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Abortion Through The Centuries

by: wingsofsuccess
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Word Count: 421

To abort means to stop in between. Aborting hence means to stop forcefully the fetus from developing into a baby.

While many people may think that the controversy surrounding abortion has been only a recent moral issue, abortion has always been a hot topic among even ancient societies. Abortion can be traced to as far back as the ancient Romans and Greeks who were actually great proponents of it; some of the most famous philosophers of the day actually wrote about it positively. There are many texts that exist today that not only argue the benefits of abortion, but also offer recipes and herbs that can be taken to terminate pregnancy.

Massage abortions were practiced in Southeast Asia since at least 1150 AD; a carving was fond in Cambodia representing this practice. There are also records of abortion existing in 12th century Japan. Abortion has seen many phases throughout history, the first written records show ancient civilizations in support of it, but as the Middle Ages progressed many nobles and clergymen began to speak out against it. Pamphlets were written advertising that it was an abominable sin, and many spoke out in the hopes of making it against the law.

Because of this shift in society's perception of abortion, women resorted to very drastic and deadly measures in the hopes of terminating pregnancies. Many women used their girdle to place enormous pressure on their abdomens as a means of terminating pregnancy. The 19th century saw many bans placed upon the practice of abortion; around this time many medical and scientific developments were also taking place which allowed for a sort of back door clinic for women in need of help. Advertisements were placed in newspapers offering things such as herbal pills for a "lady's remedy".

Ann Lohman, or Madame Restell as she was known, was a popular women's activist in the Victorian era who aided women with abortions. During this time in history abortions were illegal, so her job was very dangerous and secretive. She had clinics in both Boston and Philadelphia and was under constant scrutiny from law enforcement agencies. She placed a number of ads offering pills to women who needed to "regulate their menstrual cycle". She also spoke to many women, even those that were married, about the risks of having children and whether or not it was worth the emotional and financial burden. In 1878 she was arrested, but the morning before she was due in court she committed suicide.

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