The expert midwife, or An excellent and most necessary treatise of the generation and birth of man. Wherein is contained many very notable and necessary particulars requisite to be knovvne and practised: with diuers apt and usefull figures appropriated to this worke. Also the causes, signes, and various cures, of the most principall maladies and infirmities incident to women. Six bookes compiled in Latine by the industry of Iames Rueff, a learned and expert chirurgion: and now translated into English for the generall good and benefit of this nation.

CHAP. IIII. Of the Condition of the Infant in the wombe, also of the care and duty belonging to women conceived with childe.

THe seede conceived even unto the forty and fift day, is changed into the due and perfect forme and shape of the Infant: and then by the judgement of some learned men, is receiveth life, and therefore afterward ought not to be called a Feature, but an Infant, although as yet,* 1.1 by reason of his tender and feeble condition and state, he wanteth motion. For then hee is most like to a tender flower and blossome of trees, which is easily cast downe and dejected with any blast of wind and raine;* 1.2 and for that cause there is neede of very great caution and heed to be taken, that no perill and danger may happen to them which are with childe by any manner of meanes, either by sud∣den feare, affrightments, by fire, lightening, thunder, with monstrous and hideous aspects and sights of men and beasts, by immoderate

joy, sorrow and lamentation: or by untempe∣rate exercise and motion of running, leaping, riding, or by surfeit or repletion by meate and drinke: or that they being taken with any dis∣ease doe not use sharpe and violent medicines using the counsell of unskilfull Physicians. A∣gaine,* 1.3 that they use not the wicked Arts and po∣licies of old Witches and Harlots, for removing and punishing of whom, the care and charge ought most specially to belong unto the Magi∣strates, to wit, being the fathers of the people. For how many Virgins, how many Widdowes also ensnared and intangled with these Arts and divellish practices,* 1.4 have committed cruell and more than brutish murders of their tender Babes and Infants? But of many I will declare a few, which those pestilent and damnable wret∣ches have used most freely thorow the whole world, the rest I will leave to the considerati∣on of others, at least the mischievous practices of these being somewhat discovered.* 1.5 When first being deflowred (and robbed of their best Iewell) they have perceived some alteration to be caused in them, as variable appetites, a loa∣thing of their accustomed meate and drinke,

continuall vomiting, dispositions to parbrake in the morning, passions and paines of the heart, swoonings, paines of the teeth: by and by instru∣cted with evill Arts, they make the first experi∣ments by lacing in themselves strait and hard, that they may extinguish and destroy the Fea∣ture conceived in the wombe.* 1.6 But when they perceive no helpe thereby, they assay and at∣tempt greater matters, going by the instinct of the Divell, to some old Witch very skilfull in curing these diseases,* 1.7 and famous by long expe∣rience, asking and questioning with them about the cure and remedie of the stopping of their Termes, desiring a medicine and counsell to procure them to issue: For they say, that they be∣ing stopped, doe breed and bring those paines about the Midriffe and thighes, and also to pro∣cure many vomits.* 1.8 The old Witch not ignorant of the matter, willeth them to enquire for medi∣cines of Apothecaries, also to gather some herbes in a certaine place, willing and advising them, that they use them in Wine, that they take the vapour of some, that they put some of them in their shooes, that with some boiled in water they wash their feete and legges morning and

evening: also that they drinke of the docoction of some of them morning and evening. But when this cure and remedy doth not profit, she willeth them to open the veines in the feet,* 1.9 which being done, that perisheth by and by which was conceived in the womb. Sometime Fathers, Masters, and Mistresses of the house ob∣serving and marking this thing, and also some other besides, and conjecturing, as the matter is indeed,* 1.10 streight-way they pretend and make a shew that they are troubled with wringings and gripings in the belly, with paines of the brest and head, and do shadow and dissemble the truth of the matter. But the issue of their termes return∣ing, when they know they are free and delive∣red from the Feature,* 1.11 they impart and communi∣cate likewise those murthering arts and cruell practices to others, that thereby many murthers of sillie Infants are committed. Besides, also ma∣ny Midwives, and also Chirurgions, and unskil∣full Physicians, sometimes over-credulous, doe counsell & advise such things to great evill and mischiefe. But it is the part and office of a godly and religious Magistrate both to observe & pre∣vent all these things. Now let us returne to the matter.

* 1.12After the third and fourth moneth from the conception, the Infant doth begin to move and stirre himselfe in the wombe, and somewhat to display and stretch out himselfe, and also to en∣large and amplifie his narrow little Cottage, whereby it commeth to passe, that the wombe beginneth to swell, and to be amplified and ex∣tended into length,* 1.13 breadth, and profundity. But about or towards the time of the birth, the Infant inclineth and boweth downward, with the face toward the knees, draweth both his legges to him, casteth and throweth both his hands above his knees, his nostrils being placed in the midst, being rolled and wrapped together on a heap, in manner of a Globe, with his for∣mer part looking on the backe of his mother, but turning his hinder part to the belly of his mother. And although some Anatomists doe thinke otherwise, notwithstanding wee finde it so by often experience, and set it forth to be viewed in this annexed Figure.

[illustration]

Notes

• * 1.1

  When the con∣ception is cal∣led an Infant.
• * 1.2

  Great heed to be taken by women with child of af∣frightments, immoderate joy, sorrow &c.
• * 1.3

  The wicked Art of old wit∣ches and har∣lots not to be used.
• * 1.4

  Cruell mur∣ders cōmitted by the divellish arts of witches.
• * 1.5

  The arts and acts of Harlots and Witches.
• * 1.6

  They lace themselves very strait.
• * 1.7

  They goe to some old Witch.
• * 1.8

  The old witch adviseth them of meanes.
• * 1.9

  The opening of the veines in the feet de∣stroyeth that which is con∣ceived in the wombe.
• * 1.10

  Their precen∣ces.
• * 1.11

  These murthe∣ring arts im∣parted to o∣thers.
• * 1.12

  The motion of the Infant in the wombe.
• * 1.13

  How the In∣fant about the time of the birth is dis∣posed.