to the _Diagnosticks_ of CHILDREN’S _Diseases_, These depend
chiefly upon the _Relation_ of the NURSES; since all _Sentiments_ taken
from their unruly PULSES, or their (naturally) thick URINES, prove most
_Uncertain_. However, as the STOMACH is always affected with an _Acid
Distemper_, (whatever the reigning _Disease_ may be, or howsoever it may
be intitled by ingenious _Authors_) so it most commonly produces
_Fastidy_ or _Loathing_ of VICTUALS, _Vomiting_ of a thick GELLY, or a
viscid and coagulated PHLEGM, sour _Belchings_, and EXCREMENTS of a
sourish _Smell_, and a greenish _Colour_, especially in the Beginning.
As afterwards——
IF the _Distemper_ continues, the PATIENT turns gradually _Pale_, and
its discoloured FACE is tinged a little _Green_ or _Yellowish_; The
BELLY swells with _Wind_, which breaks frequently _upwards_; one or more
red _Pustules_ (a certain sign of _Acidity_) commonly rise in the FACE,
or upon some other _upper Part_ of the Body; and the INFANT growing
daily worse, _breathes high_, and _smells sour_ or ACID.
AGAIN, As to the _Prognosticks_ of these _Distempers_, of what kind
soever they be, which afflict the INFANT; I cannot in short, but readily
agree with the most Ingenious _Doctor_ before-mentioned, who plainly
tells us, that _These_ depend chiefly upon the Method of _Cure_, and the
_Conduct_ of the NURSE; Wherefore I proceed to the CURE.
AS to this point then of the _Cure_ of CHILDREN’S _Diseases_, I shall
FIRST observe that, how _many_ soever these _Distempers_ are accounted,
according to the REGISTERS of _Polite Authors_, by what Name soever they
are denominated, and how learnedly soever defin’d, as they all proceed
from one immediate _efficient Cause_, (which has been already hinted at)
so the _Cure_ of them all is the same, and depends, in like manner, upon
_One only regular Method_.
SECONDLY, I observe that as this _Cause_ is nothing else than an _Acid
Humour_, abounding in the _Stomach_, and coagulating the _imbib’d
Nourishment_ of the INFANT, (as is evident from all the given
_Diagnosticks_) so the proper _Method of Cure_, depends entirely upon
obtunding that _Acidity_, dissolving those _Coagulations_, and
eliminating the _peccant Matter_. But more particularly,
HAVING always a great and due regard to the _natural Debility_, and
_tender Constitution_ of the _Young_ PATIENT, the _Acid_ ought first to
be prepared by prudent means, and then to be carried off by proper
_Medicines_. I say _prepared_ by prudent Means, because _this_ is no
indifferent Matter; For if we should take the same Method with these
tender _Creatures_ in this _Case_, that we do with more _adult Persons_
we would certainly _miscarry_ in our Attempts; or if we should attempt
this Preparation, by _Alexipharmacks_, _Cordials_, (improperly so
call’d) _Causticks_, or _Sudorificks_; these Things being most
prejudicial to the Nature of _young_ ONES, would rather promote the
_Crudity_, than the _Concoction_ of the HUMOURS.
THEREFORE the ingenious Doctrine of the Excellent Doctor HARRIS, must
certainly take place here, namely[194],that _the most temperate Things
most securely absorb the prevailing Acidity, and that the more Simple
and Gentle the Remedies are, the more Safe and Certain the Cure is._
HENCE the simple _Testaceous Medicines_ mentioned by him, are not to be
paralleled in the present _Case_; since they effectually mitigate all
_Ebullitions_, and gradually become the most safe and powerful
_Anodines_: Insomuch, that they, in a word, as certainly asswage all the
_Pains_, _Gripes_, _Disquiets_, _Watchings_, &c. of CHILDREN; as
_Narcoticks_, or _Opiats_, do allay those of older People.
THE Body being then alter’d by these means, and the _Humours_ duly
prepared, they are to be forthwith ejected, or timely purged off, even
from the _youngest_ INFANTS, as well as from those of riper Years: The
_Doses_ and _Quantities_ of all sorts, being discreetly adapted to the
_Age_ and _Strength_ of the CHILD, under what _Form_ soever they may be
given.
UPON this Head, I might indeed pretend to expatiate, but because,
whatever _I_, or any _other ingenuous Person_, understanding the Matter
in Hand, may attempt to offer, will only terminate in, and be
consentaneous to, what my last quoted _Author_ has plainly laid down,
and concisely comprehended in a few _emphatick Words_; I shall here
also, for Brevity’s-sake, set Bounds to my _Progress_. And thus, in
short, having at large, and in every particular Respect, faithfully
discharged my _Duty_, both as _Physician_ and MIDWIFE, to the CHILD as
well as to the MOTHER; I now take leave of both the _one_ and the
_other_, and in the next place, come briefly to touch upon the _Reverse
Cases_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. VII.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of Præternatural_ CONCEPTIONS.
HAVING particularly defin’d the _Natural Conception_, in Chap. I. Sect.
III. and hitherto treated of its various different _Consequences_, both
in GESTATION, BIRTH and CHILD-BED; I come in the next place (conformable
to my promise before-mentioned) to treat of the opposite and _reverse
Case_, commonly call’d (by the _Authors_) a vitious or depravated
CONCEPTION: Which however, I shall distinguish by the general TITLE of
_præternatural_, as I have one _Set_ of BIRTHS under the same
Denomination, contained in Sect. V. But——
NOW, because I judge all such CONCEPTIONS as well as BIRTHS, to be
_præternatural_, which, tho’ not according to the _ordinary Institution_
of NATURE, are yet however not _repugnant_ to NATURE: And because such
CONCEPTIONS, as well as the _Præternatural_ BIRTHS already defin’d,
happen after many different ways and manners; I shall also reduce and
divide them into _two_ CLASSES, _viz._——
FIRST, _Præternatural_ CONCEPTIONS in respect of the _Number_; to which
belong all _Superfætations_, and other Numerous CONCEPTIONS; And
SECONDLY, _Præternatural_ CONCEPTIONS in respect to the _Form_ or
_Substance_; to which belong all _false_ CONCEPTIONS, MOLES, MONSTERS,
_&c._ Of all which particularly and briefly in their due Order, and
FIRST——
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of_ SUPERFÆTATIONS.
A SUPERFÆTATION is nothing else than a _Second_ (after a _First_)
CONCEPTION: Since if divers INFANTS may be _conceiv’d_ at one _Embrace_,
as will evidently appear from the following _Chapter_, we may easily
believe, that _two_, _three_, or _more Embraces_, may most probably have
the same _Effect_: Which is sufficiently confirm’d by the Experience of
_Hippocrates_[195] himself, as well as by many other most Learned
_Authors_[196].
WHEREFORE I shall spend no time in reciting here any _Instances_ I have
met with of this _Nature_; only I refer the _Curious_ to a very famous
collected _History_ of such BIRTHS, as in the _Margin_[197]. Whence the
Certainty of _Superfætation_ is not to be doubted, and much less to be
disputed: And according to _Aristotle_ the same may happen, after the
_Second_ or _Third Day_, from first Conception, as well as after so many
_Months_[198]. But farther,——
THE _Cause_ of all _Superfætations_ is only an _Apertion_ of the
_Orifice_ of the WOMB, at the Effusion of the _Virile_ SEED. Which
however (according to _Avicen_) only happens to such _Women_, as have
plenty of BLOOD, or a _Calid_ WOMB, desirous of _Copulation_, or to such
as have their MENSTRUA after the _first_ CONCEPTION.
SUPERFÆTATIONS however are not easily discover’d before BIRTH; at which
time, _Avicen_ advises to take Notice of the NAVEL-STRING; _For_ (says
He) _if it be without folds or wrinkles, there is but one_ CHILD; _if
otherways, there’s a Child for every Wrinkle_: But I think the expert
MIDWIFE using her _Hand_, as I have not unadvisedly inculcated[199],
will have but small Occasion for such _Observations_, and far less
_Need_ to trust to them.
BUT when more than _one_ CHILD is found, they are distinguishable, (I
mean _Superfætations_) from _These_ conceiv’d at one time; _those_
having each a _peculiar_ SECUNDINE; _these_ ONE only in Commune: As the
_one_ is also less vital and more imperfect, than the _other_; according
to the interval of Time betwixt their CONCEPTIONS.
THE _Cure_ or Prevention of this _Case_ is much the same with the
following, _viz._
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of a Numerous_ CONCEPTION.
A _Numerous_ CONCEPTION may happen either with, or without
SUPERFÆTATION: And _that without_, may be truly call’d _Monstrous_; as
all BIRTHS, exceeding the Number of the _Woman’s Breasts_, or the
SINUS’S of her WOMB, may be justly accounted.
I could also give many Instances of this sort of BIRTHS, where 3, 4, 5,
and more CHILDREN have been _born at once_, but shall satisfy myself
with _This_, which I think is one of the most remarkable, _viz._ _That_
of the _Countess Margaret_,[200] Daughter to _Florent_ IV. _Earl of
Holland_, and SPOUSE to _Count Herman of Heneberg_; who, on
_Good-Friday_, in the Year of our LORD 1276, and of her _Age_ 42,
brought forth at one BIRTH 365 INFANTS; whereof 182, are said to have
been _Males_, as many _Females_, and the odd one an HERMAPHRODITE: who
were all _baptized_, _those_ by the Name of JOHN, _these_ by that of
ELIZABETH, in two _Brazen Dishes_, by _Don William, Suffragan Bishop of
Treves_. The BASONS are still to be seen in the _Village Church_ of
_Losdun_, where all _Strangers_ go (on purpose) from the _Hague_, being
reckon’d among the great CURIOSITIES of _Holland_. For farther and more
instances of this Nature, I refer the Curious to a large collected
_History_ of such, by the _Author_ mentioned in the _Margin_[201] From
whence the Certainty of _Numerous_ CONCEPTIONS will evidently appear.
AGAIN the _Cause_ of such _Numerous_ CONCEPTIONS is (according to
_Avicenna_’s just Opinion) the _Division_ of the SEED in numerous
_Portions_, or _Proportions_; which may happen, either because of the
WOMB, or because of the INJECTOR: Because of the WOMB, when its _Cavity_
is larger than ordinary; or when it too greedily _attracts_ to all its
Parts; or when the divided SEED adheres separately to the singular
_Uterine Veins_: Insomuch, that if what has been recorded of the
abovesaid _Countess_ be true, it is not improbable that, there may be a
CONCEPTION for every _Orifice_ of the _Uterine Veins_, and that every
_Vessel_ may attract its own distinct _share_ of the SEMINAL _Matter_,
and thereupon initiate a respective CONCEPTION, tho’ it cannot possibly
bring it to _Perfection_.
MOREOVER the same may also happen, because of an irregular INJECTION,
namely, when _that_ is perform’d by _stops_ and _intervals_; then the
WOMB attracting accordingly, may occasion different CONCEPTIONS,
according to the different _Immissions_ or _Divisions_ of the SEED.
BUT these CONCEPTIONS, whether _two_, _three_, or _more_, are always
annexed to, and contained in one common SECUNDINE. And tho’ the _Woman_,
by reason of her good Constitution of _Body_ and WOMB, may do well in
the time of _Gestation_, yet her _Præternatural Condition_ in the BIRTH,
always threatens _Danger_, as is already made out more manifestly[202].
NOW as to the _Cure_ or Prevention of both _this_ and the _preceding
Case_, I know but one only grateful Method of performing it; _viz._ by
refrigerating and reducing the too _calid_ WOMB to a convenient
_Temperature_, and using a proper _Regimen_ of _Health_ and DIET; and
_that_ both before and after CONCEPTION.
[Illustration]
CHAP. IV.
_Of False_ CONCEPTIONS.
HAVING already also particularly defin’d the _real_ or _true_ CONCEPTION
in _Sect._ III. Chap. I. I come now in like manner to the REVERSE of
that _Case_, properly call’d a _false_ CONCEPTION. But that I may, in
this Point, be well understood,——
A _False_ CONCEPTION, in my Opinion, is nothing else, but a
_Protuberancy_ of the _Woman_’s BELLY, attended with some, if not with
most, of the _Symptoms_ of the Months of GESTATION: which however, is no
ways occasion’d by a humane FOETUS, but (on the contrary) either by
_Water_ and _Winds_, or _Wind_ and _Water_ vitiously mixed; which is
also pertinently call’d a _Dropsy_ of the WOMB: Or then, by a corrupted
_Viscid_, or _pituitous Matter_ collected in the WOMB; and that either
proceeding from weak and vitious SEED, or from some extraordinary
_Intemperature_ of the WOMB, which may hinder the _Elaboration_ of the
SEED and BLOOD, and consequently the _Accomplishment_ of the CONCEPTION:
Or the same may also finally proceed from the _Impurity_ of the
MENSTRUA, which may corrupt the SEED, and convert it to _Aqueous_,
_purulent_, or _other_ HUMOURS.
THIS _false_ CONCEPTION is attended (besides the common _Symptoms_ of a
_true_ CONCEPTION) with inordinate FEVERS, PAINS of the _Head_, _Neck_,
_Loins_, _Groins_, _Back_, and _Belly_: Which BELLY swells sooner than
in the _Condition_ of _real_ CONCEPTION; and which, if struck with the
_Hand_, gives a _Sound_ like a DRUM whence ’tis also call’d a TYMPANY:
The whole _Body_ is hence discoloured; the _Feet_, and sometimes the
_Face_ swells; and only a little (if any) _watery_ MILK is found in the
_Breasts_. THE _Cure_ of the _Case_ depends entirely upon proper
_Evacuations_, peculiar to the _Quality_ of what is to be evacuated.
Whence I come to treat of the _Conception_ of MOLES.
[Illustration]
CHAP. V.
_Of_ MOLES.
A MOLE is properly nothing else, than a _fleshy Mass_ (instead of a
FOETUS) engender’d, of an _imperfect_ CONCEPTION, in the WOMB. And is so
call’d, because (_quasi Lapis Molaris_) like a MILL-STONE, its _weight_
infests the _Woman_.
THERE are two immediate _Causes_ of this CONCEPTION of MOLES, _viz._ the
_Superfluity_ of Matter, and the _infirmity_ of the _forming Faculty_.
Which, I think, is agreeable to _Hippocrates_ his meaning, saying, that
_too much Menstruous Blood, or too little, weak, or insufficient_ SEED,
_is the only Cause of a_ MOLE[203].
I know, that besides these, there are many other various _Causes_ given
by diverse _Authors_; yea I know that the MOLE it self is variously
accepted among them: But as I am not to insist upon the _quibbling_
Notions of other Men, so I shall only here observe,——
FIRST, that there is a vast Variety and Difference in the _Substance_,
as well as in the _Form_ of MOLES: SECONDLY, That there is sometimes but
_one_, _and_ sometimes _two_, _three_, or _more_ MOLES, contain’d in
_One_ WOMB; and _that_, sometimes with, and sometimes without the
_Natural_ FOETUS as also sometimes separately, and sometimes adhering
the _One_ to the _Other_: THIRDLY, That in this _Case_, if the FOETUS be
not directly kill’d by the _Compression_ of its tender Body, it is at
least in _Danger_ of being _misshaped_, or perhaps _monstrously formed_,
according to the _Bulk_, _Weight_, and _Solidity_ of what is contain’d
with it in the WOMB.
HOWEVER in regard to the FOETUS, when we are certain of its _Existence_;
tho’ in the WOMB, with _one_ or _more_ MOLES, it may perhaps be very
safe; Therefore I again observe, that, in this _Case_, as long as the
_Woman_ is no ways endangered, the _Exclusion_ of BOTH ought to be
_Natural_, and accordingly the _appointed Time_ waited for: When
according to all _Authors_, the MOLE comes sometimes before, sometimes
with, sometimes immediately after, and sometimes a few Days, or perhaps
Weeks, after the FOETUS. But such MIDWIVES as follow my _Method_,
already plainly laid down[204], will scarce trust their WOMAN with the
Charge of a MOLE, one moment after the _Birth_ of the INFANT and
_Secundine_: Because by such means, yea, even by a small _Clod_ of
BLOOD, which is a far less matter, retain’d after the BIRTH, _Millions_
of Women have lost their pretious _Lives_.
IN the mean time, as MOLES are most commonly generated _alone_, without
any FOETUS; I come now to indicate their peculiar _Diagnosticks_, which
the _Reader_ may take as follows, _viz._ FIRST, the _Woman_’s BELLY
swells equally in all its _Dimensions_; whereas in _Case_ of a _Natural_
CONCEPTION, it is raised, and as it were acuminated or pointed towards
the NAVEL, and a little compressed on _both sides_.
SECONDLY, The _Orifice_ of the WOMB never shuts in _this_, as it does in
the _Natural_, CONCEPTION: And the MOLE may be distinctly felt by the
_Touch_, like a _Globular Mass_, in the _Region_ of the WOMB and LOINS.
THIRDLY, Any _expert Woman_ may also distinguish this _Case_, by its
_Motion_; which is very different from that of a FOETUS, as also from
that occasion’d by a _false_ CONCEPTION as above described: The FOETUS
having not only a _total_, but also a _Partial Motion_; which always
differs according to the _Part_ or _Member_ moved; and is consequently
_first_ perceived about the _fourth Month_: Whereas the MOLE has no
distinct _Motion_; only, as the _Woman_ turns to either _Side_, she may
feel it (like a STONE) falling to the same _Side_; and in her walking,
she may easily perceive its _suppressing dead_ WEIGHT.
