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. VII. How to draw forth the Secondines.

THE Child being thus drawn forth, and in safety, the Midwife must now apply her self to the draw∣ing out of the Secondines, which must be done by wag∣ging and stirring them up and down, and then gently drawing them forth, causing the Woman to take Salt in both her Hands, and to shut them close, and then to blow in them whereby you shall know whether they be broken or no: It may be done also by causing her to put one Finger in her Mouth, to provoke a desire of vomiting, or else by stirring, as when she is doing the ordinary deeds of Nature, or as Nature it self con∣strained her to do, before the Head of the Child was come forth. All this must be done speedily; yet if this be not sufficient, she may take the Yolk of an Egg raw, or she may take a small draught of raw Elder-water, or you may cause her to smell to a piece of Assa Foetida. If she be troubled with Wind-Cholicks, or have taken Cold, which oftentimes doth breed Wind, which is a great hindrance to the coming forth of the Secondines; the Midwife ought to chafe the Womans Belly with her Hand, which doth not only break the wind, but causes the Secondine to come down. If this fails, the Midwife may with her Hand dilate the Orifice of the womb drawing it forth gently and by Degrees.