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

THE Cure or Prevention of this Case is much the same with the following, viz.

CHAP. III.
Of a Numerous Conception.

A Numerous Conception may happen either with, or without Superfætation: And that without, may be truly call’d Monstrous; as all Births, exceeding the Number of the Woman’s Breasts, or the Sinus’s of her Womb, may be justly accounted.

I could also give many Instances of this sort of Births, where 3, 4, 5, and more Children have been born at once, but shall satisfy myself with This, which I think is one of the most remarkable, viz. That of the Countess Margaret,[^[200]] Daughter to Florent IV. Earl of Holland, and Spouse to Count Herman of Heneberg; who, on Good-Friday, in the Year of our Lord 1276, and of her Age 42, brought forth at one Birth 365 Infants; whereof 182, are said to have been Males, as many Females, and the odd one an Hermaphrodite: who were all baptized, those by the Name of John, these by that of Elizabeth, in two Brazen Dishes, by Don William, Suffragan Bishop of Treves. The Basons are still to be seen in the Village Church of Losdun, where all Strangers go (on purpose) from the Hague, being reckon’d among the great Curiosities of Holland. For farther and more instances of this Nature, I refer the Curious to a large collected History of such, by the Author mentioned in the Margin[^[201]] From whence the Certainty of Numerous Conceptions will evidently appear.

AGAIN the Cause of such Numerous Conceptions is (according to Avicenna’s just Opinion) the Division of the Seed in numerous Portions, or Proportions; which may happen, either because of the Womb, or because of the Injector: Because of the Womb, when its Cavity is larger than ordinary; or when it too greedily attracts to all its Parts; or when the divided Seed adheres separately to the singular Uterine Veins: Insomuch, that if what has been recorded of the abovesaid Countess be true, it is not improbable that, there may be a Conception for every Orifice of the Uterine Veins, and that every Vessel may attract its own distinct share of the Seminal Matter, and thereupon initiate a respective Conception, tho’ it cannot possibly bring it to Perfection.

MOREOVER the same may also happen, because of an irregular Injection, namely, when that is perform’d by stops and intervals; then the Womb attracting accordingly, may occasion different Conceptions, according to the different Immissions or Divisions of the Seed.

BUT these Conceptions, whether two, three, or more, are always annexed to, and contained in one common Secundine. And tho’ the Woman, by reason of her good Constitution of Body and Womb, may do well in the time of Gestation, yet her Præternatural Condition in the Birth, always threatens Danger, as is already made out more manifestly[^[202]].

NOW as to the Cure or Prevention of both this and the preceding Case, I know but one only grateful Method of performing it; viz. by refrigerating and reducing the too calid Womb to a convenient Temperature, and using a proper Regimen of Health and Diet; and that both before and after Conception.