,,aristotle',s ,,works4 ,illustration3 ,,aristotle',s ,,master-,,piece4 ,illustration ,the ,works of ,,aristotle ,,the ,,famous ,,philosopher ,london ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,booksellers ,,aristotle',s ,,works3 ,,containing ,,the ,,master-,,piece1 ,,directions ,,for ,,midwives1 ,,and ,,counsel ,,and ,,advice ,,to ,,child-,,bearing ,,women4 ,,with ,,various ,,useful ,,remedies4 ,,london3 ,,published ,,for ,,the ,,booksellers4 ,,advertisement4 ,at the present time1 when so many of the female sex1 in the hour of ,nature's extremity1 depend solely upon the skill and practical experience of the ,midwife1 we regard every attempt to assist the female accoucheur in her difficult1 and sometimes dangerous operation1 as a blessing conferred upon society4 ,this treatise enters fully into every department of ,midwifery2 and lays down excellent rules1 and proposes valuable suggestions for the guidance of the female operator1 which1 if acted upon1 will not only redound to the credit of the practitioner1 but will be of immense benefit to those operated upon4 ,another valuable feature of this work is1 that it contains important directions for the guidance of child-bearing women during the time of their pregnancy3 how they should conduct themselves with regard to regimen1 medical treatment1 and other matters1 each month1 until the time of their delivery4 ,in short1 we venture to assert that if the counsel and advice given in the ,experienced ,midwife be strictly adhered to by all parties interested therein1 the travail in child-birth1 instead of being many times difficult and dangerous1 will be safe1 speedy1 and comparatively easy4 ,,contents4 ,,the ,,master-,,piece4 ,,page ,the ,matrimonial ,state considered #i ,,chap4 ,i4 --,false ,steps in ,matrimonial ,alliances #aj ,,ii4 --,the original appointment of ,marriage #ad ,,iii4 --,the happy state of ,matrimony #bj ,,iv4 --,precautionary ,hints #bi ,v4 --,the ,vagaries of ,nature in the birth of ,monsters #cd ,,vi4 --,of the ,womb in general #da ,,vii4 --,of the retention of the ,terms #dc ,,viii4 --,of the overflowing of the ,terms #di ,,ix4 --,of the ,weeping of the ,womb #ec ,x4 --,of the false ,terms1 or ,whites #ed ,,xi4 --,of the ,suffocation of the ,mother #eg ,,xii4 --,falling of the ,womb #fb ,,xiii4 --,of the ,inflammation of the ,womb #fd ,,xiv4 --,of the ,schirrosity or ,hardness of the ,womb #ff ,,xv4 --,of the ,dropsy of the ,womb #fh ,,xvi4 --,of ,moles and ,false ,conceptions #gj ,,xvii4 --,of ,conception1 and how a woman may know whether she has conceived or not1 and whether male or female #gd ,,xviii4 --,of untimely ,births #gf ,,xix4 --,directions for ,pregnant ,women #gg ,,xx4 --,directions to be observed by women at the time of their falling in labour #hj ,,xxi4 --,in cases of extremity1 what ought to be done #hb ,,the ,,midwife4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,womb #he ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,difference between ,ancient and ,modern ,physicians1 touching the ,woman's contributing ,seed for the formation of the ,child #ij ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,what ,conception is #ic ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a ,woman ought to order herself after ,conception ib4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,parts proper to a ,child in the ,womb4 ,how it is formed there1 and the ,manner of its ,situation therein #ajd ,of the ,secundine1 or ,after-,birth #ajg ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,formation of the ,child in the ,womb #aji ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the manner of the ,child's lying in the ,womb #aaj ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,a ,guide for ,women in ,travail1 shewing what is to be done when they ,fall in ,labour1 in order to their ,delivery #aac ,,sect4 ,i4 ,the ,signs of the true ,time of ,woman's ,labour #aad ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a ,woman ought to be ordered when the time of her ,labour is come #aaf ,,chapter ,v4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,what ,natural ,labour is #abc ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,cutting of the ,child's ,navel-,string #abh ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,how to bring away the ,after-burden #acj ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of ,laborious and ,difficult ,labours1 and how the ,midwife is to proceed therein #aca ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of ,women ,labouring with a dead ,child #ach ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,of ,unnatural ,labour #adb ,,sect4 ,i4 ,how to deliver a woman of a ,dead ,child1 by ,manual ,operation #adc ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a ,woman must be ,delivered1 when the ,child's ,feet come first #adf ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,how to bring away the ,head of the ,child1 when separated from the ,body1 and left behind in the ,womb #adi ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,how to deliver a ,woman1 when the ,child's ,head is presented to the ,birth #aea ,,sect4 ,v4 ,how to deliver a ,woman when the ,child presents one or both ,hands together with the ,head #aec ,,sect4 ,,vi4 ,how a ,woman ought to be delivered1 when the ,hands and ,feet of the ,infant come together #aed ,,sect4 ,,vii4 ,how a ,woman should be delivered that has ,twins1 which present themselves in different ,postures #aef ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,how a ,woman newly delivered ought to be ordered #afj ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how to remedy those ,accidents which a ,lying-in ,woman is subject to #afb ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,directions for ,nurses1 in ordering ,newly-born ,children #afh ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of ,gripes and ,pains in the ,bowels of young ,children #aga ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of ,weakness in newly-born ,infants #agc ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the ,fundament being closed up in a newly-born ,infant #agd ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of the ,thrush1 or ,ulcers in the ,mouth of the ,infant #agf ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of ,pains in the ,ears1 ,inflammation1 ,moisture1 c4 #agg ,,sect4 ,,vi4 ,of ,redness1 or ,inflammation of the ,buttocks1 ,groin1 and the thighs of the ,young ,child #agh ,,sect4 ,,vii4 ,of ,vomiting in young ,children #agi ,,sect4 ,,viii4 ,of breeding ,teeth in young ,children #ahj ,,sect4 ,,ix4 ,of the ,flux in the ,belly1 or ,looseness in ,infants #ahb ,,sect4 ,x4 ,of the ,epilepsy and ,convulsions in ,children #ahe ,,proper ,,and ,,safe ,,remedies ,,for ,,curing ,,all ,,those ,,distempers ,,that ,,are ,,peculiar ,,to ,,the ,,female ,,sex #ahf ,,aristotle',s ,,book ,,of ,,problems #bjb ,,the ,,secrets ,,relating ,,to ,,physiognomy #bge ,,the ,,midwife',s ,,vade-,,mecum #cjg ,,the ,,venereal ,,disease #cag ,,aristotle',s ,,works4 ,,the ,,master-,,piece4 ,,the ,,matrimonial ,,state ,,considered4 ,the subject of ,matrimony is one of deep interest to both sexes3 and it behoves every one before marriage to study it with the most serious attention1 and ponder over it with an earnest desire to acquire a full knowledge of its duties1 responsibilities1 and enjoyments4 ,it is an attractive subject to both male and female1 except those who subscribe to the principles of ,malthus2 and old bachelors and old maids are looked upon with contempt and scorn by the generality of young people4 ,celibacy is regarded now with different views from that with which it used to be some centuries back2 and this change is perceptible in some portions of the ,romish church4 ,the celibacy of the priesthood is not now insisted on with that strictness which was the case in former times4 ,marriage is considered the legitimate and proper order of things3 husband and wife the relative condition of male and female1 and celibacy ought to be1 if possible1 avoided4 ,it is our intention to examine the subject in regard to the prejudicial influence which arises from the false steps which are often taken in matrimonial alliances2 the original appointment of marriage2 and the happy state of matrimony when in strict accordance with that which was originally appointed2 with other subjects connected with ,love and ,marriage4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,false ,,steps ,,in ,,matrimonial ,,alliances4 ,when we peruse the yearly returns which are furnished by the ,registrar ,general of the marriages which have taken place in our own country1 we are forcibly struck with the many false steps which have been taken by both males and females1 even in one year4 ,parties joined together of the most unequal ages--,may and ,december--plainly declare that there are other motives actuating the one or the other1 in the step taken1 than the one that should always be predominant at the hymeneal altar4 ,another list in the ,registrar's ,return will show us what numbers enter the marriage state long before they have come to the age of maturity4 ,in ,oriental countries the custom is to marry at an early age2 but there the climate1 it is said1 has an influence on the human frame which earlier developes the state of puberty than is the case in our own northern clime2 and that in those countries human decay commences earlier than it does in ,europe4 ,still we hesitate not to say1 that early marriages even in hot climates1 are injudicious4 ,we are not advocating marriages taking place between the sexes when the vigour and stamina have begun to decay2 on the other hand1 we would say1 that early marriages are preferable to those contracted when the bloom of youth has passed away4 ,but when those are joined together who are not physiologically prepared for the requirements and enjoyments of the matrimonial state1 they attempt that for which nature has not fitted them1 and impair their physical organs1 debilitate their vital powers1 and exhaust their strength4 ,we would1 therefore1 caution our readers not to marry too young4 ,another false step taken by those who enter the marriage state is one that requires great discrimination and judgment to avoid3 we allude to the bodily or mental disqualification of the one or the other for the true enjoyment of that state4 ,what misery has been experienced by thousands for want of a thorough knowledge of each other bodily and mentally before the knot was tied4 ,the ,divorce ,court has been1 and is1 crowded with applicants for redress1 who are the victims of their own folly1 and who rushed into the connubial state without having a clear and perfect understanding of each other's qualifications for rendering the marriage state one of enjoyment4 ,again1 much misery is often productive of the want of a thorough knowledge of the temper and disposition of each other before the consummation of marriage4 ,the lover finds in the object adored1 all perfection2 and neglects to view this object in its true light1 until the irrevocable vow is uttered1 and wedded life reveals the unwholesome truth that the temper and disposition of the one1 or the other1 or both1 are of such a nature as to render the domestic hearth any thing but pleasant4 ,again1 a common error committed by those wishing to enter the marriage state1 is that of being dazzled and decoyed by the beauty of the object sought4 ,the beauty of the face is not among women one of universal agreement1 as is generally supposed4 ,voltaire has said1 8,ask a toad what is handsome1 and he will answer1 #8,my mate1 with his big eyes and slimy skin4'0 ,the negro's type of beauty1 no doubt1 consists in a blackness equal to his own2 but is there no specific and positive state of perfection1 regularity1 harmony1 organization1 in each species8 ,have not all their ideas of beauty1 independent of the preferences or prepossessions of others8 ,the face of a woman is a mirror of the affections of her soul1 as has been often remarked1 but the fact has not yet been promulgated1 that the different features of a face indicate a particular species of affection4 ,again1 an error frequently committed by those anxious to enter the matrimonial life is that of seeking for wealth1 not the true enjoyment of domestic happiness4 ,alas6 what numbers have made fatal shipwreck by being dashed to pieces1 like ,sinbad1 on this loadstone rock6 ,the man that wishes to find the true enjoyment of married life should not look for a large dower along with the partner of his life1 but for a woman of a virtuous1 well-educated1 and amiable disposition4 ,such a partner will be of more value than all the gold that has been discovered in ,california1 ,australia1 and all the other ,el ,dorados yet heard of4 ,but although the lover should not be actuated by an inordinate craving after wealth1 still there should be a due foresight exercised to provide for a proper maintenance before entering the marriage state4 ,many couples get united together before they have provided a home of their own wherein to dwell1 and are therefore compelled to be dependent upon others1 for a habitation4 ,this is a sad state of things2 and has frequently been the cause of embittering the married life of those who would otherwise have enjoyed much of its sweets4 ,again1 another error which is often committed by those entering the married state1 is that of an utter disregard for the tastes and inclinations of each other4 ,for want of due appreciation of the unity of feeling on this subject much unhappiness has been experienced by husband and wife4 ,the husband1 perhaps1 has a taste for a particular class of literature1 and takes a delight in perusing his favourite authors1 whilst the wife takes a pleasure in reading works of quite a different description altogether1 and persists in maintaining her judgment in opposition to that of her husband1 hence unpleasant bickerings and recriminations take place4 ,and as their tastes disagree in regard to the food for the mind1 so also they disagree in regard to the food for the body4 ,what she likes1 he dislikes1 and what he likes1 she dislikes4 ,it behoves every one1 entering the matrimonial state to have a perfect understanding1 and a reciprocity in taste and inclination with each other4 ,again1 another error into which many fall who are entering the wedded life1 is a departure from that candour and uprightness which ought to govern and actuate mankind in every transaction of daily life but more especially in the important one now under consideration4 ,what lamentable consequences have resulted from the deception and subterfuge which have been practised by both male and female1 when about to be joined together in the holy bands of wedlock6 ,the man who would deceive the partner whom he vows to cherish and comfort1 or the woman who would practice deception on him whom she vows to honour and obey1 deserve to taste the bitter fruit of their own sin and folly4 ,it should ever be known by those who are about to become man and wife1 that every matter which they are anxious to conceal before marriage1 will1 very probably1 be disclosed at one time or another2 and perhaps disclosed in such a way so as to make the secret appear of ten times more importance than it really is4 ,unbosom every secret1 confide in each other2 and be assured that1 whatever may be the consequence1 a clear conscience1 truth1 and uprightness will comfort and sustain you in every trouble4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,original ,,appointment ,,of ,,marriage4 ,the ,author of our being1 when he formed the first pair of human beings1 left them not to the mere instincts of nature1 as he did in the case of the inferior animals2 but for them he especially instituted the contract of marriage2 so that marriage is a divine appointment4 ,at the ,almighty's command the waters brought forth in abundance2 myriads of fishes swam in the sea2 innumerable birds of every description winged their way in the firmament2 animals of all kinds1 from the gigantic elephant to the smallest creature imaginable1 wandered up and down on the earth1 and every kind of creeping thing2 the largest of the feathered tribe built nests on the inaccessible cliffs2 the lion and the tiger1 with other ferocious beasts1 prowled the forests2 cattle and sheep and the mild animals cropped the herbage2 the dove chose her mate2 the nightingale warbled her song2 the small insects1 to which the leaf was a world1 and the minute animalcule1 whose universe was a water-drop--all were formed by the ,almighty--and ,he commanded that they were to 8,be fruitful1 and multiply1 in the earth40 ,it was different1 however1 with regard to the human family4 ,as the members of that family were formed with an elaboration not displayed in other departments of creation1 as their structure was different from that of any other creature1 as man was formed from the dust of the earth1 and ,god breathed into him the breath of life1 as the woman was made from a portion of the man--bone of his bone1 and flesh of his flesh1--consequently there was a difference in the way in which they were directed to fulfil the great purpose of their creation1 namely1 to replenish the earth4 ,the ,almighty declared that it was not good for man to be alone1 therefore woman was formed for an helpmeet for him4 ,throughout the teeming earth1 the blue expanse1 and the deep water1 there was not a creature but what had found a mate2 our first parent stood alone1 without the society of one bearing his nature--isolated from the company of one with whom he could hold converse1 and who could share in the enjoyments of the happy sphere in which he was at first placed4 ,the ,great ,creator made woman1 brought them together1 and instituted marriage4 ,equal power and dominion over the inferior creatures was given to the woman1 as that exercised by the man2 and it was not until the disobedience and sin of our first parents1 that the original order of things was changed1 and that anything was heard of the subjection of ,eve to ,adam4 ,the institution of ,marriage was a wise and judicious arrangement1 and peculiarly adapted to the position of the human race4 ,it was of the greatest consequence to man that he should have a companion1 a friend1 a wife2 and for this purpose it was ordained that a man should leave his father and mother1 and cleave unto his own wife1 and they twain should be one flesh4 ,in what emphatic language is the union of husband and wife enforced3 8they twain shall be one flesh40 ,for the future their joys and their sorrows are to be identical4 ,they are not separate individuals as two male persons are considered1 but male and female--wife and husband--one4 ,alas6 how frequently is this oneness marred and broken--a diversity of interest and feeling appears to exist between many married couples1 and how often the adage of1 8a house divided against itself cannot stand10 is verified4 ,it would be well if such couples would oftener remember the solemn injunction--8they twain shall be one flesh40 ,it seems to an observer1 that if such couples ever loved one another1 they lavished and exhausted that love in the early days of marriage1 and filled up the void by feelings of enmity and strife4 ,this ought not to be the state of a domestic household2 for though the wife may be possessed of the key of every drawer and cupboard in the house1 if she does not possess the key of her husband's heart1 she is destitute of that which is of more value to her than every other earthly treasure4 ,the husband may be affectionate1 kind1 and respectful to his wife1 but if she is not identical with himself1 the depository and confidante of all his feelings and aspirations1 there is something amiss4 ,it is an impossibility for married people to love and trust each other too much1 and as impossible for them to feel a strong and deep affection for each other1 if they do not consider their interests to be identical4 ,illustration3 ,conception4 ,first ,month4 ,second ,month4 ,third ,month4 ,fourth ,month4 ,illustration3 ,fifth ,month4 ,sixth ,month4 ,seventh ,month4 ,eighth ,month4 ,ninth ,month4 ,illustration3 ,position of a ,child in the ,womb just before delivery ,illustration3 ,process of ,delivery ,illustration3 ,the ,action of ,quickening4 ,illustration3 ,position of the ,embryos in a plural ,conception4 ,when ,adam awoke out of the deep sleep into which he had been cast by the ,almighty1 and beheld the lovely being in his presence1 he was told by his and her maker1 that the woman was given to be with him1 not given to him2 for so we understand by the words of ,adam1 when he would have framed an excuse for his sin--8,the woman that thou gavest to be with me40 ,therefore the inference is plain that woman was not given to man to be his slave1 nor the victim of his caprice or violence1 nor the plaything of an hour1 but a partner and confidante in all that concerned him2 the sharer of his joys and sorrows1 of his prosperity and adversity4 ,woman was not to be subjected to harsh and cruel treatment1 but to be cherished and protected2 and to be on an equality in every way with man4 ,there is great force and truth in what was penned by an aged writer--8,man and wife are equally concerned to avoid all offences to each other in the beginning of their conversation2 a very little thing can blast an infant blossom2 and the breath of the south can shake the little rings of the vine1 when first they begin to curl like the locks of a new-weaned boy2 but when by age and consolidation they stiffen into the hardness of a stem1 and have by the warm embraces of the sun1 and the kisses of heaven1 brought forth their clusters they can endure the storms of the north1 and the loud noise of the tempest1 and yet never be broken40 ,peculiar scope is given for the exercise of the highest qualities of the heart1 through the obligations which belong to the state of matrimony4 ,the presence of our ,lord and ,saviour at a marriage feast1 and the example of the early ,christians1 give force to the statement that marriage is a divine institution4 ,marriage was held in great esteem by the venerable fathers of ancient days1 and considered highly honourable1 whilst celibacy was discountenanced by them4 ,among the ,jews1 marriage was held in the greatest esteem and favour1 and it is said that the early ,christians would never allow any one to sustain the office of a magistrate except those who were married4 ,laws were made by the ,pagans to promote the institution of marriage4 ,a festival was instituted by the ,lacedmonians1 at which those men1 who were unmarried1 were reviled and scourged by the women1 and deemed unworthy to serve the republic4 ,among the ,romans1 those who had been several times married were distinguished1 and received great honour from their fellow countrymen1 crowns and wreaths1 were placed on their heads1 and in their public rejoicings they appeared with palms in their hands1 signifying that they had been instrumental in adding to the glory of the empire4 ,it is related by ,st4 ,jerome1 that they covered a man with bays1 and ordered him to accompany his wife's corpse in funeral pomp1 with a crown on his head1 and a palm branch in his hand1 it being considered highly necessary that he should be thus honoured and carried in triumph1 seeing that he had been married twenty times1 and his wife twenty-two4 ,the marriage ceremony being solemnized in accordance with the rites of the early ,christian ,church1 the veil 7a ,pagan custom of former times7 was preserved1 and from this observance of veiling the word nuptials is derived4 ,the use of the ring was also a matter of importance in the ceremony2 the solemn kiss was imparted1 and the practice of joining hands was observed4 ,usually1 at the conclusion of the ceremony1 the bride was crowned--occasionally both the bride and the bridegroom--with wreaths of myrtle4--,the lace veil and the wreath of orange blossoms1 which is now such a necessary adornment in bridal attire1 may be traced to the practice pursued by bridal parties in former times4 ,the wedding ring is an emblem of many significant qualifications4 ,gold being the noblest and purest1 as well as the most enduring--it is made of that metal4--,its circular form denotes that form to be the most perfect of all figures1 and the hieroglyphic of eternity4 ,its being entirely free from ornament denotes the perfect simplicity and plainness of wedded life4 ,the ring is put on the left hand because of its being nearest the heart2 and on the fourth finger on account of some supposed connection between that finger1 more than the others1 with the seat of life4 ,the ring is the acknowledged pledge of the bestowal of authority1 as in former times the giving of it was regarded as the delegation of all the husband's authority1 and conferred upon the person receiving it1 entire supremacy over every thing in the husband's possession4 ,it would be an easy task to continue this chapter much farther1 by attempting to pourtray the beauty and virtue of marriage1 and endeavouring to enforce the obligation of it on all who are proper subjects to engage in it1 but we will now close the chapter by saying1 that the instincts of nature yearn towards the opposite sex4 ,we long to love and be loved4 ,we feel that within us which inclines us to seek the society of the other sex2 a monitor that warns us to refrain from unhallowed love3 and a voice which invites us to seek that state of matrimony1 which is sanctioned by human and divine law4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,happy ,,state ,,of ,,matrimony4 ,without doubt the uniting of hearts in holy wedlock is of all conditions the happiest2 for then a man has a second self to whom he can reveal his thoughts1 as well as a sweet companion in his labours1 toils1 trials1 and difficulties4 ,he has one in whose breast1 as in a safe cabinet1 he can confide his inmost secrets1 especially where reciprocal love and inviolable faith is centred3 for there no care1 fear1 jealousy1 mistrust1 or hatred can ever interpose4 ,for base is the man that hateth his own flesh6 ,and truly a wife if rightly considered1 as ,adam well observed1 is or ought to be esteemed of every honest man as 8,bone of his bone1 and flesh of his flesh10 c4 ,nor was it the least care of the ,almighty to ordain so near a union1 and that for two causes2 the first1 for the increase of posterity2 the second1 to restrain man's wandering desires and affections2 nay1 that they might be yet happier1 when ,god had joined them together1 he 8blessed them10 as in ,gen4 ii4 ,an ancient writer1 contemplating this happy state1 says1 in the economy of ,zenophon1 8that the marriage-bed is not only the most pleasant1 but profitable course of life1 that may be entered on for the preservation and increase of posterity4 ,wherefore since marriage is the most safe1 and delightful situation of man1 he does in no ways provide amiss for his own tranquillity who enters into it1 especially when he comes to maturity of years40 ,enviable is the state of that man who has fixed his choice upon a virtuous1 chaste wife1 centring her entire love upon her husband1 and submitting to him as her head and king1 by whose directions she ought to steer in all lawful courses1 will like a faithful companion1 share patiently with him in all his adversities1 run with cheerfulness through all difficulties and dangers1 though ever so hazardous1 to preserve or assist him in poverty1 sickness1 or whatever misfortune may befall him1 acting according to her duty in all things4 8,marriage10 says one of our most gifted poets--who had experienced some varieties of married life--8is a covenant1 the very being whereof consists not in a forced cohabitation and counterfeit performance of duties1 but in unfeigned love and peace4 ,matrimonial love1 no doubt1 was chiefly meant1 which by the ancient sages was thus parabled3 ,love1 if it be not twin-born1 yet hath a brother wondrous like him1 called ,anteros2 whom1 while he seeks all about1 his chance is to meet with many false and feigning desires1 that wander singly up and down in his likeness3 by them1 in their borrowed garb1 ,love though not wholly blind1 as poets wrong him1 yet having but one eye--on being born an archer1 aiming--and that eye not the quickest in this region here below--which is not ,love's proper sphere--partly out of the simplicity of credulity1 which is native to him1 often deceived1 embraces and consorts him with these obvious and suborned striplings1 as if they were her mother's own sons2 for so he thinks them1 while they subtly keep themselves most on his blind side4 ,but1 after a while1 as the manner is1 when soaring up into the high tower of his opqueum1 above the shadow of the earth1 he darts out the direct rays of his then most piercing eye-sight upon the impostures and trim disguises that were used with him1 and discerns that this was not his genuine brother1 as he imagined4 ,he has no longer the power to hold fellowship with such a personated mate2 for straight his arrows lose their golden heads1 and shed their purple feathers1 his silken braids entwine1 and slip their knots1 and that original and fiery virtue given him by fate1 all on a sudden goes out1 and leaves him undeified and despoiled of all his force2 till1 finding ,anteros at last1 he kindles and repairs the almost faded ammunition of his deity1 by the reflection of a coequal and homogenial fire40 ,this is a deep and serious verity1 showing us that love in marriage cannot live nor subsist unless it be mutual1 and where love cannot be1 there can be left of wedlock nothing but the empty husk of an outside matrimony1 as undelightful and unpleasing to ,god1 as any other kind of hypocrisy4 ,man experiences a feeling of want for some one to whom he can unbosom himself of all his secrets1 and tell the longings and aspirations of his heart2 and who so fit and proper to be trusted as the partner of his joys and sorrows1 and the wife of his bosom8 ,in his boyish days he may confide in some youthful companion1 but as he verges towards manhood1 he hesitates to entrust the secrets of his heart to his equals in age1 fearful of a betrayal of confidence4 ,men are following the bent of their inclinations and pursuits--seeking wealth1 reputation1 or pleasure--in various ways2 and if you told your dearest friend the secrets of your heart1 he would soon be wearied with your officiousness1 however much he might appreciate your friendship1 and might be anxious for your success1 but your success1 or even your friendship1 are not of paramount importance in his estimation4 ,very different1 however is the case with a wife4 ,when you conducted her to the altar1 and vowed to love and cherish her so long as life should last1 she became one with you--8no more twain but one flesh40 ,to her you may safely confide all your wishes1 difficulties1 and disappointments4 ,pleasure is all the more ecstatic when there are two to partake of it2 and every burden feels lighter1 when there are two to help to bear it4 ,pliny1 speaking of his wife1 says1--8,her ingenuity is admirable2 her frugality is extraordinary2 she reads my writings1 studies them1 and even gets them by heart4 ,you would smile to see the concern she is in when ,i have a cause to plead1 and the joy she shows when it is over4 ,she finds means to have the first news brought to her of the success ,i meet with in court1 how ,i am heard1 and what decree is made4 ,she feasts upon my applauses4 ,sometimes she sings my verses1 and accompanies them with the lute without any other master1 except love1 the best of instructors40 ,ecstatic and soul-cheering are the delights which spring from a trusting1 loving1 and honourable marriage4 ,how the very presence of the loved wife is prized6 ,for should circumstances cause a short separation1 with what anxiety does the fond husband look for the return of her on whom his soul doats2 and whose returning presence throws a halo of sunshine over his domestic hearth1 which gladdens the heart of the loving husband4 ,how the faithful husband will seek to shield the loving wife from every harm2 and how firmly he relies on her faith and purity6 ,what energy does the thought of her sterling fidelity give him in life's struggles6 ,what a peculiar charm is imparted to enjoyments when we can share them with one whom we fondly love1 and by whom we are fondly loved in return4 ,sympathy renders such communion ecstatic1 but if that is taken away1 the remains are but the hollow mockery of pleasure1 vanity1 and vexation of spirit4 ,a clever female writer thus speaks of marriage--8,many a marriage begins like the rosy morning1 and then falls away like a snow-wreath4 ,and why8 ,because the married pair neglect to be as well pleasing to each other after marriage as before4 ,endeavour always to please one another2 but at the same time keep ,god in your thoughts4--,lavish not all your love on to-day1 for remember that marriage has its to-morrow1 likewise1 and its day after to-morrow1 too4 ,spare1 as one may say1 fuel for the winter4--,deceive not one another in small things or in great4 ,one little lie has1 before now1 disturbed a whole married life4--,a small cause has often great consequences4--,fold not the hands together and sit idle4 #8,laziness is the devil's cushion6' ,do not run much from home4 #8,one's own hearth is gold-worth4'--,the married woman is her husband's domestic faith2 in her hands he must be able to confide house and family2 be able to entrust to her the key of his heart1 as well as the key of his eating-room4 ,his honour and his home are under her keeping2 his well-being is in her hand4 ,think of this1 oh wife6--,young men1 be faithful husbands and good fathers of families4 ,act so that your wives shall esteem and love you4 ,read the word of ,god industriously2 that will conduct you through storm and calm1 and safely bring you to the haven at last40 ,much happiness may result from the state of matrimony4 ,the good man beholds his children rising around him1 like olive branches2 he feels himself strengthened and encouraged to fulfil the responsibilities devolving upon him2 and he had before no idea of the fountain of joy that was in the word 8father40 ,it appears to him as if his boyish days were returned1 when he is surrounded by two or three of the pledges of his affection1 witnessing their youthful gambols1 and listening to their clear ringing shouts of glee and delight as they scamper up and down before him4 ,he takes a pride in his children4 ,no toil or trial appears harassing which is endured for their benefit4 ,he indulges in bright anticipations regarding their future career1 and prays and hopes that they will be a comfort and honour to his declining years2 and he endeavours to train them up in the way they should go1 trusting that when they are old1 they will not depart from it4 ,and this is not a selfish feeling2 he is well aware that the man who gives a brave son or a virtuous daughter to society1 has conferred an inestimable blessing on society4 ,when declining age approaches1 and the partner of his joys and sorrows manifests the effects of time's corroding blight on the fair structure which won his youthful affections1--still the flame of love burns as pure if not as ardent1 as when they stood before the hymeneal altar4 ,the aged pair are still happy in each other's smile2 and the reflection that they have led their children in that good path which shall make their memory blessed1 sustains and comforts them in life's closing scene4 ,an old divine says1 8,they that enter into marriage1 cast a die of the greatest contingency1 and yet of the greatest interest in the world1 next to the last throw for eternity4 ,life or death1 felicity or lasting sorrow1 are in the power of marriage4--,a woman1 indeed1 ventures most2 for she hath no sanctuary to retire to4--,the man can run from many hours of sadness1 yet he must return to it again1 and when he sits among his neighbours1 he remembers the dejection that is in his bosom1 and sighs deeply4--,after the hearts of the man and wife are endeared and strengthened1 by a mutual confidence and experience longer than artifice and presence can last1 there are a great many remembrances1 and some things present1 that dash all little unkindnesses in pieces4--,let man and wife be careful to stifle little things1 that as fast as they spring they be cast down and trod upon2 for if they be suffered to grow1 by numbers1 they make the spirits peevish1 and the society troublesome1 and the affections loose and easy by an habitual aversion4 ,some men are more vexed with a fly than with a wound2 and when the gnats disturb our sleep1 and the reason is disquieted but not perfectly awakened1 it is often seen that he is fuller of trouble than if1 in the day-light of his reason he were to contest with a potent enemy4 ,in the frequent little accidents of a family a man's reason cannot always be awake2 and when the discourses are imperfect1 and a trifling trouble makes him yet more restless1 he is soon betrayed to the violence of passion4--,let them be sure to abstain from all those things which by experience and observation1 they find to be contrary to each other4--,let the husband and wife avoid a curious distinction of mine and thine2 for this hath caused all the laws1 and all the suits1 and all the wars of the world4--,let them who have but one purse1 have but one interest4--,there is nothing that can please a man without love2 for nothing can sweeten felicity itself but love4--,no man can tell1 but he that loves his children1 how many delicious accents make a man's heart dance in the pretty conversations of those dear ones2 their childishness1 their stammering1 their little angers1 their innocence1 their imperfections1 their necessities1 are so many little emanations of joy and comfort to him that delights in their persons and society4--,a man should set a good example to his wife4--,ulysses was a prudent man1 and a wary counsellor1 sober and severe2 and he formed his wife into such imagery as he desired2 and she was chaste as the snows upon the mountains2 diligent as the fatal sisters2 always busy and always faithful1 she had a lazy tongue and a busy hand4--,a husband's chastity should be unspotted1 his faith inviolable1 for this is the 8,marriage ,ring20 it ties two hearts by an eternal band2 it is like the cherubim's flaming sword1 set for the guard of paradise40 8,let a man love his wife even as himself10 and 8be not bitter against her40 ,marcus ,aurelius said1 that 8a wise man ought often to admonish his wife1 to reprove her seldom1 but never to lay his hands on her40 ,the marital love is infinitely removed from all possibility of such rudeness2 it is a thing pure as light1 sacred as a temple1 lasting as the world4 ,there is nothing can please a man without love2 and if a man be weary of the wise discourses of the ,apostles1 and of the innocency of an even and private fortune1 or hates peace or a fruitful year1 he has reaped thorns and thistles from the choicest flowers of paradise1 8for nothing can sweeten felicity itself1 but love20 but when a man dwells in love1 then the breasts of his wife are pleasant as the droppings upon the hill of ,hermon1 her eyes are fair as the light of heaven1 she is a fountain sealed1 and he can quench his thirst1 and ease his cares1 and lay his sorrow down in her lap1 and can retire home to his sanctuary and refectory1 and his gardens of sweetness and chaste refreshment4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,precautionary ,,hints4 ,he that proposes to marry1 and wishes to enjoy happiness in that state1 should choose a wife descended from honest parents1 she being chaste1 well bred1 and of good manners4 ,for if a woman has good qualities1 she has portion enough4 ,that of ,alcmena1 in ,plautus1 is much to the purpose1 where he brings in a young woman speaking thus3-- 8,i take not that to be my dowry1 which ,the vulgar sort do wealth and honour call3 ,that all my wishes terminate in this1-- ,i'll obey my husband1 and be chaste withal3 ,to have ,god's fear1 and beauty1 in my mind1 ,to do those good who are virtuously inclined40 ,and undoubtedly she was right1 for such a wife is more precious than rubies4 ,it is assuredly the duty of parents to be very careful in training up their children in the ways of virtue1 and to have a due regard for their honour and reputation3 and more especially to young women1 when grown up to be marriageable4 ,parental authority in most cases ought to be obeyed by children2 but when an undue severity is exercised by parents in attempting to thwart the affections of a son or daughter1 and compel the one or the other to violently snap asunder the tenderest ties1 then that authority becomes questionable2 and except for the most weighty reasons1 ought not to be exercised4 ,alas6 what numerous lamentable illustrations of undue parental authority in regard to the affections of their children are constantly occurring--sons leaving the parental abode1 rushing into the haunts of vice and dissipation1 and wrecking their fair prospects on the numerous shoals and quicksands which are so fatal to the unwary--daughters flying from the domestic assylum1 which ought to shelter them from every storm1 and subjecting themselves to perhaps a far worse condition than that they are fleeing from1 in being exposed to the attacks of the human wolves who are nightly prowling in the streets of our large cities1 in search of the defenceless females who are wandering about homeless and disconsolate4 ,and when these victims of parental severity have fallen into the pit which has been dug for them1 probably the parents1 too late1 repent of their severity1 which has brought an indelible stain upon their family4 ,parents1 be cautious of thwarting the affection of your children4 ,vicious indulgence is certain to produce its legitimate results1 and bring down ruin upon the man or woman who is addicted to the same4 ,cast your eyes upon the blighted wrecks of what was once female beauty1 but now loathsome to behold1 notwithstanding the adventitious aid of paint1 and all the adjuncts of tawdry finery that may be put on to hide the miserable wrecks of humanity4 ,traverse the streets in our large cities1 and though illuminated by the glare of gaslight1 numbers with unblushing fronts meet you at almost every step4 ,these are the victims of vicious indulgence4 ,ask any of these to tell you whether she feels herself happy in the 8gay0 life she is pursuing2 and if she is sincere1 she will answer you with a heart-breaking sigh that she is far from being happy--that she is most miserable--that she remembers a happier time--remembrances which she attempts to stifle by quaffing liquid slow poison at the gin-palace4 ,she had a home once--and she remembers her mother--dead a long time ago--and oh1 agony6 she remembers the day when her own foot first turned into the path of guilt4 ,peradventure she was the victim of some base libertine1 and was decoyed away from virtue's path by a deceptive tale2 or1 probably1 she may have willingly swerved from that chaste and virtuous life which is the brightest adornment in female attire4 ,whatever was the cause there she is--a miserable wreck of humanity6 ,better1 far better1 that she had died2 that the grass had grown rank over her corpse as it mouldered away in the portion of ground allotted to the pauper dead4 ,thus it is with the wretched female who gives way to vicious indulgence4--,the once gay courtezan eventually is bereft of all splendour2 no devoted admirer rushes to her aid2 she coughs her way through life2 and sinks into an early grave--perhaps a watery grave4 ,beware1 young women1 of the siren tempter6 ,deviate not in the least from the paths of virtue6 ,chastity is your brightest adornment1 and that once sullied1 your fair fame is irretrievably damaged4 ,the baneful effects of giving way to vicious indulgence may probably not1 in every case1 be so serious to the male portion of the creation as to that of the female1 yet there are numerous instances of the libertine and debauchee having had to pay the penalty of their misdeeds by an emaciated frame1 a broken constitution1 and an early death4 ,how many young men have commenced the struggle of life with fair fame and bright prospects1 with business habits which gave them buoyant hopes of gaining an independence1 who1 giving way to vicious indulgence1 have ruined their health1 blighted their fair fame1 and become bankrupts in every thing that belongs to the man of honour and integrity4 ,young man1 beware of giving way to vicious indulgence6 ,love is a passion of the human soul2 and when properly under control1 it is capable of affording the greatest amount of happiness2 but1 like other passions of the heart1 when uncontrolled1 or wrongly directed1 it entails great misery on those who experience it4 ,this may be the case with that love which is called forth by family relationship and intimate friendship1 as well as that intense love which is felt by the opposite sex1 man for woman1 woman for man4 ,various are the means which the libertine and debauchee adopt to gratify their sensual appetite4 ,some will follow the 8strange woman0--the street harlot to her den of infamy and shame2 others will attempt to allure the simple trusting maiden by promises1 oaths as false and deceitful as ever were uttered by the arch enemy of our souls3--and by these means the trusting and confiding are lured to commit the sin which society condemns in the female1 but which is treated with lenity and forbearance in regard to the male transgressor4 ,examine the first of these two cases4 8,a young man deficient in understanding10 seeks the company of unfortunate women1 and exhausts his precious vigour and stamina in criminal pleasure4 ,the period of youth is the heyday of nature1 and the healthful development of all the resources of strength in our nature is the glory of our youth4 ,it is a most lamentable spectacle to behold1 in the streets of the metropolis1 and large towns1 such numbers of men1 young in years1 but through sensual gratification1 broken down in strength1 emaciated in body1 and apparently worn-out decrepid old men4 ,and alas6 how numerous are the allurements spread to entrap the unwary1 and cause them to enter on a vicious course of life4 8,the lips of a strange woman drop as a honey-comb1 and her mouth is smoother than oil40 ,every attraction which beauty can borrow from art is employed2 prostitution wears various kinds of guises to accomplish its object1 but is most dangerous when decked out the fairest1 and sports the best4 ,and1 therefore1 the wise teacher before quoted1 very appropriately remarks1 8,lust not after her beauty in thine heart2 neither let her take thee with her eye-lids40 ,the disastrous consequences of such 8pleasures10 are as certain as they are terrible4 ,the sweetness of the honey never provides an antidote for the sting4 ,such a course most frequently ruins the prospects of success in life--8a man is brought to a piece of bread20 8it ruins the health10--8thy flesh and thy body are consumed1 till a dart strike through thy liver40 ,and along with property and health goes the character1 for 8the name of the wicked shall rot10 and their end is shrouded in gloom2 their 8feet go down to death1 and their steps take hold on hell40 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,vagaries ,,of ,,nature1 ,,in ,,the ,,births ,,of ,,monsters4 ,the pleasing anticipations of the wedded pair are sometimes disappointed and seriously blighted by the birth of a deformed and malformed offspring4 ,sometimes the child is born with some one or more of the usual members of the body deficient2 at others there are births of children possessed with more than the usual members of the body2 and in various ways the eccentricities of nature are displayed in the production of the fruits of the womb contrary to the usual construction of the human frame4 ,it would be presumptuous in any finite creature to attempt to give a clear and uncontrovertible reason for these monstrous births4 ,suffice it to say1 that several have at various times been recorded in history2 a few of those we shall now introduce to the notice of the reader4 ,we are told by old historians of a monster which was born at ,ravenna1 in ,italy1 about the year #aeab1 which had wings instead of arms2 and some peculiar marks on its body4 ,we present the following figure of this singular creature4 ,illustration ,illustration ,another monster was born about the year #afjc1 which from the account handed down to us1 was from the navel upwards like a woman1 and the lower parts like those of a beast4 ,the following figure of this curious creature is taken from an ancient record of the subject4 ,this monster appears to approach nearer to the figure of the fabled satyrs than any we have before seen1 and may probably have given rise to those fabled monsters4 ,illustration3 ,where children thus are born with hairy coats1 ,heaven's wrath unto the kingdom it denotes4 ,another monster was produced1 representing a hairy child4 ,it was all covered with hair like a beast4 ,that which rendered it more frightful1 was1 that its navel was in the place where its nose should stand1 and its eyes placed where the mouth should have been2 and its mouth placed in the chin4 ,it was of the male kind1 and was born in ,france1 in the year #aeig1 at a town called ,arles1 in ,provence1 and lived a few days1 frightening all who beheld it4 ,it was looked upon by the superstitious as a forerunner of those desolations which soon afterwards happened to that unhappy kingdom1 where men to each other1 were more like beasts than human creatures4 ,the foregoing engraving from an old print--with two lines attached--give a clearer idea of the monster than any description of ours4 ,illustration ,in the year #aeha1 a monster was born at ,nazara1 which had four arms and four legs1 of a similar form to the figure above4 ,whether this monster lived for any length of time after its birth1 or whether it perished soon after1 we have no reliable account on which to rest our conclusions4 ,there is no doubt but that many such unnatural births would be concealed3 for the doctors of a former age would consider themselves justified in putting an end to the existence of such monsters4 ,with regard to the formation of the child in this case1 so far as can be gathered from the account of it1 there was nothing to prevent it living3 its vital organs were single1 it was only the arms and legs that were double4 ,illustration ,in the reign of ,henry ,,iii4 of ,england1 there was a woman delivered of a child1 having two heads and four arms1 and the bodies were joined at the back2 the heads were so placed1 that they looked contrary ways2 each had two distinct arms and hands2 they would both laugh1 both speak1 and both cry1 and be hungry together2 sometimes the one would speak1 and the other would keep silent1 and sometimes both speak together4 ,it lived several years1 but one outlived the other three years1 carrying the dead one1 7for there was no separating them71 till it fainted with the burden1 and more with the stench of the dead carcase4 ,illustration ,in ,flanders1 between ,antwerp and ,mechlin1 in a village called ,uthaton1 a child was born which had two heads and four arms1 seeming like two girls joined together1 having two of her arms lifted up between and above their heads3 the thighs being placed as it were across one another1 according to the following figure4 ,how long they lived is not known2 but1 probably1 life would not be sustained for any length of time2 for1 even supposing the vital organs were unaffected1 by the curious junction of the two bodies1 the singular position of the limbs would1 to some extent1 interfere with the free actions of life1 as well as produce misery to the creature all its days4 ,these vagaries of nature happily seldom occur1 and when they do1 the friendly stroke of death gives relief4 ,the following figure shows that though some of the members of the body may be wanting1 yet they are commonly supplied by others--by members which serve the same purpose as those which are deficient4 ,illustration ,without doubt some of the stories of monsters are fabulous1 but we hesitate not to state that we believe many of them to be true4 ,nearly every accoucheur has1 at some time or other1 had cases when they have had to assist in bringing into the world specimens of the freaks of nature1 either deficient of their natural properties1 or a superabundance of them4 ,it frequently happens that these prodigies exist but for a short time--death speedily putting an end to what must otherwise be a miserable existence1 and little is said about them4 ,the surgical museums in our country contain sufficient proof of the birth of monsters3 and there is no denying the fact1 that there are cases in which people are born into the world1 and from certain peculiarities in their structure have been exhibited to the public as monsters4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,of ,,the ,,womb ,,in ,,general4 ,herein ,i propose to treat of the womb1 and the various maladies to which it is subject4 ,by the ,grecians it is called metra1 the mother2 adelphos1 says ,priscian1 because it makes us all brothers4 ,it is placed in the hypogastrium1 or lower part of the body1 in the cavity called pelvis1 having the strait gut on one side1 to keep it from the other side of the backbone1 and the bladder on the other side to defend it from blows4 ,it is divided into the neck and the body4 ,the neck consists of a hard fleshy substance1 much like cartilage1 at the end whereof is a membrane transversely placed1 called hymen1 or engion4 ,near to the neck there is a prominent pinnacle1 which is called by ,montinus the door of the womb1 because it preserves the matrix from cold and dust2 by the ,grecians it is called clytoris2 by the ,latins1 prputium muliebre4 ,the body of the womb is that wherein the child is conceived2 and this is not altogether round1 but dilates itself into two angles1 the outward part of it nervous and full of sinews1 which are the cause of its motion1 but inwardly it is fleshy4 ,in the cavity of the womb there are two cells or receptacles for the seed1 divided by a line running through the midst of it4 ,in the right side of the cavity1 by reason of the heat of the liver1 males are conceived2 and in the left side1 by the coldness of the spleen1 females4 ,most of our moderns hold the above as an infallible truth1 yet ,hippocrates holds it but in general3 8,for in whom 7saith he7 the spermatic vessels on the right side come from the reins1 and the spermatic vessels on the left side from the hollow vein1 in them males are conceived in the left side1 and females in the right40 ,empedocles1 in giving his opinion1 says1 8,such sometimes is in the power of the seed1 that the male may be conceived in the left side1 as well as in the right40 ,in the bottom of the cavity1 there are little holes called the cotiledones1 which are the ends of certain veins and arteries1 serving in breeding women to convey substance to the child which is received by the umbilical veins2 and others to carry their courses into the matrix4 ,the menstruals are a monthly flux of excrementitious blood1 which is to be understood of the surplus or redundance of it4 ,for it is an excrement in quality1 its quality being poor and corrupt1 like unto the blood in the veins4 ,this is proved two ways2 first1 from the final cause of the blood1 which is the propagation and conservation of mankind1 that man might be conceived2 and being begotten1 he might be comforted and preserved both in the womb and out of the womb4 ,and all will grant it for a truth1 that a child1 in the matrix1 is nourished with the blood4 ,and being out of the womb1 it is still nourished with the same2 for the milk is nothing but the menstruous blood made white in the breast4 ,secondly1 it is proved to be true1 from the generation of it1 it being the superfluity of the last aliment of the fleshy part4 ,the natural end of man and woman's being is to propagate2 and this injunction was imposed upon them by ,god at their first creation1 and again after the deluge4 ,now1 in the act of conception1 there must be an agent and patient2 for if they be both every way of one constitution1 they cannot propagate3 man therefore is hot and dry1 woman cold and moist2 he is the agent1 she the patient or weaker vessel1 that she should be subject to the office of the man4 ,it is necessary the woman should be of a cold constitution1 because in her is required a redundancy of nature for the infant depending upon her2 for otherwise1 if there were not a surplus of nourishment for the child1 more than is convenient for the mother1 then would the infant detract and weaken the principal parts of the mother1 and like unto the viper1 the generating of the infant would be the destruction of the parent4 ,the monthly purgations continue from the #aeth year to the #dfth or #ejth2 yet often there happens a suppression1 which is either natural or morbical3 they are naturally suppressed in breeding women1 and such as give suck4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,of ,,the ,,retention ,,of ,,the ,,menses4 ,the suppression of the terms is an interception of that accustomed evacuation of blood which every month comes from the matrix1 proceeding from the instrument or matter vitiated4 ,the part affected is the womb1 and that of itself or by consent4 ,cause4--,the cause of this suppression is either external or internal4 ,the external cause may be heat1 or dryness of air1 immoderate watching1 great labour1 vehement motion1 c4 whereby the matter is so consumed and the body so exhausted1 that there is not a surplus remaining to be expelled4 ,or it may be caused by cold1 making the blood vicious and gross1 condensing and binding up the passages1 that it cannot flow forth4 ,the internal cause is either instrumental or material1 in the womb or in the blood4 ,in the womb it may be divers ways2 by imposthumes1 humours1 ulcers1 by the narrowness of the veins and passages1 or by the omentum1 in fat bodies1 pressing the neck of the matrix1 but then they must have hernia1 zirthilis1 for in mankind the caul reacheth not so low2 by overmuch cold or heat1 the one vitiating the action1 the other consuming the matter by an evil composition of the uterine parts1 by the neck of the womb being turned aside1 and sometimes1 though rarely1 by a membrane or excrescence of the flesh growing about the mouth or neck of the womb4 ,the blood may be in fault two ways1 in quantity or quality3 in quantity1 when it is so consumed that there is not a superplus left1 as in viragos1 or virile women1 who1 through their heat and strength of nature1 digest and consume all in their last nourishment4 ,the blood likewise may be consumed1 and consequently the terms staid1 by bleeding at the nose1 by a flux of the hemorrhoids1 by a dysentery1 or bloody flux1 by many other evacuations1 and by continual and chronical diseases4 ,secondly1 the matter may be vicious in quality2 and suppose it to be sanguineous1 phlegmatical1 bilious1 or melancholic2 every one of these1 if they offend in grossness1 will cause an obstruction in the veins4 ,signs4--,pains in the head1 neck1 back1 and loins2 weariness of the whole body1 7but especially of the hips and legs1 trembling of the heart47 ,if the suppression proceed from cold1 she is heavy1 sluggish1 of a pale colour1 and has a slow pulse2 the urine curdles1 the blood becomes waterish and much in quantity1 and the excrements are retained4 ,if of heat1 the signs are contrary to those now recited4 ,if the retention come of conception1 this may be known by drinking of water and honey1 after supper1 going to bed1 by the effect which it worketh2 for if1 after taking of it1 she feels a beating pain upon the stomach1 and the lower part of the belly1 it is a sign she hath conceived1 and that the suppression is natural2 if not1 then it is vicious1 and ought medicinally to be taken away4 ,prognostics4--,with the evil quality of the womb1 the whole body stands charged1 but especially the heart1 the liver1 and the brain2 and betwixt the womb and these three principal parts there is a singular concert3 ,first1 the womb communicates to the heart by those arteries which come from the aorta4 ,hence1 the terms being suppressed1 will ensue faintings1 swoonings1 intermission of pulse1 cessation of breath4 ,secondly1 it communicates to the liver by the veins derived from the hollow vein4 ,hence will follow obstructions1 jaundice1 dropsies1 hardness of spleen4 ,thirdly1 it communicates to the brain by the nervous membrane of the back3 hence will arise epilepsies1 frenzies1 melancholy passion1 pain in the after parts of the head1 fearfulness1 and inability of speaking4 ,hippocrates says1 if the months be suppressed1 many dangerous diseases will follow4 ,cure4--,the suppression is a plethoric effect1 and must be taken away by evacuation2 and therefore we begin with the phlebotomy4 ,in the midst of the menstrual period open the liver vein2 and for the reservation of the humour1 two days before the evacuation1 open the saphena in both feet2 if the repletion be not great1 apply cupping-glasses to the legs and thighs1 although there should be no hopes of removing the suppression4 ,as in some the cotiledones are so closed1 it will be convenient1 as much as may be1 to ease nature of her burden1 by opening the hemorrhoid veins with a leech4 ,after bleeding1 let the humours be prepared and made flexible with syrup of calamint1 betony1 hyssop1 mugwort1 horehound1 fumitory1 maiden-hair4 ,bathe with camomile1 pennyroyal1 savin1 bay-leaves1 juniper-berries1 rue1 marjoram1 feverfew4 ,take of the leaves of maiden-hair1 succory1 and betony1 of each a handful1 make a decoction2 take thereof three ounces4 ,syrup of maiden-hair1 mugwort1 and succory2 mix of each half an ounce4 ,after she comes out of the bath1 let her drink it off4 ,purge with pill de agarice1 fley-bang1 corb1 feri4 ,galen commends pilul de caberica1 coloquintida2 as they purge the humour of offending1 and open the womb1 and strengthen the faculty by their aromatical quality4 ,if the stomach be overcharged1 let her take a vomit1 such a one as may work both ways1 lest working only upward1 it should too much turn back the humour4 ,after the humour hath been purged1 proceed to more proper and forcible remedies4 ,take of troschisk of myrrh one drachm and a half2 of musk ten grains with the juice of smallage2 make twelve pills2 take six every morning1 or after supper going to bed4 ,take of cinnamon half an ounce1 smirutium1 valerian aristolochia1 of each two drachms2 roots of astrumone1 drachm saffron1 of each two scruples2 spec4 diambia1 two drachms2 troschisk of myrrh1 four scruples2 make half into a powder2 with mugwort water and sugar a sufficient quantity1 make lozenges1 take one drachm of them every morning2 or mingle one drachm of the powder with one drachm of the sugar1 and take it in white wine4 ,take of prepared steel1 spec4 hair1 of each two drachms2 borax1 spec4 of myrrh1 of each one scruple1 with the juice of savin2 make it up with the lozenges1 and take three every other day before dinner4 ,take of castor one scruple1 wild carrot seed half a drachm1 with syrup of mugwort1 make four pills2 take them in a morning fasting1 for three days together1 before the wonted time of the purgation4 ,take of juice of horehound1 of each five drachms2 rhubarb1 spikenard1 aniseed1 galbanum1 asaftida1 marrow root1 gentian1 with honey1 make an electuary1 take of it three drachms for a dose4 ,in phlegmatic bodies nothing can be better given than the decoction of the wood guiacum1 taken in the morning fasting1 and so for twelve days together1 without provoking of sweat4 ,administer to the lower parts by suffumigations1 pessaries1 unctions1 injections3 make suffumigations of cinnamon1 nutmeg1 cloves1 bay berries1 mugwort1 galbanum1 molanthium1 amber1 c4 ,make pessaries of figs1 and the leaves of mercury bruised1 and rolled up with lint4 ,make injections of the decoction of origane1 mugwort1 betony1 and eggs2 inject it into the womb by an instrument for that purpose4 ,take of oil of almonds1 lilies1 capers1 camomile1 of each an ounce2 laudani1 oil of myrrh1 of each two drachms2 with wax make an unguent1 with which let the place be anointed2 make infusions of fenugreek1 camomile1 melilot1 dill1 marjoram1 pennyroyal1 feverfew1 juniper-berries1 and calamint2 but if the suppression comes by a defect of matter1 then ought not the menses to be provoked until the spirits be animated1 and the blood again increased2 or1 by proper effects of the womb1 as dropsies1 inflammations1 c4 then must particular care be used4 ,if the retention comes from repulsion or fulness1 if the air be hot or dry1 use moderate exercise before meals1 and your meat and drink attenuating2 use with your meat garden savory1 thyme1 origane1 and cyche peason3 if from emptiness or defect of matter1 if the air be moist and moderately hot1 shun exercise and watching2 let your meat be nourishing and of light digestion1 as raw eggs1 lamb1 chickens1 almonds1 milk4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,of ,,the ,,overflowing ,,of ,,the ,,menses4 ,i shall now treat on the overflowing of the menses1 an effect no less dangerous than the former4 ,this immoderate flux is a sanguineous excrement1 proceeding from the womb1 exceeding both in quantity and time4 ,first1 it is sanguineous3 the matter of the flux being only blood1 wherein it differs from that which is commonly called the false menses1 or the whites4 ,secondly1 it proceeds from the womb3 for there are two ways from which the blood flows2 one by the internal veins of the body of the womb1--and this is called the monthly flux2 the other is by those veins which are terminated in the neck of the