The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XLI. The cure of the falling downe of the Wombe.

BY this word, falling downe of the wombe, we understand every moti∣on of the womb out of its place or seat: therefore if the wombe ascend upwards, wee must use the same medicines as in the strangulation of the wombe. If it bee turned towards either side, it must bee restored and drawne backe to its right place, by applying and using cupping glasses. But if it descend and fall downe into its owne neck, but yet not in great quantity, the woman must be placed so that her buttockes may be very high, and her legs acrosse; then cupping glasses must bee applied to her navell and Hypogastrium, and when the wombe is so brought into its place, injections that binde and dry strongly must bee injected into the necke of the wombe, stinking fumigations must bee used unto the privie parts, and sweetthings used to the mouth and nose. But if the wombe hang downe in great quantity betweene the thighes, it must be cured by placing the wo∣man after another sort, and by using other kinde of medicines. First of all shee must bee so layed on her backe, her buttockes and thighes so lifted up, and her legges so drawne backe as when the childe or secundine are to bee taken or drawne from her; then the necke of the wombe, and whatsoever hangeth out thereat, must be anoin∣ted with oile of lillies, fresh butter, capons grease, and such like, then it must be thrust gently with the fingers up into its place, the sick or pained woman in the mean time helping or furthering the endeavour by drawing in of her breath as if she did suppe, drawing up as it were that which is fallen downe.

After that the wombe is restored unto its place, whatsoever is filled with the oint∣ment must be wiped with a soft and cleane cloth, lest that by the slipperinesse there∣of the wombe should fall downe againe; the genitalls must bee fomented with an astringent decoction, made with pomegranate pills, cypresse nuts, galles, roach al∣lome, horse-taile, sumach, berberies, boiled in the water wherein Smithes quench their irons; of these materialls make a powder, wherewith let those places be sprin∣kled: let a pessary of a competent bignesse be put in at the necke of the wombe, but let it bee eight or nine fingers in length, according to the proportion of the grieved patients body. Let them bee made either with latin, or of corke covered with waxe, of an ovall forme, having a thred at one end, whereby they may bee drawne backe a∣gaine as need requires.

[illustration]

The formes of ovall pessaries.

A. sheweth the body of the Pessary.

B. sheweth the thread wherewith it must be tyed to the thigh.

When all this is done, let the sicke woman keep her selfe quiet in her bed, with her buttocks lying very high, and her legs acrosse, for the space of eight or ten daies: in the meane while the application of cupping glasses will stay the wombe in the right place and seat after it is restored thereunto: but if shee hath taken any hurt by cold aire, let the privie parts be fomented with a discussing and heating fomentation, on this wise. ℞. fol. alih. sal••v. lavend. rorismar. artemis. flor. chamoem. melilot•…•…. m ss. sem. anis. foenugr. an. ℥i. let them bee all well boyled in water and wine, and make thereof a decoction for your use. Give her also glysters, that when the guts are emptied of the excrements, the womb may the better be received into the voyd and empty capacity of the belly: for this reason the bladder is also to be emptied, for otherwise it were dangerous lest that the wombe lying betweene them both being full, should be kept down and cannot be put up into its owne proper place by reason therof. Also vomiting is supposed to be a singular remedy to draw up the womb that is fallen down: furthermore also it purgeth out the phlegme which did moisten and relaxe the ligaments of the wombe; for as the wombe in the time of copulation at the beginning of the conception is moved downewards to meet the seed, so the sto∣macke, even of its owne accord, is sifted upwards when it is provoked by the injury of anything that is contrary unto it, to cast it out with greater violence, but when it is so raised up, it drawes up together therewith the peritonaeum, the wombe, and also the bodie or parts annexed unto it. If it cannot bee cured or restored unto its place by these prescribed remedies, and that it be ulcerated and so putrefyed that it cannot be restored unto his place againe, we are commanded by the precepts of art to cut it away, and then to cure the womb according to art, but first it should be tyed, and as much as is necessary must bee cut off, and the rest seared with a cautery. There are some women that have had almost all their wombe cut off, without any danger of their life, as Paulus testifieth.

