History of Monsters. 61

The thirteenth figure occurs when the infant hurries toward the light with the neck bent, the shoulders leaning forward for birth, the head turned back, and the feet and hands pointing upward. This birth is usually not very difficult because, once the midwife moves the shoulders slightly, the head tends to appear at the exit, as it is very close to the opening of the uterus.

The fourteenth type of unnatural birth is as follows: since what usually happens in a single birth can also be observed in a twin birth—for just as a single birth has only one proper and natural form but takes on many unnatural ones—so too a twin birth follows the same conditions. Therefore, when a twin birth approaches the exit in a natural form, the midwife must be vigilant to carefully deliver the one closer to the opening. As the first is emerging, she must not let go of the second, lest it slip back into the womb and take on an unnatural position. Consequently, once the first is brought into the light, she ought to deliver the other immediately; indeed, this second birth will be less dangerous and easier, since the first infant has smoothed and cleared a level path for the one following. The present figures illustrate this.