The New York herald., 1871-09-06
MARRIED WOMEN AND THE MEDICAL MUIR
DERERS.

NEW YORK. Sept. /, 1871.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
have taken the liberty 10 give you few facts
which may surprise you and act as a caution and
warning to young medical practitioners and put
them on their guard against the peadings OF their
patients. Since the lst OF March last have had no
less than six married women call upon
me and openly ask me to relieve them
Of their burdens. Indeed. one young wo.
man, who informed me that she had
had four operations performed upon her, and each
one successfully, became so violent when indig-
nanty refused that she fell upon her knees and i'm
plored me ior her poor mothers sake to commit the
crime Of murder, or, In other words, perform an
OPERATION She informed me that her husband
coming home drunk and always insisted she should
go to the doctor whenever there was cause for
week, until OF last forbid her calling again ana
told her to send her husband to me. She did so,
saw. When he announced his name / talked
quietly to him and told him the enornity
IN driving hs wife nd to @ Commit artas such Ia n ne ran
nable CRIME, and that felt myself almost JUS
tiied @ IN giving hlm In charge of the police He
up from the chair In which he was sitting, wished
me good morning. saying at the same time, "Doc,
YOU are God damn fool to refuse So for nve min
ates' work; know lots OF fellows that would DO 1t
for one.half the sum-" and away the villain went.
SIX weeks afterwards | met the woman. and she
TOOK the trouble to the street and tell me that
she was all right. So ! presumed, as her husband
remarked, some other "felOw'' was found who took
tle money.
Since that case another we-tc-do person came TO
me Tor the same purpose and wnen distinctly re-
fused she positively asserted that her family piysl-
clan, who was then in the country would have re-
heved her, as he had done so on several occasions;
Dut as ne was not expected home tor some time she
thought she would call upon some one else, as she
DID not care to walt SO long She LETT me unsatlsied
and presume called elsewhere.
one young mother came TO me and said she had
actually paid woman $50, but up to that time she
was not relieved. Would undertake TO cure her?
No, certainly not; and begged her for her chldreu's
sake TO carry her unborn babe TO Its full time and
she left me promising me that she would Some
lew weeks afterwards was called upon to attend a
married sister or the above ana she Informed me
that her sister had submitted to an operation per.
formed by the WomantO whOm she had paid the $50
and that sne came very near losing her life then,
physicians having been summoned TO attend her.
ana that she was at that time still sick in bed Nov
what is TO be done when married women are guilty
Oh such a deestable crime that OF murler2-for It
IL nothing more or less-ride any well written
work on medical jurisprudence. Can you or any
medical or other persons Oaer such suggestions and
warnings that Will prevent such criInInaity or are
we, as fathers, TO be liable at any moment to have
our wives taken from us by having such tempting
Offers made them by such men as Lookup Evans,
WOir, kOsenzWeIg and Others
YOUNG PRACTITIONER
who was tanght tOlOOk upon the crime Of abortion
as murder, and murder in Its worst form.