The womans doctour, or, An exact and distinct explanation of all such diseases as are peculiar to that sex with choise and experimentall remedies against the same : being safe in the composition, pleasant in the use, effectuall in the operation, cheap in the price / faithfully translated out of the works of that learned philosopher and eminent physitian Nicholas Fontanus.

The first Chapter.

OF the Mother.

THat Disease which we com∣monly call the Mother, the Physitians terme the Strangu∣lation, or Suffocation of the Matrix, and sometimes the Ascent of the Matrix. Ga∣••••n took it to be a drawing back of the Ma∣••••ix, to the upper parts. Hereupon some of

the Ancients conceived the Matrix, to be some stragling Creature, wandring too and fro thorough severall parts, to which phantasticall conceit, Fernelius, Eugenius, and Laurentius, contributed a credulous Assent; for though a woman be dead, yet can you not with an ordinary strength remove the Matrix from the naturall place; neither is that reason, which Fernelius al∣ledgeth, of any moment, who saith, that in these diseases he hath toucht it upwards, seeing that this is not the true Matrix, but a grosse, windie swelling, of a roundish figure, and somewhat resembling the Ma∣trix; you will say the Matrix doth remove, and slip from its proper place; I grant it, for by reason of the moisture, wherewith those parts abound, the Matrix is loosened, and exceedingly stretched: and this is the truth of the whole matter.

The Cause of this Disease is twofold: the Retention of the Seed, and the Men∣struum, which are the materiall cause: and a cold and moist distemper of the Matrix, breeding phlegmatick and thick juices, which is the efficient cause; for when the Seed is retained, and the Menstruum hath not the customary, and usuall vent, they bur∣then the Matrix, and choak, and extinguish

the heat thereof: then upon the diminish∣ing of the naturall heat, windy humours are bred, especially in the Matrix, which by nature is a cold, nervous, and bloud∣lesse part; after the same manner, if the seed be kept too long, it disturbeth the Function of the spiritous parts, and the Midriffe, it oppresseth the heart, causeth fainting and sounding fits, bindeth as it were, and girteth about the parts, and seemes in such a manner to stop the breath, that the sick woman is in danger to be strangled: her puls is sometimes weake, various, and obscure: she hath inward discontents and anxieties, and is most com∣monly invaded by, at least very subject unto Convulsion fits: she lies, as if she were astonished and void of sense: and from her belly you may heare rumbling, and mur∣muring noises; she breatheth so weakly, that it is scarce discernable, and indeed she is so sad an object, that the by-standers may ea∣sily mistake her to be dead. The drowsie and sleepy disease called Carus differs from this, because they who are affected with it, have the use of their breath free, without any molestation: and it differs from a Cata∣lepsy (another drowsie disease, casting the sick into a profound and dead sleep) be∣cause

they who are taken with that, lie without any motion, but they who have the mother, are tormented with Convulsion fits, their legs and their hands are stretched and wrythed into unusuall figures, and strange postures; and by this it is distinguish∣ed from an Apoplexy, unto which it is ex∣ceeding like.

Galen wondreth how these women can live, who are troubled with these cruell fits of the Mother, without any puls, or breathing, in as much as it is impossible for one that liveth not to breath, or for one that breatheth not, to live; for so long as we live, so long we breath. To this I answer, that although these women live without respiration, yet doe they not live with∣out transpiration; for this being perform∣ed thorough the pores of the skin, by the motion of the arteries, conserves the sym∣metry of the vitall heat; for then that small heat retiring to the heart, as to a Castle, may bepreserved by this benefit of transpiration alone.

Now to procure an assurance, whither the woman be living or dead, hold a fea∣ther, or a looking-glasse••to her mouth, if the former stir, or the latter be spotted, it is an undoubted signe that she liveth.

This is a most acute Disease, and soone dispatcheth the sick woman, especially if it took beginning from some very contagious, and poisonous vapours; lecherous wo∣men, and lusty widowes that are prone, and apt to Venery, are most subject to it: but married women that injoy the com∣pany of their husbands, and such as are with childe, are seldome invaded by it.

You must apply your Remedies in the fit, and after the fit: in the fit, the humour must be drawn back with rubbing the parts, tying painfull Ligatures about them, and ••upplying Cuppinglasses, with scariffication to the calfes of her legs: have such Glysters in readinesse, as will take away the paine, dis∣solve, draw back, and purge out the thick humours: you may compound them by these formes following.

Take

• halfe an ounce of Elecampane roots.
• The leaves of rue, penniroyall, Motherwort, and pellitory of the wall, of each a hand∣••ull.
• Three drams of sena.
• Bran, Camomile flowers, and the tops of Dill, of each halfe a handfull.
• Bastard Saffron, and Annise seeds, of each ••wo drams.

