The Female Physician / Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv'd midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child.

by John Maubray

THESE Ossa Ilia are (by some) call’d the Wings and Bounds of the PELVIS; but they are mightily mistaken, who imagine that they surround or encompass the PELVIS: For they are only annexed to it on each side, and more extended towards the Back than the Forepart. As they are also very much in the wrong, who think that the Cavity of the PELVIS extends in its Length, according to the Length of the Back-Bone: since it rises from the Bottom obliquely, ascending Forwards, and so proceeds, as if a Person might, through its Passage, easily touch the Navel.

IN fine, it is here Remarkable also, that we do not always find the largest PELVIS in Women of the largest Size, but often the quite contrary; for it differs as the INFANT does in Bulk, exactly answering to the Bigness of its Head: And in some Women it is Deeper, in some Larger, in some Broader, in some Flatter, in some more Oval, and in some at last Rounder. From whence arise sundry Observations both useful and necessary, for the better Information of MIDWIVES.

CHAP. VIII.
Of the BONES of the PELVIS.

I Doubt not in the least but This and the proceeding Chapter will seem needless, and appear superfluous to some Persons, in the Practice of MIDWIFERY; namely, to such as know not the New Improvements of this Art: But especially to such as are accustom’d to the Use of Instruments, they’ll appear altogether Useless and Vain; since such Practitioners can easily (upon any Occasion, without the curious Anatomical Knowledge of these Parts) first slay the INFANT, and then either deliver or kill the WOMAN, as Chance may direct their SHARPS.

BUT for my Part, because I have no Notion of such sort of Weapons, I shall endeavour to acquit my self more honourably, and teach my Followers another way, and That without Blood-shed; as I hope will hereafter more amply appear.

AND First therefore in speaking of the Bones of the PELVIS, I shall begin with the OSSA Innominata; which are two large Bones joined to the Sides of the OS SACRUM. They are compos’d of Three distinct Pieces, each of which has its respective Name: The First and superior is call’d Os Ilium; because the Guts Ilia lie upon it directly. It is Large and almost of a Semicircular Figure, a little Convex and Uneven on its External Side; as it is Concave and Smooth on the Internal. In short, it is join’d to the Sides of the three Superior Vertebræ of the Os Sacrum, and is Larger in WOMEN than in MEN.

THE Second and Anterior is call’d Os Pubis; which is united in the Forepart to its Fellow-BONE of the other Side, by an intervening Cartilage: By the Extension of which Cartilage, the Ossa Pubis in Young Women, sometimes recede a little from One another, to facilitate a difficult Birth.

THE Third is the Inferiour and Posteriour, call’d Os Ischium, or Coxendix, which has a large Cavity call’d Acetabulum Coxendicis; and This receives the Head of the Os Femoris; the Supercilium or Top of which Cavity joins the Os Pubis.

THESE Three Bones, until the Age of Puberty, may be seen distinctly, tho’ afterwards they grow together, and become one BONE, without leaving any Mark of Division. They adhere on each side to the Os Sacrum by two Strong Ligaments; the Upper of which passes from the Posteriour Acute Process of the Ischium to the Sacrum; as the Lower joins the Tuberculum Ischii to the Sacrum.