This is another effect of the womb, which is a very great obstruction to the bearing of children, hindering both the flow of the menses and conception, and is seated in the vessels of the womb, and the neck thereof. The causes of this straitness are thick and rough humours, that stop the mouth of the veins and arteries. These humours are bred either by gross or too much nourishment, when the heat of the womb is so weak that it cannot attenuate the humours, which, by reason thereof, either flow from the whole body, or are gathered into the womb. Now, the vessels are made straiter or closer several ways: sometimes by inflammation, schirrous, or other tumours; sometimes by compressions, scars, or by flesh and membranes that grow after a wound. The signs by which this is known are, the stoppage of the terms, not conceiving, and crudities abounding in the body, which are all shown by particular signs; for if there is a wound, or the secundine pulled out by force, phlegm comes from the wound; if stoppage of the terms be from an old obstruction by humours, it is hard to be cured; if it be only from the disorderly use of astringents, it is more curable; if it be from a schirrous, or other tumours, that compress or close the vessel, the disease is incurable.
Cure.—For the cure of that which is curable, obstructions must be taken away, phlegm must be purged, and she may be let blood, as will be hereafter directed in the stoppage of the terms. Then use the following medicine: take of aniseed and fennel seed, each a drachm; rosemary, pennyroyal, calamint, betony flowers, each an ounce; saffron, half a drachm, with wine. Or take asparagus roots, parsley roots, each an ounce; pennyroyal, calamint, each a handful; wall-flowers, gilly-flowers, each two handfuls; boil, strain, and add syrup of mugwort an ounce and a half. For a fomentation, take pennyroyal, mercury, calamint, marjoram, mugwort, each two handfuls; rosemary, bays, camomile-flowers, each a handful; boil them in water, and foment the groin and bottom of the abdomen; or let her sit up to the navel in a bath, and then anoint about the groin with oil of rue, lilies, dill, &c.
Sect. V. Of the Falling of the Womb.
This is another evil effect of the womb, which is both very troublesome, and also an hinderance to conception. Sometimes the womb falleth to the middle of the thighs, nay, almost to the knees, and may be known then by its hanging out. Now, that which causeth the womb to change its place is, that the ligaments, by which it is bound to the other parts, are not in order; for there are four ligaments, two above, broad and membranous, that come from the peritoneum, and two below, that are nervous, round and hollow; it is also bound to the great vessels by veins and arteries, and to the back by nerves; but the place is changed when it is drawn another way, or when the ligaments are loose, and it falls down by its own weight. It is drawn on one side when the menses are hindered from flowing, and the veins and arteries are full, namely, those that go to the womb. If it be a mole on one side, the liver and spleen cause it; by the liver veins on the right side, and the spleen on the left, as they are more or less filled. Others are of opinion, it comes from the solution of the connection of the fibrous neck and parts adjacent; and that it is from the weight of the womb descending; this we deny not; but the ligaments must be loose or broken. But women in a dropsy could not be said to have the womb fallen down, if it came only from looseness; but in them it is caused by the saltness of the water, which dries more than it moistens. Now, if there be a little tumour, within or without the privities, like a skin stretched, or a weight felt upon the privities, it is nothing else but a descent of the womb; but if there be a tumour like a goose’s egg, and a hole at the bottom, and there is at first a great pain in the parts to which the womb is fastened, as the loins, the bottom of the abdomen, and the os sacrum, it proceeds from the breaking or stretching of the ligaments; and a little after, the pain is abated, and there is an impediment in walking, and sometimes blood comes from the breach of the vessels, and the excrements and urine are stopped, and then a fever and convulsion ensueth, oftentime proving mortal, especially if it happen to pregnant women.
