in the neck of the matrix, which Aetius calls haemorrhoids
of the womb. In quantity, Hippocrates said, it
should be about eighteen ounces, and they should last
about three days: and when the faculties of the
body are weakened by their flow, we may take it that
the discharge is inordinate. In bodies which abound
in gross humours, this immoderate flow sometimes unburdens
nature of her load and ought not to be checked without
a physician’s advice.
The cause is either internal or external. The
internal cause is threefold; in the substance, the
instrument or the power. The matter, which is
the blood, may be vitiated in two ways; first, by the
heat of the constitution, climate or season, heating
the blood, whereby the passages are dilated, and the
power weakened so that it cannot retain the blood.
Secondly, by falls, blows, violent motions, rupture
of the veins, etc. The external cause may
be the heat of the air, heavy burdens, unnatural childbirth,
etc.
In this excessive flow the appetite is lessened, conception
is checked and all the functions weakened; the feet
swell, the colour of the face changes, and the whole
body is weakened. If the flow comes from the
rupture of a vein, the body is sometimes cold, the
blood flows out in streams, suddenly, and causes great
pain. If it arises from heat, and the orifice
of the vein is dilated, there is little or no pain,
but yet the blood flows faster than it does when caused
by erosion, but not so fast as it does in a rupture.
If caused by erosion, the woman feels a scalding of
the passage, and it differs from the other two, in
so much as it does not flow so quickly or so freely
as they do. If it is caused by weakness of the
womb, the woman feels a dislike for sexual intercourse.
Lastly, if it proceeds from the defective quality of
the blood let some of it drop into a cloth, and when
it is dry, you may judge, of the quality by the colour.
If it be passionate it will be yellow; if melancholy,
it will be black, and if phlegmatic, it will be waterish
and whitish.
If convulsions are joined to the flow, it is dangerous,
because that intimates that the noble parts are affected,
convulsions caused by emptiness are deadly. If
they continue long, they will be very difficult to
cure, and it was one of the miracles which our Saviour
Christ wrought, to cure a woman of this disease of
twelve years standing.
To conclude, if the flow be excessive, many diseases
will follow, which will be almost impossible to cure;
the blood, being consumed together with the innate
heat, either morbid, dropsical, or paralytical diseases
will follow.
