The English midwife enlarged containing directions to midwives; wherein is laid down whatever is most requisite for the safe practising her art. Also instructions for women in their conceiving, bearing and nursing of children. With two new treatises, one of the cure of diseases and symptoms happening to women before and after child-birth. And another of the diseases, &c. of little children, and the conditions necessary to be considered in the choice of their nurses and milk. The whole fitted for the meanest capacities. Illustrated with near 40 copper-cuts.

SECT. XI. Of Fluddings.

THe Courses come at accustomed times, without pain, distilling by little and little from the Wombs Neck, during preg∣nancy and then wholly ceaseth; but these come with pain, from the Wombs bottom, and almost on a sudden in great abundance, and continue without intermission, except some clods, formed there, seem sometimes to lessen the accident, by stopping for a small time the place whence they flow; but it soon returns with greater violence, and after fol∣lows death to the Mother and Child, if not prevented by delivering the Woman.

If the Fludding happen when young with Child it's usually because of some false Con∣ception, or Mole, of which the Womb en∣deavours to discharge it self, by which it opens some of the Vessels in its bottom, whence the blood ceases not to flow, till it hath cast out the strange bodies it contain'd, & the subtiller the blood is the more it flows; but when this happens to one truely Con∣ceiv'd,

at whatever time, it proceeds likewise from the opening of the Vessels of the Womb's fund, caused by some blow, slip, &c. and chiefly because the secundine, separating in part if not wholly from the inside of the Wombs bottom, to which it ought to stick, to receive the Mothers blood, for the Childs nouriture, leaves open all the Orifices of the Vessels where it joyned, and so follows a great flux of blood, which never ceases till she be brought a Bed; yet I do not intend it should be done as soon as perceiv'd, for some small fluddings have been stop'd by lying quietly in Bed, bleeding i'th Arm and the use of Remedies mention'd in the menstru∣ous Flux; and it may be but an ordinary monthly Flux; and then 'tis good leaving the Labor to nature, provided she hath strength, and accompanied with no other ill accident; but when she falls into Convulsions and Faintings, 'tis absolutely necessary she be deliver'd, whether she be at her count or no, pains or throws or no, for there is no o∣ther way to save both their Lives.

You must not always expect pains and throws to force and forward Labor, in these dangerous accidents, for though they come at the beginning, they usually cease as soon as it comes to Faintings and Convulsions;

neither must it be put off till the Womb be opened enough, for this Flux moistens, and the weakness loosens it, so that it may then be as easily widen'd as if there had been a∣bundance of strong throws. Wherefore let the Midwife introduce her Fingers anointed with Oil or Butter, 2 or 3 at a time, and all by degrees, and at last her whole Hand, and if she find the waters not broke, break them, and then whatever part of the Child pre∣sents, though the head (provided it be not i'th Birth) let her search for the Feet, and draw it forth by them; observing the circum∣stances in delivery of a Child with the Feet first, because there's better hold; so that if the Feet lye not ready seek for them, which is easier done at that time then another; be∣cause the Fluddings make the Womb slip∣pery: then fetch the after-burthen, which in these cases cleaves but little, being care∣ful not to leave so much as a clod i'th Womb, lest it continue the Fludding.

In this case many Women and Children have perished for want of this operation, and many escaped death by being timely succor'd. Guilemeau a Famous French Chirurgion men∣tions 6 or 7 Histories to confirm this; and Moriceau by his experience avers it, and in

the case of his own Sister too long here to relate.

You are always here to give good strengthning broths, gellies and a little good Wine, and smell to rose Vinegar; and to prevent the blood Fludding in great quanti∣ty, open a vein i'th Arm, or bind her Arm with fillets above her Elbow, and lay cloaths upon her Reins wet in water and Vinegar: but if this proceeds from the parting of the after-burden, she must be delivered as soon as may be, though she were but 3 or 4 months gone, because all must be brough•• away whether false Conception, Mole, or Child.