Platerus golden practice of physick: fully and plainly discovering, I. All the kinds. II. The several causes of every disease. III. Their most proper cures, in respect to the kinds, and several causes, from whence they come. After a new, easie, and plain method; of knowing, foretelling, preventing, and curing, all diseases incident to the body of man. Full of proper observations and remedies: both of ancient and modern physitians. In three books, and five tomes, or parts. Being the fruits of one and thirty years travel: and fifty years practice of physick. By Felix Plater, chief physitian and professor in ordinary at Basil. Abdiah Cole, doctor of physick, and the liberal arts. Nich. Culpeper, gent. student in physick, and astrology.

The Kinds,

THere is a Defect of natural excretion by which a Woman sends forth, at a fit season, either a Child or a deformed Mole.

The Birth is Defective when it is difficult, as it may be preternaturally, and naturally. Or when it is not at its time appointed by nature, or before it; or when part thereof remains behind.

Birth becomes difficult and painful, when it is Natural when the Child is ripe, * 1.1 and the Woman hath foregoing signs, by which she is provoked to hold her breath, and press the Muscles of the belly, as in o∣ther digestion: All which are increased when the Child comes forth. Also after birth some pain re∣mains called after-pains: of which seeing they are na∣tural to the bringing forth, we shal speak in the hurt of that Function rather than in pains.

Somtimes Travail is not preterna∣tural from some impediment and so with more difficulty and slower as is mentioned; * 1.2 in which great pain af∣flicteth with straining, heat, and sweating, when the Child sticks cross in the passage (where the Midwife may feel it) or when the Hand or Foot hangs out and not the Head (for when that comes first, the birth is easie) Hence it is that either the Mother or the Child often dies.

It is said to be no Birth when the Wo∣man goes beyond the natural time, * 1.3 which is usually the tenth month (though the seventh month be also allowed) and there is nothing brought forth, though the Child be ripe, or there be a mole. And then she falleth to sounding, which kind of fainting is here most deadly, through pain, labor and bleeding. Also shee hath her throws at the time, and seems to be fit for Travail, and is so disposed by the Midwife, and her Urin breaks from her, as is usual in that condition. But all these cease, and no birth followeth. And if they return not, the Child is dead, and putrifies, and breeds Feavers, and Faintings, and so infecteth the body, that the Mother dieth, as ma∣ny have done (especially one who went five months beyond her time with a dead Child, and a stinking flux, with the Navel-string hanging forth, before she died) which so infected, that the Womb and Child were black and very stinking when shee was opened. And when the Mother lived shee had somtimes cleer blad∣ders about her Navel, which signified putrefaction, through which the Back-bones of the Child were seen, and taken forth after they brake.

This causeth death as we shewed, if it be not speedi∣ly voided; and may be before the Child is perfect, and then it must be cast out presently, and it is easily done while it is little; but when it is great, there is, as we said, want of birth. As also if there be a false con∣ception or Mole, which the sooner it is cast out, the less is the danger, therefore when we are certain there∣of, if nature be slow, we help her with Medicines.

The Child is known to be dead if the Mother feel no motion, which shee formerly felt, and the belly is stil big (which often deceiveth by the Terms reteined, and these breaking forth it suddenly falleth flat) about the flanks. And if the Womb be cold and the Paps which were swollen, grow lank, At length, if it conti∣nue there followeth water, matter and filth, and pieces of the secondine hang out, there is a Feaver, Heart∣pain, and Swounding. We shal shew in depravate Conception when there a Mole and no Child, and how you shal know it.

The Birth is imperfect when the Child is voided and the Secondine remaineth whol or torn, * 1.4 growing to the Womb, or stopped; and causeth great danger of a Feaver, or sudden Swounding, or Death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A natural dif∣ficult Birth.
• * 1.2

  A preternatural difficult Birth.
• * 1.3

  Birth hin∣dered.
• * 1.4

  Imperfect Birth.