THEtoo copious and long lasting, or immoderateFluxof theChild-Bed Purgations, is no lessPreternatural, than the formerCaseof their being altogethersuppressed, or in partdiminished. Tho’ it is however to be observ’d, that there can be no certainQuantityof flowingBlood, nor any certainTime of Durationof thisFluxprefix’d or determined to thePuerperial Woman, as aforesaid: Wherefore theExcessof thisEvacuationis best known by theLoss of Strength,sinking of theSpirits, and the greatUneasinessof thePatient.
THECauseof thisDistemperis, either1st, a too greatPlentyof the aboundingBlood; or2dly, itsTenuityandAcrimonystimulating Nature toExcretion; or3dly, too great anApertionof theUterine Vessels; or4thlyand lastly, a violentExtractionof theAFTER-BIRTH: For theFlux of the LOCHIAproceeding meerly from theSeparationof thePlacentafrom theWomb, the more strong and violent thisSeparationorDivulsionis, the more theVesselsin theConcave Partof theWombare torn or dilacerated; and so being either too muchopened, or too difficult toreconsolidate, they dischargeBloodimmoderately.
HENCE, I say, this immoderateFLOODING, is not only known by the greatQuantitiesofBLOODvoided, by itsContinuance, or by coming away inClods, and much at a time; but also by theLoss of Strength,and aDefectofSPIRITS; upon which follows a low, debilitated and frequentPULSE; Loathing ofVICTUALS;PAINSin theHypochondriacks, with aTwistingof theGUTS, andGripingof theBELLY; aDimnessofSIGHT; aHissingof theEARS; and at lastSwooningsorConvulsions, proceeding from theDepauperationof theBLOOD: Which after an immoderateFLUXalways disorders theSPIRITS, because when theMassof it is much lessened, it cannot keep its dueMixtureandDisposition.
INthisCasethe truePrognostickis, that, if all immoderateHæmorrhagiesare dangerous; because by them, theTreasureofLIFE(thenatural Heat) is exhausted:Then, without Controversy, the immoderateFluxof theLochia, whether afterLabour, or after aMISCARRIAGE, is full ofDanger; as coming upon thePATIENTat a most unseasonable time, when herStrengthis already spent.
THECureof thisDistemperought to be well-weigh’d, and very cautiously perform’d, because the definiteQuantityofBLOODto be evacuated cannot be well or certainly known: And because if any Part ofThatbe stopped, which ought to be ejected, it of course flows to someother Part, and excitesInflammationsor other heavySYMPTOMS. Wherefore this is only, in the Beginning, to be corrected by properDIET, and some other convenient light Means: But afterwards by repeatedVenæ-Sectionsin theArms, ifStrengthwill permit; and properAstringentsinwardly taken, as well as outwardly applied; continuing always aThickening,Cooling, andAstringent DIET: But farther yet, as the Patient growsweaker, she ought also to have somecorroborative Remedies, to enable her to stand out theCure.Fomentationsfor thelower BellyofOxycrat, or an astringentDecoction;Fumigationsof the sameDecoction, or of hotOxycrat, are very convenient and helpful on this Occasion, as are alsoastringent Injections.
BUThowever sometimes, and not seldom, it happens, that thisCaseproceeds from the negligent or ignorantMIDWIFE, by her not dulycleansingtheWomb; by which Means, some part (how small soever) of theSECUNDINEorMembrane, or someclotted BLOOD, or perhaps aMOLE, miscall’d afalse Conception, may be left behind in theWomb; which distending thatBody, occasions not only an immoderateFlux, but also stirs up violentPains, not unlike tothoseofLabour: In this pitifulCondition, all possible Diligence must be prudently used to fetch away and remove thisCause, which is only most effectually to be done by theHand-Cure, in the manner already abundantly set forth.
AFTERwhich, thePATIENTis to be treated asbefore, laying herequally flat upon her Back, and keeping her verystillandquietinBed; whichBedmay however in thisCasebe kept a littleCool, as well as herChamber, lestHeatshould provoke and continue theCourseof theFlux.
MOREOVER, in fine, it also sometimes happens, that immoderatePurgationsproceed from some grossExcrementscontain’d in theRectumantecedent to the Time ofLabour; which, as they puff up theBelly, so they also commonly occasion severeCholicks; but these being discreetly evacuated by a pretty strong emollientClyster, theFloodingimmediately ceases.