THESignsofConceptionare many and various, and accordingly some more, some lesscertain, as hereafter set forth; whereof I shall only mention such as are most common and familiar to theGeneralityofWomen:viz.
I.THERetentionorSuppressionof theMenstrua; when not occasion’d by some otherIndisposition.
II.SUDDENWeakness,Feebleness, andImbecilityof the Body and Limbs.
III.LAZINESS,Weariness, andSleepiness, with aHeavinessof the whole Body; but especially of theReinsand theThighs.
IV. A sort of littleSpots, or hardWarts, arising in theFaceandForehead.
V. A smallPainabout theNavel, andCommotionsin thelowerBelly.
VI.COLDShivering, and tremblingFits; wandringPains, andHead-Aches.
VII.LOSSof wontedColour, sunkEyes, discolour’dEye-Balls: A sparklingDimness, andGlimmeringof theEyes; theBallgrowing less, and theWhitelarger.
VIII. AProtuberancyor Swelling of theVeins, andBreasts; their growingHard, and givingPain: As theNipplesbecome firm, large, and dark-colour’d, with alivid Circlearound them.
THESEand many otherSignsoften occur uponCONCEPTION; but except aPluralityof them meet inone Person, they are not absolutely to be rely’d on: It being aVulgar ErroramongWomen, to calculate precisely from the Time ofmissingtheirMonths; forasTheseare often suppress’d, without any such manifestCause; so I have known somePlethorickPersons, who have had them several repeated times after Conception.
YEA, I was once given to understand by aLadyof Distinction, in the City ofBerlin, that she never hadThem, till she firstconceiv’din the 19th Year of her Age; and then they came inregular Course, without anyDetriment, during the wholeFoetura, or time ofGestation: After which, she hadThemno more, till sheconceiv’dagain, whenTheyreturn’d, and continued as formerly; and thus it constantly happen’d to her, till she had doneChild-bearing.
THEREareothermore certainSignsofCONCEPTION; touching which, let it suffice, that thePhysicianknows them, from theRelationof thePatient: And to these may be added theSymptomsof theMONTHS.
BUTnotwithstanding all the positiveDiagnosticks, which most Men have been, hitherto, guided by; I have met with so manyFallibilitiesin this Point, that I shou’d readily have come into the Opinion of[55]Paulus Sacchias, and deny’d theCertaintyofPREGNANCY, even at anadvanc’d Time, had I not been better instructed by Those most excellentPhysiciansandMen-Midwives, Sig.GarofanzzoofPadua, andPfizerusofWittenberg; who agree in certaininfallible Signs, which put an end to all myDoubts, as well as to the grandControversy, touchingCONCEPTION.
ASto those commonSigns, which discover theCONCEPTIONof aBoyfrom aGirl, orVice Versa; findingthemtend only toCuriosity, and to no realAdvantage, I cannot think it worth while to allow them any PlaceHere.