CURE.

The womb, being placed by nature between the straight gut and the bladder, ought not to be put back again until the powers of both are excited.  Now that nature is relieved of her burden, let the woman be laid on her back so that her legs may be higher than her head; let her feet be drawn up towards her private parts, and her knees spread open.  Then apply oil of sweet almonds and lilies, or a decoction of mallows, beet, fenugreek and linseed, to the swelling; when the inflammation is reduced, let the midwife rub her hand with oil of mastic, and restore the womb to its proper place.  When the matrix is up, the patient’s position must be changed.  Her legs must be put out quite straight and laid together, and apply six cupping glasses to her breast and navel.  Boil feverfew, mugwort, red rose leaves and comfrey in red wine; make a suffumigation for the matrix, and apply sweet scents to her nose.  When she comes out of her bath, give her an ounce of syrup of feverfew with a drachm of dog’s tooth (mithridate).  Take three drachms each of laudanum and mastic, and make a plaster for the navel of it, and then make pessaries of asafoetida, saffron, comfrey, and mastic, adding a little castor oil.—­Parius in such cases makes his pessaries only of cork, shaped like a small egg; he covered them with wax and mastic dissolved together, and fastening them to a thread, he put them into the womb.

The immediate danger being now removed and the matrix returned to its natural place the remote cause must be got rid of.  If she be of full habit of body open a vein, after preparing her with syrup of betony, calamint, hyssop and feverfew.  Give a purge, and if the stomach be oppressed with any crude matter relieve it by emetics and by sudorifics of lignum sanctum and sassafras taken twenty days consecutively, which dry up the superfluous moisture, and consequently suppress the cause of the disease.

The air should be hot and dry, and her diet hot and attenuating.  Let her abstain from dancing, jumping, sneezing, as well as from all mental and bodily emotions, eat sparingly, not drink much, and be moderate in her sleep.

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CHAPTER VIII

     Of the Inflammation of the Womb.

The phlegmon, or inflammation of the matrix, is a humour which affects the whole womb, and is accompanied by unnatural heat, by obstruction and by an accumulation of corrupt blood.

CAUSE.

The cause of this affection is suppression of the courses, fullness of body, the immoderate use of sexual intercourse, frequent handling the genitals, difficult child-birth, violent motions of the body, falls, blows, to which may be added, the use of strong pessaries, whereby the womb is frequently inflamed, cupping glasses, also, fastened to the pubis and hypogastrium, draw the humours of the womb.