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.

Of the common opinion, that a Woman seven months gone, ought to walk very much; and of the Acci∣dents that happen thereby.

IT is a common error among Midwives, which is not to be passed by, that a Woman with Child, when she hath gone seven Months of her time, is to walk much: Upon a conceit that exercise is very pro∣per for her; for that, they say, doth loosen the Child from the reins, and facilitates the Birth. I confess, as to facilitating of the Birth, it may something avail; only I must add this also, that it is better to draw a∣way the Child than to break it; and moreover it is better to be something longer in Travail, than to in∣curr two or three evils which ordinarily happen; the first is, that the Child in the end of the seventh month, doth make certain endeavours to free it self from the belly of the Mother; and without doubt his first en∣deavour is to turn himself in the belly of the Mother; for the Infant turns himself a good while before the time of Labour; and therefore, I say, Exercise is very dangerous: The first reason is, because by pushing downward the belly is dilated, and especially in such as carry their Children low; and besides, oft times the head drags down all the body of the Womb, and

loosens the ligaments in such a sort, that after Deli∣very it can hardly be put into its place again. Be∣sides, the Children having their heads between the bones of the Mother, by much walking of the Mo∣ther, they come to be bruised, so that the Infants do many times dye, and no man is able to give a cause why; for the branches of veins which are for the nou∣rishment of the brain open in an instant, letting out the blood which is contained in them; and when the corruption is ingendered, there follows immediately Feavers, and corruption of the Infant: At other times, Women coming to sit upon a hard seat, do bruise the head of the Infant, which causes like accidents; and in all these accidents, none but the Midwife is to blame, unless the belly it self be spoyled. This, they say, is the fault of the Nurse, who did not apply remedies fit to restore the fault. I must confess that remedies do much avail to the recovery of the aforesaid malady, and do much avail to the healing of that disease; but, to restore it to such an estate as it was in before, I say it is a thing impossible for medicines to perform: For the skin which is once separated, cannot be closed again without a scar. I would now not only blame those that assist them, but, by putting the actions of people before them, shew them where lies the fault, and what reason I have so to do: I must confess that false accusa∣tions have made the most able Midwives timorous; for they lye liable to so many causes of detraction, that all that are either but indifferent good, or else not good, are all accused alike, if any thing fall out a∣miss with the Patient, as if they were the absolute cau∣ses of the evil, or that it lay absolutely in their power to hinder it. It happens also many times, that a Mid∣wife worthy of that name, doth deliver a woman from death, and yet in the place of much praise, she incurs

many times much blame; so that they are often∣times constrained (to avoid the scandal) to advertise them of their ill procedures, and to give place to those that know not how to do things with that sweet∣ness and judgment. The fault is no where but in the ignorance, scandal, and ingratitude of Women toward those of this Calling. Besides, there are a company of young Women, that because they have had one Child, do give themselves a great deal of liberty to talk of these things. Cries one, I like not these Midwives that handle me; I will change mine, cries another, for that trick also; so that many out of a kind of fear have a greater desire and will to be complacent than to do well; and so sitting with their hands before them, entertain their Patients with dis∣course; who for all that feeling their pains, are con∣strained to thrust forward, upon which the head of the Infant coming first, for the most part the womb serves for a Head-band, which comes forth before it; where∣as, might the Midwife be permitted to touch the Pa∣tient, they might put back the Womb, and prevent many accidents that happen in Lyings-in, which hap∣pen sometimes to be a total relaxation of the Matrix; of which when the Women complain to their com∣placent and flattering Midwives, they reply; why, Mistress, you know I did not touch you; and besides, I am not in fault if you have been touched: This is the fruit of their reproaches. You will say, there are a∣bundance of Countrey-women that the Midwife never touch at all, and they do not know scarcely, whether a Woman lye in, or no, unless they see the Infant ap∣pear. But they are not free from the Disease whereof I speak; for I have seen so great a company of them, that I have been afraid to behold them. This comes, say the Midwives, because they touched them not, and

that it is occasioned, either because the Infant is too big, or they say, it is a burstness, or the coming down of the great gut; the most subtile put up a Clew of Thred, the others a Ball of wax, which easeth a little while, but comes out again every hour.