THE FYRSTE ¶ After what maner and fasshyon the byrthe lyethe in the mothers wombe, and howe many caules it is com­passed and wrapped in. ¶ Cap .i.

IN so muche as oure entent is in this boke folowynge to en­treate and speake of the byrthe of mankynde / and of suche thynges whiche happen and chaunse to the mother in her labor and tra­uayle / in the deliueraunce of the same / it shal be fyrst verye necessary to shewe after what maner and fasshyon the infant lyeth in the mothers wombe / and in howe many cau­les the same is lapped and wrapped: to the farther knowlege and perceuerance of suche thynges the whiche we shall entreate of hereafter.

¶ wherfore ye shall vnderstande that the byrth lyeth in the mother after this maner: Fyrste it lyeth rownde in maner as a bowle the handes beynge betwene the knees / and the hedde lenyng on the knees: eyther of the eyes ioynynge vppon eyther of the knees: the ryghte eye vppon the ryghte knee: and [Page xii]the lefte vpon the lefte / the noose dependyng betwene the knees / so that the face and fore­parte of the infante is towarde the inwarde partes of the woman / lyenge in maner vp­ryght in the mothers matryce.

¶ Farther ye muste vnderstande that there be thre coueres or caules in the whiche the byrthe is contayned and lapped: of the whi­che the one compassyth & embrasyth rownd aboute the byrthe / and the other two caules also: and it is called the secondyne seconde byrth or the after byrthe: the whiche defen­deth the byrthe frome noysum and yll hu­mours encreasynge in the matryce after conception by retensyon of the flowres other­wyse wonte to passe and yssue furthe ones in the monethe / the whiche yll humours yf they sholde touche or come nere to the byrth wolde greatlye peryshe and hurte the same. But after the deliueraunce of the pryncipall byrth these humours also with the foresayd caule or secondyne yssue furthe / and is cal­led the after byrthe.

¶ The seconde caule with the whiche the byrth is coueryd / compasseth the same byrth frome the nauyll downe warde / couerynge [Page]all the inferyour partes of the infant / and this skynne or caule is as it were fulle of plyghtes and wrynkles: and through this caule the byrthe is defended and kepte from yll and sharpe humours as vryne or pysse yssuynge frome the infante and swette. &c. for so longe as the chylde is in the mothers wombe it sendeth furthe vrine / not by the due membres but by the vayne whiche pro­cedeth out of the nauell.

¶ The thyrde shynne or caule lykewyse contayneth all the byrthe in it defendynge also the same frome humours & vryne: and from the boystesnes of the secondyne or fyrst caule and this is called the armoure or defence of the byrthe.

¶ This is the maner of the sytuation and lodgyng of the infante in the mothers bellye: and these be the thre caules contaynynge and enclosyng in the byrth. Nowe wyll we speake of the tyme of byrthe.

¶ Of the tyme of byrthe, and whiche is called naturall or vnnaturall. ¶ Cap .ii.

ANd when the tyme of byrthe ap­prochyth nere / moste commenly these sygnes folowyng come be­fore: by the which the tyme of labor is knowen to be at hande.

¶ Fyrste certayne dolours and paynes be­gynne to growe about the guttes / the nauell / and in the raynes of the backe / and lykewyse aboute the thyghes & the other places beinge nere to the priuy partes / which lykewyse then beginneth to swell and to burne and to expell humours / so that it gyueth playne and eui­dent token that the labor is nere.

¶ But ye shall note that there is two man­ner of byrthes / the one called naturall / the o­ther contrarye to nature. Naturall byrthe is when the chylde is borne bothe in due season & also in due fashion. The due season is most commenlye after the .ix. moneth or aboute .xl. wekes after the conception / althoughe some be delyuered sometymes in the seuenthe mo­neth / and the chylde proueth verye well. But such as are borne in the eyght moneth / other [Page]they be dead before the byrth / or els lyue not longe after / as the noble medicine Auicenna doth testifye.

¶ The due fashion of byrthe is this / accor­dynge as wytnesseth Albert the greate / fyrste the head commeth forwarde / then foloweth the necke and shouldes / the armes with the handes lyenge close to the bodye towarde the fete / the face and forepart of the chylde beyng towardes the face and foreparte of the mo­ther / as it appeareth in the fyrste of the byrthe fygures. For as Albertus writeth / and as we haue rehersed before also / before the tyme of delyueraunce the chylde lyeth in the mothers wombe the face and breste beynge towardes the backe of the mother / but when it sholde be delyuered / it is torned clene contrary / the head downewarde / the fete vpwarde / and the face towarde the mothers bellye / and that yf the byrth be natural. Another thyng also is this / that yf the byrthe be naturall / the delyuerance is easye withoute longe taryenge or lokynge for it.

¶ The byrth contrarye to nature is / when the mother is delyuered before her tyme / or oute of due season / or after any other fashion [Page xiiii]then is here specyfyed before / as when bothe legges procede fyrste / or one alone / with both the handes vp / or both downe / other elles the one vp & the other downe / and diuers other­wise as shalbe hereafter more clerely declared

¶ Of easye, and vneasye, difficull, or dolorous delyueraunce, and the causes of it, with the sygues howe to knowe, and forese the same. ¶ Cap .iii.

VEry many be the parelles / dan­gerous & stronges which chanse to women in theyr labor / whiche ensue & come in dyuers wayes / & for dyuers causes / such as I shal here declare.

¶ Fyrst when the woman that laboreth is conceyued ouer yonge / as before .xii. yee or .xv. yere of aege / which chāseth somtyme / though not verye often / and that the passage be ouer angust streate or naro we / other naturally / or els for some disease and infirmite / which may happen about that parte / as apostumes / pus­shes / pyles / or blysterres / and such other / tho­rowe the whiche causes nature can not (but with great dolor and payne) open and dilate [Page]it selfe to the expellynge & delyuerance of the chylde. And sometyme the vesyke or bladder / or other intralles beyng about the matrice or wombe be also apostumat & blystered / whiche beynge greaued / the matrice or wombe lyke­wyse is greaued with them / and that hynde­reth greatly the deliueraunce. Also sometyme in the fundament are emerrodes or pyles and other pusshes / chappynges or chynnes which cause greate payne / also hardnes and difficul­te or byndynge of the belly / which thinges for the grefe and payne that ensueth of them causeth the woman to haue lyttell power to help herselfe in her labor.

¶ Farthermore if the partie be weke and of feble complexion / or of nature very colde / or to yonge / or very aged / or to grosse and fatte / or contrarye wyse to spare and leane / or that she neuer had chylde before / or that she be ouer ti­morous and fearefull / dyuers waywarde / or suche one as wyll not be ruled / remouyng her selfe from one place to another / all such thyn­ges causeth the labour to be much more payn full / cruell / and dolorous / then it wolde other­wyse be. Also ye must vnderstande that gene­rallye the byrthe of the man is easyer then the [Page xv]byrth of the female.

¶ Item yf the chylde be of a fuller & greater groweth than that it maye easelye passe that narowe passage / or contrarye wyse / yf it be so faynt / weake / and tender / that it can not turne it selfe / or doth it very slowly / or yf the womā haue two chyldren at ones / other elles that it with the which she laboreth be a menster / as for example / yf it haue but one body and two heddes / as appeareth in the .xvij. of the byrth fygures / such as of late was sene in the domi­nion of werdenberghe.

¶ Agayne whē it procedeth not in due tyme or after due fashion / as when it cometh forthe with bothe fete or both knees togyther / or els with one fote onely / or with both fete downe­warde and both handes vpwarde / other els (the which is most perellous) sydelong / arse­longe / or backelonge / other hauynge two at a byrth / both procede with their fete fyrst / or one with his fete and the other with his head / by those and diuers other wayes the woman su­steyneth greate doloure payne and anguysh.

¶ Item yf the woman suffer aborsmēt / that is to saye brynge forth her chylde in the .iiii. or v. moneth after the conception / whiche is be­fore [Page]the due tyme / in this case it shalbe great payne to her / for so muche as (accordynge to Galenus sayenge) in that tyme the entrance of the wombe is so firmely and strongely en­closed / that scace the poynte of a nedle maye enter in at it.

¶ Also yf the chyld be dead in the mothers bellye it is a verye perellous thynge / forso­muche as it can not be easely turned / nother can it weld or helpe it self to come forth / or yf the chyld be sycke or weakened / so that it can not for feablenesse helpe it selfe. The whiche thynge maye be foresene & knowen by these tokens: Yf the woman with chylde haue ben longe sycke before her labor / yf she haue ben sore laxed / yf after her conception she haue had dayly & vnwontly her flowres / yf streate after one moneth vppon the conception her brestes yelde anye mylke / yf the chylde steare not ne moue at suche tyme as is conuenient for it: these be tokens that it sholde be verye weake. By what tokens ye shall knowe it is dead / I shall shewe you in the nynth chapter hereafter.

¶ Also there is greate parell in laborynge / when the secondyne or latter byrthe is ouer [Page xvi]fyrme or stronge / and wyll not sone ryue or breake asunder / so that the chylde maye haue his easy commyng forth. And contrary wyse when it is ouer weake slender or thynne / so that it breaketh asunder before that the chyld be turned or apte to yssue forthe / for then the humours which are collecte and gathered to gether about this secondyne or secoside byrth passe away soner then it sholde do / & the byrth shall lacke his due humidite and moystenes / whiche sholde cause it the [...]selyar to procede and with lesse payne.

¶ The byrth also is hindered by ouer much colde or ouer muche heete / for in ouer muche colde the passage and all other powres of the laborynge woman be coarted and made nar­rower then they wolde otherwyse be. Lyke­wyse ouer much heate debiliteth / weakeneth and faynteth both the woman and the chyld / so that neyther of them in that case can well welde or helpe them selfes for fayntnesse.

¶ And forther yf the woman haue vsed to eate commenly such meate or fruytes / whiche do exiccat or drye and constrayne or bynde / as medlars / chestenuttes / all sowre fruyte / as trabbes / chokeperes / and suche other / with [Page]ouer muche vse of vergers / & such lyke sowre sauces / with ryse myll / and many other thyn­ges / all this shall greately hynder the byrth.

¶ Also the vse of colde bathes after the .v. moneth folowyng the conception or to bathe in such water where alome is / yron / or salte / or any suche thynges which do coarcte and con­strayne / or yf she haue ben oftentymes heauye and murnyng / or yll at ease / or yf she haue ben kept ouer hungrye and thurstye / or haue vsed ouer much watche and walkinge / other yf she vsed a lyttell before her labor thinges of great odour smell or sauoure / for suche thynges at­tracte and drawe vp warde the mother or ma­trice / the whiche is greate hynderaunce to the byrthe.

¶ Also yf the womā fele payne onely in the backe and aboue the nauell and not vnder / it is sygne of harde labor / lykewyse yf she ware wont to be delyuered with greate payne in tymes passed / is a sygne of great labor alwayes in the byrth.

¶ Nowe sygnes and tokens of an expedite and easy delyueraunce be such as be contrary to all those that go before. As for example / when the woman hathe ben wonte in tymes [Page]passed easelye to be [...] that in her labor she feale but lyttell thronge or dolor / or thoughe she haue greate paynes / yet they re­mayne not alwayes in the vppar partes / but descend to the nether partes or botome of the bellye.

¶ And to be shorte in all paynefull & trou­blesome labours / these sygnes betokē & signi­fy good spede and lucke in the labor: vnquiet­nes / muche stearynge of the chylde in the mo­thers belly / all the thronges and paynes tom­blynge in the fore parte of the botome of the bellye / and when the woman is stronge and myghtye of nature / and such as can well and strongelye helpe her selfe to the expellynge of the byrth. And agayne euell sygnes be those / when she swetethe colde swete: and that her pulces beate and labor ouer sore / and that she her selfe in the laborynge faynt and swowne: these be vnluckye and mortall sygnes.

¶ Howe a woman with chylde shall use herselfe, and what remedies be fo [...] them that haue harde labor. ¶ Cap .iiii.

T [...] [...] such as are in suche difficull parell of labor / as we haue spoken of before / ye must obserue / kepe & marke those thynges whiche we shall (by the grace of god) shew you in this chapter folow­ynge. Fyrst the woman with chyld must kepe two dyettes / the one a monethe before her la­bor / the other in the verye laborynge / & aboue all thynges she muste exchue and forbare all suche thynges which maye hynder the byrthe so nere as she can possible / the which we rehersed in the chapter before / but yf there be anye suche thynge which can not be auoyded / for so much as it commeth by nature or by long contynuance and custome: in this case yet ye shall vse some such remedies / the which maye som­what asswage it / mollifye it / or make it more easye or tollerable / so that it hynder the byrth so muche the lesse.

¶ But yf it so be / that any infirmitie or dy­sease / swellyng / or other apostumation chanse about the mother or the preuy parte / or about the vesyke or bladder / as the stone / the stran­gurye / and suche lyke: the whiche thynges may cause suche straytenesse and coarctation [Page xviii]that vnnethe greate and horrible payne / the partie can be delyuered or discharged: in these cases it behouethe suche thynges to be loked vnto and cured before the tyme of labor com­methe / by the aduyse of some experte Sur­gion.

