First, therefore, let her be placed across the bed that he may operate the easier, and let her lie on her back, with her hips a little higher than her head, or at least the body equally placed, when it is necessary to put back or turn the infant to give it a better posture. Being thus situated, she must fold her legs so as her heels be towards her body, and her thighs spread, and held so by a couple of strong persons: there must be others also to support her under her arms, that the body may not slide down when the child is drawn forth; for which, sometimes, a great strength is required. Let the sheets and blankets cover her thighs, for decency’s sake, and with respect to the assistance, and also to prevent her catching cold; the operator herein governing himself as well with respect to his convenience, and the facility and surety of the operation, as to other things. Then let him anoint the entrance of the womb with oil or fresh butter, if necessary, that so with more ease he may introduce his hand, which must also be anointed; and having, by the signs before-mentioned, received satisfaction that the child is dead, he must do his endeavours to fetch it away as soon as he possibly can. If the child offer the head first, he must gently put it back, until he hath liberty to introduce his hand quite into the womb; then sliding it along to find the feet, let him draw it forth by them, being very careful to keep the head from being locked into the passage, and that it be not separated from the body; which may be effected the more easily, because the child being very rotten and putrefied, the operator needs not be so mindful to keep the breast and face downwards as he is in living births. But if, notwithstanding all these precautions, by reason of the child’s putrefaction, the head should be separated and left behind in the womb, it must be drawn forth according to the directions which have been given in the third section of this chapter. But when the head, coming first, is so far advanced that it cannot well be put back, it is better to draw it forth so, than to torment the woman too much by putting it back to turn it and bring it by the feet: but the head being a part round and slippery, it may so happen that the operator cannot take hold of it by reason of its moisture, nor put them up to the side of it, because of its bigness; he must therefore take a proper instrument, and put it up as far as he can, without violence, between the womb and the child’s head, observing to keep the point of it towards the head (for the child being dead before, there can be no danger in the operation,) and let him fasten it there, giving it hold of the bones of the skull, that it may not slide; and after it is well fixed in the head, he may therewith draw it forth, keeping the ends of his left hand flat upon the opposite side, the better to help to disengage it, and by wagging it a little, to conduct it directly out of the passage, until