Chapter XI: Of the Suffocation of the Mother

This is called in English, “the suffocation of the mother;” because it causeth the womb to be choked. It is a retraction of the womb towards the midriff and the stomach, which so presseth and crusheth up the same, that the instrumental cause of respiration, the midriff, is suffocated, and causes the animating faculty, the efficient cause of respiration, also to be intercepted, while the body being refrigerated, and the action depraved, she falls to the ground as one dead. Many instances are recorded of those who have been considered dead, even by the medical men, in this disorder.

To distinguish the living from the dead the ancients prescribe three experiments: the first is, to lay a light feather to the mouth, and by its motion you may judge whether the patient be living or dead: the second is to place, a glass of water on the breast, and if you perceive it to move, it betokeneth life: third, to hold a looking-glass to the mouth and nose; and if the glass appears thick, with a little dew upon it, it betokens life. You ought not to depend upon these; for the motion of the lungs, by which the respiration is made, may be taken away so that she cannot breathe, yet the internal transpiration of the heat may remain; which is not manifest by the motion of the breast or lungs, but lies occult in the heart and inward arteries: examples whereof we have in the fly and swallow, who, in cold winters, seem dead, and breathe not at all; yet they live by the transpiration of that heat which is reserved in the heart and inward arteries: therefore, when the summer approacheth, the internal heat being revocated to the outer parts, they revive out of their sleepy ecstacy.

Those women therefore, who seem to die suddenly, let them not be committed unto the earth until the end of three days, lest the living be buried for the dead.

_Cause._—The part affected is the womb, of which there is a twofold motion—natural and symptomatical. The natural motion is, when the womb attracteth the seed, or excludeth the infant or secundine. The symptomatical motion, of which we are to speak, is a convulsive drawing up of the womb.

The cause is the retention of the seed, or the suppression of the menses, causing a repletion of the corrupt humours in the womb, from whence proceeds a flatuous refrigeration, causing a convulsion of the ligaments of the womb. And as it may come from humidity or repletion, being a convulsion, it may be caused by emptiness or dryness. And by abortion, or difficult child-birth.

_Signs._—At the approaching of the suffocation, there is a paleness in the face, weakness of the legs, shortness of breath, frigidity of the whole body, with a working in the throat, and then she falls down as one void of sense and motion; the mouth of the womb is closed up, and being touched with the fingers feels hard. The paroxysm of the fit being past, she openeth her eyes, and feeling her stomach oppressed, she offers to vomit.

It differs from apoplexy, by reason it comes without shrieking out; also in the hysterical passion the sense of feeling is not altogether destroyed and lost, as it is in the apoplectic disease: and it differs from the epilepsies in that the eyes are not wrested, neither doth any spongy froth come from the mouth; and that convulsive motion, which sometimes, is joined to suffocations, is not universal, and it is in the epilepsies, only this or that matter is convulsed without vehement agitation. In the syncope, both respiration and pulse are taken away, and she swoons away suddenly; but in the hysterical passion, there is both respiration and pulse, though it cannot be well perceived; her face looks red, and she hath a fore-warning of her fit. Lastly, it is distinguished from the lethargy by the pulse, which in one is great, and the other little.

_Prognostics._—If the disease arises from the corruption of the seed, it foretells more danger than if it proceed from the suppression of the menses, because the seed is concocted, and of a purer quality than the menstruous blood; and the more pure being corrupted becomes the more foul. If it be accompanied with a syncope, it shows nature is weak, and that the spirits are almost exhausted; but if sneezing follows, it shows that the heat begins to return, and that nature will subdue the disease.

_Cure._—In the cure observe: first, that during the paroxysm, nature must be provoked to expel those malignant vapours which stupify the senses, that she may be called out of that sleepy ecstacy. Secondly, that in the intermission of the fit, proper medicines may be applied to take away the cause.

To stir up nature, fasten cupping-glasses to the hips and navel, apply ligatures unto the thigh, rub the extreme parts with salt, vinegar, and mustard: cause loud clamours and thundering in the ears. Apply to the nose asafœtida, castor, and sal volatile; provoke her to sneeze by blowing up into her nostrils the powder of castor, white pepper, and hellebore; hold under her nose partridge feathers, hair, and burnt leather. The brain is sometimes so oppressed, that there is a necessity for burning the outward skin of the head with hot oil, or with a hot iron. Sharp clysters are available. Take of sage, calamint, horehound, feverfew, marjoram, betony, hyssop, of each one handful; aniseed, half an ounce; coloquintida, white hellebore, of each two drachms; boil in two pounds of water to the half; add the straining oil of castor two ounces, hiera picra two drachms, and make a clyster of it. Hippocrates writes of an hysterical woman, who could not be freed from the paroxysm but by pouring cold water upon her; yet this cure is singular, and ought to be administered only in the heat of summer.

If it be caused by the retention and corruption of the seed, let the midwife take oil of lilies, marjoram, and bays, dissolving in the same two grains of civet, and musk; let her dip her finger therein, and put into the neck of the womb, tickling and rubbing the same.

If it arise from the suppression of the menses look to the cure in chap. XVI. If from the retention of the seed, use such things as will dry up and diminish the seed, as diacimina, diacalaminhes, &c. Amongst potions, the seed of agnus is well esteemed, whether taken inwardly, applied outwardly, or received as suffumigation. Make an issue on the inside of her leg, a hand-breadth below the knee. Make trochisks of agaric, two scruples, wild carrot seed, lign-aloes, of each half a scruple; washed turpentine, three drachms; with conserve of anthos make a bolus. Castor is of excellent use in this case, eight drachms of it taken in white wine: or make pills of it with mithridate, and take them going to bed. Take of white briony root, dried and cut after the manner of carrots, one ounce put in a draught of wine, placing it by the fire, and when it is warm, drink it. Take myrrh, castor, and asafœtida, of each one scruple; saffron and rue-seed, of each four grains; make eight pills, and take two every night going to bed.

Galen, by his own example, commends unto us agaric pulverized one scruple in white wine. Lay to the navel, at bed-time, a head of garlic bruised, fastening it with a swathed band. Make a girdle of galbanum for the waist, and also a plaster for the belly, placing in one part of it civet and musk, which must be laid upon the navel. Take pulveris, benedict, trochisk of agaric, of each two drachms; of mithridate a sufficient quantity; and so make two pessaries, and it will purge the matrix of wind and phlegm; foment the natural part with salad oil, in which hath been boiled rue, feverfew, and camomile. Take of rose leaves a handful, cloves two scruples; quilt them in a little cloth, and boil them in malmsey the eighth part of an hour, and apply them to the mouth of the womb, as hot as may be endured, but let not the smell get to her nose. A dry diet must still be observed. Let her bread be aniseed biscuit, and her flesh meat roasted.