60 Ulisse Aldrovandi

In the eleventh place, we must describe a form of unnatural birth in which the infant extends one hand through the uterine opening, while the other arm is held down at its side and the feet are stretched upward. In this case, the midwife should not attempt to deliver the child immediately. Instead, she must lead the mother to her bed and place her so that her buttocks are elevated and her head is lowered; the belly should then be gently bound so that the infant may slide back into the womb. Furthermore, if the child does not return to the womb on its own, the midwife should insert her hand and push back the infant’s shoulders, so that once it is back inside, it may take up a proper and natural position for its exit.

In the twelfth place, a form of birth is recounted that is a composite of both natural and unnatural positions. This occurs when one of a pair of twins approaches the exit headfirst, while the other comes feet-first. In this instance, the midwife should deliver the naturally positioned infant first, and afterward gradually shift the other so that it is slowly brought into a natural position. If this cannot be done, she should immediately grasp its hands and encourage the delivery before the mother’s parts become afflicted by swelling and inflammation due to the twin birth. This presentation is entirely contrary to nature when both twins offer themselves for birth at once, as they are depicted in the accompanying illustration.