¶ Also yf the woman be ouer muche consti­pat / or bounde all wayes / she muste vse the monethe before her labour suche thynges / the whiche maye lemfye / mollifye / dissolue / and loose the bellye: as aples fryed with sugre ta­ken fastynge in the mornynge / and after that a draughte of pure wyne alone / or elles tem­pered with the iuyce of swete and rype ap­ples. Also to eate fygges in the mornynge fastynge and at nyghte / loosethe welle the bellye.

¶ Agayne in this case she muste refrayne frome all suche thynges as doo harden / re­straynt / and constipat: as be suche thynges / the whyche be browled or rosted / & ryse / harde egges and myll / and suche lyke.

¶ Also yf farther necessite require she maye receaue a clyster / but it muste be very gentell and easye tempered other with cheken brothe or brothe of other flesshe: she maye vse also [Page]some other easye and temperat purgation to mollifye and loose her with all: also a suppo­sitar tempered with sope / larde / or the yolke of egges.

¶ And yf it chaunse that (the labor draw­ynge nere) she waxe faynte or syckelye: then muste ye comforte her with good comfortable meate / drynke / holsome and noble electuaries / and in this tyme must she do all such thinges the whiche can make her apte and sufficiente to her labor / & to vse suche thynges the which maye laxe / open / and mollifye the nature and passage / so that the byrth maye the more frely procede: and that chieflye in the younger wo­men. The elder women for because that / that partes in them be somewhat dryer & harder / therfore they muste vse hote and moyst thyn­ges which haue properte to lenifye and sople / and that bothe in meate and drynke / and also in outwarde fomentations / bathynges / sup­positaries and anoyntmētes: Anoyntmentes wherewith ye maye sople the priuie place / be these: hennes grese / duckes grese / goose grese / also oyle olyfe / or lynesede oyle / or oyle of fene­greke / or the viscosite of holyoke & such other / and for drinke let her vse good type wyne mi­xed [Page xix]with water: also ther must be a considera­tion in the dietynge of the woman / that she maye vse such thynges the which maye moy­sten her / and not make her fatte. Contrarye-wyse let her auoyde such thynges the whiche sholde exiccat drye constrayne or coarte her: & that all the monethe before her labor. But a­bout .x. dayes before the tyme (yf she fele any payne or grefe) let her vse euery day to washe or bathe her with warme water / in the which also that she tary not ouer longe in bathynge for weakening of her: in the bath let her stand so chat the water come aboue the nauell a lyt­tell / and lette be sodde in the water mallows / holyoke / camomell / mercurye / maydenhere / lynesede / fenegreke sede / and such other thyn­ges which haue vertue to mollifye and suple: and yf it so be that for weakenesse of the body she maye not endure this bathynge in warme water / then with a sponge or other cloth dyp­ped in the foresayde bathe / let her sokynglye washe her fete / her thyghs / and her pryuy partes / the whiche thynge shall greatly profet to her. But in suche tyme beware ye come not in the cōmune hote houses / for they wolde cause you to be feble and faynte / whiche ware yll in [Page]this case.

¶ And when ye are thus bathed or washed / then shall it be very conuenient for you to an­noynte with the foresayde greses and oyles youre backe / belly / nauell / sydes / and such pla­ces as are nere to the preuȳe partes. Farther­more it shall be greatelye profitable for her to conueye inwarde in to the preuye parte these foresayde oyles or greses with a sponge or o­ther thynge made for the purpose / she lyenge vpryght the middes of her body most hyest / so that it maye the better remayne within her / and that chieflye / yf the matrice be drye / other elles the partie very leane and spare.

¶ It shalbe also verye profytable for her to suffume the nether places with muske / am­bre / gallia muscata / whiche putte on embers yelde a goodlye sauour / by the whiche the ne­ther places opē thē selfe & draw downwarde.

¶ Also as I sayd before / she must take good hede to her dyette / that she take thynges the whiche maye comforte and strenghten the bodye / feadynge not ouer muche of any thynge / and to drynke pleasaunt and well sauerynge wyne / or other drynke / also moderatly to exer­syce the body in doyng some thing / stearynge / mouinge / goyng / or [Page xx]standyng / more then other wise she was wōt to do: these thinges farther the byrth & make it the easyer: & this is the maner of dyette the which we aduise the woman to kepe the moneth before her labor or longer.

¶ Another dyette there is / the whiche she ought to obserue in the tyme of labor / when the stormes and thronges begyn to come on / and the humours / whiche yet hytherto haue remayned about the matrice or mother collected / nowe begyn to flowe forth: and this ma­ner of dyette consysteth in two sortes. Fyrste that suche thynges be procured and had in re­dynesse whiche maye cause the byrth or labor to be very easye. Secondly to withstande / de­fende & to put awaye so nere as may be the in­stāt & present dolours. And as touchinge this poynt / it shalbe very profitable for her for the space of an houre to syt styll / thē rysyng again to go vp & downe a payre of stayres cryeng or reaching so loude as she cā / so to stere herselfe.

¶ Also it shalbe very good for a tyme to re­tayne and kepe in her brethe / for because that thorow that meanes the guttes and intralles be thrust to gether and depressed downeward. Also it shalbe verye good to receyue the same [Page]medicine / the which we shall describe hereaf­ter / for that medicine expellethe and sendeth forthe the byrth.

¶ But when the womā perceaueth the matrice or mother to waxe laxe or loose / and to be dyssolued / and that the humours yssue forthe in great plente / then shall it be mete for her to syt downe lenynge backewarde in maner vp­ryght. For the which purpose in some regiōs (as in France and Germanye) the mydwyfes haue stooles for the purpose / whiche beynge but lowe and not hye frome the grounde / is made soo compase wyse and caue or holowe in the myddes / that that maye be receaued from vndernethe whiche is loked for: and the backe of the stoole lenyng backewarde / recea­uethe the backe of the woman / the fashion of the which stole is set in the begynninge of the byrth sygures hereafter.

¶ And when the tyme of labor is come / in the same stole ought to be put manye clothes or clowtes in the backe of it / the whiche the midwife may remoue frō one syde to another accordyng as necessite shal require. The myd­wyfe herselfe shall syt before the laboryng woman / and shall diligently obserut and wayte [Page xxi]howe muche & after what maner the chylde stearethe it selfe: also shall with her handes fyrste annoynted with the oyle of almondes or the oyle of whyte lylies rule & directe eue­ry thynge / as shall seme best. Also the myd­wyfe muste enstructe and comfort the partie not onely refresshynge her with good meate and drynke / but also with swete wordes / ge­uynge her good hope of a spedefull delyue­raunce / encouragyng and enstomacking her to pacience and tolleraunce / byddyng her to holde in her brethe in so muche as she maye / also strekynge gentylly with her handes her belly aboue the nauel / for that helpeth to de­presse the byrth downewarde.

¶ But and yf the woman be any thynge grosse / fat / or flesshly it shall be best for her to lye grouelyng / for by that menes the matrice is thrust and depressed downe warde / anoyn­tynge also the preuy partes with the oyle of whyte lyllies. And yf necessite require it / let not the mydwyfe be afrayde ne asshamed to handle the places and to relaxe and lose the straytes / for so muche as shall lye in her / for that shall helpe wel to the more expedite and quycke labor.

¶ But this must the mydwyfe aboue all thynges take hede of that she cōpell not the woman to labor / before the byrth come fore­warde / & shewe it selfe. For before that tyme all labor is in vayne / labor as muche as ye lyst. And in this case many tymes it cometh to passe / that the partie hath labored so sore before the tyme / that when she sholde labor in dede / her myght and strength is spent be­fore in vaine / so that she is not nowe able to helpe her selfe / and that is a peryllous case.

¶ Farthermore when the secondine or se­conde byrthe (in the which the byrth is wrapped and conteyned) doth ones appeare / then maye ye knowe that the labor is at hande / wherfore yf the same secondine breake not of his owne kynde / it shalbe the myd wyfes parte and offyce with her nayles easely and gentely to breake it / and rent it / or yf it maye not so conuenientlye be done / then reyse vp betwene your fyngers a pece of it / and cutte it of with a payre of sheeres / or a sharpe knyfe / but soo that ye hurte not the byrthe with the cutte / this done / by and by ensueth consequētly the flux and flowe of humours / of the whyche I spake before / and then [Page xxii]nexte foloweth immediatly the byrthe.

¶ But yf it so chanse the secondine sholde be cutte by the mydwyfe and all the watery parte yshued and spent before due tyme and necessite sholde requyre it / so that the preuye passage be lest exiccat and drye / the byrth not yet appearynge / and by this meanes the la­bor sholde be hyndered and letted. In this case ye shall annoynt and mollify that preuy passage with the oyle of white lillies / or som of the greses spoken of before / fyrste whar­med and so conueyed in to the preuy partes the whiche thynges wyll cause the waye to be slypperye / sople / and easye for the byrth to passe. But chiefly in this difficulties sholde profette the whyte of an egge to gether with the yolke powred in to that same place / whi­che sholde cause it to be moste slypperye and slydynge.

¶ And yf it so be / that the byrthe be of a greate groweth / and the head stycke in the commynge forthe / then muste the mydwyfe helpe al that she may / with her handes fyrst annoynted with some oyle openyng and en­largynge the waye / that the yssue maye be be the frear: lykewyse muste be done yf she [Page]bare two chyldren at once. And all this is spoken of the naturall byrth when that fyrst procedeth the head / and then the reste of the body ordinatly / as ye mayese in the fyrste of the byrth fygures folowynge.

¶ ij. But when the byrthe commeth con­trarye to nature / then must the mydwyfe do all her diligence and payne / yf it may be pos­sible / to turne the byrthe tenderlye with her annoynted handes / so that it maye be re­duced agayne to a naturall byrthe / as for example: Some tyme it chanseth the chylde to come the legges and both arines and handes downewarde cloose to the sydes fyrste forthe / as appearethe in the seconde of the byrth figures / in this case the mydwife must do all her payne with tender handelyng and annoyntyng to receaue forthe the chylde / the legges beynge styll close to gether / & the handes lykewyse remaynynge / as appeareth in the say [...]e .ij. figure. Howe be it / it were farre better (yf it maye be by any meanes) that the mydwyfe sholde turne these legges cōmyng fyrste forthe vpwardes agayne by the belly­warde / soo that the heade myghte descende downward by the backe part of the wombe [Page xxiii]for then naturally agayne & without parell as the fyrste myght it procede & come forthe.

¶ iii. Agayne sometyme the byrthe com­meth forth with both legges and fete fyrste / the handes beinge lyfted vp aboue the head of the chylde / and this is the parelloust ma­ner of byrth / that is as appeareth in the iij. of the byrth figures. And here must the myd wyfe do what she maye to turne the byrth yf it maye be possible to the fyrst figure / and yf it wyll not be / muste reduce the handes of it downe to the sides / & so to reduce it into the ij. figure. But yf this also wyll not be: then receaue the feate as they come forth / & binde them with some fayre lynnen clothe / and so tenderly and very softly loose out the byrth tyll all be come forth / and this is a very [...]co­pardous labor.

¶ iiij. Also sometyme the byrth commeth forwarde with one fore onely / the other be­ynge left vpwarde / as appeareth in the .iiij. fygure. And in this case it behoueth the la­borynge woman to laye her vpryght vppon her backe / holdynge vp her thyghes & belly / so that her heade be the lower part of her body: then let the mydwyfe with her hande re­turne [Page]in agayne the fore that commeth oute fyrste in as tender manner as maye be / and warne the womā that laboreth to stere and moue her selfe / so that by the mouynge and sterynge the byrth maye be turned the head downewarde / and so to make a naturall byrth of it / and then to set the woman in the stole agayne / and to do as ye dyd in the fyrste fygure / but yf it so be that notwithstandyng the mothers stearynge and mouynge the byrth do not torne / then muste the mydwyfe with her hande softelye fetche out the other legge whiche remayned behynde / euermore takynge hede of this that by handelynge of the chylde she do not remoue ne sette oute of theyr place the two hādes hangyng downe­warde towarde the fete.

¶ v. Lykewise somtyme it cōmeth to passe that the syde of the chyld cōmeth forwarde / as appeareth in the .v. fygure / & then must the mydwyfe do so / that it maye be returned to his naturall fasshion / & so to come forthe.

¶ vi. Also sometyme the chylde commeth forthe the fete forwarde / the legges beynge abroade / as in the .vi. figure / and then muste the mydwyfe se / that the fete & legges maye [Page xxiiii]be ioyned to gether / and so to procede & come forth / euer more regarding the handes / as I warned you before.

¶ vij. Yf it come with one of the knees or bothe forewarde / as in the .vij. figure / then muste the mydwyfe putte vp the byrth / tyll such tyme as the legges and fete come ryght forth / and then to do as afore.

¶ viij. When the chylde commeth hed­longe / one of the handes commyng out and appearyng before / as in the .viij. figure / then let the byrthe procede no farther / but let the mydwyfe put in her hande and tenderlye by the shoulders thrust in the byrth agayne / so that the hande maye be setteled in his place agayne & the byrth to come forth ordinatly & naturally / as in the first figure / but if by this meanes the hand come not to his conueniēt place / then let the woman lye vpryght with her thyghes & bellye vpwardes / & her head downewardes / so that by that meanes it maye be brought to passe / and then to bryng her to her seate agayne.

¶ ix. But yf it procede with both handes forewardes / then muste ye lykewyse do as a­fore: by the shulders thrustynge it backe a­gayne [Page]/ vntyll suche tyme as the handes lye close to the sydes / and so to come forth as appeareth in the .ix. fygure.

