1. The time is, as soon as ever the infant comes out of the womb, whether it brings part of the after-burden with it or not; for sometimes the child brings into the world a piece of the amnios upon its head, and is what midwives call the _caul_, and ignorantly, attribute some extraordinary virtue to the child that is so born: but this opinion is only the effect of their ignorance; for when the child is born with such a crown (as some call it) upon its brows, it generally betokens weakness, and denotes a short life. But to proceed to the matter in hand. As soon as the child is come into the world, it should be considered whether it is weak or strong; and if it be weak, let the midwife gently put back part of the vital and natural blood into the body of the child by its navel; for that recruits a weak child (the vital and natural spirits being communicated by the mother to the child by its navel-string); but if the child be strong, the operation is needless. Only let me advise you, that many children that are born seemingly dead, may be soon brought to life again, if you squeeze six or seven drops of blood out of that part of the navel-string which is cut off, and give it to the child inwardly. 2. As to the place in which it should be cut, that is, whether it should be cut long or short, it is that which authors can scarcely agree in, and which many midwives quarrel about; some prescribing it to be cut at four fingers’ breadth, which is, at best, but an uncertain rule, unless all fingers were of one size.