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 Wheals, condylomas of the Womb, and of the Hemorrhoids.

THe Wheals of the VVomb are certaine risings in the neck of the womb, which by their acrimony excite both paine and itching. The signes of them are an itching, paine, and fall of scurf from that part, for the better search∣ing of which the instrument called speculum Matricis is to be used. The cause of this are certain cholerick, sharp and adust humors, and thick, which falling upon these moist and loose places do there easily make their way. The cure depends upon the consideration of the

causes: Among the preparing Medecines sy∣rup of Fumitory is much commended, and Cichorie with a decoction of Lupines. To∣picks also are useful that discuss and mitigate the humor, as baths, and insessions, and the wa∣shing of the place with wine and Nitre, which is often to be used. These wheals are divided into gentle, and venemous, which are said to be contagious; they are to be washed in a water thus made. Take of Aloes the quantity of a pea; of the flowr of brass the quantity of half a pea; powder these, and mingle them in an ounce of white wine, Plantain-water, and Rose-water, of each an ounce, which is to be kept in a glass vessel.

Condylomas are certaine swelling wrinkles in the neck of the Womb, with pain and heat. There is no need to tel the signes of these, for they are apparent to the eye; the wrinkles are like those which appear in the hand when you close the fist; but are much bigger when the courses flow: they are caused by adust and thick humors; some of these are with an infla∣mation, which have more paine and heat, and the swelling is hard: In the cure of which you must use insessions, and fomentations that ease paine; sometimes they come without any in∣flammatiō, which if they be new come are to be dryed up; if they be old, they are first to be soft∣ned, afterwards to be digested and dryed up; for which purpose you may use powder of Egg∣shels burnt, or this Ointment: Take of the

Trochisques of steel one dram powderd, mixt with a little Oyl of Roses, and wax, with half an ounce of the juice of Mullein; if this profit not, the warts are to be shaved away with a knife, and an astringent powder laid upon them.

Hemorrhoids of the VVomb are little protu∣berances like those of the fundament, produced in the neck of the womb through the abun∣dance of feculent blood; the subject is the neck of the womb▪ for where the veins end, there do grow these extuberancies, just as in the He∣morrhoids.

The signes are evident, and easily seen by the help of the Speculum Matricis: the women who are thus affected look pale, and are trou∣bled with a weariness.

The cause is a Feculent bloud, which flow∣ing to these veins before its season and setling there grows thicker, so that it cannot pierce the orifice of the veins. They are cured by a revulsion of the humor, first by letting blood in the arm; secondly, by drawing it to another part, as by letting blood in the heel. Sometimes these Hemmorrhoids are very pain∣ful, and are distinguishd from that menstruous effuxion, by the pain which they bring: they are cured by mitigating and asswaging inses∣sions; as also by opiates carefully applyed. O∣thers are without pain, to which the foresaid Remedies may be applied.

Others are open, and do sometimes run mo∣derately,

and then nature is to be let alone; or violently, so that thereby the strength of the person is impaired, in which case a vein must be opened in the arm two or three times; pur∣gation is also to be used by Myrobalans, Tamarinds, and Rheubarb; and at length you must apply those things which cease the blood.

Others are termed blinde, out of which there issues no blood; they are cured by blood-let∣ting; the part is to be also softned and foment∣ed with things that soften and open the orifi∣ces of the veins, and dispel the humor; such are an Ointment made of the pith of Colocynthis, and Oyl of sweet Almonds, or the juice of Ca∣pers mixt with Aloes; neither is the applying of Hors-leeches amiss.