tone _aetites_ held to the
privities, is of extraordinary virtue, and instantly draws away, both
child and after-burden; but great care must be taken to remove it
presently, or it will draw forth womb and all; for such is the magnetic
virtue of this stone that both child and womb follow it as readily as
iron doth the load-stone or the load-stone the north star.

There are many things that physicians affirm are good in this case;
among which are an ass's or horse's hoof, hung near the privities; a
piece of red coral hung near the said place. A load-stone helps very
much, held in the woman's left hand; or the skin cut off a snake, girt
about the middle, next to the skin. These things are mentioned by
Mizaldus, but setting those things aside, as not so certain,
notwithstanding Mizaldus quotes them, the following prescriptions are
very good to speedy deliverance to women in travail.

(1) A decoction of white wine made in savory, and drank.

(2) Take wild tansey, or silver weed, bruise it, and apply to the
woman's nostrils.

(3) Take date stones, and beat them to powder, and let her take half a
drachm of them in white wine at a time.

(4) Take parsley and bruise it and press out the juice, and dip a linen
cloth in it, and put it so dipped into the mouth of the womb; it will
presently cause the child to come away, though it be dead, and it will
bring away the after-burden. Also the juice of the parsley is a thing of
so great virtue (especially stone parsley) that being drank by a woman
with child, it cleanseth not only the womb, but also the child in the
womb, of all gross humours.

(5) A scruple of castorum in powder, in any convenient liquor, is very
good to be taken in such a case, and so also is two or three drops of
castorum in any convenient liquor; or eight or nine drops of spirits of
myrrh given in any convenient liquor, gives speedy deliverance.

(6) Give a woman in such a case another woman's milk to drink; it will
cause speedy delivery, and almost without pain.

(7) The juice of leeks, being drunk with warm water, highly operates to
cause speedy delivery.

(8) Take peony seeds and beat them into a powder, and mix the powder
with oil, with which oil anoint the privities of the woman and child; it
will give her deliverance speedily, and with less pain than can be
imagined.

(9) Take a swallow's nest and dissolve it in water, strain it, and drink
it warm, it gives delivery with great speed and much ease.