and vomitings which, perhaps, she may find come upon her, for
they will be much for her advantage in the issue, however uneasy she may
be for a time, as they further her pains and throes by provoking
downward.

When the waters of the child are ready and gathered (which may be
perceived through the membranes presenting themselves to the orifice)
to the bigness of the whole dilatation, 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 make the
child slip more easy), the passage remains dry by which means the pains
and throes of the labouring woman are less efficacious to bring forth
the infant 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 discern whether it comes right, that is, with the head
foremost, for that is the proper and most natural way of the birth. If
the head comes right, she will find it big, round, hard and equal; but
if it be any other part, she will find it rugged, unequal, soft and
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 it sometimes may, that the waters break away too
long before the birth, in such a case, those things which hasten nature
may safely be administered. For which purpose make use of pennyroyal,
dittany, juniper berries, red coral, betony and feverfew, boiled in
white wine, and give a drachm 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 a 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
broiled and applied to the privities; or an oil of it, so, made and
used, as you were taught before. The s