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. IV.

Of the looseness of the belly in child-bed Women.

THis may be thought a small matter in re∣spect of other infirmities, yet this is one of the most dangerous distempers and hardest to help in child-bed women, for stop the flux & you will stop her purgations; if you stop it not she will perish by weakness, nothing al∣most is safely given. Physicians are at a stand in such a case, but it is good be wary and moderate in what is done, and it may be helpt God willing. It is not safe to stop it present∣ly, and if it continue it may cause a Tenesmus or a dysentury, if it come from ill diet let her

mend that, and strengthen her stomach out∣wardly if yet it continue, use inward reme∣dies that corroborate the stomach yet hurt not the womb, as Barley water, Honey and sirrup of roses, cleansing Glisters are good and to temper sharp cholerick humours. But the best way is, to observe what loosenes of the belly she is molested with, for if it be that they call Diarrhoea, that will only discharge her body of ill humours, therefore do no∣thing in that case but let her take strengthen∣ing food, for when nature hath eased her self sufficiently she will stay both the loose∣ness of the belly and her purgations from the womb, and so no ill accidents will come; but if the flux be Lienteria that the food comes away with the stools undigested, annoint her belly with Oil of Mastick and of Myrtles, and give her some sirrup of dried Roses, pulp of Tamarinds, or some torrified Rhubarb, to purge the belly and not hurt the womb: But if it rise to a Dysentery called the bloody flux, then so soon as her Terms are purged away, try to stay it.

1. By purging, as take half a dram of bark of yellow Mirobolans, & of rosted Rubarb as much, finely powdered, sirrup of Roses, or of Quin∣ces one ounce, pulp of Cassia or of Tamarinds with Sugar half an ounce, Plantane or Oak∣en

water four ounces, let her drink this at once.

2. Abstersives are good, as of whey, or bar∣ley water, or Glisters of Mallows, Mellilot, Wheat-bran and Oyl of sweet Almonds.

3. Narcoticks to ease great pains, Philoni∣um Romanum two scruples, Rose-water two ounces, Maligo wine one ounce, give it when she goes to sleep, this is excellent.

In this case astringents are to be used but not in the former distempers, here they profit, there they are dangerous.

Of Womens vomiting in Child-Bed.

Women both before they fall in labour, and at the time of their travel, and also after∣wards will sometimes fall to vomiting, and it may proceed from ill diet or raw humors, or from weakness of their stomach, or con∣sent of the womb when the after flux is stopt, and sometimes they will vomit blood, for the blood that is stopped below, runs back to the great veins and liver, and being much and sharp finds a way into the stomach and so comes forth at the mouth. It is ill after child-birth; especially the food being vomited there will be nothing to make milk for the child, and sometimes in hard labour a Vein is

broken and this may cause a dropsie; if ill diet cause vomit, rectifie that; if ill humours, stop it not presently but purge gently; if blood come, pull back by rubbing, or cupping, or bleeding, opening a Vein in the foot, ham, or ankle, and urging the after flux. Sometimes the woman is costive, then give her a supposi∣tory, with Castle sope or Honey, and then stay four or five days till you may give a Glister with Manna or, Cassia. If her Urine run away against her will, bath her parts with a decocti∣on of Betony, Bays, Sage, Rosemary, Ori∣ganum, Stoechas, and Penni-royal; for her vo∣miting, give her three spoonfuls of Cinnamon water, one ounce and half of juice of Quin∣ces, about a spoonful at a time. The leaves of Rosemary dried and brought into powder, and so drank about a scruple or half a dram at a time in a cup of wine will stay vomiting; preserve or Marmalade of Quinces, or Med∣lars eaten, or Pears or sowr Apples do strengthen the stomach, juice of Barberries, or of Pomegranates or sowr Cherries with Mint water.

There are many topical applications to be made to the pit of the stomach, which being laid on and so continued prevail much, as thus; take the crum of the inside of a white loaf, and tost it and steep it in good Maligo Wine,

and strew it lightly over with the powder of Cloves and Nutmegs, or sirrup of Roses, Rhubarb, or pulp of Tamarinds, and astrin∣gents, of Roses, Plantane, Coral, Tormentil, if the Terms flow not at all the belly must be kept loose, but vomiting is so perillous that it ought to be stopt, alwaies provided it be done no sooner than it is needful and with good provisoes.