FOURTHLY, Her _Breasts_ swell, but give seldom any manner of MILK, and
about the 4th and 5th _Months_, when she, who has a _Natural
Conception_, is commonly best in _Health_; then the _MOLE-BEARER_ falls
worse; Her _Limbs_ and _Legs_ extenuate; her _Face_ and _Skin_ are all
over discoloured, as the whole _Body_ languishes; PAINS of the _Back_
and _Groins_ follow of Course, together with a Difficulty of
_Respiration_; as sometimes also, _Wind_ and _Humours_ break out of the
WOMB.
UPON the whole, the PROGNOSTICK of this _Case_ is, that as the
_MOLE-BEARING Woman_ must in all respects, be very much discommoded, and
afflicted with heavy threatning _Symptoms_, so she lives continually in
Danger of her Life: And the longer she entertains this unwieldy GUEST,
the more rigid it grows, and the closer it sticks to her; so that
consequently, the more difficult it is to dislodge or extract this
_præternatural Body_: For as the MOLE has no _Secundine_, nor _Umbilical
Vessels_, but adhering by its own gross _Substance_ to the oppress’d
WOMB, attracting its _Nourishment_ directly from the _Uterine Vessels_;
So it also fixes it self more and more strongly, and the longer the more
firmly among them, to the great Prejudice and Damage of NATURE.
NOW, as to the _Cure_, or the _Delivery_ of the MOLE, as has been said,
the _sooner_ it is undertaken, the easier it is performed: And in this
_Case_, I know all _Authors_ advise only, to endeavour its _Expulsion_
by _Bleeding in the Feet_, _by proper Baths_, _by strong and Acrid
Clysters_, &c. in order by such like _means_, to excite or stir up
THROWS to open the WOMB and irritate the _expulsive Faculty_. But for my
part, I would not too much afflict the PATIENT with these uncertain
_means_, especially if the _Præternatural Body_ be of any long standing;
but rather at once betake my self, to that which cannot fail me, _that_
is the HAND-CURE; after Bathing, relaxing and moistening the PASSAGES
with _Oils_ or _emollient Ointments_: And _This_ I would undertake, and
perform after the same manner, as in the _Condition_ of a _Dead Child_,
when the PAINS are altogether _Deficient_. Again farther——
I observe that, of all the _Countries_ I know, there is none, whose
_Women_ are so subject to MOLAR CONCEPTIONS, as the _Provinces of
Holland_: And moreover, by what I have diligently observ’d my self in
those _Parts_, as well as by what I have comprehended from their most
_Learned Men_, the _MOLES_ generally conceived there, are very different
from _Others_ commonly conceived in _other Parts_; Insomuch that _Those_
are of a strange, astonishing, deformed _shape_, having (as it were)
something in them like the _Rudiments_ of a _Work imperfectly begun_;
such a _Piece_, as, for Example, a _Limner_ may draw at the first
_Draught_, with a rude _Pensil_; together with something of both _Life_
and _Motion_: LIVING however only (as it were) _Vitâ Plantæ_, and moving
but by _Palpitation_; as I have also seen and observ’d this _Body_ to
contract it self sensibly at the _Touch_, and immediately again dilate
it self perceptibly. In the _interim_ I must farther observe in this
Place, that most commonly NATURE ejects these _Bodies_ happily about the
_fourth Month_; however yet, not always _all_ at once, but most
frequently by _Piece-Meal_ and in _Heaps_, not unlike as the PUMP does
the _Bilge-Water_ out of the _Ship_.
BUT here it may be _ask’d_, why the _Dutch good Women_, should be more
subject to these _Præternatural Conceptions_ than any _others_? To which
I _answer_, according to the Sense and Sentiments of most of _their own
greatest Men_; FIRST, that all over these _Provinces_, the very
_Borders_ of the SEA are inhabited, and a World of People live (as it
were) in the very _Jaws_ of the OCEAN; whose bellowing _Waves_ and
tumultuous _Surges_, are not only obvious to their _Eyes_ all Day, but
obnoxious also to their _Ears_ all Night long; as they continually beat
upon their _Coasts_, and sometimes too near their very _Doors_: From
whence these _Women_ cannot but be much affected and disturbed, if not
also frighted in their very _Embraces_.
HOWEVER yet, I do not conceive _This_ to be always the CAUSE, since
_MOLAR CONCEPTIONS_ are also very common in their greatest _Cities_; But
as _those_ happen there most frequently among the _Sea-faring Men’s
Wives_; so, I think, we may rationally account for them after this
ensuing manner, _viz._ The _Sailers_ arriving from their _Voyages_, and
coming Home merrily with full Sail up to their very Doors, incontinently
embrace their WIVES, without having any regard to their _Natural
Course_, the SILENT MOON, or any other _Circumstance_; And the honest
WIVES, having perhaps long wanted their _Husbands_, make no
_Procrastination_, but eagerly fall to enjoying _One Another_; the good
_Women_ attracting as greedily the virile Benevolence, as _Nature_ can
prompt, or as _Cerberus_ could snap at a _Piece_, or the
_Hunger-starved_ a _Bit_ of _Bread_. Upon which, if no _Efluxion_
happens in the Beginning, _NATURE_ being incapable of _elaborating_ such
an _unapt confused Matter_, it is converted to a _MOLE_; which (as
aforesaid) is frequently cast forth about the _fourth Month_, and call’d
by them _een Manekindt_, as we for the same reason call it a MOON-CALF.
[Illustration]
CHAP. VI.
_Of_ MONSTERS.
WHEN the _Parts_ destinated to the _Generation of Man_, are in all
respects well constituted, NATURE in the Beginning fabricates a fair and
comely _Conception_, and at last produces a _Lovely Creature_ of its own
kind, absolutely perfected, and compleatly furnished with all its own
graceful _Ornaments_: Whereas if any _Deficiency_, _Enormity_, _Fault_
or _Blemish_ be actually in _Those Parts_, then the _conglomerated
Principles_ of _GENERATION_ are variously form’d into different Sorts of
_prodigious CONCEPTIONS_ and _Monstrous BIRTHS_. However——
WITH respect to the _Variety_, as well as the _Veracity_ of this
_SUBJECT_, that I may make short Work on’t, I refer the _Curious Reader_
to the WORKS of _Jacobus Ruffius_, _Cornelius Gamma_, &c. who have not
only described at large, the various _Shapes_ and _Figures_ of the most
remarkable _MONSTERS_ which have been Born, but also particularly noted
the _Times_ and _Places_ of their _BIRTHS_; which they have
authentically collected from many creditable _Authors_.
IN the small Conversation, by the _By_, which I have had either at Home
or Abroad with the _Learned_, I have met with none who have deny’d the
_Truth_ of this _POSITION_ in _general_; tho’ some of my _Superiors_ in
this Place, have been pleas’d to contradict in _particular_, what I am
just now going (and chiefly for that very reason) about to publish to
the World, in the next following _Chapter_.
BUT notwithstanding that we all agree as to the _FACT_, yet I have found
but few ready to discuss the proper _Causes_ of _Monstrous BIRTHS_: Only
so far, that _some_ would have them to proceed immediately from the
Commixture of _Humane_ with _Brutal SEED_; _others_, directly from the
_INFLUX_ of the _Stars_; _Some_ again, from a vitious _Constitution_, or
oblique _Situation_ of the _WOMB_; others also, from a _Lascivious_ and
enormous _Act_ of _Copulation_; and _some_ at last, from the sordid and
corrupted _SEMINAL Matter_ of the _Persons Copulating_. Which may be all
indeed, in some respect, consentaneous to _Reason_; but notwithstanding,
in speaking to such _Causes_, I think, we ought previously to consider
the _Requisites_ concurring to the _Production_ of the FOETUS; what they
naturally are, and how they ought to be _qualify’d_.
THE FIRST and chief of which is the _Forming Faculty_; 2ly. The _two
Instruments_, by which this _Faculty_ operates, _viz._ the _SPIRIT_ or
innate _Seminal Heat_, and the _Imagination_, 3ly. _The MATTER_, viz.
both the _SEEDS_, and the _Menstruous Blood_; 4ly. And lastly, the
_PLACE_, namely the WOMB: Whence I conclude that any _one_, or _more_,
or (perhaps) all of _THESE_, degenerating from their _due state_ or
_natural Qualities_, may prove the _Cause_ or _Causes_ of a _MONSTROUS
CONCEPTION_, or _Æquivocal GENERATION_.
AS to the _Forming Faculty_, it never errs or fails, but always performs
its _Duty_, as far as depends upon it self, or its own _Intention_; tho’
indeed it often happens to be frustrated by the _Instrumentary Causes_:
As the most ingenious _Artificer_ cannot finish his _Work_, however
successfully begun, without a proportionable _Metal_ to work upon, and
corresponding _Instruments_ to work by; So it is, in this _Case_, with
the _Forming Faculty_: Hence it is that _MONSTERS_ are also pertinently
call’d, as they undeniably are, the _Works_ of _NATURE_; however
degenerating from its proper _END_, that it may effect something, even
such a _MONSTER_, rather than that the indigested and unalterated
_Matter_ should remain in the _WOMB_, and turn either to a _MOLE_ or a
_STONE_, as has often happened[205]. Which being thus consider’d, we
shall find the _Error_ or _Fault_ to ly either in the _Instruments_, in
the _Matter_, or in the _Place_.
FIRST then, as to the _Instruments_, of the _two_ above-mentioned, I
take the _Imagination_ to have the most prevalent _Power_ in
_CONCEPTION_; which I hope may be readily granted, considering how
common a Thing it is, for the _MOTHER_ to mark her CHILD with _Pears_,
_Plums_, _Milk_, _Wine_, or any _thing else_, upon the least trifling
_Accident_ happening to her from thence; and _that_ even in the latter
ripening _Months_, after the INFANT is entirely formed, by the _Strength
of her Imagination_ only, as has been already manifestly set forth at
large[206].
WHICH if so, Pray, what wonder is it, if the _Woman_ in time of
_CONCEPTION_ (which is by far the more _critical Juncture_) should by
the same reason _conceive_, and at last bring forth her FOETUS with a
_Calf_’s, _Lamb_’s, _Dog_’s, _Cat_’s-_HEAD_, or the _Effigy_ of any
other thing whatsoever? And _this_ the more especially, considering,
that not only the _conceiving Woman_, but also the _copulating Man_, may
effect the same thing; if he should imprudently set his Mind on such
Objects, or employ his perverted _Imagination_ that way. Now this absurd
_Imagination_ takes even place also among the very _BRUTES_, as
_Lemnius_ relates[207] of a _Sheep_ with a _Seal’s_, or _Sea-CALF’S
HEAD_, having no doubt seen that Animal in the critical Time of
_Conjunction_ or _Conception_.
IN like manner, supposing such _Women_ to conceive in their Minds, some
deformed _SPIRIT_ or _ANIMAL_, with _Horns_, _Snout_, _Wings_,
_Cloven-Feet_, &c. (as has sometimes happen’d) What should hinder this
_Woman_ to produce a BIRTH with these _Monstrous Marks_? THIS is also
therefore very possible, but more especially, when the _Disposition_ of
the MATTER acquiesces, which it certainly does when the SEED and BLOOD
are impure: For, Is it not manifest to our _Eyes_, that some CHILDREN
bring with them long _Hair_ and _Nails_ into the World, merely from the
_Impurity_ of these _material Substances_? Then supposing the _Force_ of
an absurd _Imagination_ to have seconded the _Efficacy_ of such _Sordid
Stuff_, what a MONSTER might not _these_ Jointly have produced?
Wherefore I shall only add upon the whole of _This_, that as such
impious and foolish _Imaginations_ ought to be suppressed, so both the
SEED and the BLOOD ought to be pure and temperate, to prevent such
_præternatural Productions_.
NOW, as to the _Heat_ and _Spirit_ contain’d in the SEED, we may easily
conceive its _Effects_, and such as have been in _Glass-Works_, and have
seen GLASSES, made, may readily comprehend how MONSTERS are formed in
the WOMB: For in modeling the GLASS, if the _Work-Man_ blow the PIPE too
much or too strongly, the _Stuff_ is so extended, that the GLASS becomes
both _longer_ and _wider_ than its due proportionable FORM; and so it
may also happen in the WOMB, by an _immoderate Action_, or too great an
_Extension_ or _Diffusion_ of the SEMINAL SPIRIT, which sometimes may
only affect some _particular Part_, such as the HEAD, NOSE, MOUTH, EARS,
_&c._ and sometimes the _whole_ FOETUS disproportionably.
SECONDLY, Hence we may rationally conclude, that a _superfluity_ of
SEED, and _super-abundancy_ of material HUMOURS may, in like manner,
produce _duplicated Members_, such as _Two_ HEADS, _Four_ HANDS, _Four_
FEET, _Six_ or _more_ TOES or FINGERS, _&c._ and _this_ especially, in
case of the _Woman’s_ strange _Imagination_ concurring; which may easily
happen, by fancying herself sometimes to _see double_ with her EYES,
which _Deception_ may probably proceed from the _Concourse_ of HUMOURS,
gross VAPOURS, and confused or distracted SPIRITS. And _This_ in short,
it is evident, holds also good among the _other Creatures_ (IRRATIONALS)
as _Lemnius_ writes[208] of himself, that He saw a _Sheep_ and a
_Calfe_, each with _two_ HEADS, and a _Hen_ with _four_ FEET and as many
WINGS.
AGAIN, as from the _Superabundance_ of MATTER, _Geminated Members_, or
Superfluous Particles may proceed; so from the _Scarcity_ of these
MATTERS, _Want_ of requisite _Aliment_, or from any partial _Invalidity_
of the _Natural Faculties_, some _Members_ or certain _Particles_ may be
either maim’d and destitute of their _Natural Use_, or then (which is
worse) be altogether _irregular_, _defective_, or _Unnatural_.
LASTLY as to the _Place_, I mean the WOMB, in which the _Conception_ is
made; It ought not only to be _perpendicularly seated_ in the _PELVIS_,
or in a _direct line_ from the _VAGINA_ upwards, but also to be well
conform’d and proportion’d: Otherways, as an ugly or unshapely exteriour
FORM or MOULD of _Wax_ or _Clay_, produces a corresponding deformed
IMAGE cast therein; so the WOMB may as effectually be the _Cause_ of a
_Deform’d_ or _Monstrous_ BIRTH. And moreover not only so, but the WOMB
ought also to be in its due _Temperament_ and _Natural State_, free of
all _Distempers_ and Inconveniencies, such as obdurated GLANDS, ULCERS,
CICATRICES, _&c._ Otherways, as a TREE planted in _Stony Ground_, its
ROOT cannot diffuse or spread it self round every way, but being cramp’d
and oppress’d, it _crooks_ and _bends back_; So it is with the FOETUS in
the WOMB, if oppos’d and resisted by the _Constriction_ or _Coarctation
of the Place_, or by any inherent _Præternatural Substance_, its MEMBERS
cannot possibly be _articulately_ and _distinctly form’d_, much less can
they attain their _Natural_ GROWTH and FIGURE.
IN short from what is here said, I think, the _Notions_ of such Men, as
will have MONSTERS, only and immediately to proceed from a _Coition_
with BRUTES, may evidently appear as _absurd_ as _they_ are verily
_groundless_[209]: And for strengthening or backing of my _Authority_, I
may add _Galen_’s own Words[210], saying, _Vel semen Humanum in Utero
Equæ, vel Equinum in utero Muliebri, aut non admitti, aut admissum
corrumpi_. Which is also farther confirm’d by Holy St. _Jerom_,
saying,[211] _non minùs absurdum est, Animal construi ex Equo & Homine,
quàm Vitem Olivæ insertam, simul vinum & oleum proserre_. Which
_Doctrine_ seems also most agreeable to _Truth_, in _that_ there can be
no _Affinity_ or _Concord_ betwixt _these_ Specifically different
_SEEDS_, neither in their _Natural Actions_, _Aliment_, _Maturation_,
_Time_, or _Manner_ of _Birth_, &c. to pass by all other _disconsonant_
or _incongruous Circumstances_.
IN FINE therefore, for these _Reasons_, I believe Nothing of the many
_fabulous Relations_ extant, of the _Hippocentauri_, _Onocentauri_,
_Minotauri_, &c. inhabiting the LAND, nor of the _Tritons_, _Nereids_,
_Syrens_, &c. which are said to possess the SEA; tho’ indeed both St.
_Antony_[212], and St. _Jerom_[213], maintain the Existence of the
SATYRI and SYLVANI: But be these Things as they will, I believe, that
the _Production_ of every _MONSTER_, concurs to the _Perfection_ of the
_UNIVERSE_, and that sometimes such _Prodigies_, or rather _Dæmonical
Illusions_, may appear, as well as _Monstrous_ BIRTHS happen, by the
Will and Pleasure of the great _CREATOR_, who would thereby signify and
portend something _extraordinary_, or more than NATURAL to us _Mortals_.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. VII.
_Of various deformed_ CONCEPTIONS.
THE particular _Description_ of _MONSTROUS CONCEPTIONS_ in the preceding
_Chapter_, leads me, of Course, to treat of _another Sort_; which I
shall comprehend under the _Title_ of _Deformed CONCEPTIONS_. _This
Sort_ happening almost in _all Countries_ promiscuously, tho’ in _some_
more frequently than in _others_, becomes almost in _all Parts_ Daily
obvious to our _Eyes_, so that we need be at no great Pains to prove the
_Reality_ of _deformed_ BIRTHS, but rather inquire into the _Causes_ of
such uncouth _CONCEPTIONS_.
