CHAP. XLVI. How to know whether the woman be dead in the strangulation of the wombe or not.
I Have thought it meet (because many women not onely in ancient times, * 1.1 but in our owne and our fathers memory have beene so taken with this kind of symptome, that they have beene supposed and layd out for dead, although truly they were alive:) to set downe the signes in such a case which do argue life and death. Therefore first of all it may be pro∣ved, whether she be alive or dead, by laying or holding a cleere and smooth looking-glasse before her mouth and nostrils. For, if she breathe, although it be never so ob∣scurely, the thin vapour that commeth out will staine or make the glasse duskie. Al∣so a fine downish feather taken from under the wing of any bird, or else a fine flocke being held before the mouth, will by the trembling or shaking motion thereof, shew that there is some breath, and therefore life remaining in the body. But you may prove most certainly whether there be any sparke of life remaining in the body, by * 1.2 blowing some sneesing powders of pellitory of Spaine, & ellebore into the nostrils. But though there no breath appeare, yet must you not judge the woman for dead, for the small vitall heat, by which, being drawn into the heart, she yet liveth, is contented with transpiration onely, and requires not much attraction, which is performed by the contraction & dilatation of the breast and lungs unto the preservation of its selfe. For so flyes, gnats; pismires and such like, because they are of a cold temperament, * 1.3 live unmoveably inclosed in the caves of the earth, no token of breathing appearing in them, because there is a little heat left in them, which may be conserved by the of∣fice of the arteries and heart, that is to say, by perspiration, without the motion of the breast, because the greatest use of respiration is that the inward heat may be pre∣served by refrigeration and ventilation. Those that do not mark this, fall int•…•…ha•• er∣rour which almost cost the life of him who in our time first gave life to anotomicall administration, that was almost decayed and neglected.
For he being called in Spaine to open the body of a noble woman which was sup∣posed * 1.4 dead through strangulation of the wombe, behold at the second impression of the incision knife, she began suddenly to come to her selfe, and by the moving of her members and body, which was supposed to be altogether dead, and with cry∣ing, to shew manifest signes that there was some life remaining in her. Which thing