Boile them in a sufficient quantitie of

birthwort water to nine ounces, to the strained liquor being squeezed, and prest very hard, add

• Diaphenicon, and benedicta laxativa, of each an ounce.
• Oyle of dill, and oyle of rue, of each s•••• drams.
• Halfe an ounce of butter.
• A dram and a halfe of salt.

Mingle them, and make a Glyster.

Carminative medicines must be laid upo•• the whole inward region, as fomentation•• made of the leaves of Rue, Motherwort, Pen∣niroyall, the flowers of Melilot, and Cam••∣mile, or unguent. de Althea, with the oyle of Camomile, Dill, and Rue; for this loosen∣eth the passages by opening the pores, an•• expelling the winde; pessaries may be pu•• up, made with Civet, Musk, and Amber but you must affront her nose with stin••∣ing odours, as the steame of brimstone, t•••• smoke ascending from old shoes burn•••• Partridge feathers, sagapenum galbanum, ass∣••fetida, and the like, cast into the fire; be∣cause the Matrix doth, as it were abhor, re∣treat, and flie from these things, wherea•• sweet things doe allure to them.

But some curious braine may here de∣mand, why sweet things held to the nos••

doe breed the fits of the Mother, and on the contrary, stinking things appease those fits? I answer; sweet things applyed to the Matrix, in regard that they are hot, doe expell the winde, cut into the slow and tenacious phlegm, and afterwards purge it out: but stinking things applied to the Nose, consume the ascending vapours with their heat; but you may still demand, if hot stinking things be good to break the winde, why may they not be laid to the Matrix, as well as sweet things? I answer? the Matrix embraceth, and meeteth sweet odours and perfumes, but unsavory and stinking sents it abhors, and flies from; for 'tis •• most certaine truth, that every crea∣ture, even by naturall instinct, shunneth in∣conveniences, and affecteth things conve∣nient.

If the evill still increase, and if the Vir∣gin be of a good habit, fleshie, and for a long time hath not had her Courses, or for too long a time hath had them: the safest course, although upon the approach of the Fit, will be to open a veine in the ankle, without delay, especially, if any excre∣tion of bloud appear, either at the nose, or at the mouth; for as Hippocrates hath ex∣cellently taught us; as the coming down

of the Courses, is a present Remedie for those who vomit bloud; so in a body that is plethorick, by reason that the Menstruum hath been long suppressed; you may help a woman who vomits bloud, if you cut one of her lower veines; the same opinion is favoured by Galen in his Commentry, saying, in this case we ought to endeavour an evacuation, namely, such an one as is cor∣respondent to nature, when she is obedient to her own lawes.

After the Phlebotomy, if her body ••e strong, and the Disease continue, apply Cuppinglasses, with scarification to her thighes, Leeches to the Hemorrhoids, and with ite∣rated Glysters, and medicines given again and again into the body, purge out the Melancholy juices.

Many, who are more rash then learned, more bold, then skilfull, because of the cold and the winde, which are the causes of this Disease, at the beginning will un∣advisedly be offering wine to the sick, which being odoriferous, is apt to allure the Matrix to the upper parts; therefore I counsell all those that value the health of their friends, to forbeare this temerity: yet if she faint, and her spirits be so far spent, that she swounds, or is ready to swound, in such

an exigence you may allow her wine, yet in a small quantity.

When the Fit is over, let her live sober∣ly, and feed upon hot meats. that yield a thin, and subtle nourishment, and be very carefull to preserve her self, least she fall into a Relaps; hearbs, and roots, and such thinge as thicken the bloud, or are hard to digest, must be no part of her diet, Worme∣wood beer may be allowed her, or in her beer mingle Cinamon water, or boile Annise seeds, or China roots in it.

The humour must be prepared with cut∣ting Syrups, as Rhodomell, Syrupe of Wormewood, Syrupe of Mint, or Syrupe of the five roots.

You may prescribe the Purge of Mecho∣••aca, Hiera Picra, pills of agarick, of Hiera, with Confectio Hamech, or Sena.

You must open a veine in the ankl•• again, and because this thick and stubborne hu∣mour will not obey a single evacution, you must also purge her body againe with agarick, hellebore, Pills of Mastick, or of Rubarb.

Steele taken in powder, or mingled among the other medicines, will much ad∣vance the Cure; so will an Issue, and an artificiall Bath made with Sulphur, or a de∣coction

of Salsa parilla, Guaiacum, and China.

Lastly, if the Disease take beginning from the seed, because in Physick, no peculiar, or elective purging medicine is consecrated to it, you must lessen her diet, enjoyne her an abstinence from hot wine, and let her continually weare plates of lead upon her back; for it is most certaine, that these doe diminish the seed; if the Patient for twelve mornings together upon an empty stomack, drink three ounces of a decoction of ag∣nus castus seeds, boiled with six graines of Camphire.