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. XV. How to govern women in Child-bed.

THere is great difference in the governing women, in Childbed, for she that thinks to order, an ordinarie labouring, or countrie woman, like a person of qualitie, kills her; and she that thinks to govern a person of qualitie like an ordinarie Countrie-woman, does the same to her: for the stomack and Constitution of the one is tender, and weake, and the Con∣stitution and stomack of the other strong, and lustie; which will not be satisfyed with ordinary viands, for if you give to one of these strong stomachs presently after their delivery, any strong broth or eggs, or a draught of milke, are like mills that allways grind and empty as fast as they pour in, and that that gives one woman,

a feaver, keeps another from it; and therfore women in Childbed are to be governed by their several constitutions. As for women that are delicate, and have been accustomed to live delicately, greater care must be ta∣ken of them, giving them meats that breed good nourishment, and do not clog the sto∣mach, forbearing also to give her those meats to which she has too great a dislike, agreeing to her humour, provided that the meats which she loves be not hurtful, and giving her for the first eight days of her lying in, boyled meats rather then rosted, as gellies, &c. the juyce of Veal or Capon, but not mutton, it being too feve∣rish, giving her to drink barly water, or else water boyled, wherein is boyled a dram of Ci∣namon to every pint, and two ounces of sugar dissolved, or if she do not love sugar, Corian∣der seed water, if she drink wine, let it be two thirds of water to one third of wine, giving her in the morning White wine, and in the afternoon Claret, taking care of eating any thing that may breed any crudities, she may also take at the dis∣cretion of those about her, Almond milk now and then. There are some women that cannot be kept from sleeping, and others that cannot sleep at all. It will not be amiss to give to those that cannot sleep, French barly water; the way to make it well, is to let it boyl well, and to take the broth without streining it; neither ought it to be taken after the eight dayes are past, by rea∣son that it nourishes exceedingly, and does not a little obstruct the Liver.