¶ x. But when it commeth arsewarde / as in the .x. fygure maye be sene / then muste the mydwyfe with her handes retorne it a­gayne / vntyl such tyme that the byrth be turned / the legges and fete forwarde / otherels yf it maye so be / it ware beste that the heade myght come forwarde / and so naturallye to procede.

¶ xi. And yf it so be that it appere & come forth fyrst with the sholders / as in the .xi. fi­gure / then must ye fayre and softely thrust it backe agayne by the sholders / tyll such tyme as the heade come forewarde.

¶ xii. But when the byrth cōmeth forthe with both handes and bothe fete at once / as in the .xij. fygure / then muste the mydwyfe tenderly take the chylde by the head / and re­turne the legges vpwarde / and so to receyue it forth.

¶ xiij. And when it cometh brestewarde / as in the .xiij. figure / the legges and handes bydynge behynd / then let the mydwyfe take it by the fete or by the head / which that shall [Page xxv]be moste apte and commodious to come for­warde / returnynge the rest vpwarde / and so to receaue it forth / but if it maye be hedlong / it shalbe best.

¶ xiiij. Nowe sometyme it chaunseth the woman to haue two at a burden / and that bothe procede to gether headlonge / as in the xiiij. figure / & then must the midwyfe receue the one after the other / but so that she let not slyppe the one whylest she taketh the fyrste.

¶ xv. Yf bothe come forthe at once with theyr fete foreward / then must the mydwyfe be very diligent to receaue fyrst the one / and then the other / as hath ben shewed before.

¶ xvi. When the one cōmeth hedlonge / the other fotewyse / then must the mydwyfe helpe the byrth that is most nerest the yssue / & it that cōmeth fotelōg (if she cā) to returne it vpon the head / as is spoken of before / ta­king euer the hede / that the one be not noysō to the other ī receauing forth of ether of thē.

¶ And to be shorte / let the mydwyfe often tymes annoynte and mollifye the waye and passage with some of the foresayd oyntmen­tes / to make the womans labor so much the easyar / & haue the lesse thronge trauell and [Page]payne / & yf there chanse to be any apostume / or dysease about that places in this tyme by suche annoyntynge to alaye and swage the payne: so that for the tyme it may be the lesse grefe to the partie / as I poke of before also / and for them that be in this case / it shall be best to lye growelyng / as I said of the grosse fatte and flesshly woman.

¶ Remedies and Medicines by the whiche the labor maye be made more tollerable, easy, and without great payne. ¶ Cap .v.

ALl suche thynges as helpe the byrth & make it more easye / are those: Fyrst the womā that la­boreth must other syt grouling or els vpryght leanynge backe­warde / accordynge as it shall seme commo­dious and necessarye to the partie / or as she is accustomed. And in wynter or colde whe­ther the chamber wherin she laboreth muste be warmed / but in somer or hote whether / let in the ayre to refresshe her withall / lest betwene extreme heate and labor the woman faynt and sounde / and farthermore she must [Page xxvi]be prouoked to sneesynge / & that other with the powder of Eleborus / or elles of pepper. Also the sydes of the woman must be strekē downewarde with the handes / which thing helpeth greately and farthereth / and let the mydwyfe alway be very diligent prouidyng and seinge what shalbe necessary for the woman / annoyntinge the priuities with oyle or other such grese as I spoke of before in this fasshion: Take the oyle of whyte lyllies or duckes grese / & with that temper two gray­nes wayghte of Safran and one grayne of muske / and with that oyntmente annoynte the secrete partes. Yf this profet nothynge / then vse this suffumigation.

¶ Take myrrhe / galbanum / castorium / let those be beten and make lyke pylles of them tempered to gether with bulles gaule / then take a dramme of this pylles / and put it on hote coles / and let the woman receaue the fume and sauoure of it vndernethe.

¶ Another perfume: Take yelowe brym­stone / myrrhe / mader / galbanum / oppopona­cum / of eche lyke much / and temper all these to gether / makynge of them pylles / and with those also ye may make fume to be receaued [Page]vnderneth. Itē the fume of culuer dunge or of hawkes dunge by puttyng to of oppopo­nacum / is souerayne for the same. All these fumes open the poores benethe / and causeth nature to be the frear in delyueraunce.

¶ Also it is very good to dyp wooll in the iuyce of rue / and the same to conuey into the secreates. Also the pouder of aristolochia rotūda / or the rote called bothor martis / or ma­lum terre / or the sede of staphisagre: any of these wrapped in wooll and conueyed in­warde prouoketh & calleth forthe the byrth.

¶ Item take heleborus / oppoponacū / and wrap them to gether in wooll / and ministre them inwarde: for that wyll brynge forthe & prouoke the byrthe / whether it be alyue or dead. Also the rynde and barke of cassia fi­stula beaten to pouder / and tempered with wyne and dronkē / prouoketh well the byrth.

¶ Item asa fetida of the bygnes & waight of a pese myngled to gether with castorium of the wayght of a dram̄: beaten to gether & tempered with wyne myxt with water and so dronkē / is very good to prouoke the byrth Also canell dronke with wine is very good.

¶ Item take a scruple of roses / with the [Page xxvii]water of the sede of fenegreke / cicercula / may denhere / all beaten to gether and soden / and the oyle of blewe flowre de luce a smal quantite tempered there with all: and then geue it to the woman that laboreth / and it shall prouoke the byrthe greately. Also cassia lig­nea and asa fetida dronke with wyne / be ve­ry good for the same. Also holyoke soden in water and dronkē / is souerayn for the same purpose / & it is verye good for her to washe her in the water / in the whiche this holyoke is decocte and soden in.

¶ Howe the Secondyne or seconde byrth shall be sorsed to yssue forth, yf it come not frelye of his owne kynde. ¶ Cap .vi.

HEre also somtyme it cometh to passe / that the Secondine / whi­che is wonte to come to gether with the byrth / remayne & tary behynde and folowe not. And that for dyuers causes / one is: For because peraduenture the woman hathe ben so sore weakened and feblysshed with trauell / do­lour / and payne / of that fyrst byrth / that she hathe no strength remaynynge to helpe her­selfe to the expellynge of this seconde byrth / another maye be / that it be entangled / tyed / or let within the matrice / which chāseth ma­ny tymes / or that it be destitute of humours / so that the water be flowen frō it soner then it sholde / which shold make the places more slyppery and more easye to passe thorowe / or els that the places ouer weryed with longe & sore labor / for payne cōtract or gather together / & enclose themselfe agayne / or that the [Page xxix]places be swollen for anguysshe and payne / and so let the comminge forth of the seconde byrthe.

¶ But to be shorte of what so euer cause it be thus stopped / the mydwyfe in anye wyse must fynde such meanes that it maye be vn­loosed and expulsed. For otherwyse greate inconuemency sholde chaunse to the partie / and speciallye suffocation & chokynge of the matrice / whiche also must so much the more be takē hede to / for because the seconde byrth retayned & kept within / wyll sone putrifye & rot: whereof wyll ensue yll noysom and pe­stiferous vapours / ascendynge to the harte / the braynes / and the mydryffe / throughe the which meanes the womā shalbe short wyn­ded / faynt harted / often soundynge & lyenge without any maner of mouynge or stearing in the pulces: yee and many tymes is playn­ly suffocated / strangled / and dead of it: wher­fore that none of these thinges happen / with all diligens and payne it muste be prouyded that the secondyne be expelled.

¶ Yf retention of it come by weakenesse of the laborer throughe long trauell / then must she be recomforted and strēgthed with good [Page]cōfortable meates & drynkes which may en­harte her / as brothe made of the yolke of eg­ges / or with good olde wyne & good fat and tydy flesshe / or byrdes / hennes flesshe / capon / partrige / pyginnes / and suche lyke.

¶ And yf retentiō of this secondine come / because the place is cōtract to gether agayn / otherelles that the matrice is swollen for longe payne / then must be vsed such thinges to prouoke it oute / the whiche do make the way slypper / sople / and easy for it to procede / with the oyles or oyntementes spoken of be­fore / as oyle of whyte lyllies / of maiorā / and of blewe lyllies. Item the beryes of iumper or galbanum beaten to powder and dronke with luke warmed wyne / wyll cause the same to yssue out. Itē sothernwood / or elles penyryall soden in wyne / and the decoction dronken / is of the same vertue.

¶ Item to suffume the secreates with the perfumes wrytten of before / is good for this purpose / & the fume of the water / in whiche mallous holyoke / and berefutte vt soden in / receaued beneth / is lyke good. Also to washe that partes ī water in which is sodē branne / or to holde a lyttell bagfull of soden branne [Page xxx]to the place / and therewythall to sooke the place / is very profytable.

¶ But yf the retention of the secondyne come by reason that it is entanglyd or faste­ned in some place of the matrice / so that it wyl not resolue ne lose then make a fume vnderneth of brymstone / yuie leues / and cresses or elles of cresses and fygges.

¶ Also of all odoriferous and swete smel­lynge thynges: as ambre / muske / franken­cense / gallia muscata and confection nere / the whiche sauoures and perfumes put on the emberres must be so closely receaued vn­dernethe / that no part of the smell do ascend to the nose of the woman. For to the nose sholde the sauour of nothynge come / but on­lye of suche thynges / the whyche stynke or haue abhominable smell: as asa fetida / casto rium / mans here or womans here burnt / pecockes fethers burnt. Item in this case it shalbe very good to make a perfume vnder­neth of the houe of an asse / which thinges althoughe they be of yll sauoure / yet they be of such nature & efficacie / that they occasionat not onely the secōdine / but also dead byrthes to procede & come forth out of the matrice.

¶ And in this case also let the womā with holde her brethe in warde in so muche as she can / for that shall dryue downewarde suche thynges as be in the bodyr to be expelled. Item let her be prouoked to sneese with the pouder of eleborus or pepper put in the nose holdynge her mouthe and nose soo cloose as maye be.

¶ Also the oyntment / whiche is called vn­guentum Basilicon / conueyed into the ma­trice / is very good / for it mollifyeth the place and draweth out the secondine parforce / the whiche so soone as it is expelled / infude the oyle of rooses in to the same matrice. Item roosewater tempered with a quantite of the pouder of holyoke / and dronke / is good to expell the secondine.

¶ And yf it be so that any parte of the secondine do appeare / let the mydwyfe receaue it tenderlye / loosynge it oute fayre and softely leste it breake / and yf ye doubte that it wyll breake / then let the mydwyfe tye that parte of the whiche she hathe handfast to the wo­mans legge or fote / not very strayght / leste it breake / nether very lax / lest it slyp in agayne / and then cause her to snese. Then yf the se­condine [Page xxxi]tarye or stycke / so that it come not quyckly forewarde / then loose it a lyttell & a lyttell very tenderlye wrething it frome one syde to another / tyll such tyme as it be gottē oute / but euer beware of violent and hastye mouyng of it / lest that with the second byrth ye remoue the matrice also.

¶ And yf in this meane whyle the women faynt or sowne by reasone of great payne ensuynge of the takynge a waye of this secon­dine / then muste ye minister such thinges to her the which comfort the head and the hart as be electuaries whiche are conficte with muske / ambre / and the confectiō of precious stones / as Diamargariton / and suche other. Also suche thynges the whiche comforte the stomacke / as Diagalanga / Dia cinamomū / and such other which are alwaye in a readi­nesse at the apothecaries / the which thinges she shall receaue with wyne.

¶ Item to remoue the secondine and to ex­pel it: take rue / horehownd / Sothernewood / and motherwort / of ethe lyke quantite / and then take so muche of the oyle of lyshes / as maye be sufficient to stype / moysten and soke the foresayd herbes in / put all this to gether [Page]into a glased potte couered with suche a co­uer that it haue a lyttell hole or vent aboue in the toppe of it / then set this pot ouer the fyre of coles / so that it boyle a whyle / then take it frome the fyre / and sette it vnder the stole where the woman sytteth made for the nonce hauyng a pype made for that purpose of the whiche the one ende ye shall put into the vent or hole of the couer to the pot & the other ende must the partie receaue in to her bodye. And so to syt cloosed rounde aboute with clothes / that no vapoure or ayre go forth of the potte hauing a fewe coles vnder it / to kepe it hote / and thus sytte the space of an houre or two / tyll such tyme as the secon­dyne moue and begynne to procede of his owne kynde. And yf it be so that ye profette not this wayes / yet then laye this plaster on the bellye betwene the nauell and the secrea­tes / of the whiche we shall speake hereafter / the whiche is of suche operation and effica­cite that it expelleth deade byrthes: yf for all this the secondyne come not forewarde / then leaue it / and vse no more medicines ne reme­dies to that purpose but let it alone / for with in fewe dayes it wyll putrifye and corrupte / [Page xxxii]and dyssolue into a watery substance / thycke lyke bryne / or other fex myxed with water / & so yssue forthe. Howheit in the meane whyle it wyll put the woman to great payne in the heade / in the harte / the stomacke / as we tou­thed before.

¶ Howe that many thynges chaunse to the women after theyr labor, and howe to auoyde, defende, or to remedye the same. ¶ Cap .vii.