matrix1--and this is called the hemorrhoids of the womb4 ,lastly1 it is said to exceed both in quantity and time4 ,in quantity1 saith ,hippocrates1 when they flow about eighteen ounces3 in time1 when they flow about three days3 but it is inordinate flowing1 when the faculties of the body are thereby weakened4 ,in bodies abounding with gross humours1 this immoderate flux sometimes unburdens nature of her load1 and ought not to be staid without the counsel of a physician4 ,cause4--,the cause is internal or external4 ,the internal cause is threefold2 in the matter1 instrument1 or faculty4 ,the matter1 which is the blood1 may be vicious1 by the heat of constitution1 climate1 or season1 heating the blood1 whereby the passages are dilated1 and the faculty weakened1 that it cannot retain the blood2 and1 by falls1 blows1 violent motion1 breaking of the veins1 c4 ,the external cause may be lifting1 carrying of heavy burdens1 unnatural child-birth1 c4 ,signs4--,the appetite is decayed1 the conception is depraved1 and the actions weakened2 the feet are swelled1 the colour of the face is changed1 and a general feebleness of the body4 ,if the flux comes by the breaking of a vein1 the body is sometimes cold1 the blood flows forth in heaps1 and that suddenly1 with great pain4 ,if it comes through heat1 the orifice of the vein being dilated1 then there is little or no pain1 yet the blood flows faster than it doth in an erosion1 and not so fast as it doth in a rupture4 ,if by erosion1 or sharpness of blood1 she feels a great heat scalding the passage2 it differs from the other two1 in that it flows not so suddenly1 nor so copiously as they do4 ,lastly1 if it proceeds from bad blood drop some of it on a cloth1 and when it is dry1 you may judge of the quality by the colour4 ,if it be choleric1 it will be yellow2 if melancholy1 black2 if phlegmatic1 waterish and whitish4 ,prognostics4--,if with the flux be joined a convulsion1 it is dangerous1 because it intimates the more noble parts are vitiated3 and a convulsion caused by emptiness is deadly4 ,if it continues long1 it will be cured with great difficulty3 for it was one of the miracles which our ,saviour1 ,christ1 wrought1 to cure this disease1 when it had continued twelve years4 ,if the flux be inordinate1 many diseases will ensue1 and without remedy2 the blood1 with the native heat1 being consumed1 either cachetical1 hydropical1 or paralytical diseases will follow4 ,cure4--,the cure is1 first1 in repelling and carrying away the blood3 ,secondly1 in correcting and taking away the fluxibility of the matter3 ,thirdly1 in incorporating the veins and faculties4 ,for the first1 open a vein in the arm1 and draw out so much blood as the strength of the patient will permit2 and at several times1 for thereby the spirits are less weakened1 and the refraction so much the greater4 ,apply cupping-glasses to the breasts1 and also the liver1 that the reversion may be in the fountain4 ,to correct the fluxibility of the matter1 cathartical means1 moderated with the astrictories1 may be used4 ,if it be caused by erosion1 or sharpness of blood1 prepare with syrup of violets1 wormwood1 roses1 citron-pill1 succory1 c4 ,if by adust choler1 prepare the body with syrup of roses1 myrtles1 sorrel1 and purslain1 mixed with water of plantain1 knot-grass1 and endive4 ,then purge with rhubarb1 one drachm1 cinnamon fifteen grains2 infuse them one night in endive water2 add to the straining1 pulp of tamarind1 cassia1 of each half an ounce2 make a potion4 ,if the blood be waterish as it is in hydropical bodies1 and flows forth by reason of thinness1 to draw off the water it will be profitable to purge with agaric1 coloquintida3 sweating is proper1 for thereby the matter offending is taken away1 and the blood carried to the other parts4 ,to procure sweat1 use cardus water1 with mithridate1 or the decoction of guaiacum1 and sarsaparilla4 ,the pills of sarsaparilla are commended4 ,take of bole ammoniac one scruple1 ,london treacle one drachm1 old conserve of roses half an ounce1 with syrup of myrtle make an electuary3 or1 if the flux hath continued long1 take of mastic two drachms1 olibani troch de carbara1 of each one drachm2 balustium1 one scruple2 make a powder2--with syrup of quinces make it into pills2 take one before meals4 ,take the juice of knot-grass1 comfrey1 and quinces1 of each one ounce1 camphor1 one drachm2 dip silk or cotton therein1 and apply it to the place4 ,take of oil of mastic1 myrtles1 quinces1 of each half an ounce2 fine bole1 trock1 decarda1 of each one drachm2 sanguis draconis a sufficient quantity2 make an unguent1 and apply it before and behind4 ,take the plantain1 shepherd's purse1 red rose leaves1 of each one ounce3--boil all these in plantain water1 and make of it two plasters2 apply one before and one behind4 ,if the blood flow from those veins which terminated in the neck of the matrix1 then it is not the overflowing of the terms1 but the hemorrhoids of the womb2 yet the same cure will serve both1 only the instrumental cure will a little differ3 for1 in the uterine hemorrhoids1 the ends of the veins hang over like teats or bushes1 which must be taken away by incision1 and then the veins closed up with aloes1 fine bole1 burnt alum1 troch de terrs fiall2 myrrh1 mastic1 with the juice of comfrey and knot-grass1 laid plaster-ways thereto4 ,the air must be cold and dry4 ,all motion of the body must be forbidden4 ,let her meat be pheasant1 partridge1 mountain birds1 coneys1 calf-feet1 c4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,of ,,the ,,weeping ,,of ,,the ,,womb4 ,the weeping of the womb is a flux of blood1 unnaturally coming from thence by drops1 after the manner of tears1 causing violent pains1 keeping neither period nor time4 ,by some it is referred unto the immoderate evacuation of the menses1 yet they are distinguished in the quantity and manner of overflowing1 in that they flow copiously and free2 this is continual1 by little and little1 and with great pain and difficulty4 ,the cause is in the faculty1 by being enfeebled that it cannot expel the blood resting there1 makes that part of the womb grow hard1 and stretcheth the vessels2 from whence proceeds the pain of the womb4 ,it may be the matter of the blood which may offend in too great a quantity2 or it may be so gross and thick as to flow by drops4 ,the signs will be pains in the head1 stomach1 and back1 with inflammations1 suffocations1 and excoriations of the matrix4 ,if the strength of the patient will permit1 first open a vein in the arm1 rub the upper parts1 and let her arm be corded1 that the force of the blood may be carried backwards3 then apply such things as may laxate and mollify the strengthening of the womb1 and assuage the sharpness of the blood1 as cataplasms made of bran1 linseed1 and mallows4 ,if the blood be vicious and gross1 add thereto mugwort1 calamint1 dictam1 and betony2 and let her take of ,venice treacle the size of a nutmeg1 and the syrup of mugwort every morning2 make an injection of the decoction of mallows1 linseed1 groundsel1 mugwort1 with oil of sweet almonds4 ,sometimes it is caused by the wind1 and then phlebotomy is to be omitted1 and instead1 take syrup of feverfew one ounce2 honey1 roses1 syrup of roses1 of each half an ounce2 water of calamint1 mugwort1 betony1 and hyssop1 of each an ounce2 make a julep4 ,if the pain continues1 employ this purgation3 take of hier one drachm2 syrup of roses and luxative one ounce2 with the decoction of mugwort make a potion4 ,if it come through the weakness of the faculty1 let that be corroborated4 ,if through the grossness and sharpness of the blood1 let the quality of it be altered1 as ,i have shown in the foregoing chapter4 ,lastly1 if the excrements be retained1 provoke them by a clyster of the decoction of camomile1 betony1 feverfew1 mallows1 linseed1 juniper berries1 aniseed1 adding thereto of diacatholicon1 half an ounce2 hiera picra1 two drachms2 honey and oil1 of each one ounce2 nitre a drachm and a half4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,of ,,the ,,false ,,menses1 ,,or ,,whites4 ,from the womb proceed not only menstruous blood1 but a distillation of a variety of corrupt humours through the womb1 keeping neither courses nor colour1 but varying in both4 ,cause4--,the cause is either promiscuously in the whole body1 by a cocochymia1 or weakness of the same1 or in some of the parts1 as in the liver1 which causeth a generation of corrupt blood1 and then the matter is reddish2 sometimes the gall being sluggish in its office1 not drawing away those choleric superfluities engendered in the liver1 the matter is yellowish2 sometimes in the spleen1 not deficiating and cleansing the blood of the excrementitious parts4 ,it may also come from the catarrh in the head1 or from any other corrupt member2 but if the matter of the flux be white1 the cause is in the stomach by a crude matter there1 and vitiated through grief and melancholy1 for1 otherwise1 if the matter were only pituitous1 crude phlegm1 it might be converted into blood2 for phlegm in the ventrical is called nourishment half digested2 but being corrupt1 though sent into the liver1 yet it cannot be turned into nutriment2 for the second decoction cannot correct that which the first hath corrupted2 and therefore the liver sends it to the womb1 which can neither digest nor repel it1 and so it is voided out with the same colour it had in the ventricle4 ,the cause also may be in the reins being over-heated1 whereby the spermatical causes may be moistness of air1 eating of corrupt meats1 anger1 grief1 slothfulness1 immoderate sleeping1 costiveness4 ,the signs are1 extenuation of the body1 shortness and stinking of the breath1 loathing of meat1 pain in the head1 swelling of the eyes and feet1 and melancholy3 humidity from the womb of divers colours1 as red1 black1 green1 yellow1 and white4 ,it differs from the menses1 in that it keeps no certain period1 and is of many colours1 all of which generate from blood4 ,prognostics4--,if the flux be phlegmatical1 it will continue long and be difficult to cure1 yet if vomiting or diarrha happeneth1 it diverts the humour and cures the disease4 ,if it be choleric1 it is not so permanent1 yet more perilous1 for it will cause a cliff in the neck of the womb1 and sometimes make an excoriation of the matrix2 if melancholic1 it must be dangerous and contumacious4 ,yet the flux of the hemorrhoids administer cure4 ,if the matter flowing forth be reddish1 open a vein in the arm2 if not1 apply ligatures to the arms and shoulders4 ,galen cured the wife of ,brutus1 by rubbing the upper part with crude honey4 ,if it be caused by a distillation from the brain1 take syrup of betony1 and marjoram2 with sugar and betony water make lozenges1 to be taken every morning and evening2 ,auri ,alexandria1 half a drachm at night going to bed4 ,if these things help not1 use the suffumigation and plaster1 as they are prescribed4 ,if the flux be melancholic1 prepare with syrup of maiden-hair1 borage1 buglos4 ,purges for melancholy are stamped prunes1 two oz42 senna1 one drachm2 fumitory1 a drachm2 sour dates1 one ounce2 with endive water1 make a decoction2 take of it four ounces1 add unto it confections1 hamesech three drachms1 manna three drachms4 ,take conserves of borage1 violets1 buglos1 of each a drachm2 citron peel candied one drachm2 sugar1 seven ounces2 with rose-water make lozenges4 ,lastly1 let the womb be cleansed from the corrupt matter4 ,make injections of the decoction of betony1 feverfew1 spikenard1 bistort1 mercury1 and sage1 adding thereto sugar1 oil of sweet almonds1 of each two ounces2 pessaries also may be made of silk or cotton1 mollified in the juice of the aforesaid herbs4 ,a dry diet is commended as the best1 because in this effect the body most commonly abounds with phlegmatical and crude humours4 ,for this cause ,hippocrates counsels the patient to go to bed supperless4 ,let her meat be partridge1 pheasant1 and mountain birds1 rather roasted than boiled4 ,immoderate sleep is forbidden1 moderate exercise is commended4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,of ,,the ,,suffocation ,,of ,,the ,,mother4 ,this is called in ,english1 8the suffocation of the mother20 because it causeth the womb to be choked4 ,it is a retraction of the womb towards the midriff and the stomach1 which so presseth and crusheth up the same1 that the instrumental cause of respiration1 the midriff1 is suffocated1 and causes the animating faculty1 the efficient cause of respiration1 also to be intercepted1 while the body being refrigerated1 and the action depraved1 she falls to the ground as one dead4 ,many instances are recorded of those who have been considered dead1 even by the medical men1 in this disorder4 ,to distinguish the living from the dead the ancients prescribe three experiments3 the first is1 to lay a light feather to the mouth1 and by its motion you may judge whether the patient be living or dead3 the second is to place1 a glass of water on the breast1 and if you perceive it to move1 it betokeneth life3 third1 to hold a looking-glass to the mouth and nose2 and if the glass appears thick1 with a little dew upon it1 it betokens life4 ,you ought not to depend upon these2 for the motion of the lungs1 by which the respiration is made1 may be taken away so that she cannot breathe1 yet the internal transpiration of the heat may remain2 which is not manifest by the motion of the breast or lungs1 but lies occult in the heart and inward arteries3 examples whereof we have in the fly and swallow1 who1 in cold winters1 seem dead1 and breathe not at all2 yet they live by the transpiration of that heat which is reserved in the heart and inward arteries3 therefore1 when the summer approacheth1 the internal heat being revocated to the outer parts1 they revive out of their sleepy ecstacy4 ,those women therefore1 who seem to die suddenly1 let them not be committed unto the earth until the end of three days1 lest the living be buried for the dead4 ,cause4--,the part affected is the womb1 of which there is a twofold motion--natural and symptomatical4 ,the natural motion is1 when the womb attracteth the seed1 or excludeth the infant or secundine4 ,the symptomatical motion1 of which we are to speak1 is a convulsive drawing up of the womb4 ,the cause is the retention of the seed1 or the suppression of the menses1 causing a repletion of the corrupt humours in the womb1 from whence proceeds a flatuous refrigeration1 causing a convulsion of the ligaments of the womb4 ,and as it may come from humidity or repletion1 being a convulsion1 it may be caused by emptiness or dryness4 ,and by abortion1 or difficult child-birth4 ,signs4--,at the approaching of the suffocation1 there is a paleness in the face1 weakness of the legs1 shortness of breath1 frigidity of the whole body1 with a working in the throat1 and then she falls down as one void of sense and motion2 the mouth of the womb is closed up1 and being touched with the fingers feels hard4 ,the paroxysm of the fit being past1 she openeth her eyes1 and feeling her stomach oppressed1 she offers to vomit4 ,it differs from apoplexy1 by reason it comes without shrieking out2 also in the hysterical passion the sense of feeling is not altogether destroyed and lost1 as it is in the apoplectic disease3 and it differs from the epilepsies in that the eyes are not wrested1 neither doth any spongy froth come from the mouth2 and that convulsive motion1 which sometimes1 is joined to suffocations1 is not universal1 and it is in the epilepsies1 only this or that matter is convulsed without vehement agitation4 ,in the syncope1 both respiration and pulse are taken away1 and she swoons away suddenly2 but in the hysterical passion1 there is both respiration and pulse1 though it cannot be well perceived2 her face looks red1 and she hath a fore-warning of her fit4 ,lastly1 it is distinguished from the lethargy by the pulse1 which in one is great1 and the other little4 ,prognostics4--,if the disease arises from the corruption of the seed1 it foretells more danger than if it proceed from the suppression of the menses1 because the seed is concocted1 and of a purer quality than the menstruous blood2 and the more pure being corrupted becomes the more foul4 ,if it be accompanied with a syncope1 it shows nature is weak1 and that the spirits are almost exhausted2 but if sneezing follows1 it shows that the heat begins to return1 and that nature will subdue the disease4 ,cure4--,in the cure observe3 first1 that during the paroxysm1 nature must be provoked to expel those malignant vapours which stupify the senses1 that she may be called out of that sleepy ecstacy4 ,secondly1 that in the intermission of the fit1 proper medicines may be applied to take away the cause4 ,to stir up nature1 fasten cupping-glasses to the hips and navel1 apply ligatures unto the thigh1 rub the extreme parts with salt1 vinegar1 and mustard3 cause loud clamours and thundering in the ears4 ,apply to the nose asaftida1 castor1 and sal volatile2 provoke her to sneeze by blowing up into her nostrils the powder of castor1 white pepper1 and hellebore2 hold under her nose partridge feathers1 hair1 and burnt leather4 ,the brain is sometimes so oppressed1 that there is a necessity for burning the outward skin of the head with hot oil1 or with a hot iron4 ,sharp clysters are available4 ,take of sage1 calamint1 horehound1 feverfew1 marjoram1 betony1 hyssop1 of each one handful2 aniseed1 half an ounce2 coloquintida1 white hellebore1 of each two drachms2 boil in two pounds of water to the half2 add the straining oil of castor two ounces1 hiera picra two drachms1 and make a clyster of it4 ,hippocrates writes of an hysterical woman1 who could not be freed from the paroxysm but by pouring cold water upon her2 yet this cure is singular1 and ought to be administered only in the heat of summer4 ,if it be caused by the retention and corruption of the seed1 let the midwife take oil of lilies1 marjoram1 and bays1 dissolving in the same two grains of civet1 and musk2 let her dip her finger therein1 and put into the neck of the womb1 tickling and rubbing the same4 ,if it arise from the suppression of the menses look to the cure in chap4 ,,xvi4 ,if from the retention of the seed1 use such things as will dry up and diminish the seed1 as diacimina1 diacalaminhes1 c4 ,amongst potions1 the seed of agnus is well esteemed1 whether taken inwardly1 applied outwardly1 or received as suffumigation4 ,make an issue on the inside of her leg1 a hand-breadth below the knee4 ,make trochisks of agaric1 two scruples1 wild carrot seed1 lign-aloes1 of each half a scruple2 washed turpentine1 three drachms2 with conserve of anthos make a bolus4 ,castor is of excellent use in this case1 eight drachms of it taken in white wine3 or make pills of it with mithridate1 and take them going to bed4 ,take of white briony root1 dried and cut after the manner of carrots1 one ounce put in a draught of wine1 placing it by the fire1 and when it is warm1 drink it4 ,take myrrh1 castor1 and asaftida1 of each one scruple2 saffron and rue-seed1 of each four grains2 make eight pills1 and take two every night going to bed4 ,galen1 by his own example1 commends unto us agaric pulverized one scruple in white wine4 ,lay to the navel1 at bed-time1 a head of garlic bruised1 fastening it with a swathed band4 ,make a girdle of galbanum for the waist1 and also a plaster for the belly1 placing in one part of it civet and musk1 which must be laid upon the navel4 ,take pulveris1 benedict1 trochisk of agaric1 of each two drachms2 of mithridate a sufficient quantity2 and so make two pessaries1 and it will purge the matrix of wind and phlegm2 foment the natural part with salad oil1 in which hath been boiled rue1 feverfew1 and camomile4 ,take of rose leaves a handful1 cloves two scruples2 quilt them in a little cloth1 and boil them in malmsey the eighth part of an hour1 and apply them to the mouth of the womb1 as hot as may be endured1 but let not the smell get to her nose4 ,a dry diet must still be observed4 ,let her bread be aniseed biscuit1 and her flesh meat roasted4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,falling ,,of ,,the ,,womb4 ,the falling down of the womb is a relaxation of the ligature1 whereby the matrix is carried backward1 and in some hangs out the size of an egg4 ,the falling of the womb is1 when it sinks down to the entrance of the privities1 and appears to the eye either very little or not at all4 ,the precipitation is1 when the womb1 like a purse is turned inside outward1 and hangs betwixt the thighs in the size of a cupping-glass4 ,cause4--,the external cause is difficult child-birth1 violent pulling away of the secundine1 rashness and inexperience in drawing away the child1 violent coughing1 sneezing1 falls1 blows1 and carrying heavy burdens4 ,the internal cause is overmuch humidity flowing into these parts1 hindering the operations of the womb1 whereby the ligaments by which the womb is supported are relaxed4 ,the cause in particular is referred to be in the retention of the seed1 or in the suppression of the monthly terms4 ,signs4--,the intestines and bladder are oftentimes so crushed1 that the passage of the excrements is hindered2 if the urine flows forth white and thick1 and the midriff moistened1 the loins are grieved1 the privities pained1 and the womb sinks down to the private parts1 or else comes clean out4 ,prognostics4--,in an old woman it is cured with great difficulty2 because it weakens the faculty of the womb1 and therefore1 though it be reduced to its proper place1 yet upon very little illness it returns2 and so it is with the younger sort1 if the disease be inveterate4 ,if it be caused by a putrefaction of the nerves1 it is incurable4 ,cures4--,the womb being naturally placed between the strait gut and the bladder1 and now fallen down1 ought not to be put up again1 until the faculty1 both of the gut and of the bladder1 be stirred up4 ,nature being unloaded of her burden1 let the woman be laid on her back1 her legs higher than her head2 let her feet be drawn up to her hinder parts1 with her knees spread2 then mollify the swelling with oil of lilies and sweet almonds1 or with the decoction of mallows1 beets1 fenugreek1 and linseed2 when the inflammation is dissipated1 let the midwife anoint her hand with oil of mastic1 and reduce the womb into its place4 ,the matrix being up1 the situation of the patient must be changed1 let her legs be put out at length1 and laid together2 six cupping-glasses to her breast and navel2 boil mugwort1 feverfew1 red roses1 and comfrey in red wine2 make a suffumigation for the matrix2 and at her coming out of the bath1 give her syrup of feverfew one ounce1 with a drachm of mithridate4 ,take laudani1 mastic1 of each three drachms1 make a plaster of it for the navel2 then make pessaries of asaftida1 saffron1 comfrey1 and mastic1 adding thereto a little castor4 ,the matrix seated in its natural abode1 the remote cause must be removed4 ,if the body be plethoric1 open a vein2 prepare with syrup of betony1 calamint1 hyssop1 and feverfew4 ,purge with pil4 hierac1 agaric1 pil4 de colocin4 ,if the stomach be oppressed with crudities1 unburden it by vomiting2 sudorifical decoctions of lignum sanctum1 and sassafras1 taken twenty days together1 dry up the superfluous moisture1 and consequently suppress the cause of the disease4 ,let the air be hot and dry1 your diet hot and attenuating2 abstain from all motion1 both of body and mind2 eat sparingly1 drink little1 sleep moderately4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,of ,,the ,,inflammation ,,of ,,the ,,womb4 ,the inflammation of the matrix1 is a humour possessing the whole of the womb1 accompanied with unnatural heat1 by obstructing1 and gathering of corrupt blood4 ,cause4--,the cause of this effect is suppression of the menses1 repletion of the whole body1 difficult child-birth1 vehement agitation of the body1 falls1 blows1 c4 ,signs4--,anguish1 pain in the head and stomach2 vomiting1 coldness of the knees1 convulsion of the neck1 trembling of the heart2 a straitness of breath1 by reason of the heat which is communicated to the midriff1 the breasts sympathising with the womb1 pained and swelled4 ,if the fore part of the matrix be inflamed1 the privities are grieved1 the urine is suppressed1 or flows forth with difficulty4 ,if the after part1 the loin and back suffer1 the excrements are retained on the right side1 the right hip suffers1 the right leg is heavy and slow to motion2 and so if the left side of the womb be inflamed1 the left hip is pained1 and the left leg is weaker than the right4 ,if the neck of the womb be refreshed1 the midwife shall feel the mouth of it retracted1 and closed up with a hardness about it4 ,prognostics4--,all inflammations of the womb are dangerous1 if not deadly2 and especially if the total substance of the matrix be inflamed2 but they are very perilous if in the neck of the womb4 ,cure4--,let the humours flowing to the womb be repelled1 for effecting which1 after cooling clysters1 open a vein in the arm1 if she be not enceinte2 the day after strike the saphena on both feet1 fasten ligatures and cupping-glasses to the arm1 and rub the upper part4 ,purge gently with cassia1 rhubarb1 and senna two drachms1 aniseed one scruple1 barley-water a sufficient quantity2 make a decoction4 ,at the beginning of the disease anoint the privities and reins with oil of roses and quinces2 make plasters of plantain1 linseed1 barley-meal1 white of eggs1 and1 if the pain be vehement1 a little opium2 ferment the genitals with the decoction of poppy heads4 ,in the declining of the disease1 use incisions of sage1 linseed1 mugwort1 pennyroyal1 horehound1 and fenugreek2 anoint the lower part of the belly with the oil of camomile and violets4 ,take lily roots and mallow-roots1 of each four ounces2 mercury one handful2 mugwort1 and feverfew1 camomile flowers1 and melilot1 of each a handful and a half2 bruise the herbs and fruits1 and boil them in a sufficient quantity of milk2 then add fresh butter1 oil of camomile1 and lilies1 of each two ounces2 bean meal a sufficient quantity2 make two plasters1--one before1 the other behind4 ,if the tumour cannot be removed1 but tends to suppuration1 take fenugreek1 mallow-roots1 decocted figs1 linseed1 barley-meal1 turpentine1 of each three drachms2 deer's suet1 half a drachm1 opium half a scruple2 with wax make a plaster4 ,take wormwood and betony of each half a handful2 white wine and milk1 of each half a pound2 boil them until one part be confirmed2 then take of this decoction four ounces1 honey of roses two ounces1 and make an injection4 ,yet beware that the humours are not brought down to the womb4 ,take roasted figs and mercury bruised1 of each three drachms2 turpentine and duck's grease1 of each three drachms2 opium1 two grains2 with wax make a pessary4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,of ,,schirrosity ,,or ,,hardness ,,of ,,the ,,womb4 ,of phlegm neglected1 or not perfectly cured1 is generated a schirrus of the matrix1 which is a hard unnatural swelling1 insensibly hindering the operation of the womb1 and disposing the whole body to slothfulness4 ,cause4--,one cause of this disease may be ascribed to want of judgment in the physician2 as many empyrics ministering to an inflammation of the womb1 do overmuch refrigerate the humour1 that it can neither pass forward nor backward2 hence the matter being condensed1 degenerates into a hard substance4 ,other causes may be the suppression or the menstruous retention of the lochi1 or after purging2 eating of corrupt meats1 c4 ,it may proceed also from obstructions and ulcers in the matrix1 or from evil effects in the liver and spleen4 ,signs4--,if the bottom of the womb be affected1 she feels a heavy burden representing a mole2 yet differing in that the breasts are attenuated1 and that the whole body becomes less4 ,if the neck of the womb be affected1 no outward humours will appear2 the mouth of it is retracted1 and feels hard4 ,prognostics4--,schirrus confirmed is incurable1 and will turn into a cancer1 or incurable dropsy1 and ending in a cancer1 proves deadly4 ,cure4--,where there is a repletion1 bleeding is advisable2 open the medina on both arms1 and the saphena on both feet1 more especially if the menses be suppressed4 ,prepare the humour with syrup of borage1 succory1 and clarified whey3 then take of the following pills according to the strength of the patient3 ,take of hiera picra six drachms1 black helebore1 polybody1 of each two drachms and a half2 agaric1 lapis lazuli1 abluti salindi1 coloquintida1 of each one drachm and a half2 mix them and make pills4 ,the body being purged1 proceed to mollify the hardness as follows3 the privities and neck of the womb with unguent1 decalthea1 and agrippa2 or take opapanax1 bdellium1 ammoniac1 and myrrh1 of each two drachms1 saffron half a drachm2 dissolve the gum in oil of lilies and sweet almonds2 with wax and turpentine make an unguent2 apply below the navel diacoon1 ferelina2 make infusion of figs1 mugwort1 mallows1 pennyroyal1 althea1 fennel roots1 melilot1 fenugreek1 boiled in water4 ,make an injection of calamint1 linseed1 melilot1 fenugreek1 and the four mollifying herbs1 with oil of dill1 camomile1 and lilies dissolved in the same4 ,three drachms of the gum bdellium2 cast the stone pyrites on the coals1 and let her receive the fume into the womb4 ,foment the secret parts with the decoction of the roots and leaves of danewort4 ,take gum galbanum1 opapanax1 of each one drachm1 juice of danewort1 mucilage1 fenugreek1 of each one drachm2 calf's marrow an ounce1 wax a sufficient quantity2 make a pessary4 ,the air must be temperate2 use no salt meats4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,of ,,the ,,dropsy ,,in ,,the ,,womb4 ,the uterine dropsy is an unnatural swelling1 by the gathering of the wind and phlegm in the cavity1 membranes1 or substance of the womb1 by reason of the debility of the native heat and aliment received4 ,the causes are overmuch cold or moistness of the milt and liver1 immoderate drinking1 eating of crude meats2 all which1 causing a repletion1 do suffocate the natural heat4 ,it may be caused by the overflowing of the menses1 or by any other immoderate evacuation1 and by abortions1 phlegmons and schirrosities of the womb4 ,signs4--,the lower parts of the belly1 with the genitals1 are puffed up1 and pained2 the feet swell1 the natural colour of the face decays1 and the appetite is depraved4 ,if she turns herself in the bed1 a noise like the flowing of water is heard4 ,water sometimes comes from the matrix4 ,if the swelling be caused by wind1 the belly sounds like a drum2 and the wind breaks through the neck of the womb with a murmuring noise4 ,it is distinguished from a general dropsy1 in that the lower parts of the belly are most swelled4 ,prognostics4--,this effect foretells the ruin of the natural functions1 by that singular consent the womb hath with the liver1 and that therefore general dropsy will follow4 ,cure4--,mitigate the pain with fomentation of melilot1 mercury1 mallows1 linseed1 camomile1 and althea2 then let the womb be prepared with hyssop1 calamint1 mugwort1 with the decoction of elder1 marjoram1 sage1 pennyroyal1 betony2 purge with senna1 agaric1 and rhubarb4 ,take rhubarb1 and trochisks of agaric1 of each one scruple3 with juice of iros make pills4 ,in diseases which have their rise from moisture1 purge with pills4 ,and in these effects which are caused by emptiness or dryness1 purge with a potion4 ,fasten a cupping-glass to the belly1 with a great fume1 and also the navel1 especially if the swelling be flatulent3 make an issue on the inside of each leg1 a hand-breadth below the knee4 ,apply to the bottom of the belly1 as hot as may be endured1 a little bag of camomile1 cummin1 and melilot1 boiled in oil of rue2 anoint the belly and secret parts with unguent agrippa and unguent aragons2 mingle therewith oil of iros3 cover the lower parts of the belly with the plaster of bay-berries1 or a cataplasm made of cummin1 camomile1 and briony roots4 ,our moderns ascribe great virtues to tobacco-water distilled1 and poured into the womb by a metrenchyta4 ,take balm1 southernwood1 origen1 wormwood1 calamint1 bay-leaves1 marjoram1 of each one handful3 juniper-berries four drachms2 with water make a decoction3 of this may be made fomentations and infusions3 make pessaries of storax1 aloes1 with the roots of dictau1 aristolochia1 and gentian4 ,the air must be hot and dry2 moderate exercise4 ,she may eat the flesh of partridges1 larks1 chickens1 mountain birds4 ,let her drink be thin wine4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,of ,,moles ,,and ,,false ,,conceptions4 ,this disease is called by the ,greeks mole2 and is taken from the load or heavy weight of it1 it being a mole or great lump of hard flesh burdening the womb4 ,it is an inarticulate piece of flesh without form1 begotten in the matrix as if it were a true conception4 ,note two things3 first1 a mole is said to be inarticulate and without form1 it differs from monsters1 which are both formate and articulate3 secondly1 it puts a difference between a true conception and a mole2 first1 in the genus1 in that a mole cannot be said to be an animal3 secondly1 in the species1 because it hath no human figure1 and bears not the character of a man3 thirdly1 in the individual1 for it hath no affinity with the parent1 either in the whole body or any particular part4 ,cause4--,the true cause of this fleshy mole proceeds from both the man and from the woman1 from corrupt and barren seed in man1 and from the menstruous blood in the woman1 both emitted together in the womb1 where nature finding herself weak1 labours to bring forth a vicious conception rather than none2 and instead of a living creature1 generates a lump of flesh4 ,signs4--,the menses are suppressed1 the appetite is depraved1 the breasts swell1 and the belly is suddenly puffed up1 and waxeth hard4 ,thus the signs of a breeding woman1 and one that breedeth a mole1 are one4 ,the first sign of difference is in the motion of the mole2 it may be felt to move in the womb before the third month1 which an infant cannot2 yet the motion cannot be understood of any intelligent power in the mole1 but the faculty of the womb and the animal spirits diffused through the substance of the mole2 for it hath not an animal but a vegetative source of life1 in manner of a plant3 secondly1 if a mole1 the belly is suddenly puffed up2 but if a true conception1 the belly is suddenly retracted2 and then riseth up by degrees3 thirdly1 the belly being pressed with the hand1 the mole gives way2 and the hand being taken away1 it returns to the place again2 but a child in the womb1 though pressed with the hand1 moves not presently2 and being removed1 returns slowly1 or not at all3 lastly1 the child continues in the womb not above ten months1 but a mole continues sometimes four or five years1 more or less1 according as it is fastened in the matrix4 ,i have known a mole to fall away in four or five months4 ,if it remain until the eleventh month1 the legs wax feeble1 and the whole body consumes4 ,prognostics4--,if1 at the delivery of a mole1 the flux of the blood be great1 it shows the more danger1 because nutrition1 having been violated by the flowing back of the superfluous humours1 where the natural heat is consumed2 and parting with so much of her blood1 the woman is so weakened in all her faculties1 that she cannot subsist without difficulty4 ,cause4--,we are taught by ,hippocrates1 that phlebotomy causeth abortion by taking all that nourishment which should preserve the life of the child3 wherefore1 open the liver vein and saphena in both feet1 fasten cupping-glasses to the loins and sides of the belly1 let the uterine parts be first mollified1 and then the expulsive faculty provoked to expel the burden4 ,to laxate the ligature of the mole1 take mallows with the roots1 three handfuls2 camomile1 melilot1 pelitory of the wall1 violet leaves1 mercury1 root of fennel1 parsley1 of each two handfuls2 linseed1 fenugreek1 each one pound2 boil them in water1 and let her sit therein up to the navel4 ,at her going out of the bath1 anoint the privities and reins with the following unguent4 ,take mercury and althea roots1 of each half a handful3 flos1 bracho1 ursini1 half a handful2 linseed1 barley-meal1 of each six ounces2 boil all these with water and honey1 and make a plaster2 make pessaries of the gum galbanum1 bdellium1 antimoniacum1 figs1 hog's suet1 and honey4 ,after the ligaments of the moles are loosed1 let the expulsive faculty be stirred up to expel the moles4 ,take troch de myrrh1 one ounce2 castor astrolochia1 gentian1 dictam1 of each an ounce2 make a powder2 take one drachm in four ounces of mugwort water4 ,take of hypericon1 calamint1 pennyroyal1 betony1 hyssop1 sage1 horehound1 valeria1 madder1 savine3 with water make a decoction2 take three ounces of it1 with one ounce and a half of feverfew4 ,but if these things prove not available1 then must the mole be drawn away with an instrument put up into the womb1 which may be performed by a skilful surgeon4 ,after the delivery of the mole let the flux of blood be stayed as soon as may be4 ,fasten cupping-glasses to the shoulders and ligatures of the arms4 ,if this help not1 open the liver vein in the right arm4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,of ,,conception1 ,,and ,,how ,a ,,woman ,,may ,,know ,,whether ,,she ,,has ,,conceived ,,or ,,not1 ,,and ,,whether ,,male ,,or ,,female4 ,the natural instinct that nature has implanted in men and women to propagate their own species1 puts them upon making use of those ways that nature has ordained for that end1 which1 afterwards1 the woman many times1 through ignorance of having conceived1 is little better than a murderer of her child3 for1 after conception1 finding herself not well1 and not knowing what is the matter with her1 goes to a doctor2 and he1 not thinking of her being enceinte1 gives cathartical potions1 which destroy conception4 ,and some1 out of a foolish coyness1 though they know they have conceived1 will not confess it1 that they might be instructed how to order themselves4 ,signs4--,if under the eye the vein be swelled1 the veins in the eyes appearing clearly1 and the eyes sometimes discoloured1 if the woman has not the terms upon her1 nor watched the night before1 you may certainly conclude her to be with child2 the first two months ,i never knew this sign to fail4 ,keep the urine of the woman close in a glass three days1 and then strain it through a fine linen cloth2 if you find small living creatures in it she hath conceived4 ,a coldness and chillness of the outward parts1 the heat being retired to make conception4 ,the veins of the breast are more clearly seen than usual4 ,the body is weakened1 and the face discoloured4 ,the belly waxeth very flat1 because the womb closeth itself together to nourish and cherish the seed4 ,if cold water be drank1 a coldness is left in the breasts4 ,loss of appetite to victuals1 sour belchings1 and exceeding weakness of the stomach4 ,the breasts swell and wax hard1 not without pain and soreness4 ,griping pains1 like the cramp1 in the belly about the navel4 ,divers appetites and longings4 ,the veins of the eyes are clearly seen1 and the eyes discoloured4 ,the excrements of the guts are voided painfully1 because the womb swelling thrusteth the guts together4 ,take a handsome green nettle1 put it into the urine of the woman2 cover it close1 and let it remain a whole night2 if the woman be with child1 it will be full of red spots on the morrow2 if she be not1 it will be blackish4 ,signs of a ,male ,child4--,the woman breeds a boy easier and with less pain than a girl1 and is more nimble4 ,the child is first felt by her on the right side2 for male children lie on the right side of the womb4 ,the woman1 when she riseth up from a chair doth sooner stay herself upon her right hand than her left4 ,the belly lies rounder and higher than when it is a female4 ,the right breast is more hard and plump than the left1 and the right nipple redder4 ,the colour of a woman is not so swarthy as when she conceives a girl4 ,the contrary to these are signs of the conception of a female4 ,if the circle under the eye is of a wan blue colour1 be more apparent and most discoloured1 she is enceinte of a boy2 if the marks be most apparent in her left eye1 of a girl4 ,again1 let a drop of her milk fall into a basin of fair water2 if it sinks to the bottom1 as it drops in1 round in a drop1 it is a girl2 but if it be a boy1 it will spread and swim on the top4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,of ,,untimely ,,births4 ,when the fruit of the womb comes forth before the seventh month1 before it comes to maturity1 it is abortive2 and1 in effect1 the child proves abortive in the eighth month4 ,and why children born in the seventh and ninth month may live1 and not in the eighth month may seem strange1 yet it is true4 ,hippocrates gives a reason1 viz4 the infant being perfect in the seventh month1 desires more air and nutriment2 and it labours for a passage to get out2 and if it has not strength sufficient to break the membranes and come forth1 it shall continue in the womb till the ninth month1 and in that time may again be strengthened2 but if it strive again in the eighth month1 and be born1 it cannot live1 because the day of its birth is either past or to come4 ,for1 in the eighth month1 saith ,aven1 he is weak and infirm2 and1 therefore1 being then cast into the cold air1 his spirits cannot be supported4 ,cause4--,untimely births may be caused by cold2 or by humidity weakening the faculty2 and the fruit cannot be retained till the due time2 by dryness or emptiness1 defrauding the child of nourishment2 by fluxes1 phlebotomy1 and other evacuations2 by inflammations of the womb4 ,sometimes it is caused by laughter1 joy1 anger and fear4 ,abortion also may be caused by corrupt air1 filthy odours1 and especially by the smell of the snuff of a candle2 also by falls1 blows1 violent exercise1 leaping1 dancing1 c4 ,signs4--,signs of future abortion are1 extenuation of the breasts1 flux of watery milk1 pain in the womb1 heaviness in the head1 unusual weariness in the hips and thighs1 flowing of the menses4 ,signs foretelling the fruit of the dead in the womb1 are hollowness in the eyes1 pain in the head1 anguish1 horror1 paleness of the face and lips1 gnawing of the stomach1 no motion of the infant1 coldness and looseness of the mouth of the womb1 and thickness of the belly1 and watery and bloody excrements come from the matrix4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,directions ,,for ,,pregnant ,,women4 ,before conception1 if the body be over hot1 dry1 or moist1 correct it with the contraries2 if couchmical1 purge it2 if plethoric1 open the liver vein2 if too gross1 attenuate it3 if too lean1 nourish it4 ,after conception1 let the air be temperate2 sleep not overmuch1 avoid watchings1 much exercise1 passions of the mind1 filthy smells1 and sweet odours are hysterical4 ,abstain from things which provoke urine2 from salt and windy meats4 ,if the excrements be retained1 lenify with clysters made of the decoction of mallows1 violets1 with sugar and common oil4 ,if with looseness1 let it not be stayed without the judgment of a physician2 for all the uterine fluxes have a malign quality in them1 which must be evacuated before the flux is stayed4 ,the cough of pregnant women puts them in danger of miscarrying4 ,to prevent which1 shave away the hair on the coronal coiffure1 and apply thereon the following plaster3 take of resin half an ounce1 laudana one drachm1 citron peel1 lign-aloes1 olibani1 of each a drachm2 stirachis liquid1 and sicca1 a sufficient quantity2 dissolve the gums in vinegar1 and make a plaster2 at night going to bed let her take the fumes of these trochisks cast upon the coals4 ,also take of frankincense1 storax powder1 and red roses1 of each a drachm and a half1 sandrich eight drachms1 mastic1 benjamin1 amber1 of each one drachm2 with turpentine make trochisks1 apply a cautery to the nape of the neck4 ,every night let her take these pills following3 take hypocistides1 terri1 sigillate1 fine bole1 of each half an ounce2 bistort1 alcatia1 styracis1 calamint1 of each two drachms1 cloves1 one drachm2 with syrup of myrtles make pills4 ,in pregnant women there is often a flux which greatly distresses the womb4 ,to prevent this danger1 the stomach must be corroborated as follows3 take lign-aloes and nutmeg1 of each one drachm2 mace1 clove1 mastic1 and laudanum1 of each two scruples2 oil of spike an ounce2 musk1 two grains2 oil of mastic1 quinces1 and wormwood1 of each half an ounce2 make an unguent for the stomach to be applied before meals4 ,take a conserve of borage1 buglos1 and atthos1 of each half an ounce2 confect4 de hyacinth1 lemon-peel candied1 specie-rum1 dismarg4 pulv4 de gemnis1 of each two drachms2 nutmeg and diambra1 of each two scruples2 peony roots and diacorati1 of each two drachms2 with syrup of roses make an electuary2 of which she must take twice a day1 two hours before meals4 ,a pregnant woman is subject to swelling of the legs1 which happens the first three months1 by humours falling down from the stomach and liver3 for the cure1 take oil of roses1 two drachms1 salt and vinegar1 of each one drachm2 shake them together until the salt be dissolved1 and anoint the legs therewith hot1 chafing it with the hand2 it may be done without danger in the fourth1 fifth1 or sixth months of pregnancy4 ,and if the body is in real need of purging1 she may do it without danger in the fourth1 fifth or sixth months2 but not before nor after1 unless in some sharp diseases1 in which the mother and child are like to perish4 ,apply plasters and unguents to strengthen the fruit of the womb4 ,take of gum agaric1 galagane1 bistort1 hypocostid1 and storax1 of each one drachm2 fine bole1 nutmeg1 mastic1 bollust1 sanguis draconis1 and myrtle-berries1 a drachm and a half2 wax and turpentine a sufficient quantity2 make a plaster4 ,apply to the reins in the winter time1 and remove it every twenty-four hours1 lest the reins be over hot therewith4 ,in the interim anoint the privities and reins with unguent and censitisss2 but if it be summer time1 and the reins hot1 the following plaster is more proper2 take of red roses one pound1 mastic and red sanders of each two drachms2 bole ammoniac1 red coral and bistort1 each two drachms2 pomegranate peel prepared1 and coriander1 of each two drachms and a half2 barberries1 two scruples2 oil of mastic and quinces1 of each an ounce2 juice of planastic two drachms2 with pitch make a plaster2 anoint the reins with unguentum sandal4 ,once every week wash the reins with two parts of rose-water1 and one part of white wine mingled together and warmed at the fire4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,directions ,,to ,,be ,,observed ,,by ,,women1 ,,at ,,the ,,time ,,of ,,their ,,falling ,,in ,,labour4 ,the time of birth drawing near1 let her send for a skilful medical man or midwife2 let her prepare a bed or couch1 and place it near the fire1 that the midwife and assistants may pass round1 and help on every side as occasion requires1 having a change of linen ready1 and a stool to rest her feet against1 she having more force when they are bowed4 ,when the pain comes1 let her walk about the room1 resting by turns upon the bed1 and so expect the coming down of the water1 which is a humour contracted in the outward membranes1 and flows thence when it is broke by the struggling of the child4 ,motion causes the womb to open and dilate itself1 when from lying long in bed it is uneasy4 ,if the patient is weak1 let her take some gentle cordial to refresh herself1 if her pain will admit4 ,if her travail be tedious1 she may take chicken or mutton broth1 or poached egg4 ,in delivery1 the midwife must wait with patience till the child bursts the membrane2 for if she tear the membrane with her nails1 she endangers both the woman and the child2 for by lying dry1 and wanting that slipperiness that should make it easy1 it comes forth with great pains4 ,when the head appears1 the midwife must gently hold it between her hands1 and draw the child at such times as the woman's pains are upon her1 and at no other1 slipping by degrees her forefingers under its arm-pits1 not using a rough hand1 lest the tender infant may receive any deformation of the body4 ,as soon as the child is taken forth1 let it be laid on its back1 that it may freely receive external respiration2 then cut the navel-string about three inches from the body1 tying that end which adheres to the body with a silken string2 as near as you can2 then cover the head and stomach of the child well4 ,let the midwife regard the patient in drawing forth the secundine1 by wagging and stirring them up and down1 afterwards with a gentle hand drawing them forth2 if the work be difficult1 let the woman hold salt in her hands1 shut them close1 breathe hard into them1 and thereby she will know whether the membrane be broken or not4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,in ,,cases ,,of ,,extremity1 ,,what ,,ought ,,to ,,be ,,done4 ,the woman being across the bed1 let the operator put up his or her hand1 if the neck of the womb be dilated1 and remove the contracted blood that obstructs the passage of the birth2 and having by degrees gently made way1 let him tenderly move the infant1 his hand being first anointed with sweet butter or a harmless pomatum4 ,and if the waters be not come down1 then without difficulty may they be let forth2 when1 if the infant should attempt to break out with the head foremost or cross1 he may gently turn it to find the feet2 which having done1 let him draw forth the one and fasten it to the riband1 then put it up again1 and by degrees find the other1 bringing them close and even1 and let the woman breathe1 urging her to strain1 in helping nature to perform the birth1 and that the hold may be surer1 wrap a linen cloth about the child's thighs observing to bring it into the world with its face downwards4 ,in case of a flux of blood1 if the neck of the womb be open1 it must be considered whether the infant or secundine come first1 which the latter sometimes happening to do1 stops the mouth of the womb1 and hinders the birth1 endangering both the woman and child2 but in this case the secundine must be removed by a swift turn2 and they have by their so coming down deceived many1 who feeling their softness supposed the womb was not dilated1 and thus the woman and child have been lost4 ,the secundine moved1 the child must be sought for1 and drawn forth2 and in such a case if the woman or child die1 the midwife or surgeon is blameless1 because they did their best4 ,if it appears upon inquiry that the secundine comes first1 let the woman be delivered with all convenient expedition1 because a great flux of blood will follow4 ,in drawing forth a dead child1 let these directions be carefully observed by the surgeon1 viz4 ,if the child be found dead1 its head being foremost1 the delivery will be more difficult2 for it is an apparent sign1 by the woman's strength beginning to fail her that the child being dead1 and wanting its natural force1 can be no ways assisting to its delivery2 wherefore the most safe way for the surgeon is to put up his left hand1 sliding it as hollow in the palm as he can into the neck of the womb1 and into the lower part thereof towards the feet1 and then between the head of the infant and the neck of the matrix2 then having a hook in the right hand couch it close1 and slip it up above the left hand1 between the head of the child1 and the flat of his hand1 fixing it in the bars of the temple towards the eye4 ,for want of a convenient coming at these in the occiputal bone1 observe still to keep the left hand in its place1 and with it gently moving and stirring the head1 and so with the right hand and hook draw the child forward1 admonish the woman to put forth her utmost strength1 still drawing when the woman's pangs are upon her4 ,the head being drawn out1 with all speed he must slip his hand under the arm-holes of the child1 and take it quite out2 giving these things to the woman1 viz4 a toast of fine wheaten bread in a quarter of a pint of ,ipocras wine4 ,,aristotle',s ,,works4 ,,the ,,midwife4 ,,guide ,,to ,,child-,,bearing ,,women4 ,,book ,i4--,,chapter ,i4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,womb4 ,in this ,chapter ,i am to treat of the womb1 which the ,latins call matrix4 ,its parts are two2 the mouth of the womb1 and the bottom of it4 ,the mouth is an orifice at the entrance into it1 which may be shut together like a purse4 ,when a woman is not pregnant1 it is a little oblong1 and of substance very thick and close2 but when she is pregnant it is shortened1 and its thickness diminisheth proportionably to its distension3 and therefore it is a mistake of anatomists1 who affirm that its substance waxeth thicker a little before a woman's labour2 for any one's reason will inform him1 that the more distended it is1 the thinner it must be2 and the nearer a woman is to the time of her delivery1 the shorter her womb must be extended4 ,the ,author of ,nature has placed the womb in the belly1 that the heat might always be maintained by the warmth of the parts surrounding it3 it is therefore seated in the middle of the hypogastrium 7or lower part of the belly17 between the bladder and the rectum 7or right gut7 by which also it is defended from any hurt through the hardness of the bones3 and it is placed in the lower part of the belly for the conveniency of a birth being thrust out at the full time4 ,it is of a figure almost round1 inclining somewhat to an oblong1 in part resembling a pear2 for1 being broad at the bottom1 it gradually terminates in the point of the orifice1 which is narrow4 ,the length1 breadth1 and thickness of the womb differ according to the age and the disposition of the body4 ,for in virgins not ripe it is very small in all its dimensions2 but1 in women whose terms flow in great quantities1 it is much larger2 and if they have had children1 it is larger in them than in such as have had none2 but1 in women of a good stature1 and well shaped1 it is1 7as ,i have said before71 from the entry of the privy parts to the bottom of the womb1 usually about eight inches2 but the length of the body of the womb alone does not exceed three2 the breadth thereof is near about the same1 and of the thickness of the little finger1 when the womb is not pregnant2 but1 when the woman is pregnant1 it becomes of a prodigious greatness1 and the nearer she is to her delivery the more is the womb extended4 ,it is not without reason1 then1 that nature 7or the ,god of ,nature7 has made the womb of a membranous substance2 for thereby it does the easier conceive1 is gradually dilated by the growth of the ftus1 or young one1 and is afterwards contracted and closed again1 to thrust forth both it and the after-burden1 and it is to retire to its primitive seat4 ,hence also then enabled to expel any obnoxious humours which may sometimes happen to be contained within it4 ,before ,i have done with the womb1 which is the field of generation1 and ought therefore to be the more particularly taken care of1 ,i shall proceed to a more particular description of its parts1 and the uses for which nature hath designed them4 ,the womb then is composed of various similar parts1 that is1 of membranes1 veins1 arteries1 and nerves4 ,its membranes are two1 and they compose the principal parts of the body2 the outermost of which ariseth from the peritoneum1 or caul1 and is very thin2 without smooth1 and within equal1 that it may the better cleave to the womb1 as it is fleshier and thicker than anything else we meet with in the body when the woman is not pregnant1 and is interwoven with all sorts of fibres and small strings1 that it may the better suffer the extension of the child and the waters caused during pregnancy1 and also that it may the easier close again after delivery4 ,the veins and arteries proceed both from the hypogastrics and the spermatic vessels1 of which ,i shall speak by and by2 all these are inserted and terminated in the proper membrane of the womb4 ,the arteries supply it with food for nourishment1 which1 being brought together in too great a quantity1 sweats through the substance of it1 and distils as it were a dew at the bottom of the cavity2 from hence do proceed both the terms in ripe virgins1 and the blood which nourisheth the embryo in enceinte women4 ,the branches which issue from the spermatic vessels are inserted on each side of the bottom of the womb1 and are much less than those which proceed from the hypogastrics1 those being greater1 and bedewing the whole substance of it4 ,there are yet some other small vessels1 which1 arising the one from the other1 are conducted to the internal orifice1 and by these1 those that are pregnant do purge away the superfluity of the terms1 when they happen to have more than is used in the nourishment of the infant2 by which means nature hath taken such care of the womb1 that during its pregnancy it shall not be obliged to open itself for the passing away those excrementitious humours1 which1 should it be forced to do1 might often endanger abortion4 ,as touching the nerves1 they proceed from the brain1 which furnishes all the inner parts of the lower belly with them1 which is the true reason it hath so great a sympathy with the stomach1 which is likewise very considerably furnished from the same1 part2 so that the womb cannot be afflicted with any pain but the stomach is immediately sensible thereof1 which is the cause of those loathings or frequent vomitings which happen to it4 ,but1 besides all these parts which compose the womb1 it hath yet four ligaments1 whose office is to keep it firm in its place1 and prevent its constant agitation1 by the continual motion of the intestines which surround it2 two of which are above1 and two below4 ,those above are called the broad ligaments1 because of their broad and membranous figure1 and are nothing else but the production of the peritoneum1 which growing out of the side of the loins1 towards the reins1 come to be inserted in the sides of the bottom of the womb1 to hinder the body from bearing too much on the neck1 and so from suffering a precipitation1 as will sometimes happen when the ligaments are too much relaxed2 and do also contain the testicles1 and as well safely conduct the different vessels as the ejaculatories to the womb4 ,the lowermost are called round ligaments1 taking their original from the side of the womb near the horn1 from whence they pass the groin1 together with the production of the peritoneum1 which accompanies them through the rings and holes of the oblique and transverse muscles of the belly1 by which they divide themselves into many little branches1 resembling the foot of a goose1 of which are some inserted into the os pubis1 and the rest are lost and confounded with the membranes that cover the upper and interior parts of the thigh2 and it is that which causeth the numbness which pregnant women feel in their thighs4 ,these two ligaments are long1 round1 and nervous1 and pretty big in their beginning1 near the matrix1 hollow in their rise1 and all along to the os pubis1 where they are a little smaller1 and become flat1 the better to be inserted in the manner aforesaid4 ,it is by their means the womb is hindered from rising too high4 ,now1 although the womb is held in its natural situation by these four ligaments1 it has liberty enough to extend itself when pregnant1 because they are very loose1 and so easily yield to its distension4 ,but besides these ligaments1 which keep the womb as it were in a poise1 yet it is fastened1 for greater security1 by its neck1 both to the bladder and rectum1 between which it is situated4--,whence it comes to pass1 that if at any time the womb be inflamed1 it communicates the inflammation to the neighbouring parts4 ,its use or proper action1 in the work of generation1 is to receive and retain the seed1 and deduce from its power and action1 by its heat for the generation of the infant2 and is therefore absolutely necessary for the conservation of the species4 ,it also seems by accident to receive and expel the impurities of the whole body1 as when women have abundance of whites2 and to purge away1 from time to time1 the superfluity of the blood1 as when a woman is not pregnant4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4--,of the ,difference between the ,ancient and ,modern ,physicians1 touching the ,woman's contributing ,seed to the ,formation of the ,child4 ,our modern anatomists and physicians are of different sentiments from the ancients touching the woman's contributing of seed for the formation of the child1 as well as the man2 the ancients strongly affirming it1 but our modern authors being generally of another judgment4 ,i will not make myself a party in this controversy1 but set down impartially1 yet briefly1 the arguments on each side1 and leave the judicious reader to judge for himself4 ,though it is apparent1 say the ancients1 that the seed of man is the principal efficient and beginning of action1 motion1 and generation1 yet that the woman affords seed1 and contributes to the procreation of the child1 it is evident from hence1 that the woman has seminal vessels1 which had been given her in vain if she wanted seminal excrescence2 but since nature forms nothing in vain1 it must be granted they were made for use of seed and procreation1 and fixed in their proper places1 to operate1 and contribute virtue and efficiency to the seed4 ,but against all this1 our modern authors affirm1 that the ancients are very erroneous1 inasmuch as the testicles in woman do not afford seed1 but are two eggs1 like those of fowls and other creatures2 neither have they any such offices as in men1 but are indeed an ovarium1 or receptacle for eggs1 wherein these eggs are nourished by the sanguinary vessels dispersed through them2 and from thence one or more1 as they are fecundated by the man's seed1 are conveyed into the womb by the ovaducts4 ,and the truth of this1 say they1 is so plain1 that if you boil them1 the liquor will have the same taste1 colour1 and consistency1 with the taste of birds' eggs4 ,and if it be objected1 that they have no shells1 the answer is easy2 for the eggs of fowls1 while they are in the ovary1 nay1 after they have fallen into the uterus1 have no shell2 and though they have one when they are laid1 yet it is no more than a fence which nature has provided for them against outward injuries1 they being hatched without the body2 but those of women being hatched within the body1 have no need of any other fence than the womb to secure them4 ,they also further say1 there are in the generation of the ftus1 or young ones1 two principles1 active and passive2 the active is the man's seed elaborated in the testicles1 out of the arterial blood and animal spirit2 the passive principle is the ovum1 or egg1 impregnated by the man's seed3 for to say that women have true seed1 say they1 is erroneous4 ,but the manner of conception is this3 the most spirituous part of man's seed1 reaching up to the ovarium or testicles of the woman 7which contains divers eggs1 sometimes more1 sometimes fewer71 impregnates one of them2 which being conveyed by the ovaducts to the bottom of the womb1 presently begins to swell bigger and bigger1 and drinks in the moisture that is plentifully sent thither1 after the same manner that the seeds in the ground suck in the fertile moisture thereof1 to make them sprout4 ,having thus laid the foundation of this work4 ,i will now proceed to speak of conception1 and of those things that are necessary to be observed by women from the time of their conception to the time of their delivery4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,of ,,conception2 ,,what ,,it ,,is2 ,,how ,,women ,,are ,,to ,,order ,,themselves ,,after ,,conception4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,what ,conception is4 ,conception is nothing else but an action of the womb1 by which the prolific seed is received and retained1 that an infant may be engendered and formed out of it4 ,there are two sorts of conception3 the one according to nature1 which is followed by the generation of the infant in the womb2 the other false1 and wholly against nature1 in which the seed changes into water1 and produces only false conceptions1 moles1 or other strange matter4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a ,woman ought to order herself after ,conception4 ,my design in this treatise being brevity1 ,i shall bring forward a little of what the learned have said of the causes of twins1 and whether there be any such things as superftations1 or a second conception1 in a woman1 7which is yet common enough7 when ,i come to show you how the midwife ought to proceed in the delivery of the women that are pregnant with them4 ,but1 having already spoke of conception1 ,i think it now necessary to show how such as have conceived ought to order themselves during their pregnancy1 that they may avoid those inconveniences which often endanger the life of the child1 and many times their own4 ,a woman1 after conception1 during the time of her being pregnant1 ought to be looked upon as indisposed or sick1 though in good health3 for child-bearing is a kind of nine months' sickness1 being all that time in expectation of many inconveniences which such a condition usually causes to those that are not well governed during that time2 and therefore ought to resemble a good pilot1 who1 when sailing on a rough sea1 and full of rocks1 avoids and shuns the danger1 if he steers with prudence2 but if not1 it is a thousand to one but he suffers shipwreck4 ,in like manner1 a pregnant woman is often in danger of miscarrying and losing her life1 if