John Langius Physitian to the Count Palatine, writeth that Carpus the Chirurgian tooke out the wombe of a woman of Bononia, he being present, and yet the woman lived and was very well after it. Antonius Benivenius Physitian of Florence, writeth that hee was called by Ugolius the Physitian to the cure of a woman whose wombe was corrupted and fell away from her by peeces, and yet shee lived ten yeeres af∣ter it.

There was a certaine woman, being found of body, of good repute, and about the age of thirty yeers, in whom shortly after she had been married the second time, which was in Anno 1571. having no childe by her first husband, the lawfull signes of a right conception did appear: yet in processe of time there arose about the low∣er part of her privities the sense or feeling of a waight or heavinesse, being so trou∣blesome unto her by reason that it was painefull, and also for that it stopped her u∣rine, that she was constrained to disclose her mischance to Christopher Mombey a Chi∣rurgian her neighbour dwelling in the suburbs of S. Germans; who having seen the tumour, or swelling in her groine, asswaged the paine with mollifying and ano∣dine fomentations and cataplasmes; but presently after he had done this, hee found on the inner side of the lip of the orifice of the necke of the wombe, an apostume rot∣ten & running as if it had bin out of an abscesse newly broken, with sanious matter, somewhat red, yellow, & pale, running out a long time. Yet for all this the feeling of the heaviness or waight was nothing diminished, but did rather encrease daily, so that from the yeere of our Lord 1573. she could not turne herselfe being in bed on this or that side, unlesse she layed her hand on her belly to beare and ease her selfe of the waight, and also she said when she turned her self, she seemed to feele a thing like un∣to a bowle to rowle in her body unto the side whereunto she turned her selfe, neither could shee goe to stoole, or avoyd her excrements standing or sitting, unlesse shee lifted up that waight with her hands towards her stomacke or midriffe: when shee was about to go she could scarce set forwards her feet, as if there had something han∣ged between her thighes, that did hinder her going. At certaine seasons that rotten apostume would open, or unclose of it selfe, and flow or run with its wonted sanious matter, but then she was grievously vexed with paine of the head, and all her mem∣bers, swouning, loathing, vomiting, and almost chosing, so that by the perswasi∣on

of a foolish woman she was induced and contented to take Antimonium; the wor∣king and strength thereof was so great and violent, that after many vomits, with ma∣ny frettings of the guts and watry dejections or stooles, she thought her fundament fell downe; but being certified by a woman that was a familiar friend of hers, unto whom she shewed her selfe, that there was nothing fallen downe at or from her fun∣dament, but it was from her wombe, shee called, in the yeere of our Lord 1575. Chirurgians, as my selfe, James Guillemeau, and Antony Vieux, that we might helpe her in this extremity.

When we had diligently and with good consideration weighed the whole estate of her disease, wee agreed with one consent, that that which was fallen down should bee cut away, because that by the blacke colour, stinking, and other such signes it gave a manifest testimony of a putrefyed and corrupted thing. Therefore for two daies wee drew out the body by little and little, and piece-meale, which seemed un∣to the Physicians that wee had called, as Alexius, Gaudinus, Feureus, and Violaneus, and also to our selves, to be the body of the wombe, which thing we proved to bee so, because one of the testicles came out whole, and also a thicke membrane or skin, being the relick of the mola, which being suppurated, and the abscesse broken, came out by little and little in matter; after that all this body was so drawne away, the sicke woman began to waxe better and better, yet notwithstanding for the space of nine dayes before it was taken away, she voided nothing by siege, and her urine also was stopped for the space of foure daies.

After this all things became as they were before, and shee lived in good health three moneths after, and then died of a Pleurisie that came on her very suddenly, and I having opened her body, observing and marking everything very diligently, could not finde the wombe at all, but instead thereof there was a certaine hard and cal∣lous body, which nature, who is never idle, had framed in stead thereof to supply the want thereof, or to fill the hollownesse of the belly.

Notes

• Remedies for the ascension of the wombe.
• For the falling downe of the wombe, proper∣ly so called.
• A discussing & hearing fomen∣tation.
• How vomiting is profitable to the falling down of the wombe.
• The cutting a∣way of the womb when it is patrefyed.
• Lib. 6.
• Epist. 3••. lib. 2. Epist. 〈…〉〈…〉.
• ••ract. de mirand. morbor. caus.
• A history.
• Antimonium ta∣ken in a potion doth cause the wombe to fall downe.
• The signes of the substance of the wombe drawne out.