The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher: Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy
Aristotle · en
Signs of coming abortion are a falling away of the breast, with a flow
of watery milk, pains in the womb, heaviness in the head, unusual
weariness in the hips and thighs, and a flowing of the courses. Signs
denoting that the fruit is dead in the womb are sunken eyes, pains in
the head, frights, paleness of the face and lips, gnawing at the
stomach, no movements of the infant; coldness and looseness of the
mouth of the womb. The stomach falls down, whilst watery and bloody
discharges come from the womb.
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CHAPTER XIV
_Directions for Pregnant Women._
The prevention of untimely births consists in removing the
aforementioned causes, which must be effected both before and after
conception.
Before conception, if the body be too hot, dry or moist, employ such
treatment as to counteract the symptoms; if the blood be vitiated purify
it, if plethoric, open the liver vein; if gross, reduce it; if too thin
strengthen and nourish it. All the diseases of the womb must be removed
as I have shown.
After conception, let the atmosphere be kept temperate, do not sleep too
much, avoid late hours, too much bodily exercise, mental excitement,
loud noises and bad smells, and sweet smells must also be avoided by
those who are hysterical. Refrain from all things that may provoke
either urine or menstruation, also salt, sour, and windy food, and keep
to a moderate diet.
If the bowels are confined, relieve the stomach with injections made of
a decoction of mallows and violets, with sugar and salad oil; or make a
broth with borage, buglos, beetroot, and mallows, and add a little manna
to it. If, on the other hand, she be troubled with looseness of the
bowels, do not check it with medical advice, for all the uterine fluxes
have some bad qualities in them, which must be evacuated before the
discharge is stopped.
A cough is another thing to which pregnant women are frequently liable,
and which causes them to run great danger of miscarrying, by the shock
and continual drain upon the vein. To prevent this shave off the hair
from the coronal commissures, and apply the following plaster to the
place.
Take half an ounce of resin, a drachm of laudanum, a drachm each of
citron peel, lignaloes and galbanum, with a sufficient quantity of
liquid and dry styrax. Dissolve the gum in vinegar and make a plaster,
and at night let her inhale the fumes of these lozenges, thrown upon
bright coals. Take also a drachm and a half each of frankincense, styrax
powder and red roses: eight drachms of sandrich, a drachm each of
mastic, benjamin and amber; make into lozenges with turpentine, and
apply a cautery to the nape of the neck. And every night let her take
the following pills:--Half an ounce each of hypocistides, terrae
sigilatae and fine bole; two drachms each of bistort, alcatia, styrax
and calamint, and one drachm of cloves, and make into pills with syrup
of myrtles.