she is not very careful to prevent those accidents to which she is subject all the time of her pregnancy3 all which time her care must be double1 first of herself1 and secondly1 of the child she goes with2 for otherwise1 a single error may produce a double mischief2 for1 if she receives a prejudice1 her child also suffers with her4 ,let a woman1 therefore1 after conception1 observe a good diet1 suitable to her temperament1 custom1 condition1 and quality3 and if she can1 let the air where she ordinarily dwells be clear and well tempered1 free from extremes either of heat or cold2 for being too hot it dissipateth the spirits too much1 and causeth many weaknesses2 and by being too cold and foggy1 it may bring down rheums and distillations on the lungs1 and so cause her to cough1 which1 by its impetuous motion1 forcing downwards1 may make her miscarry4 ,she ought always to avoid all nauseous and ill smells2 for sometimes the stench of a candle1 not well put out1 may cause her to come before her time2 and ,i have known the smell of charcoal to have the same effect4 ,let her also avoid smelling of rue1 mint1 pennyroyal1 castor1 brimstone1 c4 ,but1 with respect to their diet1 pregnant women have generally so great loathings1 and so many different longings1 that it is very difficult to prescribe an exact diet for them4 ,only this ,i think advisable1 that they may use those meats and drinks which are to them most desirable1 though perhaps not in themselves so wholesome as some others1 and1 it may be1 not so pleasant2 but this liberty must be made use of with this caution1 that what they desire be not in itself unwholesome3 and also1 that in every thing they take care of excess4 ,but1 if a pregnant woman finds herself not troubled with such longings as we have spoken of1 let her take simple food1 and in such quantity as may be sufficient for herself and the child1 which her appetite may in a great measure regulate2 for it is alike hurtful for her to fast too long1 or eat too much2 and1 therefore1 rather let her eat a little and often2 especially let her avoid eating too much at night2 because the stomach being too much filled1 compresseth the diaphragm1 and thereby causeth difficulty of breathing4 ,let her meat be easy of digestion1 such as the tenderest parts of beef1 mutton1 veal1 sows1 pullets1 capons1 pigeons1 and partridges1 either boiled or roasted1 as she likes best2 new-laid eggs are also very good for her2 and let her put into her broth those herbs that purify it1 as sorrel1 lettuce1 succory1 and burrage2 for they will purge and purify the blood4 ,let her avoid whatever is hot seasoned1 especially pies and baked meats1 which1 being of hot digestion1 overcharge the stomach4 ,if she desires fish1 let it be fresh1 and such as is taken out of rivers and running streams4 ,let her eat quinces of marmalade1 to strengthen her child2 sweet almonds1 honey1 sweet apples1 and full ripe grapes1 are also good4 ,let her abstain from all sharp1 sour1 bitter1 and salt things2 and all things that tend to provoke the terms--such as garlic1 onions1 mustard1 fennel1 pepper1 and all spices except cinnamon1 which in the last two months is good for her4 ,if at first her diet be sparing1 as she increases in bigness let her diet be increased2 for she ought to consider she has a child as well as herself to nourish4 ,let her be moderate in her drinking2 and if she drinks wine1 let it be rather claret than white1 7which will make good blood1 help the digestion1 and comfort the stomach1 which is always weakly during her pregnancy72 but white wine being diuretic1 or that which provokes urine1 ought to be avoided4 ,let her have a care of too much exercise2 let her avoid dancing1 riding in a coach1 or whatever else puts the body into violent motion1 especially in her first month4 ,but to be more particular1 ,i shall here set down rules proper for every month for the child-bearing woman to order herself1 from the time she has first conceived to the time of her delivery4 ,rules for the ,first ,two ,months4 ,as soon as a woman knows 7or has reason to believe7 she hath conceived1 she ought to abstain from all violent motions and exercises2 whether she walks on foot1 or rides on horseback1 or in a coach1 it ought to be very gently4 ,let her beware she lift not her arms too high1 nor carry great burdens1 nor repose herself on hard and uneasy seats4 ,let her use moderately good juicy meat1 and of easy digestion2 and let her wine be neither too strong nor too sharp1 but a little mingled with water2 or if she be very abstemious1 she may use water wherein cinnamon is boiled4 ,let her avoid fastings1 thirst1 watchings1 mourning1 sadness1 anger1 and all other perturbations of the mind4 ,let none present any strange or unwholesome thing to her1 nor so much as name it1 lest she should desire it1 and not be able to get it1 and so either cause her to miscarry1 or the child to have some deformity on that account4 ,let her bowels be kept loose with prunes1 raisins1 or manna1 in her broth2 and let her use the following electuary1 to strengthen the womb and the child3-- 8,take conserve of burrage1 buglos1 and red roses1 each two ounces2 of balm an ounce2 citron peel and shreds1 myrobalans candied1 each an ounce2 extract of wood aloes1 a scruple2 pearl prepared1 half a drachm2 red coral1 ivory1 each a drachm2 candied nutmegs1 two drachms2 and with syrup of apples and quinces make an electuary40 ,let her observe the following4 8,take pearls prepared1 a drachm2 red coral prepared and ivory1 each half a drachm2 yellow citron peel1 mace1 cinnamon1 cloves1 each half a drachm2 saffron1 a scruple2 wood aloes1 half a scruple2 ambergris1 six drachms2 and with six ounces of sugar dissolved in rose-water1 make rolls40 ,let her also apply strengtheners to the navel1 of nutmeg1 mace1 mastich1 made up in bags1 or a toast dipped in malmsey1 sprinkled with powder of mint4 ,if she happens to desire clay1 chalk1 or coals1 7as many pregnant women do71 give her beans boiled with sugar2 and if she happens to long for any thing she cannot obtain1 let her drink a large draught of pure cold water4 ,rules for the ,third ,month4 ,in this month and the next1 be sure to keep from bleeding2 for though it may be safe and proper at other times1 yet it will not be so to the end of the fourth month2 and yet if blood abound1 or some incidental disease happen1 which requires evacuation1 you may use a cupping-glass1 with scarification1 and a little blood may be drawn from the shoulders and arms1 especially if she has been accustomed to bleed4 ,let her also take care of lacing herself too straitly1 but give herself more liberty than she used to do2 for1 inclosing her abdomen in too strait a mould1 she hinders the infant from taking its free growth1 and often makes it come before its time4 ,rules for the ,fourth ,month4 ,in this month also you ought to keep the child-bearing woman from bleeding1 unless in extraordinary cases2 but when the month is past1 bloodletting and physic may be permitted1 if it be gentle and mild2 and perhaps it may be necessary to prevent abortion4 ,in this month she may purge1 in the acute disease2 but purging may be used only from the beginning of this month to the end of the sixth3 but let her take care that in purging she use no vehement medicine1 nor any bitter1 as aloes1 which is disagreeable and hurtful to the child1 and opens the mouth of the vessels2 neither let her use coloquintida1 scammony1 nor turbith2 she may use cassia1 manna1 rhubarb1 agaric1 and senna3 but dyacidodium purgans is best1 with a little of electuary of the juice of roses4 ,rules for the ,fifth1 ,sixth1 and ,seventh ,months4 ,in these months child-bearing women are troubled with coughs1 heart-beating1 fainting1 watching1 pains in the loins and hips1 and bleeding4 ,the cough is from a sharp vapour that comes to the jaws and rough artery from the terms1 or the thin part of that blood gotten into the veins of the breast1 or falling from the head to the breast2 this endangers abortion1 and strength fails from watching2 therefore purge the humours that come to the breast with rhubarb and agaric1 and strengthen the head as in a catarrh1 and give sweet lenitives1 as in a cough4 ,palpitation and fainting arise from vapours that go to it by the arteries1 or from blood that aboundeth1 and cannot get out at the womb1 but ascends1 and oppresseth the heart2 and in this case1 cordials1 should be used both inwardly and outwardly4 ,watching is from sharp dry vapours that trouble the animal spirits1 and in this case use frictions1 and let the woman wash her feet at bed-time1 and let her take syrup of poppies1 dried roses1 emulsions of sweet almonds1 and white poppy seed4 ,if she be troubled with pains in her loins and hips1 as in these months she is subject to be1 from the weight of her child1 who is now grown big and heavy1 and so stretcheth the ligaments of the womb1 and parts adjacent1 let her hold it up with swathing bands about her neck4 ,about this time also the woman often happens to have a flux of blood2 either at the nose1 womb1 or hemorrhoids1 from plenty of blood1 or from the weakness of the child that takes it not in2 or else from evil humour in the blood1 that stirs up nature to send it forth4 ,and sometimes it happens that the vessels of the womb may be broken1 either by some violent motion1 fall1 cough1 or trouble of mind1 7for any of these will work that effect72 and this is so dangerous1 that in such a case the child cannot be well2 but if it be from blood only1 the danger is less1 provided it flows by the veins of the neck of the womb2 for then it prevents plethory1 and takes not away the nourishment of the child2 but if it proceeds from the weakness of the child1 that draws it not in1 abortion of the child often follows1 or hard travail1 or else she goes beyond her time4 ,but if it flows by the inward veins of the womb1 there is more danger by the openness of the womb1 if it come from evil blood2 the danger is alike from cacochimy1 which is like to fall upon both4 ,if it arises from plethory1 open a vein1 but with great caution1 and use astringents1 of which the following will do well3--,take pearls prepared1 a scruple2 red coral1 two scruples2 mace1 nutmeg1 each a drachm2 cinnamon1 half a drachm2 make a powder3 or1 with sugar1 make rolls4 ,or give this powder in broth3 8,take red coral1 a drachm2 red sander1 half a drachm2 bole1 a drachm2 sealed earth1 tormentil roots1 each two scruples1 with sugar of roses1 and manus ,christa2 with pearl1 five drachms2 make a powder40 ,you may also strengthen the child at the navel2 and if there be a cacochimy1 alter the humours2 and if you may do it safely1 evacuate3 you may likewise use amulets in her hands and about her neck4 ,in a flux of hemorrhoids wear off the pain2 and let her drink hot wine with a toasted nutmeg4 ,in these months the bowels are also subject to be bound2 but if it be without any apparent disease1 the broth of a chicken1 or veal sodden with oil1 or with the decoction of mallows1 or of marshmallows1 mercury1 or linseed1 put up in a clyster1 will not be amiss1 but in less quantity than is given in other cases3 viz4 of the decoction five ounces1 of cassia fistula one ounce4 ,but if she will not take a clyster1 one or two yolks of new-laid eggs1 or a little peaspottage warm1 a little salt and sugar1 supped a little before meat1 will be very convenient4 ,but if her bowels be distended and stretched out with wind1 a little fennel seed and aniseed reduced into a powder1 and mingled with honey and sugar1 made after the manner of an electuary1 will do very well4 ,also1 if the thighs and feet swell1 let them be anointed with exphrodinum 7which is a liquid medicine made with vinegar and rose-water1 mingled with salt47 ,rules for the ,eighth ,month4 ,the eighth is commonly the most dangerous1 therefore the greatest care and caution ought to be used2 the diet better in quality1 but no more1 nor indeed so much in quantity as before2 but she must abate her exercise3 and because then pregnant women1 by reason that sharp humours alter the belly1 are accustomed to weaken their spirit and strength1 they may well take before meat an electuary of diarrhaden or aromaticum rosatum1 or diamagarton2 and sometimes they may lick a little honey3 as they will loath and nauseate their meat1 they may take green ginger candied with sugar1 or the rinds of citron and oranges candied2 and let them often use honey for the strengthening of the infant4 ,when she is not far from her labour1 let her eat every day seven roasted figs before her meat1 and sometimes let her lick a little honey4 ,but let her beware of salt and powdered meat1 for it is neither good for her nor the child4 ,rules for the ,ninth ,month4 ,in the ninth month let her refrain from lifting any great weight2 but let her move a little more1 to dilate the parts and stir up natural heat4 ,let her take heed of stooping1 and neither sit too much1 nor lie on her sides2 neither ought she to bend herself much1 lest the child be unfolded in the umbilical ligament1 by which means it often perisheth4 ,let her walk and stir often1 and let her exercise be rather to go upwards than downwards4 ,let her diet1 now especially1 be light and easy of digestion2 and damask prunes with sugar1 or figs with raisins1 before meat2 as also the yolks of eggs1 flesh and broth of chickens1 birds1 partridges and pheasants2 astringent and roasted meats1 with rice1 hard eggs1 millet1 and such like other things1 are proper4 ,baths of sweet water1 with emollient herbs1 ought to be used by her this month with some intermission2 and after the baths1 let her belly be anointed with oil of violets2 but for her privy parts it is better to anoint them with the fat of hens1 geese1 or ducks1 or with oil of lilies1 and the decoction of linseed and fenugreek1 boiled with oil of linseed and marshmallows1 or with the following liniment3-- 8,take of mallows and marshmallows1 cut and shred1 of each an ounce2 of linseed one ounce2 let them be boiled from twenty ounces of water to ten2 then let her take three ounces of the boiled broth2 of oil of almonds and oil of flower-de-luce1 of each one ounce2 of deer's suet three ounces40 ,let her bathe with this1 and anoint herself with it warm4 ,if for fourteen days before the birth she do every morning and evening bathe and moisten her belly with muscadine and lavender water1 the child will be much strengthened thereby4 ,and if every day she eat toasted bread1 it will hinder any thing from growing to the child4 ,her privy parts may be gently stroked down with this fomentation4 8,take three ounces of linseed1 and one handful each of mallows and marshmallows sliced1 then let them be put into a bag and immediately boiled40 ,let the pregnant woman1 every morning and evening1 take the vapour of this decoction in a hollow stool1 taking great heed that no wind or air come to her in-parts1 and then let her wipe the parts so anointed with a linen cloth1 and she may anoint the abdomen and groin as at first4 ,when she is come so near her time as to be within ten or fourteen days thereof1 if she begins to feel any more than ordinary pain1 let her use every day the following3--8,take mallows and marshmallows1 of each one handful2 camomile1 hard mercury1 maiden-hair1 of each a handful2 of linseed1 four ounces2 let them be boiled in a sufficient quantity of water as to make a bath therewith40 ,but let her not sit too hot upon the seat1 nor higher than a little above the navel2 nor let her sit on it longer than about half an hour1 lest her strength languish and decay2 for it is better to use it often than to stay too long in it4 ,and thus have ,i shown how a child-bearing woman ought to govern herself each month during her pregnancy4 ,how she must order herself at her delivery1 shall be shown in another chapter1 after ,i have first shown the intended midwife how the child is first formed in the womb1 and the manner of its decumbiture there4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,of the ,parts proper to a ,child in the ,womb4 ,how it is formed there1 and the ,manner of its ,situation therein4 ,in the last chapter ,i treated of conception1 showing what it was1 how accomplished1 its signs1 and how she who has conceived ought to order herself during the time of her pregnancy4 ,now1 before ,i come to speak of her delivery1 it is necessary that the midwife be first made acquainted with the parts proper to a child in the womb1 and also1 that she be shown how it is formed2 and the manner of its situation and decumbiture there2 which are so necessary to her1 that without the knowledge thereof1 no one can tell how to deliver a woman as she ought4 ,this1 therefore1 shall be the work of this chapter4 ,i shall begin with the first of these4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,parts proper to a ,child in the womb4 ,in this section ,i must first tell you what ,i mean by the parts proper to a child in the womb2 and they are only those that either help or nourish it1 whilst it is lodged in that dark repository of nature1 and that help to clothe and defend it there1 and are cast away1 as of no more use1 after it is born2 and these are two3 viz4 the umbilicurs1 or navel vessels1 and the secundinum4 ,by the first it is nourished1 and by the second clothed and defended from wrong4 ,of each of these ,i shall speak distinctly3 and1 first1 ,of the ,umbilicurs1 or ,navel ,vessels4 ,these are four in number3 viz4 one vein1 two arteries1 and the vessel which is called the urachos4 #a4 ,the vein is that by which the infant is nourished1 from the time of its conception till the time of its delivery2 till1 being brought into the light of this world it has the same way of concocting its food that we have4 ,this vein ariseth from the liver of the child1 and is divided into parts when it has passed the navel2 and these two are divided and subdivided1 the branches being upheld by the skin called chorion 7of which ,i shall speak by and by71 and are joined to the veins of the mother's womb1 from whence they have their blood for the nourishment of the child4 #b4 ,the arteries are two on each side1 which proceed from the back branches of the great artery of the mother2 and the vital blood is carried by those to the child1 being ready concocted by the mother4 #c4 ,a nervous or sinewy production is led from the bottom of the bladder of the infant to the navel1 and this is called urachos2 and its use is to convey the urine of the infant from the bladder to the alantois4 ,anatomists do very much vary in their opinions concerning this2 some denying any such thing to be in the delivery of the woman2 and others1 on the contrary1 affirming it3 but experience has testified there is such a thing2 for ,bartholomew ,carbrolius1 the ordinary doctor of anatomy to the ,college of ,physicians at ,montpelier1 in ,france1 records the history of a maid1 whose water1 being a long time stopped1 at last issued out through the navel4 ,and ,johannes ,fernelius speaks of the same thing that happened to a man of thirty years of age1 who1 having a stoppage at the neck of the bladder1 his urine issued out of his navel many months together1 and that without any prejudice at all to his health2 which he ascribes to the ill lying of his navel whereby the urachos was not well dried4 ,and ,volchier ,coitas quotes such another instance in a maid of thirty-four years of age1 at ,nuremberg1 in ,germany4 ,these instances1 though they happen but seldom1 are sufficient to prove that there is such a thing as an urachos in men4 ,these four vessels before-mentioned1 viz4 one vein1 two arteries1 and the urachos1 do join near to the navel1 and are united by a skin1 which they have from the chorion1 and so become like a gut or rope1 and are altogether void of sense1 and this is that which women call the navel-string4 ,the vessels are thus joined together1 that so they may neither be broken1 severed nor entangled2 and when the infant is born are of no use1 save only to make up the ligament which stops the hole of the navel1 and some other physical use1 c4 ,of the ,,secundine1 or ,after-,birth4 ,setting aside the name given to this by the ,greeks and ,latins1 it is called in ,english by the name of secundine1 after-birth1 or after-burden2 which are held to be four in number4 ,i4 ,the first is called placentia1 because it resembles the form of a cake1 and is knit both to the navel and chorion1 and makes up the greatest part of the secundine1 or after-birth4 ,the flesh of it is like that of the melt1 or spleen1 soft1 red1 and tending something to blackness1 and hath many small veins and arteries in it2 and certainly the chief use of it is1 for containing the child in the womb4 #b4 ,the second is the chorion4 ,this skin1 and that called the amnios1 involve the child round1 both above and underneath1 and on both sides1 which the alantois doth not4 ,this skin is that which is most commonly called the secundine1 as it is thick and white1 garnished with many small veins and arteries1 ending in the placentia before named1 being very light and slippery4 ,its use is not only to cover the child round about1 but also to receive and safely bind up the roots of the veins and arteries or navel vessels before described4 #c4 ,the third thing which makes up the secundine is the alantois1 of which there is a great dispute among anatomists4 ,some say1 there is such a thing1 and others that there is not4 ,those that will have it to be a membrane1 say it is white1 soft1 and exceeding thin1 and just under the placentia1 where it is knit to the urachos1 from whence it receives the urine2 and its office is to keep it separate from the sweat1 that the saltness may not offend the tender skin of the child4 #d4 ,the fourth and last covering of the child is called amnios2 and it is white1 soft1 and transparent1 being nourished by some very small veins and arteries4 ,its use is not only to enwrap the child1 but also to retain the sweat of the child4 ,having thus described the parts proper to a child in the womb1 ,i will next proceed to speak of the formation of the child therein1 as soon as ,i have explained the hard terms of this section1 that those for whose help it is designed1 may understand what they read4 ,a vein is that which receives blood from the liver1 and distributes it in several branches to all parts of the body4 ,arteries proceed from the heart1 are in continual motion1 and by their continual motion quicken the body4 ,nerve is the same with sinew1 and is that by which the brain adds sense and motion to the body4 ,placentia properly signifies a sugar cake2 but in this section it is used to signify a spongy piece of flesh1 resembling a cake1 full of veins and arteries1 and is made to receive the mother's blood appointed for the infant's nourishment in the womb4 ,the chorion is the outward skin which compasseth the child in the womb4 ,the alantois is the skin that holds the urine of the child during the time that it abides in the womb4 ,the urachos is the vessel that conveys the urine from the child in the womb to the allantois4 ,i now proceed to ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,formation of the ,child in the ,womb4 ,the woman having conceived1 the first thing which is operative in the conception is the spirit whereof the seed is full1 which nature quickening by the heat of the womb1 stirs up to action4 ,the internal spirits therefore1 separate the parts that are less pure1 which are thick1 cold and clammy1 from those that are more pure and noble4 ,the less pure are cast to the outside1 and with these the seed is circled round1 and the membranes made1 in which that seed which is most pure is wrapped round1 and kept close together1 that it may be defended from cold and other accidents1 and operate the better4 ,the first thing that is formed is the amnios2 the next the chorion2 and they enwrap the seed round like a curtain4 ,soon after this 7for the seed thus shut up in the woman lies not idle7 the navel vein is bred1 which pierceth those skins1 being yet very tender1 and carries a drop of blood from the veins of the mother's womb to the seed3 from which drop the vena cava1 or chief vein1 proceeds1 from which all the rest of the veins which nourish the body spring2 and now the seed hath something to nourish it1 whilst it performs the rest of nature's work1 also blood administered to every part of it1 to form flesh4 ,this vein being formed1 the navel arteries are soon after formed2 then the great artery1 of which all the others are but branches2 and then the heart2 for the liver furnisheth the arteries with blood to form the heart1 the arteries being made of seed1 but the heart and the flesh of blood4 ,after this the brain is formed1 then the nerves to give sense and motion to the infant4 ,afterwards the bones and flesh are formed2 and of the bones1 first the vertebr or chine bones1 and then the skull1 c4 ,as to the time this curious part of workmanship is formed1 having already in the preceding ,chapter1 spoken distinctly and at large upon this point1 and also of the nourishment of the child in the womb1 ,i shall here only refer the reader thereto1 and proceed to show the manner in which the child lies in the womb4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the manner of the ,child's lying in the ,womb4 ,this is a thing so essential for a midwife to know1 that she can be no midwife who is ignorant of it3 and yet even about this1 authors extremely differ2 for there are not two in ten that agree what is the form that the child lies in the womb1 or in what fashion it lies there2 and yet this may arise in a great measure from the different figures that the child is found in1 according to the different times of the woman's pregnancy2 for near the time of its deliverance out of the winding chambers of nature1 it oftentimes changes the form in which it lay before for another4 ,i will now show the several situations of the child in the mother's womb1 according to the different times of pregnancy1 by which those that are contrary to nature1 and are the chief cause of all ill labours1 will be more easily conceived by the understanding midwife4 ,it ought1 therefore1 in the first place1 to be observed1 that the infant1 as well male as female1 is generally situated in the midst of the womb2 for though sometimes1 to appearance1 a woman's belly seems higher on one side than another1 yet it is so with respect to the belly only1 and not to her womb1 in the midst of which it is always placed4 ,but1 in the second place1 a woman's great belly makes different figures1 according to the different times of pregnancy2 for1 when she is young with child1 the embryo is always found of a round figure1 a little oblong1 having the spine moderately turned inwards1 the thighs folded1 and a little raised1 to which the legs are so raised1 and her heels touch the buttocks2 the arms are bending1 and the hands placed upon the knees1 towards which the head is inclining forwards1 so that the chin toucheth the breast2 in which posture it resembles one sitting to ease nature1 and stooping down with the head to see what comes from him4 ,the spine of its back is at that time placed towards the mother's1 the head uppermost1 the face downwards2 and proportionably to its growth1 it extends its members by a little and little1 which were exactly folded in the first month4 ,in this posture it usually keeps till the seventh or eighth month2 and then by a natural propensity and disposition of the upper part of the body1 the head is turned downwards toward the inward orifice of the womb1 tumbling as it were over its head1 so that then the feet are uppermost1 and the face towards the mother's great gut2 and this turning of the infant in this manner1 with its head downwards1 towards the latter end of a woman's reckoning1 is so ordered by nature1 that it may be thereby the better disposed for its passage into the world at the time of its mother's labour1 which is not then far off 7and1 indeed1 some children turn not at all until the very time of birth72 for in this posture all its joints are most easily extended in coming forth2 for1 by this means the arms and legs cannot hinder its birth1 because they cannot be bended against the inward orifice of the womb2 and the rest of the body being very supple1 passeth without any difficulty after the head which is hard and big1 being past the birth4 ,it is true1 there are divers children that lie in the womb in another posture1 and come to birth with their feet downwards1 especially if there be twins2 for then by the different motions they do disturb one another1 that they seldom come both in the same posture at the time of labour1 but when one will come with the head1 and another with the feet1 or perhaps lie across2 and sometimes neither of them will come right4 ,but1 however the child may be situated in the womb1 or in whatever posture it presents itself at the time of birth1 if it be not with its head forwards1 as ,i have before described1 it is always against nature1 and the delivery will occasion the more pain and danger1 and require greater care and skill from the midwife1 than when the labour is more natural4 ,,chap4 ,,iv4 ,a ,guide to ,women in ,travail1 showing what is to be done when they fall in ,labour1 in order to their ,delivery4 ,the end of all that we have been treating of is1 the bringing forth a child into the world with safety both to the mother and infant1 as the whole time of a woman's pregnancy may very well be termed a kind of labour2 for1 from the time of her conception to the time of her delivery1 she labours under many difficulties1 is subject to many distempers1 and in continual danger1 from one effect or other1 till the time of birth comes2 and when that comes1 the great labour and travail come along with it1 insomuch that then all the other labours are forgotten1 and that only is called the time of her labour2 and to deliver her safely is the principal business of the midwife2 and to assist her therein1 shall be the chief design of this chapter4 ,the time of the child's being ready for its birth1 when nature endeavours to ease it forth1 is that which is properly the time of a woman's labour2 nature then labouring to be eased of its burden4 ,and since many child-bearing women 7especially the first child7 are often mistaken in their reckoning1 and so1 when they draw near their time1 take every pain they meet with for their labour1 which often proves prejudicial and troublesome to them1 when it is not so2 ,i will in the first section of this chapter1 set down some signs1 by which a woman may know when the true time of her labour is come4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,the ,signs of the true ,time of a ,woman's ,labour4 ,when pregnant women1 especially of their first1 perceive any extraordinary pain in the abdomen1 they immediately send for their midwife1 as taking it for their labour2 and then if the midwife be not a skilful and experienced woman1 to know the time of labour1 but takes it for granted without further inquiry 7for some such there are71 and so goes about to put her into labour before nature is prepared for it1 she may endanger the lives of both mother and child by breaking the amnios and chorion4 ,these pains1 which are often mistaken for labour1 are removed by warm cloths laid to the abdomen1 and the application of a clyster or two1 by which those pains which precede a true labour are rather furthered than hindered4 ,there are also other pains incident to a woman in that condition from a flux of the abdomen1 which are easily known by the frequent stools that follow them4 ,the signs1 therefore1 of labour1 some few days before1 are1 that the woman's abdomen1 which before lay high1 sinks down1 and hinders her from walking so easily as she used to do2 also there flows from the womb slimy humours1 which nature has appointed to moisten and smooth the passage1 that its inward orifice may be the more easily dilated when there is occasion2 which beginning to open at this time1 suffers that slime to fall away1 which proceeds from the glandules1 called prostata4 ,these are signs preceding the labour2 but when she is presently falling into labour1 the signs are1 great pains about the region of the reins and loins1 which1 coming and retreating by intervals1 are answered in the bottom of the abdomen by congruous throes1 and sometimes the face is red and inflamed1 the blood being much heated by the endeavours a woman makes to bring forth her child2 and likewise1 because during these strong throes her respiration is intercepted1 which causes the blood to have recourse to her face2 also her privy parts are swelled by the infant's head lying in the birth1 which1 by often thrusting1 causes those parts to descend outwards4 ,she is much subject to vomiting1 which is a sign of labour and speedy delivery1 though by ignorant people thought otherwise2 for good pains are thereby excited by the sympathy there is between the womb and the stomach4 ,also when the birth is near1 women are troubled with a trembling in the thighs and legs1 not with cold1 like the beginning of an ague fit1 but with the heat of the whole body2 though1 it must be granted1 this does not happen always4 ,also1 if the humours which then flow from the womb are discoloured with blood1 which the midwives call shows1 it is an infallible mark of the birth being near4 ,and if then the midwife puts up her fingers into the neck of the womb1 she will find the inner orifice dilated2 at the opening of which1 the membranes of the infant1 containing the water1 present themselves1 and are strongly forced down with each pain she hath2 at which time one may perceive them sometimes to resist1 and then again press forward the finger1 being more or less hard and extended1 according as the pains are stronger or weaker4 ,these membranes1 with the waters in them when they are before the head of the child1 which the midwives call the gathering of the waters1 resemble to the touch of the finger those eggs which have no shell1 but are covered only with a simple membrane4 ,after this1 the pains still redoubling1 the membranes are broken by a strong impulsion of the waters1 which flow away1 and the head of the infant is presently felt naked1 and presents itself at the inward orifice of the womb4 ,when these waters come thus away1 then the midwife may be assured the birth is very near1 this being the most certain sign there can be2 for the amnios alantios1 which contained those waters1 being broken by the pressing forward of the birth1 the child is no better able to subsist long in the womb afterwards1 than a naked man in a heap of snow4 ,now1 these waters1 if the child comes presently after them1 facilitate the labour1 by making the passage slippery2 and1 therefore1 let no midwife 7as some have foolishly done7 endeavour to force away the water1 for nature knows best when the true time of the birth is1 and therefore refrains the water till that time4 ,but if by accident the water breaks away too long before the birth1 then such things as will hasten may be safely administered1 and what these are ,i will show in another section4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a woman ought to be ordered when the ,time if her ,labour is come4 ,when it is known that the true time of her labour is come by the signs laid down in the foregoing section1 of which those that are most to be relied on are pains and strong throes in the abdomen1 forcing downwards towards the womb1 and a dilation of the inward orifice1 which may be perceived by touching it with the finger1 and the gathering of the waters before the head of the child1 and thrusting down of the membranes which contain them2 through which1 between the pains1 one may in some manner with the finger discover the part which presents 7as we said before71 especially if it be the head of the child1 by its roundness and hardness2 ,i say1 if these things concur and are evident1 the midwife may be sure it is the time of the woman's labour2 and care must be taken to get all things necessary to comfort her in that time4 ,and the better to help her1 be sure to see she be not strait-laced3 you may also give her one strong clyster or more1 if there be occasion1 provided it be done at the beginning1 and before the child be too forward2 for it will be difficult for her to receive them afterwards4 ,the benefit accruing thereby will be1 that they excite her gut to discharge itself of its excrements1 that so1 the rectum being emptied1 there may be more space for the dilation of the passage2 likewise to cause the pains to bear the more downward1 through endeavours she makes when she is at stool2 and in the meantime1 all other necessary things for her labour should be put in order1 both for the mother and the child4 ,to this end1 some get a midwife's stool2 but a pallet-bed1 girded1 is much the best way1 placed near the fire1 if the reason require2 which pallet ought to be placed1 that there may be easy access to it on every side1 that the woman may be more readily assisted as there is occasion4 ,if the woman abounds with blood1 to bleed her a little may not be improper1 for thereby she will both breathe better1 and have her breasts more at liberty1 and likewise the more strength to bear down her pains2 and this may be done without danger1 because the child being about that time ready to be born1 has no more need of the mother's blood for its nourishment3 besides1 this evacuation does many times prevent her having a fever after delivery4 ,also1 before her delivery1 if her strength will permit1 let her walk up and down her chamber2 and that she may have strength so to do1 it will be necessary to give her some good strengthening things1 such as jelly1 broth1 new-laid eggs1 or some spoonfuls of burnt wine2 and let her by all means hold out her pains1 bearing them down as much as she can at the time when they take her2 and let the midwife from time to time touch the inward orifice with her finger1 to know whether the waters are ready to break1 and whether the birth will follow soon after4 ,let her also anoint the woman's privities with emollient oil1 hog's grease1 and fresh butter1 if she find they are hard to be dilated4 ,let the midwife likewise be all the time near the labouring woman1 and diligently observe her gestures1 complaints1 and pains2 for by this she may guess pretty well how her labour advanceth1 because when she changes her ordinary groans into loud cries1 it is a sign the child is very near the birth2 for at that time her pains are greater and more frequent4 ,let the woman1 likewise1 by intervals rest herself on the bed1 to regain her strength1 but not too long1 especially if she be little1 short1 and thick2 for such women have always worse labour1 if they lie long on their beds in their travail4 ,it is better1 therefore1 that she walk about her chamber as much as she can1 the woman supporting her under the arms1 if it be necessary2 for by this means1 the weight of the child causeth the inward orifice of the womb to dilate the sooner than in bed2 and if her pains be stronger and more frequent1 her labour will not be near so long4 ,let not the labouring women be concerned at those qualms and vomitings which perhaps she may find come upon her1 for they will be much for her advantage in the issue1 however uneasy she may be for the time1 as they further her throes and pains by provoking downwards4 ,when the waters of the child are ready and gathered 7which may be perceived through the membranes to present themselves to the inward orifice7 to the bigness of the whole dilation1 the midwife ought to let them break of themselves1 and not1 like some hasty midwives1 who being impatient of the woman's long labour1 break them1 intending thereby to hasten their business1 when instead thereof they retard it2 for1 by the too hasty breaking of these waters 7which nature designed to cause the infant to slide forth more easy7 the passage remains dry1 by which means the pains and throes of the labouring woman are less efficacious to bring forth than they would otherwise have been4 ,it is therefore much the better way to let the waters break of themselves2 after which the midwife may with ease feel the child by that part which first presents1 and thereby discerns whether it comes right1 that is1 with the head foremost1 for that is the most proper and natural way of its birth4 ,if the head comes right1 she will find it round1 big1 hard1 and equal2 but if it be any other part1 she will find it unequal1 rugged1 and soft or hard1 according to the nature of the part it is4 ,and this being the true time when a woman ought to be delivered1 if nature be not wanting to perform its office2 therefore1 when the midwife finds the birth thus coming forward1 let her hasten to assist and deliver it1 for it ordinarily happens soon after1 if it be natural4 ,but if it happens1 as sometimes it may1 that the waters break away too long before the birth1 in such a case those things that hasten nature may be safely administered4 ,for which purpose1 make use of pennyroyal1 dittany1 juniper-berries1 betony1 and feverfew1 boiled in white wine1 and give a draught of it2 or it would be much better to take the juice of it when it is in its prime1 which is in ,may1 and having clarified it1 make it into syrup1 with double its weight of sugar1 and keep it all the year1 to use when occasion calls for it3 mugwort used in the same manner1 is also good in this case2 also1 a drachm of cinnamon powder1 given inwardly1 profits much in this case2 and so does tansey1 boiled1 and applied to the privities2 or an oil of it1 so made and used1 as you were taught before4 ,the following prescriptions are very good to speedy deliverance to women in travail4 #a4 ,a decoction of white wine made in savory1 and drank4 #b4 ,take wild tansey1 or silver weed1 bruise it1 and apply it to the woman's nostrils4 #c4 ,take date stones1 and beat them to powder1 and let her take half a drachm of them in white wine at a time4 #d4 ,take parsley and bruise it1 and press out the juice1 and dip a linen cloth in it1 and put it up so dipped into the mouth of the womb3 it will presently cause the child to come away1 though it be dead1 and will bring away the after-burden4 ,also1 the juice of parsley is a thing of so great virtue 7especially stone parsley7 that being drunk by a pregnant woman it cleanseth not only the womb1 but also the child in the womb1 of all gross humours4 #e4 ,a scruple of castorum in powder1 in any convenient liquor1 is very good to be taken in such a case2 and so also is two or three drops of spirit of castorum in any convenient liquor2 also eight or nine drops of spirit of myrrh1 given in any convenient liquor1 gives speedy deliverance4 #f4 ,give a woman in such a case another woman's milk to drink3 it will cause speedy delivery1 and almost without pain4 #g4 ,the juice of leeks1 being drunk with warm water1 highly operates to cause speedy delivery4 #h4 ,take peony seeds1 and beat them into powder1 and mix the powder with oil1 with which oil anoint the loins and privities of the woman and child2 it will give her deliverance speedily1 and with less pain than can be imagined4 #i4 ,take a swallow's nest1 and dissolve it in water1 strain it1 and drink it warm2 it gives delivery with great speed and much ease4 ,note this also in general1 that all things that move the terms1 are good for making the delivery easy2 such as myrrh1 white amber in white wine1 or lily-water1 two scruples or a drachm2 or cassia lignea1 dittany1 each a drachm2 cinnamon half a drachm1 saffron a scruple2 give a drachm3 or take borax mineral a drachm2 and give it in sack3 or take cassia lignea a drachm3 dittany1 amber1 of each a drachm2 cinnamon1 borax1 of each a drachm and a half2 saffron a scruple2 and give her half a drachm3 or give her some drops of oil of hazel in convenient liquor2 or two or three drops of oil of cinnamon in vervain water4 ,some prepare the secundine thus3--,take the navel-string and dry it in an oven1 take two drachms of the powder1 cinnamon a drachm1 saffron half a scruple1 with juice of savin make trochisks2 give two drachms3 or wash the secundine in wine1 and bake it in a pot2 then wash it in endive water and wine2 take half a drachm of it3 long pepper1 galangal1 of each half a drachm3 plantain and endive seed1 of each half a drachm2 lavender seed four scruples2 make a powder3 or take laudanum two drachms2 storax1 calamile1 benzoin1 of each half a drachm2 musk ambergris1 each six grains2 make a powder1 or trochisks for a fume4 ,or use pessaries to provoke the birth2 take galbanum dissolved in vinegar1 an ounce2 myrrh two drachms2 with oil of oats make a pessary4 ,an ,ointment for the ,navel4 ,take oil of keir two ounces1 juice of savin an ounce1 of leeks and mercury each half an ounce2 boil them to the consumption of the juice2 add galbanum dissolved in vinegar half an ounce2 myrrh two drachms1 storax liquid a drachm2 round bistort1 sowbread1 cinnamon1 saffron a drachm2 with wax make an ointment1 and apply it4 ,if the birth be retarded through the weakness of the mother1 refresh her by applying wine and soap to the nose2 confect4 alkermas diamarg4 ,these things may be applied to help nature in her delivery1 when the child comes to the birth the right way1 and yet the birth be retarded3 but if she finds the child comes the wrong way1 and is not able to deliver the woman as she ought to be1 by helping nature1 and saving both mother and child 7for it is not enough to lay a woman1 if it might be done any other way with more safety and ease1 and less hazard both to woman and child71 then let her send speedily for better and more able help2 and not as ,i once knew a midwife do1 who1 when a woman she was to deliver had hard labour1 rather than a man-midwife should be sent for1 undertook to deliver the woman herself 7though told it was a man's business71 and in her attempting it brought away the child but left the head in the mother's womb2 and had not a man-midwife been presently sent for1 the mother had lost her life as well as the child3 such persons may rather be termed butchers than midwives4 ,but supposing the woman's labour be natural1 ,i will next show what the midwife ought to do1 in order to her delivery4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,of ,,natural ,,labour2 ,,what ,,it ,,is2 ,,and ,,what ,,the ,,midwife ,,is ,,to ,,do ,,in ,,such ,a ,,labour4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,what ,natural ,labour is4 ,there are four things which denominate a woman's natural labour2 the first1 that it be at the full time2 for1 if a woman comes before her time1 it cannot be termed natural labour2 neither will it be easy as though she had completed her nine months4 ,the second thing is1 that it be speedy and without any ill accident3 for1 when the time of her birth is come1 nature is not dilatory in the bringing of it forth1 without some ill accident intervene which renders it unnatural4 ,the third is1 that the child be alive2 for all will grant that the being delivered of a dead child is very unnatural4 ,the fourth thing requisite to a natural birth is1 that the child come right3 for if the position of the child in the womb be contrary to what is natural1 the event will prove it so1 by making that which should be a time of life1 the death of both the mother and the child4 ,having thus told you what ,i mean by natural labour1 ,i shall next show how the midwife is to proceed therein1 in order to the woman's delivery4 ,when all the foregoing requisites concur1 and after the waters be broke of themselves1 let there rather be a quilt upon the pallet bedstead than a feather bed1 having thereon linen1 and cloths in many folds1 with other such things as are necessary1 and that may be changed according to the exigency requiring it1 so that the woman may not be incommoded with the blood1 waters1 and other filth which are voided in labour4 ,the bed ought so to be ordered1 that the woman1 being ready to be delivered1 should lie on her back upon it1 having her body in a convenient posture2 that is1 her head and breast a little raised1 so that she be between lying and sitting2 for being so placed1 she is best capable of breathing1 and likewise will have more strength to bear her pains than if she lays otherwise1 or sunk down in bed4 ,being so placed1 she must spread her thighs abroad1 folding her legs a little towards her loins1 somewhat raised by a small pillow underneath1 to the end her groin should have more liberty to retire back2 and let her feet be stayed against some firm thing3 besides this1 let her take hold of some of the good women attending her with her hands1 that she may the better stay herself during her pains4 ,she being thus placed at the side of her bed1 having her midwife at hand the better to assist as nature requires1 let her take courage1 and help her pains the best she can1 bearing them down when they take her1 which she must do by holding her breath1 and forcing them as much as possible1 in like manner as when she goes to stool2 for by such straining1 the diaphragm1 or midriff1 being strongly thrust downwards1 necessarily forces down the womb and the child in it4 ,in the meantime1 let the midwife endeavour to comfort her all she can1 exhorting her to bear her labour courageously1 telling her it will be quickly over1 and that there is no fear but she will have a speedy delivery4 ,let her midwife also1 having no rings on her fingers1 anoint them with oil of fresh butter1 and thereby dilate gently the inward orifice of the womb1 putting her finger ends into the entry thereof1 and then stretch them one from the other1 when her pains take her2 by this means endeavouring to help forward the child1 and thrusting1 by little and little1 the sides of the orifice towards the hinder part of the child's head1 anointing it with fresh butter1 if it be necessary4 ,when the head of the infant is a little advanced into the inward orifice1 the midwife's phrase is1 8,it is crowned20 because it girds and surrounds it just as a crown2 but when it is so far that the extremities begin to appear without the privy parts1 then they say1 8,the child is in the passage20 and at this time the woman feels herself as it were scratched1 or pricked with pins1 and is ready to imagine that the midwife hurts her1 when it is occasioned by the violent distention of those parts1 and the laceration which the sometimes bigness of the child's head causeth there4 ,when things are in this posture1 let the midwife seat herself conveniently to receive the child1 which will come quickly1 and with her finger ends 7which she must be sure to keep close pared7 let her endeavour to thrust the crowning of the womb 7of which ,i have spoken before7 back over the head of the child2 and as soon as it is advanced as far as the ears1 or thereabouts1 let her take hold of the two sides with her two hands1 that when a good pain comes she may quickly draw forth the child1 taking care that the navel-string be not entangled about the neck1 or any other part1 as sometimes it is1 lest thereby the after-burden be pulled with violence1 and perhaps the womb also1 to which it is fastened1 and so either cause her to flood1 or else break the strings1 both which are of bad consequence to the woman1 whose delivery may thereby be rendered the more difficult4 ,it must also be carefully observed1 that the head should not be drawn forth straight1 but shaking it a little from one side to the other1 that the shoulders may sooner and easier take their place immediately after it is past1 without losing any time1 lest the head being past1 the child be stopped there by the largeness of the shoulders1 and so come in danger of being suffocated and strangled in the passage1 as it sometimes happens1 for the want of care therein4 ,but as soon as the head is born1 if there be need1 she may slide her fingers under the arm-pits1 and the rest of the body will follow without any difficulty4 ,as soon as the midwife hath in this manner drawn forth the child1 let her put it on one side1 lest the blood and water which follow immediately1 should do it an injury1 by running into its mouth and nose1 as they would do if it lay on its back1 and so endanger the choaking of it4 ,the child being thus born1 the next thing requisite is1 to bring away the after-burden3 but before that1 let the midwife be very careful to examine whether there be more children in the womb2 for sometimes a woman may have twins that expected it not2 which the midwife may easily know1 by the continuance of the pains after the child is born1 and the bigness of the mother's abdomen4 ,but the midwife may be sure of it1 if she puts her hand up the entry of the womb1 and finds there another watery gathering1 and a child in it presenting to the passage2 and if she finds it so1 she must have a care of going to fetch the after-birth1 till the woman be delivered of all the children she is pregnant with4 ,wherefore the first string must be cut1 being first tied with a thread three or four double1 and fasten the other end with a string to the woman's thighs2 and then removing the child already born1 she must take care to deliver her of the rest1 observing all the circumstances as with the first2 after which it will be necessary to fetch away the after-birth or births4 ,but of that ,i shall treat in another section2 and first show what is to be done to the new-born infant4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,cutting of the ,child's ,navel-,string4 ,though this is accounted by many but a trifle1 yet great care is to be taken about it2 and it shows none of the least art and skill of a midwife to do it as it should be2 and that it may be so done1 the midwife ought to observe1 #a4 ,the time4 #b4 ,the place4 #c4 ,the manner4 #d4 ,the event4 #a4 ,the time is1 as soon as ever the infant comes out of the womb1 whether it brings part of the after-burden with it or not2 for sometimes the child brings into the world a piece of the amnios upon its head1 and is what midwives call the caul1 and ignorantly1 attribute some extraordinary virtue to the child that is so born3 but this opinion is only the effect of their ignorance2 for when the child is born with such a crown 7as some call it7 upon its brows1 it generally betokens weakness1 and denotes a short life4 ,but to proceed to the matter in hand4 ,as soon as the child is come into the world1 it should be considered whether it is weak or strong2 and if it be weak1 let the midwife gently put back part of the vital and natural blood into the body of the child by its navel2 for that recruits a weak child 7the vital and natural spirits being communicated by the mother to the child by its navel-string72 but if the child be strong1 the operation is needless4 ,only let me advise you1 that many children that are born seemingly dead1 may be soon brought to life again1 if you squeeze six or seven drops of blood out of that part of the navel-string which is cut off1 and give it to the child inwardly4 #b4 ,as to the place in which it should be cut1 that is1 whether it should be cut long or short1 it is that which authors can scarcely agree in1 and which many midwives quarrel about2 some prescribing it to be cut at four fingers' breadth1 which is1 at best1 but an uncertain rule1 unless all fingers were of one size4 #c4 ,as to the manner in which it must be cut1 let the midwife take a brown thread1 four or five times double1 of an ell long or thereabouts1 tied with a single knot at each of the ends1 to prevent their entangling2 and with this thread so accommodated 7which the midwife must have in readiness before the woman's labour1 as also a good pair of scissors1 that no time may be lost7 let her tie the string within an inch of the abdomen with a double knot1 and1 turning about the end of the thread1 let her tie two more on the other side of the string1 reiterating it again1 if it be necessary2 then let her cut off the navel another inch below the ligatures1 towards the after-birth1 so that there only remains but two inches of the string1 in the midst of which will be the knot we speak of1 which must be so close knit as not to suffer a drop of blood to squeeze out of the vessels2 but care must be taken1 not to knit it so strait as to cut it in two1 and therefore1 the thread must be pretty thick1 and pretty strait cut1 it being better too strait than too loose2 for some children have miserably lost their lives1 with all their blood1 before it was discovered1 because the navel-string was not well tied2 therefore great care must be taken that no blood squeeze through2 for if there do1 a new knot must be made with the rest of the string4 ,you need not fear to bind the navel-string very hard1 because it is void of sense1 and that part which you leave falls off in a very few days1 sometimes in six or seven1 or sooner1 but never tarries longer than eight or nine4 #d4 ,the last thing ,i mentioned was the event or consequence1 or what follows cutting the navel-string4 ,as soon as the navel-string is cut off1 apply a little cotton or lint to the place to keep it warm1 lest the cold enter into the body of the child1 which it most certainly will do1 if you have not bound it hard enough4 ,if the lint or cotton you apply to it be dipped in the oil of roses1 it will be the better2 and then put another small rag three or four times double upon the abdomen3 upon the top of all1 put another small bolster2 and then swathe it with a linen swathe1 four fingers broad1 to keep it steady1 lest by moving too much1 or by being continually stirred from side to side1 it comes to fall off before the navel-string which you left remaining is falling off4 ,it is the usual custom of midwives to put a piece of burnt rag to it1 which we commonly call tinder2 but ,i would advise them to put a little ammoniac to it1 because of its drying quality4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,how to bring away the ,after-burden4 ,a woman cannot be said to be fairly delivered1 though the child be born1 till the after-burden be also taken from her2 herein differing from most animals1 who1 when they have brought forth their young cast forth nothing else but some water1 and the membranes which contained them4 ,but women have an after-labour1 which sometimes proves more dangerous than the first3 and how to bring it safely away1 without prejudice to her1 shall be my business to show in this section4 ,as soon as the child is born1 before the midwife either ties or cuts the navel-string1 lest the womb should close1 let her take the string and wind it once or twice about one or two of the fingers of her left hand joined together1 the better to hold it1 with which she may draw it moderately1 and with the right hand she may only take a single hold of it above the left near the privities1 drawing likewise with that very gently1 resting the while the fore-finger of the string towards the same hand1 extended and stretched forth along the entrance of the vagina1 always observing1 for greater facility1 to draw it from the side where the burden cleaves least2 for1 in so doing1 the rest will separate the better3 and special care must be taken that it be not drawn forth with too much violence1 lest by breaking the string near the burden the midwife be obliged to put the whole hand into the womb to deliver the woman2 and she need to be a very skilful person that undertakes it1 lest the womb1 to which this burden is sometimes very strongly fastened1 be drawn away with it1 as it has sometimes happened4 ,it is1 therefore1 best to use such remedies as may assist nature4 ,and here take notice1 that what brings away the birth1 will also bring away the after-birth4 ,and therefore1 for affecting this work1 ,i will lay down the following rules4 #a4 ,use the same means in bringing away the after-birth that you made use of to bring away the birth2 for the same care and circumspection are needful now that were then4 #b4 ,considering the labouring woman cannot but be much spent by what she has already undergone in bringing forth the infant2 be therefore sure to give her something to comfort her4 ,and in this case good jelly broths1 also a little wine and toast in it1 and other comforting things1 will be very necessary4 #c4 ,a little hellebore in powder1 to make her sneeze1 is in this case very proper4 #d4 ,tansey and the stone tites1 applied as before directed1 are also of good use in this case4 #e4 ,if you take the herb vervain1 and either boil it in wine1 or make a syrup with the juice of it1 which you may do by adding to it double its weight of sugar1 7having clarified the juice before you boil it71 a spoonful of that given to the woman is very efficacious to bring away the secundine2 and featherfew and mugwort have the same operation1 taken as the former4 #f4 ,alexander boiled in wine1 and the wine drank1 also sweet servile1 sweet cicily1 angelica roots1 and muster-wort1 are excellent remedies in this case4 #g4 ,or1 if this fail1 the smoke of marigolds1 received up a woman's privities by a funnel1 has been known to bring away the after-birth1 even when the midwife let go her hand4 #h4 ,boil mugwort in water till it be very soft2 then take it out1 and apply it in the manner of a poultice to the navel of the labouring woman1 and it instantly brings away the birth and after-birth4 ,but special care must be taken to remove it as soon as they come away1 lest by its longer tarrying it should draw away the womb also4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of ,laborious and ,difficult ,labours1 and how the ,midwife is to proceed therein4 ,there are three sorts of bad labours1 all painful and difficult1 but not all properly unnatural4 ,it will be necessary therefore to distinguish these4 ,the first of these labours is that wherein the mother and child suffer very much by extreme pain and difficulty1 even though the child come right2 and this is distinguishably called the laborious labour4 ,the second is that which is difficult1 and differs not much from the former1 except that1 besides those extraordinary pains1 it is generally attended with some unhappy accident1 which by retarding the birth1 causes the difficulty3 but these difficulties being removed1 it accelerates the birth1 and hastens the delivery4 ,some have asked1 what is the reason that women bring forth their children with so much pain8 ,i answer1 the sense of feeling is distributed to the whole body by the nerves2 and the mouth of the womb being so strait that it must of necessity be dilated at the time of the woman's delivery1 the dilating thereof stretches the nerves1 and from thence comes the pain4 ,and therefore the reason why some women have more pain in their labour than others1 proceeds from their having the mouth of the matrix more full of nerves than others4 ,the best way to remove those difficulties that occasion hard pains and labour1 is to show first from whence they proceed4 ,now the difficulty of labour proceeds either from the mother1 or child1 or both4 ,from the mother1 by reason of the indisposition of the body1 or from some particular part only1 and chiefly the womb1 as when the woman is weak1 and the mother is not active to expel the burden1 or from weakness or disease1 or want of spirits2 or it may be from some strong passion of the mind with which she was once possessed2 she may be too young1 and so may have the passage too strait2 or too old1 and then1 if it be her first child1 because her pains are too dry and hard1 and cannot easily be dilated1 as happens also to them which are too lean2 likewise those who are either small1 short or deformed1 as crooked women1 who have not breath enough to help their pains1 and to bear them down1 and persons that are crooked having sometimes the bones of the passage not well shaped4 ,the cholic also hinders labour1 by preventing the true pains2 and all great and active pains1 as when the woman is taken with a violent fever1 a great flooding1 frequent convulsions1 bloody flux1 or any other great distemper4 ,also1 excrements retained cause much difficulty1 and so does a stone in the bladder or when the bladder is full of urine1 without being able to void it2 or when the woman is troubled with great and painful piles4 ,it may also be from the passages1 when the membranes are thick1 the orifice too strait1 and the neck of the womb not sufficiently open1 the passages pressed and strained by tumours in the adjacent parts1 or when the bones are too firm1 and will not open1 which very much endangers the mother and child2 or when the passages are not slippery1 by reason of the waters being broke too soon1 or the membranes being too thin4 ,the womb may also be out of order with respect to its bad situation1 or conformation1 having its neck too strait1 hard1 and callous1 which may easily be so naturally1 or may come by accident1 being many times caused by a tumor1 an imposthume1 ulcer1 or superfluous flesh4 ,as to hard labour occasioned by the child it is when the child happens to stick to a mole1 or when it is so weak it cannot break the membranes2 or if it be too big all over1 or at the head only1 or if the natural vessels are twisted about its neck2 when the belly is hydropical2 or when it is monstrous1 having two heads1 or joined to another child2 also1 when the child is dead1 or so weak that it can contribute nothing to its birth2 likewise when it comes wrong2 or when there are two or more4 ,and to all these various difficulties there is oftentimes one more1 and that is1 the ignorance of the midwife1 who1 for want of understanding in her business1 hinders nature in her work instead of helping her4 ,having thus looked into the cases of hard labour1 ,i will now show the industrious midwife how she may minister some relief to the labouring woman under these difficult circumstances4 ,but it will require judgment and understanding in the midwife1 when she finds a woman in difficult labour1 to know the particular obstruction1 or