DIRECTIONS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.
Before conception, if the body be over hot, dry, or moist, correct it
with the contraries; if couchmical, purge it; if plethoric, open the
liver vein; if too gross, attenuate it: if too lean, nourish it.
After conception, let the air be temperate; sleep not overmuch, avoid
watchings, much exercise, passions of the mind, filthy smells, and sweet
odours are hysterical. Abstain from things which provoke urine; from
salt and windy meats.
If the excrements be retained, lenify with clysters made of the
decoction of mallows, violets, with sugar and common oil. If with
looseness, let it not be stayed without the judgment of a physician; for
all the uterine fluxes have a malign quality in them, which must be
evacuated before the flux is stayed.
The cough of pregnant women puts them in danger of miscarrying. To
prevent which, shave away the hair on the coronal coiffure, and apply
thereon the following plaster: take of resinæ half an ounce, laudana one
drachm, citron peel, lign-aloes, olibani, of each a drachm; stirachis
liquidæ, and sicca, a sufficient quantity; dissolve the gums in vinegar,
and make a plaster; at night going to bed let her take the fumes of
these trochisks cast upon the coals. Also take of frankincense, storax
powder, and red roses, of each a drachm and a half, sandrich eight
drachms, mastic, benjamin, amber, of each one drachm; with turpentine
make trochisks, apply a cautery to the nape of the neck. Every night let
her take these pills following: take hypocistides, terriæ, sigillate,
fine bole, of each half an ounce; bistort, alcatia, styracis, calamint,
of each two drachms, cloves, one drachm; with syrup of myrtles make
pills.
In pregnant women there is often a flux which greatly distresses the
womb. To prevent this danger, the stomach must be corroborated as
follows: take lign-aloes and nutmeg, of each one drachm; mace, clove,
mastic, and laudanum, of each two scruples; oil of spike an ounce; musk,
two grains; oil of mastic, quinces, and wormwood, of each half an ounce;
make an unguent for the stomach to be applied before meals. Take a
conserve of borage, buglos, and atthos, of each half an ounce; confect.
de hyacinth, lemon-peel candied, specie-rum, dismarg. pulv. de gemnis,
of each two drachms; nutmeg and diambra, of each two scruples; peony
roots and diacorati, of each two drachms; with syrup of roses make an
electuary; of which she must take twice a day, two hours before meals. A
pregnant woman is subject to swelling of the legs, which happens the
first three months, by humours falling down from the stomach and liver:
for the cure, take oil of roses, two drachms, salt and vinegar, of each
one drachm; shake them together until the salt be dissolved, and anoint
the legs therewith hot, chafing it with the hand; it may be done without
danger in the fourth, fifth, or sixth months of pregnancy. And if the
body is in real need of purging, she may do it without danger in the
fourth, fifth or sixth months; but not before nor after, unless in some
sharp diseases, in which the mother and child are like to perish. Apply
plasters and unguents to strengthen the fruit of the womb. Take of gum
agaric, galagane, bistort, hypocostid, and storax, of each one drachm;
fine bole, nutmeg, mastic, bollust, sanguis draconis, and
myrtle-berries, a drachm and a half; wax and turpentine a sufficient
quantity; make a plaster. Apply to the reins in the winter time, and
remove it every twenty-four hours, lest the reins be over hot therewith.
In the interim anoint the privities and reins with unguent and
censitisssæ; but if it be summer time, and the reins hot, the following
plaster is more proper; take of red roses one pound, mastic and red
sanders of each two drachms; bole ammoniac, red coral and bistort, each
two drachms; pomegranate peel prepared, and coriander, of each two
drachms and a half; barberries, two scruples; oil of mastic and quinces,
of each an ounce; juice of planastic two drachms; with pitch make a
plaster; anoint the reins with unguentum sandal. Once every week wash
the reins with two parts of rose-water, and one part of white wine
mingled together and warmed at the fire.