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

HENCE I proceed to the usual Prognosticks of ABORTION; which take as follow in their proper Order, viz.

I. ALL Women are more endanger’d in a Miscarriage, than in a Natural Birth: because That happening at a preternatural Time, is of greater Violence than This. For like as ripe Fruit, whose Stalk is so loose in its Season from the Tree, that the Fruit falls of its own Accord: So it is in a Natural Birth, for the Vessels and Ligaments, by which the Infant adheres to the Womb, easily loose and break spontaneously; which in an Abortion, must needs happen by a more dangerous painful Force and Violence.

II. THO’ Women (in this Case) may frequently escape with their Lives, yet their Natural Constitution is thereby too often broke at least, and debilitated, or thereupon subjected to one or other heavy SYMPTOM or DISEASE; if not also rendred quite BARREN.

FOR sometimes, because of the Pains, Flux, or Putrefaction of the retain’d Blood, Fevers, and other Distempers generally ensue: Sometimes by the violent Disruption of the Vessels, great Floodings and Loss of Blood happen; upon which Faintings, Swoonings, Convulsions, and at length Death it self follows: But, in fine, Convulsions happening[^[103]] either at the Time, or after ABORTION, the Case is most dangerous; for then the Patient seldom escapes.

III. THE first MISCARRIAGE is most dangerous to all; because the Genital Parts are more streight or constricted, and less acquainted with such severe distending Pains: And besides the Orifices of the Vessels being so violently dilacerated, the Party often continues afterwards Sterile or Barren the rest of her Life[^[104]].

IV. LEAN and tender Women are much endanger’d in ABORTION, by Reason of their Debility and Infirmity: As Women too fat are, on the other Hand; because of the great Astriction and Narrowness of the Passages.

V. THE younger the Abortive Production happens to be, the less the Woman is endanger’d; because the larger the Infant is, it gives the greater Pains and Ruption of the Vessels.

VI. WHATEVER happens in the 7th or 9th Month, may be reckon’d a safe BIRTH, provided the Child be Alive: Whereas if Dead, it is extremely dangerous. But above All, the Eighth Month is to be most dreaded, not only because of the Largeness of the INFANT, but also because of the pernicious Quality of that Month; as will hereafter more amply appear in Chap. 34.

WHICH Consideration leads me farther to observe; That, from the Beginning of the 5th, until the Middle of the 6th Month, the INFANT is least liable to Danger[^[105]]: So next in the 4th, and from the Middle of the 6th, until the Close of the 7th Month: Then of course it is safer in the 3d and 2d Months, than in the 1st or 9th. For the least Cause may expell the Embryo in the First, and break the Mature Ligaments of the INFANT in the Ninth. But of all the whole Time, as I said before, the 8th Month is the most[^[106]] dangerous, both to MOTHER and INFANT: according to which Consideration and Order of Time, the prudent Physician may, with more or less either Fear on the one hand, or Assurance on the other, exhibit or prescribe proper REMEDIES for the Preservation or Recovery of his Patients.

FROM whence I come in the next place to offer my serious Sentiments upon the Cure of this Malady, and the Prevention of ABORTION: Which difficult Work depends chiefly upon the Preservation of both MOTHER and INFANT; for when the Miscarriage is once over, the Cure then does not much differ from the Case of a natural BIRTH.