BIRTH, and whatever may depend of, take Rise from, or have any antecedent, concomitant, or consequent Relation to it, is the only proper Business of MIDWIFERY, and justly deemed the common Boundary of the _Knowledge_ and _Practice_ of the MIDWIFE. WHICH _Art_ of MIDWIFERY is (in itself) as excellent and ingenious, as its _Practice_ is useful, and absolutely necessary to the _Commonwealth_; insomuch that this will admit of no _Contradiction_, when we rightly consider the following few, but important, general _Heads_, to which I reduce it throughout this Work, _viz._ I. THIS _Art_ distinguisheth a _Fertile_ from a _Sterile_ or Barren WOMB; it supports and corroborates the _one_, and rectifies and cures the _other_, in most (if not in all) _Cases_. II. IT distinguisheth an impregnated from an unconceived WOMB, a real from a false _Big-Belly_, and a natural from a preternatural _CONCEPTION_. III. IT teacheth the _Regimen_ of the conceived Woman, for averting the Severity of the SYMPTOMS of the several _Months_, and all acute _Diseases_, in order to strengthen the _Infant_, and prevent any MISCARRIAGE. IV. IT instructeth by the _Touch_ or _Handling_ only, to discover, from time to time, the true _State_ and Condition of the _Conceived Woman_, not only during the Time of _Pregnancy_, but also before and in the time of LABOUR. V. IT immediately (in the beginning of LABOUR) discriminates a _Natural_ from a _Preternatural_, and an _easy_ and _speedy_ from a _difficult_ and _lingring_ future BIRTH. VI. IT presently discovers any _one_ or more of the many different, general, or particular _CAUSES_ of _difficult_ or _preternatural_ BIRTHS. VII. IT informeth the fair _Practiser_ how to remove and correct those _CAUSES_, and deliver the _Woman_, not at all by _butcherly Instruments_, but by _Judgment_ and _Help_ of HAND only. VIII. IT sheweth not only how to extract _dead Children_, and sometimes MONSTERS, but also false _Conceptions_, _Superfœtations_, _Moles_, &c. IX. AND Lastly, this ART teacheth the true _Regimen_ of the _CHILD-BED-WOMAN_, and her _BABE_, together with the proper _Methods_ and _Means_ of _HELP_ in all Cases incident to them _Both_. THESE _Heads_ (I think) fully comprehend the whole _Art_ of MIDWIFERY: And what can be more _ingenious_ now? What can be more _conducive_ to the common Good, or more _serviceable_ to any Country, than the Preservation of the _Health_ and _Lives_ of its multiplying _WOMEN_ and _CHILDREN_?