IN short therefore as to _these_, if we only look back and reflect on
the three preceding _Chapters_, we will find the _Causes_ of the
_present Case_ very evident and sufficiently manifest, if not
particularly included in the _Latter_: Wherefore I have only farther
here to observe, that all such _Præternatural CONCEPTIONS_, degenerate
from the _Natural_, in proportion to the _Prevalency_ of their _Cause_
or _Causes_; So that the _Cause_ being less considerable in _this_, than
in the _foregoing Case_, instead of a _MONSTROUS_, we have only a
_deformed_ BIRTH: Such as a _Scurf-Head_, a _discolour’d Skin_, an _ugly
Visage_, _disagreeable Features_, _distorted Mouth_, _crooked Nose_,
_Legs_, or _Arms_, maim’d in _whole_ or in _Part_, _Tumours_,
_Pustules_, or _Bubos_ about the _Groins_, &c. Which, tho’ _these_ and
such like _Accidents_ may verily proceed from either of the
forementioned _Causes_; Yet I think, the most common and ordinary _One_,
in all Countries, is an impure and unseasonable COPULATION: Such as is
not only precisely forbid by the _Express Word_ of _God_[214], but also
repugnant to right _Reason_, and even to common _Sense_.
FOR who can be so stupid as not to conceive, that this _Menstruous
Contagion_, will naturally (tho’ insensibly) creep into the BLOOD,
invade the whole _Habit of the Body_, and tacitely infect the very
_soundest Constitution_, even sometimes with the _Venereal_ Pox, or
perhaps with an _Elephantiasis_, or the _Leprosy_ it self? Nor does this
EVIL end always here, but such BIRTHS are also generally as perverse in
the MIND, as they are _Heterogeneous_ in the _Person_; for like BASTARDS
of _Nature_, they are commonly denudated, or destitute of all her
laudable _Gifts_ and _Graces_, which others, her _Legitimate_ SONS, are
happily born with and enjoy in Abundance.
HENCE it is, that, if they become not altogether _Jolt-Heads_,
_Foolish_, or _Delirious_, they are most ordinarily otherways _Lewd_,
_Vitious_, and _Licentious Persons_, if not also _envious Traducers_,
and _crafty Cozeners_ of Mankind: From hence likewise the _Italians_ and
_Germans_ derive a memorable _PROVERB_, which they never forget upon
dealing with such _Persons_, viz. to this purpose; _Take Care of Him
whom_ GOD _has marked_. For tho’ _some of Them_, are capable of
undertaking _Nothing_ of any Moment, much less of accomplishing any
laudable _Work_, _NATURE_ it self thwarting their _Career_ in every
_Enterprize_, and the very STARS (as it were) concurring to their
_Frustrations_: Yet _others_ have subtile WITT enough to scrape together
(_per Fas aut Nefas_) Heaps of contemptible _Dross_, much of affinity
with their own vile _Substance_; which however, seldom prevents a base
or ignominious _CATASTROPHE_ to _themselves_, who are thus found
established upon such a _præternatural_ BASIS of _Pollution_.
IF then _these_ be the direful _Consequences_, how unreasonably cruel
are such _Parents_, who thus by Enterprising the Work of _PROCREATION_
without _humane Decency_, and contrary to the very _Institution_ of
_NATURE_, involve their _Posterity_, in such miserable _Calamities_? But
this sort of BIRTHS, I have also diligently observ’d, happens most
frequently in _Holland_, and _that_ chiefly for the _Reasons_ and
_Causes_ mentioned in the foregoing _Chapter_. Which _Observation_ leads
me to the following _Matter of_ FACT, which (without any intended
_Reflection_, or _Reproach_ upon any particular _Country_, or rather, as
_this_ would be, upon _Human Nature_ it self) I shall ingenuously
relate, not only to clear up the _MYSTERY_ of a certain _Truth_, which I
have found, to be _controverted_ in this Place, and _that_ even among
some of the more _Learned_ themselves; but also for _Morality_ and
_Instruction_ sake to the _Reader_ in particular, and for the _common
Good_ of _Mankind_ in general, _viz._——
THAT these BIRTHS in those _Parts_, are often attended and accompany’d
with a _Monstrous little Animal_, the likest of any thing in Shape and
Size to a MOODIWARP; having a _hooked Snout_, _fiery sparkling Eyes_, a
long _round Neck_, and an acuminated _short Tail_, of an extraordinary
_Agility_ of _FEET_. At first _sight_ of the World’s Light, it commonly
_Yells_ and _Shrieks_ fearfully; and seeking for a _lurking Hole_, runs
up and down like a _little Dæmon_, which indeed I took it for, the first
time I saw it, and _that_ for none of the _better Sort_. Moreover——
THE following _accidental Passage_ is so remarkable, that I cannot pass
it by, in order to satisfy and convince _others_ of this admirable
TRUTH; Namely, that, not many Years ago, in coming from _Germany_ over
East and West _Friesland_, to _Holland_, I took Passage in the ordinary
_Fare-Vessel_, from the City of _Harlingen_ for _Amsterdam_, over what
they call the _Zuyder-Zee_; Which is commonly reckon’d a _Voyage_ of 10
or 12, Hours, tho’ at this Time we happen’d to be near 36 Hours on our
_Passage_. Amongst the better Sort of the _Passengers_, who possess’d
the _Cabine_, there happen’d to be a _Woman big with Child_, of a very
creditable _Aspect_, who afterwards told me, that She was bound for
_Amsterdam_, on purpose to buy some Necessaries for her _lying-in_ at
the easiest rate; when in the _interim_, the good Provident _Woman_, was
taken all at once, aboard the _Ship_, with a sudden and surprizing
LABOUR: Upon which occasion, in short I immediately lent her a _helping
Hand_, and upon the _Membrane_’s giving way, this forementioned ANIMAL
made its wonderful _Egress_; filling my _Ears_ with dismal SHRIEKS, and
my _Mind_ with greater CONSTERNATION.
WHEN not immediately recollecting what I had either heard or read of
this _MONSTER_, I could not help continuing in my Surprize, until I
heard some of our _Accidental Company_ call it _de Suyger_, as they went
about to kill it: Upon which I immediately laid the _Woman_ of a pretty
_plump_ GIRL; who, notwithstanding all this, had no _Deformity_ upon it,
save only many _dark_, _livid_ SPOTS all over its Body; which I
prognosticated might turn to a _Universal_ SCURF. In the mean time I
order’d the _Express’d Oil_ of ALMONDS to be diligently us’d, as soon as
we landed.
AFTERWARDS I had occasion to talk with some of the most _learned Men_,
of the several famous Universities in these _Provinces_ upon this Head;
who ingenuously told me, that it was so common a Thing, among the
_Sea-faring_, and _meaner sort of People_, that scarce ONE of these
_Women_ in _Three_ escaped this kind of strange BIRTH; which my own
small _Practice_ among them afterwards also confirmed: Insomuch, that I
always as much expected the Thing _de Suyger_, as the CHILD it self: And
besides the _Women_ in like manner, make a respective suitable
_Preparation_, to receive it warmly, and throw it into the _Fire_;
holding _Sheets_ before the _Chimney_, that it may not get off; as it
always endeavours to save it self, by getting into some _dark Hole_ or
_Corner_. They properly call it _de Suyger_, which is (in our Language)
the SUCKER, because, like a _Leech_, it sucks up the INFANT’S _Blood_
and _Aliment_.
UPON this _Head_, and to this _Purpose_, I might produce the
_Authorities_ of sundry good _Writers_, but shall content my self here
at present with ONE of the same _Nation_, viz.[215] The most Learned and
Eminent _Levinus Lemnius_, who gives us a very remarkable and particular
Account at large, of a certain BIRTH, which began with a _MONSTROUS
MOLE_, succeeded by the SUCKER, and ended with the _Production_ of an
excarnificated MALE-CHILD.
THESE things then being so, and proceeding merely from the immediate
_Reasons_ above-mentioned, ought to serve for a memorable _Caution_ to
all PARENTS, that, in their conjugal _Duties_, they behave themselves
orderly and decently, not like insatiable BRUTES; but, like rational
_Men_, to the end that their _Families_ may be preserved, and their
_Persons_ succeeded, not by an opprobrious RACE, but, by a _univocal
Generation_ of hopeful CHILDREN, Men of _Probity_ and _Integrity_ both
in BODY and MIND.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. VIII.
_Of Imaginary_ CONCEPTIONS.
THERE remains yet one Sort of _spurious_ CONCEPTION, which happens
without any _virile Help_ or _Assistance_, merely by the Force of
_Imaginary VENERY_: Especially among _Salacious Women_, a _Seminal
Fluxion_ may happen upon many coherent occasions; which joining and
incorporating with the MENSTRUOUS BLOOD, may be so much fomented by the
_Uterine Calidity_, and the other _Faculties_ of the WOMB, that the
_Rudiments_ of an imperfect ANIMAL may be amassed and conceived. But——
AS the _Masculine SEED_ (the _efficient Cause_) which ministers both
FORM and LIFE, is wanting, it can assume neither of these Perfections:
The _Maternal Matter_ serving only to bring it to a rude indigested
_Consistency_, or a confused fleshy _Substance_ of a strange and
uncommon _FIGURE_.
THIS in short, is no ways improbable, if we consider that _HENS_,
without the _COCK_’s assistance, lay _Eggs_; however, of such a
_Nature_, that whatever Pains the _HEN_ is afterwards at to _sit_ and
_brood_ upon them, the _Eggs_ can never be animated so as to produce
_CHICKENS_. Or, if we consider, that tho’ _feminine Trees_ or _Roots_,
having of themselves less _Power_ and _Strength_, as they are only
imbued with a _frigid_ and _infœcund Humidity_, may smile a little in
their _SEASON_; yet, because of the natural _Deficiency_ of _HEAT_, and
their innate _Debility_ or _Impotency_, they only yield an empty or
imperfect _Rudiment_ of either _FRUIT_ or _SEED_, unless, by the
_Vicinity_ and delectable _Conjunction_ of the _MALE_, they participate
of its _Fœcundity_, as _Pliny_ testifies[216] of the PALM.
AGREEABLE to _this Position_, the Practical Observations of many eminent
_Physicians_, teach us, that _WOMEN_ have and may conceive at this rate,
without any _virile Energy_ or _Concurrence_; of which Dr. _Burnet_[217]
gives us a notable Instance, concerning a certain _Noble-Woman_, a
_Matron_ of undoubted VIRTUE, who some Years after her _Course of
Nature_ had alter’d, in the 56th of her Age, brought forth several
fleshy MOLES, as he calls them, and _that_ attended with a great
_Flooding_, and the most severe _Pains_ of LABOUR, as if in the _Case_
of a _Natural_ BIRTH. Again moreover——
DO we not know, in fine, that the _necessitous_, and such as suffer
_Want_, may be refreshed purely by the SAVOUR of our _Dishes_? And that
the _Hunger-starved_ may be satiated merely by the ODOURS of our
_Kitchins_? As possibly thus may the _marriageable_ GIRL, but more
readily however the WIDOW, fill her self with her own odd IMAGINATION;
and being debarr’d the _Enjoyment_ of her PARAMOUR, hug him tacitely in
her _Bosom_, and embrace him heartily, however _absent_, in her _Mind_.
Which, if frequently done, may occasion a _Collection_ and _Commixture_
of gross _Humours_ in the WOMB; whence a _deformed Concretion_, or
_shapeless_ MASS, may be engendred, and _that_ only by _Imaginary
VENERY_. To which _Case_ and _Purpose_, I think, _Virgil_, very
pertinently alludes,[218] saying——
_Scilicet ante omnes furor est insignis Equarum,
Continuóque avidis ubi subdita flamma Medullis,
Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ossibus) illæ
Ore omnes versæ in Zephyrum stant rupibus altis,
Exceptantque leves Auras, & sæpe sine ullis,
Conjugiis vento gravidæ, mirabile dictu,
Diffugiunt.——_
AND thus at last having particularly, treated of all the distinct and
different _sorts_ of CONCEPTION, to which the _Woman_ can be subject; I
come now in the _next place_, to address my self to HER, who was never
yet capable of any CONCEPTION; and _that_ in the _Chapter_ and _Manner
following_, viz.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. IX.
_Of the_ STERILITY _or_ BARRENNESS _of_ WOMEN.
AS STERILITY is in it self a _Præternatural Faculty_, so I cannot but
think, that, in the CLASS of _Præternatural Conceptions_, that of a
_NON-CONCEPTION_ may at last pertinently take place.
NOW I remember the _Reader_ was referred to this _Place_, by Sect. II.
Chap. 5. where I promised to expound the unsuccessful ACT of
_Copulation_; as I there briefly did the _Reverse-Case_: And after
having all a long _thus_ far forward, safely conducted the _Fertile_ or
_Fruitful_ WOMAN, thro’ the different _Trains_ and _Consequences_ of the
successful ACT, I have left _Her_ in a safe _Condition_, together with
the _Dear_ PLEDGE of her _Natural Fœcundity_; whilst in the next place,
I come now to treat of the _Præternatural BARREN WOMAN_.
IN order to which, I FIRST observe, that the _Jews_, and almost all
other _Nations_, deemed it the greatest MARK of _Infamy_ imaginable, for
a WOMAN, _to yield no Children_; as is evident from the _Scriptures_,
how HAGAR, _the fruitful Chamber-Maid_,[219] _despised_ SARAH, _her
barren Mistress_, &c. But moreover——
SECONDLY, We may observe, that, upon every provoking Occasion, the LORD
_himself threatned them with this Curse_; as _one_ of the greatest
INSTANCES of his heavy _Displeasure_, and _One_ of the severest
_Judgments_, that his _VENGEANCE_ could inflict on them for their
_Sins_, as is also manifest from repeated INSTANCES of _Scripture_,
particularly from the Words of the _Holy Prophet_, saying,[220] _They
sowe the Wind_, _and shall reap the Whirlwind_: _Their Glory shall fly
away from the WOMB: Their Root is dryed up, they shall bear no Fruit_,
&c.
THIRDLY, We may easily conclude that, such a _Sentence_ passing from the
Mouth of the most high _JUDGE_, the Supreme _Physician_, and
_Omnipotent_ himself, could never be revers’d by the _Art_ or
_Ingenuity_ of MAN: But as _Christians_ have no Reason to suspect
themselves to lay under this accursed _Sentence_, so they may well look
nearer _Home_, and take a view of the many different mediate and
immediate _Causes_ of _STERILITY_ or _NON-CONCEPTION_ in them.
FOURTHLY, however, before I enter upon _these_, I would previously have
it noted, that, sometimes the _Fault_, or _Cause_ of the _Woman’s not
conceiving_, lies in the MAN; and may proceed from many diverse
_Diseases_ or _Symptoms_ in him, as particularly mentioned, and treated
of at large,[221] by the most Learned _Senertus_, to which we refer the
_Curious_; Because we have nothing to do with the MAN in this place:
Wherefore that I may return to the WOMAN, I say——
THE immediate _Causes_ of _STERILITY_ in her, are manifest from the very
_Definition_ of _CONCEPTION_: Which, according to _Galen_,[222] is
nothing else, than _a Comprehension of SEED in the Womb, for the
Generation of Man_. But here it may be requisite, to explain this
general _Term_ of Comprehension, which I would have understood to imply
_four particular Qualities_ of the WOMB, _viz._ _Attraction_,
_Retention_, _Distribution_, and _Fomentation_. Hence it is that such
_Women_ must needs be BARREN, as cannot either _attract_ the effused; or
_retain_ the attracted; or _distribute_ and _alterate_ the retain’d
_SEED_ through the Parts of the WOMB, and excite its latent _Virtue_ to
ACTION; or lastly, such as cannot duly foment and nourish the same
_SEED_, when regularly _distributed_; and _These_, I think, are all the
immediate _Causes_ of _BARRENNESS_: As _Those_, for which the _SEED_
either cannot be _attracted_, or _retained_, or _distributed_, or
_fomented_, are the mediate _Causes_ of _STERILITY_.
NOW, as to the FIRST of _These_ then, the _Attraction_, or the
_attractive Faculty_, may fail in its Duty _two ways_, viz. either
because of its own _Debility_; or because of some præternatural
_Impediment_. The _Debility_ or _Imbecility_ of this Faculty may proceed
either from a _Defect of Spirits_ in the _Seminal Vessels_; or from
either of the _Intemperatures_ of the WOMB, whether _Natural_ or
_Adventitious_: And _Impediments_ may happen in _Attraction_ many
different ways, such as by a læs’d or extinct _Venereal Appetite_; by
the _Woman’s Aversion_ or _Indifference_ to her _MATE_; by the perverse
_Affections_ of the Mind, such as _Melancholy_, _Grief_, _Anger_,
_Fear_, &c. by _Causes_ of the VAGINA, or _Orifice_ of the WOMB; by a
_Coalescence_, _Ulcer_, _Membrane_, _Carnous_ or _Scirrhous Substance_,
or any other kind of _Tumours_; as also by a _Constriction_,
_Distortion_, or _Compression_ of the _ORIFICE_; or at last by too much
FAT, _&c._[223]
SECONDLY, the _Retentive Faculty_ may come short of its Duty _three
different ways_; namely, either because of its own _Imbecillity_, or
because of some _Præternatural Impediments_; or because of the _Object_
it self. The _Imbecillity_ or _Impotency_ of this Faculty may proceed
either from the _Intemperature_ of the WOMB; or from the Abundance of
some slimy _Mucous Humour_ in the same: And its _Impediments_ may happen
from a _Prolapsus_, an _Inflammation_, an immoderate _Flux_, the
_Whites_, a _Gonorrhæa_, _Worms_, _Scirrhous_, or other _Tumours_,
_Ulcers_, or the _Cicatrix_ of an old _Sore_ in the Body of the WOMB; as
also from the Amplitude or Laxity of the ORIFICE, whether _Natural_ or
_Adventitious_: Which _Accident_ frequently happens even to
_Child-bearing Women_, sometimes by an ABORTION, sometimes by a
difficult BIRTH, and sometimes also by the rude _Usage_ of an ignorant
MIDWIFE, that they can _never more Conceive_, until they be duly
_Cured_: Again, the _Cause_ may be in the OBJECT, or SEED it self; when
it is either _impure_, _acrid_, _vitious_, and disagreeable to the WOMB;
or deprived of its natural _Heat_ and _Spirits_.
