ABORTION, the expulsion of a foetus from the uterus before it is capable of carrying on its own life. A variety of different terms have been applied to indicate variations in the character of this process; thus: accidental, when brought about by purely accidental means; artificial or induced, when caused for medical therapeutic reasons; criminal, when induced for purely selfish reasons ; tubal, when rupture of the Fallopion tube occurs, discharging the foetus into the abdominal cavity, the pregnancy thus being extra-uterine.
The causes for this accident, apart from in duced abortion, may be due to paternal, ma ternal or foetal defects. The proportion of abortions to full-time pregnancies is about 1 to 7 or 10. Of the paternal causes, alcoholism, syphilis, old age or physical weakness may be cited. The most frequent causes, however, are of fatal and maternal causes. Death of the foetus is the most frequent fatal cause. The maternal causes may be local or constitutional. Inflammation of the membranes of the uterus, tumors or new growths of the uterus, disease of the ovary, and inflammatory adhesions of the closely associated organs, act as local causes. Alcoholism, starvation, as in times of famine, syphilis, lead coal-gas poisoning, acute diseases, as typhoid, pneumonia, and sud den severe shock, are the most common agents acting on the mother that bring about the death of the fetus and its subsequent expul sion. With certain women abortion, or mis
carriage, happens very readily.
The symptoms are hemorrhage, discharge of the amniotic fluid and pain. The treatment is always medical. The dangers are mostly those of hemorrhage and infection.
/a law, when abortion is produced with a malicious design, it becomes a misdemeanor, and the party causing it may be indicted and pun ished. When, in consequence of the means used to produce abortion, the death of the woman ensues the crime is designated as murder. In all cases of abortion the body of the offense must first be proven. The fact of the pregnancy, the use of the instruments and the administer ing of the drugs must be established beyond a doubt. The evidence of the woman upon whom the abortion was committed is admissible but her dying declarations are not admissible un less homicide is charged. A person who sells a drug or instrument, knowing that it is to be used for the purpose of causing a miscarriage, is guilty of a misdemeanor.