Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-06-29
From the Painesville Ielegrdph. - Y
ADDRESS of DIR. T.. l.. PLYMPTON.
Before the Lake Shore Medical Association
u Mt PainesYIIIc. nn tho EtI, of 1una

| pupltS n5Our country rung with the elo-
quence OF missionaries and ministers, as
they attempted to lay upon the minds Of
thesr listening congregations the barbar-
I Gus .cruelties Of heathen nations. And
we were ready to weep as they told Us
how Hindoo mothers sacrificed their i'll.
FAINT children to their imaginary gods by
throwing them into the Ganges. And to
win them from such barbarOus cruelties
we gave freely of our money for the pur-
pose of sendidg to them the light of chris
tianity. ' '.7i''s 6 117o %. - L',a bee b
!. Now, having taught those heather
mothers a better gospel, let us raise the
;kcurtain and see what is transpiring be-
hind the scenes at home And be assur
ed, gentlemen, that nothing but an i'm
1perative sense of duty as a guardian oi
tot human life and friend to christian
morality, would allow me t01do 1t. yTo
take upa theme so little to the taste OF
public sentiment-so full of attractions
| for the sneers OF the .cold-hearted
yotaries ofpleasure and devotees of lash
ion, and perhaps so repulsiye to tie sensi-
tive nerves of the genteel-those who
move in the higher circles of fashionable
/ society, seems to me very much like self
denial a.- r,---.,..''... ......'..
And for the purpose of tightening my
responsibility, l shall take the liberty Of
quoteing somewhat freely from those
who have had more extended opportuni-
ties for investigation and given more at
tention to the subject than myself.
Criminal abortion signifies the willful
destrustion of an unborn child. There
never has been, perhaps, time when it
has not occasionly been attempted under
the veil of sccresy for the purpose of con-
cealing the shame of those unfortunate
females who have beer led to part with
their virtue.
But it is comparatively late thing
for women in wedlock to be guilty OF
the same crime. And this seems the
more strange as fallen females are pretty
sure to find among their own sex their
most bitter and unrelenting prosecutors
for any attempts at shielding themselves
from the most blighting shame. aa
| 1t is now ten years since the practice
of criminal abortion became SO palpably
common as to gain the attention of med
ical men throughout the country, as an
evil threatening TO affect most painfully
the condition of society, both i'll moral
and physical aspect In view of its in
creasing frequency, the American Med
ical Association, at it's meeting in the
summer of 1853, appointed committee
consisting of some Of the most prominent
physicians from all parts Of the country,
to investigate the crime and consider
what steps were necessary for its sup
preston. The report of that committee
was rendered at a subsequent meeting
held at Louisville KY, in the year follow
ing, and being supported by a mass Of
evidence too conclusive to be doubted,
was unanimously adopted.
The first resolution of that report is rs
follows:
Resolced, That while physicians have
long been united in condemning the pro-
curing of abortion at any period of ges-
tation, except as necessary for preserving
the life of mother or child, it has become
the duty of this Association, i'll view of
the prevalence and increasing frequency
of the crime, publicly to enter our earn
est and solemn protest against such an
unwarrantable destruction of human life
And | will add that the consideration
of this subject has constituted an import
ant item in the transactions of that body
at every subsequent meeting. And L
know that this crime against human life
and health, society and religion, has with
equal interest engaged the attention OF
the Ohio State Medical Society, at every
one ofits meeting for the last Z years.
But I must confess that | was not a
little surprised when / heard Professor
Wright, of the Ohio Medical College,
declare in special report male before
our State Society i'll 1860, 'that the time
was not far distant when children will be
sacrificed among us with as little hesita-
ton as among the Hindoes." For re-
membered that according to statements
made by our missionaries, that Ill two
Hmdoo provinces only, there were, du-
ring the year 1907, thirty thousand in
fants thrown into the Ganges. Now
am not sure that this. number much sue
ceeds the number sacrificed annually to
other gods in the Christian State of
Ohio.
In Speclal report rcad De1Ore the w.
State Society by Prof. Remy in 1860, he
used the following language: f'From q
very large written and, verbal correspon-
dence in this and other States, together
with personal investigation and facts ac-
eumulated, Fam convinced that we have
become nation of murderers." He fur
ther says ''that net only ignorant, but
the erinstructed, not only the outsider, but
the church member, and not only the
pews but the pulpit, has in few cases
/ domestically endorsed, and in fewer cases
still, actually resorted to. criminal abor-
TONS In one little village of his ac-
ouaintanee, prominent women have been
Guilty of abetting and sanctioning this
crime. and what is sa.dder still, one half
of these are members of Christ's church. :"
DIR. Stewart 'laments It's increase and
increasing prevalence, and that it is found
to be the fruit OF legitimate wedlock in
every grade of society"
Dr.. Storer says Forced abortions are
of very frequent occurrence in America,
- -H s.I- f..r-. t.......... 1ft il..r. ..-