THIRDLY, the _Distributive_ or _Alterative Faculty_ may be also impugned
in its _Function_, _1st_, by its own _Debility_, occasion’d by either of
the _Diseases_, or _Intemperatures_ above-mentioned; or 2dly, by the
discording _Qualities_ of the _Seminal Matter_; or 3dly, by some certain
Disproportion betwixt that _Matter_ and the WOMB it self: Since as all
SEEDS do not answer alike in _one Field_, some requiring a Pinguid and
Loose _Soil_, others a Lean and Slender _Ground_; so it is with the WOMB
and the injected _SEED_: For, however fruitful the _One_ may be, if the
_other_ be not of a proportionable _Fœcundity_, no _CONCEPTION_ can
possibly follow: Hence it is that many _Women_ have been accounted
_BARREN_ in their first _Marriage_, who have had several _Children_ to a
_second Husband_. Again, as _some SEEDS_ perish and are quite lost in
_moist_, _clayish_, or _marshy Ground_, and _others_ decay and are burnt
up in an _Acrid_, _Sandy_, or _Gravelly Field_; So it is also with the
Human _SEED_: For, in the too _cold_, or _moist_ WOMB, it is
extinguished, and in the too _Hot_ or _Dry_ WOMB it is corrupted[224].
FOURTHLY, the Fomentation, or the _Nutritive Faculty_ may be deficient
in its Office of _attracting sufficient Aliment_ to foment and nourish
the SEED; which however, is most commonly occasion’d by Want, or
Scarcity of _Blood_ in the WOMB, proceeding from _perverse Evacuations_,
_Penury_ or _Necessity_, an _Atrophia_, _Consumption_, or the like, or
then, in fine, by the _Impurity_, or _vicious quality_ of the BLOOD.
NOW These, I think, are all the most common, as well as the most
prevalent _Causes_ of STERILITY: Tho’, according to _Johannes Anglicus_,
there are also several _external Causes_[225]; which however, I shall
here pass by in Silence; lest, as some good _Women_ are at great Pains
to rectify their _barren Wombs_, _others_ should thereby take Sinistrous
Measures to suppress their FERTILITY. And in this CLASS may be included
the _Medicines_ call’d by the _Greeks_ φθόυα, because they are endued
with certain _occult Qualities_, which extinguish the _SEED_ and
obstruct the _CONCEPTION_[226].
HAVING thus defin’d the mediate and immediate _Causes_ of reputed
STERILITY, I can scarce, because of either of _these_, call a _Woman_
really BARREN; Since I have known some of the most difficult of _these
Cases_ to have been duly _cur’d_, and diverse _Women_ to have conceiv’d,
after many Years _BARRENNESS_, and prov’d the Joyful MOTHERS of hopeful
_Children_; of which I could give some signal _Instances_, if I took
Pleasure in swelling this _Work_: Hence it is, that the great
Philosopher and Physician, _Daniel Senertus_, only disswades the
_Ingenuous_ from undertaking this _Cure_, in the Cases of vicious
_Hereditary Dispositions_, venenated _Constitutions_, or other heavy
_Diseases_[227].
MOREOVER, we find that the very best of the _Ancients_ have been at
great Pains, in distinguishing exactly the _curable_, from the
_incurable_ BARREN WOMB: Yea _Hippocrates_, _Galen_, &c. have given
certain Directions, founded upon the solid _Truths_ of their Immense
Knowledge and Heavenly Wisdom, to try and discover the _One_ from the
_Other_; as _they_ have also taught us to Judge of every particular
_Cause_ affecting the _Curable_ WOMB. But to facilitate these Nice
_Discoveries_, I shall subjoin some few _Diagnostick Signs_; because
except we know the particular _Cause_, we can never pretend to remove
it, and without removing the _Cause_, the _Effect_ can never cease, or
be _cured_. Not but that——
I KNOW, that the ingenious _Physician_, undertaking this _Cure_,
requires none of my _Instructions_; which notwithstanding, I hope, He
will allow me to prosecute my Method in treating of _this Case_, as I
have done of some _others_; and _that_ the rather, considering it is
generally well known, that sometimes _a Fool has put a Wise Man in the
right way_. Wherefore I heartily wish that some Word may drop from my
_Pen_, that may prove instrumental to wipe off the imputed _Blemishes_,
and promote the real _Glory_ of WOMEN; And _this_ I could wish the more,
because I am fully convinced that many are ignominiously branded with
_BARRENNESS_, without any sufficient _Cause_: Insomuch, that I verily
believe, that, upon an ingenuous _Tryal_, not one real or incurable
_BARREN WOMB_, would be found in _Ten_ of _those_, which are this Day so
reputed. But _à propos_——
As I have reduced all the _Causes_ of _STERILITY_ to the above said
_four CLASSES_, so I shall reduce the _Diagnosticks_ to the same number;
and thereby demonstrate how it may be easily discover’d, whether the
FAULT lies in the _Attractive_, _Retentive_, _Alterative_, or in the
_Nutritive Faculty_ of the WOMB; and how every particular _Cause_ in any
of _these_ may be plainly distinguished, _&c._ In order to which, then—
TOUCHING the FIRST, _inquirendum est primò, an ad Venerem apta sit
Fæmina, & quidem an Veneris Appetitum habeat, & an Membrum virile rectè
admittere possit. Horum enim si alterum desit, Causa, cur non concipiat,
procul dubio in Attractrice hæret; ut etiam, si statim à Coitu, aut post
breve Intervallum semen effluat._ I say, _These_ are the infallible
MARKS of a læs’d _Attractive Power_, which also denote some _Fault_ of
the WOMB, such as an _oblique Situation_, a _Compression_ of the
EPIPLOON or CAWL, or some _obdurated Substance_, impeding the _SEED_ to
reach the Cavity of the WOMB: The _Particular_ of which is easily to be
discover’d; the _Situation_ by the ingenious TOUCH; the _Compression_ of
the OMENTUM or EPIPLOON happens only to _Fat Women_; the _Substance_ or
_Tumour_ (of whatsoever kind) if not found in the _Passage_, lodges in
the WOMB it self.
SECONDLY, If the _Party labours_ under any of the aforesaid _Causes_
debilitating or impeding the _Retentive_ POWER; _some_ are manifest to
the _Woman_ her self; as in the _Cases_ of any immoderate _Flux_, a
_slimy_ or _illuvious Evacuation_, a _Gonorrhæa_, the _Whites_, a
_Falling_ of the WOMB, _&c._ _others_ are obvious to the MIDWIFE’S
_Touch_, as in the _Case_ of _Tumours_, _Ulcers_, &c. and in _Case_ of
either _Intemperature_, _Dropsy_, _Inflammation_, _Worms_, &c. all such
are abundantly evident to the _Physician_, after duly examining, and
considerately weighing the _Disposition_ or _Temperature_ of the whole
Body _in general_, and of the WOMB in _particular_.
THIRDLY, if the _Alterative_ or _altering Faculty_ be læs’d or impotent,
then, after some Days _Retention_, an _Effluxion_ of the _SEED_ happens,
and that either because of some _Intemperature_ of the WOMB; or of some
discording _Quality_ in the _SEEDS_, or in the WOMB, as above; or
lastly, because of a _Want_ or _Scarcity_ of BLOOD for forming the
FOETUS. As to the _Intemperatures_, I have already observ’d, that, they
may be readily distinguished by the ingenious _Physician_; But the
_Disproportion_ betwixt the commixed _SEEDS_, or between _these_ and the
WOMB, how much, and in what they may differ _one_ from _another_, is not
so easily known; because this _Fault_ may be as much in the MAN, or
perhaps more, than in the WOMAN, as has been already hinted: In this
_Case_, the _Physician_ is to weigh and consider well the _Temperatures_
of the whole Body, and especially _that_ of the _Genital Parts_ of both
the MAN and the WIFE; and as much as possible, to reduce _that_ of the
_One_, to the more convenient _Temperature_ of the _Other_,[228]
correcting _Both_ in what may be found requisite; according to the
Direction of _Lucretius_, in these _Verses_:
_“Usq; adeo magni refert, ut Semina possint
“Seminibus commisceri generaliter apta,
“Crassáq; conveniunt liquidis, & liquida crassis._
FOURTHLY and lastly, if the _Nutritive Faculty_ be faulty, the _Case_ is
plain and manifest; since it generally proceeds from one or more of the
following _Causes_, _viz._ from _Want_ or _Penury_; a _Pining away_ or
_Consumption_; immoderate _Hæmorrhagies_, whether happening by
_Superiour_ or _Inferiour Parts_; hard _Labour_; too much _Fat_, or too
much _Leanness_: As the same may also happen from an _Obstruction_ or
_Suppression_ of the MENSTRUOUS COURSE; or from its vicious or impure
_Quality_; and, in fine, from any severe _Symptom_ or _Disease_
whatsoever.
THUS having discover’d the genuine and precise _Causes_ of STERILITY,
the _Cure_ is as good as half perfected; but that it may be altogether
and effectually perform’d, the next thing requisite in this place,
would be to treat of every _Cause_ and its respective _Cure_
particularly;[229] but as these do chiefly belong to the _Diseases_ of
the PUDENDUM, VAGINA, and WOMB; which I have already declin’d entring
upon at this time, for the _Reasons_ mentioned in Sect. VI. Chap. VI.
I shall here only add in _general Terms_, that tho’ the _barren_ WOMB
is justly compar’d to an insipid, ungrateful, or unfruitful FIELD,
because neither the _one_ nor the _other_ produces any thing _Good_ of
it self: Yet as we see the _barren Lands_ emproved and become fruitful
by the _Industry_ of the _Husband-Man_; and even _wild Roots_ and
_barren Trees_ in time produce plentifully by the Care and Diligence
of the _Gardener_; So the Heavenly ART of _Physick_ exerts it self
strenuously in improving the _barren_ WOMB, miraculously supplying the
_Defects_, and regularly correcting the _Defaults_ of NATURE;
restoring or replenishing it with a desirable and grateful
_Fœcundity_: I say, as convenient DUNG comforts the _sterile Field_,
so does proper _Physick_ the _barren_ WOMB; It elevates the low and
renovates the exhal’d _Spirits_; It vanquishes the _Imbecility_, and
corroborates the _Nerves_; It reduces the _languid Heat_, and all the
_Intemperatures_ of the _genital Parts_, to their respective, due and
natural _Temperaments_; removing naturally all _Obstructions_, and
wonderfully curing all the _Causes_ hindering or withstanding the
_Procreation_ of _Humane_ RACE.
AND, in fine, because proper DIET is of great Service to alter the
_elementary Qualities_, and to convert the _Bad_ into a _Good Habit_ or
Body; such _Women_ are to be carefully directed to such a Judicious
_Regimen_ of DIET and otherways, as is most efficacious and convenient
for their Purpose, either of _Health_ or _Generation_. Now having so far
prosecuted my Design, with respect to the _Barren_, as well as the
_Fruitful_ WOMAN; I, at present, take Leave of _Both_, and come, in the
next place, to address my self to the WIDOW.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
SECT. VIII.
[Illustration]
CHAP. I.
_Of the Symptoms incident to the State of_ WIDOW-HOOD.
AS the WIDOW has in her former Days, tasted both of the _Sweets_ and the
_Sours_ of the MAIDEN, as well as of the _marry’d State_; so she is now
also subject to all the _Affections_ of the _One_, as well as to some of
the _Other_. Whatever she may judge of her self, and however she may, in
some measure, be liberated from the _Solicitudes_ of the FIRST, and
freed from the _Anxieties_ of the _other_; yet she is still so far from
being exempted from the _Morbifick Consequences_ of the Natural
Imbecillity of her tender SEX; that she now, tho’ in different
_Respects_ and various _Cases_, participates of the _Indispositions_ of
BOTH.
HOWEVER yet, notwithstanding this Variety of _Afflictions_, to which the
WIDOW is actually expos’d; I confess, that, I know not so much as _one
Disease_ or _Symptom_, which is singularly peculiar to _Her self_, that
is, but what either the MAIDEN or the WIFE may be lyable to, as well as
the WIDOW: Tho’, in the mean time, I must also acknowledge, that,
_Those_ which I am now about to touch upon, may however, be justly
esteem’d to be more familiar to _Her_, than to either of _These_, as
will by and by more evidently appear.
UPON which Consideration, I hope the following _Heads_ may here
pertinently take place; not but that the _others_, I mean the MAID and
the WIFE, may also sometimes, and perhaps frequently too, find their
_Case_ included in the THEME of this _Section_, as well as the WIDOW Her
self, according to the _Diversity_ of their Circumstances.
FOR these _Reasons_, I shall begin with _That_, from which none of the
_Three_, that is, neither the MAID, nor the WIFE, nor the WIDOW, can
altogether plead Exemption, which notwithstanding, according to my best
Judgment, is more immediately the particular _Root_ and _Source_ of the
most, if not of all, the WIDOW’s _Distempers_, which however, that I may
not too much over-run my Design of _Brevity_, I shall briefly comprehend
under _One_ or _Two Heads_, viz.——
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
CHAP. II.
_Of the_ HYSTERICK PASSION.
WELL might the excellent _Democritus_ write to his _Scholar_, the far
more excelling _Hippocrates_, that the WOMB is the _Source of Six
Hundred Griefs_, and the _Spring of innumerable Sorrows to the_ WOMAN:
Because of the manifest _Sympathy_ or _Affinity_, which the WOMB has
with almost all the other _Parts_ of the Body. And as we may reasonably
conclude from such an _Affinity_, that these _Symptoms_ must needs be
both _Numerous_ and _Different_ in Kind; so I think, for the same
Reason, they may be _All_ pertinently comprehended under the _General
Title_ of _Hysterick Maladies_.
BUT before we enter upon the Particulars of these _Uterine Affections_,
it may be first requisite to make out the _Reality_ of this _Affinity_
or _Consent_; which will be no difficult Matter, when we consider FIRST,
the _three Principles_, in which the same consists, _viz._ in a
_Similitude of Parts_; in a _Vicinity of Parts_; and in a _Connexion of
Vessels_. SECONDLY, how by _these_, as the WOMB is a _Membranous
Substance_, it has a Substantial _Affinity_ with the MEMBRANES: And by
its _Vicinity_, with the BLADDER, RECTUM, and INTESTINES; As by its
_Veins_, _Arteries_, and _Nerves_, it has with almost all the other
_Parts_ of the Body; such as with the BRAIN, by _Veins_ and _Arteries_,
as well as by the NERVES and _Spinal_ MEMBRANES; with the HEART, by
_Arteries_; with the LIVER, by _Veins_; with the STOMACH, by certain
_Anastomoses_, betwixt the _Veins_ of the WOMB, and those of the
_Mesentery_, as well as by _Arteries_; with the SPLEEN by _Arteries_;
with the BREASTS, partly by _Veins_,[230] and partly by _Nerves_, &c.
HENCE it is that I can scarce find any _Part_ of the Body, which may not
be affected by the _Indispositions_ of the WOMB; the _Heart_, the
_Diaphragm_, the _Head_, the _Brain_, and consequently all the _Organs_
of Sense and Motion, the _Liver_, the _Spleen_, the _Ventricle_, the
_Mesentery_, the _Belly_, the _Bladder_, the _Rectum_, the _Back_, the
_Loins_, the _Thighs_, the _Legs_, the _Arms_, &c. All which _Parts_ are
from thence subject to innumerable various _Symptoms_, which commonly
come and go by _Periods_, after the manner of _Convulsive_, or
_Epileptick_ FITS, to which the HYSTERICAL have also a very near
Relation; in that the _Circulation_ and _Recourse_ of all the _Three_,
and some more such, _Distempers_ agree exactly, sometimes with the
_Course_ of the MOON, and SUN, and sometimes with the very _Motion_ of
the SEA; and as _these_ vary, so the FITS of either _Affection_ come on
quicker or slower[231].
THESE Things are also most Judiciously made out by the excellent Dr.
_Mead_, saying, that, _the New and Full-Moon being of equal Power, this
sort of Distempers sometimes reign in the one, and sometimes in the
other, as the Body happens to be more or less fitted and adapted to
receive the_ INFLUENCE; _and as the abounding_ HUMOURS _are more fitted
for this_, _than that period of the_ PLANET[232]. And the same _Author_
of great Experience, gives us an Account of a certain BOY of a Year old,
who every _Flood-Tide_, was taken with _Convulsive_ FITS, and every
_Ebb_ came to himself again[233]. Which _Influence_ of the SEA, no doubt
depends upon the MOON’s approaching our _Vertical Point_, or _that_
directly opposite, as the _Flood_ encreases and comes to its _Height_,
Moreover again,——
CONSIDERING the WOMB, not only as the _Center_, in which the vitious
_Humours_ are accumulated from all the other _Parts_, but also as the
PUMP of the _Body_, we may readily conclude that as long as it regularly
ejects the _Menstruous Blood_, it does at the same time duly evacuate
together with it, all those _Humours_ of whatsoever sort they be:
Whereas we may easily conceive that whatever obstructs or impedes the
WOMB in any of its natural _Functions_, may occasion various _Symptoms_
to the _Woman_: However the most of _these_, as well as the most
dangerous, take their _Origin_ from the _Retention_ of the SEED and the
_suppression_ of the MENSTRUA.