Cure.—For the cure of this distemper, first put up the womb, before the air alter it, or it be swollen or inflamed: and for this purpose give a clyster to remove the excrements, and lay her upon her back, with her legs abroad, and her thighs lifted up, and head down; then take the tumour in your hand, and thrust it in without violence; if it be swelled by alteration and cold, foment it with a decoction of mallows, althæa, lime, fenugreek, camomile flowers, bay berries, and anoint it with oil of lilies, and hen’s grease. If there be an inflammation, do not put it up, but fright it in, by putting a red hot iron before it and making a show as if you intended to burn it; but first sprinkle upon it the powder of mastich, frankincense, and the like; thus, take frankincense, mastich, each two drachms; sarcocol, steeped in milk, a drachm; pomegranate flowers, sanguis draconis, each half a drachm. When it is put up, let her lie with her legs stretched, and one upon the other, for eight or ten days and make a pessary in the form of a pear, with cork or sponge, and put it into the womb, dipped in sharp wine, or juice of acacia, with powder of sanguis, with galbanum and bdellium. Apply also a cupping-glass, with a great flame, under the navel or paps, or to both kidneys, and lay this plaster to the back: take opoponax, two ounces; storax liquid, half an ounce; mastich, frankincense, pitch, bole, each two drachms; then with wax make a plaster; or, take laudanum, a drachm and a half; mastich, and frankincense, each half a drachm; wood aloes, cloves, spike, each half a drachm; ash-coloured ambergris, four grains; musk, half a scruple; make two round plasters to be laid on each side of the navel: make a fume of snails’ skins salted, or of garlic, and let it be taken in by the funnel. Use also astringent fomentations of bramble leaves, plantain, horse tails, myrtles, each two handfuls; worm-seed, two handfuls; pomegranate flowers, half an ounce; boil them in wine and water. For an injection take comfrey root an ounce; rupture work, two drachms; yarrow, mugwort, each half an ounce; boil them in red wine, and inject with a syringe. To strengthen the womb, take hartshorn, bays, of each a drachm; myrrh, half a drachm; make a powder for two doses, and give it with sharp wine. Or, you may take zedoary, parsnip seed, crabs’ eyes prepared, each a drachm; nutmeg, half a drachm; and give a drachm in powder; but astringents must be used with great caution, lest by stopping the menses, a worse mischief follow. To keep it in its place, make rollers and ligatures as for a rupture; and put pessaries into the bottom of the womb, that may force it to remain. Let the diet be such as has drying, astringent, and glueing qualities, as rice, starch, quinces, pears, and green cheese; but let the summer fruits be avoided; and let her wine be astringent and red.
CHAPTER II.
OF DISEASES RELATING TO WOMEN’S MONTHLY TERMS.
Sect. I. Of Women’s Monthly Terms in General.
That divine Providence, which with a wisdom peculiar to itself has appointed woman to conceive, and to bear and bring forth children, has provided for the nourishment of children during their recess in the womb of their mother, by that redundancy of the blood which is natural to all women; and which, flowing out at certain periods of time (when they are not pregnant), are from thence called terms and menses, from their monthly flux of excrementitious and unprofitable blood. Now, that the matter flowing forth is excrementitious, is to be understood only with respect to the redundancy and overplus thereof, being an excrement only with respect to its quality; for as to its quality, it is as pure and incorrupt as any blood in the veins; and this appears from the final cause of it, which is the propagation and conservation of mankind; and also, from the generation of it, being the superfluity of the last aliment of the fleshy parts. If any ask, if the menses be not of a hurtful quality, how can they cause such venomous effects? If they fall upon trees and herbs, they make one barren and mortify the other. I answer, this malignity is contracted in the womb; for the woman wanting native heat to digest the superfluity, sends it to the matrix, where seating itself till the mouth of the womb be dilated, it becomes corrupt and mortified; which may easily be, considering the heat and moistness of the place; and so this blood being out of its proper vessels, offends in quality.
Sect. II. Of Terms coming out of order, either before or after the usual Time.
Having, in the former part of this work, treated of the suppression and overflow of the monthly terms, I shall content myself with referring the reader thereto, and proceed to speak of their coming out of order, either before or after the usual time.