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 pain of the Womb.

THere is no need to give other signs of this than the complaint of the Woman; it affects both women that are free, and women that are with Child: It happens sometimes from corroding humors, espe∣cially caused by Ulcers, or vitious Flowers▪ The cure whereof is referred to these heads; sometimes it hap∣pens from a distention caused either by some curd∣led blood sticking in the cavity of the Womb, and then there is a copious Flux of blood out of the Womb, and the pain is fixed chiefly about the orifice of the Womb; the right Gut and the Bladder being affected by reason of the continual desire of expelling forth the humor. In the Cure, first you must seek to dissolve the clotted blood, which is done by the use of Trea∣cle dissolved in wine; and then to evacuate, which is performed with Agaric, Aloes, with the juice of Sa∣vin, decoction of Rosemary, with the Flowers of Cheiri, in Wine. Sometimes it is caused by the men∣struous blood, when the vessels are more open, or the blood too thick; which happens through the over-much use of cold drink, especially when the woman is hot. The cure may be found in the cure of the sup∣pression of the Flowers. Sometimes it is caused by other vitious humours collected in the concavity of the womb, or adhering to the other Vessels; and then

these humours are to be removed with purging and evacuating Medicines. Sometimes windy vapours are the cause hereof, arising from the heat of the vitious humors caused by copulation. It is cured by things that discuss the wind; to which purpose it may not be a∣miss to use a Clyster made of Malmsey and Oyl of Nuts, of each three ounces, of Aqua vitae one ounce, of Oyl of Juniper and distilled Rue of each two drams, and applied warm; or a mixture of spirit of wine and spi∣rit of Nitre, of each half a dram or two scruples, exhi∣bited in the spirit of Wine, Sperma ceti, with Oyl of sweet Almonds, or a Plaister of Caranna and Tacha∣mahacca applied to the Navel. Sometimes it is occa∣sioned by the retention and corruption of the seed. For the Cure, look the Chapter of the suffocation of the Matrix.