ards 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.

* * * * *

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 g