First draft. This English translation was generated by
Claude Sonnet 4.6, critiqued by Claude Haiku 4.5, and adjudicated/corrected
once by Claude Sonnet 4.6. It is published for reading and review, not as a
final scholarly edition. Hippocratic medical recipes and treatments are
historical text, not medical advice.
ON THE INCISION OF THE FETUS.
Concerning those [fetuses] not being carried in the proper way but requiring incision in this manner: first, throw a linen cloth over the woman, bind it above the breasts, and the head must be covered with the linen so that, not seeing what you do, she is not frightened.
**Section 1 [5]**
If, then, the fetus is lying sideways and is presenting a hand, take hold of the hand and attempt to draw it out as far as possible; then skin the upper arm, strip the bone clean, and bind a fish-skin around the two fingers of the hand so that the flesh does not slip. After this, strip away the flesh around the shoulder and remove [the arm] at the joint. Then, having pushed the head back into the natural position, draw the head of the fetus out; use a finger to push the fetus inward; or use a small knife through the ribs or through the collarbone, so that it releases the pneuma, the fetus collapses, and exit becomes easier for it. As for the head: if you are able, push it out in the natural direction; if not, crush it, and so draw the fetus out. Then pour on much warm water, anoint with oil, and tell her to lie down with her feet crossed; give her to drink sweet white wine mixed somewhat strong, and resin rubbed up in honey mixed into the wine; in all other respects treat her as a woman who has given birth, according to what has been said. When the fetus lies sideways in the woman who is giving birth — and this happens when it turns in such a way that the umbilical cord wraps around the neck and obstructs the exit of the fetus, and the head is thrown toward the hip, and the hand for the most part comes out —
**Section 2**
If indeed it has already died when the hand comes out, this signifies it beforehand; but in those cases where the hand of the fetus has not come out, for the most part the fetus is still alive — though there is danger in that case too. Some women also discharge the afterbirth fluids before the fetus, so that the labor is necessarily dry and distressing. Those who are not cleansed of the afterbirth fluids beforehand have an easier delivery at childbirth.
**Section 4 [10]**
The shaking must be done as follows: spread a linen cloth underneath, lay the woman back, and throw another cloth over her so that the genitals are covered, and wrap the linen around each leg and around each limb. Two women should take hold of each leg, and two other women should each take hold of each arm; then, grasping firmly, shake thoroughly, not fewer than ten times. Then recline the woman on the bed toward the head-end, keeping the legs raised, and let all the women take hold of both legs, releasing the arms; then have the women shake her many times up onto the shoulders, with repeated bouncing motions back onto the bed, so that the fetus, shaken back up into the wider space, may turn and be able to move into the natural position. And if you have Cretan dittany, give it to drink after; if not, boil beaver-gland in Chian wine. If the womb prolapses, whether from pain or from childbirth, if you take the case when it has just occurred, it is worth attempting; otherwise, let it be.
**Section 5 [5]**
One must proceed as follows: having made incisions in the membrane of the womb lengthwise and crosswise, rub it with a linen cloth so that it becomes inflamed; then anoint it with seal-oil or pitch, apply a poultice of pomegranate rinds at the same time, and press on soft sponges sprinkled with wine, then bind them up from the shoulders. Let her lie with her legs as high as possible, and let her eat moderate food.