IT is also to be vnderstanded / that many tymes after the de­lyueraunce happeneth to wo­men other the feuer or ague / or swellyng or inflation of the bo­dye / other tumblynge in the belly / or els commotion or settelynge out of order of the mo­ther or matrice. Cause of the which thynges is somtymes lacke of due and sufficient pur­gation and clensyng of the flowres after the byrthe / or elles contrarye wyse ouer muche flowinge of the same / whiche sore doth wea­ken the woman. Also the greate labor and stearynge of the matrice in the byrth.

¶ Then as ofte as it commeth for lacke of due purgation of the flowres / then muste be ministred such thinges / the which maye prouoke the same / whether it be by medicines taken at the mouth / or by lotyon & washyng of the fete / or by fumes or odours or empla­stration / or by decoction of herbes seruynge to that purpose / other els by oyntmentes / & suche other thynges / accordynge as the per­sone or the parell doth requyre / of the which thynges fewe or no wemen be ignoraunt. And ye muste take diligent hede that she be exactly and vtterly purged: to this be agrea­ble all suche thynges / the whyche prouoke vryne & open the vaynes / making free waye for the bloude to passe / & sende the humours and matter downewarde / as motherworte / azure / sauyne / penyryall / parcelye / cheruyll / anyse sede / fenel sede / iumper byries / rue / bay­byries / germaunder / valeriane / tyme / cino­mome / spykenarde / & suche other. All those thynges as they do prouoke and cause vrine so do they also prouoke and cause the flow­res to depart. Howbeit as nere as ye can vse none of these thynges without the counsell of an expert physisyon / leste whylest ye helpe [Page xxxiii]one place ye hurt another / also to sneese hel­peth muche in this matter / & to holde in the brethe enclosynge the noose and the mouth. Also fumigation made of the yes of salt fys­shes / or of the houe of a horse vnderneth / prouoketh the flowres. Yf ye profet not by this meanes then yf she be able to bare it / let her bloude in the vayne / called Saphena / vnder the ancles of the fete / for this ꝓuoketh flow­res chieflye of all other thynges.

¶ Lykewyse doo / yf the woman haue the ague after her labor / for that cōmeth of lyke cause by retention of the flowres / and in the feuer let her vse to drynke water / in the whi­che is decocte barlye beaten / or cicer and bar­lye to gether / or water in whiche be soden Tamaryndi / or waye of mylke / and lette her eate cullys made of a cocke / and swete pome Granates: for these thynges do prouoke the flowres / & mitigateth the immoderat heate / refresshynge greatelye the bodye / loosynge and openynge suche thinges / the whiche be­fore ware constricte and cluddered to gether.

¶ Yf the body after labor do swel & inflate then let her drynke water in the which is so­den cicer and cummyn beaten to gether. [Page]Item good olde wyne with the electuarium called diamarte / or the whiche is called alca­kengi: of the whiche Auicenna speaketh in his .v. boke. Item gumme serapine / organ­nie / and masticke. Also in this case a glyster made of suche thynges / the which do vayn­queshe and expelle ventositees and wynde­nesse / also a pessarie or suppositar made for that parte of Aristolochia rotunda / squinan tum / storax liquida / doronicum / zeduaria.

¶ Agayne yf the woman after her labor haue frettynge and knawyng of the guttes / and payne of the matrice and other secreate partes there aboute / then let her vse the va­pour and fume of suche thynges the whiche haue vertue to mitigate swage and alay the payn / as mallowes / holyoke / fenegreke / cummyn / camomell / sauyne / and hemlocke.

¶ Also to annoynt the places with oleum sesaminum / or with oyle of swete almondes And yf no greate heate do aboūde in the woman / she maye drynke tryacle or trifera ma­gna with wyne in whiche is decoct mother­wort or muggeworke.

¶ Also agaynste paynes in the preuy par­tes / take penyriall / policaria / syx leues of bay [Page xxxiiii]tree: sethe them to gether / and receaue the vapour vndernethe closely. Item take rue / red motherworte / sothernwood / bete them to gether / and temper them with the oyle of peny ryall / and put all to gether into a pot / and set it ouer the fyre a whyle / tyll it be somewhat soden to gether / and then take it of agayne / & put it all in to a lyttell rounde lynnen bagge made for the purpose / the whiche with this herbes in it ye shall cōuaye into the secretes.

¶ Item take camomell & lyne of eche lyke much .iiij. handefulles: braye them to gether & sethe them with whyte wyne / & then put it in a rounde bagge of lynnen / as before was done / & conuey it into the womās preuy par­tes. Itē let her drynke for the same purpose ij. graynes of muske with wyne. ¶ Itē take white onyons & couer thē vnder the hote as­shes the which whē they be wel rosted / beate thē to gether with freshe butter vnsalted / & make it in maner of a plaster / & then put it in a lynnē bag / & cōuey itin to the places / as be­fore / in the meane whyle perfumyng the pre­uy partes with whyte frākencense & storax.

¶ Yf it be so that the womā be vexed about the backe and loynes after her labor / take camomell [Page]/ and muggewoort / of eche .ij. hand­fulles of woorwode / sothernewood of eche one handefull / of motherwort .iij. handeful­les / of cinamome and nutmegges betē small halfe an ounce / decocte all these thynges to­gether / and in the water of this decoction beynge warme / dyp a spunge or other lyn­nen clothes fomentynge / sokynge / and stre­kynge the backe with the same / and so do of­ten tymes / or els put all these foresayde her­bes to gether soden in a bagge / and laye it plasterwyse to the backe.

¶ Yf this profette not: take oyle nardine / oyle of whyte lyllies / of ech an ounce and an halfe / to the whiche put a dram̄ of nutmeg­ges beaten to small powder / with this an­noynte the backe. Item take oyle of anys / oyle of camomell / of eche an ounce / oyle of whyte lyllies .ij. ounces / of waxe .ij. dram̄s: dissolue all these to gether ouer the fyre / and there with annoynt the backe.

¶ But yf after the labor the flowres yssue more vehementlye & in greater aboundance then they sholde / to the great effeablysshyng of the woman and inducynge of muche lan­gor and paynefulnes: then syrst shall ye note [Page xxxv]where vpon it cōmeth: for the cause knowen the dysease maye the more readelye be recu­red: and causes of it be dyuers: but moste es­petiall those that folowe / that is to saye: Of muche aboundant superfluous bloude con­tayned in the hole body: or of muche commi­stion of the melancholy humor & the bloude to gether / by the which the bloude is e [...]fyred and chawfed: and so distendeth openeth and setteth abroade the vaynes whiche descende to the matrice. Also the bloude beynge very thynne and wateryshe: for so it penetrateth / thrylleth / and yssueth forthe the soner. Also yf the vaynes be very large / & receaue much bloude: for in that case they sende forthe the more agayn. Also yf the matrice be vnmyghty & weakened / the vaynes lykewyse weake and large: so that they can not retayne nor witholde the bloude. Also yf the body of the womā or the outward partes be very dense / cloose / and compacte to gether: so that the outwarde powres be contracte and shut in such wyse that no vapours or swette can ys­sue out at them: then this shall cause the yll humoures (whiche otherwyse wolde passe thorough the powres in swette) to remayne [Page]within the body / and there to engender and encreace greater fluxe and aboūdāce of mat­ter / which procedeth with the flowres & au­gmenteth the quantite of them. Also yf the vaynes / whiche be named hemorroides / in the matrice be open and flowe forth. Also yf the matrice be peryshed or otherwyse viciat. Also yf it chanse that the woman haue had a fall / or hath ben thrust or beaten / by all and any of this meanes maye come this inordi­nat fluxe of flowres.

¶ Nowe stynge then that it ensueth by so manyfolde occasions & causes it shalbe mete that womē in this case be nothing ashamed ne abashed to disclose theyr mynde vnto ex­pert phisitians / showyng them euery thyng in it / as they knowe where vppon it sholde come: so that the phisition vnderstandynge the womans mynde / maye the soner by his learnynge and experience consyder the true cause of it / and the very remedy to amend it. And many thinges there be which sease and restrayne this ouer much flowynge of flow­res: bothe electuaries / confections / trochis­kes pouders / clisteres / odoures / suffumigati­ons bathes / plasters and oyntementes / of [Page xxxvi]whiche for the loue of women I wyll here set forthe the moste principall and best.

¶ Fyrste then to stynte and restrayne the owtragius fluxe of flowres it shalbe verye good to bynde the armes very strayght and strongely & not the fete or handes as: some vnwyse men do teache / and then to set a ventose or boxe or cup of glasse with fyre (which is called boxynge) vnder the brestes / but cut­tynge no part of the skynne / layeng also lyn­nen clothes dypped in vyn [...]g [...]e on the bellye betwene the nauell and the secreates: con­ueyenge also into the places suche thynges / whiche haue vertue to restrayne bloude / as balaustium / the ryne of pome granate / cara­be / terra sigillata / bole armenyacke / sanguis draconis / hematites / the red rose / whyte frankencense / and galles: all those thynges or as manye of them as ye can conuenientlye get / beate them to powder in lyke portion / and temper them with thycke and grosse wyne / making of it a plaster / the whiche so tēpered put it in to a lyttell rounde bagge the quan­tite of a mannes thombe the which she shall put in to the preuye places.

¶ Item an other plaster to be ministred [Page]lykewyse: Take of the bloudestone / called Emathites / bole armenyacke: of eche halfe an ounce: sanguis draconis / licium / of ech .ij. dram̄s: Karabe: the cuppes of Acornes / Ci­presse nuttes / Balaustium or psidiū / of eche one dram̄: of the scales of yron one dram̄ and an halfe: Turbyntyne and pyche lyke quan­tite / or so muche as shalbe sufficient to make a plaster: beate and braye all these to gether / temperinge it to a plaster: and then do with it as ye dyd with the other before.

¶ An oyntemente for the same purpose: Take oyle Myrtine / oyle of rooses / of eche halfe a pounde: Carabe / the scraping of yue­rye / the scrapynge of a gootes horne / redde corall: terra sigillata / whyte frankencense / of eche one ounce / of white waxe .iij. ounces / all those tempered to gether / make them in an oyntment / & therewith annoynt the wombe and the secreates.

¶ A batthe concernynge the same: Take wurmewud / plantayne the more & the lesse the toppes of vynes / fresshe brāches of wyld mulberyes / vnrype damsenes slowes / or bo­loes / wylde peres / medlers or myspylles / of eche .iij. handefulles / of red roose leues thre [Page xxxvii]handefulles / of oke barke .iiij. handfulles / of dayses / of all sortes of thystles / of eche .ij. handfulles: of cinkefoyle / the leues & rotes / tormentyll the rootes / colubrine / of eche an handefull: also of acorne cuppes a saw ser full / of gawlles / of acorns pylled / of bursa pastoris / of eche .ij. handefulles: beate all these to powder / cuttynge and brosynge that / that wyll not be beaten to powder / & sethe them to gether in rayne water / or els in water / in the which .x. or .xij. burnte s [...]ones haue bene quenchyd: this done / let the woman bathe herselfe in this water vp to the nauell / and whē she cometh forth of the bathe / geue her to drynke .ij. dram̄s of electuarium athana­sie / or miclete / wich plantayne water / or yf she be sore thurstye with red wyne.

¶ And lykewyse ye maye geue vnto her of these electuaries that folow: take good olde roose sugre .ij. ounces / of red corall / burnte yuery / bole armenyacke / of eche two dram̄s / of hematites thre dram̄s / beate all these thinges to gether / temperynge it with the roose sugre / & let her receaue of it in the mornynge and euenynge with two dram̄s of plantane water / or els the water of bursa pastoris.

¶ Item take the stone Emathites / & rubbe it on a whetstone / tyll the whetstone seme redde / then washe it of agayne frō the whet­stone with plantaynewater / and so do often­tymes / vntyll suche tyme that thou haue a good quantite of it / and euery mornyng and euenynge let the woman drynke two or thre sponefulles of the same.

¶ Farthermore there be at the apotheca­ries trochiskes which helpe greately in this case / as the trochiskes of karabe / and the trochiskes of bole armoniacke whiche muste be ministred a dram̄ or more of ether of them / with .iiij. or .v. sponeful of plantayne water. Who that requyreth farther in this matter let them aske counseill of the phisytions / for we haue set here but suche thynges whiche may seme most necessarye.

¶ Nowe yf it so be that there be engendred any apostume or other dysease in the preuye places after her labor / then moste the apostumes and deseases be clensed / purged / & hea­led / the payne and ache of it mitigated and swaged with the iuyce of the beryes of so­latrum and the iuyce of plantane / also the oyle of rooses / so that all these thynges be [Page xxxviii]tempered to gether / and the places annoyn­ted therewith.

¶ Itē otherwyse: take the wyte of an egge / womās mylke / the iuyce of purselayne / and temper all these to gether / and conueye it to the dyseased place / also let a bathe be made of water / in the whiche be soden psida / redde rose leues / the cuppes of acornes / oke barke / tormentyll / colubryne / and cinkefoyle / the le­ues and the rotes / lette all these thynges be soden to gether / and in the water the womā to bathe her selfe vp to the nauell: and after that the greued partes be healed and clensed let the place be annoynted with vnguentum album / or vnguentum rubeum / whiche is to be had at the apothecaries / and with suche other thynges whose propertie be to refrige rate and coole. And loke what cure and re­medies be mynystred to this places beyn­ge apostumate / or otherwyse deseased / the same also seruethe / yf the matrice or anye other parte of the secreates be rupte or bro­ken.

