As to the time in which this curious part of nature's
workmanship is formed, having already in Chapter II of the former part
of this work spoken at large upon this point, and also of the
nourishment of the child in the womb, I shall here only refer the reader
thereto, and proceed to show the manner in which the child lies in the
womb.
SECT. III.--_Of the manner of the Child's lying in the Womb._
This is a thing so essential for a midwife to know, that she can be no
midwife who is ignorant of it; and yet even about this authors
extremely differ; for there are not two in ten that agree what is the
form that the child lies in the womb, or in what fashion it lies there;
and yet this may arise in a great measure from the different times of
the women's pregnancy; for near the time of its deliverance out of those
winding chambers of nature it oftentimes changes the form in which it
lay before, for another.
I will now show the several situations of the child in the mother's
womb, according to the different times of pregnancy, by which those that
are contrary to nature, and are the chief cause of ill labours, will be
more easily conceived by the understanding midwife. It ought, therefore,
in the first place to be observed, that the infant, as well male as
female, is generally situated in the midst of the womb; for though
sometimes, to appearance a woman's belly seems higher on one side than
the other, yet it is so with respect to the belly only, and not to her
womb, in the midst of which it is always placed.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200