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.

CHAP. XII. Of women that have a great deal of Blood, and purge not, neither in their travel nor after.

SOme women have great Superfluity of Blood, and yet purge not at all, neither in their Travel, nor afterwards; to which, if remedies be not applied, the Women do run great Hazards and Dangers in their lying in, great Suffocations of the Matrix, and con∣tinual Feavers; this may be remedied, being first in∣formed of their natural disposition before they were with Child; knowing that when they had their pur∣gations, they had them in great quantity, and for a good while together, as also when they came, being a gross and thick Blood; and therefore seeing that now they do not purge in great quantity, and that they have divers unquietnesses, weaknesses of the Stomach, and pains of the head; wherefore you may give her in the Morning a little Syrup of Maiden-hair, and Hysop-wa∣ter

mingled together, and Syrup of Wormwood, with White-wine; in their broths you may boyl Jacines and opening Herbs, keeping the belly soluble with Clysters; she must eat no solid Meat, she must be well chafed from the Groins down to the very Ankle-bone, always strokeing and carrying the hand down-ward; Blood-letting also in the Foot in the morning is not amiss; as also fome Fumigation that cleanses the Matrix, and draws down the Blood: Yet care must be had, that these last Remedies be not used before the Matrix be put into its place, for fear that these remedies should draw it down too low, but about eight or ten Days af∣ter the Matrix was put into its place. For cleansing the Matrix, you may use this Receipt.

Take Pellitory, Sanicle, Camomile, Melilot, Green∣balm, Red-balm, white Mullein, Mallows, Marsh∣mallow, Betony, Margeram, Nipp, March-violets, Mugwort; take of each a like quantity, and cut them small, and let them boyl in a new pot, with three pints of good White-wine; let the Woman take the fume of this Receipt three times in a day; if she have any gross Blood in the Matrix, it will undoubtedly bring it down: You may also chafe the Womans Belly with Oyl of Violets, this helps the Purgations being once dissolved. The reason why this thick Blood stays in these parts, is, because the Woman having it before she was with Child, the heat of the Womb, when she is with Child redoubling thickens it more, so that when she comes to lie down, it cannot flow; so that it is to be taken away as much as may be with the aforesaid means; Mollyfying Fomentations are also proper for this pur∣pose, while the woman sits over the fumigation.