The Province of Midwives in the Practice of their Art

THE fol¬low¬ing small Tract will ap¬pear con¬temp¬ti¬ble to those who judge of the Worth of Books by their Bulk; but the Auth¬or be¬lieves such as are prac¬tis'd in Mid¬wif¬ry will ack¬now¬ledge both the Want and Use¬ful¬ness of an Es¬say of this Kind. The Division of the Chapters, naturally arising from the various Circumstances which are treated of, will rather assist than burden the Memory, and admit of a ready Recourse to the short Instructions, in the Knowledge and Practice absolutely necessary, given under each Head. The Reader will the more readily excuse any Defect in the Stile, when he considers the Necessity of a strict Expression on the Subject and the Difficulty a Man lies under, who writes not to the learned and experienced, but chiefly for the Sake of Persons ignorant in Anatomy and Philosophy, on a Subject which for the most Part excludes Information by Sight. On such a Subject it will not be imagined Vanity or Applause can incline a Man to write a Pamphlet, rather than a Volume; when the Author is not conscious of having omitted the Instruction to be found in any Book extant, within the Limits of his Design; and hopes Experience will teach its Value both to Midwives and Matrons; and that the Perusal will not at all injure, if it does not improve, the most knowing and experienced.