The New York herald., 1871-12-15

The Proposed New Act In Regard to Ab0r-
ti0n-Dr. Wooster Beach ON ssHOmicide by
POisOning."
The Medico-Legal Society held very interesting
meeting last evening ar their hail, Fourth avenue
and Twenty-thir street, DR.. Rogers presiding
After the usual routine business DR.. o. Day read
the report Of the Committee on Criminal Abortion,
he being the chairman OF the committee.
The report was well framed and calculated 10 In
spire the meeting with the soundness OF the views
1t advocated. 1t aimed to change altogether the
law respecting abortion as 1t now stands AS will
be seen below 1t is asked that the crime OF abor-
tlon shall be In future adjudged in the courts not
manslauahter In the second degree, but simply as a
felony, without any specific name. and not liable TO
any limit Of punishment, except in the limit OF four
years as the least term OF imprisonment. The fol-
lowing is the act which II is intended to lay before
the next legislature for enaction into Laws
AN AoT for the better prevention Of the Of
aborons and other ike offences and to amend the laws
state Of New gs. represented tn.
skorIos H. Ihs frs, section 10 Of an act zen entitled tiled An act
FENCES passed May 1867 is hereby annexed, ana shall
sEorros ANY person who shall administer to any
woman with child Or prescribe for any such
OF OF ss ass 70 take s aT
advise or procure her to submit 70 the use employ
%S he
ssn ss:s 9 s % sa
Of the
title frs chapter of the fourth part Of the revised
SEQ. s.-Thls sct sksi take effect Immediately
DR.. Rogers DR.. Hammond DR.. ODea and Judge
Bedford to see that the bin be passed through the
AZ SeacS was absent owinr to ness bs
paper was read by another Doctor The paper was
giving number q
Of poison. As a practical remedy for present
Undoubtedly modern science has given valua bic
aid and continues every day to add strength to the
law in accomplishing this object. The wholesome
fear to the criminal exerted by the adrotness OF
the chemist IN bringing secret murder To light cer
ta1ny eyerts strong influence In preventing crime
the community. We want to know with certainty
the precise cause OF death or OF attack oil illness
aflicting any OF Its members ana 1t Is only in
this way that we can positively. know that the
polsoncr is not at work among US:
That this object is not now attained, even In cases
where suspicion should have been excited, think
l have shown. Can 1t be doney believe II may,
at least to answer the purpose indicated, and 1t il
on the medical profession that the duty Of accom-
In the first place physicians in general practice
should be better versed In medical jurisprudence,
Our colleges now only touch on these subjects,
and that mostly with the object or NOT leaving the
student entirely unacqualnted with the duties Of
medical witness.
Were forensic medicine more thoroughly and uni
versally taught, even IN Its present state, would
have In the physician guardian OF the lives OF our
citizens In everv household and 1t would be almost
an lmpossbllity FOR homicide by secret poisoning to
occur
with increased attention to the subject our &C.
quantance with 1t would extend, and more careful
study would SO per- ect the science that much that
Is now vague and uncertain In 1t would be replaced
by positive and substantial knowledge symptoms
especially upon which the medical attendant must
invariably rely for his discovery of illness by poison
wsuld with greater care In observation and cassl.
fication be adequate to reduce to q certainty what
now can only be considered q probability.
There are many changes In the mode Of admins.
tcrng the law that would add 10 the certainty OF
detection OF secret poisoning, but their consdera-
t0n would furnish abundant material for another
paper. Will here merely allude to these changes,
without attempting to show how they could be car
ried out.
Ft,st-An dead bodies should be Viewed by O
proper medical 0fficer before burial.
.SecOnd-P0st-mortem examinations should be
more frequently and more thoroughly made
ThUu-A chemist appointed by government
should always stand ready to make analyses when
required.
f0,nqh-The bureau that inspects certificates OF
death and grants permits for burial should use
greater circumspectlon In It's operation.
F.fth-No body should De Inferred or burial Ger.
tifcate granted by an uneducated physician.