THEsole Reason I add thisChapter, is, because our commonMIDWIVESare so often mistaken, and do so frequently err in thisPoint, having no thorough-pac’dKnowledgeof either sort of thesePAINS: For when she comes to a Woman, taken ill with severePAINSin theBellyorLoins, being ignorant of the accurate Nicety of theTouch, she presently concludesTheseto be the truelabouringPAINS, because they indeed often resemble them very much; and she farther finding perhaps theORIFICEa littlerelax’dandopen, expects it to enlarge to her Satisfaction. Which, however, not answering her Hopes, nor thePAINSencreasing; she endeavours bystimulating Medicinesand other sinistrousMeans, conformable to the perverseRulesof herPractice, to raise and provokeThem: So that this, in short, is theCause, not only of many anuntimely BIRTH, but also too commonly of many anuntimely DEATH.
NOWtheWind-Cholick, either in the Lower or Upper Part of theBelly, occasions frequent rackingPAINS, as do also theHumoursby Virtue of theirAcidity, corroding theIntestines; and theseMordacious PAINSare generally attended with a subsequentLooseness. In whichCases, I always use propermitigatingandrepellingMeans, (such as aCarminativeandEmollient Clyster, &c: upon extreme Occasions); which properMeansinfallibly answer my Ends in either Condition. For if thePAINSthat afflict the Woman areSpurious, They are thereby suddenlylaidand repressed;and ifGenuine, These very self-sameMeansmost effectually promote and advancethemtoBIRTH.
BUTagain,some Womenare taken with a mix’d Complication ofGenuineandSpurious, orRealandFalse PAINS, that are properly calledTergiversant; which one Moment seem todepresstheBIRTH, andencouragethe Woman toLabour; and the next convert themselves into scatter’dCramps, and other contractingPAINS: And these dispersedBastard-Painsare always more pernicious to the Woman, than the most severenaturalLabour-Pains:This Caseis also easily distinguished by theTouch; which done, thefalse wandring Painsare first to be assuag’d or carry’d off, before theBIRTHcan well succeed.
NOW, as to the realNaturalandGenuine Pains, They are, (methinks) in short, easily to be judged of by theMannerin which they always seize theWoman; viz.
I.FROMtheNaveldownwards to theGroin, reflecting towards theLoins, with a depressing and bearing down upon theWombandPrivities, as occasionally mentioned in the precedingChapter: And tho’Theseare intermitting (notcontinual)PAINS, yet their Severity and Violence extenuate theUmbilical, and protuberate theGenital Parts, opening and distending thePassages. But besides, as theBloodis exagitated and fermented, it excites a Velocity ofPulse, and aRedness of Face; whilst theBellywaxesFiery-hot, and aFeverish ShiveringorTrembling-Fitinvades thewhole Woman, especially the inferiourLimbs, but without anyFrigidity.
II.THEMembranes, with theirContents, whichMIDWIVEScommonly call theGathering of the Waters, now present themselves at theOrificebefore theHeadof theInfant, resembling (to theTouch)Abortive Eggswithout anyShell: uponThesebreaking, theWatersbegin to flow; at first moreSparingly, but by and by moreprofusely, and at last awaterish Bloodfollows, when aGIRLis to be born; or apure-colour’d Blood, when aBOY: But I also farther distinguish theBIRTHof an approachingBOYfromthatof aGIRL, by theLabour-Pains; for in thefirst Case, these are far more severe and penetrating, and accordingly theBIRTHmuch more expeditious, than inCaseof aGIRL: In which (however) thePAINSare more constant and regular.
III.ANDnow, at last, theOSSA COCCYGISandCOXENDICISbegin to yield, and give way; while theBottomcontracts, theOrificeof theWombopens, and theVaginadilates itself fully: So thatnow, and notbefore, most of the abovesaidSignsevidently appear, I give my patientWomantheWordtoLabour her best; because if she beginssooner, she too much debilitates bothHerselfand fatigues theCHILDbefore its due Time.
MOREOVER, I have seensome WomeninLabourtaken with a suddenVomiting, that I suppose proceeded from thenatural Sympathy, which theStomachbears to theWomb: Whereupon it discharges a certainViscous Matter, which I have always observ’d, upon its turningBloody, to presage an easyLABOUR, and an expeditiousDELIVERY.
FARTHERyet, theMIDWIFEmust always remember, that when the commencedreal PAINSofLabourchance to cease, the Woman’sLabouring Effortsmust also terminate with them in Course: And as thisCasedenotes aDebilityof theExpulsive Faculty; so if it be not bothTimelyandJudiciouslyassisted, It may prove of the worst of Consequences. In a word, so much I have thought previouslynecessaryto my Purpose, before I enter upon——