-taken not to fit in wet cloaths, or expofe themselves to a stream of cold air near open doors or windows, Late hours, anxiety of mind, or the extremes of anger and fudden fear, are also highly pernicious.

Their food should be fimple, and rather

of the fluid than folid kind. They should abftain from cold liquors, acid, and unripe fruits; and therefore, iced-water, austere cyder, port, rhenish or other wines of an aftringent quality, are to be avoided as improper.

If fome at this time are fo happy as to perceive very little alteration from a state of perfect health, notwithstanding their neglect of fuch falutary rules and cautions; it may be truly faid, they are more indebted to the strength of a good conftitution, than to their own prudent conduct; the want of which has often laid the foundation of incurable diseases, and in the end deprived the patient of life.

For

For fuch as menftruate with pain and difficulty, it would be proper gently to open the body by Magnefia, and afterwards to take one of the Anodine Pills, no. 1. every night, or oftener if neceffary, and to keep in bed till the symptoms of violence are over.

So great and remarkable is the change produced in the female habit, towards the first commencement of the menfes; that fome obftinate and long-continued diforders have then been known to abate or totally disappear, especially Convulfions and the King's Evil, altho' they had before resisted the efficacy of the most powerful medicines. Hence it is evident that this is the proper season to aid the powerful efforts of nature, by the timely affiftance of art; a circumstance of the utmost confequence to the tient's future welfare, tho' generally overlooked or difregarded.

pa

Was this favourable opportunity duly attended to, and proper medicines directed;

probably

probably those, and other diseases of the like nature, might be effectually removed, which by neglect, and length of time, become fo diffused through the blood, and interwoven with the folids, as to continue during life, without the poffibility of cure.

The periodical discharge is not fanious or malignant, as many have fuppofed, but a fanguineous fluid, equally pure with that circulating in the blood-veffels; otherwise it would have been very unfit to nourish the child in the womb, whofe body is, as it were, built up by the redundant blood retained in the mother's conftitution, during pregnancy, for that special purpose.

Women need not, therefore, look upon this critical evacuation, as the monthly task of nature to purify the blood; but only confider it expedient to prevent overfulness of the veffels, which will be more particularly remark'd in the next fection.

The

The error of the ancients feems to have taken rife from a paffage in the Mosaic Law, forbidding all commerce between the fexes till after purification by ablution or bathing, a custom which still prevails among the Jewish and Eastern women; and inasmuch as it is founded in delicacy and contributes to health, deferves the imitation. of women in general, however diftinguished by country or religion. In this particular the Italian Ladies, who first introduced the Biddeau, deferve the higheft commendation.

From the relation of travellers, who tell ús, that among the favage women of Topinambos and thofe of Tapnias in the Brazils,thê menfes are almoft totally wanting; some have too hastily concluded that this difcharge does not neceffarily arife from the inftitution of nature, but rather is the effect of luxury and excess, prevailing in the more civilifed parts of Europe, which pervert and change the original state of the constitution.

But

But we need only take a review of the particulars already advanced, to fhew the fallacy of this opinion, and to prove that in the human fubject, at least, the periodical discharge is effential to the female constitution, and neceffary towards the production of her species.

If fome women are to be found, who are destitute of this natural benefit, and yet enjoy health,fuch are commonly robust, and poffefs the temperament and disposition of men; barren and bold, they are endowed with masculine feelings, rnd little fufceptible of that tender partiality which mutually influences the two fexes, and endears them to each other; which foftens and harmonifes the paffions of the one, and renders the other irresistibly pleasing.

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