cause thereof1 that so a suitable remedy may be applied2 as1 for instance1 when it happens by the mother's being too young or too strait1 she must be gently treated1 and the passages anointed with oil1 hog's lard1 or fresh butter1 to relax and dilate them the easier1 lest there should happen a rupture of any part when the child is born2 for sometimes the peritoneum breaks1 with the skin from the privities of the fundament4 ,but if the woman be in years with her first child1 let her lower parts be anointed to mollify the inward orifice1 which1 in such a case being more hard and callous1 does not easily yield to the distention of labour1 which is the true cause why such women are longer in labour1 and also why their children1 being forced against the inward orifice of the womb 7which1 as ,i have said1 is a little callous7 are born with great humps and bruises on their heads4 ,those women that are very small and misshapen1 should not be put to bed1 at least1 till their waters are broke1 but rather kept upright1 and assisted to walk about the chamber1 by being supported under the arms2 for1 by that means1 they will breathe more freely1 and mend their pains better than on the bed1 because there they lie on a heap4 ,as for those that are very lean1 and have hard labour from that cause1 let them moisten the parts with oil and ointments1 to make them more smooth and slippery1 that the head of the infant and the womb be not so compressed and bruised by the hardness of the mother's bones which forms the passage4 ,if the cause be weakness1 she ought to be strengthened1 the better to support her pains2 to which end give her good jelly broths1 and a little wine with a toast in it4 ,if she fears her pains1 let her be comforted1 assuring her that she will not endure many more1 but be delivered in a little time4 ,but if her pains be slow and small1 or none at all1 they must be provoked by frequent and pretty strong clysters2 let her walk about the chamber1 that so the weight of child may help them forwards4 ,if she flood1 or have strong convulsions1 she must be then helped by a speedy delivery2 the operation ,i shall relate in the section of unnatural labours4 ,if she be costive1 let her use clysters which may also help to dispel the cholic1 at those times very injurious1 because attended with useless pains1 and because such bear not downward1 and so help not to forward the birth4 ,if she find an obstruction or stoppage of the urine1 by reason the womb bears too much on the bladder1 let her lift up her abdomen a little with her hand1 and try if she receives any benefit2 if she finds she does not1 it will be necessary to introduce a catheter into her bladder1 and thereby draw forth her urine4 ,if the difficulty be from the ill posture of the woman1 let her be placed otherwise1 in a posture more suitable and convenient for her2 also if it proceed from the indisposition of the womb1 as from its oblique situation1 c4 it must be remedied1 as well as it can1 by placing her body accordingly2 or1 if it be a vicious conformation1 having the neck too hard1 too callous1 and too strait1 it must be anointed with oils and ointments1 as before directed4 ,if the membranes be so strong as that the waters do not break in due time1 they may be broken with the fingers1 if the midwife be first well assured that the child is forward in the passage1 or else1 by breaking the waters too soon1 the child may remain in danger of remaining dry a long time2 to supply which defect1 you may moisten the parts with fomentations1 decoctions1 and emollient oils3 which yet is not half so well as when nature does her work in her own time1 with the ordinary slime and water4 ,these membranes sometimes do press forth with the waters three or four fingers' breadth out of the body before the child1 resembling a bladder full of water2 but there is then no great danger to break them1 if they be not already broken2 for when the case is so1 the child is always in readiness to follow1 being in the passage2 but let the midwife be very careful not to pull it with her hand1 lest the after-burden be thereby loosened before its time1 for it adheres thereto very strongly4 ,if the navel-string happen to come first1 it must presently be put in again1 and kept so1 if possible1 or otherwise the woman must be immediately delivered4 ,but if the after-burden should come first1 it must not be put up again by any means2 for the infant having no further occasion for it1 it would be but an obstacle if it were put up2 in this case it must be cut off1 having tied the navel-string1 and afterwards draw forth the child with all the speed that may be1 lest it be suffocated4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of ,women labouring with a dead ,child4 ,when the difficulty of labour arises from a dead child1 it is a case of great danger to the mother1 and great care ought to be taken therein2 but before any thing be done1 the midwife ought to be well assured the child is dead indeed1 which may be known by these signs4 #a4 ,the breast suddenly slacks1 or falls flat1 or bags down4 #b4 ,a great coldness1 possesses the abdomen of the mother1 especially about the navel4 #c4 ,her urine is thick1 and a filthy stinking settles at the bottom4 #d4 ,no motion of the child can be perceived2 for the trial whereof1 let the midwife put her hand in warm water1 and lay it upon the abdomen2 for that1 if it is alive1 will make it stir4 #e4 ,she is very subject to dream of dead men1 and be affrighted therewith4 #f4 ,she has extravagant longings to eat such things as are contrary to nature4 #g4 ,her breath stinks1 though not used so to do4 #h4 ,when she turns herself in bed1 the child sways that way like a lump of lead4 ,these things being carefully observed1 the midwife may make a judgment whether the child be alive or dead1 especially if the woman take the following prescription3 8,take half a pint of white wine and burn it1 and add thereto half an ounce of cinnamon1 but no other spice whatever2 and when she has drank it1 if her travailing pains come upon her the child is certainly dead2 but if not1 the child may possibly be either weak or sick1 but not dead2 this will bring her pains upon her1 if it be dead1 and will refresh the child1 if it be living2 for cinnamon refresheth and strengtheneth the child40 ,now1 if upon trial1 it be found that the child is dead1 let the mother do all she can to forward the delivery1 because a dead child can be nowise helpful therein4 ,it will be necessary1 therefore1 that she make some comfortable things to prevent her fainting1 by reason of the putrid vapours ascending from the dead child4 ,and in order to her delivery1 let her take the following herbs boiled in white wine1 7or at least as many of them as you can get71 viz4 dittany1 betony1 pennyroyal1 sage1 featherfew1 centuary1 ivy leaves1 and berries4 ,let her also take sweet basil1 in powder1 and half a drachm at a time1 in white wine2 let her privities be also anointed with the juice of the garden-tansey4 ,or take the tansey in the summer1 when it can be most plentifully had1 and before it runs up to the flower1 and having bruised it well1 boil it in oil till the juice of it be consumed4 ,if you set it in the sun1 after you have mixed it with oil1 it will be more effectual4 ,this an industrious midwife1 who would be prepared against all events1 ought to have always by her4 ,as to the manner of her delivery1 the same methods must be used as are mentioned in the section of natural labour4 ,and here again ,i cannot but commend the stone tites1 held near the privities1 whose magnetic virtue renders it exceedingly necessary on this occasion1 for it draws the child any way1 with the same facility that the loadstone draws iron4 ,let the midwife also make a strong decoction of hyssop with water1 and let the woman drink it very hot1 and it will in a little time bring away the dead child4 ,if1 as soon as she is delivered of the dead child1 you are in doubt that part of the after-birth is left behind in the body 7for in such cases as these1 many times1 it rots1 and comes away piecemeal71 let her continue drinking the same decoction till her body be cleansed4 ,a decoction made of the herb muster-wort1 used as you did the decoction of hyssop1 works the same effect4 ,let the midwife also take roots of pollodum1 and stamp them well2 warm them a little1 and bind them on the soles of her feet1 and it will soon bring away the child1 either dead or alive4 ,the following medicines likewise are such as stir up the expulsive faculty2 but in this case they must be stronger1 because the motion of the child ceaseth4 ,take savin1 round birthwort1 trochisks of myrrh1 afaran roots1 cinnamon1 saffron1 each half a drachm2 make a powder1 give a drachm4 ,or she may purge first1 and then apply an emollient1 anointing her about the womb with oil of lilies1 sweet almonds1 camomile1 hen and goose grease4 ,also foment1 to get out the child with a decoction of mercury1 orris1 wild cucumbers1 scus1 broom flowers4 ,then anoint the privities and loins with ointment of sowbread4 ,or1 take coloquintida1 birthwort1 of each a drachm2 make a powder2 add ammoniacum dissolved in wine1 ox-gall1 each two drachms2 with oil of keir make an ointment4 ,or this pessary3 ,take birthwort1 orris1 black hellebore1 coloquintida1 myrrh1 each a drachm2 powdered ammoniacum dissolved in wine1 ox-gall1 each two drachms4 ,or make a fume with an ass's hoof burnt1 or gallianum1 or castor1 and let it be taken in with a funnel4 ,to take away pains1 and strengthen the parts1 foment with the decoction of mugwort1 mallows1 rosemary1 with wood myrtle1 ,st4 ,john's wort1 each half an ounce1 spermatic two drachms2 deer's suet an ounce2 with wax make anointment4 ,or1 ,take wax six ounces1 spermaceti an ounce2 melt them1 dip flax therein1 and lay it all over her abdomen4 ,if none of these things will do1 the last remedy is to use surgery1 and then the midwife ought without delay to send for an expert and able man-midwife1 to deliver her by manual operation2 of which ,i shall treat more in the next chapter4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,of unnatural ,labour4 ,in showing the duty of a midwife1 when the child-bearing woman's labour is unnatural1 it will be requisite to show1 in the first place1 what ,i mean by unnatural labour2 for that women do bring forth children in pain and sorrow is natural and common to all4 ,therefore that which ,i call unnatural is1 when the child comes to the birth in a contrary posture to that which nature ordained1 and in which the generality of children come into the world4 ,the right and natural birth is1 when the child comes with its head first2 and yet this is too short a definition of a natural birth3 for if any part of the head but the crown comes first1 so that the body follows not in a straight line1 it is a wrong and difficult birth1 even though the head comes first4 ,therefore1 if the child comes with its feet first1 or with the side across1 it is quite contrary to nature1 or1 to speak more plainly1 that which ,i call unnatural4 ,now1 there are four general ways a child may come wrong4 #a4 ,when any of the fore parts of the body first present themselves4 #b4 ,when1 by an unhappy transportation1 any of the hinder parts of the body first present themselves4 #c4 ,when either of the sides1 or1 #d4 the feet present themselves first4 ,to these the different wrong postures that a child can present itself may be reduced4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,how to deliver a ,woman of a ,dead ,child1 by ,manual ,operation4 ,when manual operation is necessary1 let the operator acquaint the woman of the absolute necessity there is for such an operation2 and that1 as the child has already lost its life1 there is no other way left for the saving of hers4 ,let him also inform her1 for her encouragement1 that he doubts not1 with the divine blessing1 to deliver her safely2 and that the pain arising thereby will not to be so great as she fears4 ,then let him stir up the woman's pains by giving her some sharp clyster1 to excite her throes to bear down and bring forth the child4 ,and if this prevail not1 let him proceed with the manual operation4 ,first1 therefore1 let her be placed across the bed that he may operate the easier1 and let her lie on her back1 with her hips a little higher than her head1 or at least the body equally placed1 when it is necessary to put back or turn the infant to give it a better posture4 ,being thus situated1 she must fold her legs so as her heels be towards her body1 and her thighs spread1 and held so by a couple of strong persons3 there must be others also to support her under her arms1 that the body may not slide down when the child is drawn forth2 for which1 sometimes1 a great strength is required4 ,let the sheets and blankets cover her thighs1 for decency's sake1 and with respect to the assistance1 and also to prevent her catching cold2 the operator herein governing himself as well with respect to his convenience1 and the facility and surety of the operation1 as to other things4 ,then let him anoint the entrance of the womb with oil or fresh butter1 if necessary1 that so with more ease he may introduce his hand1 which must also be anointed2 and having1 by the signs before-mentioned1 received satisfaction that the child is dead1 he must do his endeavours to fetch it away as soon as he possibly can4 ,if the child offer the head first1 he must gently put it back1 until he hath liberty to introduce his hand quite into the womb2 then sliding it along to find the feet1 let him draw it forth by them1 being very careful to keep the head from being locked into the passage1 and that it be not separated from the body2 which may be effected the more easily1 because the child being very rotten and putrefied1 the operator needs not be so mindful to keep the breast and face downwards as he is in living births4 ,but if1 notwithstanding all these precautions1 by reason of the child's putrefaction1 the head should be separated and left behind in the womb1 it must be drawn forth according to the directions which have been given in the third section of this chapter4 ,but when the head1 coming first1 is so far advanced that it cannot well be put back1 it is better to draw it forth so1 than to torment the woman too much by putting it back to turn it and bring it by the feet3 but the head being a part round and slippery1 it may so happen that the operator cannot take hold of it by reason of its moisture1 nor put them up to the side of it1 because of its bigness2 he must therefore take a proper instrument1 and put it up as far as he can1 without violence1 between the womb and the child's head1 observing to keep the point of it towards the head 7for the child being dead before1 there can be no danger in the operation17 and let him fasten it there1 giving it hold of the bones of the skull1 that it may not slide2 and after it is well fixed in the head1 he may therewith draw it forth1 keeping the ends of his left hand flat upon the opposite side1 the better to help to disengage it1 and by wagging it a little1 to conduct it directly out of the passage1 until the head be quite born2 and then taking hold of it with the hands only1 the shoulders may be drawn into the passage1 and so sliding the fingers of both hands under the arm-pits1 the child may be quite delivered2 and then the after-burden fetched1 to finish the operation1 being careful not to pluck the navel-string too hard1 lest it break1 as often happens1 when it is corrupt4 ,if the dead child comes with the arms up to the shoulder so extremely swelled that the woman must suffer too great violence to have it put back1 it is then 7being first well assured that the child is dead7 best to take it off by the shoulder points1 by twisting three or four times about1 which is very easily done by reason of the softness and tenderness of the body4 ,after the arm is so separated1 and no longer possesses the passage1 the operator will have more room to put up his hand into the womb1 to fetch the child by the feet and bring it away4 ,but although the operator be sure the child is dead in the womb1 yet he must not therefore presently use instruments1 because they are never to be used but when hands are not sufficient1 and there is no other remedy to prevent the woman's danger1 or to bring forth the child any other way2 and the judicious operator will choose that way which is the least hazardous and most safe4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how a ,woman must be ,delivered1 when the ,child's ,feet come first4 ,there is nothing more obvious to those whose business it is to assist labouring women1 than that the several unnatural postures in which children present themselves at their birth1 are the occasion of most of the bad labour and ill accidents that happen unto them in that condition4 ,and since midwives are very often obliged1 because of the unnatural situations1 to draw the children forth by the feet1 ,i conceive it to be most proper first to show how a child must be brought forth that presents itself in that posture1 because it will be a guide to several of the rest4 ,i know indeed in this case it is the advice of several authors to change the figure1 and place the head so that it may present to the birth2 and this counsel ,i should be very inclinable to follow1 could they but also show how it may be done4 ,but it will appear very difficult1 if not impossible1 to be performed1 if we would avoid the danger that by such violent agitations both the mother and the child must be put into2 and therefore my opinion is1 that it is better to draw forth by the feet1 when it presents itself in that posture1 than to venture a worse accident by turning it4 ,as soon1 therefore1 as the waters are broken1 and it is known that the child comes thus1 and that the womb is open enough to admit the midwife's or operator's hand into it1 or else by anointing the passage with oil or hog's grease1 to endeavour to dilate it by degrees1 using her fingers to this purpose1 spreading them one from the other1 after they are together entered1 and continuing to do so till they be sufficiently dilated1 then1 taking care that her nails be well pared1 no rings on her fingers1 and her hands well anointed with oil or fresh butter1 and the woman placed in the manner directed in the former section1 let her gently introduce her hand into the entrance of the womb1 where1 finding the child's feet1 let her draw it forth in the manner ,i shall presently direct2 only let her first see whether it presents one foot or both2 and if but one foot1 she ought to consider whether it be the right foot or left1 and also in what fashion it comes3 for1 by that means1 she will soon come to know where to find the other1 which1 as soon as she knows and finds1 let her gently draw it forth with the other2 but of this she must be especially careful1 viz4 that the second be not the foot of another child2 for1 if so1 it may be of the utmost consequence1 for she may sooner split both mother and child1 than draw them forth3 but this may be easily prevented1 if she but slide the hand up by the first leg and thigh to the twist1 and there find both thighs joined together1 and descending from one and the same body4 ,and this is also the best means to find the other foot1 when it comes but with one4 ,as soon as the midwife has found both the child's feet1 she may draw them forth1 and holding them together1 may bring them by little in this manner2 taking afterwards hold of the arms and thighs1 as soon as she can come at them1 drawing them so till the hips come forth4 ,while this is doing1 let her observe to wrap the parts in a single cloth1 that so her hands1 being always greasy1 slide not on the infant's body1 which is very slippery1 because of the vicious humours which are all over it2 which being done1 she may take hold under the hips1 so as to draw it forth to the beginning of the breast2 and let her on both sides with her hand bring down the child's hand along its body1 which she may easily find2 and then let her take care that the belly and face of the child be downwards3 for1 if they should be upwards1 there would be some danger of its being stopped by the chin1 over the share-bone2 and therefore1 if it be not so1 she must turn it to the posture2 which may easily be done1 if she takes proper hold of the body when the breast and arms are forth1 in the manner as we have said1 and draws it1 turning it in proportion on that side which it most inclines to1 till it be turned with the face downwards2 and so1 having brought it to the shoulders1 let her lose no time1 desiring the woman at the same time to bear down1 that so drawing the head at that instant may take its place1 and not be stopped in the passage4 ,some children there are whose heads are so big1 that when the whole body is born1 yet that stops the passage1 though the midwife takes all possible care to prevent it4 ,and when this happens1 she must endeavour to draw forth the child by the shoulders1 taking care that she separate not the body from the head1 7as ,i have known it done by the midwife17 discharging it by little and little from the bones in the passage with the fingers of each hand1 sliding them on each side opposite the other1 sometimes above and sometimes under1 till the work be ended2 endeavouring to despatch it as soon as possible1 lest the child be suffocated1 as it will unavoidably be1 if it remain long in that posture2 and this being well and carefully effected1 she may soon after fetch away the after-birth1 as ,i have before directed4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,how to bring away the ,head of the ,child1 when separated from the ,body1 and left behind in the ,womb4 ,though the utmost care be taken in bringing away the child by the feet1 yet if it happen to be dead1 it is sometimes so putrefied and corrupt1 that with the least pull the head separates from the body1 and remains alone in the womb1 and cannot be brought away but with a manual operation and great difficulty1 it being extremely slippery1 by reason of the place where it is1 and from the roundness of its figure1 on which no hold can be taken2 and so very great is the difficulty in this case1 that sometimes two or three able practitioners of midwifery have1 one after the other1 left the operation unfinished1 as not able to effect it1 after the utmost industry1 skill and strength2 so that the woman1 not being able to be delivered1 perished4 ,to prevent which fatal accident1 let the following operation be observed4 ,when the infant's head separates from the body1 and is left alone behind1 whether through putrefaction or otherwise1 let the operator immediately1 without any delay1 whilst the womb is still open1 direct up his right hand to the mouth of the head 7for no other hole can there be had71 and having found it1 let him put one or two of his fingers into it1 and the thumb under its chin2 then let him draw it by little and little1 holding it by the jaws3 but if that fails1 as sometimes it will1 when putrefied1 then let him pull out the right hand1 and slide up his left with which he must support the head1 and with the right let him take a narrow instrument called a crotchet1 but let it be strong1 and with a single branch1 which he must guide along the inside of his hand1 with the point of it towards it1 for fear of hurting the womb2 and having thus introduced it1 let him turn it towards the head1 to strike either in an eye-hole1 or the hole of an ear1 or behind the head1 or else between the sutures1 as he finds it most convenient and easy2 and then draw forth the head so fastened with the said instrument1 still helping to conduct it with his left hand2 but when he hath it brought near the passage1 being strongly fastened to the instrument1 let him remember to draw forth his hand1 that the passage1 not being filled with it1 may be larger and easier1 keeping still a finger or two on the side of the head1 the better to disengage it4 ,there is also another method1 with more ease and less hardship than the former3 let the operator take a soft fillet or linen slip1 of about four fingers' breadth1 and the length of three quarters of an ell1 or thereabouts1 taking the two ends with the left hand1 and the middle with the right1 and let him so put it up with his right as that it may be beyond the head1 to embrace it as a sling doth a stone1 and afterwards draw forth the fillet by the two ends together2 it will thus be easily drawn forth1 the fillet not hindering the least passage1 because it takes up little or no space4 ,when the head is fetched out of the womb1 care must be taken that not the least part of it be left behind1 and likewise to cleanse the womb of the after-burden1 if yet remaining4 ,if the burden be wholly separated from the side of the womb1 that ought to be first brought away1 because it may also hinder the taking hold of the head4 ,but if it still adheres to the womb1 it must not be meddled with till the head be brought away2 for if one should endeavour to separate it from the womb1 it might then cause a flooding1 which would be augmented by the violence of the operation2 the vessels to which it is joined remaining for the most part open as long as the womb is distended1 which the head causeth while it is retained in it1 and cannot be closed till this strange body be voided1 and this it doth by contracting and compressing itself together1 as has been more fully before explained4 ,besides1 the after-birth remaining thus cleaving to the womb during the operation prevents it from receiving easily either bruise or hurt4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,how to deliver a ,woman when the ,child's ,head is presented to the ,birth4 ,though some may think it a natural labour1 when the child's head comes first2 yet1 if the child's head present not the right way1 even that is an unnatural labour2 and therefore1 though the head comes first1 yet if it be the side of the head instead of the crown1 it is very dangerous both to the mother and child1 for the child's neck would be broken1 if born in that manner2 and by how much the mother's pains continue to bear the child1 which is impossible unless the head be rightly placed1 the more the passages are stopped4 ,therefore1 as soon as the position of the child is known1 the woman must be laid with all speed1 lest the child should advance further into this vicious posture1 and thereby render it more difficult to thrust it back1 which must be done1 in order to place the head right in the passage1 as it ought to be4 ,to this purpose1 therefore1 place the woman so that her thighs may be a little higher than her head and shoulders1 causing her to lean a little upon the opposite side to the child's ill posture2 then let the operator slide up his hand1 well anointed with oil1 by the side of the child's head1 to bring it right gently with his fingers between the head and the womb2 but if the head be so engaged that it cannot be done that way1 he must put his hand up to the shoulders1 that so by thrusting them back a little into the womb1 sometimes on the one side and sometimes on the other1 he may1 by little and little1 give a natural position4 ,i confess it would be better1 if the operator could put back the child by its shoulders with both hands3 but the head takes up so much room1 that he can only make use of his fingers1 with which he must perform this operation1 and with the help of the finger ends of the other hand put forward the child's birth1 as in natural labour4 ,some children present their face first1 having their hands turned back1 in which posture it is extremely difficult for a child to be born2 and if it continues so long1 the face will be swelled1 and become black and blue1 so that it will at first appear monstrous1 which is occasioned as well by the compression of it in that place1 as by the midwife's fingers in handling it1 in order to place it in a better posture4 ,but this blackness will wear away in three or four days' time1 by anointing it often with oil of sweet almonds4 ,to deliver the birth1 the same operation must be used as in the former1 when the child comes first with the side of the head2 only let the midwife or operator work very gently1 to avoid as much as possible the bruising the face4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,how to ,deliver a ,woman when the ,child presents one or both ,hands together with the ,head4 ,sometimes the infant will present some other part together with its head2 which if it does1 it is usually with one or both its hands2 and this hinders the birth1 because the hands take up part of that passage which is little enough for the head alone3 besides when this happens1 they generally cause the head to lean on one side2 and therefore this position may be well styled unnatural4 ,when the child presents thus1 the first thing to be done1 after it is perceived1 must be to prevent it from coming down more1 or engaging further in the passage2 and therefore the operator having placed the woman on the bed1 with her head lower than her thighs1 must guide and put back the infant's hand with his own as much as may be1 or both of them1 if they both come down1 to give way to the child's head2 and this being done1 if the head be on one side1 it must be brought into its natural posture1 in the middle of the passage1 that it may come in a straight line1 and then proceed as directed in the foregoing section4 ,,sect4 ,,vi4 ,how a ,woman ought to be delivered1 when the ,hands and ,feet of the ,infant come together4 ,there are none but will readily grant1 that when the hands and feet of an infant present together1 the labour must be unnatural2 because it is possible a child can be born in that manner4 ,in this case therefore1 when the midwife guides her hand to the orifice of the womb1 she will perceive only many fingers close together2 and if it be not sufficiently dilated1 it will be a good while before the hands and feet be sufficiently distinguished2 for they are sometimes so shut and pressed together1 that they seem to be all of one and the same shape3 but where the womb is open enough to introduce the hand into it1 she will easily know which are the hands and which are the feet2 and having taken particular notice thereof1 let her slide up her hand1 and presently direct it towards the infant's breast1 which she will find very near1 and then let her very gently thrust back the body towards the bottom of the womb leaving the feet in the same place where she found them3 and then1 having placed the woman in a convenient posture1 that is to say1 her thighs a little raised above her breast1 and 7which situation ought also to be observed when the child is to be put back into the womb71 let the midwife afterwards take hold of the child by the feet1 and draw it forth1 as is directed in the second section4 ,this labour1 though somewhat troublesome1 yet is much better than when the child presents only its hands2 for then the child must be quite turned round before it can be drawn forth2 but in this they are ready1 presenting themselves1 and there is little to do but to lift and thrust back the upper part of the body1 which is almost done of itself1 by drawing by the feet alone4 ,i confess there are many authors that have written of labours1 who would have all wrong births reduced to a natural figure2 which is1 to turn it that it may come with the head first4 ,but those that have written thus are such as never understood the practical part2 for if they had the least experience therein1 they would know that it is impossible2 at least1 if it were to be done1 that violence must necessarily be used in doing it1 that would very probably be the death of both mother and child in the operation4 ,i would therefore lay down1 as a general rule1 that whensoever a child presents itself wrong to the birth1 in what posture soever1 from the shoulders to the feet1 it is the best way1 and the soonest done1 to draw it out by the feet2 and that it is better to search for them1 if they do not present themselves1 than to try to put them into their natural posture1 and place the head foremost2 for the great endeavours necessary to be used in turning the child in the womb1 do so much weaken both the mother and the child1 that there remains not afterwards strength enough to commit the operation to the work of nature2 for1 usually1 the woman hath no more throes or pains fit for labour after she has been so wrought upon3 for which reason it would be difficult1 and tedious at best2 and the child by such an operation made very weak1 would be in extreme danger of perishing before it could be born4 ,it is therefore much better in these cases to bring it away immediately by the feet2 searching for them1 as ,i have already directed1 when they do not present themselves2 by which the mother will be prevented a tedious labour1 and the child be often brought alive into the world1 who otherwise could hardly escape death4 ,,sect4 ,,vii4 ,how a ,woman should be delivered that has ,twins1 which present themselves in different ,postures4 ,we have already spoken something of the birth of twins in the chapter of natural labour2 for it is not an unnatural labour barely to have twins1 provided they come in a right position to the birth4 ,but when they present themselves in different postures1 they come properly under the denomination of unnatural labours2 and if when one child presents itself in a wrong figure1 it makes the labour dangerous and unnatural1 it must needs make it much more so when there are several1 and render it not only more painful to the mother and children1 but to the operator also2 for they often trouble each other1 and hinder both their births4 ,besides which1 the womb is so filled with them1 that the operator can hardly introduce his hand without much violence1 which he must do1 if they are to be turned or thrust back to give them a better position4 ,when a woman is pregnant with two children1 they rarely present to the birth together1 the one generally being more forward than the other2 and that is the reason that but one is felt1 and that many times the midwife knows not that there are twins till the first is born1 and that she is going to fetch away the after-birth4 ,in the first chapter1 wherein ,i treated of natural labour1 ,i have showed how a woman should be delivered of twins1 presenting themselves both right2 and therefore1 before ,i close the chapter of unnatural labour1 it only remains that ,i show what ought to be done when they either both come wrong1 or one of them only1 as for the most part it happens2 the first generally coming right1 and the second with the feet forward1 or in some worse posture4 ,in such a case1 the birth of the first must be hastened as much as possible1 to make way for the second1 which is best brought away by the feet1 without endeavouring to place it right1 because it has been1 as well as its mother1 already tired and weakened by the birth of the first1 and there would be greater danger of its death than likelihood of its coming out of the womb that way4 ,but if1 when the first is born naturally1 the second should likewise offer its head to the birth1 it would be then best to leave nature to finish what she has so well begun2 and if nature should be too slow in her work1 some of those things mentioned in the fourth chapter1 to accelerate the birth1 may be properly enough applied3 and if1 after that1 the second birth should be yet delayed1 let a manual operation be deferred no longer2 but the woman being properly placed1 as has been before directed1 let the operator direct his hand gently into the womb to find the feet1 and so draw forth the second child1 which will be the more easily effected1 because there is a way made sufficiently by the birth of the first2 and if the waters of this second child be not broke1 as it often happens1 yet1 intending to bring it by the feet1 he need not scruple to break the membranes with his fingers2 for though1 when the birth of a child is left to the operation of nature1 it is necessary that the waters should break of themselves1 yet when the child is brought out of the womb by art1 there is no danger of breaking them2 nay1 on the contrary1 it becomes necessary2 for without the waters are broken1 it would be impossible to turn the child4 ,but herein principally lies the cares of the operator1 that he be not deceived1 when either the hands or feet of both children offer themselves together to the birth2 in this case he ought well to consider the operation1 as1 whether they be not joined together1 or any way monstrous2 and which part belongs to one child1 and which to the other2 that so they may be fetched one after the other1 and not both together1 as may be1 if it were not duly considered2 taking the right foot of the one and the left of the other1 and so drawing them together1 as if they belonged to one body1 because there is a left and a right1 by which means it would be impossible ever to deliver them4 ,but a skilful operator will easily prevent this1 if1 having found two or three of several children presenting together in the passage1 and taking aside two of the forwardest1 a right and a left1 and sliding his arm along the legs and thighs up to the wrist1 he finds they both belong to one body2 of which being thus assured1 he may begin to draw forth the nearest1 without regarding which is the strongest or weakest1 bigger or less1 living or dead1 having first put aside that part of the other child which offers to have the more way1 and so dispatch the first as soon as may be1 observing the same rules as if there were but one1 that is keeping the breast and face downwards1 with every circumstance directed in that section where the child comes with its feet first1 and not fetch the burden till the second child is born4 ,and therefore1 when the operator hath drawn forth one child1 he must separate it from the burden1 having tied and cut the navel-string1 and then fetch the other by the feet in the same manner1 and afterwards bring away the after-burden with the two strings as hath been before showed4 ,if the children present any other part but the feet1 the operator may follow the same method as directed in the foregoing section where the several unnatural positions are fully treated of4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,directions ,,for ,,child-,,bearing ,,women ,,in ,,their ,,lying-,,in4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,how a ,woman newly ,delivered ought to be ordered4 ,as soon as she is laid in her bed1 let her be placed in it conveniently for ease and rest1 which she stands in great need of1 to recover herself of the great fatigue she underwent during her travail2 and that she may lie the more easily let her hands and body be a little raised1 that she may breathe more freely1 and cleanse the better1 especially of that blood which then comes away1 that so it may not clot1 which being restrained causeth great pain4 ,having thus placed her in bed1 let her take a draught of burnt white wine1 having a drachm of spermaceti melted therein4 ,the herb vervain is also singularly good for a woman in this condition1 boiling it in what she either eats or drinks1 fortifying the womb so exceedingly1 that it will do more good in two days1 than any other thing does in double that time1 having no offensive taste4 ,and this is no more than what she stands in need of2 for her lower parts being greatly distended till the birth of the infant1 it is good to endeavour the prevention of an inflammation there4 ,let there also be outwardly applied1 all over the bottom of her abdomen and privities1 the following anodyne and cataplasm3 ,take two ounces of oil of sweet almonds1 and two or three new-laid eggs1 yolks and whites1 stirring them together in an earthen pipkin over hot embers1 till they come to the consistence of a poultice2 which being spread upon a cloth1 must be applied to those parts1 indifferently warm1 having first taken away the closure 7which was put to her presently after her delivery17 and likewise such clots of blood as were then left4 ,let this lie on five or six hours1 and then renew it again as you see cause4 ,great care ought to be taken at first1 that if her body be very weak1 she be not kept too hot1 for extremity of heat weakens nature and dissolves the strength2 and whether she be weak or strong1 be sure that no cold air comes near her first2 for cold is an enemy to the spermatic parts1 and if it get into the womb1 it increases the after-pains1 causes swelling in the womb1 and hurts the nerves4 ,as to her diet1 let it be hot1 and let her eat but a little at a time4 ,let her avoid the light for the first three days1 and longer if she be weak1 for her labour weakens her eyes exceedingly1 by a harmony between the womb and them4 ,let her also avoid great noise1 sadness1 and trouble of mind4 ,if the womb be foul1 which may be easily perceived by the impurity of the blood 7which will then easily come away in clots or stinking1 of if you suspect any of the after-burden to be left behind1 which may sometimes happen17 make her drink of featherfew1 mugwort1 pennyroyal1 and mother of thyme1 boiled in white wine and sweetened with sugar4 ,panado and new-laid eggs are the best meat for her at first2 of which she may eat often but not too much at a time4 ,and let her nurse use cinnamon in all her meats and drinks1 for it generally strengthens the womb4 ,let her stir as little as may be1 till after the fifth1 sixth1 or seventh day of her delivery1 if she be weak2 and let her take as little meat as possible1 for that tends to weaken her very much4 ,if she goes not well to stool1 give a clyster made only with the decoction of mallows and a little brown sugar4 ,when she hath lain-in a week or more1 let her use such things as close the womb1 of which knot-grass and comfrey are very good2 and to them you may add a little polypodium1 for it will do her good1 both leaves and root being bruised4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,how to remedy those ,accidents which a ,lying-in ,woman is subject to4 ,i4 ,the first common and usual accident that troubles women in their lying-in1 is after-pains4 ,they proceed from cold and wind contained in the bowels1 with which they are easily filled after labour1 because then they have more room to dilate than when the child was in the womb1 by which they were compressed2 and also because nourishment and matter1 contained as well in them as in the stomach1 have been so confusedly agitated from side to side during the pains of labour1 by the throes which always must compress the belly1 that they could not be well digested1 whence the wind is afterwards generated1 and by consequence the gripes which the woman feels running in her bowels from side to side1 according as the wind moves more or less1 and sometimes likewise from the womb1 because of the compression and commotion which the bowels make4 ,these being generally the case1 let us now apply a suitable remedy4 #a4 ,boil an egg soft1 and pour out the yolk of it3 with which mix a spoonful of cinnamon-water1 and let her drink it2 and if you mix in it two grains of ambergris1 it will be better2 and yet vervain taken in any thing she drinks1 will be as effectual as the other4 #b4 ,give the lying-in woman1 immediately after delivery1 oil of sweet almonds and syrup of maiden-hair mixed together4 ,some prefer oil of walnuts1 provided it be made of nuts that are very good2 but it tastes worse than the other at best4 ,this will lenify the inside of the intestines by unctuousness1 and by that means bring away that which is contained in them more easily4 #c4 ,take and boil onions well in water1 then stamp them with oil of cinnamon1 spread them on a cloth1 and apply them to the region of the womb4 #d4 ,let her be careful to keep her body warm1 and not to drink too cold2 and if the pain prove violent1 hot cloths1 from time to time1 must be laid on her abdomen1 or a pancake fried in walnut oil may be applied to it1 without swathing her body too strait4 ,and for the better evacuating the wind out of the intestines1 give her a clyster1 which may be repeated as often as necessity requires4 #e4 ,take bay-berries1 beat them to powder1 put the powder upon a chafing-dish of coals1 and let her receive the smoke of them up her privities4 #f4 ,take tar and bear's grease1 of each an equal quantity1 boil them together1 and whilst it is boiling1 add a little pigeon's dung to it4 ,spread some of this upon a linen cloth1 and apply it to the reins of the back of her that is troubled with after-pains1 and it will give her speedy ease4 ,lastly1 ,let her take half a drachm of bay-berries beaten into a powder in a draught of muscadel or tent4 ,,ii4 ,another accident to which women in child-bed are subject is the hemorrhoids1 or piles1 occasioned through the great straining in bringing the child into the world4 ,to cure this1 #a4 ,let her be let blood in the saphna vein4 #b4 ,let her use polypodium in her meat and drink1 bruised and boiled4 #c4 ,take an onion1 and having made a hole in the middle of it1 fill it full of oil1 roast it1 and having bruised it all together1 apply it to the fundament4 #d4 ,take a dozen of snails1 without shells if you can get them1 or else so many shell snails1 and pull them out1 and having bruised them with a little oil1 apply them warm as before4 #e4 ,if she go not well to stool1 let her take an ounce of cassia fistula drawn at night going to bed2 she needs no change of diet after4 ,,iii4 ,retention of the menses is another accident happening to women in child-bed2 and which is of so dangerous a consequence1 that1 if not timely remedied1 it proves mortal4 ,when this happens1 #a4 ,let the woman take such medicines as strongly provoke the terms1 such as dittany1 betony1 pennyroyal1 featherfew1 centuary1 juniper-berries1 peony roots4 #b4 ,let her take two or three spoonfuls of briony water each morning4 #c4 ,gentian roots beaten into a powder1 and a drachm of it taken every morning in wine1 are an extraordinary remedy4 #d4 ,the root of birthwort1 either long or round1 so used and taken as the former1 are very good4 #e4 ,take twelve peony seeds1 and beat them into a very fine powder1 and let her drink them in a draught of hot cardus posset1 and let her sweat after4 ,and if this last medicine do not bring them down the first time she takes it1 let her take as much more three hours after1 and it seldom fails4 ,,iv4 ,overflowing of the menses is another accident incidental to child-bearing women4 ,for which1 #a4 ,take shepherd's purse1 either boiled in any convenient liquor1 or dried and beaten into a powder1 and it will be an admirable remedy to stop them1 this being especially appropriated to the privities4 #b4 ,the flower and leaves of brambles1 or either of them1 being dried and beaten into a powder1 and a drachm of them taken every morning in a spoonful of red wine1 or in a decoction of leaves of the same 7which perhaps is much better17 is an admirable remedy for the immoderate flowing of the terms in women4 ,v4 ,excoriations1 bruises1 and rents of the lower part of the womb are often occasioned by that violent distention and separation of the four carbuncles in a woman's labour4 ,for the healing whereof1 as soon as the woman is laid1 if there be only simple contusions and excoriations1 then let the anodyne cataplasms1 formerly directed1 be applied to the lower parts to ease the pain1 made of the yolks and whites of new-laid egg and oil of roses1 boiled a little over warm embers1 continually stirring it till it is mixed1 and then spread on a fine cloth2 it must be applied very warm to the bearing-place for five or six hours1 and when it is taken away1 lay some fine rags1 dipped in oil of ,st4 ,john's wort twice or thrice a day2 also foment the parts with barley-water and honey of roses1 to cleanse them from the excrements which pass4 ,,vi4 ,the curding and clotting of the milk is another accident which happens to women in child-bed2 for1 in the beginning of child-bed1 the woman's milk is not purified1 because of the great commotions her body suffered during her labour1 which affected all the parts1 and it is then moved with many humours4 ,now this clotting of the milk does1 for the most part1 proceed from the breasts not being fully drawn1 and that either because she has too much milk1 and that the infant is too small and weak to suck all1 or because she does not desire to be a nurse2 for the milk1 in those cases remaining in the breast after concoction1 without being drawn1 loseth the sweetness and the balsamic quality it had1 and by reason of the heat it acquires1 and the too long stay it makes there1 it sours1 curds1 and clots1 in like manner as we see runnet put into ordinary milk turn it into curds4 ,the curding of the milk may be also caused by having taken a great cold1 and not keeping the breast well covered4 ,but from what cause soever this curding of the milk proceeds1 the most certain remedy is1 speedily to draw the breasts until it is emitted and dried4 ,but in regard that the infant1 by reason of weakness1 cannot draw strong enough1 the woman being hard marked when her milk is curded1 it will be most proper to get another woman to draw her breasts until the milk comes freely1 and then she may give her child suck4 ,and that she may not afterwards be troubled with a surplus of milk1 she must eat such diet as gives but little nourishment1 and keep her body open4 ,but if the case be such1 that the woman neither can nor will be a nurse1 it is necessary to apply other remedies for the curing of this distemper3 for then it will be best not to draw the breasts3 for that will be the way to bring more milk into them4 ,for which purpose1 it will be necessary to empty the body1 by bleeding the arm3 besides which1 let the humours be drawn by strong clysters and bleeding in the feet3 nor will it be amiss to purge gently2 and to digest1 dissolve1 and dissipate the curded milk1 apply a cataplasm of pure honey1 or that of the four brains dissolved in a decoction of sage1 milk1 smallage1 and fennel1 mixing with it oil of camomile1 with which oil let the breasts be well anointed4 ,the following liniment is also good to scatter and dissipate the milk4 ,a ,liniment to ,scatter and ,dissipate the ,milk4 ,that the milk flowing back to the breast may without offence be dissipated1 you must use this ointment2 8,take pure wax two ounces1 linseed half a pound2 when the wax is melted1 let the liniment be made1 wherein linen cloths must be dipped1 and1 according to their largeness1 be laid upon the breast2 and when it shall be dispersed1 and pains no more1 let other linen cloths be dipped in the distilled water of acorns1 and put them upon them40 ,note4 ,that the cloths dipped into distilled water of acorns must be used only by those who cannot nurse their own children3 but if a swelling in the breast of her who gives suck do arise from abundance of milk1 and threatens an inflammation1 let her use the former ointment1 but abstain from using the distilled water of acorns4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,directions for the ,nurses1 in ordering ,newly-born ,children4 ,when the child's navel-string hath been cut1 according to the rules prescribed1 let the midwife presently cleanse it from the excrements and filth it brings with it2 of which some are within the body1 as the urine in the bladder1 and the excrements found in the guts2 and others without1 which are thick1 whitish1 and clammy1 proceeding from the sliminess of the waters4 ,there are children sometimes covered all over with this1 that one would think they were rubbed over with soft cheese2 and some women are of so easy a belief1 that they really think it so1 because they had eaten some while they were enceinte4 ,from these excrements let the child be cleansed with wine and water a little warmed1 washing every part therewith1 but chiefly the head1 because of the hair1 also on the folds of the groin1 arm-pits1 and privities2 which parts must be gently cleansed with a linen rag1 or a soft sponge1 dipped in lukewarm wine4 ,if this clammy or viscous excrement stick so close that it will not easily be washed off from those places1 it may be fetched off with oil of sweet almonds1 or a little fresh butter melted with wine1 and afterwards well dried off2 also make tents of fine rags1 and wetting them in this liquor1 clear the ears and nostrils2 but for the eyes1 wipe them only with a dry soft rag1 and dipping it in the wine1 lest it should make them smart4 ,the child being thus washed1 and cleansed from the native blood and impurities which attend it into the world1 it must in the next place be searched1 to see whether all things be right about it1 and that there is no fault or dislocation2 whether it has suffered any violence by its birth1 in any part of its body2 and whether all the parts be well and duly shaped2 that suitable remedies may be applied1 if any thing be found not right4 ,nor is it enough to see that all be right without1 and that the outside of the body be cleansed1 but she must chiefly observe whether it dischargeth the excrements contained within1 and whether the passage be open2 for some have been born without having been perforated4 ,therefore1 let her examine whether the conduits of the urine and stool be clear1 for want of which some have died1 not being able to void their excrements1 because timely care was not taken at first4 ,as to the urine1 all children1 as well males as females1 do make water as soon as they are born1 if they can1 especially if they feel the heat of the fire1 and sometimes also void the excrements1 but not so soon as the urine4 ,if the infant does not ordure the first day1 then put up into its fundament a small suppository1 to stir it up to be discharged1 that it may not cause painful gripes by remaining so long in the belly4 ,a sugar almond may be proper for this purpose1 anointed over with a little boiled honey2 or else a small piece of ,castile-soap rubbed over with fresh butter2 also give the child for this purpose a little syrup of roses or violets at the mouth1 mixed with some oil of sweet almonds drawn without a fire1 anointing the belly also with the same oil or fresh butter4 ,the midwife having thus washed and cleansed the child1 according to the before-mentioned directions1 let her begin to swaddle it in swathing clothes1 and when she dresses the head1 let her put small rags behind the ears to dry up the filth which usually engenders there1 and so let her do also in the folds of the arm-pits and groin1 and so swathe it2 then wrap it up warm in a bed with blankets1 which there is scarcely any woman so ignorant but knows well enough how to do3 only let me give them this caution1 that they swathe not the child too strait in its blankets1 especially about the breast and stomach1 that it may breathe the more freely1 and not be forced to vomit up the milk it sucks1 because the stomach cannot be sufficiently extended to contain it2 therefore let its arms and legs be wrapped in its bed stretched and straight1 and swathed to keep them so1 viz1 the arms along its sides1 and its legs equally both together1 with a little of the bed between them1 that they may not be galled by rubbing each other2 then let the head be kept steady and straight1 with a stay fastened on each side of the blanket2 and then wrap the child up in a mantle and blankets to keep it warm4 ,let none think this of swathing the infant is needless to set down1 for it is necessary it should be thus swaddled1 to give its little body a straight figure1 which is most decent and proper for a man1 and to accustom him to keep upon his feet1 who otherwise would go upon all fours1 as most other animals do4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of ,gripes and ,pains in the ,bellies of young ,children4 ,this ,i mention first1 as it is often the first and most common distemper which happens to little infants after their birth2 many children being so troubled therewith1 that it causes them to cry night and day1 and at last die of it4 ,the cause of it for the most part comes from the sudden change of their nourishment1 for having always received it from the umbilical vessel whilst in the mother's womb1 they come on a sudden not only to change the manner of receiving it1 but the nature and quality of what they receive1 as soon as they are born2 for instead of purified blood only1 which is conveyed to them by means of the umbilical vein only1 they are now obliged to be nourished by their mother's milk1 which they suck with their mouths1 and from which are engendered many excrements1 causing gripes and pains2 and not only because it is not so pure as the blood with which it was nourished in the womb1 because the stomach and the intestines cannot make a good digestion1 being unaccustomed to it4 ,it is also caused sometimes by a rough phlegm1 and sometimes by worms2 for physicians affirm1 that worms have been bred in children even in their mother's womb4 ,cure4--,if it proceed from the too sudden change of nourishment1 the remedy must be to forbear giving the child suck for some days1 lest the milk be mixed with phlegm1 which is then in the stomach corrupt3 and at first it must suck but little1 until it is accustomed to digest it4 ,if it be the excrements in the intestines1 which1 by their long stay1 increase these pains1 give it at the mouth a little oil of sweet almonds and syrup of roses3 if it be worms1 lay a cloth dipped in oil of wormwood1 mixed with ox-gall upon the belly1 or a small cataplasm mixed with the powder of rue1 wormwood1 coloquintida1 aloes1 and the seeds of citron incorporated with ox-gall and the powder of lupines4 ,or give it oil of sweet almonds1 with sugar-candy1 and a scruple of aniseed3 it purgeth new-born babes from green choler and stinking phlegm2 and1 if it be given with sugar-pap1 it allays the griping pains of the belly4 ,also1 anoint the belly with oil of dill1 or pelitory stamp1 with oil of camomile4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of ,weakness in newly-born ,infants4 ,weakness is an accident that many children bring into the world along with them1 and is often occasioned by the labour of the mother2 by the violence and length whereof they suffer so much1 that they are born with great weakness1 and many times it is difficult to know whether they are alive or dead1 their body appearing so senseless and their face so blue and livid1 that they seem to be quite choked2 and even after some hours1 their showing any signs of life is attained with weakness1 that it looks like a return from death1 and that they are still in a dying condition4 ,cure4--,lay the infant speedily in a warm blanket1 and carry it to the fire1 and then let the midwife take a little wine in her mouth and spout it into its mouth1 repeating it often1 if there be occasion4 ,let her apply linen to the breast and belly dipped in wine1 and let the face be uncovered1 that it may breathe the more freely2 also1 let the midwife keep its mouth a little open1 cleanse the nostrils with small linen tents dipped in white wine1 that it may receive the smell of it2 and let her chafe every part of its body well with warm cloths1 to bring back its blood and spirits1 which1 being retired inwards1 through weakness1 often puts it in danger of being choked4 ,by the application of these means1 the infant will gradually recover strength1 and begin to stir its limbs by degrees1 and at length to cry2 and though it be but weakly at first1 yet afterwards1 as it breathes more freely1 its cry will become strong4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the ,fundament being closed up in a newly-born ,infant4 ,another defect that new-born infants are liable to is1 to have their fundaments closed up2 by which they can never evacuate the new excrements engendered by the milk they suck1 nor that which was amassed in their intestines before birth1 which is certainly mortal without a speedy remedy4 ,there have been some female children who have had their fundaments quite closed1 and yet have voided the excrements of the guts by an orifice1 which nature1 to supply that defect1 had made within the neck of the womb4 ,cure4--,here we must take notice1 that the fundament is closed two ways3 either by a single skin1 through which one may discover some black and blue marks1 proceeding from the excrements retained1 which1 if one touch with the finger1 there is a softness felt within1 and thereabout it ought to be pierced2 or else it is quite stopped by a thick fleshy substance1 in such sort that there appears nothing without by which its true situation may be known4 ,when there is nothing but the single skin which makes the closure1 the operation is very easy1 and the children may do very well2 for then an aperture or opening may be made with a small incision-knife1 cross ways1 that it may the better receive a round form1 and that the place may not afterwards grow together1 taking care not to prejudice the sphincter or muscles of the rectum4 ,the incision being thus made1 the excrements will certainly have issue4 ,but if1 by reason of their long stay in the belly1 they become so dry that the infant cannot void them1 then let a clyster be given to moisten and bring them away2 afterwards put a linen tent into the new-made fundament1 which1 at first1 had best be anointed with honey of roses1 and towards the end1 with a drying cicatrizing ointment1 such as unguentum album1 or ponphilex1 observing to cleanse the infant of its excrements1 and dry it again as soon and as often as it evacuates them1 that so the aperture may be prevented from turning into a malignant ulcer4 ,but if the fundament be stopped up in such a manner1 that neither mark nor appearance of it can be seen or felt1 then the operation is much more difficult2 and even when it is done1 the danger is much greater1 that the infant will not survive it4 ,then if it be a female1 and it sends forth its excrements by the way ,i have mentioned before1 it is better not to meddle1 than1 by endeavouring to remedy an inconvenience1 run an extreme hazard of the infant's death4 ,but when there is no vent for the excrements1 without which death is unavoidable1 then the operation is justifiable4 ,operation4--,let the operator1 with a small incision-knife that hath but one edge1 enter into the void place1 and turning the back of it upwards1 within half a finger's breadth from the child's anus1 which is the place where he will certainly find the intestine2 let him thrust it forward1 that it may be open enough to give free vent to the matter there contained1 being especially careful of the sphincter2 after which1 let the wound be dressed according to the method directed4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of the ,thrush1 or ,ulcers in the ,mouth of the ,infant4 ,this thrush is a distemper that children are very subject to1 and it arises from bad milk1 or from foul humour in the stomach2 for sometimes1 though there be not ill humour in the milk itself1 yet it may corrupt the child's stomach because of its weakness1 or some other indisposition2 in which1 acquiring an acrimony instead of being well digested1 there arise from thence biting vapours1 which1 forming a thick viscosity1 do thereby produce this distemper4 ,cure4--,it is often difficult1 as physicians tell us1 because it is seated in hot and moist places1 where the putrefaction is easily augmented2 and because the remedies applied cannot lodge there1 being soon washed with spittle4 ,but if it arises from too hot quality in the nurse's milk1 care must be taken to temper and cool1 prescribing her cool diet1 bleeding and purging her also1 if there be occasion4 ,take lentiles husked1 powder them1 and lay a little of them upon the child's gums4 ,or take bdellium flower half an ounce1 and with oil of roses make a liniment4 ,also wash the child's mouth with barley and plantain water1 and honey of roses1 or syrup of dry roses1 mixing with them a little verjuice of lemons1 as well to loosen and cleanse the vicious humours which cleave to the inside of the child's mouth1 as to cool those parts which are already over-heated4 ,this may be done by means of a small fine rag fastened to the end of a little stick1 and dipped therein1 whereby the ulcers may be gently rubbed1 being careful not to put the child in too much pain1 lest an inflammation make the distemper worse4 ,the child's body must also be kept open1 that the humours being carried to the lower parts1 the vapours may not ascend1 as it is usual for them to do when the body is costive1 and the excrements too long retained4 ,if the ulcers appear malignant1 let such remedies be used to do their work speedily1 that the evil qualities that cause them being thereby instantly corrected1 their malignity may be prevented2 and in this case touch the ulcers with plantain water1 sharpened with the spirits of vitriol2 for the remedy must be made sharp according to the malignity of the distemper4 ,it will be necessary to purge these ill humours out of the whole habit of the child1 by giving half an ounce of succory with rhubarb4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of ,pains in the ,ears1 ,inflammation1 ,moisture1 c4 ,the brain in infants is very moist1 and hath many excrements which nature cannot send out at the proper passages2 they get often to the ears1 and there cause pains1 flux of blood1 with inflammation1 and matter with pain2 this in children is hard to be known1 as they have no other way to make it known but by constant crying2 you will perceive them ready to feel their ears themselves1 but will not let others touch them if they can prevent it2 and sometimes you may discern the parts above the ears to be very red4 ,these pains1 if let alone1 are of dangerous consequences1 because they may bring forth watchings and epilepsy2 for the moisture breeds worms there1 and fouls the spongy bones1 