THE _Menstruous Blood_ flowing in a natural Course to the _Uterine
Veins_, when its _Passage_ is so obstructed, that it cannot break forth;
whether in VIRGINS, because of the _Astriction_ of the ORIFICES; or in
WIDOWS, because of the _Thickness_ of the BLOOD, or of any other gross
viscid _Humour_; in these _Cases_, it must of course regorge thro’ the
_Branches_ of the VENA CAVA and the great ARTERY, to the _Head_,
_Heart_, _Liver_, and _Veins_ of the _Midriff_; whence of Consequence
proceed various _Symptoms_ in all these and their dependent _Parts_:
Which notwithstanding, I take the too long retain’d SEED to occasion the
more dangerous and severe _Symptoms_ to the WOMAN.
BUT in _Case_ of either of _These_, namely, either the _Seminal_, or the
_Menstruous Matter_, beginning to corrupt, and consequently to acquire
malignant _Qualities_, then they produce divers most severe and
dreadfull _Symptoms_; and _that_ not only in different PATIENTS, but
also sometimes in _one_ and the _same Woman_; and not only at _different
Times_, but also sometimes at _one_ and the _same Time_: However these
Things always happen, according to the different _Quantity_ and
_Quality_ of the corrupted HUMOURS, as well as according to the
_Constitution_ of the WOMB, in which the _Corruption_ succeeds. Again
more particularly——
IF the Malignant _Vapours_ arising hence, penetrate to the _Heart_, (the
principal _Organ_ of LIFE, as well as of the _Circulation_ of the BLOOD)
I would observe, that, they occasion vellicating _Palpitations_, as also
a _Dejection of Spirits_, and _Anxiety of Mind_, attended with frequent
LYPOTHYMIES and SYNCOPES: If to the _Diaphragm_ and _Lungs_, a
_Difficulty_ of BREATHING, attended (as it were) with _Suffocations_ or
_Strangulations_.
IF the MATTER ascends to the HEAD, and diffuse it self thro’ the
_external Parts_, diverse grievous PAINS assail the _Woman_, and _that_
very differently; insomuch, that, sometimes the _whole_ HEAD is (as it
were) tortured, and sometimes but in _Part_; sometimes on the _right_,
and sometimes on the _left Side_; sometimes in the _hind Part_ of the
HEAD, or CROWN, and sometimes in the _Fore-Head_ or about the _Eyes_:
Whereas if it tend to the BRAIN, and distribute it self among the ORGANS
of _Sense_ and _Motion_, both the internal and external _Senses_ must
needs suffer accordingly; upon which the poor PATIENT is not only taken
with an APHONIA for _Want of Speech_, but also with a Helpless or
Senseless Stupidity; and moreover, not only seiz’d with a _Resolution_
or _Debility_ of HANDS and FEET, but also with _Trembling_ and
_Convulsive Fits_.
IF the _same_ ascends to the LIVER, the whole _Habit_ or _Constitution_
of the BODY is perverted: For as the _vitious Humours_ are easily
communicated from the WOMB by the _Veins_ to the LIVER, so the affected
LIVER again readily diffuses its _Infection_ by the _Veins_ to the whole
BODY. If to the SPLEEN and MESENTERY, _Murmurings_, _Pains_ and
_Torments_ arise in the BELLY; which are commonly attended with a _Pain_
in the left SIDE and left BREAST, extending it self to the JUGULUM, or
fore-part of the NECK, Difficulty of _Breathing_, frequent _Belchings_,
a siccid bound _Belly_, and all the other _Symptoms_ which usually are
the _Concomitants_ of the _Hypocondriack Affection_.
IF to the VENTRICLE, thence proceed _Fastidy_, _Pica_, _Vomitings_,
_Pains_ and _Gnawings_ of the STOMACH, _Sobbings_, _Yawnings_,
_Belchings_, &c. But, and if the said MATTER distributes it self thro’
the whole _Circuit_ of the BODY, then the PATIENT is frequently seiz’d,
sometimes with a sudden _red_, and sometimes with a _pale Colour_; as
also sometimes with a _sudden Heat_, and _Ardour_ in her FACE, which she
commonly perceives or feels to vanish and go off as suddenly: Again she
is sometimes also taken with _sudden Cold_, and sometimes with as
_sudden hot Fits_.
FROM all which, it evidently appears, how justly _Galen_ says[234], that
the _Hysterick Passion_ (under one Appellation) comprehends innumerable
various SYMPTOMS: Even so _many_, that at least (I think) they cannot be
possibly comprehended in this _Volume_, which extorts another _Apology_
from me in this Place; namely and plainly, that as I have no Ambition to
be accounted any extraordinary PERSON of great _Learning_ or _Reading_;
so I far less desire to set up or give my self out for ONE of _Universal
Practice_ or _Experience_: And as at the _Beginning_, I only design’d
this BOOK for the immediate _Service_ of MIDWIVES, and the common Good
of _WOMEN_ and their _CHILDREN_, the _Poor_, I mean in general, as well
as the _Rich_; So I am yet resolv’d, rather, to stifle or restrain my
_Inclinations_ for the present time, and suppress what might be
otherways pertinently added on these _Subjects_, than to put it out of
the reach of the _Purchase_ of either of _THOSE_. I say, for these
reasons, I shall not undertake at this time to enter upon every
particular _Head_ or _Branch_ of the _HYSTERICKS_; only that I may not
be censur’d as _Churlish_ or _Peevish_ to the more delicate _LADIES_,
and tenderly constituted _Women_, who always labour and suffer most
under these _Distempers_, I shall however yet endeavour to discuss
particularly the most _dangerous_, as well as the most _common Case_,
belonging to this general TOPICK; and not only so, but, according to my
_Ability_, I shall also endeavour in _it_, if possible in a few words,
to include and comprehend all the rest of these _Female Indispositions_:
And _that_ to the _Purpose_, and under the _Title_, following, _viz._——
[Illustration]
CHAP. III.
_Of the Strangulation of the_ WOMB.
THE preceding _Chapter_ contains a general Account of the sundry various
_Hysterick Passions_, together with their respective SYMPTOMS, as they
affect the chief and Principal _Parts_ of the BODY; whence I might
descend to a great _Variety_ of _particulars_; but as neither my present
_Time_ nor _Design_ will permit my entring upon _These_ in this place, I
shall content my self with treating of _This_ _ONE_; which as it is the
chief and most dangerous of all the _Uterine Affections_, so ’tis the
most _Universal_ and _Common_.
IT comprehends, in short, many various severe, and even wonderful
SYMPTOMS in it self; whence I conclude, that, he who sufficiently
understands the _present Case_ or _Condition_, may easily comprehend all
the other Circumstances, belonging to the foregoing _general Head_;
Since with whatever difference of _Symptoms_, or _Diagnostick Signs_,
they may appear, the _Causes_ and _Effects_ are originally of the same
_Nature_: For _This_ is the very _Affection_ which _Galen_[235] call’d
the ωνὶξ ὑσεικὴ, that is, the _Hysterick Passion_, and he might as well
have said the _grand Hysterick Passion_: The _Latins_ call it
_Strangulatio_, or _Suffocatio_, or _Præfocatio Uterina_; because in the
FIT, the _Woman_ seems to be _Suffocated_ or _Strangled_ by the WOMB.
But to the Purpose,——
HOWEVER variously and copiously the Ancients have defin’d this EVIL, I
think the few following Words, may properly explain it, _viz._ _This
Suffocation is a Distemper of all the Natural, Vital, and Animal
Actions, proceeding many different ways, from an ill or disaffected_
WOMB.
I say many _different ways_, according to the many _different Sorts_ of
the _AFFECTION_; because _One_ is, when the SYMPTOMS of the _læs’d
Natural Faculty_ only appear; in which the _PATIENT_ labours under
_Inflations_, and frequent _Rumblings_ of the _BELLY_, _Murmurings_,
_Belchings_, _Pains_ of the STOMACH, _Anxiety_, _Uneasiness_, and
sometimes _Vomitings_. _Another_ different _AFFECTION_ is, when the
_vital Faculty_ is læs’d or indisposed, in which the _PATIENT_ is not
only taken with _Heart-Beatings_, but also with _Faintings_ and
_Swooning-Fits_, with a small, frequent, and unequal _PULSE_. A _Third_
is when the _Animal Faculty_ is læs’d or disaffected, which may happen
many ways; and in this _Condition_ the WOMAN is depriv’d of _Motion_ and
all _external Sense_, however she retains the principal _Functions_,
together with her _PULSE_ and _BREATH_.
AGAIN, farther yet, there is _another Sort_ of this _Hysterick
AFFECTION_, in which the _Motion_ is deprav’d, turning to various
CONVULSIONS of the _Legs_, _Arms_, _Teeth_, _Lips_, _Eyes_, and so of
the whole Body. As also moreover, there is still _ONE_, or a _Fifth_
different _Sort_ of this SUFFOCATION, in which all the _Faculties of
Life_ are seemingly abolished; so far, that (according to common Sense
and Apprehension) the _PATIENT_ differs in Nothing from a _dead Person_.
Hence it has often happen’d, that such _Women_ (upon a mistake) have
been imprudently _buried_ (for _DEAD_,) and sometimes had the good
Fortune to return from their _Graves_ to their _Houses_ again; whereof
many learned _Authors_ give us remarkable _Instances_[236].
BUT if it should be ask’d, in short, how it is possible for the WOMAN to
_live_, after she has lost both her _PULSE_ and her _BREATH_? I can only
refer the Curious to _Galen_, who has fully answer’d that
_Question_[237] (according also to the Sentiment of _Heraclydes_)
_viz._——_That tho’ the Refrigeration of the whole Body, and its
principal Parts, is so great as to intercept both the Pulse and the
Breath; Yet the Woman, no less than other Animals, such as Snails and
others of that kind, which live in strict obscurity, may have
Transpiration sufficient, thro’ the whole Circuit of the Body, to defend
LIFE_[238].
IF so, then, that there are so many different _Sorts_ of _UTERINE
STRANGULATIONS_, there must also (of Consequence) be as many peculiar
_Causes_: Which, tho’ all take _Origin_ from the WOMB, yet do not arise
to this Pitch, unless _two other Causes_ concur with it. Viz. _ONE_ from
the _Part affected_; _ANOTHER_ from the _Passages_, thro’ which the WOMB
communicates this _AFFECTION_ to it. But in short, the _principal
immediate Causes_ are _THREE_[239] viz. _retain’d Menstruous Blood_,
_vitiated Seed_, _and putrid Humours_, or _corrupted Matter_, contain’d
in any part of the WOMB; which immediate, and concurring _Causes_, I
come now to Speak to, _viz._——
AS to the FIRST then, I think the _retain’d BLOOD_, is not sufficient of
it self to induce this _AFFECTION_, because we know, many to be free
from it, who yet labour under the _suppress’d MENSTRUA_; wherefore the
_Imbecillity_ of the _Principal Parts_ admitting the HUMOURS, must
concur with the _Latitude_ of the _Passages_, thro’ which the BLOOD is
communicated to them: Which _Three_ conspiring together, the SUFFOCATION
of course succeeds with Aggravation.
IF this BLOOD flows thro’ the _Veins_ and _Arteries_, into the _HEART_,
it occasions a _SYNCOPE_, which is a most severe _Affection_.
IF it ascends into the BRAIN, it occasions various _Symptoms_ according
to the _Quality_ of the BLOOD, _viz._——If it is _Pituitous_, it induces
a SUFFOCATION with _SLEEP_, resembling a _LETHARGY_: If it be _Bilious_,
the _AFFECTION_ is most furious, and the _PATIENT_ is (as it were)
almost _Mad_, tearing her self, pulling her _Hair_, renting her
_Cloaths_, _&c._ If the BLOOD be _sweet_, she only fancies AMOURS, and
meditates upon _pleasing_ CHIMERAS: As, in fine, if _Melancholick_, it
seizes her with a _Sadness_ of HEART, and _Dejection_ of MIND.
BUT as to the SECOND _Cause_, the _retain’d_ SEED induces not only
_These_, but more grievous _Symptoms_, since as soon as it is
_corrupted_ and _refrigerated_, it becomes the worst of POYSON[240]: And
as it reaches the principal debilitated _Parts_, it draws on the most
dangerous _sort_ of SUFFOCATIONS; in which the PATIENT _lies for Dead_,
the whole BODY being extremely refrigerated, or benumb’d by this
_venenated Matter_. Which Accident however may happen promiscuously to
_all Women_, abounding with such _morbifick Contents_ in the WOMB, as
sometimes falls out to MAIDS, but more commonly to WIDOWS, whose
_Bodies_ as well as WOMBS abound with _pituitous_ HUMOURS; as also
sometimes to _Pregnant Women_ of _Cacochymical Habits_, and to
_Puerperial Women_ not _cleansing_ sufficiently.
I know by the way, that some modern _Writers_ define the _Case_
otherways, and will have MEN to be also lyable to the same _Distemper_,
which they alledge proceeds chiefly from the _Blood_ and _Spirits_: But
the _Reason_ why I think _they_ are exempted from it, at least from its
_Severities_, is because, what they _lose_ in _Nocturnal Pollutions_ or
otherways, is always ejected or thrown _without Doors_; whereas what the
_other_ SEX so _emitts_, may be still retain’d _within_; and
consequently by a long _Detention_ there, may be converted into VENOM,
or a _Poysonous Humour_.
HOWEVER, this happens more readily and frequently to WIDOWS, than to
VIRGINS, because in the _one_, the Passages are not only dilated, but
also Nature is accustomed to such _Emissions_, as the _other_ is yet
wholly a Stranger to. Moreover——
AGAIN, this AFFECTION may also proceed from too great an _abundance_ of
_SEED_ in those, call’d the _Seminal Vessels_; tho’ not to such a
dangerous Degree: In which _Case_, if the _SEED_ be _Acrimonious_, a
_Convulsion_ may happen; if otherways, the PATIENT seems only to faint
and fall away, with a sort of a grateful _Indulgence_, without any great
Change of _Countenance_, or Alteration of PULSE; tho’ she often
continues with her _Eyes_ shut, Starting and Wakening (as it were)
frequently: And as upon returning to herself, she falls _a-sighing_, so
a little after, the SYMPTOM recurs again.
FINALLY, as to the _third Cause_, Supposing this AFFECTION to seize
_Women_, who not only Purge regularly, but are also satiated with
_Virile Conversation_; or, as it sometimes happens, to take _Old Women_:
In these _Cases_, the _Cause_ is undoubtedly very different from those
mentioned, and proceeds either from _Winds_, _Vapours_, or putrid and
corrupted _Humours_, contain’d in the WOMB, and communicated by various
_Passages_, to the HEART and BRAIN: And this _Corruption_ may readily
succeed in the WOMB, because, as _it_ is a part very different from any
other of the BODY, endued with peculiar _Faculties_, so if it be not
well disposed, the vitious _Humours_ may also corrupt in it, after a
peculiar manner; if not in its own _Cavity_, in the _Uterine Vessels_,
as most frequently happens.
UPON which, I observe that, if these _Winds_ or _Vapours_ are
communicated to the HEART, thro’ the _Veins_ and _Arteries_, the
SUFFOCATION happens with _Palpitation_: If to the BRAIN, with a
_Vertigo_, a _Tingling of the Ears_, and a _Suffusion_ from the
_Phantasms of the Eyes_: Whereas, if the deprav’d _Humours_ or
_Vapours_, ascend there, thro’ the _Nerves_, various _Convulsions_
happen; especially if the BRAIN abounds also with _frigid Humours_. And
_these_, in short, according to the foresaid _Authorities_, are all the
Proximous and _immediate Causes_ of the HYSTERICK PASSION.
HENCE I come now to touch upon the _mediate Causes_ of the same
_Distemper_, which may be easily conceiv’d by any who understands
_those_ of the _suppressed_ MENSTRUA, GONORRHÆA, _&c._ which _Cases_ I
can by no means enter upon at this Time, for the reasons mentioned in
the last preceding _Chapter_.
BUT from what is said (I hope) this _Uterine_ STRANGULATION, together
with all its Differences, may be easily distinguished by the ingenious
_Reader_. However yet, because all its _different Sorts_ have some
degree of _Affinity_, with other diverse _Symptoms_, which no ways
proceed from the WOMB; I come now to propose some SIGNS of
_Distinction_, first in _general_, and next in _particular_, viz.——
THE _general_ SIGNS then are _Three_, by which I think, the HYSTERICK
may be readily distinguished from all other _Affections_, namely,——
I. IT is a _Muliebrian Disease_, and that only familiar to some of the
more _delicate Women_: When therefore we know, from the PATIENT herself,
or from those about her, that she is obnoxious to this _Affection_; the
HYSTERIC _Symptoms_ also appearing, we need not suspect any other
Distemper. II. _Hysterical Women_ complain frequently of their WOMBS
being ill-disposed, and out of order. As, III. _They_ are most commonly
helped and freed from the PAROXYSM, by holding _Fœtids_ to the NOSE, and
_Suaveolents_ to the PUDENDUM; which holds good in no other _Affection_.
But more particularly——
THIS _Distemper_ differs from a SYNCOPE, in that, a SYNCOPE is
_precipitant_, and seizes the PATIENT all at once, tho’ ’tis but of
short _Duration_; Whereas in _this_, some evident SIGNS of an
approaching _Paroxysm_ always precede, and the Evil continues sometimes
for several Hours and perhaps Days: In _that_, the PULSE is quickly
abolish’d, or at least seemingly _ceases_; in _this_, it remains,
however _small_, except in the aforementioned extreme FIT: In _that_ of
a SYNCOPE, _cold Sweats_ appear, and the _Countenance_ changes _pale_;
and when the HEART is severely affected, it may be probably conjoin’d
with the HYSTERICK _Affection_.
