NOBODY KNOWS HOW MANY

Chronicle (Levin), 2 May 1946, Page 7

NOBODY KNOWS HOW MANY

WELLINGTON, Mav 1. That nobody knew of the nunibcr of abortionists oi' the number of abortions in New Zealand, was empliatieally asserted- bv two Tepresentative medical witnesses. ' Evideacc 011 flic subjcct

givcn Ihe previous day was criticisdd as being unsubstantiated by veritiable facts. Hr. T. R. liitchie, Heput^ Hirec-tor-Gciieral of Health, said his department's view, baclced by the experlence of various countries whicli had tried to find out how large was the proportion of induced abortions, was that it was ixupossible to be dogniatic. He quoted from a report of an inter-departmental coniiuittee wliich had investigated tlie subjcct in Britain in 1039. An admission that its estimates were a tentative view, was put forward. They amounted to 1G to 20 per ceut. of all pregnancics. The proportion of abortions that were spontaneous and the proportion induced, was an iiuprcssion. The comniittee had stated that perhaps 4.0 per cent. of all abortions miglit be duo to interference though there was no timi statistical foundation for the statement. The report pointed out that tigures were impossible to obtain. 11 was even ditticult for a doctoi- _vvho knew a woman's medical history, to dccide wliethcr an abortion. had liappeiicd. Dr. Ritchie added also tliat hereditary coxistitution inliuenced lnany, possibly nxost, cases 'of abortion, there being apparently a biological incoinpatibility bet'ween sonie ineu and women whicli prevented llieir olf spring -being borxi alive. A womau consi'dered induced abortion her own business and did not give ini'ormalion. Answering Mr. Algie,' a member of the comiiiittee, I)r. Rxtchie said he was nri^.tryiiig to 1uiniu1i.se Ihe 'si'gniticance of abortion. lle would ilot sub'scribe to Ihe stateineut that criminal aboftion was coniiuon in Neiv Ztialand. The MuMillan cdnimittee wliich investigated abortion iu 193G, stated it WaS cdmiuon ' bul that was au assumptiou. I'llnessds arising from abortion began to rise in the depression. Wiuce then Ihe number of cases and deatlis had fallen but nobody' could draw a conclusion from that that. tliere was less abortion, because sulpha drugs had cume into use for tlie cure of sepsis and only cases wliich liad serious consequences ontered hospital. The statement ofe AT i's. 11. klinehan, made lo the couuuittee tlie previous day, that every vear G(JU0 children were killcd by abortion, could not be proved or disproved. He would uot comment on the tigures given by Mrs. Minelianwithout iouking up oiiieial statistics. People wlio gave ligures should state the source so they could be checked. Lf a person were able to make snch statemeiits as that abortionists received £2U(J(J a year and lliat in some placcs there was oue to every thuusand people, the statemeiits sliould bc substantiated, • Asked by the Minister of Health, 11 011. A. 11. Nurdnieycr, lf Jie had auy suggeslioiis for tlie avoidauce of chiidiess marriages, Ur. liitchie said sterilit^y clinics had been started iu Meibourrie. They could not deal witli all applicants.' Ex'^laining the department's attitude 011 c'uiilraeepl'um, L)r. liitchie said it was realised total iiroliibitiuu of them niight increase the birthrato a little but it would increase tlie abortion rate and venereal disease rate. The question of a restriction 011 conlracepti ves and illicit sex relationsliip, was a moral oue and not oue to be dealt witli by law. lf tlie sale of certain drugs used | as abortafaciexits were restricted, other ! cominouiy useful drugs could bc uscd. Bub-f nspector J. J. Gallagher said Ihe Conijnissio/ner of Police agreed witli tlie reconimciidations of tlie coinmittee wliich considered the hbortion problem in 193G. "I think, although a num'ber of rather startling estimates have been made as to the number of criminally incluced abortions that occur in New Zealand, the actual figure can only be a matter of conjecture. Tbe true position is more oftexi understated than overstated," said Dr. P. P. Lynch, representing the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association. "!The cases of abortion and its complications which are sean daiiy in the general wards of any large hospital, leave no doubt that the number of criminally induced abortions in New Zealand in any one ye'ar is alarmingly large. Little. improvement could he made by legislative measur.es for legislation was useless as a means of increa'sing the moral tone."

Dr. Lynch said he did not think there was any foundation for the statement that abortionists obtained £2000 a year and they were one to a tliousand people in some districts. Hospital doctors got to know about abortionists in the district. He thought the number of "practising aboi'tionists " must be very small. He did not favour making exeeptions in the judieial system foi application to suspected abortionists.