A like act (10 Geo. IV. c. 34, § 97), ap plies to Ireland.
There are institutions in this country, as well as many other European countries, which have been founded with the view of restraining infanticide, of which an account is given in the article FOUNDLING HOSPITALS.
The legislative provisions for the pre vention of infanticide, and the existing laws upon the subject, which have been established in most of the countries of which we have any knowledge, are clearly and concisely stated in Dunlop's edition of Beck's ` Elements of Medical Juris prudence,' pp. 185-194.
In the five years from 1835 to 1839, the total number of persons committed for trial or bailed in England and Wales for " concealing the birth of infants," was 224; and in the five years from 1840 to 1844 the number was 306. In 1844, the number was 87, which was considerably higher than the average.
In the ten years from 1835 to 1844 in clusive, the number of persons tried for "attempts to procure the miscarriage of women" increased from 21 in the first five years to 31 in the last five years. This offence is much more common than the numbers here mentioned would lead any one to suppose.
In the three years 1838-9-40 the num ber of children murdered under the age of one year was 76 ; and of these there were 14 in the metropolis ; 20 in Wilts, Dorset, Devon, and Somerset ; 5 in Cheshire and Lancashire; 10 in Sussex, Hants, Berks, and parts of Kent and Surrey not included in the metropolitan district. Out of the above number (76) the number of "infants" was 61.
The number of infants murdered in 1 840 was 18, 5 of whom were illegitimate.
In Scotland the crime of infanticide is 'celled child-murder. If a child be de stroyed in the womb, it is the separate offence of procuring an abortion. It is not under statutory regulations, but may be the subject of accusation, trial, and proof according to the rules of practice and evidence applicable to any other kind of murder. " Concealment of pregnancy " has been, since the 49 Geo. III. c. 14, a separate offence, for which a person may be brought to trial ; and not an alternative which the jury may find in a charge of in fanticide. The punishment is imprison ment not exceeding a term of two years.