MArgaret Mathews, the Wife of John Pughet, Clothworker at Tho­louse, after having happily brought forth into the World Ten Children in the latter part of the year 1652, found her self with child of the Eleventh; and at the [Page 2] expiration of the Accusto­mary Time, she felt the Pangs of Travel; the vehe­mency of which forced her to betake her self to Bed: A Chirurgeon who was ac­customed to Deliver Wo­men, was fetched; who having visited her, told her and assured her, that there was no disposition or likeli­hood of being Delivered at that time: Nevertheless the Pains continued and increa­sed, and cruelly tormented her for the space of Two Months: In the mean time two of the most Renowned Doctors there, were advised [Page 3] with it; who opening and prescribing Medicines, and acting what might be pos­sibly done, could produce no other Effects, then some Clodders of Blood, forced out of the Matrix.

After this first time, she went near hand Three Months more with these troublesome, yet now more tollerable Pains, than the former, though notwith­standing they were still ac­companied with a continu­al evacuation of a silthy, mattery Stuff. From that time she increased in her strength, and nothing more [Page 4] did come forth from the Matrix; but she was, if she would enjoy any ease, con­strained continually to lie upon her Back; for when she turned her self any other­wise, her Burden caused her great Pains: In so much that she could, as it were, feel the Child remove it self. She continued in this condition Eighteen or Nineteen years, during which time, after the intermission of some Mo­neths, she under-went such strong and extraordinary Pains, that oftentimes she earnestly intreats the Chirur­geon to open her Belly, and [Page 5] so take away that which was the Cause of her so great and miserable Pains.

Since the aforesaid first years, unto the year 1675, that same Burthen (which by its weight and greatness had so long tormented her) grew more tolerable and less trou­blesome; being then grown fast and without any Mo­tion.

Finally, The Seventeenth of June 1675, she was taken with a Fevor, which ended the Two and sixtieth year of her Age and her Misery, to­gether. Next day the Body being opened, there was [Page 6] found on the whole Bottom of the Matrix, a Body or Substance as hard as Stone; each side of this Substance, towards the Bottom, being hollow about the length of four Fingers, covering an Ulcer, Boil, or Sore of the same bigness; as may be seen by Figure 1: Excepting the Sore, the rest of the Ma­trix was in its natural Form; as also all the lower parts of the Belly, the Cawl only excepted; which had acqui­red about the thickness of two Fingers breadth a hard­ness and a little fleshiness: These things considered, the [Page 7] Cawl was laid upon the dead Corps, and then was espied a Deformed Lump, fast under the Cawl, which being seperated, represent­ed the Figure N. 2: The out-side of it was nothing but a Crust, a large inch thick, and in some places more; this Crust was near as hard as a Gristle, of Colour a pale Yellow, excepting on that side of its joyning to the Cawl; where it was harder and something redder. Some Persons out of Curiosity, laid the same against the Fire, being of opinion that it would melt like Suet or [Page 8] Tallow; and so after the melting there would remain a kind of a Film or Skin, with some Knobs, which appeared in divers places of the said substance: In the mean time, in this turning it about, there were seen some Signs of a Child, which was loosened and cut from it as dexterously as pos­sibly; and at length a Child was discovered, and discern­ed to be a Man Child; the Yard being found between the Film or Skin of the Groin: It was laid with its Head to the bottom of the Matrix, his right Hand in [Page 9] the form of a Closed Fist, placed against the upper part of the Crown of his Head; his Breast against the Back­bone of the Mother; his Back was on the side of the Cawl; the Feet were bowed upwards, so that they in part incompassed the Cir­cumference of the Naval, as also some part of the left side of the neather part of the Belly: Some Harr was found upon the Eye-lids, the Eyes sunk in, the Film of the same wrinkled, the Nose flattish, the Lips grown over with a a Substance harder than that wherewith he had been in­compassed; [Page 10] and after the Gums were cut, there was there-under found Teeth near as great as of a full­grown Child; under its right Arm, and by the right Ear, a small Lock, of yellow but very short Hair: The Nails of the Hands and Feet long, hard and raw the Flesh of the Neck, Groin, and the parts thereabouts, coloured with Blood; the Skull Bones separated from one another, and the Brains sunk down and almost of the Colour of Conserve of Roses; the in­ward parts of the Breast and Belly were dried up and [Page 11] blackish; the Muscles and Sinews of the lower parts had lost very little of their greatness, or of their natu­ral force, otherwise then that the fleshy parts were White, Yellow, and a Dark Pale; the Knees a little part­ed from one another; the left Foot a little bended, hiding the right Foot under it; the left Hand shut and pressed against the Chin and Knee of the same Side: Fi­nally, All the Limbs, except­ing the right Arm, were placed as they are in other Children in the Mothers Womb; which may ea­sily [Page 12] be discerned by the third Figure.