and by degrees causes incurable deafness4 ,cure4--,allay the pain with convenient speed1 but have a care of using strong remedies4 ,therefore only use warm milk about the ears1 with the decoction of poppy tops1 or oil of violets3 to take away the moisture1 use honey of roses1 and let aquamollis be dropped into the ears2 or take virgin honey1 half an ounce2 red wine two ounces2 alum1 saffron1 saltpetre1 each a drachm2 mix them at the fire2 or drop in hemp seed oil with a little wine4 ,,sect4 ,,vi4 ,of ,redness1 and ,inflammation of the ,buttocks1 ,groin1 and the ,thighs of a ,young ,child4 ,if there be no care taken to change and wash the child's bed as soon as it is fouled with the excrements1 and to keep the child very clean1 the acrimony will be sure to cause redness1 and beget a smarting in the buttocks1 groin1 and thighs of the child1 which1 by reason of the pain will afterwards be subject to inflammations1 which follow the sooner1 through the delicacy and tenderness of their skin1 from which the outward skin of the body is in a short time separated and worn away4 ,cure4--,first1 keep the child cleanly3 and1 secondly1 take off the sharpness of its urine4 ,as to keeping it cleanly1 she must be a sorry nurse that needs to be taught how to do it2 for if she lets it have but dry1 clean1 and warm beds1 and clothes1 as often and as soon as it has fouled and wet them1 either by its urine or excrements1 it will be sufficient4 ,and as to taking off the sharpness of the child's urine1 that must be done by the nurse's taking a cool diet1 that her milk may have the same quality2 and therefore she ought to abstain from all things that may tend to heat it4 ,but besides these cooling and drying remedies are requisite to be applied to the inflamed parts2 therefore let the parts be bathed with plantain water1 with a fourth of lime-water added to it1 each time the child's excrements are wiped off2 and if the pain be very great1 let it only be fomented with lukewarm milk4 ,some kind of drying powder1 or a little milldust strewed upon the parts affected1 may be proper enough1 and is used by many women4 ,also1 unguentum album1 or diapampholigos1 spread upon a small piece of leather1 in form of a plaster1 will not be amiss4 ,but the chief thing must be the nurse's taking great care to wrap the inflamed parts with fine rags when she opens the child1 that those parts may not gather and be pained by rubbing together4 ,,sect4 ,,vii4 ,of ,vomiting in young ,children4 ,vomiting in children proceeds sometimes from too much milk1 and sometimes from bad milk1 and as often from a moist loose stomach2 for as dryness retains1 so looseness lets go4 ,this is1 for the most part1 without danger in children2 and they that vomit from their birth are the lustiest2 for the stomach not being used to meat1 and milk being taken too much1 crudities are easily bred1 or the milk is corrupted2 and it is better to vomit these up than to keep them in2 but if vomiting last long1 it will cause an atrophy1 or consumption1 for want of nourishment4 ,cure4--,if this be from too much milk1 that which is emitted is yellow and green1 or otherwise ill-coloured and stinking2 in this case1 mend the milk1 as has been shown before2 cleanse the child with honey of roses1 and strengthen its stomach with syrup of milk and quinces made into an electuary4 ,if the humours be hot and sharp1 give the syrup of pomegranates1 currants1 and coral2 and apply to the bowels the plaster of bread1 the stomach cerate1 or bread dipped in hot wine2 or oil of mastich1 quinces1 mint1 wormwood1 each half an ounce2 of nutmegs1 by expression1 half a drachm2 chemical oil of mint1 three drops4 ,coral hath an occult property to prevent vomiting1 and is therefore hung about the neck4 ,,sect4 ,,viii4 ,of breeding ,teeth in young ,children4 ,this is a very great yet necessary evil in all children1 having a variety of symptoms joined with it4 ,they begin to come forth1 not all at once1 but one after the other1 about the sixth or seventh month2 the fore-teeth coming first1 then the eye-teeth1 and1 last of all1 the grinders4 ,the eye-teeth cause more pain to the child than any of the rest1 because they have a deep root1 and a small nerve which hath communication with that which makes the eye move4 ,in the breeding of the teeth1 first they feel an itching in their gums1 then they are pierced as with a needle1 and pricked by the sharp bones1 whence proceed great pains1 watching1 inflammation of the gums1 fever1 looseness1 and convulsions1 especially when they breed their eye-teeth4 ,the signs when children breed their teeth are these4 #a4 ,it is known by the time1 which is usually about the seventh month4 #b4 ,their gums are swelled1 and they feel a great heat there1 with an itching1 which makes them put their fingers into their mouths to rub them1 a moisture also distils from the gums into the mouth1 because of the pains they feel there4 #c4 ,they hold the nipple faster than before4 #d4 ,the gums are white when the teeth begin to come2 and the nurse1 in giving them suck1 finds the mouth hotter1 and that they are much changed1 crying every moment1 and cannot sleep1 or but very little at a time4 ,the fever that follows breeding of teeth comes from choleric humours1 inflamed by watching1 pain1 and heat4 ,and the longer teeth are breeding1 the more dangerous it is2 so that many1 in the breeding of them1 die of fevers and convulsions4 ,cure4--,two things are to be regarded3--one is1 to preserve the child from the evil accidents that may happen to it by reason of the great pain2 the other1 to assist1 as much as may be1 the cutting of the teeth1 when they can hardly cut the gums themselves4 ,for the first of these1 viz4 the preventing those accidents of the child1 the nurse ought to take great care to keep a good diet and to use all things that may cool and temper milk1 that so a fever may not follow the pain of the teeth4 ,and to prevent the humour from falling too much upon the inflamed gums1 let the child's belly be kept always loose by gentle clysters1 if it be bound2 though oftentimes there is no need of them1 because they are at those times usually troubled with a looseness2 and yet1 for all that1 clysters may not be improper4 ,as to the other1 which is to assist in cutting the teeth2 that the nurse must do from time to time by mollifying and loosening them1 and by rubbing them with the fingers dipped in butter or honey2 or let the child have a virgin-wax candle to chew upon2 or anoint the gums with the mucilage of quince made with mallow-waters1 or with the brains of a hare2 also foment the cheeks with the decoction of altha1 and camomile flower and dill1 or with the juice of mallows and fresh butter4 ,if the gums are inflamed1 add juice of nightshade and lettuce4 ,i have already said1 the nurse ought to take a temperate diet3 ,i shall now only add1 that barley-broth1 water-gruel1 raw eggs1 prunes1 lettuce1 and endive1 are good for her2 but let her avoid salt1 sharp1 biting1 and peppered meats and wine4 ,,sect4 ,,ix4 ,of the ,flux of the ,belly1 or ,looseness in ,infants4 ,it is very common for infants to have the flux of the belly1 or looseness1 especially upon the least indisposition3 nor is it to be wondered at1 seeing their natural moistness contributes so much thereto2 and even if it be so extraordinary violent1 such are in a better state of health than those that are bound4 ,the flux1 if violent1 proceeds from divers causes3 as1 #a4 ,from breeding of the teeth1 and it is then commonly attended with a fever1 in which the concoction is hindered1 and the nourishment corrupted4 #b4 ,from watching4 #c4 ,from pain4 #d4 ,from stirring up the humours by a fever4 #e4 ,when they suck or drink too much in a fever4 ,sometimes they have a flux without breeding of teeth1 from inward cold in the guts or stomach that obstructs concoction4 ,if it be from the teeth1 it is easily known2 for the signs in breeding of teeth will discover it4 ,if it be from external cold1 there are signs of other causes4 ,if from a humour flowing from the head1 there are signs of a catarrh1 and the excrements are frothy4 ,if crude and raw humours are voided1 and there be wind1 belching1 and phlegmatic excrements2 or if they be yellow1 green1 and stink1 the flux is from a hot sharp humour4 ,it is best in breeding of teeth when the belly is loose1 as ,i have said before3 but if it be too violent1 and you are afraid it may end in a consumption1 it must be stopped2 and if the excrements that are voided be black1 and attended with a fever1 it is very bad4 ,cure4--,the remedy in this case is principally with respect to the nurse1 and the condition of the milk must be chiefly observed2 the nurse must be cautioned that she eat no green fruit1 nor things of hard concoction4 ,if the child suck not1 remove the flux with such purges as leave the cooling quality behind them1 as syrup of honey or roses1 or a clyster4 ,take the decoction of millium1 myrobalans1 of each two or three ounces1 with an ounce or two of syrup of roses1 and make a clyster4 ,after cleansing1 if it proceed from a hot cause1 give syrup of dried roses1 quinces1 myrtles1 with a little sanguis draconis4 ,also anoint with oil of roses1 myrtles1 mastich1 each two drachms2 with oil of myrtles and wax make an ointment4 ,or take red roses and moulin1 of each a handful2 cypress roots two drachms2 make a bag1 boil it in red wine1 and apply it to the belly4 ,or1 use the plaster of bread1 or stomach ointment4 ,if the cause be cold1 and the excrements white1 give syrup of mastich and quinces1 with mint-water4 ,use outwardly mint1 mastich1 cummin2 or take rose seeds an ounce2 cummin1 aniseeds1 each two drachms2 with oil of mastich1 wormwood1 and wax1 make an ointment4 ,,sect4 ,x4 ,of the ,epilepsy and ,convulsions in ,children4 ,this is a distemper that is often fatal to young children1 and frequently proceeds from the brain1 as when the humours that cause it are bred in the brain1 originating either from the parents1 or from vapours and bad humours that twitch the membranes of the brain3 it is also sometimes caused by other distempers1 and by bad diet3 likewise the toothache1 when the brain consents1 causes it1 and so does a sudden fright4 ,as to the distemper itself1 it is as manifest and well enough known where it is2 and as to the cause whence it comes1 you may know by the signs of the disease whether it come from bad milk1 or worms1 or teeth2 if these are all absent1 it is certain that the brain is first affected2 if it comes from the small-pox or measles1 it ceaseth when they come forth1 if nature be strong enough4 ,cure4--,for the remedy of this grievous and often mortal distemper1 give the following powder1 to prevent it1 to a child as soon as it is born3 take male peony roots1 gathered in the decrease of the moon1 a scruple2 with leaf gold make a powder2 take peony roots a drachm2 peony seeds1 misteltoe of the oak1 elk's hoofs1 amber1 each a scruple2 musk1 two grains2 make a powder4 ,the best part of the cure is taking care of the nurse's diet1 which must be regular1 by all means4 ,if it be from corrupt milk provoke a vomit2 to do which1 hold down the tongue1 and put a quill1 dipped in sweet almonds1 down the throat4 ,if it come from the worms1 give such things as will kill the worms4 ,if there be a fever1 with respect to that also1 give coral smaraged with elk's hoof4 ,in the fit1 give epileptic water1 as lavender water1 and rub with oil of amber1 or hang a peony root1 and elk's hoof smaraged1 about the child's neck4 ,as to a convulsion1 it is when the brain labours to cast out that which troubles it3 the manner is in the narrow of the back1 and fountain of the nerves2 it is a stubborn disease1 and often kills4 ,wash the body1 when in the fit1 with decoction of althea1 lily roots1 peony and camomile flowerets1 and anoint it with goose grease1 orris1 lilies1 foxes1 turpentine1 mastich1 storax1 and calamint4 ,the sun-flower is also very good1 boiled in water1 to wash the child4 ,,proper ,,and ,,safe ,,remedies ,,for ,,curing ,,all ,,those ,,distempers ,,that ,,are ,,peculiar ,,to ,,the ,,female ,,sex4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,diseases of the ,womb4 ,i have already said1 that the womb is the field of generation2 and if this field be corrupted1 it is vain to expect any fruit1 though it be ever so well sown4 ,it is therefore not without reason that ,i intend in this chapter to set down the several distempers to which the womb is obnoxious1 with proper and safe remedies against them4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of the ,hot ,distemper of the ,womb4 ,this distemper consists in excess of heat2 for as heat of the womb is necessary for conception1 so if it be too much1 it nourisheth not the seed1 but disperseth its heat and hinders the conception4 ,this preternatural heat is sometimes from the birth1 and causes barrenness2 but if it be accidental1 it is from hot causes1 that bring the heat and the blood to the womb2 it arises from internal and external medicines1 and from too much hot meat1 drink1 and exercise4 ,those that are troubled with this distemper have but few menses1 and those are yellow1 black1 burnt1 or sharp2 are subject to headache1 and abound with choler2 and when the distemper is strong upon them1 they have but few terms1 which are out of order1 being bad and hard to flow1 and in time they become hypochondriacs1 and for the most part barren1 having sometimes a frenzy of the womb4 ,cure4--,the remedy is to use coolers1 so that they offend not the vessels that must open the flux of the terms4 ,therefore1 take the following inwardly1 succory1 endive1 violets1 water lilies1 sorrel1 lettuce1 saunders1 and syrups and conserve made thereof4 ,also take conserve of succory1 violets1 water lilies1 burrage1 each an ounce2 conserve of roses1 half an ounce1 diamargation frigid1 diatriascancal1 each half a drachm2 and with syrup of violets1 or juice of citrons1 make an electuary4 ,for outward applications1 make use of ointment of roses1 violets1 water lilies1 gourd1 venus1 narvel1 applied to the back and loins4 ,let the air be cool1 her garments thin1 and her food endive1 lettuce1 succory1 and barley4 ,give her no hot meats1 nor strong wine1 unless mixed with water4 ,rest is good for her1 she may sleep as long as she pleases4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,cold ,distemper of the ,womb4 ,this distemper is the reverse of the foregoing1 and equally an enemy to generation1 being caused by a cold quality abounding to excess1 and proceeds from a too cold air1 rest1 idleness1 and cooling medicines4 ,the terms are phlegmatic1 thick1 and slimy1 and do not flow as they should2 the womb is windy1 and the seed crude and waterish4 ,it is the cause of obstructions1 and barrenness1 and hard to be cured4 ,cure4--,take galengal1 cinnamon1 nutmeg1 mace1 cloves1 each two drachms2 ginger1 cubebs1 nedory1 cardamum1 each an ounce2 grains of paradise1 long pepper1 each half an ounce2 beat them1 and put them into six quarts of wine for eight days2 then add sage1 mint1 balm1 mother-wort1 of each three handfuls3 let them stand eight days more1 then pour off the wine1 and beat the herbs and the spice1 and then pour off the wine again1 and distil them4 ,or you may use this3 take cinnamon1 nutmeg1 cloves1 mace1 ginger1 cubebs1 cardamum1 grains of paradise1 each an ounce and a half2 galengal six drachms1 long pepper half an ounce1 zedoary five drachms1 bruise them1 and add six quarts of wine2 put them into a cellar nine days1 daily stirring them2 then add of mint two handfuls1 and let them stand fourteen days2 pour off the wine1 and bruise them1 and then pour on the wine again1 and distil them4 ,also anoint with oil of lilies1 rue1 angelica1 bays1 cinnamon1 cloves1 mace1 and nutmeg4 ,let her diet and air be warm1 her meat of easy concoction1 seasoned with aniseed1 fennel1 and thyme2 and let her avoid raw fruits and milk diet4 ,,sect4 ,,iii4 ,of the ,inflation of the ,womb4 ,the inflation of the womb is a stretching of it by wind1 called by some a windy mole2 the wind proceeds from a cold matter1 whether thick or thin1 contained in the veins of the womb by which the heat thereof is overcome1 and which either flows thither from other parts1 or is gathered there by cold meats and drinks4 ,cold air may be a producing cause of it also1 as women that lie-in are exposed to it4 ,the wind is contained either in the cavity of the vessels of the womb1 or between the tunicles1 and may be known by a swelling in the region of the womb1 which sometimes reaches to the navel1 loins1 and diaphragm1 and rises and abates as the wind increaseth or decreaseth4 ,it differs from the dropsy1 in that it never swells so high4 ,that neither physician nor midwife may take it for conception1 let them observe the signs of the pregnant woman laid down in a former part of this work2 and if any sign be wanting1 they may suspect it to be an inflation2 of which this is a further sign1 that in conception the swelling is invariable2 also if you strike upon the belly1 in an inflation1 there will be a noise1 but not so in case there be a conception4 ,it also differs from a mole1 because in that there is a weight and hardness in the abdomen1 and when the patient moves from one side to the other she feels a great weight which moveth2 but not so in this4 ,if the inflation continue without the cavity of the womb1 the pain is greater and more extensive1 nor is there any noise1 because the wind is more pent up4 ,cure4--,this distemper is neither of a long continuance1 nor dangerous1 if looked after in time2 and if it be in the cavity of the womb1 is more easily expelled4 ,to which purpose give her diaphnicon1 with a little castor1 and sharp clysters that expel the wind4 ,if this distemper happen to a woman in travail1 let her not purge after delivery1 nor bleed1 because it is from a cold matter2 but if it come after child-bearing1 and her terms come down sufficiently1 and she has fulness of blood1 let the saphna vein be opened2 after which let her take the following electuary3 take conserve of betony and rosemary1 of each an ounce and a half2 candied eringoes1 citron peel candied1 each half an ounce2 diacinium1 diaganel1 each a drachm2 oil of aniseed six drops2 and with syrup of citrons make an electuary4 ,for outward application make a cataplasm of rue1 mugwort1 camomile1 dill1 calamint1 new pennyroyal1 thyme1 with oil of rue1 keir1 and camomile4 ,and let the following clyster1 to expel the wind1 be put into the womb2 take angus castus1 cinnamon1 each two drachms2 boil them in wine to half a pint4 ,she may likewise use sulphur1 ,bath and ,spa waters1 both inward and outward1 because they expel wind4 ,,sect4 ,,iv4 ,of the ,straitness of the ,womb1 and its ,vessels4 ,this is another effect of the womb1 which is a very great obstruction to the bearing of children1 hindering both the flow of the menses and conception1 and is seated in the vessels of the womb1 and the neck thereof4 ,the causes of this straitness are thick and rough humours1 that stop the mouth of the veins and arteries4 ,these humours are bred either by gross or too much nourishment1 when the heat of the womb is so weak that it cannot attenuate the humours1 which1 by reason thereof1 either flow from the whole body1 or are gathered into the womb4 ,now1 the vessels are made straiter or closer several ways3 sometimes by inflammation1 schirrous1 or other tumours2 sometimes by compressions1 scars1 or by flesh and membranes that grow after a wound4 ,the signs by which this is known are1 the stoppage of the terms1 not conceiving1 and crudities abounding in the body1 which are all shown by particular signs2 for if there is a wound1 or the secundine pulled out by force1 phlegm comes from the wound2 if stoppage of the terms be from an old obstruction by humours1 it is hard to be cured2 if it be only from the disorderly use of astringents1 it is more curable2 if it be from a schirrous1 or other tumours1 that compress or close the vessel1 the disease is incurable4 ,cure4--,for the cure of that which is curable1 obstructions must be taken away1 phlegm must be purged1 and she may be let blood1 as will be hereafter directed in the stoppage of the terms4 ,then use the following medicine3 take of aniseed and fennel seed1 each a drachm2 rosemary1 pennyroyal1 calamint1 betony flowers1 each an ounce2 saffron1 half a drachm1 with wine4 ,or take asparagus roots1 parsley roots1 each an ounce2 pennyroyal1 calamint1 each a handful2 wall-flowers1 gilly-flowers1 each two handfuls2 boil1 strain1 and add syrup of mugwort an ounce and a half4 ,for a fomentation1 take pennyroyal1 mercury1 calamint1 marjoram1 mugwort1 each two handfuls2 rosemary1 bays1 camomile-flowers1 each a handful2 boil them in water1 and foment the groin and bottom of the abdomen2 or let her sit up to the navel in a bath1 and then anoint about the groin with oil of rue1 lilies1 dill1 c4 ,,sect4 ,v4 ,of the ,falling of the ,womb4 ,this is another evil effect of the womb1 which is both very troublesome1 and also an hinderance to conception4 ,sometimes the womb falleth to the middle of the thighs1 nay1 almost to the knees1 and may be known then by its hanging out4 ,now1 that which causeth the womb to change its place is1 that the ligaments1 by which it is bound to the other parts1 are not in order2 for there are four ligaments1 two above1 broad and membranous1 that come from the peritoneum1 and two below1 that are nervous1 round and hollow2 it is also bound to the great vessels by veins and arteries1 and to the back by nerves2 but the place is changed when it is drawn another way1 or when the ligaments are loose1 and it falls down by its own weight4 ,it is drawn on one side when the menses are hindered from flowing1 and the veins and arteries are full1 namely1 those that go to the womb4 ,if it be a mole on one side1 the liver and spleen cause it2 by the liver veins on the right side1 and the spleen on the left1 as they are more or less filled4 ,others are of opinion1 it comes from the solution of the connection of the fibrous neck and parts adjacent2 and that it is from the weight of the womb descending2 this we deny not2 but the ligaments must be loose or broken4 ,but women in a dropsy could not be said to have the womb fallen down1 if it came only from looseness2 but in them it is caused by the saltness of the water1 which dries more than it moistens4 ,now1 if there be a little tumour1 within or without the privities1 like a skin stretched1 or a weight felt upon the privities1 it is nothing else but a descent of the womb2 but if there be a tumour like a goose's egg1 and a hole at the bottom1 and there is at first a great pain in the parts to which the womb is fastened1 as the loins1 the bottom of the abdomen1 and the os sacrum1 it proceeds from the breaking or stretching of the ligaments2 and a little after1 the pain is abated1 and there is an impediment in walking1 and sometimes blood comes from the breach of the vessels1 and the excrements and urine are stopped1 and then a fever and convulsion ensueth1 oftentime proving mortal1 especially if it happen to pregnant women4 ,cure4--,for the cure of this distemper1 first put up the womb1 before the air alter it1 or it be swollen or inflamed3 and for this purpose give a clyster to remove the excrements1 and lay her upon her back1 with her legs abroad1 and her thighs lifted up1 and head down2 then take the tumour in your hand1 and thrust it in without violence2 if it be swelled by alteration and cold1 foment it with a decoction of mallows1 altha1 lime1 fenugreek1 camomile flowers1 bay berries1 and anoint it with oil of lilies1 and hen's grease4 ,if there be an inflammation1 do not put it up1 but fright it in1 by putting a red hot iron before it and making a show as if you intended to burn it2 but first sprinkle upon it the powder of mastich1 frankincense1 and the like2 thus1 take frankincense1 mastich1 each two drachms2 sarcocol1 steeped in milk1 a drachm2 pomegranate flowers1 sanguis draconis1 each half a drachm4 ,when it is put up1 let her lie with her legs stretched1 and one upon the other1 for eight or ten days and make a pessary in the form of a pear1 with cork or sponge1 and put it into the womb1 dipped in sharp wine1 or juice of acacia1 with powder of sanguis1 with galbanum and bdellium4 ,apply also a cupping-glass1 with a great flame1 under the navel or paps1 or to both kidneys1 and lay this plaster to the back3 take opoponax1 two ounces2 storax liquid1 half an ounce2 mastich1 frankincense1 pitch1 bole1 each two drachms2 then with wax make a plaster2 or1 take laudanum1 a drachm and a half2 mastich1 and frankincense1 each half a drachm2 wood aloes1 cloves1 spike1 each half a drachm2 ash-coloured ambergris1 four grains2 musk1 half a scruple2 make two round plasters to be laid on each side of the navel3 make a fume of snails' skins salted1 or of garlic1 and let it be taken in by the funnel4 ,use also astringent fomentations of bramble leaves1 plantain1 horse tails1 myrtles1 each two handfuls2 worm-seed1 two handfuls2 pomegranate flowers1 half an ounce2 boil them in wine and water4 ,for an injection take comfrey root an ounce2 rupture work1 two drachms2 yarrow1 mugwort1 each half an ounce2 boil them in red wine1 and inject with a syringe4 ,to strengthen the womb1 take hartshorn1 bays1 of each a drachm2 myrrh1 half a drachm2 make a powder for two doses1 and give it with sharp wine4 ,or1 you may take zedoary1 parsnip seed1 crabs' eyes prepared1 each a drachm2 nutmeg1 half a drachm2 and give a drachm in powder2 but astringents must be used with great caution1 lest by stopping the menses1 a worse mischief follow4 ,to keep it in its place1 make rollers and ligatures as for a rupture2 and put pessaries into the bottom of the womb1 that may force it to remain4 ,let the diet be such as has drying1 astringent1 and glueing qualities1 as rice1 starch1 quinces1 pears1 and green cheese2 but let the summer fruits be avoided2 and let her wine be astringent and red4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,of ,,diseases ,,relating ,,to ,,women',s ,,monthly ,,terms4 ,,sect4 ,i4 ,of ,women's ,monthly ,terms in ,general4 ,that divine ,providence1 which with a wisdom peculiar to itself has appointed woman to conceive1 and to bear and bring forth children1 has provided for the nourishment of children during their recess in the womb of their mother1 by that redundancy of the blood which is natural to all women2 and which1 flowing out at certain periods of time 7when they are not pregnant71 are from thence called terms and menses1 from their monthly flux of excrementitious and unprofitable blood4 ,now1 that the matter flowing forth is excrementitious1 is to be understood only with respect to the redundancy and overplus thereof1 being an excrement only with respect to its quality2 for as to its quality1 it is as pure and incorrupt as any blood in the veins2 and this appears from the final cause of it1 which is the propagation and conservation of mankind2 and also1 from the generation of it1 being the superfluity of the last aliment of the fleshy parts4 ,if any ask1 if the menses be not of a hurtful quality1 how can they cause such venomous effects8 ,if they fall upon trees and herbs1 they make one barren and mortify the other4 ,i answer1 this malignity is contracted in the womb2 for the woman wanting native heat to digest the superfluity1 sends it to the matrix1 where seating itself till the mouth of the womb be dilated1 it becomes corrupt and mortified2 which may easily be1 considering the heat and moistness of the place2 and so this blood being out of its proper vessels1 offends in quality4 ,,sect4 ,,ii4 ,of ,terms coming out of order1 either before or after the usual ,time4 ,having1 in the former part of this work1 treated of the suppression and overflow of the monthly terms1 ,i shall content myself with referring the reader thereto1 and proceed to speak of their coming out of order1 either before or after the usual time4 ,both these proceed from an ill constitution of body4 ,every thing is beautiful in its order1 in nature1 as well as in mortality2 and if the order of nature be broke it shows the body to be out of order4 ,of each of these effects briefly4 ,when the monthly terms come before their time1 showing a depraved excretion1 and flowing sometimes twice a month1 the cause is in the blood1 which stirs up the expulsive faculty of the womb1 or else in the whole body1 and is frequently occasioned by the person's diet1 which increases the blood too much1 making it too sharp or too hot4 ,if the retentive faculty of the womb be weak1 and the expulsive faculty strong1 and of a quick sense1 it brings them forth the sooner4 ,sometimes they flow sooner by reason of a fall1 stroke1 or some violent passion1 which the parties themselves can best relate4 ,if it be from heat1 thin and sharp humours1 it is known by the distemper of the whole body4 ,the looseness of the vessels1 and weakness of the retentive faculty1 is known from a moist and loose habit of the body4 ,it is more troublesome than dangerous4 ,if it proceed from a sharp blood1 let her temper it by a good diet and medicines4 ,to which purpose1 let her use baths of iron water1 that correct the distemper of the bowels1 and then evacuate4 ,if it proceed from the retentive faculty1 and looseness of the vessels1 it is to be corrected with gentle astringents4 ,as to the menses flowing after the usual time1 the causes are1 thickness of the blood and the smallness of its quantity1 with the straitness of the passage1 and the weakness of the expulsive faculties4 ,either of these singly may stop the menses1 but if they all concur1 they render the distemper worse4 ,if the blood abounds not in such a quantity as may stir up nature to expel it1 its purging must necessarily be deferred till there be enough4 ,and if the blood be thick1 the passage stopped1 and the expulsive faculty weak1 the menses must needs be out of order1 and the purging of them retarded4 ,for the cure of this1 if the quantity of blood be small1 let her use a larger diet1 and very little exercise4 ,if the blood be thick and foul1 let it be made thin1 and the humours mixed therewith be evacuated4 ,it is good to purge after the menses have done flowing1 and to use calamint2 and indeed the oftener she purges the better4 ,she may also use fumes and pessaries1 apply cupping-glasses without scarification to the inside of the thighs1 and rub the legs and scarify the ancles1 and hold the feet in warm water four or five days before the menses come down4 ,let her also anoint the bottom part of her abdomen with things proper to provoke the terms4 ,remedies for ,disorders in ,women's ,paps4 ,make a cataplasm of bean meal and salad oil1 and lay it to the place affected4 ,or anoint with the juice of papilaris4 ,this must be done when the paps are very sore4 ,if the paps be hard and swelled1 take a handful of rue1 colewort roots1 horehound and mint2 if you cannot get all these conveniently1 any two will do2 pound the handful in honey1 and apply it once every day till healed4 ,if the nipples be stiff and sore1 anoint twice a day with ,florence oil till healed4 ,if the paps be flappy and hanging1 bruise a little hemlock1 and apply it to the breast for three days2 but let it not stand above seven hours4 ,or1 which is safer1 rus juice well boiled1 with a little smapios added thereto1 and anoint4 ,if the paps be hard and dead1 make a plate of lead pretty thin1 to answer the breasts2 let this stand nine hours each day1 for three days4 ,or sassafras bruised1 and used in like manner4 ,receipt for ,procuring ,milk4 ,drink arpleni1 drawn as tea1 for twenty-one days4 ,or eat aniseeds4 ,also the juice of arbor vit1 a glassful once a day for eleven days1 is very good1 for it quickens the memory1 strengthens the body1 and causeth milk to flow in abundance4 ,directions for ,drawing of ,blood4 ,drawing of blood was at first invented for good and salutary purposes1 although often abused and misapplied4 ,to bleed in the left arm removes long-continued pains and head-aches4 ,it is also good for those who have got falls and bruises4 ,bleeding is good for many disorders1 and generally proves a cure1 except in some very extraordinary cases2 and in these cases bleeding is hurtful4 ,if a woman be pregnant1 to draw a little blood will give her ease1 good health and a lusty child4 ,bleeding is a most certain cure for no less than twenty-one disorders1 without any outward or inward applications2 and for many more1 with application of drugs1 herbs and flowers4 ,when the moon is on the increase1 you may let blood at any time1 day or night2 but when she is on the decline1 you must bleed only in the morning4 ,bleeding may be performed from the month of ,march to ,november4 ,no bleeding in ,december1 ,january1 or ,february1 unless an occasion require it4 ,the months of ,march1 ,april1 and ,november1 are the three chief months of the year for bleeding in2 but it may be performed with safety from the #ith of ,march to the #aith of ,november4 ,to prevent the dangers that may arise from the unskilful drawing of blood1 let none open a vein but a person of experience and practice4 ,there are three sorts of people you must not let draw blood3 first1 ignorant and inexperienced pretenders4 ,secondly1 those who have bad sight and trembling hands1 whether skilled or unskilled4 ,for when the hand trembles1 the lancet is apt to startle from the vein1 and the flesh be thereby damaged1 which may hurt1 canker1 and very much torment the patient4 ,thirdly1 let no woman bleed you1 but such as has gone through a course of midwifery at college2 for those who are unskilful may cut an artery1 to the great damage of the patient4 ,besides1 what is still worse1 those pretended bleeders1 who take it up at their own hand1 generally keep unedged and rusty lancets1 which will prove hurtful even in a skilful hand4 ,accordingly1 you ought to be cautious in choosing your physician3 a man of learning knows what vein to open for each disorder2 he knows how much blood to take as soon as he sees the patient2 and he can give you suitable advice concerning your disorder4 ,illustration3 ,,form ,,of ,a ,,male ,,child ,,in ,,the ,,womb4 ,,explanation4 ,a ,the uterus1 as stretched to near its full extent1 containing the ftus entangled in the funis4--,b4 ,b4 ,the superior part of the ossa ilium4--,c4 ,c4 ,the actebula4 ,d4 ,d4 ,the remaining posterior parts of the ossa ischium4--,e4 ,the coccyx4--,f4 ,the inferior part of the rectum4--,g4 ,g4 ,the vagina stretched on each side4--,h4 ,the os uteri1 stretching to its full extent4--,i4 ,i4 ,part of the vesica urinaria4--,k4 ,k4 ,the placenta at the superior and posterior parts of the uterus4--,l4 ,the ,membranes4--,m4 ,the funis umbilicalis4 ,,aristotle',s ,,book ,,of ,,problems1 ,,with ,,other ,,astronomers1 ,,astrologers1 ,,and ,,physicians1 ,,concerning ,,the ,,state ,,of ,,man',s ,,body4 ,q4 ,among all living creatures1 why hath man only his countenance lifted up towards heaven8 ,a4 #a4 ,from the will of the ,creator4 ,but1 although this answer be true1 yet it seemeth not to be of force1 because that so all questions might be easily resolved4 ,therefore1 #b4 ,i answer1 that1 for the most part1 every workman doth make his first work worse1 and then his second better2 so ,god creating all other animals before man gave them their face looking down to the earth2 and then secondly1 he created man1 unto whom he gave an upright shape1 lifted unto heaven1 because it is drawn from divinity1 and is derived from the goodness of ,god1 who maketh all his works both perfect and good4 #c4 ,man only among all living creatures1 is ordained to the kingdom of heaven and therefore hath his face elevated and lifted up to heaven1 because that1 despising earthly and worldly things1 he ought often to contemplate on heavenly things4 #d4 ,that the reasonable man is like unto angels1 and finally ordained towards ,god2 and therefore he hath a figure looking upward4 #e4 ,man is a microcosm1 that is1 a little world1 and therefore he doth command all other living creatures1 and they obey him4 #f4 ,naturally there is unto every thing and every work that form and figure given which is fit and proper for its motion2 as unto the heavens roundness1 to the fire a pyramidical form1 that is1 broad beneath and sharp towards the top1 which form is most apt to ascend2 and so man has his face towards heaven1 to behold the wonders of ,god's works4 ,q4 ,why are the heads of men hairy8 ,a4 ,the hair is the ornament of the head1 and the brain is purged of gross humours by the growing of the hair1 from the highest to the lowest1 which pass through the pores of the exterior flesh1 become dry1 and converted into hair4 ,this appears to be the case from the circumstance that in all man's body there is nothing drier than the hair1 for it is drier than the bones2 and it is well known that some beasts are nourished with bones1 as dogs1 but they cannot digest feathers or hair1 but void them undigested1 being too hot for nourishment4 #b4 ,it is answered1 that the brain is purged in three different ways2 of superfluous watery humours by the eyes1 of choler by the nose1 and of phlegm by the hair2 which is the opinion of the best physicians4 ,q4 ,why have men longer hair on their heads than any other living creatures8 ,a4 ,arist4 de4 ,generat4 ,anim4 says1 that men have the moistest brains of all living creatures1 from which the seed proceedeth which is converted into the long hair of the head4 #b4 ,the humours of men are fat1 and do not become dry easily2 and therefore the hair groweth long on them4 ,in beasts1 the humours easily dry1 and therefore the hair groweth not so long4 ,q4 ,why doth the hair take deeper root in man's skin than in that of any other living creatures8 ,a4 ,because it has greater store of nourishment in man1 and therefore grows more in the inward parts of man4 ,and this is the reason why in other creatures the hair doth alter and change with the skin1 and not in man1 unless by a scar or wound4 ,q4 ,why have women longer hair than men8 ,a4 #a4 ,because women are moister and more phlegmatic than men2 and therefore there is more matter for hair in them1 and1 by consequence1 the length also of their hair4 ,and1 furthermore1 this matter is more increased in women than men from their interior parts1 and especially in the time of their monthly terms1 because the matter doth then ascend1 whereby the humour which breedeth the hair doth increase4 #b4 ,because women want beards2 so the matter of the beard doth go into that of the hair4 ,q4 ,why have some women soft hair and some hard8 ,a4 #a4 ,the hair hath proportion with the skin2 of which some is hard1 some thick1 some subtle and soft1 and some gross2 therefore the hair which grows out of a thick gross skin1 is thick and gross2 that which groweth out of a subtle and fine skin is fine and soft2 when the pores are open1 then cometh forth much humour1 and therefore hard hair is engendered2 and when the pores are strait1 then there doth grow soft and fine hair4 ,this doth evidently appear in men1 because women have softer hair than they2 for in women the pores are shut and strait1 by reason of their coldness4 #b4 ,because for the most part1 choleric men have harder and thicker hair than others1 by reason of their heat1 and because their pores are always open1 and therefore they have beards sooner than others4 ,for this reason also1 those beasts which have hard hair are the boldest1 because such have proceeded from heat and choler1 examples of which we have in the bear and boar2 and contrariwise1 those beasts that have soft hair are fearful1 because they are cold1 as the hare and the hart4 #c4 ,from the climate where a man is born2 because in hot regions hard and gross hair is engendered1 as appears in the ,ethiopians1 and the contrary is the case in cold countries towards the north4 ,q4 ,why have some men curled hair and some smooth8 ,a4 ,from the superior degree of heat in some men1 which makes the hair curl and grow upward3 this is proved by a man's having smooth hair when he goes into a hot bath1 and it afterwards becomes curled4 ,therefore1 keepers of baths have often curled hair1 as also ,ethiopians and choleric men4 ,but the cause of the smoothness is the abundance of moist humours4 ,q4 ,why have not women beards8 ,a4 ,because they want heat2 which is the case with some effeminate men1 who are beardless from the same cause1 and have complexions like women4 ,q4 ,why doth the hair grow on those who are hanged8 ,a4 ,because their bodies are exposed to the sun1 which by its heat doth dissolve all moisture into the fume or vapour of which the hair doth grow4 ,q4 ,why is the hair of the beard thicker and grosser than elsewhere2 and the more men are shaven1 the harder and thicker it groweth8 ,a4 ,because by so much as the humours or vapours of any liquid are dissolved and taken away1 so much the more doth the humour remaining draw to the same2 and therefore1 the more the hair is shaven1 the thicker the humours gather which engenders the hair1 and cause it to wax hard4 ,q4 ,why are women smoother and fairer than men8 ,a4 ,because in women much of the humidity and superfluity1 which are the matter and cause of the hair of the body1 is expelled with their monthly terms2 which superfluity1 remaining in men1 through vapours passes into hair4 ,q4 ,why doth man1 above all other creatures1 wax hoary and gray8 ,a4 ,because man hath the hottest heart of all living creatures2 and1 therefore1 nature being most wise1 lest a man should be suffocated through the heat of his heart1 hath placed the heart which is most hot1 under the brain1 which is most cold2 to the end that the heat of the heart may be tempered by the coldness of the brain2 and contrariwise1 that the coldness of the brain may be qualified by the heat of the heart2 and thereby there might be a temperature in both4 ,a proof of this is1 that of all living creatures man hath the worst breath when he comes to full age4 ,furthermore1 man doth consume nearly half his time in sleep1 which doth proceed from the great excess of coldness and moisture in the brain1 and from his wanting natural heat to digest and consume that moisture1 which heat he hath in his youth1 and therefore in that age it is not gray1 but in old age when heat faileth2 because then the vapours ascending from the stomach remain undigested and unconsumed for want of natural heat1 and thus putrefy1 of which putrefaction of humours the whiteness doth follow which is called grayness or hoariness4 ,whereby it doth appear1 that hoariness is nothing else but a whiteness of hair1 caused by a putrefaction of the humours about the roots of the hair1 through the want of natural heat in old age4 ,sometimes all grayness is caused by the naughtiness of the complexion1 which may happen in youth2 sometimes through over great fear and care1 as appeareth in merchants1 sailors1 and thieves4 ,q4 ,why doth red hair grow white sooner than hair of any other colour8 ,a4 ,because redness is an infirmity of the hair2 for it is engendered of a weak and infirm matter1 that is of matter corrupted with the flowers of the woman2 and therefore it waxes white sooner than any other4 ,q4 ,why do wolves grow grisly8 ,a4 ,to understand this question1 note the difference between grayness and grisliness3 grayness is caused through defect of natural heat1 but grisliness through devouring and heat4 ,the wolf being a devouring animal beast1 he eateth gluttonously without chewing1 and enough at once for three days2 in consequence of which1 gross vapours are engendered in the wolfs body1 which cause grisliness4 ,grayness and grisliness have this difference2 grayness is only in the head1 but grisliness all over the body4 ,q4 ,why do horses grow grisly and gray8 ,a4 ,because they are for the most part in the sun1 and heat naturally causes putrefaction2 therefore the matter of air doth putrefy1 and in consequence they are quickly peeled4 ,q4 ,why are not women bald8 ,a4 ,because they are cold and moist1 which are the causes that the hair remaineth2 for moistness doth give nutriment to the hair1 and coldness doth bind the pores4 ,q4 ,why are not blind men naturally bald8 ,a4 ,because the eye hath moisture in it1 and that moisture which should pass through by the substance of the eyes doth become a sufficient nutriment for the hair1 and therefore they are seldom bald4 ,q4 ,why doth the hair stand on end when men are afraid8 ,a4 ,because in time of fear the heat doth go from the outward parts of the body into the inward to help the heart1 and so the pores in which the hair is fastened are shut up2 after which stopping and shutting up of the pores1 the standing up of the hair doth follow4 ,of the ,head4 ,q4 ,why is a man's head round8 ,a4 ,because it contains in it the moistest parts of the living creature2 and also that the brain may be defended thereby1 as with a shield4 ,q4 ,why is the head not absolutely long1 but somewhat round8 ,a4 ,to the end that the three creeks and cells of the brain might the better be distinguished3 that is1 the fancy in the forehead1 the discoursing or reasonable part in the middle1 and memory in the hindermost part4 ,q4 ,why doth a man lift up his head towards the heavens when he doth imagine8 ,a4 ,because the imagination is the fore part of the head or brain1 and therefore it lifteth up itself1 that the creeks or cells of the imagination may be opened1 and that the spirits which help the imagination1 and are fit for that purpose1 having their concourse thither1 may help the imagination4 ,q4 ,why doth a man1 when he museth or thinketh of things past1 look towards the earth8 ,a4 ,because the cell or creek which is behind1 is the creek or chamber of the memory2 and therefore that looketh towards the heavens when the head is bowed down1 and so that cell is open1 to the end that the spirits which perfect the memory should enter in4 ,q4 ,why is not the head fleshy1 like other parts of the body8 ,a4 ,because the head would be too heavy1 and would not stand steadily4 ,also1 a head loaded with flesh betokens an evil complexion4 ,q4 ,why is the head subject to aches and griefs8 ,a4 ,by reason that evil humours1 which proceed from the stomach1 ascend up to the head and disturb the brain1 and so cause pain in the head3 sometimes it proceeds from overmuch filling the stomach1 because two great sinews pass from the brain to the mouth of the stomach1 and therefore these two parts do always suffer grief together4 ,q4 ,why have women the headache oftener than man8 ,a4 ,by reason of their monthly terms1 which men are not troubled with2 and by which a moist1 unclean1 and venomous fume is produced1 that seeks passage upwards1 and so causes the headache4 ,q4 ,why is the brain white8 ,a4 #a4 ,because it is cold1 and coldness is the mother of white4 #b4 ,because it may receive the similitude and likeness of all colours1 which the white colour can best do1 because it is most simple4 ,q4 ,why are all the senses in the head8 ,a4 ,because the brain is there1 on which all the senses depend1 and are directed by it2 and consequently1 it maketh all the spirits to feel1 and governeth all the membranes4 ,q4 ,why cannot a person escape death if the brain or heart be hurt8 ,a4 ,because the brain and heart are the two principal parts which concern life2 and1 therefore1 if they be hurt1 there is no remedy left for cure4 ,q4 ,why is the brain moist8 ,a4 ,because it may easily receive an impression1 which moisture can best do1 as it appeareth in wax1 which doth easily receive the print of the seal when soft4 ,q4 ,why is the brain cold8 ,a4 #a4 ,because that by this coldness it may clear the understanding of man1 and make it subtle4 #b4 ,that by the coldness of the brain the heat of the heart may be tempered4 ,of the ,eyes4 ,q4 ,why have you one nose and two eyes8 ,a4 ,because light is more necessary for us than smelling2 and therefore it doth proceed from the goodness of ,nature1 that if we receive any hurt or loss of one eye1 the other may remain4 ,q4 ,why have children great eyes in their youth1 which become small as they grow up8 ,a4 ,it proceeds from the want of fire1 and from the assemblage and meeting together of the light and humour2 the eyes being lightened by the sun1 which doth lighten the easy humour thereof and purge them2 and1 in the absence of the sun1 those humours become dark and black1 and the sight not so good4 ,q4 ,why does the blueish gray eye see badly in the day-time1 and well in the night8 ,a4 ,because grayness is light and shining of itself1 and the spirits with which we see are weakened in the day-time and strengthened in the night4 ,q4 ,why are men's eyes of divers colours8 ,a4 ,by reason of diversity of humours4 ,the eye hath four coverings and three humours4 ,the first covering is called consolidative1 which is the outermost1 strong and fat4 ,the second is called a horny skin or covering1 of the likeness of a horn2 which is a clear covering4 ,the third1 uvea1 of the likeness of a black grape4 ,the fourth is called a cobweb4 ,the first humour is called abungines1 from its likeness unto the white of an egg4 ,the second glarial2 that is1 clear1 like unto crystalline4 ,the third1 vitreous2 that is1 clear as glass4 ,and the diversity of humours causeth the diversity of the eye4 ,q4 ,why are men who have but one eye good archers8 and why do good archers commonly shut one eye8 ,and why do such as behold the stars look through a trunk with one eye8 ,a4 ,this matter is handled in the perspective arts2 and the reason is1 as it doth appear in ,the ,book of ,causes1 because that every virtue and strength united and knit together is stronger than when dispersed and scattered4 ,therefore all the force of seeing dispersed in two eyes1 the one being shut1 is gathered into the other2 and so the light is fortified in him2 and by consequence he doth see better and more certainly with one eye being shut1 than when both are open4 ,q4 ,why do those that drink and laugh much shed most tears8 ,a4 ,because that while they drink and laugh without measure1 the air which is drawn in doth not pass out through the wind-pipe1 and so with force is directed and sent to the eyes1 and by their pores passing out1 doth expel the humours of the eyes2 which humour being so expelled brings tears4 ,q4 ,why do such as weep much1 urine but little8 ,a4 ,because the radical humidity of a tear and of urine are of one and the same nature2 and therefore1 where weeping doth increase1 urine diminishes4 ,and that they are of one nature is plain to the taste1 because they are both salt4 ,q4 ,why do some that have clear eyes see nothing8 ,a4 ,by reason of the oppilation and naughtiness of the sinews with which we see2 for the temples being destroyed1 the strength of the light cannot be carried from the brain to the eye4 ,q4 ,why is the eye clear and smooth like glass8 ,a4 #a4 ,because the things which may be seen are better beaten back from a smooth thing than otherwise1 that thereby the sight should strengthen4 #b4 ,because the eye is moist above all parts of the body1 and of a waterish nature2 and as the water is clear and smooth1 so likewise is the eye4 ,q4 ,why do men and beasts who have their eyes deep in their head see best far off8 ,a4 ,because the force and power by which we see is not dispersed in them1 and doth go directly to the thing which is seen4 ,thus1 when a man doth stand in a deep ditch or well1 he doth see in the day-time the stars of the firmament2 because then the power of the sight and of the beams are not scattered4 ,q4 ,wherefore do those men who have eyes far out in their head not see far distant8 ,a4 ,because the beams of the sight which pass from the eye are scattered on every side1 and go not directly unto the thing that is seen1 and therefore the sight is weakened4 ,q4 ,why are many beasts born blind1 as lions' whelps and dogs' whelps8 ,a4 ,because such beasts are not yet of perfect ripeness and maturity1 and the course of nutriment doth not work in them4 ,thus1 the swallow1 whose eyes1 if they were taken out when they are young in their nest1 would grow in again4 ,and this is the case in many beasts who are brought forth before their time1 as it were dead1 as bears' whelps4 ,q4 ,why do the eyes of a woman that hath her flowers stain new glass8 ,and why doth a basilisk kill a man with his sight8 ,a4 #a4 ,when the flowers do run from a woman1 then a most venomous air is distilled from them1 which doth ascend into the woman's head2 and she having pain in her head1 doth wrap it up with a cloth or handkerchief2 and1 because the eyes are full of insensible holes1 which are called pores1 there the air seeketh a passage and infects the eyes1 which are full of blood4 ,the eyes also appear dropping and full of tears1 by reason of the evil vapour that is in them2 and these vapours are incorporated and multiplied till they come to the glass before them2 and by reason that such a glass is round1 clear1 and smooth1 it doth easily receive that which is unclean4 #b4 ,the basilisk is a very venomous and infectious animal1 and there pass from his eyes venomous vapours1 which are multiplied upon the thing which is seen by him1 and even unto the eye of man2 the which venomous vapours or humours entering into the body do infect him1 and so in the end the man dieth4 ,and this is also the reason why the basilisk1 looking upon a shield perfectly well made with fast clammy pitch1 or any hard smooth thing1 doth kill itself1 because the humours are beaten back from the hard smooth thing unto the basilisk1 by which beating back he is killed4 ,q4 ,why is the sparkling in cats' eyes and wolves' eyes seen in the dark and not in the light8 ,a4 ,because that the greater light doth darken the lesser2 and therefore in a greater light the sparkling cannot be seen2 but the greater the darkness1 the easier it is seen1 and is made more strong and shining4 ,q4 ,why is the sight retreated and refreshed by a green colour8 ,a4 ,because green doth merely move the sight1 and therefore doth comfort it2 but this doth not black nor white colours1 because these colours do vehemently stir and alter the organ and instrument of the sight1 and therefore make the greater violence2 and by how much the more violent the thing is which is felt or seen1 the more it doth destroy and weaken the sense4 ,of the ,nose4 ,q4 ,why doth the nose stand out farther than any other part of the body8 ,a4 #a4 ,because the nose is as it were1 the sink of the brain1 by which the phlegm of the brain is purged2 and therefore it doth stand forth1 lest the other parts should be defiled4 #b4 ,because the nose is the beauty of the face1 and doth smell4 ,q4 ,why hath man the worst smell of all creatures8 ,a4 ,because man hath most brains of all creatures2 and1 therefore1 by exceeding coldness and moisture1 the brain wanteth a good disposition1 and by consequence1 the smelling instrument is not good2 yea1 some men have no smell4 ,q4 ,why have vultures and comorants a keen smell8 ,a4 ,because they have a very dry brain2 and therefore1 the air carrying the smell is not hindered by the humidity of the brain1 but doth presently touch its instrument2 and1 therefore1 vultures1 tigers1 and other ravenous beasts1 have been known to come five hundred miles after dead bodies4 ,q4 ,why did nature make the nostrils8 ,a4 #a4 ,because1 the mouth being shut1 we draw breath in by the nostrils to refresh the heart4 #b4 ,because the air which proceedeth from the mouth doth savour badly1 because of the vapours which rise from the stomach1 but that which we breathe from the nose is not noisome4 #c4 ,because the phlegm which doth proceed from the brain is purged by them4 ,q4 ,why do men sneeze8 ,a4 ,that the expulsive virtue and power of the sight should thereby be purged1 and the brain also1 from superfluities3 because1 as the lungs are purged by coughing1 so is the sight and brain by sneezing2 and therefore physicians give sneezing medicaments to purge the brain2 and thus it is1 such sick persons that cannot sneeze die quickly1 because it is a sign their brain is wholly stuffed with evil humours1 which cannot be purged4 ,q4 ,why do not such as are apoplectic sneeze2 that is1 such as are subject easily to bleed8 ,a4 ,because the passages or ventricles of the brain are stopped2 and if they could sneeze1 their apoplexy would be loosed4 ,q4 ,why does the heat of the sun provoke sneezing1 and not the heat of the fire8 ,a4 ,because the heat of the sun doth dissolve1 but not consume1 and therefore the vapour dissolved is expelled by sneezing2 but the heat of the fire doth dissolve and consume1 and therefore doth rather hinder sneezing than provoke it4 ,of the ,ears ,q4 ,why do beasts move their ears1 and not men8 ,a4 ,because there is a certain muscle near the under-jaw which doth cause motion in the ear2 and therefore that muscle being extended and stretched1 men do not move their ears1 as it hath been seen in divers men2 but all beasts do use that muscle or fleshy sinew1 and therefore do move their ears4 ,q4 ,why is rain prognosticated by the pricking up of asses' ears8 ,a4 ,because the ass is of a melancholic constitution1 and the approach of rain produceth that effect upon such a constitution4 ,in the time of rain all beasts prick up their ears1 but the ass before it comes4 ,q4 ,why have some animals no ears8 ,a4 ,nature giveth unto every thing that which is fit for it2 but if she had given birds ears1 their flying would have been hindered by them4 ,likewise fish want ears1 because they would hinder their swimming1 and have only certain little holes through which they hear4 ,q4 ,why have bats ears1 although of the bird kind8 ,a4 ,because they are partly birds in nature1 in that they fly1 by reason whereof they have wings2 and partly they are hairy1 and seem to be of the nature of mice1 therefore nature hath given them ears4 ,q4 ,why have men only round ears8 ,a4 ,because the shape of the whole and of the parts should be proportionable1 and especially in all things of one nature2 for as a drop of water is round1 so the whole water2 and so1 because a man's head is round1 the ear inclines towards the same figure2 but the heads of beasts are somewhat long1 and so the ears are drawn into length likewise4 ,q4 ,why hath nature given all living creatures ears8 ,a4 #a4 ,because with them they should hear4 #b4 ,because by the ear choleric superfluity is purged2 for as the head is purged of phlegmatic superfluity by the nose1 so from choleric by the ears4 ,of the ,mouth4 ,q4 ,why hath the mouth lips to compass it8 ,a4 ,because the lips cover and defend the teeth2 for it would be unseemly if the teeth were always seen4 ,also1 the teeth being of a cold nature1 would soon be hurt if they were not covered with lips4 ,q4 ,why has a man two eyes1 two ears1 and but one mouth8 ,a4 ,because a man should speak but little1 and hear and see much4 ,and by hearing and the light we see the difference of things4 ,q4 ,why hath a man a mouth8 ,a4 #a4 ,because the mouth is the gate or door of the stomach4 #b4 ,because the meat is chewed in the mouth1 and prepared and made ready for the first digestion4 #c4 ,because the air drawn into the hollow of the mouth for the refreshing of the heart is made pure and subtle4 ,q4 ,why are the lips moveable8 ,a4 ,for the purpose of forming the voice and words1 which cannot be perfectly done without them4 ,for1 as without a1 b1 c1 there is no writing1 so without the lips no voice can be well formed4 ,q4 ,what causes man to yawn or gape8 ,a4 ,it proceeds from the thick fume and vapours that fill the jaws2 by the expulsion of which is caused the stretching out and expansion of the jaws1 and opening of the mouth4 ,q4 ,why doth a man gape when he seeth another doing the same8 ,a4 ,it proceeds from the imagination4 ,and this is proved by the similitude of the ass1 who1 by reason of his melancholy1 doth retain his superfluity for a long time1 and would neither eat nor make water unless he should hear another doing the like4 ,of the ,teeth4 ,q4 ,why do the teeth only1 amongst all other bones1 experience the sense of feeling8 ,a4 ,that they may discern heat and cold1 that hurt them1 which other bones need not4 ,q4 ,why have men more teeth than women8 ,a4 ,by reason of the abundance of heat and blood1 which is more in men than women4 ,q4 ,why do the teeth grow to the end of our life1 and not the other bones8 ,a4 ,because otherwise they would be consumed with chewing and grinding4 ,q4 ,why do the teeth only come again when they fail1 or be taken out1 and other bones being taken away grow no more8 ,a4 ,because all other bones are engendered of the humidity which is called radical1 and so they breed in the womb of the mother2 but the teeth are engendered of nutritive humidity1 which is renewed and increased from day to day4 ,q4 ,why do the fore-teeth fall in youth1 and grow again1 and not the cheek teeth8 ,a4 ,from the defect of matter1 and from the figure2 because the fore-teeth are sharp1 and the others broad4 ,also1 it is the office of the fore-teeth to cut the meat1 and therefore they are sharp2 and the office of the other to chew the meat1 and therefore they are broad in fashion1 which is fittest for that purpose4 ,q4 ,why do the fore-teeth grow soonest8 ,a4 ,because we want them sooner in cutting than the others in chewing4 ,q4 ,why do the teeth grow black in human creatures in their old age8 ,a4 ,it is occasioned by the corruption of the meat1 and the corruption of phlegm1 with a choleric humour4 ,q4 ,why are colt's teeth yellow1 and of the colour of saffron1 when they are young1 and become white when they grow up8 ,a4 ,because horses have abundance of watery humours in them1 which in their youth are digested and converted into grossness2 but in old age heat diminishes1 and the watery humours remain1 whose proper colour is white4 ,q4 ,why did nature give living creatures teeth8 ,a4 ,to some to fight with1 and for defence of their lives1 as unto wolves and bats2 unto some to eat with1 as unto horses2 unto some for the forming of voice1 as unto men4 ,q4 ,why do horned beasts want their upper teeth8 ,a4 ,horns and teeth are caused by the same matter1 that is1 nutrimental humidity1 and therefore the matter which passeth into horns turneth not into teeth1 consequently they want the upper teeth4 ,and beasts cannot chew well2 therefore1 to supply the want of teeth1 they have two stomachs1 from whence it returns1 and they chew it again2 then it goes into the other to be digested4 ,q4 ,why are some creatures brought forth1 with teeth1 as kids and lambs2 and some without1 as men8 ,a4 ,nature doth not want unnecessary things1 nor abound in superfluous2 and therefore because these beasts1 not long after they are fallen1 do need teeth1 they are fallen with teeth2 but men1 being nourished by their mother1 for a long time1 do not stand in need of teeth4 ,of the ,tongue4 ,q4 ,why is the tongue full of pores8 ,a4 ,because the tongue is the means whereby we taste2 and through the mouth1 in the pores of the tongue1 doth proceed the sense of tasting4 ,again1 it is observed1 that frothy spittle is sent into the mouth by the tongue from the lungs1 moistening the meat1 and making it ready for digestion4 ,q4 ,why do the tongues of such as are sick of agues judge all things bitter8 ,a4 ,because the stomachs of such people are filled with choleric humours2 and choler is very bitter1 as appeareth by the gall2 therefore1 this bitter fume doth infect their tongues2 and so the tongue being full of those tastes1 doth judge every thing bitter4 ,q4 ,why doth the tongue water when we hear sour and sharp things spoken of8 ,a4 ,because the imaginative virtue or power is of greater force than the power and faculty of tasting2 and when we imagine a taste1 we conceive the power of tasting as a means2 there is nothing felt by the taste1 but by means of the spittle the tongue doth water4 ,q4 ,why do some persons stammer and lisp8 ,a4 ,sometimes through the moistness of the tongue and brain1 as in children1 who cannot speak plainly nor pronounce many letters4 ,sometimes it happeneth by reason of the shrinking of certain sinews which go to the tongue1 which are corrupted with phlegm4 ,q4 ,why are the tongues of serpents and mad dogs venomous8 ,a4 ,because of the malignity and tumosity of the venomous humour which predominates in them4 ,q4 ,why is a dog's tongue good for medicine1 and a horse's tongue pestiferous8 ,a4 ,by reason of some secret property1 or that the tongue of a dog is full of pores1 and so doth draw and take the viscosity of a wound4 ,it is observed that a dog hath some humour in his tongue1 with which1 by licking1 he doth heal2 but the contrary effect is in a horse's tongue4 ,q4 ,why is spittle white8 ,a4 ,by reason of the continual movement of the tongue1 whereof heat is engendered1 which doth make this superfluity white2 that is seen on the froth of water4 ,q4 ,why is spittle unsavoury and without taste8 ,a4 ,if it had a certain determinate taste1 then the tongue would not taste at all1 but only give the taste of spittle1 and could not distinguish others4 ,q4 ,why does the spittle of one that is fasting heal an imposthume8 ,a4 ,because it is well digested1 and made subtle4 ,q4 ,why do some abound in spittle more than others8 ,a4 ,this doth proceed of a phlegmatic complexion1 which doth predominate in them2 and such are liable to a quotidian ague1 which ariseth from the predominance of phlegm3 the contrary1 in those that spit little1 because heat abounds in them1 which consumes the humidity of the spittle2 and so the defect of spittle is the sign of fever4 ,q4 ,why is the spittle of a man who is fasting more subtle than of one who is full8 ,a4 ,because the spittle is without the viscosity of meat1 which is wont to make the spittle of one who is full1 gross and thick4 ,q4 ,from whence proceedeth the spittle of man8 ,a4 ,from the froth of the lungs1 which1 according to the physicians1 is the seat of the phlegm4 ,q4 ,why