Читать книгу The Female Physician - John Maubray - Страница 30

CHAP. II. Of the Signs of CONCEPTION.

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THE Signs of Conception are many and various, and accordingly some more, some less certain, as hereafter set forth; whereof I shall only mention such as are most common and familiar to the Generality of Women: viz.

I. THE Retention or Suppression of the Menstrua; when not occasion’d by some other Indisposition.

II. SUDDEN Weakness, Feebleness, and Imbecility of the Body and Limbs.

III. LAZINESS, Weariness, and Sleepiness, with a Heaviness of the whole Body; but especially of the Reins and the Thighs.

IV. A sort of little Spots, or hard Warts, arising in the Face and Forehead.

V. A small Pain about the Navel, and Commotions in the lower Belly.

VI. COLD Shivering, and trembling Fits; wandring Pains, and Head-Aches.

VII. LOSS of wonted Colour, sunk Eyes, discolour’d Eye-Balls: A sparkling Dimness, and Glimmering of the Eyes; the Ball growing less, and the White larger.

VIII. A Protuberancy or Swelling of the Veins, and Breasts; their growing Hard, and giving Pain: As the Nipples become firm, large, and dark-colour’d, with a livid Circle around them.

THESE and many other Signs often occur upon CONCEPTION; but except a Plurality of them meet in one Person, they are not absolutely to be rely’d on: It being a Vulgar Error among Women, to calculate precisely from the Time of missing their Months; for as These are often suppress’d, without any such manifest Cause; so I have known some Plethorick Persons, who have had them several repeated times after Conception.

YEA, I was once given to understand by a Lady of Distinction, in the City of Berlin, that she never had Them, till she first conceiv’d in the 19th Year of her Age; and then they came in regular Course, without any Detriment, during the whole Foetura, or time of Gestation: After which, she had Them no more, till she conceiv’d again, when They return’d, and continued as formerly; and thus it constantly happen’d to her, till she had done Child-bearing.

THERE are other more certain Signs of CONCEPTION; touching which, let it suffice, that the Physician knows them, from the Relation of the Patient: And to these may be added the Symptoms of the MONTHS.

BUT notwithstanding all the positive Diagnosticks, which most Men have been, hitherto, guided by; I have met with so many Fallibilities in this Point, that I shou’d readily have come into the Opinion of^[55] Paulus Sacchias, and deny’d the Certainty of PREGNANCY, even at an advanc’d Time, had I not been better instructed by Those most excellent Physicians and Men-Midwives, Sig. Garofanzzo of Padua, and Pfizerus of Wittenberg; who agree in certain infallible Signs, which put an end to all my Doubts, as well as to the grand Controversy, touching CONCEPTION.

AS to those common Signs, which discover the CONCEPTION of a Boy from a Girl, or Vice Versa; finding them tend only to Curiosity, and to no real Advantage, I cannot think it worth while to allow them any Place Here.