After it was stretched out, it was Fourteen Inches long, although the Back-bone re­mained bent; being inward­ly bowed towards the right Side.

All these things were pub­lickly known and viewed in the City of Thoulouse, and according to the Order of the Court of Parliament of the said City proved and ve­rified; where also may be seen the Testation of seve­ral Credible Persons: More­over, This Relation made [Page 13] by me, is consonant and conform. Those Memori­als to me sent from thence, and the Report I had from John Francis Pughet, Eldest Son and only Male, of the three Children of Margaret Matthews, who is yet alive, and brought us this Won­der to a Publick View: So that now it only remains to examine the Natural Causes of so many Extraordinary Accidents.

NOT to digress too far from the Subject here mentioned, I shall not stand to inquire, What the Natu­ral Causes and Motives of Child-bearing are; Possibly my Fortune may be, to meet with a Better Way, and more Consonant, to the Explication; I must then [Page 15] only propose that these Cau­ses had determined, this our Child to come forth of the Womb; being brought to its due time, and the Labour being very near, upon the ordinary manner: This then being established, the first Difficulty which doth pre­sent it self to be discussed, is, To know the Cause or Rea­son, Why the Inward Open­ing or Mouth of the Matrix; resisted the powerful Endea­vours both of Mother and Child? That is, Why did not the Matrix sufficiently open it self for the passage; or at least for the drawing a­way [Page 16] of this Child? It being certain, That as often as Women come in Travel, the Matrix always opens and enlarges its self; in whatever manner the Children appear; and all that Margaret had be­fore this, doth sufficiently evidence, that this part in her was naturally well constitu­ted. In the mean while it is not very troublesome, to re­solve this Question, It is cer­tain that a Part or Member may suffer and have an In­disposition at one time, which it never had or suffer­ed before; and also that the Inward Opening of the Ma­trix, [Page 17] is subject to Inflam­mations, Hardness, Con­vulsions, and in general, Diseases which are common to all fleshy and membra­neous parts; the which ei­ther hinders or spoils the a­ctions of the said parts, and one of these two Ac­cidents might occasion that Condition in which Margaret found her self, in time of her Labour. The whole City of Thoulouse being at that time amazed and afraid, by reason of an already begun Infection, and consider, That in Wo­men the Matrix is made [Page 18] sensible of every strong and extraordinary Motion of the Mind.

