The compleat midwifes practice, in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man. Containing perfect rules for midwifes and nurses, as also for women in their conception, bearing, and nursing of children: from the experience not onely of our English, but also the most accomplisht and absolute practicers among the French, Spanish, Italian, and other nations. A work so plain, that the weakest capacity may easily attain the knowledge of the whole art. With instructions of the midwife to the Queen of France (given to her daughter a little before her death) touching the practice of the said art. / Published with the approbation and good liking of sundry the most knowing professors of midwifery now living in the city of London, and other places. Illustrated with severall cuts in brass. By T.C. I.D. M.S. T.B. practitioners.

CHAP. XII. Of women that have a great deal of bloud, and purge not, neither in their travail nor after.

SOme women have great superfluity of bloud, and yet purge not at all, neither in their travail, nor afterwards; to which if remedies be not applied, the women do run great hazards and dangers in their lying in, great suffocations of the matrix, and continual feavers; this may be remedied, being first enformed of their na∣tural disposition afore they were with child; knowing that when they had their purgations, they had them in great quantity, and for a good while together, as also when they came, being a gross and thick bloud; and therefore seeing that now they do not purge in great quantity, and that they have divers unquietnesses, weak∣nesses of the stomach, and pains of the head; wherefore you may give her in the morning, a little syrrup of Maiden-hair, and Hysop water mingled together, and syrrup of Wormwood, with White-wine, in their broths you may boyl Jacines and opening herbs, keeping the belly soluble with Glysters, they must eat no solid meat, she must be well chafed from the groines down to the very ankle-bone, alwayes stroaking and carrying the hand downward; bloud letting

also in the foot in the morning is not amiss, as also some fumigation, that Cleanses the matrix, and draws downe the blood; yet care must be had, that these last remedies be not used before the Matrix be put into its place, for feare that these remedies should draw it down too low, but about eight or ten days after the Matrix was put into its place; for cleansing the ma∣trix, you may use this receit.

Take Pellitory, Sanicle, Camomile, Melilot, greene Balm, red Balme, whit Mulleine, Mallowes, Marsh-mallowes, Betony, Marge∣ram, Nipp, March, Violets, Mugwort, take of each a like quantitie, and cut them small, and let them boyle in a new pot, with three pints of good white wine, let the woman take the fume of this receite three times in a day; if she have any gross blood in the matrix, it will undoubtedly bring it down: You may also chafe the womans belly with oyle of violets, this helpes the purgations being once dissol∣ved. The reason why this thick blood stayes in these partes, is, because the woman having it be∣fore she was with child, the heate of the womb when she is with Child redoubling, thickens it more, so that when she comes to lye down, it cannot flow, so that it is to be taken away as much as may be with the aforesaid reasons. Mol∣lifying fomentations are also proper for this purpose, while the woman sits over the fumi∣gation.