The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher

g what is to be done when they fall

comes, the greatest labour and travail come along with it, insomuch that then all the other labours are forgotten, and that only is called the time of her labours, and to deliver her safely is the principal business of the midwife; and to assist therein, shall be the chief design of this chapter. The time of the child's being ready for its birth, when nature endeavours to cast it forth, is that which is properly the time of a woman's labour;

s of the true Time

further inquiry (for some such there are), and so goes about to put her into labour before nature is prepared for it, she may endanger the life of both mother and child, by breaking the amnios and chorion. These pains, which are often mistaken for labour, are removed by warm clothes laid to

od sign of good labour and speedy delivery, though by ignorant people thought otherwise; for good pains are thereby excited and redoubled; which vomiting is excited by the sympathy there is between the womb and the stomach. Also, when the birth is near, women are troubled with a trembling in the thighs and legs, not with cold, like the beginning of an ague fit, but with the heat of the whole body, though it must be granted, this does not happen always. Also, if the humours which then flow from the womb are discoloured with the blood, which the midwives call shows, it is an infallible mark of the birth being near. And if then the midwife puts up her fingers into the neck of the womb, she will find the inner orifice dilated; at the opening of which the membranes of the infant, containing the waters, present themselves and are strongly forced down with each pain she hath; at which time one may perceive them sometimes to resist, and then again press forward the finger, being more or less hard and extended, according as the pains are stronger or weaker. These membranes, with the waters in them, when they are before the head of the child, midwives call the gathering of the wate

t to be ordered when the t

oundness and hardness; I say, if these things concur and are evident, the midwife may be sure it is the time of the woman's labour, and care must be taken to get all those things that are necessary to comfort her at that time. And the better to help her, be sure to see that she is not tightly laced; you must also give her one strong clyster or more, if there be occasion, provided it be done at the beginning, and before the child be too forward, for it will be difficult for her to receive them afterwards. The benefit accruing therefrom will be, that they excite the gut to discharge itself of its excrements,

as she can, at the time when they take her; and let the midwife from time to time touch the inward orifice with her finger, to know whether the waters are ready to break and whether the birth will follow soon after. Let her also anoint the woman's privities with emollient oil, hog's grease, and fresh butter, if she find they are hard to be dilated. Let the midwife, likewise, all the time be near the labouring woman, and diligently observe her gestures, complaints, and pains, for by this she may guess pretty well how far her labour advanceth, because when she changeth her ordinary groans into loud cries, it is a sign that the child is near the birth; for at the time her pains are greater and more frequent. Let the woman likewise, by intervals, rest herself upon the bed t

e the child slip more easy), the passage remains dry by which means the pains and throes of the labouring woman are less efficacious to bring forth the infant than they would otherwise have been. It is, therefore, much the better way to let the waters break of themselves; after which the midwife may with ease feel the child by that part which first presents, and thereby discern whether it comes right, that is, with the head foremost, for that is the proper and most natural w

me, which is in May, and having clarified it, make it into a syrup with double its weight of sugar, and keep it all the year, to use when occasion calls for it; mugwort used in the same manner is also good in this case; also a drachm of cinnamon powder given inwardly profits much in this case; and so does tansey broiled and applied to the privities; or an oil of it, so, made and used, as

place. A load-stone helps very much, held in the woman's left hand; or the skin cut off a snake, girt about the middle, next to the skin. These things are mentioned by Mizaldu

white wine made i

lver weed, bruise it, and a

to powder, and let her take half a d

cause the child to come away, though it be dead, and it will bring away the after-burden. Also the juice of the parsley is a thing of so great virtue

uch a case, and so also is two or three drops of castorum in any convenient liquor; or eight

woman's milk to drink; it will cause s

runk with warm water, highly op

h oil, with which oil anoint the privities of the woman and child; it wi

n water, strain it, and drink it warm, it g

scruple, and give her half a drachm; or give her some drops of oil of hazel in convenient liquor; or two or three drops of oil of cinnamon in vervain water. Some prepare the secundine thus:-Take the navel-string and dry it in an oven, take two drachms of the powder, cinnamon a drachm, saffron half a scruple, with the juice of savin make trochisks; give two drachms; or wash the secundine in wine and bake it in a pot; then wash it in endive water and win

ent For

o the consumption of the juice; add galbanum dissolved in vinegar, half an ounce, myrrh, two drachms, storax

of the mother, refresh her by applying wine an

ny other way with more safety and ease, and less hazard to woman and child), then let her send speedily for the better and more able to help; and not as I once knew a midwife do, who, when a woman she was to deliver had hard labour, rather than a man-midwife should be sent for, undertook to deliver the woman herself (though told it was a man's business), and in