have not birds spittle8 ,a4 ,because they have very dry lungs4 ,q4 ,why doth the tongue sometimes lose the use of speaking8 ,a4 ,it is occasioned by a palsy or apoplexy1 which is a sudden effusion of blood1 and by gross humours2 and sometimes also by infection of spiritus animalis in the middle cell of the brain1 which hinders the spirits from being carried to the tongue4 ,of the ,roof of the ,mouth4 ,q4 ,why are fruits1 before they are ripe1 of a bitter or sour relish1 and afterwards sweet8 ,a4 ,a sour relish or taste proceeds from coldness and want of heat in gross and thick humidity2 but a sweet taste is produced by sufficient heat2 therefore1 in the ripe fruit humidity is subtle through the heat of the sun1 and such fruit is commonly sweet2 but before it is ripe1 as humidity is gross or subtle for want of heat1 the fruit is bitter or sour4 ,q4 ,why are we better delighted with sweet tastes than with bitter or any other8 ,a4 ,because a sweet thing is hot and moist1 and through its heat dissolves and consumes superfluous humidities1 and by this humidity immundicity is washed away2 but a sharp eager taste1 by reason of the cold which predominates in it1 doth bind overmuch1 and prick and offend the parts of the body in purging1 and therefore we do not delight in that taste4 ,q4 ,why doth a sharp taste1 as that of vinegar1 provoke appetite rather than any other8 ,a4 ,because it is cold1 and doth cool4 ,for it is the nature of cold to desire and draw1 and therefore it is the cause of appetite4 ,q4 ,why do we draw in more air than we breathe out8 ,a4 ,because much air is drawn in that is converted into nutriment1 and with the vital spirits is contained in the lungs4 ,therefore a beast is not suffocated so long as it receives air with its lungs1 in which some part of the air remaineth also4 ,q4 ,why doth the air seem to be expelled and put forth1 seeing the air is invisible1 by reason of its variety and thinness8 ,a4 ,because the air which is received in us1 is mingled with vapours and fumes from the heart1 by reason whereof it is made thick1 and so is seen4 ,and this is proved by experience1 because that in winter we see our breath2 for the coldness of the air doth bind the breath mixed with fume1 and so it is thickened and made gross1 and by consequence is seen4 ,q4 ,why have some persons stinking breath8 ,a4 ,because of evil fumes that arise from the stomach4 ,and sometimes it doth proceed from the corruption of the airy parts of the body1 as the lungs4 ,the breath of lepers is so infected1 that it would poison birds if near them1 because the inward parts are very corrupt4 ,q4 ,why are lepers hoarse8 ,a4 ,because the vocal instruments are corrupted1 that is1 the lights4 ,q4 ,why do persons become hoarse8 ,a4 ,because of the rheum descending from the brain filling the conduit of the lights3 and sometimes through imposthumes of the throat1 or rheum gathering in the neck4 ,q4 ,why have the females of all living creatures the shrillest voice1 the crow only excepted1 and a woman a shriller and smaller voice than a man8 ,a4 ,by reason of the composition of the veins the vocal arteries of voice are formed1 as appears by this similitude1 that a small pipe sounds shriller than a great4 ,also in women1 because the passage where the voice is formed is made narrow and strait1 by reason of cold1 it being the nature of cold to bind2 but in men1 the passage is open and wider through heat1 because it is the property of heat to open and dissolve4 ,it proceedeth in women through the moistness of the lungs1 and weakness of the heat4 ,young and diseased men have sharp and shrill voices from the same cause4 ,q4 ,why doth the voice change in men at fourteen1 and in women at twelve8 ,a4 ,because then the beginning of the voice is slackened and loosened2 and this is proved by the similitude of the string of an instrument let down or loosened which gives a great sound2 and also because eunuchs1 capons1 c4 have softer and slenderer voices than others1 in consequence of the absence of generating powers4 ,q4 ,why do small birds sing more and louder than great ones1 as appears in the lark and nightingale8 ,a4 ,because the spirits of small birds are subtle and soft1 and the organ conduit strait1 as appeareth in a pipe2 therefore their notes following easily at desire they sing very soft4 ,q4 ,why do bees1 wasps1 locusts1 and many other such like insects1 make a noise1 seeing they have no lungs1 nor instruments of voice8 ,a4 ,because in them there is a certain small skin1 which1 when struck by the air1 causeth a sound4 ,q4 ,why do not fish make a sound8 ,a4 ,because they have no lungs1 but only gills1 nor yet a heart2 and therefore they need not the drawing in of the air1 and by consequence they make no noise1 because a noise is the percussion of the air which is drawn4 ,of the ,neck4 ,q4 ,why hath a living creature a neck8 ,a4 ,because the neck is the supporter of the head1 and therefore the neck is in the middle between the head and the body1 to the intent that by it and by its sinews1 motion and sense of the body might be conveyed through all the body2 and that by means of the neck1 the heart1 which is very hot1 might be separated from the brain4 ,q4 ,why do some creatures want necks1 as serpents and fishes8 ,a4 ,because they want hearts1 and therefore want that assistance which we have spoken of2 or else they have a neck in some inward part of them1 which is not distinguished outwardly4 ,q4 ,why is the neck full of bones and joints8 ,a4 ,that it may bear and sustain the head the better4 ,also1 because the backbone is joined to the brain in the neck1 and from thence it receives marrow1 which is of the substance of the brain4 ,q4 ,why have some creatures long necks1 as cranes1 storks1 and such like8 ,a4 ,because such birds seek their food at the bottom of waters4 ,and some creatures have short necks1 as sparrows1 hawks1 c4 because such are ravenous1 and therefore for strength have short necks2 as appeareth in the ox1 which has a short neck and strong4 ,q4 ,why is the neck hollow1 and especially before1 about the tongue8 ,a4 ,because there are two passages1 whereof the one doth carry the meat to the nutritive instrument1 or stomach and liver1 which is called by the ,greeks sophagus2 and the other is the wind-pipe4 ,q4 ,why is the artery made with rings and circle8 ,a4 ,the better to bow and give a good sounding4 ,of the ,shoulders and ,arms4 ,q1 ,why hath a man shoulders and arms8 ,a4 ,to lift and carry burdens4 ,q4 ,why are the arms round8 ,a4 ,for the swifter and speedier work4 ,q4 ,why are the arms thick8 ,a4 ,that they may be strong to lift and bear burdens1 and thrust and give a strong blow2 so their bones are thick1 because they contain much marrow1 or they would be easily corrupted and injured4 ,q4 ,why do the arms become small and slender in some diseases1 as in mad men and such as are sick of the dropsy8 ,a4 ,because all the parts of the body do suffer the one with the other2 and therefore one member being in grief1 all the humours do concur and run thither to give succour and help to the aforesaid grief4 ,q4 ,why have brute beasts no arms8 ,a4 ,their fore feet are instead of arms1 and in their place4 ,of the ,hands4 ,q4 ,for what use hath a man hands1 and an ape also like unto a man8 ,a4 ,the hand is an instrument that a man doth especially make use of1 because many things are done by the hands and not by any other part4 ,q4 ,why are some men ambo-dexter1 that is1 they use the left hand as the right8 ,a4 ,by reason of the great heat of the heart1 and for the hot bowing of the same2 for it is that which makes a man as nimble of the left hand as of the right4 ,q4 ,why are the fingers full of joints8 ,a4 ,to be more fit and apt to receive and keep what are put in them4 ,q4 ,why hath every finger three joints1 and the thumb but two8 ,a4 ,the thumb hath three1 but the third is joined to the arm1 therefore is stronger than the other1 fingers2 and is called pollox1 or polico1 that is to excel in strength4 ,q4 ,why are the fingers of the right hand nimbler than the fingers of the left8 ,a4 ,it proceedeth from the heat that predominates in those parts1 and causeth greater agility4 ,of the ,nails4 ,q4 ,from whence do nails proceed8 ,a4 ,of the tumosity and humours1 which are resolved and go into the extremities of the fingers1 and they are dried through the power of the external air1 and brought to the hardness of horn4 ,q4 ,why do the nails of old men grow black and pale8 ,a4 ,because the heat of the heart decaying1 causeth their beauty to decay also4 ,q4 ,why are men judged to be good or evil complexioned by the colour of their nails8 ,a4 ,because they give witness of the goodness or badness of the heart1 and therefore of the complexion2 for if they be somewhat red1 they betoken choler well tempered2 but if they be yellowish or black1 they signify melancholy4 ,q4 ,why do white spots appear in the nails8 ,a4 ,through mixture of phlegm with the nutriment4 ,of the ,paps and ,dugs4 ,q4 ,why are the paps placed upon the breasts8 ,a4 ,because the breast is the seat of the heart1 which is most hot2 and therefore the paps grow there1 to the end that the menses being conveyed thither1 as being near to the heat of the heart1 should the sooner be digested1 perfected1 and converted into the matter and substance of the milk4 ,q4 ,why are the paps below the breasts in beasts1 and above the breasts in woman8 ,a4 ,because woman goes upright1 and has two legs only3 and therefore if her paps were below her breasts1 they would hinder her going2 but beasts having four feet prevents that inconveniency4 ,q4 ,why have not men as great paps and breasts as women8 ,a4 ,because men have not monthly terms1 and therefore have no vessel deputed for them4 ,q4 ,whether are great1 small or middle-sized paps best for children to suck8 ,a4 ,in great ones the heat is dispersed1 and there is no good digestion of the milk2 but in small ones the power and force is strong1 because a virtue united is strongest1 and by consequence there is a good digestion of the milk4 ,q4 ,why do the paps of young women begin to grow about #ac or #ae years of age8 ,a4 ,because then the flowers have no course to the teats1 by which the young one is nourished1 but follow their ordinary course1 and therefore wax soft4 ,q4 ,why hath a woman who is pregnant of a boy1 the right pap harder than the left8 ,a4 ,because the male child is conceived in the right side of the mother3 and therefore the flowers do run to the right pap and make it hard4 ,q4 ,why doth it show weakness of the child1 when the milk doth drop out of the paps before the woman is delivered8 ,a4 ,because the milk is the proper nutriment of the child in the womb of the mother2 therefore if the milk run out1 it is a token that the child is not nourished1 and consequently is weak4 ,q4 ,why doth the hardness of the paps betoken the health of the child in the womb8 ,a4 ,because the flowers are converted into milk1 and that milk doth sufficiently nourish the child1 and thereby strength is signified4 ,q4 ,why are women's paps hard when they be pregnant1 and soft at other times8 ,a4 ,because they swell then1 and are puffed up2 and the great moisture which proceeds from the flowers doth run into the paps1 which at other seasons remaineth in the matrix or womb1 and is expelled by the place deputed for that end4 ,q4 ,by what means doth the milk of the paps come to the matrix or womb8 ,a4 ,there is a certain knitting and coupling of the paps with the womb1 and there are certain veins which the midwives do cut in the time of the birth of the child1 and by those veins the milk flows in at the navel of the child1 and so it receives nourishment by the navel4 ,q4 ,why is it a sign of a male child in the womb1 when the milk that runneth out of a woman's breast is thick1 and not much1 and of a female when it is thin8 ,a4 ,because a woman that goeth with a boy1 hath a great heat in her1 which doth perfect the milk and make it thick2 but she who goes with a girl hath not so much heat1 and therefore the milk is undigested1 imperfect1 watery1 and thin1 and will swim above the water if it be put into it4 ,q4 ,why is the milk white1 seeing the flowers are red1 of which it is engendered8 ,a4 ,because blood which is well purged and concocted becomes white1 as appeareth in flesh whose proper colour is red1 and being boiled is white4 ,also1 because every humour which is engendered of the body1 is made like unto that part in colour where it is engendered1 as near as it can be2 but because the flesh of the paps is white1 therefore the colour of the milk is white4 ,q4 ,why doth a cow give milk more abundantly than other beasts8 ,a4 ,because she is a great eating beast1 and where there is much monthly superfluity engendered1 there is much milk2 because it is nothing else but that blood purged and tried4 ,q4 ,why is not milk wholesome8 ,a4 #a4 ,because it curdeth in the stomach1 whereof an evil breath is bred4 #b4 ,because the milk doth grow sour in the stomach1 where evil humours are bred1 and infect the breath4 ,q4 ,why is milk bad for such as have the headache8 ,a4 ,because it is easily turned into great fumosities1 and hath much terrestrial substance in it1 the which ascending doth cause the headache4 ,q4 ,why is milk fit nutriment for infants8 ,a4 ,because it is a natural and usual food1 and they were nourished by the same in the womb4 ,q4 ,why are the white-meats made of a new-milked cow good8 ,a4 ,because milk at that time is very spongy1 expels many fumosities1 and1 as it were1 purges at that time4 ,q4 ,why do physicians forbid the eating of fish and milk at the same time8 ,a4 ,because they produce a leprosy1 and because they are phlegmatic4 ,q4 ,why have not birds and fish milk and paps8 ,a4 ,because paps would hinder the flight of birds4 ,and although fish have neither paps nor milk1 the females cast much spawn1 which the male touches with a small gut1 and causes their kind to continue in succession4 ,of the ,back4 ,q4 ,why have beasts backs8 ,a4 #a4 ,because the back is the way and mien of the body1 from which are extended and spread throughout all the sinews of the backbone4 #b4 ,because it should be a guard and defence for the soft parts of the body1 as for the stomach1 liver1 lights and such like4 #c4 ,because it is the foundation of all the bones1 as the ribs1 fastened to the backbone4 ,q4 ,why hath the backbone so many joints or knots1 called spondelia8 ,a4 ,because the moving and bending it1 without such joints1 could not be done2 and therefore they are wrong who say that elephants have no such joints1 for without them they could not move4 ,q4 ,why do fish die after their backbones are broken8 ,a4 ,because in fish the backbone is instead of the heart2 now the heart is the first thing that lives1 and the last that dies2 and when that bone is broken1 fish can live no longer4 ,q4 ,why doth a man die soon after the marrow is hurt or perished8 ,a4 ,because the marrow proceeds from the brain1 which is the principal part of a man4 ,q4 ,why have some men the piles8 ,a4 ,those men are cold and melancholy1 which melancholy first passes to the spleen1 its proper seat1 but there cannot be retained1 for the abundance of blood2 for which reason it is conveyed to the backbone1 where there are certain veins which terminate in the back1 and receive the blood4 ,when those veins are full of the melancholy blood1 then the conduits of nature are opened1 and the blood issues out once a month1 like women's terms4 ,those men who have this course of blood1 are kept from many infirmities1 such as the dropsy1 plague1 c4 ,q4 ,why are the ,jews much subject to this disease8 ,a4 ,because they eat much phlegmatic and cold meats1 which breed melancholy blood1 which is purged with the flux4 ,another reason is1 motion causes heat1 and heat digestion2 but strict ,jews never move1 labour1 nor converse much1 which breeds a coldness in them1 and hinders digestion1 causing melancholic blood1 which is by this means purged out4 ,of the ,heart4 ,q4 ,why are the lungs light1 spongy1 and full of holes8 ,a4 ,that the air may be received into them for cooling the heart1 and expelling humours1 because the lungs are the fan of the heart2 and as a pair of bellows are raised up by taking in the air1 and shrunk by blowing it out1 so likewise the lungs draw the air to cool the heart1 and cast it out1 lest through too much air drawn in1 the heart should be suffocated4 ,q4 ,why is the flesh of the lungs white8 ,a4 ,because they are in continual motion4 ,q4 ,why have those beasts only lungs that have hearts8 ,a4 ,because the lungs are no part for themselves1 but for the heart2 and therefore it were superfluous for those creatures to have lungs that have no hearts4 ,q4 ,why do such creatures as have no lungs want a bladder8 ,a4 ,because such drink no water to make their meat digest1 and need no bladder for urine2 as appears in such birds who do not drink at all1 viz4 the falcon and sparrow-hawk4 ,q4 ,why is the heart in the midst of the body8 ,a4 ,that it may impart life to all parts of the body2 and therefore it is compared to the sun1 which is placed in the midst of the planets1 to give light to them all4 ,q4 ,why only in men is the heart on the left side8 ,a4 ,to the end that the heat of the heart may mitigate the coldness of the spleen2 for the spleen is the seat of melancholy1 which is on the left side also4 ,q4 ,why is the heart first engendered2 for the heart doth live and die last8 ,a4 ,because the heart is the beginning and original of life1 and without it no part can live4 ,for of the seed retained in the matrix1 there is engendered a little small skin1 which compasses the seed2 whereof the heart is made of the purest blood2 then of blood not so pure1 the liver2 and of thick and cold blood the marrow and brain4 ,q4 ,why are beasts bold that have little hearts8 ,a4 ,because in a little heart the heat is well united and vehement1 and the blood touching it doth quickly heat it1 and is speedily carried to the other parts of the body1 which gives courage and boldness4 ,q4 ,why are creatures with a large heart timorous1 as the hare8 ,a4 ,the heart is dispersed in such a one1 and not able to heat the blood which cometh to it2 by which means fear is bred4 ,q4 ,how is it that the heart is continually moving8 ,a4 ,because in it there is a certain spirit which is more subtle than air1 and by reason of its thickness and rarefaction seeks a larger space1 filling the hollow room of the heart1 hence the dilating and opening of the heart2 and because the heart is earthly1 the thrusting and moving ceasing1 its parts are at rest1 tending downwards4 ,as a proof of this1 take an acorn1 which1 if put into the fire1 the heat dissolves its humidity1 therefore it occupies a greater space1 so that the rind cannot contain it1 but puffs up and throws it into the fire4 ,the like of the heart4 ,therefore the heart of a living creature is triangular1 having its least part towards its left side1 and the greater towards the right2 and doth also open and shut in the least part1 by which means it is in continual motion2 the first motion is called diastole1 that is1 extending the breast or heart2 the other systole1 that is1 shutting of the heart2 and from these all the motions of the body proceed1 and that of the pulse which physicians feel4 ,q4 ,how comes it that the flesh of the heart is so compact and knit together8 ,a4 ,because in thick compacted substances heat is strongly received and united4 ,and because the heart with its heat should moderate the coldness of the brain1 it is made of that fat flesh apt to keep a strong heat4 ,q4 ,how comes the heart to be the hottest part of all living creatures8 ,a4 ,it is so compacted as to receive heat best1 and because it should mitigate the coldness of the brain4 ,q4 ,why is the heart the beginning of life8 ,a4 ,it is plain that in it the vital spark is bred1 which is the seat of life2 and therefore the heart having two receptacles1 viz4 the right and the left1 the right hath more blood than spirits2 which spirit is engendered to give life and vivify the body4 ,q4 ,why is the heart long and sharp like a pyramid8 ,a4 ,the round figure hath an angle1 therefore the heart is round1 for fear any poison or hurtful matter should be retained in it2 and because that figure is fittest for motion4 ,q4 ,how comes the blood chiefly to be in the heart8 ,a4 ,the blood in the heart has its proper or efficient place1 which some attribute to the liver2 and therefore the heart doth not receive blood from any other parts1 but all other parts from it4 ,q4 ,how comes it that some creatures want a heart8 ,a4 ,although they have no heart1 yet they have somewhat that answers for it1 as appears in eels and fish that have the backbone instead of the heart4 ,q4 ,why does the heart beat in some creatures when the head is off1 as in birds and hens8 ,a4 ,because the heart lives first and dies last1 and therefore beats longer than other parts4 ,q4 ,why doth the heat of the heart sometimes fail of a sudden1 as in those who have the falling sickness8 ,a4 ,this proceeds from the defect of the heart itself1 and of certain small sinks with which it is covered1 which being infected and corrupted1 the heart faileth on a sudden3 sometimes only by reason of the parts adjoining2 and therefore1 when any venomous humour goes out of the stomach1 that turns the heart and parts adjoining1 that causeth the fainting4 ,of the ,stomach4 ,q4 ,for what reason is the stomach large and wide8 ,a4 ,because in it the food is first concocted or digested as it were in a pot1 to the end that that which is pure should be separated from that which is not2 and therefore1 according to the quantity of food1 the stomach is enlarged4 ,q4 ,how comes it that the stomach is round8 ,a4 ,because if it had angles and corners1 food would remain in them1 and breed ill humours1 so that a man would never want agues1 which humours are evacuated and consumed1 and not hid in any such corners1 by the roundness of the stomach4 ,q4 ,how comes the stomach to be full of sinews8 ,a4 ,because the sinews can be extended and enlarged2 and so is the stomach when it is full2 but when empty it is drawn together2 and therefore nature provides those sinews4 ,q4 ,how comes the stomach to digest8 ,a4 ,because of the heat which is in it1 and comes from the parts adjoining1 that is1 the liver and the heart4 ,for as we see in metals1 the heat of the fire takes away the rust and dross from iron1 the silver from tin1 and gold from copper2 so also by digestion the pure is separated from the impure4 ,q4 ,for what reason doth the stomach join the liver8 ,a4 ,because the liver is very hot1 and with its heat helps digestion1 and provokes appetite4 ,q4 ,why are we commonly cold after dinner8 ,a4 ,because then the heat goes to the stomach to further digestion1 and so the other parts grow cold4 ,q4 ,why is it hurtful to study soon after dinner8 ,a4 ,because when the heat labours to help the imagination in study1 it ceases from digesting the food1 which remains undigested2 therefore people should walk some time after meals4 ,q4 ,how cometh the stomach slowly to digest meat8 ,a4 ,because it swims in the stomach4 ,now1 the best digestion is in the bottom of the stomach1 because the fat descends not there3 such as eat fat meat are very sleepy1 by reason that digestion is hindered4 ,q4 ,why is all the body wrong1 when the stomach is uneasy8 ,a4 ,because the stomach is knit with the brain1 heart1 and liver1 which are the principal parts in man2 and when it is not well the others are indisposed4 ,again1 if the first digestion be hindered1 the others are also hindered2 for in the first digestion is the beginning of the infirmity of the stomach4 ,q4 ,why are young men sooner hungry than old men8 ,a4 ,young men do digest for three causes2 #a4 ,for growing3 #b4 ,for restoring of life3 and1 #c4 ,for conservation of life4 ,also1 young men are hot and dry1 and therefore the heat doth digest more1 and by consequence they desire more4 ,q4 ,why do physicians prescribe that men should eat when they have an appetite8 ,a4 ,because much hunger and emptiness will fill the stomach with naughty rotten humours1 which are drawn in instead of meat2 for1 if we fast over night1 we have an appetite to meat1 but none in the morning2 as then the stomach is filled with naughty humours1 and especially its mouth1 which is no true filling1 but a deceitful one4 ,and therefore1 after we have eaten a little1 our stomach comes to us again2 for the first morsel1 having made clean the mouth of the stomach1 doth provoke the appetite4 ,q4 ,why do physicians prescribe that we should not eat too much at a time1 but by little and little8 ,a4 ,because when the stomach is full1 the meat doth swim in it1 which is a dangerous thing4 ,another reason is1 that very green wood doth put out the fire1 so much meat chokes the natural heat and puts it out2 and therefore the best physic is to use temperance in eating and drinking4 ,q4 ,why do we desire change of meats according to the change of times2 as in winter1 beef1 pork1 mutton2 in summer1 light meats1 as veal1 lamb1 c48 ,a4 ,because the complexion of the body is altered and changed according to the time of the year4 ,another reason is1 that this proceeds from the quality of the season2 because the cold in winter doth cause a better digestion4 ,q4 ,why should not the meat we eat be as hot as pepper and ginger8 ,a4 ,because as hot meat doth inflame the blood1 and dispose it to a leprosy2 so1 on the contrary1 meat too cold doth mortify and chill the blood4 ,our meat should not be over sharp1 because it wastes the constitution2 too much sauce doth burn the entrails1 and inclineth to often drinking2 raw meat doth the same2 and over sweet meats to constipate and cling the veins together4 ,q4 ,why is it a good custom to eat cheese after dinner1 and pears after all meat8 ,a4 ,because by reason of its earthliness and thickness it tendeth down towards the bottom of the stomach1 and so putteth down the meat2 and the like of pears4 ,note1 that new cheese is better than old2 and that old soft cheese is very bad1 and causeth the headache and stopping of the liver2 and the older the worse4 ,whereof it is said1 that cheese digesteth all things but itself4 ,q4 ,why are nuts good after cheese1 as the proverb is1 ,after fish nuts1 and after flesh cheese8 ,a4 ,because fish is of hard digestion1 and doth easily putrefy and corrupt2 and nuts are a remedy against poison4 ,q4 ,why is it unwholesome to wait long for one dish after another1 and to eat of divers kinds of meat8 ,a4 ,because the first begins to digest when the last is eaten1 and so digestion is not equally made4 ,but yet this rule is to be noted1 dishes light of digestion1 as chickens1 kids1 veal1 soft eggs1 and such like1 should be first eaten3 because1 if they should be first served and eaten1 and were digested1 they would hinder the digestion of the others2 and the light meats not digested would be corrupted in the stomach1 and kept in the stomach violently1 whereof would follow belching1 loathing1 headache1 bellyache1 and great thirst4 ,it is very hurtful too1 at the same meal1 to drink wine and milk because they are productive of leprosy4 ,q4 ,whether is meat or drink best for the stomach8 ,a4 ,drink is sooner digested than meat1 because meat is of great substance1 and more material than drink1 and therefore meat is harder to digest4 ,q4 ,why is it good to drink after dinner8 ,a4 ,because the drink will make the meat readier to digest4 ,the stomach is like unto a pot which doth boil meat1 and therefore physicians do counsel to drink at meals4 ,q4 ,why is it good to forbear a late supper8 ,a4 ,because there is little moving or stirring after supper1 and so the meat is not sent down to the bottom of the stomach1 but remaineth undigested1 and so breeds hurts2 therefore a light supper is best4 ,of the ,blood4 ,q4 ,why is it necessary that every living thing that hath blood have also a liver8 ,a4 ,because the blood is first made in the liver1 its seat1 being drawn from the stomach by certain principal veins1 and so engendered4 ,q4 ,why is the blood red8 ,a4 #a4 ,it is like the part in which it is made1 viz4 the liver1 which is red4 #b4 ,it is likewise sweet1 because it is well digested and concocted2 but if it hath a little earthy matter mixed with it1 that makes it somewhat salt4 ,q4 ,how is women's blood thicker than men's8 ,a4 ,their coldness thickens1 binds1 congeals1 and joins together4 ,q4 ,how comes the blood to all parts of the body through the liver1 and by what means8 ,a4 ,through the principal veins1 as the veins of the head1 liver1 c4 to nourish all the body4 ,of the ,urine4 ,q4 ,how doth the urine come into the bladder1 seeing the bladder is shut8 ,a4 ,some say by sweating2 others1 by a small skin in the bladder1 which opens and lets in the urine4 ,urine is a certain and not deceitful messenger of the health and infirmity of man4 ,men make white urine in the morning1 and before dinner red1 but after dinner pale1 and also after supper4 ,q4 ,why is it hurtful to drink much cold water8 ,a4 ,because one contrary doth hinder and expel another2 water is very cold1 and lying so in the stomach hinders digestion4 ,q4 ,why is it unwholesome to drink new wine8 ,a4 #a4 ,it cannot be digested2 therefore it causes the belly to swell1 and a kind of bloody flux4 #b4 ,it hinders making water4 ,q4 ,why do physicians forbid us to labour presently after dinner8 ,a4 #a4 ,because motion hinders the virtue and power of digestion4 #b4 ,because stirring immediately after dinner causes the different parts of the body to draw the meat to them1 which often breeds sickness4 #c4 ,because motion makes the food descend before it is digested4 ,but after supper it is good to walk a little1 that the food may go to the bottom of the stomach4 ,q4 ,why is it good to walk after dinner8 ,a4 ,because it makes a man well disposed1 and fortifies and strengthens the natural heat1 causing the superfluities of the stomach to descend4 ,q4 ,why is it wholesome to vomit8 ,a4 ,it purges the stomach of all naughty humours1 expelling them1 which would breed agues if they should remain in it2 and purges the eyes and head1 clearing the brain4 ,q4 ,how comes sleep to strengthen the stomach and digestive faculty8 ,a4 ,because in sleep the heat draws inwards1 and helps digestion3 but when awake1 the heat returns1 and is dispersed through the body4 ,of the ,gall and ,spleen4 ,q4 ,how come living creatures to have a gall8 ,a4 ,because choleric humours are received into it1 which through their acidity helps the guts to expel superfluities1 also it helps digestion4 ,q4 ,how comes the jaundice to proceed from the gall8 ,a4 ,the humour of the guts is blueish and yellow2 therefore when its pores are stopped1 the humours cannot go into the sack thereof1 but are mingled with the blood1 wandering throughout all the body1 and infecting the skin4 ,q4 ,why hath a horse1 mule1 ass1 or cow1 no gall8 ,a4 ,those creatures have no gall in one place1 as in a purse or vessel1 yet they have one dispersed in small veins4 ,q4 ,how comes the spleen to be black8 ,a4 ,it is occasioned by terrestrial and earthy matter of a black colour4 ,according to physicians1 the spleen is the receptacle of melancholy1 and that is black4 ,q4 ,why is he lean who hath a large spleen8 ,a4 ,because the spleen draws much water to itself1 which would turn to fat2 therefore1 men that have a small spleen are fat4 ,q4 ,why does the spleen cause men to laugh1 as says ,isidorus3 8,we laugh with the spleen1 we are angry with the gall1 we are wise with the heart1 we love with the liver1 we feel with the brain1 and speak with the lungs40 ,a4 ,the reason is1 the spleen draws much melancholy to it1 being its proper seat1 the which melancholy proceeds from sadness1 and is there consumed2 and the cause failing1 the effect doth so likewise4 ,and by the same reason the gall causes anger1 for choleric men are often angry1 because they have much gall4 ,of ,monsters4 ,q4 ,doth nature make any monsters8 ,a4 ,she doth2 if she did not1 then would she be deprived of her end4 ,for of things possible1 she doth always propose to bring forth that which is most perfect and best2 but in the end1 through the evil disposition of the matter1 not being able to bring forth that which she intended1 she brings forth that which she can4 ,as it happened in ,albertus's time1 when1 in a certain village1 a cow brought forth a calf1 half a man2 then the countrymen suspecting a shepherd1 would have burnt him with the cow2 but ,albertus1 being skilful in astronomy1 said1 that this did proceed from a special constellation1 and so delivered the shepherd from their hands4 ,q4 ,are there one or two8 ,a4 ,to find out1 you must look into the heart2 if there are two hearts1 there are two men4 ,of ,infants4 ,q4 ,why are some children like their father1 some like their mother1 some to both1 and some to neither8 ,a4 ,if the seed of the father wholly overcome that of the mother1 the child doth resemble the father2 but if the mother's predominate1 then it is like the mother2 but if it be like neither1 that doth happen sometimes through the four qualities1 sometimes through the influence of some heavenly constellation4 ,q4 ,why are children oftener like the father than the mother8 ,a4 ,it proceeds from the imagination of the mother1 as appeared in a queen who had her imagination on a blackamoor2 and in an ,ethiopian queen1 who brought forth a white child1 because her imagination was upon a white colour2 as is seen in ,jacob's skill in casting rods of divers colours into the water when his sheep went to ram4 ,q4 ,why do children born in the eighth month for the most part die quickly2 and why are they called the children of the moon8 ,a4 ,because the moon is a cold planet1 which has dominion over the child1 and therefore doth bind it with its coldness1 which is the cause of its death4 ,q4 ,why doth a child cry as soon as it is born8 ,because of the sudden change from heat to cold2 which cold doth affect its tenderness4 ,another reason is1 because the child's soft and tender body is wringed and put together coming out of the narrow and strait passage of the matrix2 and especially1 the brain being moist1 and the head being pressed and wrinkled together1 is the cause that some humours distil by the eyes1 which are the cause of tears and weeping4 ,q4 ,why doth the child put its fingers into its mouth as soon as it cometh into the world8 ,a4 ,because that coming out of the womb it cometh out of a hot bath1 and entering into the cold1 puts its fingers into its mouth for want of heat4 ,of the ,child in the ,womb4 ,q4 ,how is the child engendered in the womb8 ,a4 ,the first six days the seed hath the colour of milk2 but in the six following a red colour1 which is near unto the disposition of flesh2 and then it is changed into a thick substance of blood4 ,but in the twelve days following1 this substance becomes so thick and round1 that it is capable of receiving shape and form4 ,q4 ,doth the child in the womb void excrements or make water8 ,a4 ,no2 because it hath not the first digestion which is in the stomach4 ,it receives no food by the mouth1 but by the navel2 therefore1 makes no urine1 but sweats1 which is but little1 and is received in a skin in the matrix1 which at the birth is cast out4 ,of ,abortion and ,untimely ,birth4 ,q4 ,why do women that eat unwholesome meats easily miscarry8 ,a4 ,because they breed putrefied seed1 which1 the mind abhorring1 doth cast it out of the womb1 as unfit for the most noble shape which is adapted to receive the soul4 ,q4 ,why doth wrestling and leaping cause the casting of the child1 as some subtle women do on purpose8 ,a4 ,the vapour is burning1 and doth easily hurt the tender substance of the child1 entering at the pores of the matrix4 ,q4 ,why doth much joy cause a woman to miscarry8 ,a4 ,because in a time of joy woman is destitute of heat1 and so miscarriage doth follow4 ,q4 ,why do women easily miscarry when they are first with child1 viz4 the first1 second1 or third month8 ,a4 ,as apples and pears easily fall at first1 because the knots or ligaments are weak1 so it is with a child in the womb4 ,q4 ,why is it hard to miscarry in the third1 fourth1 fifth1 or sixth months8 ,a4 ,because the ligaments are stronger and well fortified4 ,of ,divers ,matters4 ,q4 ,why has not a man a tail like a beast8 ,a4 ,because a man is a noble creature1 whose property it is to sit2 which a beast1 having a tail1 cannot4 ,q4 ,why does hot water freeze sooner than cold8 ,a4 ,hot water is thinner1 and gives better entrance to the frost4 ,q4 ,why cannot drunken men judge of taste as well as sober men8 ,a4 ,because the tongue being full of pores and spongy1 receives great moisture into it1 and more in drunken men than in sober2 therefore the tongue1 through often drinking1 is full of bad humours2 and so the faculty of tasting is rendered out of order3 also1 through the thickening of the taste itself1 drink taken by drunkards is not presently felt4 ,and by this may be also understood why drunkards have not a perfect speech4 ,q4 ,why have melancholy beasts long ears8 ,a4 ,the ears proceed from a cold and dry substance1 called a gristle1 which is apt to become bone2 and because melancholy beasts do abound with this kind of substance1 they have long ears4 ,q4 ,why do hares sleep with their eyes open8 ,a4 #a4 ,they have their eyes standing out1 and their eye-lids short1 therefore never quite shut4 #b4 ,they are timorous1 and1 as a safeguard to themselves1 sleep with their eyes open4 ,q4 ,why do not crows feed their young till they be nine days old8 ,a4 ,because seeing them of another colour1 they think they are of another kind4 ,q4 ,why are sheep and pigeons mild8 ,a4 ,they want gall1 the cause of anger4 ,q4 ,how comes it that birds do not make water8 ,a4 ,because that superfluity which would be converted in urine1 is turned into feathers4 ,q4 ,how do we hear better by night than by day8 ,a4 ,because there is a greater quietness in the night than in the day1 for the sun doth not exhale the vapours by night1 but it doth in the day3 therefore the mean is more fit than in the day2 and the mean being fit1 the motion is better received1 which is said to be caused by a sound4 ,q4 ,for what reason doth a man laugh sooner when touched in the arm-pits than in the other parts of the body8 ,a4 ,because there is in that place a meeting of many sinews1 and the mean we touch1 which is the flesh1 is more subtle than in other parts1 and therefore of finer feeling4 ,when a man is moderately and gently touched there1 the spirits that are dispersed1 run into the face1 and cause laughter4 ,q4 ,why do some women love white men and some black men8 ,a4 #a4 ,some have a weak sight1 and such delight in black1 because white doth hurt the sight more than black4 #b4 ,because like delight in like2 but some women are of a hot nature1 and such are delighted with black1 because blackness followeth heat2 and others are of a cold nature1 and those are delighted with white1 because cold produces white4 ,q4 ,why do men incline to sleep after labour8 ,a4 ,because1 through continual moving1 the heat is dispersed to the external parts of the body1 which1 after labour1 is gathered together to the internal parts1 there to digest2 and from digestion vapours arise from the heart to the brain1 which stop the passage by which the natural heat should be dispersed to the external parts3 and then1 the external parts being cold and thick1 by reason of the coldness of the brain1 sleep is easily procured4 ,by this it appeareth1 that such as eat and drink too much1 do sleep much and long1 because there are great store of humours and vapours bred in such persons1 which cannot be digested and consumed by the natural heat4 ,q4 ,why are such as sleep much evil disposed and ill-coloured8 ,a4 ,because in too much sleep moisture is gathered together which cannot be consumed1 and so it doth covet to go out through the superficial parts of the body1 and especially it resorts to the face1 and therefore is the cause of bad colour1 as appeareth in such as are phlegmatic1 and who desire more sleep than others4 ,q4 ,why do some imagine in their sleep that they eat and drink sweet things8 ,a4 ,because the phlegm drawn up by the jaws doth distil and drop to the throat2 and this phlegm is sweet after a sore sweat1 and that seemeth so to them4 ,q4 ,why do some dream in their sleep that they are in the water and drowned1 and some that they are in the water and not drowned2 especially such as are phlegmatic8 ,a4 ,because when the phlegmatic substance doth turn to the high parts of the body1 then they think they are in the water and drowned2 but when that substance draweth into the internal parts1 then they think they escape4 ,another reason may be1 overmuch repletion and drunkenness2 and therefore1 when men are overmuch filled with meat1 the fumes and vapours ascend and gather together1 and they are drowned and strangled2 but if they cannot ascend so high1 then they seem to escape4 ,q4 ,may a man procure a dream1 by an external cause8 ,a4 ,it may be done4 ,if a man speak softly at another's ear and awake him not1 then of this stirring of the spirits there are thunderings and buzzings in the head1 which cause dreaming4 ,q4 ,how many humours are there in a man's body8 ,a4 ,four2 whereof every one hath its proper place4 ,the first is choler1 called by physicians stava bilis1 which is placed in the liver4 ,the second is melancholy1 called atra bilis1 whose seat is in the spleen4 ,the third is phlegm1 whose place is in the head4 ,the fourth is blood1 whose place is in the heart4 ,q4 ,what condition and quality hath a man of a sanguine complexion8 ,a4 ,he is fair and beautiful2 hath his hair for the most part smooth2 is bold2 retaineth that which he hath conceived2 is shame-faced1 given to music1 a lover of sciences1 liberal1 courteous1 and not desirous of revenge4 ,q4 ,what properties do follow those of a phlegmatic complexion8 ,a4 ,they are dull of wit1 their hair never curls1 they are seldom very thirsty1 much given to sleep1 dream of things belonging to water1 are fearful1 covetous1 and given to heap up riches4 ,q4 ,what are the properties of a choleric man8 ,a4 ,he is soon angry1 furious1 and quarrelsome1 given to war1 pale coloured1 and unquiet1 drinks much1 sleeps little1 and desires women's company much4 ,q4 ,what are the properties of a melancholy man8 ,a4 ,he is brown in complexion1 unquiet1 his veins hidden1 eateth little1 and digesteth less1 dreameth of dark and confused things1 is sad1 fearful1 exceeding covetous1 and incontinent4 ,q4 ,what dreams do follow these complexions8 ,a4 ,pleasant merry dreams do follow the sanguine2 fearful dreams the melancholic2 the choleric dream of children1 fighting1 and fire2 the phlegmatic dream of water4 ,this is the reason why a man's complexion is said to be known by his dreams4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that if you cover an egg over with salt1 and let it lie in it a few days1 all the meat within is consumed8 ,a4 ,the great dryness of the salt consumes the substance of the egg4 ,q4 ,why is the melancholic complexion the worst8 ,a4 ,because it proceeds from the dregs of blood1 is an enemy to mirth1 and bringeth on an aged appearance and death1 being cold and dry4 ,q4 ,what is the cause that some men die joyful1 and some in extreme grief8 ,a4 ,over great joy doth overmuch heat the internal parts of the body2 and overmuch grief doth drown and suffocate the heart1 which failing1 a man dieth4 ,q4 ,why hath a man so much hair on his head8 ,a4 ,the hair of the head proceeds from the vapours which arise from the stomach1 and ascend to the head1 and also from the superfluities which are in the brain2 and those two passing through the pores of the head are converted into hair1 by reason of the heat and dryness of the head4 ,and because man's body is full of humours1 and he hath more brains that any other creature1 and also more superfluities in the brains1 which the heat expelleth3 hence it followeth that he hath more hair than any other living creature4 ,q4 ,how many ways is the brain purged1 and other hidden places of the body8 ,a4 ,four2 the watery and gross humours are purged by the eyes1 melancholy by the ears1 choler by the nose1 and phlegm by the hair4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that such as are very fat in their youth are in danger of dying on a sudden8 ,a4 ,such have very small and close veins1 by reason of their fatness1 so that the air and the breath can hardly have free course in them2 and thereupon the natural heat1 wanting the refreshment of air1 is put out1 and as it were1 quenched4 ,q4 ,why do garlic and onions grow after they are gathered8 ,a4 ,it proceedeth from the humidity that is in them4 ,q4 ,why do men feel cool sooner than women8 ,a4 ,because men1 being more hot than women1 have their pores more open1 and therefore it doth sooner enter into them than women4 ,q4 ,why are not old men subject to the plague like young men and children8 ,a4 ,they are cold1 and their pores are not so open as in youth3 and therefore the infecting air doth not penetrate so soon by reason of their coldness4 ,q4 ,why do we cast water in a man's face when he swooneth8 ,a4 ,because that through the coldness of water the heat may run to the heart1 and so give strength4 ,q4 ,why are those waters best and most delicate which run towards the rising sun8 ,a4 ,because they are the soonest stricken with the sun-beams1 and made pure and subtle1 the sun having them under it1 and by that means taking off the coldness and gross vapours which they gather from the ground they run through4 ,q4 ,why have women such weak and small voices8 ,a4 ,because their instruments and organs of speaking1 by reason of their coldness1 are small and narrow2 and therefore1 receiving but little air1 causes the voice to be effeminate4 ,q4 ,wherefore doth it proceed that want of sleep doth weaken the brain and the body8 ,a4 ,much watching doth engender choler1 the which being hot doth dry up and lessen the humours which serve the brain1 the head1 and other parts of the body4 ,q4 ,wherefore doth vinegar so readily staunch the blood8 ,a4 ,from its cold virtue2 for all cold is naturally binding1 and vinegar being cold1 hath the like property4 ,q4 ,why is sea-water saltier in summer than in winter8 ,a4 ,from the heat of the sun1 seeing by experience that a salt thing being heated becometh more salt4 ,q4 ,why do men live longer in hot regions than in cold8 ,a4 ,because they may be more dry1 and by that means the natural heat is better preserved in them than in cold countries4 ,q4 ,why is well-water seldom or ever good8 ,a4 ,all water which standeth still in the spring1 and is never heated by the sun-beams1 is very heavy1 and hath much earthy matter in it2 and therefore1 wanting the heat of the sun1 is naught4 ,q1 ,why do men sleep better and more at ease on the right side than on the left8 ,a4 ,because when they lie on the left side1 the lungs do lie upon and cover the heart1 which is on that side under the pap2 now the heart1 the fountain of life1 being thus occupied and hindered with the lungs1 cannot exercise its own proper operation1 as being overmuch heated with the lungs lying upon it1 and therefore wanting the refreshment of the air which the lungs do give it1 like the blowing of a pair of bellows1 is choked and suffocated2 but by lying on the right side1 these inconveniences are avoided4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that old men sneeze with great difficulty8 ,a4 ,because that through their coldness their arteries are very narrow and close1 and therefore the heat is not of force to expel the cold4 ,q4 ,why doth a drunken man think that all things about him do turn round8 ,a4 ,because the spirits which serve the sight are mingled with vapours and fumes1 arising from the liquors he has drunk3 the overmuch heat causeth the eye to be in continual motion2 and the eye being round causeth all things about it to seem to go round4 ,q4 ,wherefore doth it proceed1 that bread which is made with salt1 is lighter than that which is made without it1 considering salt is very heavy of itself8 ,a4 ,although bread is heavy of itself1 yet the salt dries it1 and makes it light1 by reason of the heat which it hath2 and the more heat there is in it1 the better the bread is1 and the lighter and more wholesome for the body4 ,q4 ,why is not new bread good for the stomach8 ,a4 ,because it is full of moistness1 and thick hot vapours1 which do corrupt the blood2 and hot bread is blacker than cold1 because heat is the mother of blackness1 and because the vapours are not gone out of it4 ,q4 ,why do lettuces make a man sleep8 ,a4 ,because they engender gross vapours4 ,q4 ,why do the dregs of wine and oil go to the bottom1 and those of honey swim uppermost8 ,a4 ,because the dregs of wine and oil are earthly1 and therefore go to the bottom2 but honey is a liquid that cometh from the stomach and belly of the bee1 and is there in some sort purified and made subtle2 on which account the dregs are most light and hot1 and therefore go uppermost4 ,q4 ,why do cats' and wolves' eyes shine in the night1 and not in the day8 ,a4 ,the eyes of these beasts are by nature more crystalline than the eyes of other beasts1 and therefore do shine in darkness2 but the brightness of the sun doth hinder them from being seen in the day-time4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that some men1 when they see others dance1 do the like with their hands and feet1 or by other gestures of the body8 ,a4 ,because the sight having carried the represented unto the mind that action1 and judging the same to be pleasant and delightful1 therefore the imagination draweth the like of it in conceit1 and stirs up the body by the gestures4 ,q4 ,why does much sleep cause some to grow fat and some lean8 ,a4 ,those who are of ill complexion1 when they sleep1 do consume and digest the superfluities of what they have eaten1 and therefore become fat4 ,but such as are of good complexion1 when they sleep1 are more cold and digest less4 ,q4 ,how and from what cause do we suffer hunger better that thirst8 ,a4 ,when the stomach has nothing else to consume1 it consumeth the phlegm and humours which it findeth most ready and most at hand2 and therefore we suffer hunger better than thirst1 because the heat hath nothing to refresh itself with4 ,q4 ,why doth the hair fall after a great sickness8 ,a4 ,where the sickness is long1 as in an ague1 the humours of the head are dried up through over much heat1 and1 therefore1 wanting nourishment1 the hair falls4 ,q4 ,why doth the hair of the eye-brows grow long in old men8 ,a4 ,because through their age the bones of the eye-lids are thin for want of heat1 and therefore the hair doth grow there1 by reason of the rheum of the eyes4 ,q4 ,whereof proceedeth gaping8 ,a4 ,of gross vapours1 which occupy the vital spirits of the head1 and of the coldness of the senses1 causing sleepiness4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that some flowers do open with the sun rising1 and shut with the setting8 ,a4 ,cold doth close and shut1 as hath been said1 but the heat of the sun doth open and enlarge4 ,some compare the sun to the soul of the body2 for as the soul giveth life1 so the sun doth give life1 and vivicate all things2 but cold bringeth death1 withering and decaying all things4 ,q4 ,why doth grief cause men to grow old and gray8 ,a4 ,age is nothing else but dryness and want of humours of the body2 grief then causeth alteration1 and heat dryness2 age and greyness follow immediately4 ,q4 ,why are gelded beasts weaker than such as are not gelded8 ,a4 ,because they have less heat1 and by that means less force and strength4 ,,the ,,problems of ,,marcus ,,antonius ,,zimaras ,,sanctipertias4 ,q4 ,why is it esteemed in the judgement of the most wise1 the hardest thing to know a man's self8 ,a4 ,because nothing can be known that is of so great importance to man1 for the regulation of his conduct in life4 ,without this knowledge1 man is like the ship which has neither compass nor rudder to conduct her to port1 and is tossed by every passion and prejudice to which his natural constitution is subjected4 ,to know the form and natural perfection of man's self1 according to the philosophers1 is a task too hard2 and a man1 says ,plato1 is nothing1 or if he be any thing1 he is nothing but his soul4 ,q4 ,why is a man1 though endowed with reason1 the most unjust of all living creatures8 ,a4 ,because only man is desirous of honour2 and so it happens that every one covets to seem good1 and yet naturally shuns labour1 though he attain no virtue by it4 ,q4 ,why is man the proudest of all living creatures8 ,a4 ,by reason of his great knowledge2 or as philosophers say1 all intelligent beings have understanding1 nothing remains that escapes man's knowledge in particular2 or it is because he hath rule over all earthly creatures1 and all things seem to be brought under his dominion4 ,q4 ,why have beasts their hearts in the middle of their breasts1 and man his inclining to the left side8 ,a4 ,to moderate the cold on that side4 ,q4 ,what is the cause that the suffocation of the matrix1 which happens to women through strife and contention1 is more dangerous than the detaining of the flowers8 ,a4 ,because the more perfect an excrement is1 in its natural disposition1 the worse it is when it is altered from that disposition1 and drawn to the contrary quality2 as is seen in vinegar1 which is sharpest when it is made of the best wine4 ,and so it happens that the more men love one another1 the more they fall into variance and discord4 ,q4 ,how come women's bodies to be looser1 softer1 and less than men's2 and why do they want hair8 ,a4 ,by reason of their menses2 for with them their superfluities go away1 which would produce hair2 and thereby the flesh is filled1 consequently the veins are more hid in women than in men4 ,q4 ,what is the reason that when we think upon a horrible thing1 we are stricken with fear8 ,a4 ,because the conceit or imagination of things has force and virtue4 ,for ,plato saith1 the fancy of things has some affinity with the things themselves2 for the image and representation of cold and heat is such as the nature of things are4 ,or it is1 because when we comprehend any dreadful matter1 the blood runneth to the internal parts2 and therefore the external parts are cold1 and shake with fear4 ,q4 ,why doth a radish root help digestion1 and yet itself remaineth undigested8 ,a4 ,because the substance consisteth of divers parts2 for there are some thin parts in it1 which are fit to digest meat1 the which being dissolved1 there doth remain some thick and close substance in it1 which the heat cannot digest4 ,q4 ,why do such as cleave wood cleave it easier in the length than athwart8 ,a4 ,because in the wood there is a grain1 whereby if it be cut in length1 in the very cutting1 one part naturally separateth from another4 ,q4 ,what is the reason1 that if a spear be stricken on the end1 the sound cometh sooner to one which standeth near1 than to him who striketh8 ,a4 ,because1 as hath been said1 there is a certain long grain in wood1 directly forward filled with air1 but on the other side there is none1 and therefore a beam or spear being stricken on the end1 the air which is hidden receiveth a sound in the aforesaid grain1 which serveth for its passage2 and seeing the sound cannot go easily out1 it is carried unto the ear of him who is opposite2 as those passages do not go from side to side1 a sound cannot be distinctly heard there4 ,q4 ,why are the thighs and calves of the legs of men fleshy1 seeing the legs of beasts are not so8 ,a4 ,because men only go upright2 and therefore nature hath given the lower parts corpulency1 and taken it away from the upper2 and thus she has made the buttocks1 the thighs1 and calves of the legs fleshy4 ,q4 ,why are the sensible powers in the heart2 yet1 if the hinder part of the brain be hurt1 the memory suffereth by it2 if the fore part1 the imagination2 if the middle1 the cogitative part8 ,a4 ,it is because the brain is appointed by ,nature to cool the heat of the heart2 whereof it is1 that in divers parts it serveth the powers and instruments with their heat1 for every action of the soul doth not proceed from one measure of heat4 ,,the ,,problems ,,of ,,alexander ,,aphrodiseus4 ,q4 ,why doth the sun make a man black1 and dirt white1 wax soft1 and dirt hard8 ,a4 ,by reason of the disposition of the substance that doth suffer4 ,all humours1 phlegm excepted1 when heated above measure1 do seem black about the skin2 and dirt1 being full either of saltpetre1 or salt liquor1 when the sun hath consumed its dregs and filth1 doth become white again2 when the sun hath drawn and stirred up the humidity of wax1 it is softened2 but in dirt the sun doth consume the humidity1 which is very much1 and makes it hard4 ,q4 ,why are round ulcers hard to be cured8 ,a4 ,because they are bred of a sharp choler1 which eats and gnaws2 and because it doth run1 dropping and gnawing1 it makes a round ulcer2 for which reason it requires drying medicines1 as physicians assert4 ,q4 ,why is honey sweet to all men but such as have the jaundice8 ,a4 ,because they have much bitter choler all over their bodies1 which abounds in the tongue2 whence it happens1 when they eat honey the humours are stirred1 and the taste itself1 by the bitterness1 of choler1 causes an imagination that the honey is bitter4 ,q4 ,why doth water cast on serpents cause them to fly8 ,a4 ,because they are dry and cold by nature1 having but little blood1 and therefore fly from excessive coldness4 ,q1 ,why doth an egg break if it be roasted and not if boiled8 ,a4 ,when moisture comes near the fire1 it is heated very much1 and so breeds wind1 which being put up in little room1 forces its way out1 and breaks the shell3 the like happens to tubs1 and earthen vessels1 when new wine is put into them3 too much phlegm breaks the shell of an egg in roasting2 it is the same with earthen pots too much heated2 wherefore some people wet an egg when they intend to roast it4 ,hot water1 by its softness1 doth dissipate its humidity by little and little1 and dissolves it through the thinness and passages of the shell4 ,q4 ,why have children gravel breeding in their bladders1 and old men in their kidneys and reins8 ,a4 ,because children have strait passages in their kidneys1 and an earthy thick humour is thrust with violence by the urine to the bladder1 which hath wide conduits and passages1 that give room for the urine and humour whereof gravel is engendered1 which waxes thick1 and seats itself1 in the manner it is4 ,in old men it is the reverse1 for they have wide passages of the veins1 back1 and kidneys1 that the urine may pass away1 and the earthy humour congeal and sink down2 the colour of the gravel shows the humour whereof the stone comes4 ,q4 ,why is it1 if the stone do congeal and wax hard through heat1 we use not contrary things to dissolve it by coldness1 but light things1 as parsley1 fennel1 and the like8 ,a4 ,it is thought to fall out by an excessive scorching heat1 by which the stones do crumble into sand1 as in the manner of earthen vessels1 which1 when they are over-heated or roasted1 turn to sand4 ,and by this means it happens that small stones are voided1 together with sand1 in making water4 ,sometimes cold drink thrusts out the stone1 the kidneys being stretched1 and casting it out by a great effort1 thus easing the belly of its burden4 ,besides1 it often happens that immoderate heat of the kidneys1 or reins of the back 7through which the stone doth grow7 is quenched with coldness4 ,q4 ,why is the curing of an ulcer or bile in the kidney or bladder very hard8 ,a4 ,because the urine1 being sharp1 doth ulcerate the sore4 ,ulcers are worse to cure in the bladder than in the kidneys1 because the urine stays in the former1 but runs away from the latter4 ,q4 ,why do chaff and straw keep water hot1 but make snow cold8 ,a4 ,because the nature of chaff wants a manifest quality2 seeing1 therefore1 that of its own nature it can be easily mingled1 and consumed by that which it is annexed unto1 it easily assumes the same nature1 and being put into hot things1 it is easily hot1 heats again1 and keeps hot2 and1 on the contrary1 being made cold by the snow1 and making the snow cold1 it keeps it in its coldness4 ,q4 ,why have we oftentime a pain in making water8 ,a4 ,because sharp choler issuing out1 and pricking the bladder of the urine1 doth provoke and stir up the whole body to ease the part offended and to expel the humour moderately4 ,this doth happen most of all unto children1 because they have moist excrements1 by reason of their often filling4 ,q4 ,why have some medicines of one kind contrary effects1 as experience proves2 for mastich doth expel1 dissolve1 and also knit2 and vinegar cools and heats8 ,a4 ,because there are some invisible bodies in them1 not by confusion1 but by interposition2 as sand moistened doth clog together and seem to be but one body1 though indeed there are many small bodies in sand4 ,and since this is so1 it is not absurd that contrary qualities and virtues should be hidden in mastich1 and that nature hath given that virtue to these bodies4 ,q4 ,why do nurses rock and move their children when they would draw them to sleep8 ,a4 ,to the end that the humours being scattered by moving1 may move the brains2 but those of more years cannot endure this4 ,q4 ,why doth oil1 being drank1 cause one to vomit1 and especially yellow choler8 ,a4 ,because1 being light1 and ascending upwards1 it provoketh the nutriment in the stomach1 and lifteth it up1 and so the stomach being grieved1 summoneth the ejective virtue to vomit1 and especially choler1 because that is light1 and consisteth of subtle parts1 and therefore the sooner carried upward2 for when it is mingled with any moist thing1 it runneth into the highest room4 ,q4 ,why doth not oil mingle with moist things8 ,a4 ,because1 being pliant1 soft1 and thick in itself1 it cannot be divided into parts1 and so cannot be mingled2 neither if it be put on earth can it enter into it4 ,q4 ,why are water and oil frozen in cold weather1 and wine and vinegar are not8 ,a4 ,because that oil1 being without quality1 and fit to be compounded with any thing1 is cold quickly1 and so extremely1 that it is most cold4 ,water1 being cold of nature1 doth easily freeze when it is made colder than its own nature4 ,wine being hot1 and of subtle parts1 suffereth no freezing4 ,q4 ,why do contrary things in quality bring forth the same effect8 ,a4 ,that which is moist is hardened and bound alike by heat and cold4 ,snow and liquid do freeze with cold2 a plaster1 and gravel in the bladder1 are made dry with heat4 ,the effect indeed is the same1 but by two divers actions2 the heat doth consume and eat the abundance of moisture2 but the cold stopping and shutting with its overmuch thickness1 doth wring out the filthy humidity1 like as a sponge wrung with the hand doth cast out the water which it hath in the pores or small passages4 ,q4 ,why doth a shaking or quivering seize us oftentimes when any fearful matter doth happen1 as a great noise or crack made1 the sudden downfall of water1 or the fall of a large tree8 ,a4 ,because that oftentimes the humours being digested and consumed by time1 and made thin and weak1 all the heat1 vehemently1 suddenly1 and sharply flying into the inward part of the body1 consumeth the humours which cause the disease4 ,q4 ,why do steel glasses shine so clearly8 ,a4 ,because they are lined in the inside with white lead1 whose nature is shining1 and being put to glass1 which is lucid and transparent1 doth shine much more2 and casts its beams through its passages1 and without the body of the glass2 and by that means the glass is very shining and clear4 ,q4 ,why do we see ourselves in glasses and clear water8 ,a4 ,because the quality of the sight1 passing into the bright bodies by reflection1 doth return again on the beam of the eyes1 as the image of him who looketh on it4 ,q4 ,what is the reason1 that if you cast a stone into standing water which is near the surface of the earth it causes many circles1 and not if the water be deep in the earth8 ,a4 ,because that the stone with the vehemence of the cast1 doth agitate the water in every part of it1 until it come to the bottom2 and if there be a very great vehemence in the throw1 the circle is still greater1 the stone going down to the bottom causing many circles4 ,for1 first of all1 it doth divide the outermost and superficial parts of the water in many parts1 and so always going down to the bottom1 again dividing the water1 it maketh another circle1 and this is done successively until the stone resteth2 and because the vehemence of the stone is slackened still as it goes down1 of necessity the last circle is less than the first1 because by that and also by its force the water is divided4 ,q4 ,why are such as are deaf by nature dumb8 ,a4 ,because they cannot speak and express that which they never heard4 ,some physicians do say1 that there is one knitting and uniting of sinews belonging to the like disposition4 ,but such as are dumb by accident are not deaf at all1 for then there ariseth a local passion4 ,q4 ,why doth itching arise when an ulcer doth wax whole and phlegm cease8 ,a4 ,because the part which is healed and made sound doth pursue the relic of the humours which remained there against nature1 and which was the cause of the bile1 and so going out through the skin1 and dissolving itself1 doth originally cause the itch4 ,q4 ,how comes a man to sneeze oftener and more vehemently than a beast8 ,a4 ,because he uses more meats and drinks1 and of more different sorts1 and that more than requisite2 the which1 when he cannot digest as he would1 he doth gather together much air and spirit1 by reason of much humidity2 the spirits then very subtle1 ascending into the head1 