The midwives book, or, The whole art of midwifry discovered.: Directing childbearing women how to behave themselves in their conception, breeding, bearing, and nursing of children in six books, viz. ... / By Mrs. Jane Sharp practitioner in the art of midwifry above thirty years.

CHAP. III.

Of Feavers after Child-bearing.

THis disease frequently follows when she is not well purged of her burden or the pur∣gations are corrupt that stay behind, about the third or fourth day they will be Feaverish al∣so by the turning of the blood from the womb to the breasts to make milk, but this lasts not long, nor is it any danger: but you may mis∣take a putrid Feaver for a Feaver that comes from the milk; for the humours may be infla∣med from her labour in travel, and corrupt, though they appear not presently to be so, the next day after she is delivered, but from thence you must reckon the beginning of the Feaver; it is probable then that this Feaver comes from some other cause, especially if her purg∣ings

be stopt, it may proceed from ill hu∣mours gathered in her body whilst she went with child, and are only stirred by her labour; if she be not well purged after travel, the blood and ill humours retreat to the Liver by the great veins and cause a putrid Feaver, but if they flow too much the Feaver may come long after. A feaver from milk will come on the fourth day with pains in the shoul∣ders and the back, and the terms may flow well; if she kept an ill diet when she was big with child, the Feaver comes from ill hu∣mours if it come not from milk, if it do it will end about eight or ten dayes after; but if it come from stoppage of purgations, if she have not a loosness it is very dangerous; if black and ill savouring matter purge by the womb it is safe. But if the Feaver come from ill humours and the body be Cacochymical it is worse, for that shews the ill humours are many which nature cannot send forth by the after-purgings, and the woman is weak al∣ready by her travel. Good diet and gentle sweating cure a Milk-Feaver, but there must be purging and many remedies used for the o∣ther, as bleeding in the foot, cupping of the thighs to provoke the after purgations; but if the time of after-purging be over, if she be strong then open a vein in the Arm.

It is dangerous to purge the woman after the seventh day as some do, when she hath a Pleurisie, because of her weakness after tra∣vel, and because purges hinder the after-flux; but you may if the flux of blood cease, if need be, give a gentle purge with Cassia or Manna, sirrup of roses or Sena or Rhubarb. Too cold and sharp things are naught, take heed of cold drink, or too much drink; let her diet by degrees increase from thin to thicker.

If the Feaver came from too much milk or terms stopt, open a vein in her foot, then purge a way the gross humours with sirrup of Maidenhair, Endive of each one ounce, wa∣ters of Succory and Fennel an ounce and half a piece.

Sharp and putrified humours must be pur∣ged away with proper medicaments, as wa∣ter of Succory, and violets, of each two ounces, sirrup of the same of each one ounce; cooling Glisters are good here; if there be need you may purge stronger, but this is not usual. I shall give you one example, take two drams of Rhubarb in powder, Diagridium four grains, let them infuse all night in Succo∣ry and Anniseed water, two ounces and half of each, and one ounce of Borrage flower water, warm them gently in the morning,

and strain them well through a linnen cloth; add to the strained liquor one ounce of sirrup of Succory, Cinnnamon water two spoonfuls, drink it warm.

Then after you have well purged away the ill humours you may gently sweat her to o∣pen the passages of the body and womb, you will find examples of them in the Treatise of the Courses stopt.