But seeing the Inwardest Mouth of the Matrix could not be opened sufficiently, could not the Child remain in the Matrix, as others have before done, some­what after the due time? And how could it come out of the Matrix, and cast its self into the Vacuity of the Belly? This is another Subject to be wondered at, and yet may have Na­tural Causes: It's proba­ble this Child pitched first [Page 19] with his Head downwards, it being found in this po­sture; the Water could not on this side form or bring it self to any Head Meet­ing with uncomparable re­sistance: In the mean time the Pangs of Travel were extream hard; and it is cer­tain the harder they are, the more that moisture which incompasseth the Child, is moved and put forth the Adherent Membranes in the form of a Point, to force its self a Passage; which is called a Formed, or Full-grown Water: We may then already judge, [Page 20] that the Moisture, with e­very Pang, prest towards the Inward Mouth of the Matrix; and it is not dif­ficult to be believed, That the Water, as it were by a rebound, turned to the contrary Parts, and so brought forth the same Ef­fect; Margaret having du­ring that time laid in seve­ral Forms and Manners, and that probably, some manner or other, the height of this Opening might be equal with that of the Matrix: Foras­much as the Chirurgeons who are accustomed to De­liver [Page 21] Women, and also the Midwives daily observe, To lift up the hinder parts of those who are in Tra­vel upon the Bed, to faci­litate the passage of the Child.

But it may be said not­withstanding all this, That the Water doth not re­ceive such a Form as I have described, before it is forward and in the Inner­most Mouth of the Matrix; and that therefore, to form it self on the other side, it must of neeessity meet with the Circumference of some [Page 22] Space; that is to say, the separating or parting ofth whole: For Margaret had no Ulceration in the Bot­tom of her Matrix; not having had extraordinary pains before her Labour; and the divers Refluctions of the Water, nor the Members of the Child, could make a sufficient Wound to give him a Pas­sage; the whole Space or Vacancy of that Bottom is naturally covered with the After-birth: And if in case it had been sufficiently se­parated or parted, then Margaret must have con­tinually [Page 23] during her Labour, evacuated Blood; which here was not so: But the situation of the Trunks or Pipes of the Matrix (al­though they are in a man­ner annexed to the Bottom thereof) teacheth us, that their Mouths could not well be covered by the After-birth, which occupi­eth but the Middle; and Experience learneth that they can retch considera­bly; for sometimes Chil­dren are generated in them; which have been known to live and grow there until the Fourth or Fifth Month: [Page 24] But if any will object, That the Quantity of Mans Seed necessary for Generation, can insinuate it self; with­out having the Entrances to be naturally very wide, or capable of retching of it self in the Copulation: I answer, That this, nor all the Reasons that may be alledged, are capa­ble to with-stand Expe­rience: The History I am about rehearsing, doth undeniably prove that the aforesaid Mouths can ve­ry well endure as large a stretching as the Inwardest Mouth of the Matrix.

[Page 25] This 30th of April 1676, I was sent for by the much Renowned Midwife Mrs. Langlois, to deliver a cer­tain Woman, the Wife of a maimed Souldier, whose Name was Bourguignon, li­ving in the Back-street; and when I came, I found the Head of the Child far advanced in its passage; but the Pains ceasing for Twenty four hours toge­ther, and the Signs of her otherwise approaching Death, shew'd us the ne­cessity of Drawing out the Child; which happen­ed [Page 26] with Success, as after­wards the After-birth, ac­cording to the ordinary Course; but yet she felt some Pains, when feeling about the Circuit of her Navel, a little to the side of the Liver, I found a moving Hardness, much like a Childs Head; which I also demonstrated to the Midwife; whereby we judged the Woman was not wholly delivered: so I put my Hand again into the Womb, and diligent­ly searching the whole Concavity of the Matrix, I felt the Entrance of the [Page 27] right a little opened, into which I presently got my Fore-finger, afterwards an­other, and then my whole Hand; with which I took out of the same more than two pounds of Congealed, and in some measure har­dened Blood; and then the aforesaid round Hardness was no more felt.

This Experience then af­firmeth, That the Entrance of this Trunk or Pipe of the Matrix, can suffer a great stretch. But here are two difficulties yet remaining to be resolved; The first is, [Page 28] That if this part had been open in that moment when our Child passed, then it would not have occasioned the Ulceration which was found in the Matrix. The Second is, That this Ulce­ration covered the whole Circumference of the bot­tom of this part, and that the Entrance of which we have already spoke) is in the side of the said Bot­tom.

