I Doubt not in the least but among theMany, some will rejectthisThesisasFalseorNew-fangled; butTheywho areIgnorantof it, are meer blindNovicesin theArtofMidwifery: For repeatedExperiencehas taughtMyselfand manyOthersthe Certainty of thisTruth; as will more amply appear from the following Discourse.
THEWombhaving then ascended into theCavityof theBelly, if itspointed Partstend perpendicularly into thePelvis, so as that itsOrificemay be easily touch’d on everySidewith the Fingers, itsBottomis placed about theNavel; andThisI call a right ornatural Situation: But when otherways, thePostureis changed, incliningthisorthat way, and theOrificesuspendedsoHigh, that it can scarce or not at all be touch’d, I callThata wrong andpreternatural Position, oroblique Situationof theWomb; which may not only be occasion’d (as is said) by theWeightandBulkof itsBottom, above the extended and relaxedLigaments, but also by many other differentCauses; such as an obduratedGland, aCicatrix, anUlcer, anObstructionof theVesselsin theLigamentsor adjacentParts, &c.
HENCEit is that thewrong Positionsof theWOMBare manifold, which would be very tedious to enumerate exactly here; but only, that I may not pass by what is somaterial, I shall reduce them to aFour-fold Difference; as theAncientsdid theWinds, because of theFour RegionsorLimitsof the Heavens. AndThose Fourwill (I hope) comprehend all otherwrong Situationsof theWOMB, not very improperly ormal-à-propos, asOvid[156]has comprehendedThesein the following elegantVerses, viz.
“Eurus ad Auroram Nabathæáq; regna recessit,“Persidáq; & radiis Juga subdita matutinis.“Vesper & Occiduo quæ littora sole tepescunt,“Proxima sunt Zephyro, Scythiam septémque triones“Horrifer invasit Boreas. Contraria Tellus“Nubibus assiduis, pluvióq; madescit ab Austro.
“Eurus ad Auroram Nabathæáq; regna recessit,“Persidáq; & radiis Juga subdita matutinis.“Vesper & Occiduo quæ littora sole tepescunt,“Proxima sunt Zephyro, Scythiam septémque triones“Horrifer invasit Boreas. Contraria Tellus“Nubibus assiduis, pluvióq; madescit ab Austro.
“Eurus ad Auroram Nabathæáq; regna recessit,“Persidáq; & radiis Juga subdita matutinis.“Vesper & Occiduo quæ littora sole tepescunt,“Proxima sunt Zephyro, Scythiam septémque triones“Horrifer invasit Boreas. Contraria Tellus“Nubibus assiduis, pluvióq; madescit ab Austro.
“Eurus ad Auroram Nabathæáq; regna recessit,
“Persidáq; & radiis Juga subdita matutinis.
“Vesper & Occiduo quæ littora sole tepescunt,
“Proxima sunt Zephyro, Scythiam septémque triones
“Horrifer invasit Boreas. Contraria Tellus
“Nubibus assiduis, pluvióq; madescit ab Austro.
THEfirstbadPositionof which is, when theBottomof theWOMBis placed on theleft Sideof the Woman, a little raised or depress’d; theOrificebeing turn’d towards theSpineof the rightOs IliumorOs Pubis, against which theInfantin time ofBirthcommonly pushes itsHead, beats out its Brains, and sticks there to Death: Or else passing the saidSpine, it liesa-thwartthePelvis.
THESecondillPositionof theWOMBis, when theBottomis seated on theright Side; theOrificebeingturn’d towards theleft Partof thePelvis, directly opposite to theother Position, and attended with the sameInconveniencies.
THEThirdis, when, inWomenhaving largeBellies, theWOMBhangs too muchForwards; theOrificebeing turn’d towards theOs Sacrum: So that theInfantfalls down by theHeadinto the Bent, or crookedCavityof theOs Coccygis, where it fatally sticks fast.
THEfourth Oblique Situationof theWOMBis, when itsBottomis press’d too near theDiaphragma, and itsBodytoo near theVertebræof theLoins; theOrificebeing elevated, is thereby turned too near theOS PUBIS, where theInfantstriking itsHeadagainst theseBones, remains immoveable and perishes: Or, (which is worse) sliding with itsHeadupon theOSSA PUBIS, it is turn’d on one or otherSideorBackwards; when (commonly withHandorArmout of the Body) it liesa-thwartthe Passage, and infallibly occasions itsOwnor itsMother’sDeath, orBoth; unless (as in thethreeprecedingCases) it be in due time prevented by theAssistanceof some very skilfulHand.
THOSEare theFourmost difficult and principal wrong, or chiefpreternatural Situations, of theWOMB; from whence we may easily frame a competent Conjecture of theRest; to wit, when theBottomof theWOMBis more or less turn’d to theright, or theleft Side, orforwards, orbackwards: Since asthatdiffers more or less from thenatural Position, so theBirthin like manner is (of consequence) the more or lessDifficult, as will hereafter manifestly appear.