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.

Of the diseases of women, and first of the inflammation of the brest.

THe inflamation of the brests is a hard swell∣ing, together with a beating paine, redness and shooting. The cheif cause of this is the abundance of blood, drawn up together in that place, though there be somtimes other causes also, as the suppression of the courses, the Hae∣morrhoids, or a blow received upon the breasts. The signes of it are easie to be known, that is to say, a certain rednes and burning heat, oftimes joyned with a fever. For the cure of this, there are four sorts of remedies; first, as the order of dyet, which must be comforting and moistning, as broth of pullets, where endive, borage, lettice, and purselaine may be boyled also; she may drinke the juce of Pomegranates, or barly water, with aniseeds boyled in it: the use of wine and all sorts of spices are very dangerous, and if the woman goe not freely to the stoole, there is nothing better then a lenitive glyster; she may sleep much, and must not disturb her selfe with

any passion. The next way of remedy is by di∣verting the humours, which is done by frictions, letting bloud in the foot, scarification of the legs, or vesicatories applied to those places, espe∣cially if the flowers are stopped or ready to come down; if not, it will be expedient to open a veine in the arme.

You may also prepare the humour to void it out of the place affected, by opening either the middle vein, or the Basilic, or the Vena Saphe∣na, which may be done two or three times, if occasion serve; after bloud-letting, purge, but let this be done with sweet medicines, such are Cassia, Manna, Tamarind, syrrup of Roses, or Violets Solutive, having a little before used certain syrrups, which may asswage and temper the humours. Take syrrup of Roses and Purs∣lain, of each one ounce, Endive water and Plantain water, of each an ounce, give this to the patient; Neither will it be amiss to give her syrrup of Succory, or Endive, or such like, for these syrrups have a cooling and refreshing fa∣culty, especially being mingled with Plantain, or Endive water, or such like, or the decoction of the said herbs; now when the humour is thus prepared, you may give her some gentle purges. As for example, take of the pulp of Cassia, and Tamarinds, of each six drams, of this make a little bolus with some sugar, and give to the patient, or with this potion.

Take of the Leaves of Italian Orach three drams, of Aniseed one scruple, infuse these in four ounces of the foresaid waters. Into this being strained, infuse an ounce of Cassia, and

into the streining of this dissolve an ounce of solutive Roses; of this make a potion and give it. The fourth way of cure consists in Topicks, such as may drive back and repress the humour, though care must be had that they be not over strong, lest you thereby do cool the heart too much, and thereupon drive the humour upon the heart it self. And therefore temperate medi∣cines are chiefly to be chosen, and such especial∣ly as are able to digest and dissolve the humour: Wherefore it shall not be amiss to apply a linnen cloath dipt in white strong vineger, and a little cold water, which must be applied to the breasts, and often changed. Or else you may dip linnen cloaths also in a decoction of Camomil flowers, and Violet flowers, with a small quantity of oyl of Roses, and a drop of vineger or two; or you may use this fomentation. Take of the juyce of Nightshade & oyl of Roses, of each an ounce and a half, of the decoction of Fenugreek, Camomil and Lineseed two ounces, vineger one ounce.

This medicine you may use by dipping a spunge therein, and so washing and fomenting the breast therewith.

Or you may apply this Cataplasme; take of the leaves of Nightshade and Melilot half a handful of each, let them be boyled & extracted through a course cloth then add to them bean meal two ounces, Oxymel and oyle of sweet Almonds of each one ounce; of this make a Cataplasm and apply it. If the disease be more prevalent, you must use more forcible remedies, and among the rest this fomentation. Take of the leaves of Mallows, Violets, Dill, of each

one handful, flowers of Camomil and Melilot of each a small handful and a halfe, boyl these together, adding to them a little wine and oyl of Dill or Mustard; first let the breast be fomen∣ted with this, and afterwards with an oyntment composed of equal parts of new butter, oyl of violets and Hens fat. But if these things avail not to dissipate the humour, you must observe whe∣ther the inflamation tend either to a suppuration or induration. If you find that it tends to a hard∣ness, you must try all means to hinder it by the way of mollifying plaisters, among which this is not a little experimented: Take the marrow of a Calves leg two ounces, Sheeps grease one ounce, Saffron four scruples, Cumminseed bruised, two scruples, mingle all these and make a plaister. If the inflamation doth not harden, but doth al∣together tend to a suppuration, which may be known by these signs; that is to say, the increa∣sing of the tumour, the beating and excessive heat, & pain which rages about those parts so ve∣hemently, that do not admit them to be touch'd. But now the suppuration is to be hastened with hot and moist medicines, which have an Empla∣stick faculty, for which purpose this is much commended: Take the leaves of Mallows one handful, roots of Althea one ounce, boyl these together, and when they are mashed draw them out, and add to them bean meal and Fenugreek, of each one ounce, the whites of two eggs, myrrh and Assa faetida of each one dram, Saffron one scruple, mingle all these together, and make a Cataplasm for your use; to this you may either add Capons grease, Hogs grease, or fresh but∣ter.

If these remedies do not suddenly bring the inflammation to a suppuration, you must then take of the shells of snails bruised, and lay them upon the Cataplasm in such a manner, that the snail shell may come to touch that part of the tumour which is most elevated and pointed, whence it appears, that the matter will first is∣sue; If these remedies avail not, it will be ne∣cessary to open the said Apostem, with a Lancet, and this must be done when you are sure that the matter is ready to come forth, which may be known by these signs, when the beating ceases, when the fever, the pain and the heat of the part do begin to diminish, when you perceive the place pointed, and raised and enclining to a blackish colour. When the wound is open, you must first apply to it a digestive, composed of an ounce of turpentine, half an ounce of oyl of Ro∣ses and the yolk of an egge. After this you must cleanse it with honey of roses, Turpentine and barly meal, or with the oyntment of the Apostles, or the oyntment called Aegyptiacum, then you may put on the top of the place, the oyntment called Basilicon or Paracelsus plaister which doth digest, cleanse carnifie & cicatrize af∣ter a very extraordinary manner. This is further∣more to be observed, that an ulcer in the breast is not easily cured, if the milk be not dried out of the other breast; and therefore the milke is to be dried up by keeping the child from sucking, and by putting upon the breasts of the woman, cloaths dipped in cold water, together with bean barly and vineger, and such like reme∣dies.