¶ Manye tymes also it chanseth that the foundament gut commeth forth both in mā and woman / and spetially in women in this [Page]busynesse / by reason of theyr great labor and stryuynge with themselfe: wherfore in this case it is the mydwifes parte with her hand warmed & wet in whyt wyne / to reduce it backe into his place agayn / the which yf she can not by this meanes / for because that per aduenture it be swollen / then let her dissolue butter in whyt wyne warmed / and there in dyp wooll with the which wrappe the same gutte a while / so doynge often tymes / tyll it be swaged / that it may be retorned in agayn and ye maye vse in the stede of wyne luke warme mylke. And when it is thus retour­ned and reduced into his place: take waxe / and melt it to gether with masticke / or whyt frankencense / then sprede it vpon lynnē pla­sterwyse / and laye it ouer the place where it came forthe byndynge it to it with a lynnen clothe or roller for partynge of / & let this be done thus so oftē as she goythe to stole after that she hath done / vntyll suche tyme that it be so setteled within / that it come no more oute / and yf ye wyll not occupye waxe / then dyp wooll in the oyle of masticke or of speke nardy / and lay it vnto the place ouer the fundament / byndynge it faste vpon the place / as [Page xxxix]before. ¶ Item another way: wasshe & soke the gut with the water in which is decoct & soden such thynges whiche exiccat drye and constrayne or combyne / as gaules / cypresse nuttes / spida / karabe / mastick / frankencense / sanguis draconis / and when it is well was­shed and soked with this water / then take the powder of an hartes horne burnte / and strue it rounde aboute the gutte / and so re­store it agayne in to his place.

¶ Agayne yf it chanse / that after the womans labor the matryce be remoued oute of his place / and appeare forthe / then lette it be wasshed and soked with the wa­ter in whiche be soden these thynges folow­ynge: take of cupresse nuttes / spicanarde / psi­da / balaustium / acorne cuppes / of eche an ounce: of mespylles and vntype wylde pe­res / & vnrype aples / plummes / and dam­sens or bolous: of eche a handefull and such / of those as be to be powdered beate them to powder and the reste diuide / and cutte them small: then seathe them all to gether in rayn water / or els in water in the whiche stele be­ynge red hote hathe ben often tymes quen­ched: and in the same water lette the partie [Page]bathe her vp to the nauell / or els dyp a spōge or a locke of wooll in it / & therewith wasshe and soke the same matrice oftentymes then / euer with a fayre cleane lynnen clothe wype it cleane agayne & strewe vpon it the pow­der folowynge / beaten verye small and sear­ched thorough sylke.

¶ Take of frankencense / karabe / galles / pside / balaustie / cypresse nuttes / alome / anty­monye / bole armoniacke / masticke / of eche lyke much: beate these to very fyne powder / and strewe the matrice with it / then tender­lye reduce it in to his place agayne with warme lynnen clothes byndynge it vp.

¶ But yf so be that the matrice be swollē / so that by this meanes it wyll not be restored to his naturall place agayne / then dissolue butter in whyte wyne / as ye dyd before / and with the same soke it vnto suche tyme as it be asswaged / and then reduce it.

¶ Agayne sometyme it chanseth that the womans nauell thoroughe labor is dyssol­ued / so that it openeth it selfe: then make a small tente of fyne lynnen / and anoynte it with this oyntement that foloweth / and the same put it in to the nauell: take whyte frankensence [Page xl]/ and beate it to powder / and then tēper it with the whyte of an egge / so that it be after the manner of lyquyd honye: with this annoynte the nauell within and with­oute / annoyntynge also the tente / the which beynge putte in the hole of the nauell bynde some clothe ouer it to kepe it in his place.

¶ Item many tymes it chanseth that tho­rowe the greate difficultie and thronges of labor the preuye parte and the foundament be come one / by reason of rupture and brea­kynge of the same parte in the delyueraunce of the chylde / and that by that meanes the matrice descendeth and yssueth downe / the whiche thynge chanseth sometymes by rea­son that the same place is very narowe and also tender / and the byrthe bygge / and of greate growethe / soo that it procedeth with suche violence / that it breakethe the waye before it.

¶ When thys myshappe fallethe / then fyrste wasshe and soke the matrice / and al­soo reduce it to his place agayne / after the manner as I tolde you here immediatly be­fore / then heale these bracke & wounde sow­ynge of bothe sydes of it to gyther agayne [Page]with a sylken threde / as surgeons do other woundes: and yf that lyke ye not then / may ye cure it otherwyse without sowyng thus.

¶ Take two lyttell peces of lynnen cloth / eche of the length of the wounde / & in bredth two fyngers brode: spred the lyttell clothes with some faste cleauynge plaster the which wyll cause the clouthes to stycke fast where they shalbe set / then fasten them the one on the one syde of the ryfte / the other on the o­ther syde / so that nothyng appeare betwene the peces of lynnen in the myddes of them / but onely the clefte and ryfte of the wounde in the breadthe of a strawe / then this done / sowe these sydes of lynnen to gether close as before I bed you to sowe the skynne: & when they be thus stytched to gether / laye a lyttell lyquyd pytche vpon the seme: and this done the lappes and sydes of the wond vnder the lynnen plaster wyll growe to gether agayne & heale / & thē may ye remoue your plasters.

¶ I [...]ē another way: take camfely dryed / & beate it to powder / also cummyn and cyna­mome both beaten to powder / ioyne all thre to gether / and strew of this powder into the wounde / and without faute it shall heale.

¶ Of aborcementes or vntymelye byrthes and the causes of it, and by what remedyes it maye be defended, holpen & eased. ¶ Cap .viii.

ABorcement or vntymely byrth is / when the woman is delyue­red before due season & before the frute be rype: as in the .iij.iiij. or .v. monethe before the byrth haue lyfe and sometymes after it hath lyfe it is delyuered before it steare beynge by some chaunse dead in the mothers wombe. Of the which thynge there be many and dy­uers causes.

¶ Fyrste sometymes the mouth of the matrice is so large and ample / that it can not cō ueniently shytte it selfe to gether / nether con­tayne the feture or conceptiō / or it is corrupt and infect with such vicyous & yll humours that it is so slyppery that the feture slyppeth and slydeth forth. Also sometymes the ma­trice is apostumated & sore / so that for payne it can not contayne the conception.

¶ Item sometyme the cotilydons / that is the vaynes and synnues by the which the cō ception and feature is tyed and fastened in [Page]the matrice (through the which also the fea­ture receaueth noryshment and fode) be stopped with vyscous and yll humours / or elles swollen by inflation / so that they breake / by the whiche meanes the feature destitute of his wont noryshment peryssheth and dyeth / and that moste commonlye in the seconde or thyrde monethe after conception: wherfore Hypocrates sayth: All suche women whiche be impregnat or conceaued being of a meane state in her bodye / that is to saye / neyther to fat or grosse / ne to spare or leane: yf it chanse anye suche to aborce in the seconde or thyrde moneth (no other euident cause appearyng) knowe ye for certayne that it ensueth for be­cause the cotilydons be opplete / stopped / and stuffed with yll humours / & be swollen and puffed therewith / that they breake / and so cō sequētly the feature dryeth for faute of fode.

¶ Item aborcemente sometyme commeth by reason that some of the places about the matrice be deseased and greaued: as yf inte­stinum rectum / whiche is called the funda­ment gutte be exulcerat / hauynge the pyles or hemorroides / or the vysyke or bladder be swollen or encombred with the stone / the [Page xlii]strangurye / or other yll / in these cases tho­rough the greate labor and payne the which the partie hathe in endeuourynge and enfor­synge her selfe other to stole or to make wa­ter / be engendred greate motions downe­warde / by the whiche meanes manye tymes the cotylydons be enfringed and broken.

¶ Also aborcement maye come of a disease called Tenasmus / the whiche is when one hath euer greate desyre and luste to the stole and yet can do nothynge / neuer the lesse the parties greately do enforce and payne them selfe to it / as Hypocrates sayth: The preg­nant woman which hath tenasmum / for the moste parte aborteth.

¶ Item the coughe / yf it be greuous / cau­seth the same / and as the forenamed excellēt phisytiane sayth / such as are very spare and leane and brought lowe euermore lyghtlye dothe aborte / for because that as Auicenna wryteth: all the meate and fode the whiche they receaue / turneth to the fode / noryshmēt / and restauration of theyr owne bodyes / and so is the conception destitute of fode / wher­fore necessarily it dyeth.

¶ Item this chanse also commeth by ouer [Page]muche bleadynge or yssuyng of the flowres / when they yssue immoderatly. And so sayth Hypocrates: Yf the woman yelde flowres after her conception / it can not be that the fea­ture do longe proue / the which saying muste be vnderstande / yf they flowe vehementlye / or that the partie be weake and verye spare / or yf it be after the thyrde moneth / for it may be well that in the fyrst and seconde moneth flowres maye yssue / and yet no daunger / for as yet lyttell fode and noryshment satisfieth the conception.

¶ Item to be let bloude / maye be the cause of aborcement as Hypocrates sayth: whiche muste be vnderstande in suche as haue but lyttell store of bloud: but such as haue great copie & plentie of bloude maye without any parell (yf any cause requyre it) be let bloude / so that it be after the .iiij. moneth and before the .vii. Howe be it I wolde that none shold be let bloude / except some greate and vrgent cause dyd requyre it.

¶ Item it maye come by takynge of some stronge purgation before the .iiij. monethe & after the vii. moneth / and yf it be so that any necessitie do so requyre that she muste nedes [Page xliii]receaue a purgation / let it be done betwent the .iiij. and the .vij. moneth after the concep­tion: for then maye it be with lest parell / and se that the purgation be very gentell & easy.

¶ Also this maye come by reason of a con­tinuall fluxe / be it bloudy or otherwyse / and spetially yf the woman be weake and spare / for by that meanes the conception is greate­ly weakened and peryshed. Item ouer much vomytynge may be cause of aborcement / for by ouer muche galpynge and reachynge vp­wardes the cotilydons maye be broken / and so the feature to perysshe.

¶ Item ouer muche famyne or hunger & also sharpe and faruent syckenesse maye be the cause hereof / as the pestelence / apostume in the breste / the soden palsie / the fallynge syckenes. &c. Also ouer much dronkenesse & excesse fedynge and surfetynge / by the which the byrthe is suffocat and strangeled in the bellye and the fode corrupte for lacke of due digestion. Itē yf the byrthe be sycke by anye outwarde or inwarde cause / or yf the secon­dyne in the which the feature is contayned / do breake before his tyme and the humours and waterres of the same flowe and yssue [Page]forth / causeth the place to be slyppery / and so the byrth to slyde awaye vntymely / or yf the mother haue taken very greate colde / which maye sone chanse in the farre northe partes / or ouer greate heate / which weakeneth both mother and chylde. And therfore ought wo­men with chylde to eschue muche bathynge or goyng to the hote houses in theyr temyng for that maye do hurte thre wayes / fyrst that it kenleth & enflameth the ayre or brethe contayned in the body / and so styfleth the chylde and sometymes the mother to / secondly that it relaxeth / dissolueth / and loseth the cotyly­dōs / and so maketh the byrth to yssue forth / thyrdlye that the vtter hette of the bathe en­creaseth the inwarde heate of the body / in so muche that the byrthe not beynge able to su­stayne and abyde the heate naturallye proce­deth for refrigeration & colynge / but in the tyme or about the tyme of labor she may vse bathes / as I declared before for the redyar and more expedite delyueraunce.

¶ Item the intemperancie and mutation of the ayre / and whether maye be cause of aborcemente / for as Hypocrates wrytteth / [Page xliiii]when so euer the wynter is hote & moyst / & the sprynge tyde after colde and drye / suche women in that sprynge tyde maye sone and of a lyghte cause haue aborcement / or yf they aborce not / yet they shall be delyuered with greate payne / and the byrthe shall be verye weake and syckelye / soo that it shall dye strayght / or yf it dye not by and by / it shall proue but verye slenderlye / the cause of the whiche thynge is this: for when that suche wynterynge chaunseth / the hote and moyste whether heateth and moisteth the womans bodye / and by that the bodye is opened / vn­loosed / and resolued / no lesse then thought she ware euery daye bathed / and vpon this when the sprynge tyde cometh / yf it be colde and drye: fyndynge the body open and vnlo­sed after suche sorte / the colde entryth and percethe the bodye the soner and the more vehementlye / and the byrthe fealynge the soden colde and change of whether / pyneth awaye and dyethe in the mothers bellye / or anone after it is delyuered / or yf it lyue / it lykethe not / nor prouethe not / and greate payne shall it be to kepe lyfe in it.

¶ Item aborcement maye happen by ouer muche stearynge of the bodye in laborynge / daunsynge / or leapynge: or by some fall or thrust agaynst some wall / or beatynge / or by some sodayne anger / feare / dredde / sorowe / or some soden & vnloked for ioye. Thus haue I rehersed all the causes of the whiche most commonlye maye ensue aborcemente or vn­tymely byrth: the which no doubte is muche more grefe and vayne to the womā then the verye naturall labor / for suche thynges as chaunse to man or woman contrarye to na­ture / or before nature doth require it / is farre greater grefe then the same happenyng and commynge in his due season.

