SIGNS.

The signs are pains in the lower parts of the body and head, humours,
sickness, coldness in the knees, throbbing in the neck, palpitation of
the heart. Often, also, there is shortness of breath because of the
heart which is close to the midriff, and the breasts sympathising with
the swollen and painful womb. Besides this, if the front of the matrix
be inflamed, the privates suffer, and the urine is suppressed, or only
flows with difficulty. If the hinder part be inflamed, the loins and
back suffer, and the bowels are very costive; if the right side be
inflamed, the right hip suffers, and the right leg is heavy and moves
slowly, so that at times she seems almost lame. If, however, the left
side of the womb be inflamed, then the left hip suffers and the left leg
is weaker than the right. If the neck of the womb is affected, by
putting her finger in, the midwife feels that its mouth is contracted
and closed up, and that it is hard round it.



CURE.

In the cure, first of all, let the humours which flow to the womb be
expelled. To effect this, after the bowels have been loosened by cooling
clysters bleeding will be necessary. Therefore, open a vein in the arm,
if she is not with child; the day after strike the saphena in both feet,
fasten ligatures and cupping glasses to the arm, and rub the upper part.
Purge gently with cassia, rhubarb, senna and myrobalan. Take one drachm
of senna, a scruple of aniseed, myrobalan, half an ounce, with a
sufficient quantity of barley water. Make a decoction and dissolve syrup
of succory in it, and two ounces of rhubarb; pound half an ounce of