let her keep
her right hand on the side of the child, and in that posture endeavour
to bring it forth. But if she cannot do this, then also the woman must
rock herself until the child is in a more convenient posture for
delivery.

Sometimes it happens that the child presses forward with one arm
extended on its thighs, and the other raised over its head, and the feet
stretched out at length in the womb. In such case, the midwife must not
attempt to receive the child in that posture, but must lay the woman on
the bed in the manner aforesaid, making a soft and gentle compression on
her belly, oblige the child to retire; which if it does not, then must
the midwife thrust it back by the shoulder, and bring the arm that was
stretched above the head to its right station; for there is most danger
in these extremities; and, therefore, the midwife must anoint her hands
and the womb of the woman with sweet butter, or a proper pomatum, and
thrust her hand as near as she can to the arm of the infant, and bring
it to the side. But if this cannot be done, let the woman be laid on the
bed to rest a while; in which time, perhaps, the child may be reduced to
a better posture; which the midwife finding, she must draw tenderly the
arms close to the hips and so receive it.

If an infant come with its buttocks foremost, and almost double, then
the midwife must anoint her hand and thrust it up, and gently heaving up
the buttocks and back, strive to turn the head to the passage, but not
too hastily, lest the infant's retiring should shape it worse: and
therefore, if it cannot be turned with the hand, the woman must rock
herself on the bed, taking such comfortable things as may support her
spirits, till she perceives the child to turn.

If the child's neck be bowed, and it comes forward with its shoulders,
as it sometimes doth, with the hands and feet stretched upwards, the
midwife must gently move the shoulders, that she may direct the head to
the passage; and the better to effect it, the woman must rock herself as
aforesaid.

These and other like methods are to be observed in case a woman hath
twins, or three children at a birth, which sometimes happens: for as
the single birth hath but one natural and many unnatural forms, even so
it may be in a double and treble birth.

Wherefore, in all such cases the midwife must take care to receive the
first which is nearest the passage; but not letting the other go, lest
by retiring it should cha