THISSymptomis to be understood to happen from theinferiour Parts; namely, by way of theHæmorrhoidal Veins, or by thePassageof theWomb, but most commonly by theLast.
THECausethen of thisSYMPTOM, happening by theHæmorrhoids, isThree-fold; and proceeds, either from too great aQuantityofBloodabounding; or from the disorder’d and deprav’dQualityof thatBlood; or fromBoththeseIndispositionsjointly: And this sanguineAffectionis commonly without any great Danger (tho’ not without some Trouble) to theWoman; ceasing gradually (of itself) after a safe and successfulDELIVERY.
THISSymptomfrom theWomb, happensFourdifferent Ways; to wit, either by theVessels, which run to theNeckof theWomb; or byThose, which tend to theBodyandCavityof theSame; or byThose, that adhere to theMembranecall’dChorion, and to theInfant, by which it attracts itsNutriment; or byThose, thatNaturehath reserv’d for aSuperfœtation, or theNecessityof expurging thisBloodwhen it chances to be Superfluous.
WHATEVERway thisFluxhappens, itsCauseisThree-fold; and proceeds, either from anApertionofsome of the mentionedUterine Vessels; or from theirDilatation; or from aRuptureof those Vessels.
THEYareopen’dby aRedundancyorSuperfluityofBlood; whichWise Naturetakes thisMethodof fiercing and throwing-off, theNatural Evacuationbeing stopped. They aredilatedby theAcrimonyof theHumours, or by their own rarefy’d and thinContexture, And, in fine, they may beburstenorbroken, by a great Variety ofAccidents; such asRunning,Leaping,Falling,Striking,Liftinga heavy Weight, violentMotion,Coughs, greatPains,Vapours,Costiveness,Looseness, immoderateHeat, orCold; as also by any violentPerturbationof Mind.
THEFirst Case(being the Work ofNature) happens with great Ease, and without any Pain or Trouble; itflowsmoderately and regularly, is ofshort Continuance, and not attended with any immediateDanger, so long as theWomanenjoys herHealth, and continues well-colour’d inComplexion.
THESecond Caseis called anAnastomosis; and what happens by such irregularDilatations, fallsDropbyDropaway; and is AllAcid,Ill-colour’d,Stinking,Thin,Pale,Serous Stuff.
THEThird Caseis known by an immoderate and irregularFlooding, as it were inHeaps; attended withPainsof theGroins,Loins, &c: And at last aggravated withFaintingsandConvulsions. The trueStateof whichCaseis particularly noted in Sect. V. Chap. 7. Only give me leave to add here, that theProcatarctick Cause, is always sufficiently known, from theRelationof thePatient.
BUThowever, it is also proper to know in all the above-mention’dCases, from whatPlace, and by whatVesselsthisFluxhappens: Which may be rightly thus distinguished; for if from theNeckof theWomb, it flows orderly and moderately; as it likewise does, if it comes fromVesselsno ways adhering to theInfant: but if it arises from theBottomof theWomb, it flows in lessOrder, and greaterQuantity; and if ithappens, in fine, from theVesselsfixed to theInfant, and theChorion, then it doesflowmost irregularly of all, and in very greatQuantities.
THEPrognosticksof thisSYMPTOMare, either a[74]weak debilitatedInfant, or an approachingAbortion: But besides also, it sometimes portends ahard,laborious, andprotractedBIRTH, perhaps even to the 11thMonth.
WHICHPrognosticksare indeed founded upon sufficient relativeReasons: TheFirst, because theINFANTis not able to convert thewholeof thesuperabundantBlood, to itsAliment: TheSecond, because theINFANT(tho’ perhaps Strong and Able enough) is depriv’d of its requisiteSustenance: TheThird, because (according toHippocrates, &c.) asickly Gestationalways indicates a difficult and laboriousBIRTH: And besides the reason of aprotracted Birth(beyond theordinary Time) is very plain and perspicuous; because, if astrong healthy CHILDrequirestwo Months, to recover itself after the firstOnsetorAttemptof the7th Month, (as is more amply explain’d inChap.34. of this Section) it is but highly reasonable to think, that aweak sickly One, requires alonger Timeof Gestation.
THEfirst Caseof thisSYMPTOM, seems to be the most favourable of theThree; yet I would advise suchSanguineorPlethorick Women, to guard againstone ill Consequence, which I have known sometimes to happen in the same burthensomeCondition: Namely, that from too great aPlentyorSuperfluityofBlood, it sometimes runs through theinteriour Veinsinto theCavityof theWomb, which renders theCaseby far the most dangerous; because thisBlood[75](being out of its properCanalorCenter) irregularly extravas’d, immediatelycorruptsandsuppurates; which corruptedBlood, in Concert with theINFANT, (whoseAlimentis thereby impair’d) always obliges theWomb, to dilate and yieldup itsContents: So that, in short, this particularSYMPTOM[76]is, in all its different Cases or Conditions, the most Pernicious and Dangerous.
WHEREFOREit is, that the respectiveCuresof these sundryCases, belong only to the AblestPhysician, andThat(most properly) toHimwho professes and practicesMidwifery: Because, whenMedicinal Helpsfail, and cannot preventMisfortunes,Hewill at least know best then, how toCompose, andMitigatethem, by delivering the Woman, if Necessity so require.