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 puffing up of the Womb.

THE puffing up of the Womb is a windy swel∣ling of that part, occasioned from cold, flegmy and flatulent matter, which is increased through the defect of natural heat in the Womb. This is called the windy Mole, it giving hopes of a conception. The signs of this, are a distention of the Womb not far from the Midriff, which is now increased, now dimi∣nished; sometimes extending it self to the Navel, sometimes to the Loins and Diaphragm. It differs

from the Dropsie, partly because the swelling is not so great, and the party affected is not much troubled with thirst, by the increasing and diminishing of the tumor; and by the upper part not being so lean.

It is distinguish'd from the Dropsie of the Womb by the fore apprehension of the causes that beget those windy vapors, by the sound, and less ponderosity, as as also by a feeling of an extensive and pricking pain in the womb, and parts adjoyning. It is also distin∣guished from the inflammation of the intestines, be∣cause here is no great pain, neither is the Patient hard bound; yet the Flowers are suppressed, and the feet and hollow of the eyes do swell, and the colour of the body is changed, the woman draws her breath short and is sad, and when she awakes is fain to lift up her head to take breath. It differs from a Mole, because there is not that heaviness and ponderosity in the womb; besides the woman doth not feel the burden of her womb tumble from one side to the other: It is distin∣guished from conception by the sound, and by the in∣creasing and decreasing of the swelling, and by the deadness of the motion, not unlike that of a dead Infant: for if the Midriff be violently compressed, the wind being then compelled to the part adjoyning, there is a kind of palpitating motion perceived through all the Midriff.

The matter of this distemper is generated either in the Womb it self, or by reason of the suppression of the Courses, or by the interception of due purgation after delivery. Many times it comes through the veins and seminal vessels. Now the weakness of the heat pro∣ceeds sometimes from the external air, sometimes from hard Delivery, from the suppression of the Courses, from abortion, &c. The Cure is performed after the same way that other Cures are managed: among those

things that purge, Species Hierae, and Diaphaenicon, with Castor, are most commended; for Fumes, Nut∣meg is counted the best; for Potions, Nutmegs bruised and boyled with the roots of Mather, and drunk in six ounces of wine, and two drams of Sugar. Sometimes this wind gets into the cavity of the Womb, and then the neck and orifice of the Womb is closed, so that nothing can go forth, when the woman is moved, or when the Midriff is pressed down with her hand, and then a kind of noise and sound is perceived. Some∣times the wind gets into the tunicles of the Womb, and then the mouth of the Womb may be open: by reason of the shutting up of the windy vapours in a narrow place, there goes a noise forth, and the pain grows greater, and extends farther. This is more hard and difficult to be cured than that which is in the concavity of the Womb.