Sygnes wherby ye may forsee aborcemēt. When the woman shall labor before her tyme / these sygnes are wonte to go before: Fyrste her brestes which before were hoole / sounde / and full / shall begyn to were lesse / to fall / and to flagge: & then euer for the moste parte aborcement foloweth. But yf it be so that she go with two chyldrē at once / yf one of the brestes swage / whiche before was in good lykynge / the other remaynyng sounde and safe / then loke of what syde the brest is [Page xlv]of / and the chylde of that syde is in parell / wherfore Hypocrates wryteth: Yf the ryght breste slake or flagge / the masculyne or male byrth is in parel: yf the left / the female byrth: for because that for the most part whē there be two at once / the one is masculyne and the other femenyne / the man lyeth in the ryght syde / and the woman in the lefte.

¶ Also an other sygne of aborcemente is / when the woman hath greate paynes & do­lours of the matrice / and that she begyn to wexe redde in the face / and all partes of her bodye to shake and tremble / as thoughe it ware in a feuer / or the palsye in the heade. Item when she feleth greate ache in the yn­ner parte of the eyes towarde the braynes / the reste of the bodye taken as it were with a werynesse and languesshynge / these thyn­ges portende and sygnifye aborcement to be at hande / spetiallye yf at the same tyme the flowres yssue also.

¶ Item yf the womans body do swell and inflate with a certayne hardnesse or styfnesse and that she fele stytches and as it were ven tosyte or wynde runnynge frome one syde of the bodye to the other / and yet the belly not [Page]withstandynge / beynge nothynge the more ponderous or wayghtye / and that the same inflacion do persyst and continue any whyle the woman takynge and eatynge such thyn­ges which haue vertue to discusse and van­queshe ventosite & wyndénesse: this thynge I saye dothe betoken parell of aborcemente throughe ventosite and inflacion / and that chieflye aboute the thyrde or fourth moneth after the conception. Now haue I sufficiently declared euident & sufficient signes where by maye be prouyded and forsene the aborce­ment before it come / nowe wyll I shewe you the remedyes / whereby it maye be auerted and let.

¶ The chiefe remedy to auoyde aborcemēt is: to auoyde & shun all such thynges which maye be cause of it / the whiche I haue com­petentlye entreated of alreadye: but yf ye feare aborcement because that the mouth of the matrice be ouer ample and large / then muste ye vse such thynges / whose operation is to contrahe / constrayne / and brynge to ge­ther: as bathes / fumigations / oyntementes / plasters / odours / and suche lyke / of the whi­the I spake before in the seuenthe chapter / [Page xlvi]and suche thynges the whyche represse and stynte the flowres flowynge ouer muche af­ter the byrthe.

¶ Agayne yf ye feare this parell / because the mouthe of the matrice is moist and flyp­perye / other because that the cotylydons be repleate and fulfylled with vyscous hu­mours / and with inflations or ventosytees: then maye ye defende it by vsynge of suche thynges / whose qualitees be to purifye / clen­se / exiccat / or drye / and to represse ventosy­tees.

¶ Howe be it / in all this matter lette not to make some experte physytyan of youre counseill / yf ye maye haue suche one / for be­cause that manye suche thynges come / and not all by one waye or meane.

¶ And yf ye doubte parell / for because that the matrice or other places aboute be infec­ted / exulcerated / or appostumat / or hauynge the stone or strangurye / and such other thyn­ges / then aske / and vse the aduyse of some well learned medycyne / and he shall shewe you howe all thynges shall be recured.

¶ Yf agayne ye feare aborcement / because the partye is very weake and lowe brought / [Page]then let her feade on such thinges the which moysten and norysshe well or fatten the bo­dye / as capon flesshe / kydde / lamme / younge veale / partrige / and suche other.

¶ Agayne yf the womā be taken with any sharpe and fell decease / then let her be cured of the same as shortelye as can be with such thynges the whiche appertayne to the cu­rynge of suche desease / or yf she haue sustay­ned any longe famyne or hunger: then lette her be fedde with good meates and drynkes moderatlye taken / and yf she haue surfeted by ouer muche eatynge and drynkynge (as nowe a dayes moste commenlye people do) then let her absteyne for a tyme / & yf it maye be conuenientlye done / let her receaue some casy & gentyll medicine / which may alleuiat and lyghten her of her surfetynge burthen.

¶ Now yf it so be / that the womā abounde in bloude / then shall it be very good a lyttell to let her bloude / bothe for her selfe and also for the byrthe / whiche throughe ouer muche adoundance of it myght happen to be suffo­cated and strangeled / of the which thynge also I haue spoken largely before.

¶ Farthermore yf the woman feare abor­cement / [Page xlvii]by reason of contynuad coughe / or ouer muche vomyte and perbrakynge / or the fluxe / or of the desease called tenasmus / or of ouer muche yssuynge of bloude / whether it be by the nose / or other partes of the bodye axe thaduyse of a physitiā for remedy / yf for the fragilite / tendernes / and bracke / of the se­condyne she feare this aborcemente / for be­cause that in this case the secondyne shall not be able to holde and contayne the byrth / as for this / there is no other medicine to de­fende it / but onelye that the partie take hede that she hurte not her selfe by ouer much mouynge or stearynge / as by laborynge / daun­synge / runnynge / standynge / faste goynge / or caryenge of ponderous and weyghtye thyn­ges / or leftynge of the same. And to be short / let her with all warynesse take hede and be diligent that she exchue and abstayne frome all such thynges the which might cause and induce aborcement.

¶ Of deade byrthes, and by what sygnes or to­kens it maye be knowen, and by what meanes it maye also be expelled. ¶ Cap .ix.

IT shalbe nowe conuenient for vs to speake of deade byrthes / howe it shall be knowen that they be deade / and howe they maye be expelled from the mo­ther. Sygnes then that the byrth is dead in the mothers wombe be these: j. Fyrste yf the mothers brestes do sodenlye slake / as I touched before in the .viij. chapter .ij. Yf it moue it selfe no more beynge wont before to steare it selfe .in. Yf when the mother tor­neth her from the one syde on the other / she feale it fallynge frō the one syde to the other lyke a stone or aded wayght .iiij. Yf her bellye and nauell begyn to were colde / whi­che before was wont to be temperatly hote.

v. Yf anye stynkynge & fylthye humours flowe from the matrice / & chieflye after some fell desease .vi. Yf the womans eyes wexe holowe / & that her color change from whyte to swarte and dunne coloure / and that her eyes and nose wexe astoned / and haue not theyr ryght vse / and her lyppes wexe wan.

vij. Yf benethe the nauell and aboute the secreate partes she feale greate thronge and payne / the colour of her face changynge into [Page xlviii]worsse and worsse / otherwyse then it was wonte to do .viij. Yf she haue appetyte to eate suche thynges / the whiche be agaynste nature / and not wonte to be eaten or dron­ken .ix. Yf she be in her slepe vexed with bayne dreames .x. Yf she be payned con­tynuallye with the strangurye / or that she enforce her selfe muche to the stole / and with all her power / and yet can not do any thing.

xi. Yf her brethe begynne to stynke / the whyche thynge lyghtlye happeneth two or thre dayes after the byrthe be deade.

xij. Yf her handes put in to verye warme water / and then layde on the womans bel­lye / and the chylde steare not / is a sygne that it is deade.

¶ Of all these sygnes nowe the more that come to gether of thē at one tyme & in one ꝑ­son / the surer may ye be that the byrth is ded the which being ones ded / all diligence must be had that it may be expelled out of the womans body: but here must ye se agayne whe­ther it maye be expelled / the mothers lyfe sa­ued or no / for some tyme it chaunseth that the mother dyeth with all / and sometymes the mother dothe well and prospereth.

¶ Whether the mother shall be in parell withall or no / by these thinges shal ye know yf the woman beynge in the labor sowne or fare as thoughe she ware in a transe / yf her remembraunce fayle her / and she waxe fea­ble and scant able to moūe or steare herselfe / yf she (called with a lowde voyce) canne an­swere nothynge at all / or els very lyttell and that verye softelye / as thoughe her voyce be­gan to fayle her: yf she be inuaded or taken among in the laborynge with conuulsion or shrynkeling to gether: if she refuse or can not broke meate / yf her pulces beate verye faste / the which sygnes when ye se in the woman laborynge: it is an ruident tokē that she shal not liue long after her byrth / wherfore cōmit the cure of her to the handes of almyghtye god / but yf none of these sygnes do appeare / then haue good hope / for the woman shall do well / the byrthe beynge once departed: wherfore geue all diligence to the expultion of it / that the woman maye be delyuered of this dead burthen: the whiche thinge maye be done by two wayes / other by medicines expulsyue / or elles by certayne instrumentes made for the nonce.

¶ Fyrste without instrumentes with this fumigation: take other the houe or dunge of an asse / and put it on coles / and lette the woman receaue the fume vndernethe. Ano­ther: take the skynne of an adder / myrrhe / ca­storeum / brymstone / galbanum / oppopona­cum / madder that the dyerres occupye / pyge­ons dunge / or hawkes dunge: beate all these to powder / and temper them with oxe gall / and make pylles of it eche of the quantite of a fylbert nutte / and then put one after ano­ther in the coles / and receaue the fume tho­rowe a pype or conduyte made for that pur­pose in to the priuities.

¶ Another: take encense / oppoponacum / galbanum / brymstone / of eche lyke muche / beate them to gether and temper them with oxe galle / and make pylles of them / and then of the same make fumigations / as before.

¶ A potion for the same purpose: take asafetida halfe a dram̄ / of rue iij. dram̄s / of myr­rhe .ij. dram̄s: & beate them to powder / and geue to the woman at eche tyme a dram̄ of this powder with whyte wyne / or with wa­ter in the which sauyne is soden.

¶ Another: take fygges / fenegreke / organ­nye / [Page]and sethe them in water the which gene vnto the woman to drynke / for this drynke wyl engendre lubrycyte and slypperynesse in the nether partes / and vse also some of those thynges whiche haue vertue to prouoke the byrth / wherof we entreated before.

¶ Item certayn pessaries or suppositaries concernynge the same: take gumme armo­niacke / oppoponacum / helleborus niger / sta­phisagre / aristolochia longa / & colocynthis without his kernelles: beate all these thyn­ges to gether / temperyng them with oxe gall and also with the iuyce of fresshe rue / then make a pessarie of wollen / and annoynt and wet the pessarie with the same / conueynge it into the secreate places.

¶ Item another: make a pessarie of wollē of the lengthe & thyckenesse of a fynger / and do it in the iuyce of rue in the which is dissolued a quantitie of scammome / and do with that pessarie / as before.

¶ Item take aristolochia rotunda / sauyne / garde cresses / of eche lyke muche / beate them to powder / and temper them with oxe gall: with this annoynt a pessarie made and ordered as before is spoken of. Item yf the wo­man [Page l]drynke the mylke of another woman / it wyll steare and expell the byrth.

¶ Item take of the iuyce of dyttayne or of the powder of the roote of the same herbe .ij. dram̄s / and geue the same to drynke to the woman with wyne / excepte she be in greate heate / for then shall ye geue it her with luke warme water / and this shall expell the dead byrth without any parell of the mother.

¶ Item take of myrrhe .iiij. drammes / of cinamome / galbanum / castoriū / of eche two drammes: of oppoponacum one dram̄: all those beaten / and tempered to gether with oxe gall / make pylles of them / wayenge eche of them a dram̄ / and with the fume of those perfume the nether partes / by this vapoure the deade byrthe is broughte forthe / infla­mation and suffocation of bloude is expel­led.

¶ Item take of water mynte / sothern­wood / muggewort / of eche a handefull / of as­phaltum halfe an ounce / of madder two ounces and an halfe / of camomell / barotum / fe­negreke / of eche two ounces: sethe all these thynges to gether in rayne water: in the whyche lette the woman bathe her selfe / [Page]then take of hensgrece and duckes grece / of eche .iiij. dram̄s: to the which adde two oun­ces of oyle of anues sede / with this oyntmēt annoynt the womās head comminge out of the bath: then take datestones & beate them to powder a dram̄ and a halfe / with a scru­ple of safrane tempered to gether with whyt wyne: the which let her immediatlye drynke after she come forthe of the bathe.

¶ Item take oppoponacum / & make there of a pessarye the quantitie of a fynger / con­ueye it into the priuities / this expelieth the dead byrth.

¶ Item take of galbanum a dram̄ or some what lesse: of gotes mylke an ounce and a halfe or two ounces in the which the galba­num beynge dissolued / geue it to the woman to drynke.

¶ Item a plaster for the same: take galba­num beaten and tempered with the iuyce of motherworte / and of this make a plaster by puttyng to of wexe a certayne quātite / than take a lynnen cloth of suche length & bredth that it maye couer all the belly vnder the nauel to the priuities frō one syde to the other / on this cloth spred this plaster of the thycke­nesse [Page li]of a strawe / and laye it to the bellye. Item take the tryacle which is called diates­saron: and geue of it to the woman for to drynke / and it wyll expell this dead byrth.

¶ But yf all these medicines profette not / then muste be vsed more seuere and harde remedyes / with instrumentes / as hokes / ton­ges / and suche other thynges made for the nonce. And fyrst the woman must be layde a longe vpryght / the myddell parte of her bo­dye lyeng hyer then all the reste / companyed of women assistynge her aboute to comforte her / and to keape her downe / that when the byrthe is plucked oute she ryse not withall. Then let the mydwyfe annoynt her left hād with the oyle of whyte lyllyes or other that may make it sople and smouth: and holding out her fyngers shytting to gether her hand let her put it to the matrice to feale and per­ceaue after what fasshion the dead byrth ly­eth in the mothers wombe: so that she maye the better putte in hokes and suche other in­strumentes to plucke it out with all.

