A pre-Roe tragedy they don't tout, lament, or even notice

"Amanda" was 19 years old when she traveled from Indiana to New York for a safe, legal abortion in 1970. She was 12 weeks pregnant.

The doctor performed the abortion on September 3. He was unable to remove any of the fetus or placenta. For some reason, he did not suspect a problem. He discharged Amanda and she returned home. Upon her return home, she suffered from pain, nausea, and vomiting, so she sought care from a physician in her community. She was admitted to the hospital with a perforated uterus.

Her doctor performed a lapartotomy, and found that the fetus was still inside Amanda's perforated uterus. The abortion was completed and the hole in her uterus was repaired.

After the surgery, Amanda had a series of complications beginning with difficulty breathing. On September 10, doctors performed a hysterectomy. Amanda continued to be treated in the hospital, but despite all their efforts she died on September 22.

I believe that Dr. Paul Jarrett was one of the doctors who tried to save her life. His story is here:

A few months into my residency, I came face to face with the issue of abortion for the first time. An 18-year-old Indiana University coed came into Coleman Hospital with lower abdominal pain. She related to me that she had been to New York City earlier that day to have a legal abortion performed at a clinic there. She had gotten on a plane at 8am at Indianapolis International Airport and flown to New York. She was taken to a legitimate clinic by a cab driver. She had believed she was two and a half months pregnant, but after the doctor had unsuccessfully attempted to abort the pregnancy, he told her she wasn't really pregnant after all and sent her home. She returned to Indiana on the 4pm flight as planned.

When she returned home in terrible pain, she realized she was in trouble and for the first time, told her mother what had happened to her. Her mother contacted her own gynecologist, who in turn referred the patient to Coleman Hospital to be evaluated by the resident on call--me.

Even though I was still wet behind the ears, I know that this pale, frightened little girl was still 10 weeks pregnant and her blood count was only half of what it should be. The private, attending doctor came in and took the patient to surgery immediately that night, where he repaired the hole that had been torn in the back of her uterus, which had caused her massive internal hemorrhage.

Over the course of the next few days, infection set in which did not respond to antibiotics, and we made the painful decision to perform a hysterectomy. Tragically, the shock from the infection severely damaged her lungs and her course was steadily downhill. As I helplessly watched, she slipped into unconsciousness and a few days later she died.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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1858: A tragic death, and a contemporary reflection

Ann Regan, "the daughter of a respectable widow" in Knightstown, Indiana, took ill on August 10, 1858. Her condition deteriorated over the next few days. On August 13, she went into a severe convulsion and died.

The next day an autopsy determined that somebody had used instruments to perform an abortion on Ann, resulting in her death.

An article in The Indiana True Republican lamented that Ann had lost her life along with her reputation, her widowed mother had lost her beloved daughter along with her reputation, but "the principal actor" -- the man who got her pregnant -- was seen the day after Ann's burial, "in a company of respectable men, laughing gaily and talking lightly," facing neither grief nor social censure. "Her blood is on his hands; but then you know his fine kid goves will hide all that."

Amen to that.

Interestingly enough, the same article that called for him to be shunned as a murderer never mentioned his name. Though it does seem to assume that his social circle knows of his guilt.



For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion

I have no information on overall maternal mortality, or abortion mortality, in the 19th century. I imagine it can't be too much different from maternal and abortion mortality at the very beginning of the 20th Century.

Note, please, that with overall public health 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 on this era, see Abortion Deaths in the 19th Century.

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1970: Indiana teen dies from New York abortion

"Amanda" was 19 years old when she traveled from Indiana to New York for a safe, legal abortion in 1970. She was 12 weeks pregnant.

The doctor performed the abortion on September 3. He was unable to remove any of the fetus or placenta. For some reason, he did not suspect a problem. He discharged Amanda and she returned home. Upon her return home, she suffered from pain, nausea, and vomiting, so she sought care from a physician in her community. She was admitted to the hospital with a perforated uterus.

Her doctor performed a lapartotomy, and found that the fetus was still inside Amanda's perforated uterus. The abortion was completed and the hole in her uterus was repaired.

After the surgery, Amanda had a series of complications beginning with difficulty breathing. On September 10, doctors performed a hysterectomy. Amanda continued to be treated in the hospital, but despite all their efforts she died on September 22.

