VI. OF the Genuine, and Real; as well as of the Spurious or Bastard-Labour-Pains: How they differ in themselves, and are to be carefully distinguished.
VII. OF the Method of Laying the Woman, and Manner of extracting the After-Birth; together with all the heterogeneous and preternatural Contents of the Womb.
THESE speculative Heads, in short, shall be the particular Subjects of the respective Chapters, of the consequent Part of this Section, for the requisite Instruction and indispensible Qualification of all young MIDWIVES: As the Practical Part shall be the Subject-Matter of the two next following Sections. Which Practical Part, I shall now likewise reduce to the Three subsequent general Heads; of which she ought also to have a full and compleat Knowledge, viz.
I. OF the various Methods to be taken for the present Ease, and expeditious Relief of the Labouring Woman.
II. OF the discreet Method of Turning an ill-situated INFANT, (whatsoever the preternatural Posture may be) and drawing it forth safely by the Feet.
III. OF Her own personal Duty (as MIDWIFE) both to the MOTHER and the CHILD after Delivery; as also towards all Labouring Women, to whom she may be call’d, upon critical Conjunctures.
THESE I call practical Heads, because they depend more upon Practice and Experience, or Judgment and Charity, than upon any fundamental Rules; which however yet ought also to be reckon’d Branches of her THEORY.
BUT notwithstanding all these natural and acquir’d Qualifications, the young MIDWIFE is not to run at once into the Practice: Nor to hurry herself rashly to lay Hands upon the ARK, before she is thoroughly well accomplished for so sacred a Work; lest (like Uzzah) she be punished for her Temerity; whereof I have seen several exemplary Precedents. No, the Work is too important, and the Concern too weighty for that hasty indiscreet Undertaking; for there is no less than the Life of the Mother, and one Child at least, (if not sometimes more) at Stake: Both which may be soon saved, or quickly lost, according to the Good or Bad Conduct and Management of the MIDWIFE.
WHEREFORE, to the End, that she may obtain the necessary Experience, and perfect her Judgment, &c. in due Course, she ought to satisfy herself at first to go (for some time) as an Assistant to some skilful Woman of good Business, and so by degrees advance herself into the Practice: Because Dexterity in this ART, is only acquir’d by Time and Exercise; the practical Part of MIDWIFERY being attended with so many complicated Circumstances of accidental Difficulties, that it is almost impossible for any Persons, who never apply’d themselves this way, to believe how much it differs from all the THEORY, that the most ingenious MAN can make himself Master of.
I SHALL only (in this place) farther explain, what I mean, by the MIDWIFE’s Duty to all Women in LABOUR, to whom she may be call’d upon critical Conjunctures; as the latter part of the above-mentioned last General Head purports: namely this, That the MIDWIFE, in the Course of her Practice, ought always to observe carefully, and follow strictly the Rules of EQUITY and CHARITY: That is, supposing the MIDWIFE to be sent for by a Person in Labour, whose Case is Natural and all Things likely to go well; and in the mean time, after she has taken her in Hand, is peradventure sent for to another Woman, whose difficult or preternatural Case threatens imminent Danger.