often force a man to void them1 and so provoke sneezing4 ,the noise caused thereby proceeds from a vehement spirit or breath passing through the conduits of the nostrils1 as belching doth the stomach1 or breaking wind by the fundament1 the voice by the throat1 and a sound by the ear4 ,q4 ,how come the hair and nails of dead people to grow8 ,a4 ,because the flesh rotting1 withering1 and falling away1 that which was hidden about the root of the hair doth now appear as growing4 ,some say that it grows indeed1 because carcases are dissolved in the beginning to many excrements and superfluities by putrefaction4 ,these going out at the uppermost parts of the body by some passages1 do increase the growth of the hair4 ,q4 ,why does not the hair of the feet soon grow grey8 ,a4 ,for this reason1 because that through great motion they disperse and dissolve the superfluous phlegm that breeds grayness4 ,q4 ,why1 if you put hot burnt barley upon a horse's sore1 is the hair which grows upon the sore not white but like the other hair8 ,a4 ,because it hath the force of expelling1 and doth drive away and dissolve the phlegm1 as well as all other unprofitable matter that is gathered together through the weakness of the parts1 or crudity of the sore4 ,q4 ,why doth hair never grow on an ulcer or bile8 ,a4 ,because man hath a thick skin1 as is seen by the thickness of his hair2 and if the scar be thicker than the skin itself1 it stops the passages from whence the hair should grow4 ,horses have thinner skins1 as is plain by their thick hair2 therefore all passages are not stopped in their wounds and sores2 and after the excrements which were gathered together have broken a passage through those small pores1 the hair doth grow4 ,q4 ,why is ,fortune painted with a double forehead1 the one side bald and the other hairy8 ,a4 ,the baldness signifies adversity2 and hairiness prosperity1 which we enjoy when it pleaseth her4 ,q4 ,why have some commended flattery8 ,a4 ,because flattery setteth forth before our eyes what we ought to be1 though not what we are4 ,q4 ,wherefore should virtue be painted girded8 ,a4 ,to show that virtuous men should not be slothful1 but diligent1 and always in action4 ,q4 ,why did the ancients say it was better to fall into the hands of a raven than a flatterer8 ,a4 ,because ravens do not eat us till we are dead1 but flatterers devour us alive4 ,q4 ,why have choleric men beards before others8 ,a4 ,because they are hot1 and their pores large4 ,q4 ,how comes it that such as have the hiccough do ease themselves by holding their breath8 ,a4 ,the breath retained doth heat the interior parts of the body and the hiccough proceeds from cold4 ,q4 ,how comes it that old men remember well what they have seen and done in their youth1 and forget such things as they see and do in their old age8 ,a4 ,things learned in youth take deep root and habitude in a person1 but those learned in age are forgotten1 because the senses are weakened4 ,q4 ,what kind of covetousness is best8 ,a4 ,that of time1 when employed as it ought to be4 ,q4 ,why is our life compared to a play8 ,a4 ,because the dishonest do occupy the place of the honest1 and the worst sort the room of the good4 ,q4 ,why do dolphins1 when they appear above the water1 denote a storm or tempest approaching8 ,a4 ,because at the beginning of a tempest there do arise from the bottom of the sea certain hot exhalations and vapours which heat the dolphins1 causing them to rise up for cold air4 ,q4 ,why did the ,romans call ,fabius ,maximus the target of the people1 and ,marcellus the sword8 ,a4 ,because the one adapted himself to the service of the commonwealth1 and the other was very eager to revenge the injuries of his country2 and yet they were in the senate joined together1 because the gravity of the one would moderate the courage and boldness of the other4 ,q4 ,why doth the shining of the moon hurt the head8 ,a4 ,because it moves the humours of the brain1 and cannot afterwards dissolve them4 ,q4 ,if water do not nourish1 why do men drink it8 ,a4 ,because water causes the nutriment to spread through the body4 ,q4 ,why is sneezing good8 ,a4 ,because it purgeth the brain1 as milk is purged by the cough4 ,q4 ,why is hot water lighter than cold8 ,a4 ,because boiling water has less ventosity1 and is more light and subtle1 the earthy and heavy substance being separated from it4 ,q4 ,how comes marsh and pond water to be bad8 ,a4 ,by reason they are phlegmatic1 and do corrupt in summer2 the fineness of the water is turned into vapours1 and the earthiness doth remain4 ,q4 ,why are studious and learned men soonest bald8 ,a4 ,it proceeds from a weakness of the spirits1 or because warmth of digestion causes phlegm to abound in them4 ,q4 ,why doth much watching make the brain feeble8 ,a4 ,because it increases choler1 which dries and extenuates the body4 ,q4 ,why are boys apt to change their voices about fourteen years of age8 ,a4 ,because that then nature doth cause a great and sudden change of voice1 experience proves this to be true2 for at that time we may say that women's paps do grow great1 do hold and gather milk1 and also those places that are above the hips1 in which the young fruit would remain4 ,likewise men's breasts and shoulders1 which then can bear great and heavy burdens4 ,the body is bigger and dilated1 as the alternation and change of every part doth testify1 and the harshness of the voice and hoarseness2 for the rough artery1 the wind-pipe1 being made wide in the beginning1 and the exterior and outward part within being unequal to the throat1 the air going out the rough uneven pipe doth then become unequal and sharp1 and after hoarse1 something like unto the voice of a goat1 wherefore it has its name called ,bronchus4 ,the same doth also happen to them unto whose rough artery distillation doth flow2 it happens by reason of the drooping humidity that a light small skin filled unequally causes the uneven going forth of the spirit and air4 ,understand that the wind-pipe of goats is such by reason of the abundance of humidity4 ,the like doth happen unto all such as nature hath given a rough artery1 as unto cranes4 ,after the age of fourteen they leave off that voice1 because the artery is made wider and reacheth its natural evenness and quality4 ,q4 ,why do hard dens1 hollow and high places1 send back the likeness and sound of the voice8 ,a4 ,because that in such places also by reflection do return back the image of a sound1 for the voice doth beat the air1 and the air the place1 which the more it is beaten the more it doth bear1 and therefore doth cause the more vehement sound of the voice2 moist places1 and as it were soft1 yielding to the stroke1 and dissolving it1 give no sound2 for according to the quantity of the stroke1 the quality and quantity of the voice is given1 which is called an echo4 ,some do idly fable that she is a goddess2 some say that ,pan was in love with her1 which without doubt is false4 ,he was some wise man1 who did first desire to search out the cause of that voice2 and as they who love1 and cannot enjoy that love1 are grieved1 so in like manner was he very sorry until he found out the solution of that cause3 as ,endymion also1 who first found out the course of the moon1 watching all night1 and observing her course1 and searching her motion1 did sleep in the day-time1 and therefore they do fable that he was beloved of her1 and that she came to him when he was asleep1 because she did give the philosopher the solution of the course of herself4 ,they say also that he was a shepherd1 because that in the desert and high places he did mark the course of the moon4 ,and they gave him also the pipe1 because that the high places are blown with wind1 or else because he sought out the consonancy of figures4 ,prometheus1 also1 being a wise man1 sought the course of the star1 which is called the eagle in the firmament1 his nature and place2 and when he was as it were wasted with the desire of learning1 then at last he rested1 when ,hercules did resolve unto him all doubts with his wisdom4 ,q4 ,why do not swine cry when they are carried with their snouts upwards8 ,a4 ,because that above all other beasts they bend more to the earth4 ,they delight in filth1 and that they seek1 and therefore in the sudden change of their face1 they be as it were strangers1 and being amazed with so much light do keep that silence2 some say the wind-pipe doth close together by reason of the straitness of it4 ,q4 ,why do swine delight in dirt8 ,a4 ,as the physicians do say1 they are naturally delighted with it1 because they have a great liver1 in which desire is1 as ,aristotle saith2 the wideness of the snout is the cause1 for he hath smelling which doth dissolve itself1 and as it were strive with stench4 ,q4 ,why do many beasts wag their tails when they see their friends1 and a lion and a bull beat their sides when they are angry8 ,a4 ,because they have the marrow of their backs reaching to the tail1 which hath the force of motion in it1 the imagination acknowledging that which is known to them as it were with the hand1 as happens to men1 doth force them to move their tails4 ,this doth manifestly show some secret force to be within them1 which doth acknowledge what they ought4 ,in the anger of lions and bulls nature doth consent to the mind1 and causeth it to be gently moved1 as men do sometimes when they are angry1 beating their hands on other parts2 when the mind cannot be revenged on that which doth hurt1 it presently seeks out some other source1 and cures the malady with a stroke or blow4 ,q4 ,how come steel glasses to be better for the sight than any other kind8 ,a4 ,because steel is hard1 and doth present unto us more substantially the air that receiveth the light4 ,q4 ,how doth love show its greater force2 by making the fool to become wise1 or the wise to become a fool8 ,a4 ,in attributing wisdom to him that hath it not2 for it is harder to build than to pull down2 and ordinarily love and folly are but an alteration of the mind4 ,q4 ,how comes much labour and fatigue to be bad for the sight8 ,a4 ,because it dries the blood too much4 ,q4 ,why is goat's milk reckoned best for the stomach8 ,a4 ,because it is thick1 not slimy2 and they feed on wood and boughs rather than grass4 ,q4 ,why do grief and vexation bring gray hairs8 ,a4 ,because they dry1 which bringeth on grayness4 ,q4 ,how come those to be most merry who have the thickest blood8 ,a4 ,because the blood which is fat and thick makes the spirits firm and constant1 wherein consists the force of all creatures4 ,q4 ,whether is it hardest to obtain a person's love1 or to keep it when obtained8 ,a4 ,it is hardest to keep it1 by reason of the inconstancy of man1 who is quickly angry1 and soon weary of a thing2 hard to be gained1 and slippery to keep4 ,q4 ,why do serpents shun the herb rue8 ,a4 ,because they are very cold1 dry1 and full of sinews1 and that herb is of a contrary nature4 ,q4 ,why is a capon better to eat than a cock8 ,a4 ,because a capon loses not his moisture by treading the hens4 ,q4 ,why is our smell less in winter than summer8 ,a4 ,because the air is thick1 and less moveable4 ,q4 ,why does hair burn so quickly8 ,a4 ,because it is dry and cold4 ,q4 ,why is love compared to a labyrinth8 ,a4 ,because the entry and coming in is easy1 and the going out impossible1 or very hard4 ,,displaying ,,the ,,secrets ,,of ,,nature1 ,,relating ,,to ,,physiognomy4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,sect4 ,i ,of ,physiognomy1 showing what it is1 and from whence it is derived4 ,physiognomy is an ingenious science1 or knowledge of nature1 by4 which the inclinations and dispositions of every creature are understood1 and because some of the members are uncompounded and entire of themselves1 as the tongue1 the heart1 c4 and some are of a mixed nature1 as the eyes1 the nose1 and others2 we therefore say that there are signs which agree and live together1 which inform a wise man how to make his judgment before he be too rash to deliver it to the world4 ,nor is it to be esteemed a foolish or idle art1 seeing it is derived from superior bodies2 for there is no part of the face of man but what is under the peculiar influence or government not only of the seven planets1 but also of the twelve signs of the ,zodiac1 and the dispositions1 vices1 virtues1 and fatility1 either of a man or woman1 are plainly foretold1 if the person pretending to the knowledge thereof be an artist1 which1 that my reader may hereby attain to1 ,i shall set these things in a clearer light4 ,the reader should remember that the forehead is governed by ,mars2 the right eye is under the dominion of ,sol2 the left is ruled by the ,moon2 the right ear is under ,jupiter2 the left ,saturn2 the rule of the nose is claimed by ,venus2 and nimble ,mercury1 the significator of eloquence1 claims the dominion of the mouth1 and that very justly4 ,illustration ,thus have the seven planets divided the face among them1 but not with so absolute a sway1 but that the twelve signs of the ,zodiac do also come in with a part1 7,see the engraving73 ,and therefore the sign ,cancer presides in the upper part of the forehead1 and ,leo attends upon the right eye-brow1 as ,sagittarius does upon the right eye1 and ,libra upon the right ear3 upon the left eye-brow you will find ,aquarius3 and ,gemini and ,aries taking care of the left ear3 ,taurus rules in the middle of the forehead1 and ,capricorn the chin3 ,scorpio takes upon him the protection of the nose3 ,virgo claims the precedence of the right cheek1 ,pisces the left4 ,and thus the face of man is cantoned out amongst the signs and planets2 which being carefully attended to1 will sufficiently inform the artist how to pass a judgment4 ,for according to the sign or planet ruling1 so also is the judgment to be of the part ruled1 which all those that have understanding know easily how to apply4 ,in the judgment that is to be made from physiognomy1 there is a great difference betwixt a man and a woman2 the reason is1 because in respect of the whole composition1 men more fully comprehend it than women do1 as may evidently appear in the manner and method we shall give4 ,wherefore the judgments which we shall pass in every chapter1 do properly concern a man1 as comprehending the whole species1 and but improperly the woman1 as being but a part thereof1 and derived from the man2 and therefore whoever is called to give judgment on such and such a face1 ought to be wary about all the lines and marks that belong to it1 respect being also had to the sex3 for when we behold a man whose face is like unto a woman's1 and we pass a judgment upon it1 having diligently observed it1 and not on the face only but on the other parts of the body1 as his hands1 c4 in like manner we also behold the face of a woman1 who in respect of her flesh and blood is like unto a man1 and in the disposure also of the greatest parts of the body4 ,but does physiognomy give the same judgment on her1 as it does of a man that is like unto her8 ,by no means1 but far otherwise2 in regard that the conception of the woman is much different from that of a man1 even in those respects which are said to be common4 ,now in those common respects two parts are attributed to a man1 a third part to a woman4 ,wherefore it being our intention to give you an exact account1 according to the rule of physiognomy1 of all and every part of the members of the body1 we will begin with the head1 as it hath relation only to man and woman1 and not to any other creature1 that the work may be more obvious to every reader4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,of the ,judgment of ,physiognomy4 ,hair that hangs down without curling1 if it be of a fair complexion1 thin and soft withal1 signifies a man to be naturally faint-hearted1 and of a weak body1 but of a quiet and harmless disposition4 ,hair that is big1 and thick1 and short withal1 denotes a man to be of a strong constitution1 secure1 bold1 deceitful1 and for the most part1 unquiet and vain1 lusting after beauty1 and more foolish than wise1 though fortune may favour him4 ,he whose hair is partly curled and partly hanging down1 is commonly wise1 or a very great fool1 or else as very a knave as he is a fool4 ,he whose hair grows thick on his temples and his brow1 one may at the first sight certainly conclude that such a man is by nature simple1 vain1 luxurious1 lustful1 credulous1 clownish in his speech and conversation1 and dull in his apprehension4 ,he whose hair not only curls very much1 but bushes out1 and stands on end1 if the hair be white1 or of a yellowish colour1 he is by nature proud and bold1 dull of apprehension1 soon angry1 given to lying1 malicious1 and ready to do any mischief4 ,he whose hair rises in the corner of his temples1 and is gross and rough withal1 is a man highly conceited of himself1 inclined to malice1 but cunningly conceals it1 is very courtly1 and a lover of new fashions4 ,he who hath much hair1 that is to say1 whose hair is thick all over his head1 is naturally vain and very luxurious1 of a good digestion1 easy of belief1 and slow of performance1 of a weak memory1 and for the most part unfortunate4 ,he whose hair is of a reddish complexion1 is for the most part1 if not always1 proud1 deceitful1 detracting1 and full of envy4 ,he whose hair is extraordinary fair1 is for the most part a man fit for all praiseworthy enterprises1 a lover of honours1 and much more inclined to do good than evil2 laborious and careful to perform whatsoever is committed to his care1 secret in carrying on any business1 and fortunate4 ,hair of a yellowish colour shows a man to be good-conditioned1 and willing to do any thing1 fearful1 shame-faced1 and weak of body1 but strong in the abilities of the mind1 and more apt to remember than to revenge an injury4 ,he whose hair is of a brownish colour1 and curled not too much nor too little1 is a well disposed man1 inclined to that which is good1 a lover of peace1 cleanliness1 and good manners4 ,he whose hair turns gray or hoary in the time of his youth1 is generally given to women1 vain1 false1 unstable1 and talkative4 ,note4 ,that whatever signification the hair has in men1 it has the same in women also4 ,the forehead that riseth in a round1 signifies a man liberally merry1 of a good understanding1 and generally inclined to virtue4 ,he whose forehead is fleshy1 and the bone of the brow jutting out1 and without wrinkles1 is a man much inclined to suits of law1 contentious1 vain1 deceitful1 and addicted to follow ill courses4 ,he whose forehead is very low and little1 is of a good understanding1 magnanimous1 but extremely bold and confident1 and a great pretender to love and honour4 ,he whose forehead seems sharp1 and pointed up in the corners of his temples1 so that the bone seems to jut forth a little1 is a man naturally weak and fickle1 and weak in the intellectuals4 ,he whose brow upon the temples is full of flesh1 is a man of a great spirit1 proud1 watchful1 and of a gross understanding4 ,he whose brow is full of wrinkles1 and has as it were a seam coming down the middle of the forehead1 so that a man may think he hath two foreheads1 is one that is of a great spirit1 a great wit1 void of deceit1 and yet of a hard fortune4 ,he who has a full large forehead1 and a little round withal1 destitute of hair1 or at least that has little on it1 is bold1 malicious1 high-spirited1 full of choler1 and apt to transgress beyond all bounds1 and yet of a good wit1 and very apprehensive4 ,he whose forehead is long and high1 and jutting forth1 and whose face is figured1 almost sharp and picked towards the chin1 is one reasonably honest1 but weak and simple1 and of a hard fortune4 ,those eye-brows that are much arched1 whether in man or woman1 and which by frequent motion elevate themselves1 show the person to be proud1 high-spirited1 vain-glorious1 bold and threatening1 a lover of beauty1 and indifferently inclined to either good or evil4 ,he whose eye-lids bend downwards when he speaks to another1 or when he looks upon him1 and who has a kind of skulking look1 is by nature a penurious wretch1 close in all his actions1 of a very few words1 but full of malice in his heart4 ,he whose eye-brows are thick1 and have but little hair upon them1 is but weak in his intellectuals1 and too credulous1 very sincere1 sociable1 and desirous of good company4 ,he whose eye-brows are folded1 and the hair thick1 and bending downwards1 is one that is clownish and unlearned1 heavy1 suspicious1 miserable1 envious1 and one that will cheat and cozen you if he can1 and is only to be kept honest by good looking to4 ,he whose eye-brows have but short hair and of a whitish colour1 is fearful1 and very easy of belief1 and apt to undertake any thing4 ,those on the other side whose eye-brows are black1 and the hair of them but thin1 will do nothing without great consideration1 and are bold and confident of the performance of what they undertake3 neither are they apt to believe any thing without reason for so doing4 ,if the space between the eye-brows be of more than ordinary distance1 it shows the person to be hard-hearted1 envious1 close1 cunning1 apprehensive1 greedy of novelties1 of a vain fortune1 addicted to cruelty more than love4 ,but those men whose eye-brows are at lesser distance from each other1 are for the most part of a dull understanding2 yet subtle enough in their dealings1 and of an uncommon boldness1 which is often attended with great felicity2 but that which is most commendable in them is1 that they are most sure and constant in their friendship4 ,great and full eyes in either man or woman1 show the person to be for the most part slothful1 bold1 envious1 a bad concealer of secrets1 miserable1 vain1 given to lying1 and yet of a bad memory1 slow in invention1 weak in his intellectuals1 and yet very much conceited of that little knack of wisdom he thinks himself master of4 ,he whose eyes are hollow in his head1 and therefore discerns excellently well at a great distance1 is one that is suspicious1 malicious1 furious1 perverse in his conversation1 of an extraordinary memory1 bold1 cruel and false both in words and deeds1 threatening1 vicious1 luxurious1 proud1 envious1 and treacherous2 but he whose eyes are as it were starting out of his head1 is a simple foolish person1 shameless1 very fertile1 and easy to be persuaded either to vice or virtue4 ,he who looks studiously and acutely with his eyes and eye-lids downwards1 denotes thereby to be of a malicious nature1 very treacherous1 false1 unfaithful1 envious1 miserable1 impious towards ,god1 and dishonest towards men4 ,he whose eyes are small and conveniently round1 is bashful and weak1 very credulous1 liberal to others1 and even in his conversation4 ,he whose eyes look asquint1 is thereby denoted to be a deceitful person1 unjust1 envious1 furious1 a great liar1 and as the effect of all this1 miserable4 ,he who hath a wandering eye1 and which is rolling up and down1 is for the most part a vain1 simple1 deceitful man1 lustful1 treacherous1 or high-minded1 an admirer of the fair sex1 and one easy to be persuaded to virtue or vice4 ,he or she whose eyes are twinkling1 and which move forward or backward1 shows the person to be luxurious1 unfaithful1 and treacherous1 presumptuous1 and hard to believe any thing that is spoken4 ,if a person has any greenness mingled in the white of his eyes1 such is commonly silly1 and often very false1 vain and deceitful1 unkind to his friends1 a great concealer of his own secrets1 and very choleric4 ,those whose eyes are every way rolling up and down1 or they who seldom move their eyes1 and when they do1 do as it were draw their eyes inwardly1 and accurately fasten them upon some object1 such are by their inclinations very malicious1 vain-glorious1 slothful1 unfaithful1 envious1 false and contentious4 ,they whose eyes are addicted to blood-shot1 are naturally choleric1 proud1 disdainful1 cruel without shame1 perfidious1 and much inclined to superstition4 ,they that have eyes like oxen1 are persons of good nutriment1 but of a weak memory1 are dull of understanding1 and silly in their conversation4 ,but he whose eyes are neither too little nor too big1 and inclined to black1 do signify a man mild1 peaceable1 honest1 witty1 and of a good understanding3 and one that1 when need requires1 will be serviceable to his friend4 ,a long and thin nose denotes a man bold1 furious1 angry1 vain1 easy to be persuaded either to good or evil1 weak and credulous4 ,a long nose extended1 the tip of it bending downwards1 shows the person to be wise1 discreet1 secret and officious1 honest1 faithful1 and one who will not be over-reached in bargaining4 ,a bottle-nose is what denotes a man to be impetuous in obtaining his desires1 also vain1 false1 luxurious1 weak1 and an uncertain man1 apt to believe1 and easy to be persuaded4 ,a nose broad in the middle1 and less towards the end1 denotes a vain talkative person1 a liar1 and one of a hard fortune4 ,he who hath a long and great nose1 is an admirer of the fair sex1 but ignorant of the knowledge of any thing that is good1 extremely addicted to vice2 assiduous in obtaining what he desires1 and very secret in the prosecution of it2 and though very ignorant1 would fain be thought very knowing4 ,a nose very sharp on the tip of it1 and neither too long nor too short1 too thick nor too thin1 denotes the person1 if a man1 to be of a fretful disposition1 always pining and peevish2 and if a woman1 a scold1 or contentious1 wedded to her own humours2 of a morose and dogged carriage1 and if married1 a plague to her husband4 ,a nose very round at the end of it1 and having but little nostrils1 shows the person to be munificent1 and liberal1 true to his trust1 but withal very proud1 credulous and vain4 ,a nose very long and thin at the end of it1 and something round withal1 signifies one bold in his discourse1 honest in his dealings1 patient in receiving1 and slow in offering injuries1 but yet privately malicious4 ,he whose nose is naturally more red than any other part of his face1 is thereby denoted to be covetous1 impious1 luxurious1 and an enemy to goodness4 ,a nose that turns up again1 and is long and full on the tip of it1 shows the person that has it to be bold1 proud1 covetous1 envious1 luxurious1 a liar and deceiver1 vain-glorious1 unfortunate and contentious4 ,he whose nose riseth high in the middle1 is prudent and polite1 and of great courage1 honourable in his actions1 and true to his word4 ,a nose big at the end shows a person to be of a peaceable disposition1 industrious and faithful1 and of a good understanding4 ,a very wide nose1 with wide nostrils1 denotes a man dull of apprehension1 and inclined more to simplicity than wisdom1 and withal contentious1 vain-glorious1 and a liar4 ,a great and wide mouth shows a man to be bold1 warlike1 shameless and stout1 a great liar1 and as great a talker1 also a great eater2 but as to his intellectuals he is very dull1 being for the most part very simple4 ,a little mouth shows the person to be of a quiet and pacific temper1 somewhat fearful1 but faithful1 secret1 modest1 bountiful1 and but a little eater4 ,he whose mouth smells of a bad breath1 is one of a corrupted liver or lungs1 is oftentimes vain1 wanton1 deceitful1 of indifferent intellects1 envious1 covetous1 and a promise-breaker4 ,he that has a sweet breath1 is the contrary4 ,the lips1 when they are very big and blubbering1 show a person to be credulous1 foolish1 dull1 and stupid1 and apt to be enticed to any thing4 ,lips of a different size denote a person to be discreet1 secret in all things1 judicious and of good wit1 but somewhat hasty4 ,to have lips well coloured1 and more thin than thick1 shows a person to be good-humoured in all things1 and more easily persuaded to good than evil4 ,to have one lip bigger than the other shows variety of fortunes1 and denotes the party to be of a dull1 sluggish temper1 and but of a very indifferent understanding1 as being much addicted to folly4 ,when the teeth are small1 and but weak in performing their office1 and especially if they are short and few1 though they show the person to be of a weak constitution1 yet they denote him to be of a meek disposition1 honest1 faithful1 and secret in whatsoever he is intrusted with4 ,to have some teeth longer and shorter than others1 denotes a person to be of a good apprehension1 but bold1 disdainful1 envious and proud4 ,to have teeth very long and growing sharp towards the end1 if they are long in chewing1 and thin1 denotes the person to be envious1 gluttonous1 bold1 shameless1 unfaithful1 and suspicious4 ,when the teeth look very brown or yellowish1 whether they be long or short1 it shows the person to be of a suspicious temper1 envious1 deceitful and turbulant4 ,to have teeth strong and close together1 shows the person to be of a long life1 a desirer of novelties1 and things that are fair and beautiful1 but of a high spirit1 and one that will have his humour in all things2 he loves to hear news1 and repeat it afterwards1 and is apt to entertain any thing to his behalf4 ,to have teeth thin and weak1 shows a weak feeble man1 and one of short life1 and of a weak apprehension2 but chaste1 shame-faced1 tractable and honest4 ,a tongue to be too swift of speech shows a man to be downright foolish1 or at best but a very vain wit4 ,a stammering tongue1 or one that stumbles in the mouth1 signifies a man of a weak understanding1 and of a wavering mind1 quickly in rage1 and soon pacified4 ,a very thick and rough tongue denotes a man to be apprehensive1 subtle1 and full of compliments1 yet vain and deceitful1 treacherous1 and prone to impiety4 ,a thin tongue shows a man of wisdom and sound judgment1 very ingenious1 and of an affable disposition1 yet sometimes timorous1 and too credulous4 ,a great and full voice in either sex shows them to be of a great spirit1 confident1 proud1 and wilful4 ,a faint and weak voice1 attended with but little breath1 show a person to be of a good understanding1 a nimble fancy1 a little eater1 but weak of body1 and of a timorous disposition4 ,a loud and shrill voice which sounds clearly1 denotes a person provident1 sagacious1 true1 and ingenious1 but withal capricious1 vain-glorious1 and too credulous4 ,a strong voice when a man sings1 denotes him to be of a strong constitution1 and of a good understanding1 neither too penurious nor too prodigal1 also ingenious1 and an admirer of the fair sex4 ,a weak and trembling voice shows the owner of it to be envious1 suspicious1 slow in business1 feeble and fearful4 ,a loud1 shrill1 and unpleasant voice signifies one bold and valiant1 but quarrelsome and injurious1 and altogether wedded to his own humours1 and governed by his own counsels4 ,a rough and hoarse voice1 whether in speaking or singing1 declares one to be a dull and heavy person1 of much guts and little brain4 ,a full and yet mild voice and pleasing to the hearer1 shows the person to be of a quiet and peaceable disposition1 7which is a great virtue1 and rare to be found in a woman7 and also very thrifty and secret1 not prone to anger1 but of a yielding temper4 ,a voice beginning low or in the bass1 and ending high in the treble1 denotes a person to be violent1 angry1 bold and secure4 ,a thick and full chin abounding with too much flesh1 shows a man inclined to peace1 honest and true to his trust1 but slow in invention1 and easy to be drawn either to good or evil4 ,a peaked chin and reasonably full of flesh1 shows a person to be of a good understanding1 a high spirit1 and laudable conversation4 ,a double chin shows a peaceable disposition1 but dull of apprehension1 vain1 credulous1 a great supplanter1 and secret in all his actions4 ,a crooked chin1 bending upwards and peaked for want of flesh1 is by the rules of physiognomy1 according to nature a very bad man1 being proud1 impudent1 envious1 threatening1 deceitful1 prone to anger and treachery1 and a great thief4 ,the hair of young men usually begins to grow down upon their chins at #ae years of age1 and sometimes sooner4 ,these hairs proceed from the superfluity of heat2 the fumes whereof ascend to their chin1 like smoke to the funnel of a chimney2 and because it cannot find an open passage by which it may ascend higher1 it vents itself forth in the hairs which are called the beard4 ,there are very few1 are almost no women at all that have hairs on their cheeks2 and the reason is1 those humours which cause hair to grow on the cheeks of a man are by a woman evacuated in the monthly terms1 which they have more or less1 according to the heat or coldness of their constitution1 and the age and motion of the moon4 ,yet sometimes women of a hot constitution have hair to be seen on their cheeks1 but more commonly on their lips1 or near unto their mouths1 where the heat most aboundeth4 ,and where this happens1 such women are much addicted to the company of men1 and of a strong and manly constitution4 ,a woman who hath little hair on her cheeks1 or about her mouth and lips1 is of a good complexion1 weak constitution1 shame-faced1 mild and obedient2 whereas a woman of more hot constitution is quite otherwise4 ,but in a man1 a beard well composed and thick of hair1 signifies a man of good nature1 honest1 loving1 sociable1 and full of humanity3 on the contrary he that hath but a little beard1 is for the most part proud1 pining1 peevish1 and unsociable4 ,they who have no beards1 have always shrill and strange kind of squeaking voices1 and are of a weak constitution1 which is apparent in the case of eunuchs1 who1 after they are deprived of their virility1 are transformed from the nature of men into the condition of women4 ,great and thick ears are a certain sign of a foolish person1 or a bad memory and worse understanding4 ,but small and thin ears show a person to be of a good wit1 grave1 secret1 thrifty1 modest1 resolute1 of a good memory1 and one willing to serve his friend4 ,he whose ears are longer than ordinary1 is thereby signified to be a bold man1 uncivil1 vain1 foolish1 serviceable to another more than himself1 and a man of small industry1 but of a great stomach4 ,a face apt to sweat at every motion1 shows the person to be of a hot constitution1 vain and luxurious1 of a good stomach1 but a bad understanding1 and a worse conversation4 ,a very fleshy face shows the person to be of a fearful disposition1 but a merry heart1 and withal bountiful and discreet1 easy to be entreated1 and apt to believe every thing4 ,a lean face1 by the rules of physiognomy1 denotes the person to be of a good understanding1 but somewhat capricious and disdainful in his conversation4 ,a little and round face shows a person to be simple1 very fearful1 of a bad memory1 and a clownish disposition4 ,a plump face full of carbuncles1 shows a man to be a great drinker of wine1 vain1 daring1 and soon intoxicated4 ,a face red or high-coloured1 shows a man to be much inclined to choler1 and one that will be soon angry and not easily pacified4 ,a long and lean face shows a man to be both bold1 injurious and deceitful4 ,a face every way of a due proportion1 denotes an ingenious person1 one fit for any thing1 and very much inclined to what is good4 ,one of a broad full flat face is1 by the rules of physiognomy1 of a dull1 lumpish1 heavy constitution1 and that for one virtue has three vices4 ,a plain flat face1 without any rising1 shows a person to be very wise1 loving and courtly in his carriage1 faithful to his friend1 and patient in adversity4 ,a face sinking down a little1 with crosses in it1 inclining to leanness1 denotes a person to be very laborious1 but envious1 deceitful1 false1 quarrelsome1 vain1 and silly1 of a dull and clownish behaviour4 ,a face of a handsome proportion1 and more inclining to fat than lean1 shows a person just in ,ills actions1 true to his word1 civil and respectful in his behaviour1 of an indifferent understanding1 and of an extraordinary memory4 ,a crooked face1 long and lean1 denotes a man endued with as bad qualities as the face is with ill features4 ,a face broad about the brows1 and sharper and less as it grows towards the chin1 shows a man simple and foolish in managing his affairs1 vain in his discourse1 envious in his nature1 deceitful1 quarrelsome1 and rude in his conversation4 ,a face well coloured1 full of good features1 and of an exact symmetry1 and a just proportion in all its parts1 and which is delightful to look upon1 is commonly the index of a fairer mind1 and shows a person to be well disposed2 but withal declares that virtue is not so impregnably seated there1 but that by strong temptations 7especially by the fair sex7 it may be supplanted and overcome by vice4 ,a pale complexion shows the person not only to be very fickle but very malicious1 treacherous1 false1 proud1 presumptuous1 and extremely unfaithful4 ,a face well coloured shows the person to be of a praiseworthy disposition1 and a sound complexion1 easy of belief1 and respectful to his friend1 ready to do a courtsey1 and very easy to be drawn to any thing4 ,a great head and round withal1 denotes the person to be secret1 and of great application in carrying on business1 and also ingenious1 and of a large imaginative faculty and invention2 and likewise laborious1 constant and honest4 ,the head whose gullet stands forth1 and inclines towards the earth1 signifies a person thrifty1 wise1 peaceable1 secret1 of a retired temper1 and constant in the management of his affairs4 ,a long head and face1 and great1 withal1 denotes a vain1 foolish1 idle1 and weak person1 credulous and very envious4 ,to have one's head always shaking1 and moving from side to side1 denotes a shallow1 weak person1 unstable in all his actions1 given to lying1 a great deceiver1 a great talker1 and prodigal in all his fortunes4 ,a big head and broad face show a man to be very courageous1 a great hunter after women1 very suspicious1 bold and shameless4 ,he who hath a very big head1 but not so proportionate as it ought to the body1 if he hath a short neck and crooked gullet1 is generally a man of apprehension1 wise1 secret1 ingenious1 of sound judgment1 faithful1 true and courteous to all4 ,he who hath a little head1 and long slender throat1 is for the most part a man very weak1 yet apt to learn1 but unfortunate in his actions4 ,and so much shall suffice with respect to the head and face4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,of ,judgments drawn from several other parts of ,man's ,body4 ,in the body of man1 the head and face are the principal parts1 being the index which heaven has laid open to every one's view to make a judgment therefrom1 therefore ,i have been the larger in my judgment from the several parts thereof4 ,but to the other parts1 ,i shall be much more brief1 as not being so obvious to the eyes of men3 yet ,i would proceed in order4 ,the throat1 if it be white1 whether it be fat or lean1 shows a man to be vain-glorious1 timorous1 wanton1 and very subject to choler4 ,if the throat be so thin and lean that the veins appear1 it shows a man to be weak1 slow1 and of a dull and heavy constitution4 ,a long neck shows one to have a long and slender foot1 and that the person is stiff and inflexible either to good or evil4 ,a short neck shows one to be witty and ingenious1 but deceitful and inconstant1 well skilled in the use of arms1 and yet cares not to use them1 but is a great lover of peace and quietness4 ,a lean shoulder bone signifies a man to be weak1 timorous1 peaceful1 not laborious1 and yet fit for any employment4 ,he whose shoulder-bones are of a great bigness is commonly1 by the rule of physiognomy1 a strong man1 faithful1 but unfortunate2 somewhat dull of understanding1 very laborious1 a great eater and drinker1 and one equally contented in all conditions4 ,he whose shoulder bone seems to be smooth1 is by the rule of nature modest in his look1 and temperate in all his actions1 both at bed and board4 ,he whose shoulder bone bends and is crooked inwardly1 is commonly a dull person and deceitful4 ,long arms hanging down and touching the knees1 though such arms are rarely seen1 denotes a man liberal1 but withal vain-glorious1 proud1 and inconstant4 ,he whose arms are very short in respect to the stature of his body1 is thereby signified to be a man of high and gallant spirit1 of a graceful temper bold and warlike4 ,he whose arms are full of bones1 sinews and flesh1 is a great desirer of novelties and beauties1 and one that is very credulous and apt to believe every thing4 ,he whose arms are very hairy1 whether they be lean or fat1 is for the most part a luxurious person1 weak in body and mind1 very suspicious1 and malicious withal4 ,he whose arms have no hair on them at all1 is of a weak judgment1 very angry1 vain1 wanton1 credulous1 easily deceived himself1 yet a great deceiver of others1 no fighter1 and very apt to betray his dearest friends4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,of ,palmistry1 showing the various ,judgments drawn from the ,hand4 ,being engaged in this part of the work to show what judgment may be drawn according to physiognomy1 from the several parts of the body1 and coming in order to speak of the hands1 it has put me under the necessity of saying something about palmistry1 which is judgment made of the conditions1 inclinations1 and fortunes of men and women1 from the various lines and characters nature has imprinted in their hands1 which are almost as various as the hands that have them4 ,the reader should remember1 that one of the lines of the hand1 and which indeed is reckoned the principal1 is called the line of life2 this line incloses the thumb1 separating it from the hollow of the hand4 ,the next to it1 which is called the natural line1 takes its beginning from the rising of the fore-finger1 near the line of life1 and reaches to the table-line1 and generally makes a triangle4 ,the table line1 commonly called the line of fortune1 begins under the little finger1 and ends under the middle finger4 ,the girdle of ,venus1 which is another line so called1 begins near the first-joint in the little finger1 and ends between the fore-finger and the middle finger4 ,the line of death is that which plainly appears in a counter line to that of life1 and is called the sister line1 ending usually as the other ends2 for when the line of life is ended1 death comes1 and it can go no further4 ,there are lines in the fleshy parts1 as in the ball of the thumb1 which is called the mount of ,venus2 under each of the fingers are also mounts1 which are each governed by several planets2 and the hollow of the hand is called the plain of ,mars4 ,i proceed to give judgment from these several lines4 ,in palmistry1 the left hand is chiefly to be regarded1 because therein the lines are most visible1 and have the strictest communication with the heart and brain4 ,in the next place1 observe the line of life1 and if it be fair1 extended to its full length1 and not broken with an intermixture of cross lines1 it shows long life and health1 and it is the same if a double line appears1 as there sometimes does4 ,when the stars appear in this line1 it is a signification of great losses and calamities2 if on it there be the figures of two ,o's or a ,y1 it threatens the person with blindness2 if it wraps itself about the table-line1 then does it promise wealth and honour to be attended by prudence and industry4 ,if the line be cut and jagged at the upper end1 it denotes much sickness2 if this line be cut by any line coming from the mount of ,venus1 it declares the person to be unfortunate in love and business also1 and threatens him with sudden death4 ,a cross between the line of life and the table-line1 shows the person to be very liberal and charitable1 one of a noble spirit4 ,let us see the signification of the table-line4 ,the table-line1 when broad and of a lively colour1 shows a healthful constitution1 and a quiet contented mind1 and of a courageous spirit3 but if it has crosses towards the little finger1 it threatens the party with much affliction by sickness4 ,if the line be double1 or divided into three parts at any of the extremities1 it shows the person to be of a generous temper1 and of a good fortune to support it2 but if this line be forked at the end1 it threatens the person shall suffer by jealousies1 and doubts1 and loss of riches gotten by deceit4 ,if three points such as these are found in it1 they denote the person prudent and liberal1 a lover of learning1 and of a good temper2 if it spreads towards the fore and middle finger and ends blunt1 it denotes preferment4 ,let us now see what is signified by the middle-line4 ,this line has in it oftentimes 7for there is scarce a hand in which it varies not7 divers very significant characters4 ,many small lines between this and the table-line threaten the party with sickness1 and also give him hopes of recovery4 ,a half cross branching into this line declares the person shall have honour1 riches1 and good success in all his undertakings4 ,a half moon denotes cold and watery distempers2 but a sun or star upon this line1 denotes prosperity and riches3 this line1 double in a woman1 shows she will have several husbands1 but no children4 ,the line of ,venus1 if it happens to be cut or divided near the fore-finger1 threatens ruin to the party1 and that it shall befall him by means of lascivious women1 and bad company4 ,two crosses upon this line1 one being on the fore-finger and the other bending towards the little finger1 shows the part to be weak1 and inclined to modesty and virtue2 indeed it generally denotes modesty in women2 and therefore those who desire such1 usually choose them by this standard4 ,the liver line1 if it be straight and crossed by other lines1 shows the person to be of a sound judgment1 and a piercing understanding2 but if it be winding1 crooked1 and bending outward1 it shows deceit and flattery1 and the party is not to be trusted4 ,if it makes a triangle1 or quadrangle1 it shows the person to be of a noble descent1 and ambitious of honour and promotion4 ,if it happens that this line and the middle line begin near each other1 it denotes a person to be weak in his judgment1 if a man2 but if a woman1 in danger by hard labour4 ,the plain of ,mars being in the hollow of the hand1 most of the lines pass through it1 which renders it very significant4 ,this plain being hollow1 and the lines being crooked and distorted1 threatens the party to fall by his enemies4 ,when the lines beginning at the wrist are long within the plain1 reaching to the brawn of the hand1 that shows the person to be much given to quarrelling1 often in broils1 and of a hot and fiery spirit1 by which he shall suffer much damage4 ,if deep and large crosses be in the middle of the plain1 it shows the party shall obtain honour by martial exploits2 but if it be a woman1 she shall have several husbands1 and easy labour with her children4 ,the line of ,death is fatal1 when crosses or broken lines appear in it2 for they threaten the person with sickness and a short life4 ,a clouded moon appearing therein1 threatens a child-bed woman with death4 ,a bloody spot in the line1 denotes a violent death4 ,a star like a comet1 threaten ruin by war1 and death by pestilence4 ,but if a bright sun appears therein1 it promises long life and prosperity4 ,as for the lines of the wrist being fair1 they denote good fortune2 but if crossed and broken1 the contrary4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,judgments according to ,physiognomy1 drawn from the different parts of the ,body1 from the ,hands to the ,feet4 ,a large and full breast shows a man valiant and courageous1 but withal proud and hard to deal with1 quickly angry1 and very apprehensive of an injury3 he whose breast is narrow1 and which riseth a little in the middle of it1 is1 by the best rules of physiognomy1 of a clear spirit1 of a great understanding1 good in counsel1 very faithful1 clean both in mind and body1 yet as an enemy to this1 he is soon angry1 inclined long to keep it4 ,he whose breast is somewhat hairy is very luxurious1 and serviceable to another4 ,he who hath no hair upon his breast1 is a man weak by nature1 of a slender capacity1 and very timorous1 but of a laudable life and conversation1 inclined to peace1 and much retired to himself4 ,the back of the chine bone1 if the flesh be any thing hairy and lean1 and higher than any other part that is behind1 signifies a man shameless1 beastly1 and withal malicious4 ,he whose back is large1 big1 and fat1 is thereby denoted to be a strong and stout man1 but of a heavy disposition1 vain1 slow1 and full of deceit4 ,he or she whose belly is soft all over the body1 is weak1 lustful1 and fearful upon little or no occasion1 of a good understanding1 and an excellent invention1 but a little eater1 faithful1 but of various fortune1 and meets with more adversity that prosperity4 ,he whose flesh is rough and hard1 is a man of strong constitution1 and very bold1 but vain1 proud1 and of a cruel temper4 ,a person whose skin is smooth1 fat1 and white1 is curious1 vain-glorious1 timorous1 shame-faced1 malicious1 false1 and too wise to believe all he hears4 ,the legs of both men and women have a fleshy substance behind1 which are called calves1 which nature hath given them 7as in our book of living creatures we have observed7 in lieu of those long tails which most other creatures have pendent behind4 ,now a great calf1 and he whose legs are of a great bone1 and hairy withal1 denotes the person to be strong1 bold1 secure1 dull in understanding1 and slow in business1 inclined to procreation1 and for the most part fortunate in his undertakings4 ,little legs1 and but little hair on them1 show the person to be weak1 fearful1 of a quick understanding1 and neither luxurious at bed nor board4 ,the feet of either men or women1 if broad and thick with flesh1 and long in figure1 especially if the skin feels hard1 they are by nature of a strong constitution1 and gross nutriment1 but of a weak intellect1 which renders the understanding vain4 ,but feet that are thin and lean1 and of a soft skin1 show the person to be weak of body1 but of a strong understanding1 and of an excellent wit4 ,the soles of the feet do administer plain and evident signs1 whereby the disposition and constitution of men and women may be known1 as do the palms of their hands1 as being full of lines1 by which lines all the fortunes or the misfortunes of men and women may be known1 and their manners and inclinations made plainly to appear4 ,but this in general we may take notice1 as that many long lines and strokes do presage great affliction1 and a very troublesome life1 attended with much grief and toil1 care1 poverty1 and misery2 but short lines1 if they are thick and full of cross lines1 are yet worse in every degree4 ,those1 the skin of whose soles are very thick and gross1 are for the most part able1 strong1 and venturous4 ,whereas1 on the contrary1 those1 the skin of whose soles of their feet is thin1 are generally weak and timorous4 ,i shall now1 before ,i conclude1 7having given an account of what judgments may be made by observing the several parts of the body1 from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet7 give an account of what judgments may be drawn by the rule of physiognomy from things extraneous which are found upon many1 and which indeed to them are parts of the body1 but are so far from being necessary parts that they are the deformity and burden of it and speak of the habits of the body1 as they distinguished persons4 ,of ,crooked and ,deformed ,persons4 ,a crooked breast or shoulder1 or the exuberance of flesh in the body either of man or woman1 signifies the person to be extremely parsimonious and ingenious1 and of a great understanding1 but very covetous1 and scraping after the things of the world1 attended also with a very bad memory1 being also very deceitful and malicious3 they are seldom in a medium1 but either virtuous or extremely vicious4 ,but if the person deformed hath an excrescence on his breast instead of the back1 he is for the most part of a double heart and very mischievous4 ,of the divers ,manners of going1 and particular ,posture both of ,men and ,women1 ,he or she who goes slowly1 making great steps as they go1 are generally persons of bad memory1 and dull of apprehension1 given to loitering1 and not apt to believe what is told them4 ,he who goes apace1 and makes short steps1 is most successful in all his undertakings1 swift in his imagination1 and humble in the disposition of his affairs4 ,he who walks wide and uneven steps1 and sidelong withal1 is one of a greedy1 sordid nature1 subtle1 malicious1 and willing to do evil4 ,of the ,gait or ,motion in ,men or ,women4 ,every man hath a certain gait or motion1 and so in like manner hath every woman2 for a man to be shaking his head1 or using any light motion with his hands or feet1 whether he stands or sits1 or speaks1 is always accompanied with an extravagant motion1 unnecessary1 superfluous and unhandsome4 ,such a man1 by the rule of physiognomy1 is vain1 unwise1 unchaste1 a detractor1 unstable1 and unfaithful4 ,he or she whose motion is not much when discoursing with any one1 is for the most part wise and well bred1 and fit for any employment1 ingenious and apprehensive1 frugal1 faithful1 and industrious in business4 ,he whose posture is forwards and backwards1 or1 as it were whisking up and down1 mimical1 is thereby denoted to be a vain silly person1 of a heavy and dull wit1 and very malicious4 ,he whose motion is lame and limping1 or otherwise imperfect1 or that counterfeits an imperfection1 is denoted to be envious1 malicious1 false1 and detracting4 ,judgments drawn from the ,stature of ,man4 ,physiognomy draws several judgments also from the stature of man1 which take as followeth3 if a man be upright and straight1 inclined rather to leanness than fat1 it shows him to be bold1 cruel1 proud1 clamorous1 hard to please1 and harder to be reconciled when displeased1 very frugal1 deceitful1 and in many things malicious4 ,to be tall of stature1 and corpulent with it1 denotes him to be not only handsome but valiant also1 but of no extraordinary understanding1 and which is worst of all1 ungrateful and trepanning4 ,he who is extremely tall1 and very lean and thin1 is a projecting man1 that designs no good to himself1 importunate to obtain what he desires1 and extremely wedded to his own humour4 ,he who is thick and short1 is vain1 envious1 suspicious1 and very shallow of apprehension1 easy of belief1 but very long before he will forget an injury4 ,he who is lean and short1 but upright withal1 is1 by the rule of physiognomy1 wise and ingenious1 bold and confident1 and of a good understanding1 but of a deceitful heart4 ,he who stoops as he goes1 not so much by age as custom1 is very laborious1 a retainer of secrets1 but very incredulous1 and not easy to believe every vain report he hears4 ,he that goes with his belly stretching forth1 is sociable1 merry1 and easy to be persuaded4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,power of ,celestial ,bodies over ,men and ,women4 ,having spoken thus largely of ,physiognomy1 and the judgments given thereby concerning the dispositions and inclinations of men and women1 drawn by the said art1 from every part of the bodies of men and women1 it will be convenient here to show how all these things come to pass2 and how it is that the secret inclinations and future fate of men and women may be known from the consideration of the several parts of the bodies4 ,they arise from the power and dominion of superior powers over bodies inferior2 by superior powers ,i understand the #ab ,signs of the ,zodiac1 whose signs1 characters1 and significations are as follow4 ,illustration ,aris1 the ,ram1 which governs the head and face4 ,taurus1 the ,bull1 which governs the neck4 ,gemini1 the ,twins1 governs the hands and arms4 ,cancer1 the ,crab1 governs the breast and stomach4 ,leo1 the ,lion1 governs the back and heart4 ,virgo1 the ,virgin1 governs the belly and bowels4 ,libra1 the ,balances1 governs the reins and loins4 ,scorpio1 the ,scorpion1 governs the secret parts4 ,sagittary1 the ,centaur1 governs the thighs4 ,capricorn1 the ,goat1 governs the knees4 ,aquarius1 the ,water-,bearer1 governs the legs and ancles4 ,pisces1 the ,fish1 governs the feet4 ,it is here furthermore necessary to let the reader know1 that the ancients have divided the ,celestial ,sphere into twelve parts1 according to the number of these signs1 which are termed houses2 and have placed the twelve signs in their houses1 as in the first house ,aries1 in the second ,taurus1 in the third ,gemini1 c4 ,and besides their assigning the twelve signs to the twelves houses1 they allot to each house its proper business4 ,to the first house they give the signification of life4 ,the second house has the signification of wealth1 substance1 or riches4 ,the third is the mansion of brethren4 ,the fourth is the house of parentage4 ,the fifth is the house of children4 ,the sixth is the house of sickness or disease4 ,the seventh is the house of wedlock1 and also of enemies1 because oftentimes a wife or husband proves the worst enemy4 ,the eighth is the house of death4 ,the ninth is the house of religion4 ,the tenth is the signification of honour4 ,the eleventh of friendship4 ,the twelfth is the house of affliction and woe4 ,now1 astrologically speaking1 a house is a certain space in the heaven or firmament1 divided by certain degrees1 through which the planets have their motion1 and in which they have their residence1 and are situated4 ,and these houses are divided by thirty degrees1 for every sign has so many degrees4 ,and these signs or houses are called the houses of such and such planets as make their residence therein1 and are such as delight in them1 and as they are deposited in such and such houses are said to be either dignified or debilitated4 ,for though the planets in their several revolutions go through all the houses1 yet there are some houses which they are more properly said to delight in3 ,as1 for instance1 ,aries and ,scorpio are the houses of ,mars2 ,taurus and ,libra1 of ,venus2 ,gemini and ,virgo1 of ,mercury2 ,sagittarius and ,pisces are the houses of ,jupiter2 ,capricorn and ,aquarius are the houses of ,saturn2 ,leo is the house of the ,sun2 and ,cancer is the house of the ,moon4 ,now to sum up the whole1 and show how this concerns physiognomy1 is thus3 as the body of man1 as we have shown1 is not only governed by the signs and planets1 but every part is appropriated to one or another of them1 so according to the particular influence of each sign or planet1 so governing1 is the disposition1 inclination1 and nature of the person governed4 ,for such and such tokens and marks do show a person to be born under such and such a planet2 so according to the nature1 power1 and influences of the planets1 is the judgment to be made of that person4 ,by which the reader may see that the judgments drawn from physiognomy are grounded upon a certain veracity4 ,,the ,,midwife',s ,,vade-,,mecum2 ,,containing ,,particular ,,directions ,,for ,,midwives1 ,,nurses1 c4 ,those that take upon them the office of midwives1 ought to take care to fit themselves for that employment by the knowledge of those things that are necessary for the discharge thereof4 ,and such persons ought to be of the middle age1 neither too young nor too old2 and of a good habit of body1 not subject to disease1 fears1 or sudden frights4 ,nor are the qualifications assigned to a good surgeon improper for a midwife1 viz1 a lady's hand1 a hawk's eye1 a lion's heart2 to which may be added1 activity of body1 and a convenient strength1 with caution and diligence2 not subject to drowsiness or impatience4 ,she ought also to be sober1 affable1 courteous1 chaste1 not coveteous1 or subject to passion1 but bountiful and compassionate2 and1 above all1 she ought to be qualified as the ,egyptian midwives of old1 that is1 to have the fear of ,god1 which is the principal thing in every state and condition1 and will furnish her1 on all occasions1 both with wisdom and discretion4 ,when the time of birth draws near and the good woman finds her travailing pains begin to come upon her1 let her send for her midwife in time1 better too soon than too late1 and get those things ready which are necessary upon such occasions4 ,when the midwife comes1 let her first find whether the true time of the birth be come2 for by not properly observing this1 many a child hath been spoiled1 and the life of the mother endangered2 or at least given her double the pain needful4 ,for unskilful midwives1 not minding this1 have given things to force down the child1 and thereby disturb the course of her natural labour2 whereas nature works best in her own time and way4 ,i do confess1 it is somewhat difficult to know the true time of a woman's labour1 they being troubled with pains long before their true labour comes1 even some weeks before2 the reason of which ,i conceive to be the heat of their reins2 and this may be readily known by the swelling of their legs2 and therefore1 when women with child find their legs swell overmuch1 they may be assured that their reins are too hot4 ,for the cure whereof1 let them cool the reins1 before the time of their labour1 with oil of poppies1 and oil of violets1 or water-lillies1 by anointing the reins of their backs with them2 for such women whose reins are very hot1 have usually hard labours4 ,but in this case1 above all the remedies that ,i know1 ,i prefer the decoction of them in water2 and then having strained and clarified it with the white of an egg1 boil it into a syrup with its equal weight of sugar1 and keep it for use4 ,there are two skins that compass the child in the womb2 the one is the amnios1 and this is the inner skin2 the other is the allantois1 and this is the skin that holds the urine of the child during the time that it abides in the womb4 ,both these skins1 by the violent stirring of the child near the time of its birth1 are broken2 and then the urine and sweat of the child contained in them fall down to the neck of the womb2 and this is that which the midwives call the waters1 and is an infallible sign that the birth is very near2 for the child is no more able to subsist in the womb after those skins are broken1 than a naked man is in the cold air4 ,these waters1 if the child come presently after them1 facilitate the labour1 by making the passage slippery2 and therefore the midwife must have a care that she force not the waters away1 for nature knows better the true time of the birth than she1 and usually retains the waters till that time4 ,,genuine ,,recipes ,,for ,,causing ,,speedy ,,delivery4 ,a loadstone held in the travailing woman's hand4 ,take wild tansy1 bruise and apply it to the woman's nostrils4 ,take also date stones1 and beat them to powder1 and let her take a drachm of them in white wine at a time4 ,take parsley1 bruise it1 and press out the juice1 and put it up 7being so dipped7 into the mouth of the womb1 and it will presently cause the child to come away1 though it be dead1 and the after-burden also2 besides it cleanseth the womb1 and also the child in the womb1 of all gross humours4 ,let no midwife ever force away a child1 unless she is sure it is dead4 ,i once was where a woman was in labour1 which being very hard1 her midwife sent for another midwife to assist her1 which midwife sending the first down stairs1 and designing to have the honour of delivering the woman herself1 forced away the body of the child1 and left the head behind2 of which the woman was forced afterwards to be delivered by a man-midwife4 ,after the child is born1 great care is to be taken by the midwife in cutting the navel-string1 which1 though by some is accounted but a trifle1 yet it requires none of the least skill of a midwife1 to do it with that prudence and judgment that are requisite4 ,and that it may be done so1 you must consider1 as soon as the child is free from its mother1 whether it is weak or strong2 if the child be weak1 put back gently part of the vital and natural blood in the body of the child by its navel 7for both the vital and natural spirits are communicated by the mother to the child by its navel-string72 for that doth much recruit a weak child2 but if the child be strong1 you may forbear4 ,as to the manner of cutting the child's navel-string1 let the ligature or binding be very strong2 and be sure not to cut it off very near the binding1 lest the binding unloose4 ,you need not fear to bind the navel-string very hard1 because it is void of sense2 and that part of the navel-string which you leave on falls off of its own accord in a few days2 the whole course of nature being now changed in the child1 it having another way ordained to nourish it4 ,it is no matter with what instrument you cut it off1 so it be sharp and you do it cleverly4 ,the piece of the navel-string that falls off1 be sure you keep it from touching the ground2 remember what ,i have before told you concerning this matter1 and if you keep it by you it may be of use4 ,the navel-string being cut off1 put a little cotton or lint to the place1 to keep it warm1 lest the cold enter the body of the child1 which it will be apt to do if it be not bound up hard enough4 ,the next thing to be done1 is to bring away the after-birth1 or secundine1 else it will be very dangerous for the woman4 ,but this must be done by gentle means1 and without delay1 for in this case especially delays are dangerous2 and also in what ,i have set down before1 as good to cause speedy delivery1 and bring away the after-birth4 ,and after the birth and after-birth are brought away1 if the woman's body be very weak1 keep her not too warm2 for extremity of heat doth weaken nature and dissolve the strength2 but whether she be weak or strong1 let no cold air come near her at first2 for cold is an enemy to the spermatic parts4 ,if cold goes into the womb1 it increases the after-pains1 causes swelling in the