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Abortion had been historically legal under common law in England, Scotland and Wales. Under English common law, abortions prior to 'quickening' - when the fetus could first be felt to move by the mother - was thought to be morally and legally acceptable. Under Scottish common law, abortion was defined as a criminal offense unless performed for 'reputable medical reasons,' a definition sufficiently broad as to essentially preclude prosecution. Following protests from medical professionals, who worried about the dangers of the procedure and that it was regularly carried out by non-medical personnel, abortion was made a crime in 1803, subject to the death penalty and exile. It was later was regulated under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1837, which eliminated the death penalty as a possible punishment, and the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, which eliminated exile as a possible punishment and made abortion or attempts to "procure a miscarriage" illegal under all and any circumstances.
Of course this did not mean abortions did not occur. While there was a steady increase in the use of artificial contraception , and women were making determined efforts to limit family size (household size, 1891: 4.6, 1931: 3.7), women did find themselves with unwanted pregnancies. Abortifacients were discreetly advertised and there was a considerable body of folklore about methods of inducing miscarriages. Amongst working class women violent purgatives were popular, penny royal , aloes and turpentine were all used. Other methods to induce miscarriage were very hot baths and gin, extreme exertion, a controlled fall down a flight of stairs, or veterinary medicines. So-called 'backstreet' abortionists were fairly common, although their bloody efforts could be fatal. Estimates of the number of illegal abortions varied widely - by one estimate, 100,000 women made efforts to procure a miscarriage in 1914Events January 4 77 seal hunters freeze to death on ice near Labrador January 5 Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor February 13 Copyright: In New York City the ASCAP (for American Society of Compos, usually by drugs.
The criminality of abortion was relaxed in 1929Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 See also 1929 in aviation 1929 in film 1929 in literature 1929 in mu when the Infant Life (Preservation) Act was passed. The Act allowed for abortion prior to 28 weeks if necessary to preserve the life of the mother on physical grounds. Social, psychologicalPsychology is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. It is largely concerned with humans, although the behaviour and thought of animals is also studied; either as a subject in its own right (see animal cognition), or more controversially, as a way of and other factors were still discounted.
The Bourne Ruling of 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai allowed for further considerations to be taken into account. The ruling came from the 1938 case of Rex v. Bourne following an abortion performed on a girl who had been raped. It extended the right of abortion to cover psychological grounds.
The gynaecologistgenitalia has long inhibited the science of gynaecology. This 1822 drawing by Jacques-Pierre Maygnier shows a "compromise" procedure, in which the physician is kneeling before the woman but cannot see her genitalia. Modern gynaecology has overcome these i concerned, Aleck Bourne , later becomes a founder member of the anti-abortion group SPUC ( Society for the Protection of Unborn Children ) in 1966Events January January 1 In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. January 2 Strike of public transportation workers in New York City ends January 13 January 3 First Acid Test at the Fil. The pro-abortion group, the Abortion Law Reform AssociationThe Abortion Law Reform Association is an organisation campaigned effectively after World War II for and the peak of its work was the Abortion Act of 1967. In Autumn, 2003, ALRA combined with the more radical pro choice group, National Abortion Campaign (, was formed in 1936Events January-February January 15 The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio, for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. January 20 Death of George V of the United Kingdom. His son Edward VIII succeedes him as King of th.
In 1939 the Birkett Committee recommended a change to abortion laws but the intervention of World War II meant that all plans were shelved. Post-war, after decades of stasis certain high profile tragedies, including thalidomide, and social changes brought the issue of abortion back into the political arena.