NOW _This Distemper_ differs also from an EPILEPSY: For in _That_ the
_Convulsive Motions_ are not always join’d with it, or if they be, they
are not so _universal_, affecting only _one_ or _other Member_: In
EPILEPTICKS, the PULSE is greater than ordinary; but in HYSTERICKS, it
is the _Reverse_: In _that_ the PATIENT _foams at the Mouth_, and loses
the principal _Functions_ of Life, especially the _Memory_; in _this_
they _foam not_, neither commonly lose any _internal Sense_; but only
awake like _those_ who have been asleep.
THIS _Affection_ differs again from the APOPLEXY, in that the PARTS are
not so much _affected_, nor their feeling so much abolished; in _that_
there is no continual _Snoaring_, and the PULSE is only diminished and
depraved, which in APOPLECTICS most commonly remains entire: In short,
the _one_ is preceded, as well as accompany’d with diverse _Symptoms_;
whereas the _other_ assails the PATIENT suddenly, without any previous
Notice or _Signification_.
AGAIN the HYSTERICKS differ from a LETHARGY; in that _This_ is attended
with a FEVER; _That_ not at all: In _This_ the PULSE is raised higher
and is stronger; in _That_ it falls always lower, and is weaker.
MOREOVER, there are diverse _Experiments_, mentioned by _Authors_, to
distinguish a PATIENT in the extreme FIT of this _Passion_, from a
Person actually DEAD: Such as _Lint_, _Feathers_, or _burnt Paper_ being
held to the MOUTH; if moved, the PATIENT _breathes_. A _Glass of Water_
being set upon the BREAST; if stirred, there is some _Motion_ and
_Dilatation_ still in the BREAST. Or, in fine, a _Looking-Glass_ well
wiped, being held to their MOUTHS, if infected, the PATIENT is still and
certainly _alive_.
HOWEVER, all _These Things_, I look upon to be merely _trifling_ and
_uncertain_ in this Case; because, supposing the WOMAN _not to breathe_,
as has been hinted; How then can she _expire_ so much from her LUNGS, as
to _move a Feather_, or _infect a Glass_? Or, how can her BREAST have
any such a _Motion_, as to move _Water in a Glass_? Considering well,
what has been already said, that it is only by _internal Transpiration_,
that she draws the _Breath of Life_; which is neither effected by the
_Motion_ of the BREAST, nor the LUNGS; but rather by a certain obscure
and latent _Motion_ of the HEART, and the internal _Arteries_: In such
manner, as some _Animals_, living in _Cells of Obscurity_, seem to be
refrigerated, or benumb’d and DEAD the whole _Winter-Season_.
BUT in this _Case_, the more _certain Method_ is, to try the PATIENT
with proper _Sternutatories_, such as are otherways useful in all such
PAROXYSMS, for if _alive_, she will be quickly mov’d by _Sternutation_:
As when the _Body_ begins to send forth a _Cadaverous Smell_, it is a
certain SIGN that the _innate Heat_ is extinct with the LIFE, and that
the _Body_ is no more supported by the SOUL. Wherefore the safest and
surest way is, not to _bury_ such PERSONS, before the _Expiration of 72
Hours_, reckoning from the beginning of the FIT: Because, if in this
Time, which is the CRISIS, or _Term_ of the _Circuit_ of all the HUMOURS
in the Body, they do not _revive_, there is no more Room left for
_Hopes_.
IN the next place, I come to mark the DIAGNOSTICKS, whereby it may be
best distinguished, which of the before-mentioned _immediate Causes_,
gives _Rise_ to the _HYSTERICK PASSION_ in any _Woman_ labouring under
the same _Malady_. And, I. IF it proceeds from the _Menstruous Blood_,
in this _Condition_, the _Natural Course_ must needs be suppress’d,
either in whole or in part: And the Difference of the _Quality_ of this
_BLOOD_, is evident from the foregoing _Symptoms_.
II. IF from too long _retain’d SEED_; the PATIENT is to be suppos’d
regular in her _natural Flux_, as she is _Calid_ and _Sanguine_, either
from _high Living_, or _want of Exercise_: In _this_ the SYMPTOMS are
all more severe and dangerous, than in the _other Case_, and upon the
declension of the PAROXYSM, or the _Fits_ going off, a certain HUMOUR
flows from the PUDENDUM, occasion’d by the _Constriction_ made in the
WOMB.
III. IF from corrupted _Humours_, the PATIENT not only _Purges_
regularly, but also enjoys her HUSBAND: Hence in this _Case_, I would
conclude that she either labours, or has labour’d under some _Uterine
Distemper_, such as a _Satyriasis_, _Pruritus_, _Furor_, _Gonorrhæa_,
_Fluor Muliebris_, _Ulcers_, _Impostumes_, a former _Suppression_, or
_Irregularity_ of the MENSTRUA, or the like: As also many _Learned Men_
agree that a _Præternatural Situation_[241], namely, the WOMB’S
ascending to the _superior Parts_, compressing the LIVER and DIAPHRAGMA,
and consequently the _Lungs_, HEART, or STOMACH, may induce various
SUFFOCATIONS; Which, I think, is also confirm’d by _Reason_ and
_Experience_. For——
WHO knows not that the _Ligaments_ of the WOMB, may be so relaxed and
extended, that it may fall down to the very KNEES, as I have seen it?
And who may not thence conceive that in the same _Laxity_ of the
_Ligaments_, the WOMB may be as well driven upwards by _Winds_,
_Vapours_, or too much gross BLOOD in the _Ligaments_; or by ungrateful
_Odours_ approaching the WOMB, as it may also be attracted by pleasant
and grateful _Smells_ at the _Nose_? Not that I mean here, by the by,
that the WOMB is capable of _Smelling_, and therefore shuns disagreeable
_Fœtors_; but only that its _Spirits_ and _Heat_, especially in _Those_,
who abound with deprav’d _Humours_, are attracted either way by
agreeable _Odours_, or fragrant _Smells_.
NOW in this _Case_, the WOMB may be plainly found by the _Touch_,
ascended in the Form of a round _Ball_; Which however may be easily
brought down, and replaced in its _natural Posture_, by any skilful
experienced _Hand_, previously well anointed with the OIL of _Spike_,
_Spikenard_, _White Lillies_, or the like. Again farther, to prevent its
_Return_, some nauseous _Smells_, may be apply’d to the _Nose_, or the
_Reverse_ to the PUDENDUM; as also the superiour _Parts_ of the Body may
be tyed strait with proper _Bands_ or _Ligaments_.
BUT more particularly, as to the proper _Diagnosticks_ of the imminent
PAROXYSM, or approaching FIT of _Suffocation_, these are, _Grumblings_
in the ABDOMEN, a _Distention_ and _Pulsation_ in the BACK and
_Hypochondriacks_, a _Weariness_ of the whole Body, an _Imbecillity_ of
the LEGS, _Belching_, _Nauseating_, _Gaping_, a _pale Face_, and a _sad
Countenance_; attended at last with the aforesaid Sense of
_Strangulation_, as if the PATIENT was a-swallowing a _Ball_, _&c._ As
also I have known _some Women_ to have been taken with a long FIT of
_Laughter_ upon this occasion, _others_ with that of _Crying_; as
probably _some_ may confusely _act both_ at once.
HOWEVER, It is to be observ’d in this place, that, as the _Distemper_ is
not equally violent in _All_, nor always attended by the _same_, or the
same number of _Symptoms_; so neither are the FITS equally long or
frequent, but invade and seize the PATIENT according to the quick or
slow gathering of the _Morbifick Humours_, which are also sooner or
later discussed: Which _Humorous Particles_ in our Bodies, like as in
intermitting _Fevers_, have their due Times of _Digestion_,
_Accumulation_, and _Exaltation_; which _Height_ as soon as they have
arrived to, they suddenly, and as it were in a Moment, break out into
_Action_: Or else _These Humours_ may lye dormant in the Body, until by
some _Procatarctick_, or _External Cause_, they are exagitated, and set
at _Work_.
NOW this _Agitation_ of HUMOURS depends not only upon the _Course_ of
the SUN and MOON, but also sometimes more particularly upon the _Change_
of the AIR, and the _Motion_ of the SEA. As to the _Solar_ and _Lunar
Influences_ upon the _Animal Machine_, they are already abundantly set
forth[242], wherefore I shall resume Nothing of _them_ in this place:
And as to the _Efficiency_ of the AIR, I would observe it to be always
most considerable about the _Two Equinoxes_; as at these _Seasons_ the
most impetuous _Winds_ and violent _Storms_ happen; and that continually
the most severe at _Noon_ and _Midnight_; that is to say, when the SUN
is in our _Zenith_, or in the _Nadir_, _viz._ in the _vertical Point_
over our _Heads_, or the quite _opposite_ under[243] our _Feet_. These
_Changes_ however come a little before the _Vernal Equinox_, but follow
the _Autumnal_; because of the various _Distances_ of the MOON in its
_Perigæum_ and _Apogæum_.
MOREOVER, at these _Seasons_, and indeed at all Times, the AIR swells or
rises highest, at _New_ and _Full_ MOON, from the conjunct Power of both
the _Planets_: Hence the diligent _Mariners_ and _Husbandmen_ always
observe the _Weather_ to change, and _Winds_ to rise upon these
Occasions; and, not only so, but also, a constant and certain RECOURSE
of _Winds_ and _Weather_ to happen at certain _Seasons_ of the Year; and
_that_ from some certain necessary _Natural Cause_, which always acts in
the same manner.
As to the _Motion_ of the SEA, its Efficacy upon the _Animal Fabrick_,
may be easily comprehended, considering only what is said; together with
this Truth, that, at all _Seasons_, the AIR is highest, and the _Winds_
strongest, when the TIDE of the _Flood_ is at its highest Ascent. For as
the SEA swells, so the _Ambient_ AIR in 25 Hours, is twice raised to a
considerable great _Height_, from the _Attraction_ of the MOON
approaching the _Meridian_: And the same swelling of the AIR must
necessarily follow, as often as the SUN comes to the _Meridian_ of any
place, either above or below the HORIZON; tho’ (as aforesaid) it is
always _highest_ at _New_ and _Full_ MOON: And _lowest_ of all, when the
MOON is but half _Full_; the _Planets_ then drawing each a contrary way:
As it is _middling_, during the Time between the dimidiated _Orbs_ of
the MOON, and the _New_ and _Full_ MOON[244].
CONSIDERING then that the _Ambient_ AIR and the surrounding SEA are both
_fluid Bodies_, and that the _Changes_ of the ONE agree so exactly with
the _Tide_ of the OTHER, we may rationally conclude, that they are both
(in a great measure) subject to the same LAWS of _Motion_[245]. Hence it
is, that, the great _Physician_[246] says, that the _Fluxes_ and
_Refluxes_ of both these ELEMENTS are so ordain’d, by the Wise
_Councell_ of the Almighty CREATOR, to keep them from _Stagnations_ and
_Corruptions_, which would be noxious to all _Creatures_, that by these
means are preferred in a better Condition. Which is also confirm’d by
_Experience_, from that, in clear and open places such _Valetudinarians_
as are ready to _Die_, recover their _Health_, and the _Soundest
Constitution_ in moist close places, grows SICK.
FROM the whole, it is evident, that the _Motions_ of the AIR at the
flowing of the SEA, upon the _New_ and _Full_ MOON, and in the
_Æquinoxes_, change the _Fabrick_ of the _Animal Bodies_: But these
_Changes_ are always most remarkable in those of _weak_ and _sickly
Constitutions_; whereas those of _Strong_ and _Healthy Bodies_ more
readily repel or evade their _Influences_. Hence it is that our _Bodies_
so much _Sympathize_, and so manifestly _correspond_ with the
_Cœlestials_, as the Experience of a great many Ingenious _Authors_
testify[247]: And hence again it is that the HYSTERICK, no less than any
_other_ PATIENT, keeps Time strictly with these _Superiour Bodies_, as
the _Register_ of a vast many Examples, and even daily _Experience_ it
self teaches for Truth. Now having thus far prosecuted the
_Diagnosticks_, as well with respect to the _Times_ and _Seasons_ of the
PAROXYSMS, as to the _Signs_ and _Symptoms_ of the _Distemper_, I come
at length to——
THE _Prognosticks_ of this _Uterine_ SUFFOCATION, which I shall but
briefly hint upon; and FIRST, observe, that where the HUMOURS overcharge
the _Body_, and are implicated among themselves; in this _Case_ the FITS
do not always keep their _Legitimate Times_, nor their _proper Insults_,
but are sometimes more _frequent_, more _sharp_, and more _diuturnal_;
in like manner, as a _Concourse_ of WINDS excites the most violent
STORMS, according to the _Poet_[248],
_“Unà Eurusque Notusque ruunt, creberque procellis
“Africus, & vastos volvunt ad Littora Fluctus:_
So a _Concourse_ and _Confluxion_ of HUMOURS, must needs aggravate the
_Distemper_; but more especially, when the afflicted _PATIENT_ is taken
with a _Complication_ of _Distempers_, such as when the _HYSTERICK_
_FIT_ is join’d with a _Syncope_, or severe _Convulsions_, &c. _then_
the _Case_ is most dangerous.[249]
—— —— —— _“Nam corpore in Uno
“Frigida cum Calidis Pugnant, Humentia Siccis,
“Mollia cum duris, Sine pondere habentia pondus._
These Things, consisting in the _Corruption_ and _Inflammation_, or in
the _Quantity_ and _Quality_ of the _peccant HUMOURS_, concur with the
_other Causes_, above defin’d, that the _Circulations_ of the
_Distemper_ are either shorter or longer, more frequent or more rare, or
more safe or more dangerous in the Event.
SECONDLY, I observe in this place, that, if the _Distemper_ does not
carry off the _PATIENT_, as often happens in the foregoing _Condition_,
it commonly degenerates at last into an _Apoplexy_, or _Palsy_,
_Stupidity_, or deep _Melancholy_, &c. Wherefore I come now _finally_ to
treat of the Method of its _Cure_; which is twofold, _One_ in the
_Access_ or _FIT_, and _another_ in the _Interval_. Then as to the
_First_——
IN the _FIT_, _Revulsive_ and _Repressing Remedies_ are most apposite,
together with _Corroboratives_ for the _HEART_ and _VENTRICLE_, as well
as for the WOMB it self. But because _Revulsives_ are of many and
different kinds, they are to be discreetly us’d, according to the Nature
of the _Cause_ from whence the _Evil_ proceeds: For if suppressed BLOOD
be the _Cause_, in that _Case_, _Galen_ agrees with _Hippocrates_ that
an _Inferiour Vene-Section_ is convenient, and that even tho’ a
_Syncope_ join the _SUFFOCATION_, because the _One_ is but the Effect of
the _Other_[250]: Remembring always that such _Bleedings_ must be done
with great Prudence and Caution, because of the present _Prostration_ of
the _Strength_ and _Spirits_, and _Refrigeration_ of the PATIENT’s whole
Body.
WHEREAS if the _PAROXYSM_ proceeds from _venenated_ _SEED_, or depraved
_Humours_, no _VEIN_ is to be open’d; but instead of _That_, I would lay
the _Woman_ supine in her _BED_, for breathing the freer, and loose all
her _Laces_, _Garters_, &c. Then if Strong _Sternutatories_, _Fœtid
Smells_, _Vellication_ of her _Ears_, _Nostrils_, _Pilorumve Pudendi_,
did not help her _Condition_; I would use _dolorifick Ligatures_, and
_Frictions_ of _THIGHS_, _LEGS_, and _FEET_; or apply _Cupping Glasses_
without _Scarification_ to the _THIGHS_ and _GROIN_ it self: As also
proper _Liniments_, _Clysters_, _Suppositories_, _Pessaries_, &c. are
convenient Means: And sometimes _Suffumigations_ of _GALBANUM_,
_ASSAFOETIDA_, _Old Leather_, _Cloth_, _Sulphur_, _Partridge Feathers_,
_Horse-Tetters_ or _Warts_, &c. Or (which is reckon’d _Best_ of all) a
few of the _PATIENT_’s _Hairs_ of her _Head_, burnt, and held to her
_NOSE_. Or, while I should often tickle the _NOSTRILS_ with a _Feather_,
or my _Finger_ dipp’d in the sharpest _Vinegar_, _Oleum Succini_, or the
like, I would anoint the _PALLET_ with _Triacle_, _Mithridate_, or such
other Things dissolv’d in pleasant _WINE_.
HOWEVER, in such _Cases_, as well as in all others, _à mitioribus
adhibitis, progrediendum est ad valentiora_; I say, we are to _begin
with the more gentle, and proceed gradually to the more strong and
powerful REMEDIES_; using all proper Means with the utmost Prudence and
Discretion, and _that_ only according to the absolute Necessity and
imminent Danger of the _incident Case_. Now moreover, I would add for
_such_ as lose both _PULSE_ and _BREATH_, that some of the above
_REMEDIES_ are not only requisite; but also, according to the excellent
_Horatius Augenius_, a little generous _WINE_ with _Nutmeg_, _Cinnamon_
and _Cloves_, adding _five Grains_ of _MUSK_, is altogether proper for
_this PATIENT_[251]: Tho’ for _others_, who have not quite lost all
_Sense_ and _Motion_, nothing is perhaps more pernicious than the _USE_
of such _Odoriferous Matters_, since I have known several _Women_ to
have been immediately _suffocated_, even by the very _Smell_ of _MUSK_,
_CIVET_, _AMBER_, &c. But when the Sick _PATIENT_ lies (as above) for
_dead_, if such _Odours_ can excite the _WOMB_, they can likewise move
the _Arteries_, and give Hopes of _Recovery_; upon which occasion also,
I would apply hot _Sear-Cloths_ to the _Regions_ of the _HEART_ and
_WOMB_: Or, if I suspected the _HEAD_ to abound with _frigid Humours_, I
would moreover apply _Vesicatories_ behind the _EARS_, or an _Issue_, or
_drawing Plaister_ to the _NAPE_ of the _Neck_, always cherishing the
_STOMACH_ with proper _Fomentations_: As also according to some, the
_Hoof_ of an _ELK_, is a present _REMEDY_ in all such _Suffocations_ or
_FITS of the Mother_[252].