womb1 and does great hurt to the nerves4 ,if what ,i have written be carefully observed by midwives1 and such nurses as keep women in their lying-in1 by ,god's blessing1 the child-bed woman may do very well1 and both midwife and nurse gain credit and reputation4 ,for though these directions may in some things thwart the common practice1 yet they are grounded upon experience1 and will infallibly answer the end4 ,but there are several accidents that lying-in women are subject unto which must be provided against2 and these ,i will speak of next4 ,the first ,i shall mention are after-pains1 about the cause of which1 authors very much differ2 some think they are caused by the thinness1 some by the sliminess1 and others by the sharpness of the blood2 but my own opinion is1 they proceed from cold and water4 ,but whatever the cause may be1 this ,i know1 that if my foregoing directions be observed1 they will be very much abated1 if not quite taken away4 ,but in case they do happen1 boil an egg1 and pour out the yoke of it1 with which mix a spoonful of cinnamon-water1 and let her drink of it2 and if you mix it with two grains of ambergris1 it will better4 ,the second accident lying-in women are subject to is excoriation in the lower part of the womb4 ,to help this1 use oil of sweet almonds1 or rather oil of ,st4 ,john's wort1 to anoint the part with4 ,another accident is1 that sometimes1 through very hard labour1 and the great straining to bring the child into the world1 the lying-in woman comes to be troubled with the hemorrhoids or piles4 ,to cure this1 let her use polypodium bruised1 and boiled in her meat and drink4 ,a fourth thing that often follows is1 the retention of the menses2 this is very dangerous1 and1 if not remedied1 proves mortal4 ,but for this1 let her take such medicines as strongly provoke the terms2 and such are peony roots1 dittany1 juniper-berries1 betony1 centaury1 sage1 savory1 pennyroyal1 feverfew4 ,the last thing ,i shall mention is1 the overflowing of the menses4 ,this happens not so often as the foregoing1 but yet sometimes it does2 and in such cases take shepherd's purse1 either boiled in any convenient liquor1 or dried and beaten to powder1 and you will find it very good to stop them4 ,having thus finished the ,vade-,mecum for ,midwives1 before ,i conclude ,i will add something of the choice and qualifications of good nurses2 that those who have occasion for them1 may know how to order themselves1 for the good of the children whom they nurse4 #a4 ,let her age be between #bj and #cj1 for then she is in her prime4 #b4 ,let her be in health1 for her sickness infects the milk1 and the milk the child4 #c4 ,let her be a prudent woman1 for such a one will be careful of the child4 #d4 ,let her be not too poor2 for if she wants1 the child must want too4 #e4 ,let her be well bred2 for ill bred nurses corrupt good nature4 #f4 ,if it be a boy that is to be nursed1 let the nurse be such a one whose last child was a boy1 and so it will be the more agreeable2 but if it be a girl1 let the nurse be one whose last child was a girl4 #g4 ,if the nurse has a husband1 see that he be a good likely man1 and not given to debauchery2 for that may have an influence upon the child4 #h4 ,in the last place1 let the nurse take care that she be not pregnant herself2 for1 if so1 she must of necessity either spoil her own1 or yours1 or both4 ,to the nurse thus qualified1 you may put your child without danger4 ,and let such a nurse take the following directions1 for the better governing and ordering herself in that station4 ,approved ,directions to ,nurses4 #a4 ,let her use her body to exercise4 ,if she hath nothing else to do1 let her exercise herself by dancing the child2 for moderate exercise causeth good digestion2 and ,i am sure good blood must needs make good milk1 and good milk cannot fail making a thriving child4 #b4 ,let her live in good air2 there is nothing more natural than this4 ,it is the want of this makes so many children die in ,london2 and even those few that live are not of the best constitutions1 for gross and thick air makes unwieldy bodies and dull wits4 #c4 ,let her be careful of her diet1 and avoid all salt meats1 garlics1 leeks1 onions1 and mustard1 excessive drinking wine1 strong beer1 or ale1 for they trouble the child's body with choler3 cheese1 both new and old1 afflicts it with melancholy1 and all fish with phlegm4 #d4 ,let her never deny herself sleep when she is drowsy1 for by that means she will be more wakeful when the child cries4 #e4 ,let her avoid all disquiets of mind1 anger1 vexation1 sorrow1 and grief2 for these things very much disorder a woman1 and therefore must needs be hurtful to her milk4 #f4 ,if the nurse's milk happen to be corrupted by an accident1 as sometimes it may be1 being either too hot or too cold1 in such cases let her diet be good1 and let her observe the cautions which have already been given her4 ,and then1 if her milk be too hot1 let her cool it with endive1 succory1 lettuce1 sorrel1 purslain1 and plantain2 if it be too cold1 let her use burorage1 vervain1 buglos1 mother of thyme1 and cinnamon2 and let her observe this general rule1 that whatsoever strengthens the child in the womb1 the same attends the milk4 #g4 ,if the nurse wants milk1 the thistle1 commonly called the lady's thistle1 is an excellent thing for the breeding of milk1 there being few things growing 7if any7 that breeds more and better milk than that doth2 also the hoofs of the forefeet of the cow1 dried and beaten to powder1 and a drachm of the powder taken every morning in any convenient liquor1 increases milk4 ,choice ,remedies for increasing ,milk4 ,if any nurse be given to much fretting1 it makes her lean1 and hinders digestion2 and she can never have store of milk1 nor what she hath be good4 ,bad meats and drinks also hinder the increase of milk1 and therefore ought to be forborne4 ,a woman that would increase her milk1 should eat the best of food1 7that is if she can get it17 and let her drink milk wherein fennel seeds have been steeped4 ,let her take barley-water1 and burrage1 and spinach2 also goat's milk1 and lamb sodden with verjuice4 ,let her also comfort the stomach with confection of aniseed1 carraway1 and cummin seeds1 and also use those seeds sodden in water2 also take barley-water1 and boil therein green fennel and dill1 and sweeten it with sugar1 and drink it at pleasure4 ,hot fomentations open the breasts1 and attract the blood1 as decoction of fennel1 smallage1 or stamped mint applied4 ,or1 take fennel and parsley1 green1 each a handful1 boil and stamp them1 and barley-meal half an ounce1 with seed drachm1 storax1 calamint1 two drachms1 oil of lilies two ounces1 and make a poultice4 ,lastly1 take half an ounce of deer's suet1 and as much parsley roots1 an ounce and a half of barley-meal1 three drachms of red storax1 and three ounces of oil of sweet almonds2 boil the roots well1 and beat them to pap1 then mingle the other amongst them1 and put it warm to the nipples1 and it will increase the milk4 ,and thus1 courteous reader1 ,i have at length finished what ,i have designed2 and can truly affirm1 that thou hast here those recipes1 remedies1 and directions given unto thee with respect to child-bearing women1 midwives and nurses1 that are worth their weight in gold1 and will assuredly answer the end1 whenever thou hast occasion to make use of them1 they not being things taken on trust from tradition or hearsay1 but the result and dictates of sound judgment and experience4 ,,the ,,venereal ,,disease4 ,in a former edition of this book the venereal disease was omitted4 ,the reasons1 however1 which at that time induced me to leave it out1 have1 upon more mature consideration1 vanished4 ,bad consequences1 no doubt1 may arise from ignorant persons tampering with medicine in this disorder2 but the danger from that quarter seems to be more than balanced by the great and solid advantages which must arise to the patient from an early knowledge of his case1 and an attention to a plan of regimen1 which1 if it does not cure the disease1 will be sure to render it more mild1 and less hurtful to the constitution4 ,it is peculiarly unfortunate for the unhappy person who contracts this disease1 that it lies under a sort of disgrace4 ,this renders disguise necessary1 and makes the patient either conceal his disorder altogether1 or apply to those who promise a sudden and secret cure2 but who1 in fact1 only remove the symptoms for a time1 while they fix the disease deeper in the habit4 ,by this means a slight infection1 which might have been easily removed1 is often converted into an obstinate1 and sometimes incurable malady4 ,another unfavourable circumstance attending this disease is1 that it assumes a variety of different shapes1 and may with more propriety be called an assemblage of diseases1 than a single one4 ,no two diseases can require a more different mode of treatment than this does in its different stages4 ,hence the folly and danger of trusting to any particular nostrum for the cure of it4 ,such nostrums are1 however1 generally administered in the same manner to all who apply for them1 without the least regard to the state of the disease1 the constitution of the patient1 the degree of infection1 and a thousand other circumstances of the utmost importance4 ,though the venereal disease is generally the fruit of unlawful embraces1 yet it may be communicated to the innocent as well as the guilty4 ,infants1 nurses1 midwives1 and married women whose husbands lead dissolute lives1 are often affected with it1 and frequently lose their lives by not being aware of their danger in due time4 ,the unhappy condition of such persons will certainly plead our excuse1 if any excuse be necessary1 for endeavouring to point out the symptoms and cure of this too common disease4 ,to enumerate all its different symptoms1 however1 and to trace the disease minutely through its various stages1 would require a much larger space than falls to this part of my subject2 ,i shall therefore confine my observations chiefly to circumstances of importance1 omitting such as are either trifling1 or which occur but seldom4 ,i shall likewise pass over the history of the disease1 with the different methods of treatment which it has undergone1 since it was first introduced into ,europe1 and many other circumstances of a similar nature2 all of which1 though they might tend to amuse the reader1 yet could afford him little or no useful knowledge4 ,,of ,,the ,,virulent ,,gonorrh,a4 ,the ,virulent ,gonorrha is an involuntary discharge of infectious mucus from the parts of generation in either sex4 ,it generally makes its appearance within eight or ten days after the infection has been received2 sometimes it appears in two or three days1 and at other times not before the end of four or five weeks4 ,previous to the discharge1 the patient feels an itching1 with a small degree of pain in the genitals4 ,afterwards a thin glary matter begins to distil from the urinary passage1 which stains the linen1 and occasions a small degree of titillation1 particularly at the time of making water2 this gradually increasing1 arises at length to a degree of heat and pain1 which are chiefly perceived about the extremity of the urinary passage1 where a slight degree of redness and inflammation likewise begins to appear4 ,as the disorder advances1 the pain1 heat of the urine1 and running1 increase1 while fresh symptoms daily ensue4 ,in men the erections become painful and involuntary1 and are more frequent and lasting than when natural4 ,this symptom is most troublesome when the patient is warm in bed4 ,the pain which was at first only perceived towards the extremity1 now begins to reach up all the urinary passage1 and is more intense just after the patient has done making water4 ,the running gradually recedes from the colour of semen1 grows yellow1 and at length puts on the appearance of mucus4 ,when the disorder has arrived at its height1 all the symptoms are more intense2 the heat of the urine is so great1 that the patient dreads the making water2 and though he feels a constant inclination this way1 yet it is rendered with the greatest difficulty1 and often only by drops2 the involuntary erections now become extremely painful and frequent2 there is also a pain1 heat1 and sense of fulness about the seat1 and the running is plentiful and sharp1 of a brown1 greenish1 and sometimes of a bloody colour4 ,by a proper treatment1 the violence of the symptoms gradually abates2 the heat and urine goes off1 the involuntary and painful erections1 and the heat and pain about the seat1 become easier2 and the running also gradually decreases1 grows whiter and thicker1 till at last it entirely disappears4 ,by attending to these symptoms1 the gonorrha may be generally distinguished from any other disease4 ,there are1 however1 some few disorders for which it may be mistaken1 as an ulcer of the kidneys or bladder1 the fluor albus1 or whites in women1 c4 ,but in the former of these1 the matter comes away only with the urine1 or when the sphincter of the bladder is open2 whereas in a gonorrha the discharge is constant4 ,the latter is more difficult to distinguish1 and must be known chiefly from its effects2 as pain1 communicating the infection1 c4 ,,regimen4--,when a person has reason to suspect that he has caught the venereal infection1 he ought most strictly to observe a cooling regimen1 to avoid everything of a heating nature1 as wines1 spiritous liquors1 rich sauces1 spices1 salted1 high seasoned1 and smoke dried provisions1 particularly salt itself in every shape2 as also all aromatic and stimulating vegetables1 as onions1 garlic1 shalot1 nutmeg1 mustard1 cinnamon1 mace1 ginger1 and such like4 ,his food ought chiefly to consist of mild vegetables1 milk1 broths1 light puddings1 panado1 gruels1 c4 ,his drink may be barley-water1 milk and water1 decoctions of marshmallows and liquorice1 linseed tea1 or clear whey4 ,of these he ought to drink plentifully4 ,violent exercise of all kinds1 especially riding on horseback1 and venereal pleasures1 are to be avoided4 ,the patient must beware of cold1 and when the inflammation is violent1 he ought to keep his bed4 ,,medicine4--,a virulent gonorrha can rarely be cured speedily and effectually at the same time4 ,the patient ought1 therefore1 not to expect nor the physician to promise it4 ,it will often continue for two or three weeks1 and sometimes for five or six1 even where the treatment has been very proper4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 a slight infection may be carried off in a few days1 by bathing the parts in warm milk and water1 and injecting frequently up the urethra a little sweet oil1 or linseed tea1 about the warmth of new milk4 ,should these not succeed in carrying off the infection1 they will at least have a tendency to lessen its virulence4 ,to effect a cure1 however1 astringent injections will generally be found necessary4 ,there may be various ways prepared1 but ,i think those made with the white vitriol are both more safe and efficacious4 ,they can be made stronger or weaker as circumstances may require2 but it is best to begin with the more gentle1 and increase their power if necessary4 ,i generally ordered a dram of white vitriol to be dissolved in eight or nine ounces of common or rose-water1 and an ordinary syringe full of it to be thrown up three or four times a day4 ,if this quantity does not perform a cure1 it may be repeated1 and the dose increased4 ,whether injections be used or not1 cooling purges are always proper in the gonorrha4 ,they ought not1 however1 to be of the strong or drastic kind4 ,whatever raises a violent commotion in the body increases the danger1 and tends to drive the disease deeper into the habit4 ,procuring two or three stools every second or third day for the first fortnight1 and the same number every fourth or fifth day for the second1 will generally be sufficient to remove the inflammatory symptoms1 to diminish the running1 and to change its colour and consistence4 ,it gradually becomes more white and ropy as the virulence abates4#a ,footnote #a3 ,if the patient can swallow a solution of salts and manna1 he may take six drams2 or1 if his constitution requires it1 an ounce of the former1 with half an ounce of the latter4 ,these may be dissolved in an ,english pint of boiling water1 whey1 or thin water-gruel1 and taken early in the morning4 ,if an infusion of senna and tamarinds be more agreeable1 two drams of the former1 and an ounce of the latter1 may be infused all night in an ,english pint of boiling water4 ,the infusion may be strained next morning1 and half an ounce of ,glauber's salts dissolved in it4 ,a tea-cupful of this infusion may be taken every half hour till it operates4 ,should the patient prefer an electuary1 the following will be found to answer very well4 ,take of the lenitive electuary1 four ounces1 cream of tartar two ounces1 jalap in powder two drams1 rhubarb one dram1 and as much of the syrup ,of pale roses as will serve to make up the whole into a soft electuary4 ,two or three tea-spoonfuls of this may be taken over night1 and about the same quantity next morning1 every day that the patient chooses to take a purge4 ,the doses of the above medicines may be increased or diminished1 according as the patient finds it necessary4 ,we have ordered the salts to be dissolved in a large quantity of water1 because1 it renders their operation more mild4 ,when the inflammatory symptoms run high1 bleeding is always necessary at the beginning4 ,this operation1 as in other topical inflammations1 must be repeated according to the strength and constitution of the patient1 and the vehemence and urgency of the symptoms4 ,medicines which promote the secretion of urine are likewise proper in this stage of the disorder4 ,for this purpose an ounce of nitre and two ounces of gum-arabic1 pounded together1 may be divided into twenty-four doses1 one of which may be taken frequently in a cup of the patient's drink4 ,if these should make him pass his urine so often as to become troublesome to him1 he may either take them less frequently1 or leave out the nitre altogether1 and take equal parts of gum-arabic and cream of tartar4 ,these may be pounded together1 and a tea-spoonful taken in a cup of the patient's drink four or five times a day4 ,i have generally found this answer extremely well1 both as a diuretic1 and for keeping the body gently open4 ,when the pain and inflammation are seated high1 towards the neck of the bladder1 it will be proper frequently to throw up an emollient clyster1 which1 besides the benefit of procuring stools will serve as a fomentation to the inflamed parts4 ,soft poultices1 when they can conveniently be applied to the parts1 are of great service4 ,they may be made of the flour of linseed1 or of wheat-bread and milk softened with fresh butter or sweet oil4 ,when poultices cannot be conveniently used1 cloths wrung out of warm water1 or bladders filled with warm milk and water1 may be applied4 ,i have often known the most excruciating pains1 during the inflammatory state of the gonorrha1 relieved by one of these applications4 ,few things tend more to keep off inflammation in the spermatic vessels1 than a proper suspensory for the scrotum4 ,it ought to be so contrived as to support the testicles1 and should be worn from the first appearance of the disease1 till it has ceased some weeks4 ,the above treatment will sometimes remove the gonorrha so quickly1 that the person will be in doubt whether he really laboured under that disease4 ,this1 however1 is too favourable a turn to be often expected4 ,it more frequently happens1 that we are able to procure an abatement or remission of the inflammatory symptoms1 so far as to make it safe to have recourse to the great antidote mercury4 ,many people1 on the first appearance of a gonorrha1 fly to the use of mercury4 ,this is a bad plan4 ,mercury is often not at all necessary in a gonorrha2 and when taken too early1 it does mischief4 ,it may be necessary to complete the cure1 but can never be proper at the commencement of it4 ,when bleeding1 purging1 fomentations1 and the other things recommended above1 have eased the pain1 softened the pulse1 relieved the heat of urine1 and rendered the involuntary ejections less frequent1 the patient may begin to use mercury in any form that is least disagreeable to him4 ,if he takes the common mercurial pill1 two at night and one in the morning will be a sufficient dose at first4 ,should they affect the mouth too much1 the dose must be lessened2 if not at all1 it may be increased to five or six pills in the day4 ,if calomel be thought preferable1 two or three grains of it1 formed into a bolus1 with a little of the conserve of hips1 may be taken at bed-time1 and the dose gradually increased to eight or ten grains4 ,one of the most common preparations of mercury now in use is the corrosive sublimate4 ,this may be taken in the manner afterwards recommended under the confirmed lues or pox4 ,i have always found it one of the most safe and efficacious medicines when properly used4 ,the foregoing medicines may either be taken every day1 or every other day1 as the patient is able to bear them4 ,they ought never to be taken in such quantity as to raise a salivation1 unless in a very slight degree4 ,this disease may be more safely1 and as certainly1 cured without a salivation as with it4 ,when the mercury runs off by the mouth1 it is not so successful in carrying off the disease1 as when it continues longer in the body1 and is discharged gradually4 ,should the patient be purged or griped in the night by the mercury1 he may take half a dram of the opiate confection dissolved in an ounce of cinnamon-water1 to prevent bloody stools1 which are apt to happen should the patient catch cold1 or if the mercury has not been duly prepared4 ,when the bowels are weak1 and the mercury is apt to gripe or purge1 these disagreeable consequences may be prevented by taking1 with the foregoing pills or bolus1 half a dram or two scruples of diascordium1 or of the ,japonic confection4 ,to prevent the disagreeable circumstance of the mercury's affecting the mouth too much1 or bringing on a salivation1 it may be combined with purgatives4 ,with this view the laxative mercurial pill has been contrived1 the usual dose of which is half a dram1 or three pills night and morning1 to be repeated every other day2 but the safer way is for the patient to begin with two1 or even with one pill1 gradually increasing the dose4 ,to such persons as can neither swallow a bolus nor a pill1 mercury may be given in a liquid form1 as it can be suspended even in a watery vehicle1 by means of gum-arabic1 which not only serves this purpose1 but likewise prevents the mercury from affecting the mouth1 and renders it in many respects a better medicine4#b ,footnote #b3 ,take quicksilver one dram1 gum-arabic reduced to a mucilage two drams2 let the quicksilver be rubbed with the mucilage1 in a marble mortar1 until the globules of mercury entirely disappear2 afterwards and gradually1 still continuing the trituration1 add half an ounce of balsamic syrup1 and eight ounces of simply cinnamon-water4 ,two table-spoonfuls of this solution may be taken night and morning4 ,some reckon this the best form in which quicksilver can be exhibited for the cure of gonorrha4 ,it happens very fortunately for those who cannot be brought to take mercury inwardly1 and likewise for persons whose bowels are too tender to bear it1 that an external application of it will answer equally well1 and in some respects better4 ,it must be acknowledged1 that mercury1 taken inwardly for any length of time1 greatly weakens and disorders the bowels2 for which reason1 when a plentiful use of it becomes necessary1 we would prefer rubbing in to the mercurial pills4 ,the common mercurial1 or blue ointment1 will answer very well4 ,of that which is made by rubbing together equal quantities of hogslard and quicksilver1 about a dram may be used at a time4 ,the best time for rubbing it in is at night1 and the most proper place the inner side of the thighs4 ,the patient should sit beside the fire when he rubs1 and should wear flannel drawers next his skin at the time he is using the ointment4 ,if ointment of a weaker or stronger kind be used1 the quantity must be increased or diminished in proportion4 ,if1 during the use of the ointment1 the inflammation of the genital parts1 together with the heat and feverishness1 should return1 or if the mouth should grow sore1 the gums tender1 and the breath becomes offensive1 a dose or two of ,glauber's salts1 or some other cooling purge1 may be taken1 and the rubbing intermitted for a few days4 ,as soon1 however1 as the signs of spitting are gone off1 if the virulency be not quite corrected1 the ointment must be repeated1 but in smaller quantities1 and at longer intervals than before4 ,whatever way mercury is administered1 its use must be persisted in as long as any virulency is suspected to remain4 ,during this1 which may be called the second stage of the disorder1 though so strict a regimen is not necessary as in the first or inflammatory state1 yet intemperance of every kind ought to be avoided4 ,the food must be light1 plain1 and of easy digestion2 and the greatest indulgence that may be allowed1 with respect to drink1 is a little wine diluted with a sufficient quantity of water4 ,spiritous liquors are to be avoided in every shape4 ,i have often known the inflammatory symptoms renewed and heightened1 the running increased1 and the cure rendered extremely difficult and tedious1 by one fit of excessive drinking4 ,when the above treatment has removed the heat of urine1 and soreness of the genital parts2 when the quantity of running is lessened1 without any pain or swelling in the groin or testicle supervening2 when the patient is free from involuntary erections2 and lastly1 when the running becomes pale1 whitish1 void of ill smell1 and tenacious or ropy2 when all or most of these symptoms appear1 the gonorrha is arrived at its last stage1 and we may gradually proceed to treat it as a gleet with astringent and agglutinating medicines4 ,,of ,,gleets4 ,a gonorrha frequently repeated1 or improperly treated1 often ends in a gleet1 which may either proceed from a relaxation1 or from some remains of the disease4 ,it is1 however1 of the greatest importance in the cure of the gleet1 to know from which of these causes it proceeds4 ,when the discharge proves very obstinate1 and receives little or no check from astringent remedies1 there is ground to suspect that it is owing to the latter2 but if the drain is constant1 and is chiefly observable when the patient is stimulated by lascivious ideas1 or upon straining to go to stool1 we may reasonably conclude that it is chiefly owing to the former4 ,in the cure of a gleet proceeding from relaxation1 the principal design is to brace and restore a proper degree of tension to the debilitated and relaxed vessels4 ,for this purpose1 besides the medicines recommended in the gonorrha1 the patient may have recourse to stronger and more powerful astringents1 as the ,peruvian bark1#c alum1 vitriol1 galls1 tormentil1 bistort1 ballustines1 tincture of gum kino1 c4 ,the injections may be rendered more astringent by the addition of a few grains of alum1 or increasing the quantity of vitriol as far as the parts are able to bear it4 ,footnote #c3 ,the ,peruvian bark may be combined with other astringents1 and prepared in the following manner3--,take of ,peruvian bark bruised six drams1 of fresh galls bruised two drams1 boil them in a pound and a half of water to a pound2 to the strained liquor add three ounces of the simple tincture of the bark4 ,a small tea-cupful of this may be taken three times a day1 adding to each cup fifteen or twenty drops of the acid elixir of vitriol4 ,the last remedy which we shall mention1 in this case1 is the cold bath1 than which there is not a more powerful bracer in the whole compass of medicine4 ,it ought never to be omitted in this species of gleet1 unless there be something in the constitution of the patient which renders the use of it unsafe4 ,the chief objections to the use of the cold bath are a full habit1 and an unsound state of the viscera4 ,the danger of the former may always be lessened1 if not removed1 by purging and bleeding2 but the latter is an insurmountable obstacle1 as the pressure of the water1 and the sudden contraction of the external vessels1 by throwing the blood with too much force upon the internal parts are apt to occasion ruptures of the vessels1 or a flux of humours upon the diseased organs4 ,but where no objections of this kind prevail1 the patient ought to plunge over head in water every morning fasting1 for three or four weeks together4 ,he should not1 however1 stay long in the water1 and should take care to have his skin dried as soon as he comes out4 ,the regimen proper in this case is the same as was mentioned in the last stage of the gonorrha3 the diet must be drying and astringent1 and the drink ,spa1 ,pyrmont1 or ,bristol waters with which a little claret or red wine may sometimes be mixed4 ,when the gleet does not in the smallest degree yield to these medicines1 there is reason to suspect that it proceeds from ulcers4 ,in this case recourse must be had to mercury1 and such medicines as tend to correct any predominant acrimony with which the juices may be affected1 as the decoction of ,china1 sarsaparilla1 sassafras1 or the like4 ,mr4 ,fordyce says1 he has seen many obstinate gleets1 of two1 three1 or four years standing1 effectually cured by a mercurial inunction1 when almost every other medicine has been tried in vain4 ,dr4 ,chapman seems to be of the same opinion2 but says1 he has always found the mercury succeed best in this case when joined with terebinthinate and other agglutinating medicines4 ,for which reason the ,doctor recommends pills made of calomel and ,venice turpentine2#d and desires that their use may be accompanied with a decoction of guaiacum or sarsaparilla4 ,footnote #d3 ,take ,venice turpentine1 boiled to a sufficient degree of hardness1 half an ounce1 calomel half a dram4 ,let these be mixed and formed into sixty pills1 of which five or six may be taken night and morning4 ,if1 during the use of these pills1 the mouth should grow sore1 or the breath become offensive1 they must be discontinued till these symptoms disappear4 ,the last kind of remedy which we shall mention for the cure of ulcers in the urinary passage1 are the supperating candles or bougies4 ,as these are prepared various ways1 and are generally to be bought ready made1 it is needless to spend time in enumerating the different ingredients of which they are composed1 or teaching the manner of preparing them4 ,before a bougie be introduced into the urethra1 however1 it should be smeared all over with sweet oil1 to prevent it from stimulating too suddenly4 ,it may be suffered to continue in from one to seven hours1 according as the patient can bear it4 ,obstinate ulcers are not only often healed1 but tumours or excrescences in the urinary passages taken away1 and an obstruction of urine removed1 by means of bougies4 ,obstinate gleets may be removed by the use of bougies4 ,,of ,,the ,,swelled ,,testicle4 ,the swelled testicle may either proceed from infection lately contracted1 or from the venereal poison lurking in the body2 the latter indeed is not very common1 but the former frequently happens both in the first and second stages of a gonorrha2 particularly when the running is unseasonably checked1 by cold1 hard drinking1 strong drastic purges1 violent exercise1 the too early use of astringent medicines1 or the like4 ,in the inflammatory stage1 bleeding is necessary1 which must be repeated according to the urgency of the symptoms4#e ,the food must be light1 and the drink diluting4 ,high-seasoned food1 flesh1 wines1 and every thing of a heating nature1 are to be avoided4 ,fomentations are of singular service4 ,poultices of bread and milk1 softened with fresh butter or oil1 are likewise very proper1 and ought constantly to be applied when the patient is in bed2 when he is up the testicles should be kept warm1 and supported by a suspensory1 which may easily be contrived in such a manner as to prevent the weight of the testicle from having any effect4 ,footnote #e3 ,i have been accustomed for some time past to apply leeches to inflamed testicles1 which practice has always been followed with the most happy effects4 ,if it should be found impracticable to clear the testicle by the cooling regimen now pointed out1 and extended according to circumstances1 it will be necessary to lead the patient through such a complete antivenereal course as shall ensure him against any future uneasiness4 ,for this purpose1 besides rubbing the mercurial ointment on the thighs as directed in the gonorrha1 the patient must be confined to bed1 if necessary1 for five or six weeks1 suspending the testicle1 all the while1 with a bag or truss1 and plying him inwardly with strong decoctions of sarsaparilla4 ,when these means do not succeed1 and there is reason to suspect a scrofulous or cancerous habit1 either of which may support a schirrous induration1 after a venereal poison is corrected1 the parts should be fomented daily with a decoction of hemlock1 the bruised leaves of which may likewise be added to the poultice1 and the extract at the same time taken inwardly4#f ,this practice is strongly recommended by ,dr4 ,storck in schirrous and cancerous cases2 and ,mr4 ,fordyce assures us1 that by this method he has cured diseased testicles of two or three years standing1 even when ulcerated1 and when the schirrous had begun to be affected with pricking and lancing pains4 ,footnote #f3 ,the extract of hemlock may be made into pills1 and taken in the manner directed under the article ,cancer4 ,,of ,,buboes4 ,venereal buboes are hard tumours seated in the groin1 occasioned by the venereal poison lodged in this part4 ,they are of two kinds1 viz4 such as proceed from a recent infection1 and such as accompany a confirmed lues4 ,the cure of recent buboes1 that is1 such as appear soon after impure coition1 may be first attempted by dispersion2 and1 if that should not succeed1 by suppuration4 ,to promote the dispersion of a buboe1 the same regimen must be observed as was directed in the first stage of a gonorrha4 ,the patient must likewise be bled1 and take some cooling purges1 as the decoction of tamarinds and senna1 ,glauber's salts1 and the like4 ,if by this course the swelling and other inflammatory symptoms abate1 we may safely proceed to use the mercury1 which must be continued till the venereal virus is quite subdued4#g ,footnote #g3 ,for the dispersion of a ,bubo1 a number of leeches applied to the part affected will be found equally efficacious as in the inflamed testicle4 ,but if the buboe should1 from the beginning1 be attended with great heat1 pain1 and pulsation1 it will be proper to promote its suppuration4 ,for this purpose the patient may be allowed to use his ordinary diet1 and to take now and then a glass of wine4 ,emollient cataplasms1 consisting of bread and milk softened with oil or fresh butter1 may be applied to the part2 and1 in cold constitutions1 where the tumour advances slowly1 white lily roots boiled1 or sliced onions raw1 and a sufficient quantity of yellow basilicon1 may be added to the poultice4 ,when the tumour is ripe1 which may be known by its conical figure1 the softness of the skin1 and a fluctuation of the matter plainly to be felt under the finger1 it may be opened either by a caustic or a lancet1 and afterwards dressed with digestive ointment4 ,it sometimes1 however1 happens that buboes can neither be dispersed nor brought to a suppuration1 but remain hard indolent tumours4 ,in this case the indurated glands must be consumed by caustic2 if they should become schirrous1 they must be dissolved by the application of hemlock1 both externally and internally1 as directed in the schirrous testicle4 ,,of ,,chancres4 ,chancres are superficial1 callous1 eating ulcers1 which may happen either with or without gonorrha4 ,they are commonly seated about the glands1 and make their appearance in the following manner3--,first a little red pimple arises1 which soon becomes pointed at top1 and is filled with a whitish matter inclining to yellow4 ,this pimple is hot1 and itches generally before it breaks2 afterwards it degenerates into an obstinate ulcer1 the bottom of which is usually covered with a viscid mucus1 and whose edges gradually become hard and callous4 ,sometimes the first appearance resembles a simple excoriation of the cuticle2 which1 however1 if the cause be venereal1 soon becomes a true chancre4 ,a chancre is sometimes a primary affection1 but it is much oftener symptomatic1 and is the mark of a confirmed lues4 ,primary chancres discover themselves soon after the coition1 and are generally seated in parts covered with a thin cuticle1 as the lips1 the nipples of women1 the glens penis of men1 c4#h ,footnote #h3 ,when the venereal ulcers are seated in the lips1 the infection may be communicated by kissing4 ,i have seen very obstinate venereal ulcers in the lips1 which ,i have all the reason in the world to believe were communicated in this manner4 ,nurses ought to beware of suckling infected children1 or having their breasts drawn by persons tainted with the venereal disease4 ,this caution is peculiarly necessary for nurses who reside in the neighbourhood of great towns4 ,when the chancre appears soon after impure coition1 its treatment is nearly similar to that of the virulent gonorrha4 ,the patient must observe the cooling regimen1 lose a little blood1 and take some gentle doses of salts and manna4 ,the parts affected ought frequently to be bathed or rather soaked in warm milk and water1 and if the inflammation be great1 an emollient poultice or cataplasm may be applied to them4 ,this course will1 in most cases1 be sufficient to abate the inflammation1 and prepare the patient for the use of mercury4 ,symptomatic chancres are commonly accompanied with ulcers in the throat1 nocturnal pains1 scabby eruptions about the roots of the hair1 and other symptoms of a confirmed lues4 ,though they may be seated in any of the parts mentioned above1 they commonly appear upon the private parts1 or the inside of the thigh4 ,they are less painful1 but frequently much larger and harder than primary chancres4 ,as their cure must depend upon that of the pox1 of which they are only a symptom1 we shall take no further notice of them till we come to treat of a confirmed lues4#i ,footnote #i3 ,i have found it answer extremely well to sprinkle chancres twice a day with calomel4 ,this will often perform a cure without any other application whatever4 ,if the chancres are upon the glans1 they may be washed with milk and water a little warm1 and afterwards the calomel may be applied as above4 ,thus we have related most of the symptoms which accompany or succeed a violent gonorrha1 and have also given a short view of their proper treatment2 there are1 however1 several others which sometimes attend this disease1 as a strangury or obstruction of urine1 a phymosis1 paraphymosis1 c4 ,a strangury may be occasioned either by a spasmodic constriction1 or an inflammation of the urethra and parts about the neck of the bladder4 ,in the former case the patient begins to void his urine with tolerable ease2 but1 as soon as it touches the galled or inflamed urethra1 a sudden constriction takes place1 and the urine is voided by spurts1 sometimes by drops only4 ,when the strangury is owing to an inflammation about the neck of the bladder1 there is a constant heat and uneasiness of the part1 a perpetual desire to make water1 while the patient can only render a few drops1 and a troublesome tenesmus1 or constant inclination to go to stool4 ,when the strangury is owing to spasm1 such medicines as tend to dilute and blunt the salts of the urine will be proper4 ,for this purpose1 besides the common diluting liquors1 soft and cooling emulsions1 sweetened with the syrup of poppies1 may be used4 ,should these not have the desired effect1 bleeding and emollient fomentations will be necessary4 ,when the complaint is evidently owing to an inflammation about the neck of the bladder1 bleeding must be more liberally performed1 and repeated according to the urgency of the symptoms4 ,after bleeding1 if the strangury still continues1 soft clysters1 with a proper quantity of laudanum in them1 may be administered1 and emollient fomentations applied to the region of the bladder4 ,at the same time1 the patient may take every four hours a tea-cupful of barley-water1 to an ,english pint of which six ounces of the syrup of marshmallows1 and four ounces of the oil of sweet almonds1 and half an ounce of nitre may be added4 ,if these remedies should not relieve the complaint1 and a total suppression of urine should come on1 bleeding must be repeated1 and the patient set in a warm bath up to the middle4 ,it will be proper in this case to discontinue the diuretics1 and to draw off the water with a catheter2 but as the patient is seldom able to bear its being introduced1 we would rather recommend the use of mild bougies4 ,these often lubricate the passage1 and greatly facilitate the discharge of urine4 ,whenever they begin to stimulate or give any uneasiness1 they may be withdrawn4 ,the phymosis is such a constriction of the prepuce over the glans1 as hinders it from being drawn backwards2 the paraphymosis1 on the contrary1 is such a constriction of the prepuce behind the glans1 as hinders it from being brought forward4 ,the treatment of these symptoms is so nearly the same with that of the virulent gonorrha1 that we have no occasion to enlarge upon it4 ,in general1 bleeding1 purging1 poultices1 and emollient fomentations1 are sufficient4 ,should these1 however1 fail of removing the stricture1 and the parts be threatened with a mortification1 twenty or thirty grains of ipecacuana1 and one grain of emetic tartar may be given for a vomit1 and may be worked off with warm water or thin gruel4 ,it sometimes happens1 that in spite of all endeavours to the contrary1 the inflammation goes on1 and symptoms of a beginning mortification appear4 ,when this is the case1 the prepuce must be scarified with a lancet1 and1 if necessary1 divided1 in order to prevent a strangulation1 and set the imprisoned glans at liberty4 ,we shall not describe the manner of performing this operation1 as it ought always to be done by a surgeon4 ,when a mortification has actually taken place1 it will be necessary1 besides the above operations1 to foment the parts frequently with cloths wrung out of a strong decoction of camomile-flowers and bark1 and to give the patient a dram of the bark in powder every two or three hours4 ,with regard to the priapism1 chordee1 and other distortions of the penis1 their treatment is no way different from that of the gonorrha4 ,when they prove very troublesome1 the patient may take a few drops of laudanum at night1 especially after the operation of a purgative through the day4 ,,of ,a ,,confirmed ,,lues4 ,we have hitherto treated of those affections in which the venereal poison is supposed to be confined chiefly to the particular part by which it was received1 and shall next take a view of the lues in its confirmed state3 that is1 when the poison is actually received into the blood1 and circulating with it through every part of the body1 mixes with the several secretions1 and renders the whole habit tainted4 ,the symptoms of a confirmed lues are1 buboes in the groin1 pains of the head and joints1 which are peculiarly troublesome in the night1 or when the patient is warm in bed2 scabs and scurfs on various parts of the body1 especially on the head1 of a yellowish colour1 resembling a honey-comb2 corroding ulcers in various parts of the body1 which generally begin about the throat1 from whence they creep gradually1 by the palate1 towards the cartilage of the nose1 which they destroy2 excrescences or exostoses arise in the middle of the bones1 and their spongy ends become brittle and break upon the least accident2 at other times they are soft1 and bend like wax3 the conglobate glands become hard and callous1 and form in the neck1 arm-pits1 groin1 and mesentery1 hard moveable tumours1 like the king's-evil2 tumours of different kinds are likewise formed in the lymphatic vessels1 tendons1 ligaments1 and nerves1 as the gummata1 ganglia1 nodes1 tophs1 c42 the eyes are affected with itching1 pain1 redness1 and sometimes with total blindness1 and the ears with a singing noise1 pain1 and deafness1 while their internal substance is exulcerated and rendered carious2 at length all the animal1 vital1 and natural functions are depraved2 the face becomes pale and livid2 the body emaciated and unfit for motion1 and the miserable patient falls into an atrophy or wasting consumption4 ,women have symptoms peculiar to the sex2 as cancers of the breast2 a suppression or overflowing of the menses2 the whites2 hysteric affections2 an inflammation1 abscess1 schirrus1 gangrene1 cancer1 or ulcer of the womb3 they are generally either barren or subject to abortion2 or if they bring children into the world1 they have universal erysipelas1 are half rotten1 and covered with ulcers4 ,such is the catalogue of symptoms attending this dreadful disease in its confirmed state4 ,indeed1 they are seldom all to be met with in the same person1 or at the same time2 so many of them1 however1 are generally present as are sufficient to alarm the patient2 and if he has reason to suspect the infection is lurking in his body1 he ought immediately to set about the expulsion of it1 otherwise the most tragical consequence will ensue4 ,the only certain remedy hitherto known in ,europe for the cure of this disease1 is mercury1 which may be used in a great variety of forms1 with nearly the same success4 ,some time ago it was reckoned impossible to cure a confirmed lues without a salivation4 ,this method is now1 however1 pretty generally laid aside1 and mercury is found to be as efficacious1 or rather more so1 in expelling the venereal poison1 when administered in such a manner as not to run off the salivatory glands4 ,though many are of opinion that the mercurial ointment is as efficacious as any other preparation of that mineral2 yet experience has taught me to think otherwise4 ,i have often seen the most obstinate venereal cases1 where great quantities of mercurial ointment had been used in vain1 yield to the saline preparations of mercury4 ,nor am ,i so singular in this opinion4 ,mr4 ,clare1 a very eminent surgeon1 assured me1 that for some time past he had employed in venereal cases a saline preparation of mercury with most happy success4 ,this preparation1 rubbed with a sufficient quantity of any mild powder1 he applied1 in small portions1 to the tongue1 where1 with a gentle degree of friction1 it was immediately absorbed1 and produced its full effect upon the system1 without doing the least injury to the stomach or bowels2 a matter of greater importance in the application of this most active and powerful remedy4 ,it is impossible to ascertain either the exact quantity of medicines that must be taken1 or the time they ought to be continued in order to perform a cure4 ,these will ever vary according to the constitution of the patient1 the season of the year1 the degree of infection1 the time it has lodged in the body1 c4 ,but though it is difficult1 as ,astruc observes1 to determine a priori1 what quantity of mercury will1 in the whole1 be necessary to cure this distemper completely1 yet it may be judged of a posteriori1 from the abatement and ceasing of the symptoms4 ,the same author adds1 that commonly not less than two ounces of the strong mercurial ointment is sufficient1 and not more than three or four ounces necessary4 ,the only chemical preparation of mercury which we shall take notice of1 is the corrosive sublimate4 ,this was some time ago brought into use for the venereal disease in ,germany1 by the illustrious ,baron ,van ,swieten2 and was soon after introduced into ,britain by the learned ,sir ,john ,pringle1 at that time a physician to the army4 ,the method of giving it is as follows3 ,one grain of corrosive sublimate is dissolved in two ounces of ,french brandy or malt spirits2 and of this solution an ordinary table-spoonful1 or the quantity of half an ounce1 is to be taken twice a day1 and to be continued as long as any symptoms of the disorder remain4 ,to those whose stomachs cannot bear the solution1 the sublimate may be given in form of a pill4#aj ,footnote #aj3 ,the sublimate may be given in distilled water1 or any other liquid that the patient chooses4 ,i commonly order ten grains to be dissolved in an ounce of the spirit of wine1 for the convenience of carriage1 and let the patient take twenty or thirty drops of it night and morning1 in half a glass of brandy or other spirits4 ,several roots1 woods1 and barks1 have been recommended for curing the venereal disease2 but none of them have been found1 upon experience1 to answer the high encomiums which had been bestowed upon them4 ,though no one of these is to be depended upon alone1 yet1 when joined with mercury1 some of them are found to be very beneficial in promoting a cure4 ,one of the best we know yet is sarsaparilla4 ,the mezereon-root is likewise found to be a powerful assistant to the sublimate1 or any other mercurial4 ,it may either be used along with the sarsaparilla1 or by itself4 ,those who choose to use the mezereon by itself1 may boil an ounce of the fresh bark1 taken from the root1 in twelve ,english pints of water1 to eight1 adding towards the end an ounce of liquorice4 ,the dose of this is the same as of the decoction of sarsaparilla4 ,we have been told1 that the natives of ,america cure the venereal disease1 in every stage1 by a decoction of the root of a plant called the ,lobelia4 ,it is used either fresh or dried2 but we have no certain accounts with regard to the proportion4 ,sometimes they mix other roots with it1 as those of the ranunculus1 the ceanothus1 c42 but whether they are designed to disguise or assist it1 is doubtful4 ,the patient takes a large draught of the decoction early in the morning1 and continues to use it for his ordinary drink throughout the day4#aa ,footnote #aa3 ,though we are still very much in the dark with regard to the method of curing this disease among the natives of ,america1 yet it is generally affirmed that they do cure it with speed1 safety1 and success1 and that without the least knowledge of mercury4 ,hence it becomes an object of considerable importance to discover their method of cure4 ,this might surely be done by making trials of the various plants which are found in those parts1 and particularly of such as the natives are known to make use of4 ,all people in a rude state take their medicines chiefly from the vegetable kingdom1 and are often possessed of valuable secrets with regard to the virtues of plants1 of which more enlightened nations are ignorant4 ,indeed1 we make no doubt but some plants of our own growth1 were proper pains taken to discover them1 would be found as efficacious in curing the venereal disease as those in ,america4 ,it must1 however1 be remembered1 that what will cure the venereal disease in one country1 will not always be found to have equal success in another4 ,many other roots and woods might be mentioned which have been extolled for curing the venereal disease1 as the china roots1 the roots of soap-wart1 burdock1 c41 as also the wood of guaiacum and sassafras2 but as none of these have been found to possess virtues superior to those already mentioned1 we shall1 for the sake of brevity1 pass them over1 and shall conclude our observations on this disease1 with a few general remarks concerning the proper management of the patient and the nature of the infection4 ,,general ,,observations4 ,the condition of the patient ought always to be considered previous to his entering upon a course of mercury in any form4 ,it would be equally rash and dangerous to administer mercury to a person labouring under any violent acute disease1 as a putrid fever1 pleurisy1 peripnuemony1 or the like4 ,it would likewise be dangerous in some chronic cases2 as a slow hectic fever1 or the last stage of a consumption4 ,sometimes1 however1 these diseases proceed from a confirmed lues2 in which case it will be necessary to give mercury4 ,in chronic diseases of a less dangerous nature1 as the asthma1 the gravel1 and such like1 mercury1 if necessary1 may be safely administered4 ,if the patient's strength has been greatly exhausted by sickness1 labour1 abstinence1 or any other cause1 the use of mercury must be postponed1 till by time1 rest1 and a nourishing diet1 it can be sufficiently restored4 ,mercury ought not to be administered to women during the menstrual flux1 or when the period is near at hand4 ,neither should it be given in the last stage of pregnancy4 ,if1 however1 the woman be not near the time of her delivery1 and circumstances render it necessary1 mercury may be given1 but in smaller doses1 and at greater intervals than usual2 with these precautions1 both the mother and child may be cured at the same time1 if not1 the disorder will at least be kept from growing worse1 till the woman be brought to bed1 and sufficiently recovered1 when a more effectual method may be pursued1 which1 if she suckles her child1 will in all probability be sufficient for the cure of both4 ,mercury ought always to be administered to infants with the greatest caution4 ,their tender condition unfits them for supporting a salivation1 and makes it necessary to administer even the mildest preparations of mercury to them with a sparing hand4 ,a similar conduct is recommended in the treatment of old persons1 who have the misfortune to labour under a confirmed lues4 ,no doubt the infirmities of age must render people less able to undergo the fatigues of a salivation2 but this1 as was formerly observed1 is never necessary2 besides1 we have generally found that mercury had much less effect upon very old persons1 than on those who were younger4 ,hysteric and hypochondriac persons1 and such as are subject to an habitual diarrha or dysentery1 or to frequent and violent attacks of epilepsy1 or who are afflicted with the scrofula or the scurvy1 ought to be cautious in the use of mercury4 ,where any one of these disorders prevails it ought either1 if possible1 to be cured1 or at least palliated1 before the patient enters upon a course of mercury4 ,when this cannot be done1 the mercury must be administered in smaller doses1 and at longer intervals than usual4 ,the most proper seasons for entering upon a course of mercury1 are the spring and autumn1 when the air is of a moderate warmth4 ,if the circumstances of the case1 however1 will not admit of delay1 we must not defer the cure on account of the season1 but must administer the mercury2 taking care1 at the same time1 to keep the patient's chamber warmer or cooler according as the season of the year requires4 ,the next thing to be considered is the preparation necessary to be observed before we proceed to administer a course of mercury4 ,some lay great stress upon this circumstance1 observing that by previously relaxing the vessels1 and correcting any disorder which may happen to prevail in the blood1 not only the mercury will be disposed to act more kindly1 but many other inconveniencies will be prevented4 ,we have already recommended bleeding and gentle purges1 previous to the administration of mercury1 and shall only now add1 that these are always to be repeated according to the age1 strength1 constitution1 and other circumstances of the patient4 ,afterwards1 if it can be conveniently done1 the patient ought to bathe once or twice a day1 for a few days1 in lukewarm water4 ,his diet1 in the meantime1 must be light1 moist1 and cooling4 ,wine and all heating liquors1 also violent bodily exercise1 and all great exertions of the mind1 are carefully to be avoided4 ,a proper regimen is likewise to be observed by such as are under a course of mercury4 ,inattention to this not only endangers the patient's life1 but often also disappoints him of a cure4 ,a much smaller quantity of mercury will be sufficient for the cure of a person who lives low1 keeps warm1 and avoids all manner of excess1 than of one who cannot endure to put the smallest restraint upon his appetites2 indeed1 it but rarely happens that such are thoroughly cured4 ,there is hardly any thing of more importance1 either for preventing or removing venereal infection than cleanliness4 ,by an early attention to this1 the infection might often be prevented from entering the body2 and where it has already taken place1 its effects may be greatly mitigated4 ,the moment any person has reason to suspect that he has received the infection1 he ought to wash the parts with water and spirits1 sweet oil1 or milk and water2 a small quantity of the last may likewise be injected up the urethra1 if it can be conveniently done4 ,whether this disease at first took its rise from dirtiness is hard to say2 but wherever that prevails the infection is found in its greatest virulence1 which gives ground to believe that a strict attention to cleanliness would go far towards extirpating it altogether4#ab ,footnote #ab3 ,i have not only seen a recent infection carried off in a few days by means of cleanliness1 viz41 bathing1 fomentations1 injections1 c41 but have likewise found it of the greatest advantage in the more advanced stages of the disease4 ,of this ,i had lately a very remarkable instance in a man whose penis was almost wholly consumed by venereal ulcers2 the matter had been allowed to continue on the sores without any care having been taken to clean them1 till1 notwithstanding the use of mercury and other medicines1 it had produced the effects mentioned4 ,i ordered warm milk and water to be injected three or four times a day into all the sinuous ulcers1 in order to wash out the matter2 after which they were stuffed with dry lint to absorb the fresh matter as it was generated4 ,the patient at the same time took every day half a grain of the corrosive sublimate of mercury1 dissolved in an ounce of brandy1 and drank an ,english quart of the decoction of sarsaparilla4 ,by this treatment1 in about six weeks1 he was perfectly cured2 and1 what was very remarkable1 a part of the penis was actually regenerated4 ,dr4 ,gilchrist has given an account of a species of the lues venerea which prevails in the west of ,scotland1 to which the natives give the name of ,sibbins or ,sivvins4 ,the doctor observes1 that the spreading of this disease is chiefly owing to a neglect of cleanliness1 and seems to think1 that by due attention to this virtue1 it might be extirpated4 ,the treatment of this disease is similar to that of a confirmed lues or pox4 ,the yaws1 a disease which is now very common both in ,america and the ,west ,india ,islands1 may also be cured in the same manner4 ,when the venereal disease has been neglected1 or improperly treated1 it often becomes a disorder of the habit4 ,in this case the cure must be attempted by restoratives1 as milk diet1 the decoction of sarsaparilla1 and such like1 to which mercury may be added4 ,it is a common practice in ,north ,britain to send such patients to drink goat-whey4 ,this is a very proper plan1 providing the infection has been totally eradicated beforehand2 but when that is not the case1 and the patient trusts to the whey for finishing his cure1 he will be often disappointed4 ,i have frequently known the disease return with all its virulence after a course of goat-whey1 even when that course had been thought quite sufficient for completing the cure4 ,one of the most unfortunate circumstances attending patients in this disease1 is the necessity they are often laid under of hurrying the cure4 ,this induces them to take medicine too fast1 and to leave it off too soon4 ,a few grains more of medicine1 or a few days longer confinement1 would often be sufficient to perform the cure2 whereas1 by neglect of these1 a small degree of virulence is still left in the system1 which gradually vitiates1 and at length contaminates the whole mass4 ,to avoid this1 we would advise1 that the patient should never leave off taking medicine immediately upon the disappearing of the symptoms1 but continue it for some time after1 gradually lessening the quantity1 till there is reason to believe the disease is entirely eradicated4 ,it is not only difficult1 but absolutely impossible1 to ascertain the exact degree of virulence that may attend the disease2 for which reason it will always be a much safer rule to continue the use of medicine too long1 than to leave it off too soon4 ,this seems to be the leading maxim of a modern practitioner of some note for the venereal disease1 who always orders his patients to perform a quarantine of forty days1 during which time he takes forty bottles of1 ,i suppose1 a strong decoction of sarsaparilla1 or some other antivenereal simple4 ,whoever takes this method1 and adds a sufficient quantity of corrosive sublimate1 or some other active preparation of mercury to the decoction1 will seldom fail to cure a confirmed lues4 ,it is peculiarly unfortunate for the cure of this disease1 that not one in ten of those who contract it1 are either able or willing to submit to a proper plan of regimen4 ,the patient is willing to take medicine2 but he must follow his business1 and to prevent suspicions1 must eat and drink like the rest of the family4 ,this is the true source of nine-tenths1 of all the mischief arising from venereal disease4 ,i never knew the cure attended with any great difficulty or danger where the patient strictly followed the physician's advice2 but a volume would not be sufficient to point out the dreadful consequences which proceed from an opposite conduct4 ,schirrous testicles1 ulcerous sore throats1 madness1 consumptions1 carious bones1 and a rotten progeny1 are a few of the blessings derived from this source4 ,there is a species of false reasoning1 with regard to this disease1 which proves fatal to many4 ,a person of a sound constitution contracts a slight degree of the disorder4 ,he gets well without taking any great care1 or using much medicine1 and hence concludes1 that this will always be the case4 ,the next time the disease occurs1 though ten times more virulent1 he pursues the same course1 and his constitution is ruined4 ,indeed1 the different degrees of virulence in the small-pox are not greater than in this disease1 though1 as the learned ,sydenham observes1 in some cases the most skilful physicians cannot cure1 and in others the most ignorant old women cannot kill the patient in that disorder4 ,though a good constitution is always in favour of the patient1 yet too great stress may be laid upon it4 ,it does not appear from observation1 that the most robust constitution is able to overcome the virulence of the venereal contagion1 after it has got into the habit4 ,in this case1 a proper course of medicine is always indispensably necessary4 ,although it is impossible1 on account of the different degrees of virulence1 c41 to lay down fixed and certain rules1 for the cure of this disease1 yet the following general plan will always be found safe1 and often successful1 viz43 to bleed and administer gentle purges with diuretics during the inflammatory state1 and1 as soon as the symptoms of inflammation are abated1 to administer mercury1 in any form that may be most agreeable to the patient4 ,the same medicine1 assisted by the decoction of sarsaparilla1 and a proper regimen1 will not only secure the constitution against the further progress of a confirmed pox1 but will generally perform a complete cure4 ,although the venereal disease may not be a proper subject of discussion for regular families and the nursery1 yet there are many individuals to whom the observations here made may be of service in that complaint4 ,there is no disease which opens so wide a field for the quack1 none in which he so completely picks the pocket and ruins the constitution of the ignorant and unwary4 ,mercury1 though looked upon as a certain cure in every species of this disease1 is only proper in one2 and though every apothecary's boy pretends to cure the venereal disease by it1 there is no medicine oftener misapplied4 ,though mercury is a certain cure for the lues venerea1 it is a medicine of so very active a nature that it cannot be administered with too much care2 it is the chief ingredient in all the nostrums daily advertised for the cure of this disease1 and those who value their health or their life1 should beware of allowing themselves to become1 in a matter so serious1 the dupes of imposture4 ,,conclusion4 ,,courteous ,,reader1 ,in the ,works of the renowned and famous philosopher1 ,,aristotle1 you have got laid before you a ,collection of the best ,observations on the ,secrets of ,nature1 that ever the world was favoured with on the subject4 ,let me now entreat you1 who have read them1 and all those who may hereafter do so1 to mark well what is therein contained1 and thereby direct your future conduct1 which you will find to your advantage4 ,whatever young and inconsiderate persons may think or say of what is herein contained1 it is absolutely necessary to be known2 and1 when reduced to practice1 may prove the happy means of preventing many fatal and lamentable consequences1 which ignorance and inconsideration produce4 ,farewell4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,john ,,smith1 ,,tooly ,,street1 ,,london4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transcriber',s ,,notes #a4 ,silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling4 #b4 ,retained archaic1 non-standard1 and uncertain spellings as printed4 #c4 ,enclosed italics font in underscores4