Let her observe the following.
“Take pearls prepared, a drachm; red coral prepared and ivory, each half a drachm; yellow citron peel, mace, cinnamon, cloves, each half a drachm; saffron, a scruple; wood aloes, half a scruple; ambergris, six drachms; and with six ounces of sugar dissolved in rose-water, make rolls.” Let her also apply strengtheners to the navel, of nutmeg, mace, mastich, made up in bags, or a toast dipped in malmsey, sprinkled with powder of mint. If she happens to desire clay, chalk, or coals, (as many pregnant women do), give her beans boiled with sugar; and if she happens to long for any thing she cannot obtain, let her drink a large draught of pure cold water.
Rules for the Third Month.
In this month and the next, be sure to keep from bleeding; for though it may be safe and proper at other times, yet it will not be so to the end of the fourth month; and yet if blood abound, or some incidental disease happen, which requires evacuation, you may use a cupping-glass, with scarification, and a little blood may be drawn from the shoulders and arms, especially if she has been accustomed to bleed. Let her also take care of lacing herself too straitly, but give herself more liberty than she used to do; for, inclosing her abdomen in too strait a mould, she hinders the infant from taking its free growth, and often makes it come before its time.
Rules for the Fourth Month.
In this month also you ought to keep the child-bearing woman from bleeding, unless in extraordinary cases; but when the month is past, bloodletting and physic may be permitted, if it be gentle and mild; and perhaps it may be necessary to prevent abortion. In this month she may purge, in the acute disease; but purging may be used only from the beginning of this month to the end of the sixth: but let her take care that in purging she use no vehement medicine, nor any bitter, as aloes, which is disagreeable and hurtful to the child, and opens the mouth of the vessels; neither let her use coloquintida, scammony, nor turbith; she may use cassia, manna, rhubarb, agaric, and senna: but dyacidodium purgans is best, with a little of electuary of the juice of roses.
Rules for the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Months.
In these months child-bearing women are troubled with coughs, heart-beating, fainting, watching, pains in the loins and hips, and bleeding. The cough is from a sharp vapour that comes to the jaws and rough artery from the terms, or the thin part of that blood gotten into the veins of the breast, or falling from the head to the breast; this endangers abortion, and strength fails from watching; therefore purge the humours that come to the breast with rhubarb and agaric, and strengthen the head as in a catarrh, and give sweet lenitives, as in a cough. Palpitation and fainting arise from vapours that go to it by the arteries, or from blood that aboundeth, and cannot get out at the womb, but ascends, and oppresseth the heart; and in this case, cordials, should be used both inwardly and outwardly. Watching is from sharp dry vapours that trouble the animal spirits, and in this case use frictions, and let the woman wash her feet at bed-time, and let her take syrup of poppies, dried roses, emulsions of sweet almonds, and white poppy seed. If she be troubled with pains in her loins and hips, as in these months she is subject to be, from the weight of her child, who is now grown big and heavy, and so stretcheth the ligaments of the womb, and parts adjacent, let her hold it up with swathing bands about her neck. About this time also the woman often happens to have a flux of blood; either at the nose, womb, or hemorrhoids, from plenty of blood, or from the weakness of the child that takes it not in; or else from evil humour in the blood, that stirs up nature to send it forth. And sometimes it happens that the vessels of the womb may be broken, either by some violent motion, fall, cough, or trouble of mind, (for any of these will work that effect); and this is so dangerous, that in such a case the child cannot be well; but if it be from blood only, the danger is less, provided it flows by the veins of the neck of the womb; for then it prevents plethory, and takes not away the nourishment of the child; but if it proceeds from the weakness of the child, that draws it not in, abortion of the child often follows, or hard travail, or else she goes beyond her time. But if it flows by the inward veins of the womb, there is more danger by the openness of the womb, if it come from evil blood; the danger is alike from cacochimy, which is like to fall upon both. If it arises from plethory, open a vein, but with great caution, and use astringents, of which the following will do well:—Take pearls prepared, a scruple; red coral, two scruples; mace, nutmeg, each a drachm; cinnamon, half a drachm; make a powder: or, with sugar, make rolls. Or give this powder in broth: “Take red coral, a drachm; red sander, half a drachm; bole, a drachm; sealed earth, tormentil roots, each two scruples, with sugar of roses, and manus Christa; with pearl, five drachms; make a powder.” You may also strengthen the child at the navel; and if there be a cacochimy, alter the humours; and if you may do it safely, evacuate: you may likewise use amulets in her hands and about her neck. In a flux of hemorrhoids wear off the pain; and let her drink hot wine with a toasted nutmeg. In these months the bowels are also subject to be bound; but if it be without any apparent disease, the broth of a chicken, or veal sodden with oil, or with the decoction of mallows, or of marshmallows, mercury, or linseed, put up in a clyster, will not be amiss, but in less quantity than is given in other cases: viz. of the decoction five ounces, of cassia fistula one ounce. But if she will not take a clyster, one or two yolks of new-laid eggs, or a little peaspottage warm, a little salt and sugar, supped a little before meat, will be very convenient. But if her bowels be distended and stretched out with wind, a little fennel seed and aniseed reduced into a powder, and mingled with honey and sugar, made after the manner of an electuary, will do very well. Also, if the thighs and feet swell, let them be anointed with exphrodinum (which is a liquid medicine made with vinegar and rose-water, mingled with salt.)
Rules for the Eighth Month.
The eighth is commonly the most dangerous, therefore the greatest care and caution ought to be used; the diet better in quality, but no more, nor indeed so much in quantity as before; but she must abate her exercise: and because then pregnant women, by reason that sharp humours alter the belly, are accustomed to weaken their spirit and strength, they may well take before meat an electuary of diarrhaden or aromaticum rosatum, or diamagarton; and sometimes they may lick a little honey: as they will loath and nauseate their meat, they may take green ginger candied with sugar, or the rinds of citron and oranges candied; and let them often use honey for the strengthening of the infant. When she is not far from her labour, let her eat every day seven roasted figs before her meat, and sometimes let her lick a little honey. But let her beware of salt and powdered meat, for it is neither good for her nor the child.