The Solution of these two Points is easie, The Chyrurgeons who are used to Deliver Women, and [Page 29] the Midwives, know, That in all Common and Natu­ral Deliveries, the Chil­dren always come forth, before that the Circumfe­rence of the Inward Open­ing of the Matrix be as big as their Head, and that the same passage doth inlarge it self at the same time they pass through it. It may then be, that our Child sticking fast in the Pipe or Trunk (of the which I have already spo­ken) before the impressing of the Water, caused a greater Opening; and that so in its passage made a [Page 30] partition in the whole; which possibly gave the first occasion of the Ulcera­tion, whereof we have treated; and that this Se­paration, most likely, was made upon the side (before the After-birth was joyned fast to the Matrix) rather then any where else, by reason that is always moist; and therefore it followeth by reason, to be more ea­sie in this place then any other.

I will not make any de­mur in Explaining the Ge­neration of that Stony Bo­dy [Page 31] or Substance found in the bottom of the Ma­trix, it is evident by Expe­rience, that in the Ulcers which are not well Clean­sed and Purified, the Matter and Filth which remaineth upon the Sides, from time to time, produceth by suc­cession a strong hardness; but every one might doubt how the Legs of our Infant (which in all proba­bility were first born) should have placed them­selves in such order, that they followed the motion of the Water; and so at the same time are come in­to [Page 32] the Trunks or Pipes, seeing they are not Natu­rally Crooked, and molli­fied in the Matrix: More­over, That under the di­vers Motions of this Child, it was so, as by chance, placed in order; the Knees which ordinarily are close joyned together, may be first passed thorow; so that the Legs lying close about the Buttocks, could not possibly stop the rest of the Body: However it is, it is apparent, the Head came last; because it rested a­gainst the bottom of the Matrix, and the Dispositi­on [Page 33] in which the right Arm was found, doth declare, that it served for a form, to hinder the Head from being stopped in its Pas­sage; which according to many Authors is a very ne­cessary Circumstance in those Deliveries where the Children come forth with their Feet first. See here then the Passage of this Child out of the Matrix sufficiently explained, so that what happened there­after is now to be exami­ned; Concerning the Time it stayed in its Mothers Bo­dy, and principally how [Page 34] it was Conserved there:

Therefore, First, We must take this for certain, That the Bodies of Crea­tures are preserved from Corruption, either by Nou­rishment which maintain­eth Life, or by some cer­tain Effect which hinders the Dissolution after Death.

And it may well be that both these Causes did Con­cur in Conservation of our Child; for there is nothing to hinder our believing, That for some time it con­tinued, receiving the Blood [Page 35] thorow the Vessels of the Navel for its Nourishment, seeing we experience every day that in some Womens Labours the After-birth sticks fast to the Matrix, so that they are forced to separate it with Fingers; and sometimes pull it out by Piece-meals: This is an Observation that cannot truly be alledged against, If this Lump can remain fast annexed to the Matrix after the Child is brought forth into the World, then it is clear enough, that it was so in the Case of Mar­garet, because her Child [Page 36] continued enjoying its first Nourishment; for the out­ward Air could not touch the String, and therefore cause no hindrance in the motion of the Blood, wherewith it was full; and it is undoubtable, that the Child was preserved some time by this means; by reason Margaret voided no Blood at that time when the Child passed thorow the Matrix into the Con­cavity of the Belly; but to the contrary, some Weeks after, when she was given Opening and Force­ing Medicines, she voided [Page 37] some Lumps or Clodders of Blood, which most ap­parently caused some par­tition in some part of the After-birth. By that which already hath been said, we may suggest that our Child might be nourished about Two Months, without the Matrix, in the same man­ner as when he was in the same: And it is to be com­prehended that, that same wherewith it was covered, was that which preserved it from Corruption after its Death; sheltring it from the piercing Air, Moistures, and other Beginnings of [Page 38] Corruption. Here also may arise a Doubt whether it ceased to live by reason of the want of that motion of the Blood, which it drew to him by the String, or that it continued receiving Nourishment some other way; but as the Conclu­sions upon this Doubt are very dubious, I shall con­tent my self to shew the Reasons, upon these two Circumstances, and leave the Reader to side with which he pleaseth. And first, forasmuch as con­cerneth the Generation of the Crust, it is not certain [Page 39] that it had sufficient thick­ness to nourish our Child before the After-birth was separated. But we may say that therein was no impossibility, because the Water flowing forth in her Labour, and the Af­ter-birth remaining in the Matrix, that which was found fleshy in the Crust, could be no other thing then the Trunk or Pipe, in the which our Child had placed it self. And this place or part was thick e­nough to with-stand the Breathings which issued from the Child as it expi­red. [Page 40] And although many Witnesses have asserted, That our Child did natu­rally stir until the Eigh­teenth year, they must confess that it was no o­therwise then as Margaret turned her self from one side to the other; which doth evidence, that it was nothing but that motion; the which might be seen in the Molae.

