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

WHEREFORE it is, that the respective Cures of these sundry Cases, belong only to the Ablest Physician, and That (most properly) to Him who professes and practices Midwifery: Because, when Medicinal Helps fail, and cannot prevent Misfortunes, He will at least know best then, how to Compose, and Mitigate them, by delivering the Woman, if Necessity so require.

CHAP. XX.
Of the SYMPTOMS of the last three Months.

TWO third Parts of the common Duration and Conjuncture of Child-bearing, being, by this time faithfully, if not so fully, accounted for; it remains now, that we also more particularly consider the Mother and her Infant throughout the last Three Months-Travail. These are the Finishing Maturating Months of the INFANT: I mean peculiarly, as to its Strength and Vigour; since in other respects, the Middle Months have duly perfected the Ornaments of the particular Members, and gracefully compleated the Shape and Form of the whole Body.

WHEREFORE, as, in these latter Months, the CHILD encreases in Bulk, Vigour, and Activity, it then affords the tender Mother incredible Uneasinesses, and grows sometimes almost Obstreperous: Which Augmentation of the Foetus (of natural Consequence) occasions in her Constitution of Body various different Effects; call’d SYMPTOMS of the last Three Months.

NOW these SYMPTOMS, I hope I may pertinently reduce to the following Nine, in Number; namely, 1. Dysuries; 2. Ischuries; 3. Stranguries; 4. Costiveness; 5. Tenesms; 6. Varices; 7. Inflations of the Legs; 8. Fissures of the Belly; and 9. and lastly, Water-Fluxes. Of which I shall take leave to treat separately, in their proper Order.

CHAP. XXI.
Of DYSURIES, ISCHURIES, and STRANGURIES.

THE Dysuria is a painful and difficult Excretion of Urine; as the Ischuria is an entire Suppression of the Same: And the Stranguria nothing but an Effect of the other Two; being an Excretion made Drop by Drop, with a continual Stimulation or Propensity to make Water, however without any acute Pain, tho’ not without some Uneasiness.

NOW these three SYMPTOMS have all their respective Causes, which I shall not particularly enter upon here at large; but only, take notice by the By, that in the Pregnant Woman, they most commonly proceed from One and the same Original: Wherefore I shall in this Place discourse of them conjunctly; and observe that all three SYMPTOMS may proceed from the ponderous Womb, lying upon, and depressing the Neck of the Bladder; and that the more heavily, the nearer the Woman is to her Time. The pungent Acrimony of the Urine sometimes also occasions Incontinence, or want of Retention; as its Inflammatory Heat causeth almost a total Suppression. However, in short, such SYMPTOMS may likewise proceed from some crude and unconcocted Matter, obstructing and oppressing the Sphincter-Muscles.