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The Female Physician: Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv'd midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child.Maubray, John

Science

The Female Physician: Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv'd midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child.

Name: The Female Physician: Containing all the diseases incident to that sex, in virgins, wives, and widows; together with their causes and symptoms, their degrees of danger, and respective methods of prevention and cure: to which is added, the whole art of new improv'd midwifery; comprehending the necessary qualifications of a midwife, and particular directions for laying women, in all cases of difficult and preternatural births; together with the diet and regimen of both the mother and child.
Author: Maubray, John

Maubray, John

Midwifery -- Early works to 1800; Obstetrics -- Early works to 1800

SUPERFÆTATIONS however are not easily discover’d before BIRTH; at which
time, _Avicen_ advises to take Notice of the NAVEL-STRING; _For_ (says
He) _if it be without folds or wrinkles, there is but one_ CHILD; _if
otherways, there’s a Child for every Wrinkle_: But I think the expert
MIDWIFE using her _Hand_, as I have not unadvisedly inculcated[199],
will have but small Occasion for such _Observations_, and far less
_Need_ to trust to them.

BUT when more than _one_ CHILD is found, they are distinguishable, (I
mean _Superfætations_) from _These_ conceiv’d at one time; _those_
having each a _peculiar_ SECUNDINE; _these_ ONE only in Commune: As the
_one_ is also less vital and more imperfect, than the _other_; according
to the interval of Time betwixt their CONCEPTIONS.

THE _Cure_ or Prevention of this _Case_ is much the same with the
following, _viz._




[Illustration]




                               CHAP. III.
                      _Of a Numerous_ CONCEPTION.


A _Numerous_ CONCEPTION may happen either with, or without
SUPERFÆTATION: And _that without_, may be truly call’d _Monstrous_; as
all BIRTHS, exceeding the Number of the _Woman’s Breasts_, or the
SINUS’S of her WOMB, may be justly accounted.

I could also give many Instances of this sort of BIRTHS, where 3, 4, 5,
and more CHILDREN have been _born at once_, but shall satisfy myself
with _This_, which I think is one of the most remarkable, _viz._ _That_
of the _Countess Margaret_,[200] Daughter to _Florent_ IV. _Earl of
Holland_, and SPOUSE to _Count Herman of Heneberg_; who, on
_Good-Friday_, in the Year of our LORD 1276, and of her _Age_ 42,
brought forth at one BIRTH 365 INFANTS; whereof 182, are said to have
been _Males_, as many _Females_, and the odd one an HERMAPHRODITE: who
were all _baptized_, _those_ by the Name of JOHN, _these_ by that of
ELIZABETH, in two _Brazen Dishes_, by _Don William, Suffragan Bishop of
Treves_. The BASONS are still to be seen in the _Village Church_ of
_Losdun_, where all _Strangers_ go (on purpose) from the _Hague_, being
reckon’d among the great CURIOSITIES of _Holland_. For farther and more
instances of this Nature, I refer the Curious to a large collected
_History_ of such, by the _Author_ mentioned in the _Margin_[201] From
whence the Certainty of _Numerous_ CONCEPTIONS will evidently appear.

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