THIS _Symptom_ from the WOMB, happens _Four_ different Ways; to wit, either by the _Vessels_, which run to the _Neck_ of the WOMB; or by _Those_, which tend to the _Body_ and _Cavity_ of the SAME; or by _Those_, that adhere to the _Membrane_ call’d CHORION, and to the _Infant_, by which it attracts its _Nutriment_; or by _Those_, that _Nature_ hath reserv’d for a _Superfœtation_, or the _Necessity_ of expurging this BLOOD when it chances to be Superfluous.
WHATEVER way this FLUX happens, its _Cause_ is _Three-fold_; and proceeds, either from an _Apertion_ of some of the mentioned _Uterine Vessels_; or from their _Dilatation_; or from a _Rupture_ of those Vessels.
THEY are _open’d_ by a _Redundancy_ or _Superfluity_ of BLOOD; which _Wise Nature_ takes this _Method_ of fiercing and throwing-off, the _Natural Evacuation_ being stopped. They are _dilated_ by the _Acrimony_ of the _Humours_, or by their own rarefy’d and thin _Contexture_, And, in fine, they may be _bursten_ or _broken_, by a great Variety of _Accidents_; such as _Running_, _Leaping_, _Falling_, _Striking_, _Lifting_ a heavy Weight, violent _Motion_, _Coughs_, great _Pains_, _Vapours_, _Costiveness_, _Looseness_, immoderate _Heat_, or _Cold_; as also by any violent _Perturbation_ of Mind.
THE _First Case_ (being the Work of _Nature_) happens with great Ease, and without any Pain or Trouble; it _flows_ moderately and regularly, is of _short Continuance_, and not attended with any immediate _Danger_, so long as the _Woman_ enjoys her _Health_, and continues well-colour’d in _Complexion_.
THE _Second Case_ is called an ANASTOMOSIS; and what happens by such irregular _Dilatations_, falls _Drop_ by _Drop_ away; and is All _Acid_, _Ill-colour’d_, _Stinking_, _Thin_, _Pale_, _Serous Stuff_.
THE _Third Case_ is known by an immoderate and irregular _Flooding_, as it were in _Heaps_; attended with PAINS of the _Groins_, _Loins_, &c: And at last aggravated with _Faintings_ and _Convulsions_. The true STATE of which _Case_ is particularly noted in Sect. V. Chap. 7. Only give me leave to add here, that the _Procatarctick Cause_, is always sufficiently known, from the _Relation_ of the PATIENT.
BUT however, it is also proper to know in all the above-mention’d _Cases_, from what _Place_, and by what _Vessels_ this _Flux_ happens: Which may be rightly thus distinguished; for if from the _Neck_ of the WOMB, it flows orderly and moderately; as it likewise does, if it comes from _Vessels_ no ways adhering to the INFANT: but if it arises from the _Bottom_ of the WOMB, it flows in less _Order_, and greater _Quantity_; and if it happens, in fine, from the _Vessels_ fixed to the INFANT, and the CHORION, then it does _flow_ most irregularly of all, and in very great _Quantities_.