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. V. Of the falling down of the waters, a good while before the woman travails.

There are some women, who have their waters come from them, a long time before their travaile, sometimes twelve days, sometimes eight dayes, somtimes six, and sometimes foure; though the ordinary time be not aboue three houres before her travaile: they remaining for the most part not above twenty four howers. This is caused by some ruptures of the membranes, where from the beginning of the formation of the child, the humour is contained, rather then by the abundance of humours; and therefore though a woman that hath abundance, and that the membranes containing them, are so strong that they wil not breake suddaine, though the woman shall not travail till they breake, yet the midwife ought not to break them, but rather hold the woman over a vessel of warme water, and also use some softening linniment, to soften the membranes, that so the mother straining the head or other member of the child, may breake them more easily.

But for those women that have these eva∣cuations so long before they travaile, they must refraine going into the aire, for feare of injuring themselves, the passages being open;

for though the air cannot hinder the childe from coming forth, by reason of its weight, yet oft times getting within the secondine, it not onely streightens the vessels, and mouthes of the veines, that are at the bot∣tom of the womb, but also causes several convulsions, to the great danger of the wo∣man: but it is an easie thing to remedy these accidents, by keeping close in her chamber, having also a special regard to di∣stinguish, whether they be the waters of the birth, or any Hydropick humour of the Ma∣trix.