HOWEVER in regard to the FOETUS, when we are certain of its Existence; tho’ in the Womb, with one or more Moles, it may perhaps be very safe; Therefore I again observe, that, in this Case, as long as the Woman is no ways endangered, the Exclusion of Both ought to be Natural, and accordingly the appointed Time waited for: When according to all Authors, the Mole comes sometimes before, sometimes with, sometimes immediately after, and sometimes a few Days, or perhaps Weeks, after the FOETUS. But such Midwives as follow my Method, already plainly laid down[[204]], will scarce trust their Woman with the Charge of a Mole, one moment after the Birth of the Infant and Secundine: Because by such means, yea, even by a small Clod of Blood, which is a far less matter, retain’d after the Birth, Millions of Women have lost their pretious Lives.
IN the mean time, as Moles are most commonly generated alone, without any FOETUS; I come now to indicate their peculiar Diagnosticks, which the Reader may take as follows, viz. First, the Woman’s Belly swells equally in all its Dimensions; whereas in Case of a Natural Conception, it is raised, and as it were acuminated or pointed towards the Navel, and a little compressed on both sides.
SECONDLY, The Orifice of the Womb never shuts in this, as it does in the Natural, Conception: And the Mole may be distinctly felt by the Touch, like a Globular Mass, in the Region of the Womb and Loins.
THIRDLY, Any expert Woman may also distinguish this Case, by its Motion; which is very different from that of a FOETUS, as also from that occasion’d by a false Conception as above described: The FOETUS having not only a total, but also a Partial Motion; which always differs according to the Part or Member moved; and is consequently first perceived about the fourth Month: Whereas the Mole has no distinct Motion; only, as the Woman turns to either Side, she may feel it (like a Stone) falling to the same Side; and in her walking, she may easily perceive its suppressing dead Weight.
FOURTHLY, Her Breasts swell, but give seldom any manner of Milk, and about the 4th and 5th Months, when she, who has a Natural Conception, is commonly best in Health; then the MOLE-BEARER falls worse; Her Limbs and Legs extenuate; her Face and Skin are all over discoloured, as the whole Body languishes; Pains of the Back and Groins follow of Course, together with a Difficulty of Respiration; as sometimes also, Wind and Humours break out of the Womb.
UPON the whole, the Prognostick of this Case is, that as the MOLE-BEARING Woman must in all respects, be very much discommoded, and afflicted with heavy threatning Symptoms, so she lives continually in Danger of her Life: And the longer she entertains this unwieldy Guest, the more rigid it grows, and the closer it sticks to her; so that consequently, the more difficult it is to dislodge or extract this præternatural Body: For as the Mole has no Secundine, nor Umbilical Vessels, but adhering by its own gross Substance to the oppress’d Womb, attracting its Nourishment directly from the Uterine Vessels; So it also fixes it self more and more strongly, and the longer the more firmly among them, to the great Prejudice and Damage of Nature.
NOW, as to the Cure, or the Delivery of the Mole, as has been said, the sooner it is undertaken, the easier it is performed: And in this Case, I know all Authors advise only, to endeavour its Expulsion by Bleeding in the Feet, by proper Baths, by strong and Acrid Clysters, &c. in order by such like means, to excite or stir up Throws to open the Womb and irritate the expulsive Faculty. But for my part, I would not too much afflict the Patient with these uncertain means, especially if the Præternatural Body be of any long standing; but rather at once betake my self, to that which cannot fail me, that is the Hand-Cure; after Bathing, relaxing and moistening the Passages with Oils or emollient Ointments: And This I would undertake, and perform after the same manner, as in the Condition of a Dead Child, when the Pains are altogether Deficient. Again farther——
I observe that, of all the Countries I know, there is none, whose Women are so subject to Molar Conceptions, as the Provinces of Holland: And moreover, by what I have diligently observ’d my self in those Parts, as well as by what I have comprehended from their most Learned Men, the MOLES generally conceived there, are very different from Others commonly conceived in other Parts; Insomuch that Those are of a strange, astonishing, deformed shape, having (as it were) something in them like the Rudiments of a Work imperfectly begun; such a Piece, as, for Example, a Limner may draw at the first Draught, with a rude Pensil; together with something of both Life and Motion: Living however only (as it were) Vitâ Plantæ, and moving but by Palpitation; as I have also seen and observ’d this Body to contract it self sensibly at the Touch, and immediately again dilate it self perceptibly. In the interim I must farther observe in this Place, that most commonly Nature ejects these Bodies happily about the fourth Month; however yet, not always all at once, but most frequently by Piece-Meal and in Heaps, not unlike as the Pump does the Bilge-Water out of the Ship.
BUT here it may be ask’d, why the Dutch good Women, should be more subject to these Præternatural Conceptions than any others? To which I answer, according to the Sense and Sentiments of most of their own greatest Men; First, that all over these Provinces, the very Borders of the Sea are inhabited, and a World of People live (as it were) in the very Jaws of the Ocean; whose bellowing Waves and tumultuous Surges, are not only obvious to their Eyes all Day, but obnoxious also to their Ears all Night long; as they continually beat upon their Coasts, and sometimes too near their very Doors: From whence these Women cannot but be much affected and disturbed, if not also frighted in their very Embraces.
HOWEVER yet, I do not conceive This to be always the Cause, since MOLAR CONCEPTIONS are also very common in their greatest Cities; But as those happen there most frequently among the Sea-faring Men’s Wives; so, I think, we may rationally account for them after this ensuing manner, viz. The Sailers arriving from their Voyages, and coming Home merrily with full Sail up to their very Doors, incontinently embrace their Wives, without having any regard to their Natural Course, the Silent Moon, or any other Circumstance; And the honest Wives, having perhaps long wanted their Husbands, make no Procrastination, but eagerly fall to enjoying One Another; the good Women attracting as greedily the virile Benevolence, as Nature can prompt, or as Cerberus could snap at a Piece, or the Hunger-starved a Bit of Bread. Upon which, if no Efluxion happens in the Beginning, NATURE being incapable of elaborating such an unapt confused Matter, it is converted to a MOLE; which (as aforesaid) is frequently cast forth about the fourth Month, and call’d by them een Manekindt, as we for the same reason call it a Moon-Calf.