¶ Yf it be so that it lye the head forewarde / then fasten a hoke other vpō one of the eyes of it / or the rofe of the mouthe / or vnder the [Page]chyn / on one of the sholders / whiche of these partes shall seme moste commodious and handsome to take it oute bye / and the hoke fastened to drawe it oute verye tenderlye for hurtynge of the woman.

¶ But yf it lye the fete forewarde / then fa­sten the hoke on the bone aboue the priuye partes / or by some ribbe / or some of the backe bones / or of the breste bones / and when this hoke is thus fastened / the midwyfe may not by and by drawe and plucke at it / but hol­dynge it in her lefte hande / lette her with her ryghte hande fasten another in some other parte of the byrthe ryght agaynste the fyrste / and then tenderlye let her drawe both to ge­ther / so that the byrth may procede and come forthe on bothe sydes equallye / mouynge it from one syde to another / tyll ye haue gottē out alto gether / and nowe and then to helpe it in the comming forth with the fore fynger well annoynted / if it chanse to stycke or to be let any where: and as it commeth forthe / al­waye to remoue the hokes farther and far­ther on the dead byrthe.

¶ Agayne yf it chanse that one of the han­des onely of the byrth do appeare / & that it [Page lii]can not conuenientlye be reduced & returned vpwarde agayne / by reason of the narow­nesse of the place / then byndt it with a lynnē cloth / that it slyp not vp agayne / and then to plucke it outwarde / vntyll suche tyme that the hole arme be out and then with a sharpe knyfe cut it of from the body / and euen so do yf both handes appeare fyrste at once / or one legge or bothe / yf they can not be returned backe / to be otherwyse taken out conuenient lye / as ye cutte the arme frome the sholders / soo lykewyse cuttinge the legges frome the thyghes / for the which purpose the surgeōs haue me [...]e instrumentes made for the nonce with the which such legges and armes may sone be cut frome the bodye / these partes be­ynge once rese [...]te and cutte frome the bodye / then turne the teste / so that it maye easylye procede with as lyttell payne to the mother / as maye be.

¶ Yf it be so that the chyldes head be soo swollen by inflation / swellynge / or resorte of humours that it wyl not conueniently yssue oute that narowe places / then let the myd­wyfe with a sharpe penknyfe cutte open the heade / that the humours contayned in it [Page]maye yssue and runne forth / and so the head to waxe lesse able to be plucked out: but yf it so be that not by any suche casualte the head be bygge / but onely of a naturall groweth / then muste the head be broken in peces / and the partes euermore taken forth with suche instrumentes / as the surgeons haue readye and necessarye for suche purposes.

¶ Agayn yf that after the head were come forthe / yet the breste parte wolde not folowe for greatenesse / then muste ye breake and cut lykewyse that parte / vnto suche tyme that it maye be had forth. And euen so lykewyse / yf all the rest of the bodye sholde be so swol­len that it wolde not procede ne come forth / then muste it lykewyse be broken in peces / & so had forthe.

¶ Farthermore if by chanse or bysease it co­me to passe that the mouth of the matrice be exulcerat or apostumat / so that the passage be made the narower by that meanes / the dryer and the more contracte / then muste ye fyrste studye and endeuour you to sople and ease the places by oyles & other greces / suche as I spake of sufficientlye before in the fyfth chapter with bathes and fumigations.

¶ Also yf the dead byrth come sydelonge / then muste ye do what maye be doue to con­uerte & torne it to such fashion / that it maye moste easyly be brought forth: the matrice & other secreates muste be annoynted / perfu­med / and vapored with suche thinges / the which maye make it more ample & large / yf it can not be thus had forthe hole: then let it be cut out by pese mele / as is before spoken of. And yf after this delyueraunce the flow­res yssue ouer vehementlye / then vse suche thynges as haue vertue to restrayne them / of the which I haue spoken in the .vij. chap­ter before. But cōtrary to all this / yf it chāse that the woman in her labor dye / & the chyld hauyng lyfe in it / thē shall it be mete to kepe open the womās mouth / and also the nether places / so that the chylde maye by that mea­nes bothe receaue & also expell ayre & brethe which otherwyse myght be stopped / and thē to turne her on the left syde / & there to cutte her open / & so to take out the chylde / & they that are borne after this fashion be called ce­sares / for because they be cut out of theyr mothers belly / whervpon also the noble Romane cesar the .j. of that name ī Rome toke his name.

¶ Howe the infante newlye borne, muste be handled, nouryshed, and loked to. ¶ Cap .x.

AFter that the infant is once borne / by & by the nauel must be cutte thre fyngers bredthe from the belly / & so knyt vp: then as Auicēna wryteth / let be strued on the head of that that remayneth / of the powder of bole arme nyacke / & sanguis draconis / sarcocolla / myrrha and comyne / of eche lyke much beaten to powder / strewe on the cut of that pece that remayneth / then vppon that bynde a pece of wooll dypped in oyle olyfe that the powder fall not of: some vse fyrst to knyt the nauell / and after to cutte it so much / as is before re­hersed.

¶ And farthermore some say that of what length the reste of the nauell is lefte / of the same length shall the chyldes tonge be / yf it be a man chylde. Item Auicenna sayth that dyuers thynges maye be knowen by mer­kynge of the chyldes nauell / for as he sayth / when the woman is delyuered of her fyrste chylde / then beholde the nauell of the childe / [Page liii]which yf in that parte of it which is next vn to the body it haue neuer a wryncle / it proten deth and doth signifye perpetuall frō thens­forth sterilite or barennesse / & yf it haue any wrynkles in it / then so manye wrynkles / so many chyldren shal the womā haue in tyme to come. Also some adde to this & saye: that yf there be lytteli space betwene these wryn­kles in the nauell / then shall there be also lyttell space betwene the barynge of the chyldren / yf muche / it syngnifyeth longe tyme be­twene the barynge of them.

¶ Nowe to returne to our purpose / when that the nauel is cut of / & the reste knytte vp: annoynt all the chyldes bodye with the oyle of acornes / for that is syngularly good to cō ­firme / stedfast / and to defende the body from noysom thinges / whiche may chaunse from without: as smoke / colde / & suche other thin­ges which yf the infant be greaued with all / streate after the byrth / being yet very tender / it sholde hurte it greately.

¶ After this annoyntynge wasshe the in­fant with warme water / and with your fynger (the nayle beynge pared) open the chyl­des nosestrelles / and purge them of the fyl­thynesse. [Page]Item it shalbe good to put a lyttell oyle into the eyes: and also that the mother or nource handle so the childes syttyng place that it maye be prouoked to purge the belly. And chieflye it muste be defended from ouer much colde or ouer muche heate.

¶ After that that the parte extante or bo­ging forth of the nauell is fallen / the whiche commonlye chanseth after the thyrde or .iiij. daye then on the reste remaynyng strewe the powder or asshes of a calfes houe burnt / or of snayle shelles / or the powder of ledde / cal­led redde ledde / tempered with wyne.

¶ Farthermore when the infant is swa­deled and layde in cradell / the nource muste geue all diligence and hede that she bynde euerye parte ryght and in his due place and order / and that with all tendernesse and gentell entreatynge / and not crokedlye and con­fusely / the which also muste be done oftentymes in the daye: for in this is it as it is in younge and tender ympes / plantes / & twyg­ges / the whiche euen as ye bowe them in theyr youthe / so wyll they euermore remayn vnto aege. And euen so the infante yf it be bounde and swadeled / the membres lyenge ryght & strayght / then shall it growe streate and vpryght / yf it be crokedlye handled / il wyll growe lykewyse / and to the yll negli­gence [Page lv]of many nources may be imputed the crokednesse and deformite of manye a man and woman / which otherwyse myght seme well fauered as any other.

¶ Item let the chyldes eyes be oftentymes wyped and clensed with a fyne and cleane lynnen clothe or with sylke: and let the ar­mes of the infante be verye strayght layde downe by the sydes / that they maye growe ryght / and sometyme strokynge the bellye of the chyld before the vesike of bladder to help to ease and to prouoke the chylde to the ma­kynge of water / and when ye laye it in the cradell to slepe / set the cradell in such a place that nether the beames of the sonne by daye nether of the mone by nyght come on the in­fant: but rather set it in a darke and shadow place: layenge also the head euer somewhat hyer then the reste of the bodye.

¶ And farther lette it be wasshed two or thre tymes in the daye / and that anone after stepe in the wynter with hote water / in the sommer with luke warme water: nether let it tary long in the water but vnto such tyme as the body begyn to waxered for hete: but take hede that none of the water come in to the infantes eare / for that shulde greatelye hurte his hearynge another daye.

Then to be shorte / when it is taken oute of the bathe / let it be wyped and handeled with gentell and softe lynnen cloth warmed / and then to laye it on her lap the backe vpward / the whiche with her handes let her tenderly stroke and rubbe / and then to lappe it vppe / and to swadell it / & when it is swadeled / to put a drop or two of water in to the nostrel­les of it / is very good for the eye syght. And so laye it to reste.

¶ Of suche thynges the which shalbe en­treated of in this thyrde boke. ¶ Cap .i.

IN these two precedente bokes we haue sufficientelye for this tyme declared such thinges the which are wont to happen vnto women before theyr labor / in theyr labor / & also after theyr labor / and far­ther of such infirmities and deseases / which are wont to vexe the infant after it is delyuered into this wordle / with competent reme­dyes for the same.

¶ And here in this thyrde boke (by the leaue of god) shall brefelye be declared suche thyn­ges whiche maye farther or hynder the con­ception of man / whiche as it maye be by dy­uers meanes letted and hyndered / so also by many other wayes it maye be farthered and amended. Also to knowe by certayne sygnes and tokens whether the woman be concea­ued or no / & whether the conception be male or female / and finally certayne remedies and medycynes to farther and helpe conceptiō / & so to conclude this small tracte or treatyce.

¶ Of conception, & howe many wayes it maye be hyndered or letted. ¶ Cap .ii.

THere is nothyng vnder heauen which so manifestly & playnlye doth declare & shewe the mag­nificēt myghtynesse of that omnipotēt lyuing god / as doth the perpetuall and continuall generation & con­ception of lyuynge thynges here in earth / by the whiche is saued / proroged / & augmented the kynd of al thinges. And where that this almyghty lorde & creator hath so institute & ordeyned / that no syngular thynge in it selfe (here vpon the earth) sholde contynually re­mayne & abyde / yet hath he geuen from the begynnyng and instincted such a power and vertue vnto these mortall creatures / that they maye engender and produce other lyke thinges vnto them selfe / & vnto theyr owne sunilitude / in the which alway is saued the sede of posterite / were not this prouisiō had by almyghtye god / the nature & kynde of all maner of thinges wold sone perysh & com to an ende / the which vertue & power of generatiō many times doth halt & misse / by defect & the cōtrary dispositiō in the partes generāt.

As ye maye euidentlye see in the sowynge of corne and all other maner of seade / so that there be in all maner of generation thre principal partes cōcurrēt to the same: the sower / the scade sowen / and the receptacle or place receauynge and contaynynge the seade. Yf there be faute in any of these thre / then shall there neuer be due generation / vnto suche tyme as the faute be remoued or amended. The earth vnto all seades is as a mother & nource contaynynge / clyppynge and enbra­synge them in her wombe / feadynge and fo­sterynge them as the mother doth the chyld in her belly ormatrice / vntyll suche tyme as they come vnto the growyth / quantite / & per fection due vnto theyr nature and kynd but yf this seade cōceaued in the bowelles of the earth do not proue or fructifye / then be thou sure that other there is lette in the sower / in the seade / or elles in the earthe. The earthe maye be ouer waterysshe / dankesshe / or ouer hote and drye / or elles full of stones / grauell / or other rubryshe / or ful of yll weedes / which maye strangle and choke the good corne in his growynge / also the sede maye be putri­fyed / or otherwyse viciat and corrupted / and [Page lxxxi]so the lyfe & sprete of it vanyshed awaye and destroyed. The sowar maye vnordynatlye strewe and caste the seade on the earthe. &c. So that yf there be let in none of these thre partes concurrent to generation / or that the lettes be remoued & done away / then doubte lesse will ensue multiplicacion and encrease­mēt of that kynde / of the which the seade cō ­meth / accordyng to the naturall enclination the whiche almyghtye god hathe enplanted and set in the kynde of all thynges.

¶ Howe many wayes conception maye be letted. and howe the causes maye be knowen. ¶ Cap .iii.

EVerye thynge then the whiche doth encrease in his kynd must fyrst be cōceaued in the wombe & matrice of the mother / which is apte and conueniente for the receate of such seade. And as I sayde before / as there maye be defecte and lacke in the mother receauynge the seade / soo maye there be faute and defecte in the sower / & in the seade it selfe also.

¶ And in woman there maye be foure ge­nerall [Page]causes / by the whiche the conception may be impedyte and let: ouer much calidite or heate of the matrice / ouer much coldnesse / ouer muche humidite or moystenesse / & ouer much dryenesse. Any of these foure qualitees exceadynge temperancye / maye be sufficient causes to lette due conception.

