Or, take coloquintida,
agaric, birthwort, of each a drachm; make a powder, add ammoniacum
dissolved in wine, ox-gall, each two drachms. Or make a fume with an
ass's hoof burnt, or gallianum, or castor, and let it be taken in with a
funnel.
To take away pains and strengthen the parts, foment with the decoction
of mugwort, mallows, rosemary, with wood myrtle, St. John's wort, each
half an ounce, spermaceti two drachms, deer's suet, an ounce; with wax
make an ointment. Or take wax six ounces, spermaceti an ounce; melt
them, dip flux therein, and lay it all over her belly.
If none of these things will do, the last remedy is to try surgery, and
then the midwife ought without delay to send for an expert and able
man-midwife, to deliver her by manual operation, of which I shall treat
more at large in the next chapter.
FOOTNOTES:
[10] Horse-parsley.
* * * * *
CHAPTER VI
_Of Unnatural Labour._
In showing the duty of a midwife, when the child-bearing woman's labour
is unnatural, it will be requisite to show, in the first place, what I
mean by unnatural labour, for that women do bring forth in pain and
sorrow is natural and common to all. Therefore, that which I call
unnatural is, when the child comes to the birth in a contrary posture to
that which nature ordained, and in which the generality of the children
come into the world.
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