19th century abortion death

On July 12, 1889, Annie Doran, from Cadlock City, Michigan, was found dead in her Chicago room from an illegal abortion performed that day.

The crime scene was described as a "Medical facility", with the additional notes, "Midwife, Abortion place" and "Clinic (e.g. abortion facility)".

The database notes that both Annie and the person arrested for her death were white, and that they were not related. The abortionist's name and profession are not given.

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 ordinary 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.



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

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