The compleat midwife's practice enlarged in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man containing a perfect directory or rules for midwives and nurses : as also a guide for women in their conception, bearing and nursing of children from the experience of our English authors, viz., Sir Theodore Mayern, Dr. Chamberlain, Mr. Nich. Culpeper ... : with instructions of the Queen of France's midwife to her daughter ... / by John Pechey ... ; the whole illustrated with copper plates.

To know the time of Delivery, whereby the woman may know the better how to prepare her self.

THE natural time of Delivery falls out to be at the end of nine months, especially if at that season the Woman be wont to have her na∣tural purgations; or else if at nine Months end she hap∣pen to be near the full or the new Moon: For these things hapning together, not only hasten her Delivery, but also facilitate the Labour.

To this end, it is necessary that a Woman should be careful to remember and take notice of the time of her Conception, that she may be able to govern her self according to the seasons, as she grows near her time.

It is also very necessary for Women to have in memo∣ry the days and seasons of their natural Purgations, not only in regard of their delivery, but also in regard of several Maladies and Diseases, which upon this

occasion happen at the said time, and of which no person can rightly judge of the cause, unless those things be well known.

Now if it happen that a woman have mistaken or forgot, as not being rightly able to observe, either be∣cause of some retention extraordinary, or some extra∣ordinary and tedious flux of her natural Purgations; she may redress her self by the means which follow.

Most commonly and ordinarily, women have their natural Purgations from the age of fourteen years to twenty one, at the new Moon; after that, from twen∣ty one to thirty, in the first quarter; from thirty to thirty seven, or thirty eight, they have them at the full of the Moon; from thirty seven to the time that they begin to cease, in the last quarter.