Note this also in general, that all that move the terms are good for
making the delivery easy, such as myrrh, white amber in white wine, or
lily water, two scruples or a drachm; or cassia lignea, dittany, each a
drachm; cinnamon, half a drachm, saffron, a scruple; give a drachm, or
take borax mineral, a drachm, and give it in sack; or take cassia
lignea, a drachm; dittany, amber, of each a drachm; cinnamon, borax, of
each a drachm and a half; saffron, a scruple, and give her half a
drachm; or give her some drops of oil of hazel in convenient liquor; or
two or three drops of oil of cinnamon in vervain water. Some prepare
the secundine thus:--Take the navel-string and dry it in an oven, take
two drachms of the powder, cinnamon a drachm, saffron half a scruple,
with the juice of savin make trochisks; give two drachms; or wash the
secundine in wine and bake it in a pot; then wash it in endive water and
wine, take half a drachm of it; long pepper, galangal, of each half a
drachm; plantain and endive seed, of each half a drachm; lavender seed,
four scruples; make a powder, or take laudanum, two drachms; storax,
calamite, benzoin, of each half a drachm; musk, ambergris each six
grains, make a powder or trochisks for a fume. Or use pessaries to
provoke the birth; take galbanum dissolved in vinegar, an ounce; myrrh,
two drachms, with oil of oat make a pessary.

_An Ointment For the Navel._

Take oil of keir, two ounces, juice of savine an ounce, of leeks and
mercury, each half an ounce; boil them to the consumption of the juice;
add galbanum dissolved in vinegar, half an ounce, myrrh, two drachms,
storax liquid a drachm, round bitwort, sowbread, cinnamon, saffron, a
drachm, with wax make an ointment and apply it.

If the birth be retarded through the weakness of the mother, refresh
her by applying wine and soap to the nose, confect. alkermas. diamarg.

These things may be applied to help nature in her delivery when the
child comes to the birth the right way, and yet the birth be retarded;
but if she finds the child comes the wrong way, and that she is not able
to deliver the woman as she ought to be, by helping nature, and saving
both mother and child (for it is not enough to lay a woman if it might
be done any other way with more safety and ease, and less hazard to
woman and child), then let her send speedily for the better and more
able to help; and not as I once knew a midwife do, who, when a woman she
was to deliver