ingers into it,
and the thumb under its chin; then let him draw it little by little,
holding it by the jaws; but if that fails, as sometimes it will when
putrefied, then let him pull off the right hand and slide up his left,
with which he must support the head, and with the right hand let him
take a narrow instrument called a _crochet_, but let it be strong and
with a single branch, which he must guide along the inside of his hand,
with the point of it towards it, for fear of hurting the womb; and
having thus introduced it, let him turn it towards the head to strike
either in an eyehole, or the hole of the ear, or behind the head, or
else between the sutures, as he finds it most convenient and easy; and
then draw forth the head so fastened with the said instrument, still
helping to conduct it with his left hand; but when he hath brought it
near the passage, being strongly fastened to the instrument, let him
remember to draw forth his hand, that the passage not being filled with
it, may be larger and easier, keeping still a finger or two on the side
of the head, the better to disengage it.

There is also another method, with more ease and less hardship than the
former; let the operator take a soft fillet or linen slip, of about four
fingers' breadth, and the length of three quarters of an ell or
thereabouts, taking the two ends with the left hand, and the middle with
the right, and let him so put it up with his right, as that it may be
beyond the head, to embrace it as a sling does a stone, and afterwards
draw forth the fillet by the two ends together; it will thus be easily
drawn forth, the fillet not hindering the least passage, because it
takes up little or no space.

When the head is fetched out of the womb care must be taken that not the
least part of it be left behind, and likewise to cleanse the womb of the
after-burden, if yet remaining. If the burden be wholly separated from
the side of the womb, that ought to be first brought away, because it
may also hinder the taking hold of the head. But if it still adheres to
the womb, it must not be meddled with till the head be brought away; for
if one should endeavour to separate it from the womb, it might then
cause a flooding, which would be augmented by the violence of the
operation, the vessels to which it is joined remaining for the most part
open as long as the womb is distended, which the head causeth while it
is retained in it, and cannot be closed until this st