But it may be said, and very truly, that Margaret every Nine Months felt al­most Travel Pangs; but that doth not prove, that [Page 41] these Pains were the Effect of those Endeavours which the Child did to be brought forth. It is found out to be no otherwise caused than by the moisture cast up by the Mother; and that was sufficient to moisten these parts at all times: so that the Child might fall to the bottom of the Matrix, and so cause the Pains.

Finally, It must be con­sented, That the Child could not live without sustenance from the Navel Strings: First, Because the same being annexed unto [Page 42] the After-birth, could re­ceive no Nourishment o­therwise then in the same manner as the Molae. Se­condly, The Skin and Flesh being tinctured with Blood; it is credible that their Ves­sels were anatomized with the Cawl. Thirdly, Be­ing at that time a part and member of the Mother, needed no other Respirati­on then from its self. Fourthly, Being extream hard and great, it may be judged that it supplied the place of the After-birth.

[Page 43] But all these Circum­stances have others, which contradict them: Our Child was not so perfectly fast to the Cawl as the Molae is to the Matrix; there being a thick Crust between them, the Anatomy was not per­fectly observed by all that opened the Body of Marga­ret: The Child which doth not respire while it is in the Matrix, must of necessity transpire through the Heart Veins of the Mother; and it is evident that the Blood thorow these Vessels did not circum-ambulate in our [Page 44] Child, because it did not waxe accordingly. And it is well enough known, That those Humours which have lost their Natural Mo­tion, being gathered or congealed in any part of the Body, of necessity must generate an extraordinary motion, which either ri­pens them, or they stay in the same form; which ge­nerates a hardness.

But howsoever it is, If our Child did live after the Ulceration of the After­birth, then the manner and case in which we found the Child, demonstrates that [Page 45] the Child had been a long time dead, and that its pre­servation proceeded from nothing else but the Crust wherewith it was covered: I speak nothing of the big­ness of the Nails, for it is known they grow after Death; and passing by all superfluous Circumstances, The first Consideration which may in this Case be made, is that the Im­perial Cut is not to be de­spised, as some new Au­thors do affirm, seeing there may be false Con­ceptions, and Children themselves generated in the [Page 46] Trunks or Pipes of the Matrix, as well as those conceived in the Matrix, can cast them out.

The Second Considera­tion, That if in due time this Operation had been u­sed, the Child might have been pulled, out, and Mar­garet not have suffered and under-gone so many pains, which she suffered so many years.

The Third is, That if the Matrix had been cut (which in this Case is most dangerous.) there ought to have been a certainty that the Child was in the Trunks [Page 47] or Pipes of the Matrix.

Finally, The Fourth is, Then when after a certain being with-child, the Tra­vel or Labour and Pains ac­cordingly do come; yet then you shall find the In­ward Opening closed and shut, and the Child either upon the right or left side, higher than before; with a Falling Motion, which then you may be assured, is in one of the Pipes of the Ma­trix, and then the Imperi­al Cut is very necessary.