sts, who
advertise themselves as such through innuendo, or through gaining this
kind of repute by the frequent commission of the act. Not a few women,
deterred by lingering modesty or some sense of shame, attempt and
execute it upon themselves, and then volunteer to instruct and
encourage others to go and do likewise."[40]

[Footnote 40: Black.]

Results of this Unnatural Crime.--It is the universal testimony of
physicians that the effects of abortion are almost as deadly upon the
mother as upon the child. The amount of suffering is vastly greater;
for that of the child, if it suffer at all, is only momentary, in general,
while the mother is doomed to a life of suffering, of misery, if she
survives the shock of the terrible outrage against her nature. It has
been proved by statistics that the danger of immediate death is _fifteen
times as great as in natural childbirth_. A medical author of note
asserts that a woman suffers more injury from one abortion than she
would from twenty normal births. Says Dr. Gardner on this point:--

"We know that the popular idea is that women are worn out by the toil
and wear connected with the raising of large families, and we can
willingly concede something to this statement; but it is certainly far
more observable that the efforts at the present day, made to avoid
propagation, are ten thousand-fold more disastrous to the health and
constitution, to say nothing of the demoralization of mind and heart,
which cannot be estimated by red cheeks or physical vigor."

An Unwelcome Child.--But suppose the mother does not succeed in her
attempts against the life of her child, as she may not; what fearful
results may follow! Who can doubt that the murderous intent of the
mother will be stamped indelibly upon the character of the unwelcome
child, giving it a natural propensity for the commission of murderous
deeds?

Then again--sickening thought--suppose the attempts to destroy the
child are unsuccessful, resulting only in horrid mutilation of its
tender form; when such a child is born, what terrible evidences may
it bear in its crippled and misshapen body of the cruel outrage
perpetrated upon it! That such cases do occur is certain from the
following narrative, which we might confirm by others similar in
character:--

"A lady, determined not to have any more children, went to a professed
abortionist, and he attempted to effect the desired end by violence.
With a pointed instrument the atte