¶ Wherfore the ryght excellent physitian Hypocrātes in the .v. boke of his Amphorys­mes sayth: All such women the which haue colde and dense matrices / can not conceaue / nor such as haue moyste and waterysshe matrices can cōceaue / for the powre of the seade is extynguyshed in it. Also hauyng drye ma­tryces / conceaue not / for the seade peryssheth for lacke of due nutriment and fode / but that matrice the whiche hath all these qualities in temperancye / that is fruytfull / this is Hy­pocrates sayenge / the which thing also may be well perceaued by a famylyer example of the sowynge of corne.

¶ For yf it be sowen in ouer colde places / such as be in the partes of a countrye / called Sithia / and in certayne places of Almayne / or in such places where is contynuall snowe or froste / or where the sonne doth not shyne / [Page lxxxii]in this places the seade or grayne sowen / wyll neuer come to profe / nor fructyfye / but throughe the vehemente coldenesse of the place in the whiche it is conceaued / the lyfe and quyckenesse of the grayne is vtterlye de­stroyed and adnyhilat.

¶ And farther as concernyng ouer muche humidite: Yf ye sowe your grayne in a fen or marysse and watery grounde / the seade wyll perysshe through the ouer much aboundāce of water whiche extynguyssheth the lyuely­nesse and the naturall power of the grayne and sede.

¶ Lykewyse yf it be sowen in such a coun­trye or place where is ouer greate heate / not tēpered with water & rayne / or yf the yere be so drye / that there cam no rayne at al to alay the extreme & faruēt heate of the sonne / then shall the seade sowen whyther & drye away / and the power of it be consumed & burnt.

¶ Also yf it be sowen in drye places / where neuer commeth rayne / or on the sande / and grauelye places / in suche a place the grayne can neuer take / ne proue / ne be conceaued in it to come to any fruyte or profet.

¶ Wherefore yf the matrice be distempe­red [Page]by the excesse of any of these foure quali­ties / then must ye reduce it agayne to tempe­rancie by suche remedyes / as I shall shewe you hereafter. Lykewyse maye there be de­fecte and lacke in the man / as yf the seade be ouer hote / the which the woman shall feale / as it were burning hote / or to cold the which he shall feale / as it were in maner colde as yise / or to fluye or thynne. &c. dyuers other other wayes also it maye be letted / whyche shall not nede here to be rehersed.

¶ Nowe yf the woman can not conceaue / the cause commynge of ouer muche frigidite and coldenesse in the matrice / that shall she knowe by these tokens: she shal feale greate cold about the sydes / the raynes of the backe and the matrice / her vryne shall appeare whyte and thynnysshe / and sometymes also somewhat spysse and thycke / and all maner of colde thynges shall noye her / hote thyn­ges shall greately comfort her.

¶ But yf it come by ouer muche humidite of the matrice / that shall she knowe by these sygnes: Yf the bodye of her be of a fatte and grosse disposition / yf with her flowres yssue forth at the begynnynge and the latterende [Page lxxxiii]of them certayne vyscous and waterye sub­staunce / and that her vrine be whyte / thycke / and sometyme as it were mylke. Alsoo that she feale greate colde and payne aboute the matrice & pryuie partes / & muche dolour in her sydes and in the raynes of her backe.

¶ And when ouer much heate or dryeth in the matrice / is cause of the hynderaunce of conception / then is the vryne hye coldred / red or yelowe / beynge thynne with certayne mo­tes appearyng in the water / the womā hath greate thyrste / and bytter rysynge or belking oute of the stomacke in to the mouthe. And manye tymes they that are in this case / are verye spare and leane in all theyr bodye / ha­uyng also but small quantite of flowres / the whiche thynge maye happen other by ouer muche watche / or ouer much fastynge / labor / trauell / sorowe / syckenesse. &c. But suche wo­men which naturally are thus spare & lene / maye verye hardely be brought to a tempe­rancye agayne & be made apte to conceaue. And this shalbe sufficiente for this tyme to knowe whiche qualite by his excesse causeth sterilite / nowe wyll we shewe howe it shalbe knowen whether lacke of conception be in [Page]the woman or elles in the man / and howe to knowe whether the woman be conceaued or no / accordynge to the mynde of ryght expert doctors of physycke.

¶ Howe to knowe whether lacke of conception be of the woman or of the man, and howe it maye be perceaued whether she be conceaued or no. ¶ Cap .iiii.

IF ye be desyrous to know whether the man or the woman be hynderance in conception: lette eche of them take of whete and barlye cornes / and of beenes of eche .vii. the which they shall suffer to be ste­ped in theyr seueral vryne / the space of .xxiiij. houres / then take .ij. pottes / suche as they set gylyflowres in / fyll them with good earth / & in the one let be set the whete / barlye / & bea­nes / styped in the mans water / & in the other the whete / barlye / and beanes / styped in the womans water / and euerye mornynge the space of eight or ten dayes / lette eche of them with theyr proper vryne / water the sayd sea­des sowen in the forenamed pottes / & marke [Page lxxxiiii]whose potte dothe proue / & the seades therin contained dothe growe / in that partie is not the lacke of conception / but see that there come no other water or rayne on the pot­tes.

¶ Itē accordynge to Hypocrates wrytyng yf ye wyl knowe whether the faute be in the woman or no / then lette the woman receaue in to her body vndernethe / beynge well and closely closed round about the fume of some odoriferous perfume / as laudanum / storax / calamyte / lignum aloes / muske / ambre / and suche other / and yf the odour and sauour of suche thynges assende thorowe her body vp vnto her nose / ye shall vnderstande / that sterilite commeth not of the womans parte / yf not: then is the defecte in her.

¶ Item yf she take garlycke beynge pylled out of the huskes / and conueye of it into the pryuie partes / and yf the sente of it assende vp through the bodye vnto the nose / the wo­man is fautelesse / yf not: then is there lacke in her. These are sygnes to knowe whether the lacke be in the man or the woman.

¶ Whether she be conceaued alreadye or no / ye shall knowe by these sygnes: Fyrste [Page]the flowres yssue not in so great quantite as they are wōt / but wexe lesse and lesse / and in maner nothinge at all commeth from them. Also the brestes begyn to waxe rounder / harder / and styffar then they were wonte to be / the woman shall longe after certayne thyn­ges otherwyse thē she was vsed to do before that tyme. Also her vryne waxeth spysse and thyckysshe / by retension of the superfluyties. Also the woman fealeth her matrice verye fastelye enclosed and shytte / in so muche that as Hypocrates saythe / the poynte of a nedle maye scace enter.

¶ Item to knowe whether she be concea­ned or no / accordynge to Hypocrates mynde / in the .v. of his Ampho. geue vnto the wo­man when she is goyng to bedde a quantite of mellicratum to drynke / and yf after that drynke she feale greate payne / gnawing / and tumblynge in her belly / then be ye sure / that she is conceaued: yf not / she is not cōceaued / this mellicratum is a drynke made of one parte wyne / an other parte water soden to­gether / with a quantite of hony.

¶ But if ye be desyrous to knowe whether the conception be man or woman: then lette [Page lxxxv]a droppe of her mylke or twayne be mylked on a smothe glasse / or a bryght knyfe / other elles on the nayle of one of her fyngers / and yf the mylke flewe and spredde abrode vpon it / by and by then is it a woman chylde: but yf the droppe of mylke contynue and stande styll vppon that / the whiche it is mylked on / then is it sygne of a man chylde. Item yf it be a male / then shall the woman with childe be well coloured / and lyghte in goynge / her belly rounde / bygger towarde the right syde then the lefte / for alwayes the man chylde lyeth in the ryghte syde / the woman in the lefte syde.

¶ Of certayne remedyes and medycynes which shall cause the woman to conceaue. ¶ Cap .v.

ALl sterilite then for the moste parte ensueth and commeth of the dystemperancye of one of these .iiij. forenamed qualities / wherfore the remedye and cure of the same when it chaunseth / must be done by such thynges / the whiche haue contracye power & operation to the excessyue qualities [Page]for by that shall it be reduced to his tempe­rancye agayne.

¶ As yf that coldenesse and moystenesse exceadynge temperancye in the matrice be oc­casion of sterilite / then muste she applie such thynges to that place / the whiche be of na­ture hote & drye / the whiche maye calify and warme the place / and alsoo drye vp the yll moystenes and humoures contayned in the same / hynderynge conception.

¶ Wherfore take of sauyne / baytreleues / the flowres of camomell / melylote / maiorā / caprifolium / herba paralysis / cytron leues / and such other thynges of aromatycall and hote nature: and sethe these in water to ge­ther / and let the woman receaue the vapour and fume hereof vndernethe in to her bodye through some cōduite or pype made for that purpose: her clothes beynge close about her / that none of the vapour or ayre yssue oute / & ouer this let her syt all a nyght / yf she may / receauyng euer the fume hereof in to her bo­dye / and in the mornynge let her accompany with her husbande / and she shall conceaue.

¶ A bathe also for the same purpose: when the tyme of her flowres aboute the ende of [Page lxxxvi]the laste quartar of the moone is almoste fy­nyshed: let her bathe herself in a bathe / wher in is decocte & soden caprifolium / malowes / frenche malowes / holyoke / rooses / iunyper beryes / parytarye / wylde myntes / bay leues / myrtylles / sauyne / camomell / pynpernell / myntes / maioram / cytron leues / basyll / peny­ryall / and suche other. But before that she bathe her in this water / it shalbe best for her to be purged and clensed from the colde hu­mours with theodoricon / or with benedicta / or with the pylles which be called sinequibꝰ esse nolo / to be had at the apothecaryes / and then let her enter in to this foresayde bathe / and when she commeth forthe of the bathe agayne / then let her take of diamargariton / or of muscata / to the quātite of a nutte / dryn­kynge it with good and odoriferous or well sinellynge wyne / other elles let her take of this electuarye folowynge / whiche is verye excellent for that purpose.

¶ Take of spyke / nuttemegges / cloues / ze­doarium / galyngale / longe peper / drye roses­storax / alipta muscata / of eche of these lyke muche / then take of the roote of tormentyll as muche as of all the other forenamed thinges [Page]to gether / and beate all these to pouder / temperynge them with a sufficiente quātite of clarifyed honye / to the whiche also adde a lyttell of pure muske. Of this electuarium bothe euenynge and mornynge the space of ten dayes let the woman take to the moun­tenaunce of a nutte with good odoryferous wyne bathynge her selfe also euery daye the space of the sayde ten dayes: at her comynge forthe of the bathe / receauyng of the foresaid electuarye / then also let her perfume her pry­uities with the sauoure and fume of lauda­num / frankencense / xiloaloes / storax / ambre / alipta / xilobalsamum / and suche other thin­ges. And after this let her make a supposy­tarye annoynted with magna trifera / or es­dra / with the pouder of olibanum / and the dyle of bays myxte and tempered to gether / and let her retayne this supposytarye in her pryuities all the day tyme the foresayd space of ten dayes / and then at the ten dayes ende (the man and woman accompanynge toge­ther) god wyllynge / she shalbe conceaued / & these be the remedyes yf the defecte & lacke of conception come by reason of coldenesse and moystenesse.

¶ But yf it come by distemperaunce of the matrice in hote and drye / fyrste lette the hu­mour which is cause of it / be purged by con­neniente medycynes / & then euery nyght the space of ten dayes let her bathe herselfe in warme water / nothing elles beyng put vnto it / & in this batthe let her remayne not long / and at her cōminge forth geue her to drynke of trifera magna / with watered wyne / and after this receaue she the vapoure & fume of the decoction of these herbes vnderneth in­to her priuy partes: take violettes / beerefote / parytarye / and penyryall / sethe them in wa­ter: and then conuaye in to the same place a supposytary of trifera magna with the pouder of olibanum.

¶ Item a suppositarye whiche is wonder­full good in expellynge and dowyng awaye suche thynges whiche let conception: take of siler montanum beaten to pouder .ij. dram̄s / of the renatte of an hare the .iiij. parte of a dram̄ / and temper these to gether with clari­fyed honye and the oyle of bayes / & annoynt here with a supposytarye / the whiche let the woman retayne in her secreates the space of a daye and a nyght.

¶ Itē a supposytary made of hares dunge and hony tempered to gether / is verye excel­lent for the same purpose / but let the womā abstayne from all maner of salte and sharpe meates / and vse to drynke good odoriferous and pleasaunt wynes alayd with water.

¶ Also to drynke of the wyne in whiche is dissolued muske / or elles viscus quercinus / is good to helpe to conception / also the herte bone of an herte / and the scrapynge of yuery is very good for the same.

¶ Item a supposytary for the same / which hathe ben many tymes well proued for that purpose: Take garlycke pylled and clensed frome the huskes / and sethe it in the oyle of rooses / or elles the oyle of maioram vnto the tyme that it be dyssolued / and that all the moystenes be departed from it / then take it out of the oyle agayne / and stampe it / & then wrappe it in wooll / and conuaye it supposy­tarywyse in to the pryuie partes / and there keape it the space of a daye: this thynge is maruelous good for conception / and hathe ben well proued.

¶ Dyuers other lettes of conception and remedyes for the same myght here haue ben [Page lxxxviii]declared / whiche for breuite and shortenesse we for this tyme do let passe / makynge here an ende of this treatyse / the whiche we haue composed and translated oute of Laten / to the ho­nour of God / the vti­lite and profette of all honeste ma­trones.