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 a VVoman which I laid two several times, and of the difference of her bearing of two children, proceeding from several causes.

I VVas called to lay a Woman, who said she was gone her ful time; she had the same pains that Women are wout to have in the time of Travail, but her waters came not down; at one forcible throw she cast forth a great mem∣brane like a hoggs bladder, all united within and without, only that it had divers branches of veins, as you shal see in a bladder; which I presently cut, and found therein a little Infant wel shaped swimming in black waters: it had gone its ful time, and was so lean that it resem∣bled

a meer picture; it had the Navel-string holding fast to the bladder, where it is to be supposed those smal branches of the veins do end; here as I guess, as long as it found any bloud, it lay languishing; but that beginning to fail it dyed, and presently voided those excre∣ments that were contained in the Intestines, which being mingled in the waters made them black: and as for the Woman her self, she was the fullest of humor that ever I saw in my life. Another time I brought the same VVoman to bed, who was delivered of a child that came the ordinary way into the world with the head formost; now I perceiving her in Labour, found nothing at first but a certain softness, as if the waters were coming down; afterwards I per∣ceived a certain bag with hair, a thwart which I saw certain great knobs or heads; the Infant being come forth was not yet formed; the face and the head were like vizards more then any face; it had the form of a nose, but it was so••t like wool: the head was ful of water, and those knobs which appeared were nothing but the futures of the head, which the too great a∣bundance of water had disjoynd: in the hands it had nothing but hair in stead of bones, and the toes were of the same; the VVoman her self was said to be extreamly cholerick, and moist.