SUCHDifficultiesas These, inBIRTH, may arise,FIRSTfrom theStrengthandFirmnessof theMembranes; when they happen to be sogross,callous, orthick, that theINFANTcannot easily break through them.
In thisCase, when theMIDWIFEfinds theOrificeof theWombsufficiently dilated, for theCircumferenceof theHead, and theChildso forward in thePassage, that it is ready forBIRTH, and only impeded by the rigid or stiffMembrane; thenshehas just Authority to break it gently with herNailsandFingers; taking Care in theActnot to draw theMembranetowardsher, because thereby theSecundine(of which theMembrane, tho’ distinguish’d from thePlacenta, is in Effect, but theThinner Part) would be untimely separated from theWomb, and theINFANT undone, unless presentlyBorn.
BUTtheMIDWIFE, after All, must always remember, not to attemptThis, before these mentionedSignsare obvious to herTouch; otherways theWatersbeing too soon discharged, theCHILDis left behind, thePassagesgrow dry, andthatwhich might have been anEasyandSpeedy, proves aDifficultandLingring BIRTH.
ANDthe self-sameConsequencesarise from theWeaknessandTenuityof theMEMBRANES; when theyare sothinandsoft, that they break, and theWaters(which are destin’d to lubricate and moisten thePassages) flow before their Time: In both whichCases, theOfficeof theWatersmust be supply’d by properFomentations, andOils, which (however costly) falls far short of theEffectof what is soNatural. However, in short, neither of theseConditions, under the diligentHandof the expertMidwife, can differ far from theCaseof anEasy BIRTH, as already defin’d; wherefore I proceed regularly to——