BY the above-mentioned, which are all the most prevalent _Means_ in the
_ACCESS_, we will now suppose the _PATIENT_ to be _recover’d_; in which
_Case_, the next step needful, is to guard against, and prevent the
_Return_ of the _FIT_, and consequently to _Cure_ the _DISEASE_; which
can only be effected by removing the _Cause_, whatever it may be: And
_This_, in my Opinion, may be most effectually perform’d in manner
following, _viz._——
IF the _Distemper_ proceeds from the _suppressed BLOOD_ or _MENSTRUA_,
This is by proper _Means_ to be reduced to its _Natural Course_ and
_Condition_. If from a retain’d _Seminal Matter_ in the _Uterine
Vessels_, the _Cure_ depends chiefly upon a proper _Regimen_ of _Diet_
and _Exercise_; frequent gentle _Purges_, and repeated inferiour
_Venæ-Sections_: Whereas if already collected and venenated in the
_WOMB_, and the _Body_ consequently _refrigerated_, no _VEIN_ may
properly be touch’d or open’d; but in this _Case_, as if the _Evil_
proceeded from _vitious putrid HUMOURS_, it is to be evacuated in the
same manner, as in _other Conditions_ of the _humid Intemperature_ of
the _WOMB_; always corroborating and fortifying the more affected or
debilitated _Parts_.
NOW this Method of _Cure_, in short, being taken from the wisest of the
_Ancients_[253], I shall farther add _one_ singular and essential _Step_
towards the perfecting of it; namely, if it be so, that the most severe
and dangerous _Symptoms_ of this _DISTEMPER_ proceed from the
_Retention_ of the _vitiated SEED_; then of Course and without
Controversy, the _HYSTERICK PASSION_ must needs be most familiar to
_WIDOWS_ and _marriageable VIRGINS_; to whom I must finally say, _Let
them Marry_.
_Si tales etenim pruriginosas, Connubio destinari contingat, ac Semen
subdito virili Pessulo elici, in usumq, procreandæ Sobolis depromi,
protinus illas efflorescere videas, ac faciem roseo, nitidóq; colore
perfundi, blandas denique atque Amabiles, minúsq; tetricas ac morosas.
Quod etiam docet_ GALENUS, _Exemplo viduæ cujusdam, quæ multo Semine
effuso, à Symptomatibus integrè est liberata[254]. Itaq; dico, tales
dissuetæ maturæve viro sunt tempestive elocandæ._ In fine, _MARRIAGE_
will very much help such indisposed Persons, according to the Wise
_Judgment_, _Advice_ and _Direction_ of the best Antient _WRITERS_.
[Illustration]
CONCLUSION.
BEFORE I close this finishing _Chapter_, I must entreat the _READER_’s
Patience, and finally observe (by way of _Recapitulation_ upon it, which
will also serve to Answer the same End upon divers places interspers’d
throughout this whole BOOK) that I am very Sensible before hand, that
some considerate Readers, even among the _Learned_ themselves, will be
ready to stop or cavil at some of my _Sentiments_, and say, _Quo te Mœri
Pedes? Et quæ te Dementia cepit?_
I know that they deny, with the _Peripatetick Aristotle_[255], the
Existence of the _Muliebrian SEED_. Nay, I farther know, that, _this_ is
not all, which they will _object_ against; for the _Four Galenick
HUMOURS_ will be as hard to _digest_. But as I leave all _Men to think
and judge for themselves_, without differing with any for dissenting
from me in _Opinion_, so I know that _Men of Probity_ and _Ingenuity_
will allow me the same _Privilege_ and act in a suitable Manner: Whereas
I doubt not but some _Momus_, or _Zoilus_, or some _Member_ of the Body
of the _Sophistical_ SCIOLISTS will rise up, and pronounce me either
altogether _Ignorant_, or an unjust _Vilifier_ of the reigning _Modern
Opinions_, by laying down some Authentick _Positions_ of the ANTIENTS,
THIS cannot more certainly befall me, than I expect it; wherefore, I am
not only in some measure upon my _Guard_; but also otherways resolved to
hear, and even bear such _Controversial Wranglings_ with Patience: Which
I need think the less of doing, or suffering with Pleasure, considering
the many Glorious _Examples_ already set before my Eyes of _Those_ who
have deserved the greatest _Applause_, and the _Best_ of Mankind in all
Ages. To pass by some living _MONUMENTS_ of _Detraction_, who are at
this Day universally acknowledged to be _Eminent_ and _Excellent Men_;
have not some of the best _Authors_ that ever wrote been unjustly
scourged by the _black Tongues_, and even scandaliz’d by the _Satyrick
Pens_, of their COTEMPORARIES? And are not the same SUFFERERS, I mean
their _Names_ and _Memories_ immortaliz’d at this Time, through all
_Nations_? Besides, in short, will they not continue to be so through
out all succeeding _Generations_ for their essential _Helps_ and
ingenious _Discoveries_ in the Noble and Heavenly Art of PHYSICK?
Moreover, have we not too many _Instances_ of THIS, to go no farther, in
_England_, even too well known to require a _Repetition_?
HOW vain then would it be in me to hope to escape the Common _Fate_ of
all WRITERS in general? No, before ever I _put Pen to Paper_, I plainly
foresaw, that, in this degenerate Age, no honest Man could safely
subscribe to the genuine truth of Things, without suffering by publick
Malice, under the _Character_ of being reckon’d either an Ignorant or an
_obsolete_ SINGULARIST.
HOWEVER, yet, as I would willingly avoid being ranked among litigious
_Disputants_, so I have taken Care (if it be possible) to mitigate the
_Censure_, by not insisting too stiffly upon any TOPICK, which may be
suppos’d to tend more to curious _Speculation_, than to real _Practice_
in our ART: Neither have I set off any _Hypothesis_ with recommendatory
_Glosses_, nor other fine _Embellishments_, serving more for _Ornament_
than _Use_.
BUT that I may not seem at last altogether to give up, what I have been
advancing, however in modest _Terms_ and upon authentick _Authorities_,
I ingenuously answer and confess, that, I have in diverse respects and
in sundry places in this BOOK, spoke my Mind freely, and impartially,
however without Prejudice, and _that_ sometimes also contrary to the
_Opinions_ of many famous WRITERS in Vogue, as well _Ancient_ as
_Modern_; by which means, I may perhaps have disgusted some, otherways,
most _Judicious_ READERS: However, considering the different _Grounds_
upon which Men commonly form their _Judgment_ of AUTHORS, if I have but
the Happiness to please in some Things, I have all that I am ambitious
of.
WHEREFORE, as it was neither for _Applause_ nor _Reputation_-sake, but
merely for the _Common Good_ of Mankind, that I undertook to write
modestly, so I resolved at the _Beginning_, that, neither _Malice_ nor
_Envy_ should deter me from publishing what is _True_, and, to my
certain Knowledge, confirmed by _Experience_. I have carefully perus’d
other Men’s WORKS, _Moderns_ as well as _Ancients_, to gain the
Knowledge and discover the _Truth of Things_, and I gratefully
acknowledge what _Benefit_ soever I have reaped from them, whose NAMES I
am not asham’d to affix to this BOOK, by the _Help_ of their elaborate
and ingenious WRITINGS: Desiring thereby to convince the REVOLVER, that
I neither reject the hard _Labours_ of the _Ancients_, nor despise the
laudable _Endeavours_ of the _Moderns_, _much less_ would I be thought
to decry or find Fault with any particular _Performance_; especially
considering that I meet with none so _empty_, but that I get something
by, which I emprove to my own Advantage.
BUT as far as I have found them mistaken, since _Mortal Eyes_ cannot see
beyond their HORIZON, nor the best of Men exceed the natural Limits of
_human Frailty_, I have thought it my _Duty_ to forewarn POSTERITY of
their _Mistakes_, not only according to the laudable CUSTOM of the
_Ancients_, but also according to my plain _Notion_ of the genuine
Nature or true CHARITY; which I think consists not in contemning,
detracting and calumniating _one another_, but rather in cleansing
SCIENCES from the _Dross of Errors_, that so the _Right Way_ may be
pav’d to our _Successors_ by a continued _Series_ of Time, which may be
effectually done by _Many_, that cannot possibly be accomplished by
_One_; because of the _Brevity_ of LIFE.
UPON the whole, it is most certain that TRUTH is known _but of a few_;
whereas false _Opinions_ go current in the Stream with the rest of the
World: Nay, TRUTH scarce yet ever carried it by _Vote_ in any respect,
insomuch, that the most evident Testimonies of Sense, too often yield
place to imbib’d Opinions, and Men blindly reject the manifest Evidence
of their own Faculties, by which Truth in many Cases is only to be
discover’d: And indeed I know how hard it is otherways to enquire
exactly into the common _Truth of Things_, so as to give a _Satisfactory
Demonstration_, or a _general Satisfaction_ to _All_: Which
notwithstanding, I verily believe that the _Sons_ of ART, who know the
_Principles_ and _Power_ of NATURE, and understand her various
_Operations_ upon all BODIES, by the means of her inferiour _Agents_,
the four _ELEMENTS_; and such as have attain’d any competent _Knowledge_
in the _SPAGYRICK ANATOMY_ of Things, especially of _Fluids_, _Water_,
_Wine_, &c. will be at no great Loss to conceive the _Probability_ of
both the _one_ and the _other_ above-mentioned HYPOTHESIS.
ACCEPT then, in fine, _Benevolent_ READER, _This_ short and plain
_Performance_ of PHYSICK and MIDWIFERY; which, if it should not happily
answer to your _Expectation_, I would fain have you believe, that it
will far less correspond with my WISH. If then any Thing be found
_useful_ or _acceptable_ in it, you are to ascribe that to GOD, the
_Author_ of all _Wisdom_; you may impute what is otherways perform’d, to
_Man_’s Understanding and Practice blessed by GOD: Therefore being every
where mindful of _Humanity_, _read_, _revolve_, _enjoy_, and _correct_;
_reflecting_ in the _Interim_, not so much upon the _little that_ I have
done, as upon _that_ which others have not hitherto perform’d concerning
the same _Subject_.
I could with _Pleasure_ have continued _The Performance_, and, according
to my _Design_ at the _Beginning_, have added two _SECTIONS_ more,
_viz._ _One_ upon the _Symptoms_ and _Diseases_ of the WOMB and the
_Passages_; the _other_ upon the various _Symptoms_ or _Accidents_,
relating to the _MENSTRUOUS_ and other _Uterine Fluxes_: But as the WORK
has already by far exceeded the _Limits_, which I design’d it at first,
I shall here for the present Time fix my PEN.
I Pray GOD, in short, the _Fountain of Life, and Source of all Science_,
that HE may enable _others_ to conceive what has been said, _better_
than I have been capable to explain; and grant that the _Fruit_ of my
LABOUR may conduce to the _Health_ and _Preservation_ of all good WOMEN
and their CHILDREN: All finally, upon the whole Work, redounding to the
eternal GLORY of his own most _Holy Name_.
_FINIS._
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
AUTHORS _Names quoted in this Work, disposed Alphabetically._
A.
Ægineta
Aetius
Agrippa Corn.
Albertus Magnus
Alcinous
Alexandrinus Jul.
Anaxagoras
Antony St.
Apollonius
Apuleius
Aquinas Thom.
Areteus
Aristotle
Arnoldus de villa Nova
Augenius
Augustin St.
Aurelianus Cæl.
Averroes
Avicenna
B.
Baglivius
Bartholinus
Bellini
Benedictus Alex.
Blancard
Boerhaave
Boetius
Bonaciolus
Bottonus
Brassavolus
Burnet Thom.
C.
Cardanus
Cato
Catullus
Celsus
De Chales
Chamberlain
Cicero
Claudianus
Cordcæus
Cyprian St.
D.
Daventer
Democritus
Diocles
Diodorus
Diogenes
Donatus Marcel.
E.
Empedocles
Etmullerus
Eustachius
F.
Fabricius Gul.
Fab. d’ Aquap.
Fallopius
Favorinus
Fernelius
Florentinus Nichol.
Floyer Sir John
Forestus
G.
Galen
Gamma
Garofanzzo
Gaffendus
Gellius
Goad
Guillaume de Paris
H.
Harris Dr.
Harvey
Heister
Helmontius
Heraclides
Hercules Saxon.
Heurnius
Hippocrates
Hoffman
Hollerius
Homer
Horace
Horstius
Howel
J.
Jerome St.
Johannes Anglicus
L.
Lactantius
Langius
Laurentius And.
Levin. Lemnius.
Licetus
Linus
Lucilius
Lucretius
Lusitanus
M.
Macrobius
Manilius
Marcellus
Marcus Marci
Mauriceau
Mead Dr.
Menabeus
Mercatus
Mercurialis
Montanus
Moor Sir Thomas
Morgagnus
N.
Newton Sir Isaac
O.
Ovid
P.
Palladius
Panarolus
Paræus
Paschal
Paulus Jurisconsult.
Persius
Pfizerus
Pindar
Pinæus
Plato
Platerus
Plautus
Pliny
Plutarch
Pontanus
Proclus
Pythagoras
R.
Rabanus
Ranchinus
Rhases
Riolanus
Riverius
Rocheus
Rodericus à Castro
Ronssæus
Rufus
Ruffius
Ruysch
S.
Schenckius
Senertus
Solomon King
Soranus
Spigelius
Sprengell Dr.
Sydenham
T.
Terentius
Thuringius
Trincavellius
Tulpius
U.
Ulmus Marc. Ant.
Valeriola
Vallesius
Velthuysius
Vesalius
Virgil
Vives
W.
Wierus
Z.
Zebizius
Zacch. Paulus
[Illustration]
_Courteous Reader, having been sometimes call’d from the Inspection of
the Press, there may be some literal and a few verbal Mistakes; which as
the Sense is not perverted, I hope you will candidly pass by._
Adieu.
[Illustration]
-----
Footnote 1:
De Partib. Anim. lib. 1. cap. 5.
Footnote 2:
Lib. 2. Sat. 1.
Footnote 3:
Sat. 5.
Footnote 4:
_Book of Wisdom_, 8, 19 _and_ 20.
Footnote 5:
Prov. 4. 23.
Footnote 6:
_Book of Wisdom_, 9. 15.
Footnote 7:
Prov. viii. _from_ 22, _to_ 32.
Footnote 8:
Gal. 4. 6,
Footnote 9:
Rom. viii. 17.
Footnote 10:
Psalm 8. 24. 104, 139, _&c._
Footnote 11:
Lib. 15. do part. Us. Sect. 1.
Footnote 12:
Matt. xxvi. 38.
Footnote 13:
Bonacciol. Mercat.
Footnote 14:
De Natur. Puer.
Footnote 15:
Galen Ruf. Mercat.
Footnote 16:
Hippoc. de Natur. Puer. Fortun. Licet. de perfect. Constitut. Homin.
in Uter. Rod. à Cast. de Nat. Mul.
Footnote 17:
Eccles. xi. 5.
Footnote 18:
_Book of Wisdom_, ix. 13, 14.
Footnote 19:
Psal. cxxxix. 13, 14, 15, & 16.
Footnote 20:
De perfect. Constitut. Homin. in Utero.
Footnote 21:
Hippoc. de Natur. Fœtus.
Footnote 22:
Aristot. 7. de Hist. Animal. 3.
Footnote 23:
Harv. in Exercit. Ettmul. Prax. cap. 25.
Footnote 24:
Heister. in Compend. Anatom.
Footnote 25:
Marc. Ant. Ulm. de Utero Mul. S. 1. c. 7. Amb. Paræus, L. 23. c. 42.
Ranchin. de Morb. Virg. S. 1. c. 4. And. Laurent. Horat. Augen. &c.
Footnote 26:
Avicen, Vesal. Fallop. Wier. Plater. Spigel. Heister. Morgag. &c.
Footnote 27:
Sect. 5. Aph. 39.
Footnote 28:
De Muliebrib. lib. 1. Comm. 4 & 6.
Footnote 29:
Hippoc. Lib. de Glandulis.
Footnote 30:
De Hist. Animal. Cap. 12 & 3.
Footnote 31:
Sever. Pin. in Opusc. Physiol. & Anat. cap. 5. Pet. Forest. Schol. 28.
Observat. 55. Plin. lib. 36. cap. 19. Anselm. Boet. lib. 2. de Lapid.
& Gemm. cap. 165. Melch. Sebiz. de Not. Virg. Thuring. &c.
Footnote 32:
Hipp. Lib. de Morb. Virgin.
Footnote 33:
Lib. de Morb. Virgin.
Footnote 34:
Joh. Lang. Lib. 1. Epist. 2.
Footnote 35:
Sect. 3. Epist. 19.
Footnote 36:
Georg. 3.
Footnote 37:
Lib. 3. Fen 21. Tract. 1. cap. 12.
Footnote 38:
De occult. Nat. Mir. lib. 1. cap. 9.
Footnote 39:
Gal. lib. Art. Med. Hipp. ac Gal. 5. in Sextum vulg. Morb. Hipp. lib.
de Sterilib.
Footnote 40:
Hercul. Saxon. Oper. pract. p. 3. c. 28. Rod. à Cast. de Nat. Mul.
lib. 3. c. 13.
Footnote 41:
Lib. de Opific. Dei, pag. 823.
