B. VII.] THE IIISTOKY OF ANIMALS. 191 



branes are ruptured; after this, the embryo is excluded, the 

 uterus being turned, and the uterus being turned inside-out. 



CHAPTER IX. 



1. THE division of the umbilical cord often requires the care- 

 ful attention of the midwife ; for by skilfulness she may not 

 only assist in difficult labours, but should attend carefully 

 to the circumstances, and apply the ligature to the umbilical 

 cord of the child ; for if the secundines fall out with the 

 child, the umbilical cord must be bound with a ligature of 

 worsted, and cut above the ligature, and where it is bound 

 it joins together, and that which is joined with it falls off. 

 If' the ligature becomes loose, the child dies from loss of 

 blood. If the secundines do not come out at once, while 

 they remain within, and the child is outside, the umbilical 

 cord must be tied and divided. 



2. Frequently the child, if weak, has appeared as if born 

 dead, until the umbilical cord was tied, for the blood flowed 

 from the child to the navel and the surrounding parts ; but 

 some skilful midwife being present, by pressure on the navel 

 from within has revived the child, just as if it had been filled 

 with blood from the first. It has been already observed, that 

 all animals are naturally born with the head forwards. Chil- 

 dren also have their hands pressed down against their sides. 

 As soon as they are born they begin to cry and bring their 

 hands to their mouth. They emit excrements, some imme- 

 diately, others very soon, but all in the course of a day. This 

 excrementitious matter is very abundant, considering the size 

 of the child. Women call it the meconium. Its colour is like 

 that of blood, and it is black and pitch-like. Afterwards it 

 becomes milky, for the child immediately draws the breast. 

 The child never cries before it is entirely in the world, not 

 even though its head is protruded in difficult cases, while 

 the body is within the uterus. 



8. Those women in whom a flooding has preceded the 

 period of delivery are delivered with more difficulty, and if 

 the purifications are small after parturition, and only as much 

 as they are at first, and do not continue for more than forty 

 days, such women are stronger, and more ready for conception. 

 After children are born, for forty days they neither laugh 

 nor weep when awake, but sometimes do both in their sleep ; 