I believe that Dr. Paul Jarrett was one of the doctors who tried to save her life. His story is here:

A few months into my residency, I came face to face with the issue of abortion for the first time. An 18-year-old Indiana University coed came into Coleman Hospital with lower abdominal pain. She related to me that she had been to New York City earlier that day to have a legal abortion performed at a clinic there. She had gotten on a plane at 8am at Indianapolis International Airport and flown to New York. She was taken to a legitimate clinic by a cab driver. She had believed she was two and a half months pregnant, but after the doctor had unsuccessfully attempted to abort the pregnancy, he told her she wasn't really pregnant after all and sent her home. She returned to Indiana on the 4pm flight as planned.

When she returned home in terrible pain, she realized she was in trouble and for the first time, told her mother what had happened to her. Her mother contacted her own gynecologist, who in turn referred the patient to Coleman Hospital to be evaluated by the resident on call--me.

Even though I was still wet behind the ears, I know that this pale, frightened little girl was still 10 weeks pregnant and her blood count was only half of what it should be. The private, attending doctor came in and took the patient to surgery immediately that night, where he repaired the hole that had been torn in the back of her uterus, which had caused her massive internal hemorrhage.

Over the course of the next few days, infection set in which did not respond to antibiotics, and we made the painful decision to perform a hysterectomy. Tragically, the shock from the infection severely damaged her lungs and her course was steadily downhill. As I helplessly watched, she slipped into unconsciousness and a few days later she died.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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1979: Gas gangrene kills teen abortion patient

Twenty-year-old Gail Ann Vroman had a safe and legal abortion performed on July 14, 1979, by New York abortionist Taskin Ratharathorn at Ft. Wayne Women's Health Organization. Within two hours, Gail was transferred to a nearby hospital. Gail died of massive infection on July 18. The coroner ruled that the death was caused by clostridium perfringens, or "gas gangrene."

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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Anniversary: Illegal abortion death, perpetrator unknown

Seventeen-year-old Miss Dorothy Jasinski was brought to St. Mary's Hospital in Chicago by two unidentified women on November 17, 1930. Dorothy was treated there until her death on November 29. The coroner determined that Dorothy had died from an abortion performed in Michigan City, Indiana, the day she'd been brought to the hospital. The coroner recommended identification of the person or persons responsible, and his or their arrest on charges of murder.



For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion

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Anniversary: Young woman dies of "gas gangrene" after safe, legal abortion

Twenty-year-old Gail Ann Vroman had an abortion performed on July 14, 1979, by New York abortionist Taskin Ratharathorn at Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Women's Health Organization. Within two hours, Gail was transferred to a nearby hospital.

Gail died of massive infection on July 18. The coroner ruled that the death was caused by clostridium perfringens, or "gas gangrene."

Gas gangrene generally occurs at the site of trauma or a recent surgical wound. ....

The onset of gas gangrene is sudden and dramatic. Inflammation begins at the site of infection as a pale-to-brownish-red and extremely painful tissue swelling. Gas may be felt in the tissue as a crackly sensation when the swollen area is pressed with the fingers. The edges of the infected area expand so rapidly that changes are visible over a few minutes. The involved tissue is completely destroyed.

Clostridium bacteria produce many different toxins, four of which ... can cause potentially fatal syndromes. In addition, they cause tissue death (necrosis), destruction of blood (hemolysis), local decrease in circulation (vasoconstriction), and leaking of the blood vessels (increased vascular permeability).

....

Systemic symptoms develop early in the infection. These consist of sweating, fever, and anxiety. If untreated, the individual develops a shock -like syndrome with decreased blood pressure (hypotension), kidney failure, coma, and finally death.

Search: James Brillhart

"Mistie Guthrie" was fifteen years old when her mother overheard her discussing an impending abortion at Indianapolis Women's Center on March 19, 1987. Mrs. Guthrie called the clinic on March 23, telling employees in two separate phone calls that she opposed the planned abortion for Mistie and would not give her consent.

Desperate for help, Mrs. Guthrie called her family's physician. He was able to get another phone number for the abortionist -- Dr. James R. Brillhart.

On March 30, Mrs. Guthrie called this phone number and reached another clinic where Brillhart did abortions. Mrs. Guthrie told the employee that neither she nor Mistie's father would consent to an abortion for their daughter.

Despite her mother's efforts to intervene on her behalf, Mistie was aborted by Brillhart at Indianapolis Women's Center, in violation of parental consent laws. Mrs. Guthrie believes that Mistie's sister signed the consent form.

On May 11, Mrs. Guthrie found an abortion-related suicide note from Mistie. She hospitalized her daughter at Community North Adolescent Psychiatric Unit for depression and guilt. As of June 22, 1987, the date Mrs. Guthrie filed suit against Brillhart and his clinic, Mistie was still hospitalized.

Mrs. Guthrie got a final kick in the teeth from society when her lawsuit was dismissed.