Footnote 42:
Pag. 65.
Footnote 43:
Pontan. l. 10. de reb. Cœlest. Jul. Alexandrin. de Salubrib. c. 14.
Amat. Lusitan. Cent. 3. Cur. 39. &c.
Footnote 44:
Herc. Sax. Prælect. pract. part 3. cap. 30.
Footnote 45:
Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 21.
Footnote 46:
Genes. xxx.
Footnote 47:
Thom. Aquin. contra. Gentil. lib. 3. Hen. Cornel. Agrip. lib. de
Occult. Philosoph. &c.
Footnote 48:
Lib. 7. Cap. 12.
Footnote 49:
Lib. 4, Od. 4.
Footnote 50:
1 Cor. 7. 5.
Footnote 51:
Marcus Marci de Ideis Operatric. Horstius Tract. de Caus. Similitud.
Fœt. cum Parent.
Footnote 52:
Lib. 3. de Morb. Mul. cap. 6.
Footnote 53:
Hipp. lib. de Genit.
Footnote 54:
Aristot. lib. 3. de Histor. Animal. cap. 3.
Footnote 55:
Quæst. Medic. Legal. lib. 1. tit. 3. quæst. 1.
Footnote 56:
Hipp. 4. Aph. 1.
Footnote 57:
Hipp. 5. Aph. 31. Forest. l. 16. Obs. 38.
Footnote 58:
Rod. à Cast. de Morb. Mul. lib. 3. cap. 22.
Footnote 59:
Trincavel. lib. 3. de curand. partic. hum. Corp. Affect. cap. 5.
Forest. lib. 8. Obs. 7. Ludov. Vives in Comm. ad lib. 27. August. de
civit. Dei, cap. 25. Lang. lib. 2. Epist. 12. Florent. Serm. 5. tract.
4. cap. 36. Brasavol. Comm. ad lib. 5. Aph. 24. Hippoc. &c.
Footnote 60:
Rod. à Cast. de Morb. Mul. lib. 3. cap. 11.
Footnote 61:
Florent. Serm. 5. tract. 4. cap. 36. Brasavol. 5. Aph. 24. in Comm.
&c.
Footnote 62:
5 Aph. 34. Diemerbroek lib. 1. Anatom. cap. 24. Lang. de Valetud.
Gravid. Disp. 41. Bagliv. Prax. chap. 13. lib. 1.
Footnote 63:
Galen 4. Aph. 17.
Footnote 64:
Galen. 3. de Loc. Aff. c. 8. Avicen. l. 3. Tr. 5. cap. 1.
Footnote 65:
Gal. 3. de Loc. Aff. c. 8.
Footnote 66:
Hipp. 3. Aph. 17, 23, 31.
Footnote 67:
Lib. 1. de Loc. c. 2.
Footnote 68:
Hipp. 4. Aph. 17. Zacut. Lusit. Prax. Histor. l. ult. c. 1. Num. 4.
Footnote 69:
Aret. 1. de Caus. Chronicor. c. 3.
Footnote 70:
Galen. 3. Aph. 17.
Footnote 71:
De Morb. Chron. lib. 1. cap. 2.
Footnote 72:
Prælect. Pract. Par. 1. cap. 11.
Footnote 73:
Hipp. 2. Aph. 3, 7. Aph. 18. Bellini de Morb. Capit. pag. 535.
Footnote 74:
Hipp. 5. Aph. 60. Brassavol. in hunc Aphor.
Footnote 75:
Hipp. 6. Aph. 20. Cels. l. 2. c. 8. p. 70.
Footnote 76:
Hipp. 5. Aph. 60. Brassavol. in hunc Aphor.
Footnote 77:
Hipp. 7. Aph. 48. Heurnius in hunc Aphor.
Footnote 78:
Alex. Bened. lib. 19. de curandi Morb. rat. cap. 36. Fernel. lib. 6.
de part. Morb. & Sympt. cap. 10. &c.
Footnote 79:
Observ. 1. Pentecost. 1.
Footnote 80:
Hipp. 7. Aph. 27.
Footnote 81:
Aet. lib. 16. cap. 12.
Footnote 82:
Observ. cap. 5. de intermittent Feb.
Footnote 83:
Sect. 4. Aph. 59.
Footnote 84:
Galen. de Crisib. lib. 2. cap. 6. &c in Comment. in 4 Aph. 59.
Footnote 85:
In Comment. in Aph. Hipp. 23. lib. 2.
Footnote 86:
De diebus decretor. lib. 3.
Footnote 87:
Valleriol. lib. 1. Observ. 1. & lib. 6. Observ. 6. Hipp. 5. Aph. 30.
Forest. lib. 2. Observ. 27. & lib. 6. Observ. 6. Hollerius in hunc
Aphor. &c.
Footnote 88:
Rod. à Cast. de Morb. Mul. lib. 3. cap. 21.
Footnote 89:
Ibidem.
Footnote 90:
Lib. 4. Pract. Med. de Mul. Morb. Part 2. Sect. 5. cap. 3.
Footnote 91:
Hipp. 5. Aph. 37. Cardan. in hunc Aphor. Lang. disput. 41. c. 3.
Footnote 92:
5. Aph. 52. Holler. in hunc Aphor. River. Prax. l. 15. c. 17.
Footnote 93:
Senert. I. 4. p. 2. S. 6. c. 2.
Footnote 94:
3. De Fac. Nat. cap. 12.
Footnote 95:
Senert. lib. 4. p. 2. S. 6. c. 2. de Mul. Morb.
Footnote 96:
Hipp. 5. Aph. 45. Etmuller. de Convulf. c. 9.
Footnote 97:
Guliel. Fabric. Cent. 2. Obs. 50, & 51.
Footnote 98:
Hipp. 3. Aph. 12. Heurn. in hunc Aph.
Footnote 99:
Lib. 7. Hist. Nat. cap. 7.
Footnote 100:
Chap. ix.
Footnote 101:
Hip. 5. Aph. 37, 38. Cardan. & Brassavol. in hunc Aphor.
Footnote 102:
5. Aph. 52. River. Prax. l. 15. c. 17.
Footnote 103:
Sydenh. Prax. Med. lib. 3. cap. 13.
Footnote 104:
Senert. de Morb. Mul. lib. 4. p. 2.
Footnote 105:
R. à Cast. de Morb. Mul. l. 3. c. 21.
Footnote 106:
Hipp. Lib. de Octimest. Part. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 5.
Footnote 107:
2 Aph. 22. Hoffman. Method. Medend. l. 1. cap. 13.
Footnote 108:
Plato 5. de Repub. Aristot. 7. de Hist. Animal. cap. 4. &c. 4 de Gen.
Anim. cap. 6. Sect. 10. Problemat. 30. Gellius, lib. 3. Noct. Attic.
cap. 16. Plin. lib. 7. Nat. Hist. cap. 5.
Footnote 109:
Sect. I. Chap. 7, 8.
Footnote 110:
in Com. 2. de Generatione.
Footnote 111:
R. à Cast. de Nat. Mul. l. 4. c. 2.
Footnote 112:
R. à Cast lib. 4. cap. 4.
Footnote 113:
De Sacra Philos. cap. 18.
Footnote 114:
Lib. 1. Tract. 3. Contrad. S.
Footnote 115:
Sprengell in Sect. 10. Aphor. Celsi 9.
Footnote 116:
Lib. de Carnibus
Footnote 117:
Corn. Agrip.
Footnote 118:
Chap. 4, 5, 6, & 7.
Footnote 119:
Chap. 8.—18.
Footnote 120:
Chap. 18. to the end.
Footnote 121:
R. à Cast. de Nat. Mul.
Footnote 122:
Plin. lib. 7. cap. 5.
Footnote 123:
Lib. de Octimest. Part.
Footnote 124:
Lib. de Alimento.
Footnote 125:
Chap. xxviii. 13.
Footnote 126:
Plat. 5. de Republ. Aristot. 7. de Hist. Animal. c. 4. Phavor. apud
Gell. lib. 13. c. 16.
Footnote 127:
Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 22. cap. 21.
Footnote 128:
Revel. xiii. 18.
Footnote 129:
Plin. lib. 7. cap. 5. Gell. Noct. Attic. lib. 3. cap. 16. Cardan. lib.
1. tract. 3. cont. 8. Amat. Lusitan. Cent. 1. curat. 27.
Footnote 130:
Aristot. 7. de Nat. Animal. 4.
Footnote 131:
Senert. lib. 4. p. 2. S. 6. cap. 1.
Footnote 132:
Lib. de Carnib.
Footnote 133:
Lib. de Alimento.
Footnote 134:
Lib. de Imper. Solis & Lunæ, cap. 1.
Footnote 135:
Cap. 3.
Footnote 136:
Apud Aul. Gell. lib. 20. cap. 8.
Footnote 137:
Astronomic, lib. 2.
Footnote 138:
De Dieb. Decretor. lib. 3.
Footnote 139:
Cap. 2.
Footnote 140:
Lib. de Septimest. Part.
Footnote 141:
Lib. de Septimest. Part.
Footnote 142:
Nat. Hist. lib. 2. cap. 98.
Footnote 143:
Cap. 2.
Footnote 144:
Philos. Transact. Numb. 202.
Footnote 145:
Cap. 2. de Imper.
Footnote 146:
3 Crit. 9.
Footnote 147:
Lib. de Alimento.
Footnote 148:
Genes. iii. 16.
Footnote 149:
Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 5.
Footnote 150:
R. à Cast. de Nat. Mul. lib. 4. cap. 2.
Footnote 151:
Lib. 7. Nat. Hist. cap. 5.
Footnote 152:
Lib. de Octimest. Partu.
Footnote 153:
Heist. Anat.
Footnote 154:
Vid. Sect. II. Chap. 2.
Footnote 155:
Vid. Sect. I. Chap. 12.
Footnote 156:
Metamorph. lib. 1.
Footnote 157:
Chap. 7.
Footnote 158:
Chap. xiv. 5.
Footnote 159:
Lib. 3. Fen. 21. Tract. 1. cap. 1.
Footnote 160:
Hipp. de Nat. Puer.
Footnote 161:
Sect. IV. Chap. 9.
Footnote 162:
Sect. III. Chap. 31, 32, _&c._
Footnote 163:
De Nat. Puer.
Footnote 164:
Præf. L. 1. P. 4.
Footnote 165:
Vid. SECT. iii. _Chap._ 19.
Footnote 166:
SECT. IV. Chap. _ult._
Footnote 167:
Vid. Sect. IV. Chap. 7, 8.
Footnote 168:
Vid. Sect. IV. Chap. 17.
Footnote 169:
Lib. de Nat. Puer.
Footnote 170:
Cels. l. 11. c. 10. p. 79.
Footnote 171:
_Vid._ SECT. IV. Chap. 12, & 13.
Footnote 172:
_Vid._ SECT. IV. Chap. 13.
Footnote 173:
_Vid._ Chap. 22.
Footnote 174:
SECT. IV. Chap. ult. & SECT. vi. Chap. 7.
Footnote 175:
Vid. Chap. 16.
Footnote 176:
Vid. SECT. 4. Chap. 13. & SECT. 5. Chap. 19.
Footnote 177:
Vid. Chap. 19, 20, & 21.
Footnote 178:
Vid. Chap. 19.
Footnote 179:
Vid. Chap. 14, 15, & 16.
Footnote 180:
Vid. SECT. III. Chap. 19. & SECT. V. Chap. 5.
Footnote 181:
Vid. Sect. 3. Chap. 28.
Footnote 182:
Plutarch. in Vit. Romuli.
Footnote 183:
Vid. lib. 2.
Footnote 184:
Apud Aul. Gell. lib. 12. cap. 1.
Footnote 185:
_Plato in Phed._
Footnote 186:
_Vid. Lev. Lemn. lib. 4. cap. 18._
Footnote 187:
_Lib. 4. cap. 6._
Footnote 188:
_Vid._ Chap. 7.
Footnote 189:
_Senert. de Dentit. Part. 2. cap. 14._
Footnote 190:
_Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 16. Ronssæus de vitæ hum. Primord. cap.
de Dentit._
Footnote 191:
Sect. 3. _Aph. 24, & 25._
Footnote 192:
_Lib. de Morb. Acut._ Infant.
Footnote 193:
_Lib. de Flat._
Footnote 194:
_De Morb. Acut._ Infant.
Footnote 195:
_De Superfæt._
Footnote 196:
_Avicen, Rhases, &c._
Footnote 197:
_Marcel. Donat. lib. 4. de Historiar. Mirabil. cap. 16._
Footnote 198:
_Lib. 7. de Histor. Animal. cap. 14. & lib. 4. de gener. Animal. cap.
5._
Footnote 199:
Sect. 4. Chap. _ult._
Footnote 200:
_Parens in Sua Orirurg. &c._
Footnote 201:
_Johan Schenck. Lib. 4. Observat._
Footnote 202:
_Vid._ Sect. 5. Chap. 17.
Footnote 203:
_1. & 2. De Morb. Mul. & lib. de Steril._
Footnote 204:
_Vid._ Sect. 4. Chap. 18.
Footnote 205:
_Senert. lib._ 4. Part. 2. Sect. 4. Chap. 10. _Herc. Saxon._ P. 3.
cap. 29.
Footnote 206:
_Vid._ Sect. 2. Chap. 7.
Footnote 207:
_Lib. 4. Cap. 7._
Footnote 208:
_Loc. cit._
Footnote 209:
_Herc, Sax. P. 3. C. 29._
Footnote 210:
_Contra Pindarum lib. 3. de Us. part. cap. 1._
Footnote 211:
_Homel. 7. super. caput 3. Epistolar. Pauli._
Footnote 212:
_In vitâ suâ._
Footnote 213:
_Loc. cit._
Footnote 214:
_Levit._ 15 24, &c.
Footnote 215:
_Lib. 1. Cap. 8._
Footnote 216:
_Lib. 3. Cap. 4._
Footnote 217:
_Thes. Med. pract. lib._ II. Sect. 19. Sub-Sect. 3.
Footnote 218:
_Georg. 3._
Footnote 219:
_Genes._ 16, &c.
Footnote 220:
_Hos._ Chap. 8, and 9.
Footnote 221:
_Lib. 3. Part. 9._ Sect. 1, and 2.
Footnote 222:
_L. 1. de Sem. cap. 4._
Footnote 223:
_Hipp. 5. Aph. 46._
Footnote 224:
_Hipp. 5. Aph. 62._
Footnote 225:
_Cap. de Sterilit._
Footnote 226:
_Senert. L. 4. P. 2. S. 4. C. 2._
Footnote 227:
_Loc. Cit._
Footnote 228:
_Galen. 5. Aph. 61._
Footnote 229:
_Herc. Sax. Prælec. Pract. P. 3._
Footnote 230:
_Hipp. 5. Aph. 37, 38_, and _50_. _Vesal. L. 5. C. 5._
Footnote 231:
_Tulpius Observ. Medic. lib. 1. cap. 12._ and _lib. 2. cap. 43._
Footnote 232:
_De Imper. Sol. & Lun. Cap. 2._
Footnote 233:
_Ibidem._
Footnote 234:
_Lib. 6. de loc. aff. c. 5._
Footnote 235:
_Lib. 6. de loc. aff. cap. 5._
Footnote 236:
_Alex. Bened. Pract. lib. 10. cap. 10. Paræus lib. 24. cap. 19. &c._
Footnote 237:
_Lib. 6. de loc. aff. cap. 5._
Footnote 238:
_Nic. Rocheus lib. de morb. mulieb. cap. 4. Mercurialis lib. 4. de
morb. mul. cap. ult. Albertin Bottonus lib. de morb. Mul. cap. 43,
&c._
Footnote 239:
_Senert. lib. 4. P. 2. S. 3. C. 4. Rod. a Castro. lib. 2. S. 1. C. 1.
Herc. Sax. P. 3. Cap. 27._
Footnote 240:
_Gal. lib. 6. de loc. aff. c. 5._
Footnote 241:
_Hipp. lib. 1. de morb. mul. Paulus lib. 3. c. 7. Fernel. lib. 6.
pathol, c. 16, &c._
Footnote 242:
_Vid._ Sect. III. Chap. 28. 38. Sect. VIII. Chap. 2.
Footnote 243:
_Goad’s Astrometeorologica, De Chales de Art. Navigandi._
Footnote 244:
_Gassendus’s Philosoph._
Footnote 245:
_Newton’s Princip. lib. 3._
Footnote 246:
_Mead de Imper. Sol. & Lun. Cap. 1._
Footnote 247:
_Bagl. de Experiment. circa Sanguin, Apul. de virtut. Herbar. c. 9. &
65. Helmont. de Asthm. & Tuff. Sect. 22. Floyer, de_ Asthma, pag. 17,
_&c._
Footnote 248:
_Æneid. 1._
Footnote 249:
_Ovid. Met. Lib. 1._
Footnote 250:
_Hipp. com. 4. Acut. tex. 23. 24. 25. & 82. Galen. in Comm._
Footnote 251:
_Lib. 12, Tom. 1._
Footnote 252:
_Apol. Menab. de Alce C. 10. Senert. l. 4. P. 2. S. 3. C. 4._
Footnote 253:
_Hipp. Aet. Paul, Avic, Gal. Herc. Sax. Rod. Cast. Senert. &c._
Footnote 254:
_Lib. 6. Loc. Aff. cap. 5._
Footnote 255:
_L. 1. de Gen. Animal. Cap 20._
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.
3. Footnotes were re-indexed using numbers and collected together at
the end of the last chapter.
4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
5. Superscripts are denoted by a caret before a single superscript
character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in
curly braces, e.g. M^r. or M^{ister}.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Female Physician - Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv’d midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child." ***
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