great flame, under the navel or paps,
or both kidneys, and lay this plaster to the back; take opopanax, two
ounces, storax liquid, half an ounce; mastich, frankincense, pitch,
bole, each two drachms; then with wax make a plaster; or take laudanum,
a drachm and a half; mastich, and frankincense, each half a drachm, wood
aloes, cloves, spike, each a drachm; ash-coloured ambergris, four
grains: musk, half a scruple; make two round plasters to be laid on each
side of the navel; make a fume of snails' skins salted, or of garlic,
and let it be taken in by the funnel. Use also astringent fomentations
of bramble leaves, plantain, horse-tails, myrtles, each two handfuls;
wormseed, two handfuls; pomegranate flowers, half an ounce; boil them in
wine and water. For an injection take comfrey root, an ounce;
rupturewort, two drachms; yarrow, mugwort, each half an ounce; boil them
in red wine, and inject with a syringe. To strengthen the womb, take
hartshorn, bays, of each half a drachm; myrrh half a drachm; make a
powder of two doses, and give it with sharp wine. Or you may take
Zedoary, parsnip seed, crabs' eyes prepared, each a drachm, nutmeg, half
a drachm; and give a drachm, in powder; but astringents must be used
with great caution, lest by stopping the courses a worse mischief
follow. To keep in its place, make rollers and ligatures as for a
rupture; and put pessaries into the bottom of the womb, that may force
it to remain. Let the diet be such as has drying, astringent and glueing
qualities, as rice, starch, quinces, pears and green cheese; but let the
summer fruits be avoided; and let her wine be astringent and red.

* * * * *

CHAPTER III

_Of Diseases Relating to Women's Monthly Courses._

SECTION I.--_Of Women's Monthly Courses in General._

That divine Providence, which, with a wisdom peculiar to itself, has
appointed woman to conceive by coition with man, and to bear and bring
forth children, has provided for nourishment of children during their
recess in the womb of their mother, by that redundancy of the blood
which is natural to all women; and which, flowing out at certain periods
of time (when they are not pregnant) are from thence called _terms_ and
_menses_, from their monthly flux of excrementitious and unprofitable
blood. Now, that the matter flowing forth is excrementitious, is to be
understood only with respect to the redundancy and overplus thereof,
being an ex