Aristotle's works:: Containing the Master-piece, Directions for Midwives, and Counsel and Advice to Child-bearing Women with Various Useful Remedies
Aristotle · en
blood comes from the breach of the vessels, and the excrements and urine
are stopped, and then a fever and convulsion ensueth, oftentime proving
mortal, especially if it happen to pregnant women.
_Cure._—For the cure of this distemper, first put up the womb, before
the air alter it, or it be swollen or inflamed: and for this purpose
give a clyster to remove the excrements, and lay her upon her back, with
her legs abroad, and her thighs lifted up, and head down; then take the
tumour in your hand, and thrust it in without violence; if it be swelled
by alteration and cold, foment it with a decoction of mallows, althæa,
lime, fenugreek, camomile flowers, bay berries, and anoint it with oil
of lilies, and hen’s grease. If there be an inflammation, do not put it
up, but fright it in, by putting a red hot iron before it and making a
show as if you intended to burn it; but first sprinkle upon it the
powder of mastich, frankincense, and the like; thus, take frankincense,
mastich, each two drachms; sarcocol, steeped in milk, a drachm;
pomegranate flowers, sanguis draconis, each half a drachm. When it is
put up, let her lie with her legs stretched, and one upon the other, for
eight or ten days and make a pessary in the form of a pear, with cork or
sponge, and put it into the womb, dipped in sharp wine, or juice of
acacia, with powder of sanguis, with galbanum and bdellium. Apply also a
cupping-glass, with a great flame, under the navel or paps, or to both
kidneys, and lay this plaster to the back: take opoponax, 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 half 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; worm-seed,
two handfuls; pomegranate flowers, half an ounce; boil them in wine and
water. For an injection take comfrey root an ounce; rupture work, 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 a drachm; myrrh, half a drachm; make a powder for 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 menses, a worse mischief follow. To keep it 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,