TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 28) 



gently to remove it by the hand; but if it be wholly in the carity of the womb, 

 its expulsion is to be promoted by clysters of gruel, with the addition of salts, 

 or with senna, or even a little of the tincture of aloes; or by a cautious use of 

 the ergot of rye. 



Patients should be careful not to throw away any thing discharged, on the 

 supposition that they know what it is, but should uniformly show every clot to 

 the practitioner, that he may be enabled to distinguish with certainty whethei- 

 \he child and after-birth are thrown off. When the womb is emptied, the 

 belly is to be tied up with a binder, as after delivery at the full time; the same 

 rest and quiet is to be ordered; the diet must be light and nourishing; heating 

 food, all spirituous and malt liquors, are to be avoided, till the practitioner 

 judges it proper to allow sulphuric acid, bark, and wine, or porter, to assist in 

 recruiting the strength, which in the event of abortion is generally so greatly 

 exhausted. 



A very strong reason for enjoining rest and quietneas after a miscarriage 

 is this, that when twins or three children have been conceived, the embryo of 

 one of them may be thrown off, and the other may be carried to the full time. 

 Any premature exertion might, therefore, endanger the life of more than one 

 child. When the woman is in some degree recruited, her recovery Ls to be 

 completed by moderate exercise, by proper diet, by the use of the cold bath or 

 sea-bathing, and by taking stomachic medicines, as the bark and wine, prepar 

 ations of iron, or the elixir of vitriol. Few incidents have so pernicious aa 

 effect as a miscarriage, on certain constitutions; sometimes the health ia irrep 

 arably injured, or a habit is begun which prevents the woman from evel 

 carrying a child to the full time. In every future pregnancy particular cautioi 

 is requisite; especially at the period when the miscarriage formerly happened, 

 which is very generally between the eighth and twelfth week. For a consider 

 able time before and after this, the woman should lie in a reclining posture, 

 should attend to keeping the bowels easy by such mild laxatives as have been 

 already mentioned; and if too full, should lose a little blood. 



Sometimes, for wicked purposes, it is attempted to procure abortion, either 

 by strong and acrid medicines, by violent exercises, or by direct application to 

 the parts concerned; but it should be generally known that there is no medicine 

 which directly and certainly acts on the womb itself; and that to procure 

 abortion by any drug or mechanical violence, is to run the risk of speedy death. 

 or inducing madness, or causing irreparable injury to the constitution, besides 

 being punishable by law as a crime. 



DISEASES OP WOMEN.— Women, in all civilized nations, have 

 the management of domestic affairs; and it is very proper they should, as 

 Nature has made them less fit for the more active and laborious employments. 

 This indulgence, however, is generally carried too far; and women instead of 

 being l)enefited by it, are greatly injured, from the want of exercise and free 

 air. To be satisfied of this, one need only compare the fresh and ruddy looks 

 of a milk-maid with the pale complexion of those females whose whole 

 lies within doors. Though Nature has made an evident distinctiao 



