When the waters of the child are ready and gathered (which may be perceived through the membranes to present themselves to the inward orifice) to the bigness of the whole dilation, the midwife ought to let them break of themselves, and not, like some hasty midwives, who being impatient of the woman’s long labour, break them, intending thereby to hasten their business, when instead thereof they retard it; for, by the too hasty breaking of these waters (which nature designed to cause the infant to slide forth more easy) the passage remains dry, by which means the pains and throes of the labouring woman are less efficacious to bring forth than they would otherwise have been. It is therefore much the better way to let the waters break of themselves; after which the midwife may with ease feel the child by that part which first presents, and thereby discerns whether it comes right, that is, with the head foremost, for that is the most proper and natural way of its birth. If the head comes right, she will find it round, big, hard, and equal; but if it be any other part, she will find it unequal, rugged, and soft or hard, according to the nature of the part it is. And this being the true time when a woman ought to be delivered, if nature be not wanting to perform its office; therefore, when the midwife finds the birth thus coming forward, let her hasten to assist and deliver it, for it ordinarily happens soon after, if it be natural. But if it happens, as sometimes it may, that the waters break away too long before the birth, in such a case those things that hasten nature may be safely administered. For which purpose, make use of pennyroyal, dittany, juniper-berries, betony, and feverfew, boiled in white wine, and give a draught of it; or it would be much better to take the juice of it when it is in its prime, which is in May, and having clarified it, make it into syrup, with double its weight of sugar, and keep it all the year, to use when occasion calls for it: mugwort used in the same manner, is also good in this case; also, a drachm of cinnamon powder, given inwardly, profits much in this case; and so does tansey, boiled, and applied to the privities; or an oil of it, so made and used, as you were taught before. The following prescriptions are very good to speedy deliverance to women in travail. 1. A decoction of white wine made in savory, and drank. 2. Take wild tansey, or silver weed, bruise it, and apply it to the woman’s nostrils. 3. Take date stones, and beat them to powder, and let her take half a drachm of them in white wine at a time.