AGAIN the Business of the other Hand, used externally, is to drive back the Womb, by pressing the Abdomen; which must be perform’d also with great Caution and Judgement, not by drawing the Hand from above downwards, but pressing as much as the Woman can bear it, from below upwards; so that (if possible) the Womb may be thereby resupin’d or turn’d backwards. Minding always, by the way, that
THIS Pressure of the Womb is not to be attempted, before the one Hand is first conveniently placed within. But if all This Menage should not yet succeed the first time according to Wish, then it may be safely repeated again by turns so often, until the MIDWIFE feels the Crown of the Head; that is to say, till She feels the Borders of the Orifice quite round about hanging over the Entrance of the Pelvis. Upon which happy Discovery, she may with reason rejoice in her Labour, and be heartily glad of her good Success: Because now the Force of good depressing Pains only will effectually perfect the Work.
BUT before Matters are happily brought this prepared Length, the bearing Woman is upon no account to begin her LABOUR; since That would not only be in vain, and otherways debilitate the Strength of her Body; but also be of great Hindrance to the Midwife (to whom all the LABOUR hitherto belongs) who, as she feels the PAINS growing and rushing in upon the Woman, before their proper Time, ought to charge her strictly, to forbear working along with them, and as much as possible to abstain from any co-operating Depression. And in fine, as the MIDWIFE by having her Hand diligently apply’d to the Orifice of the Womb, by strict Attention, may most commonly observe, and previously discern the approaching PAINS, before the Patient Woman herself can be sensible of them: So she ought also for her own helping Part, ex Officio, to be quiet and attempt nothing till Then, but take her convenient Opportunities, always as soon as the PAINS are over.
THUS by seasonably lending Nature an artificial helping Hand, Both jointly may easily effect, what neither can do separately: For as it sometimes happens, that the MIDWIFE ought to cease, while she perceives (by the Pains) that Nature is a working, and therefore ought to work only when the PAINS are past; so it also falls out often, upon other Occasions, that she is to work along with the PAINS, and when those are past, to cease. And thus, in fine, according to different Circumstances, the discreet MIDWIFE knows always the Needfull, what’s to be done, or let alone.
BUT in this Place, I doubt not, many MIDWIVES will object, and say, How is it possible for Us to perceive the PAINS coming on before the parturient Woman herself? To which I ingenuously answer, that This also is one of the many Advantages of the Touch; since by That, I can presently feel a kind of subtile Motion, Contraction, or Compression beginning in the Orifice of the Womb; which is only observable as the Muscles are affected with a New Sense, excited by a New Influx of the Spirits; occasioning a New Force or Impression upon the Womb, which we commonly call a Pang: So that, in short, by distinguishing this Motion from others, I am always able to foretell or advise the Woman of what is a-coming, and to admonish her accordingly of her bounden Duty, as the Case requires.
MATTERS now being fairly brought thus far, that the Orifice and the Head begin to slide down into the PELVIS; the MIDWIFE is at this Time to study how to succour and assist the CHILD, by rendring its Passage easy. In order to which, she must first observe to raise the upper Part of the Woman’s Body a little, and give her some short Respite, before she offers to bring the Orifice into the PELVIS; because the Posture above-directed, occasions considerable Pain as well as great Inconveniency: Which being done, the Woman for the future is to sympathize with every PAIN, and Labour as much as possible, co-operating mutually with them; since now the Pains (by the Assistance of the Head) begin to open the Orifice, and gradually force the Infant forward to its Birth.
HOWEVER yet the MIDWIFE ought in this Case, to be very careful in sustaining, and nice in keeping up the Orifice of the Womb, lest it should fall down together with the Vertex or Crown of the HEAD into the Sinus Sacri; which is a Point so curious and critical, tho’ an Accident too common, that I dare well say, not one in Fifty Practitioners in MIDWIFERY understands it thoroughly; otherways I am confident, and morally certain, that many fine Women would have been living Monuments of their Ingenuity, who are at this day only the Dead Remains of their Ignorance.
THIS I think is past all Contradiction, when we consider, how some Practisers sacrifice the Infant, first by opening, and (as they call it) braining the HEAD, and then by drawing it forth with their Instrument call’d FORCEPS: How others also esteem themselves Masters of the greatest ARCANUM, boasting that they can, without so much as braining the HEAD, extract the INFANT by their Tool call’d an EDUCTOR: How a Third Set again pretending themselves to be the only genuine Sons of Apollo, come slily to correct the Rest, by fixing only a couple of Hooks in the Eyes, Ears, or somewhere else in the Child’s HEAD; by which means they as wretchedly produce the innocent dead Babe as any of the others: For it can no more be suppos’d to survive this cruel Treatment, than the other mentioned Barbarities; not to speak of the Anguish and Perplexity over and above, besides the real Danger all the while brought upon the distressed Mother.
UPON this grand Affair of Life and Death, the Desidious and Capricious MIDWIFE cries at length, God knows I have taken all the Pains and Care I could, but to no Purpose, for this or that trifling Reason, falsely alledged. The SURGEON (if he don’t pretend the CHILD to be already Dead) says, Come, it is better to dispense with one Life than Two; One must go, &c. In consequence of which, he prepares his FORCEPS, EDUCTOR, KNIVES, HOOKS, &c. to draw out the INFANT Dead, or Alive, Whole or in Pieces, by such disingenuous and barbarous Means to save the MOTHER. Thus behold the excellent Art of MIDWIFERY ignorantly perverted! O Deplorable Woman! O Miserable Babe! How much abused! when there is no other Mean left to rescue the tender Life of the poor Mother, but by the massacrous Death of her dearest CHILD! This Case indeed would be very Melancholy, but Glory be to GOD who has neither left the One nor the Other to perish at this untimely or inhuman Rate, excepting it be by Ignorance, or Wilfulness, &c. as aforesaid: No, on the contrary he has provided an EXPEDIENT for every Extremity, and a REMEDY for every Malady, as in the present Case will appear farther by what follows, Viz.——
THAT such Tragical Events may be prudently prevented, I use my constant and unwearied Endeavours to sustain the Orifice, that it may not come below its proper Place; and that having clear’d the HEAD of the WOMB, I may only bring it alone down; which I can much more easily do, than if it was cover’d about with the Womb, sticking fast (as above) in the SINUS SACRI. And supposing the MEMBRANE to press strongly instead of the Head, I treat it all one as if it was the Head, taking always Care not to break it, tho’ the forming of the WATERS is not to be obstructed; for which Cause, I upon all Occasions stretch out my Fingers wide, applying them only to the Edges of the Orifice, not to the Membrane: And this I continue doing, until the MEMBRANE spontaneously breaks; upon which I manage the Head as aforesaid.