SECT. III.--_How to bring away the After-burden._
A woman cannot be said to be fairly delivered, though the child be born,
till the after-burden be also taken from her; herein differing from most
animals, who, when they have brought forth their young, cast forth
nothing else but some water, and the membranes which contained them. But
women have an after-labour, which sometimes proves more dangerous than
the first; and how to bring it safely away without prejudice to her,
shall be my business to show in this section.
As soon as the child is born, before the midwife either ties or cuts the
navel-string, lest the womb should close, let her take the string and
wind it once or twice about one or two fingers on her left hand joined
together, the better to hold it, with which she may draw it moderately,
and with the right hand, she may only take a single hold of it, above
the left, near the privities, drawing likewise with that very gently,
resting the while the forefinger of the same hand, extended and
stretched forth along the string towards the entrance of the vagina,
always observing, for the greater facility, to draw it from the side
where the burden cleaves least; for in so doing, the rest will separate
the better; and special care must be taken that it be not drawn forth
with too much violence, lest by breaking the string near the burden, the
midwife be obliged to put the whole hand into the womb to deliver the
woman; and she need to be a very skilful person that undertakes it, lest
the womb, to which the burden is sometimes very strongly fastened, be
drawn away with it, as has sometimes happened.
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