Wednesday, March 23, 2011

1905: Chicago midwife's fatal work

On March 23, 1905, Mrs. Ida Pomering died in Chicago from an abortion performed earlier that day.

A midwife named Apollonia Heinle was held by the coroner's jury for Ida's death.

Dorothy's abortion was atypical of pre-legalization abortions in that it was not performed by a physician.

Note, please, that with issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good. For more about abortion and abortion deaths in the first years of the 20th century, see Abortion Deaths 1900-1909.


Source: Homicide in Chicago Interactive Database

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