w with no mortality, and that in a total of 175,000
operations in Moscow there were only nine deaths.

But now come most significant reports of the after-effects to these
operations, which state that 43 per cent. of these women suffered from
some definite illness as a result of the operation, and that "the most
enthusiastic Russian advocates of legalized abortion are appalled at
the growing evidence of serious pelvic disturbances, endocrine
dysfunctions, sterility, ectopic pregnancy, and other complications
following in the wake of artificial abortions."[3]

[3] "Abortion Spontaneous and Induced." Taussig.

A recognition of these remoter dangers has undoubtedly been an
important factor in bringing about the complete reversal of the
previous policy in Russia, where abortion for social and economic
reasons is now illegal.

The opinion of A. M. Ludovici, admittedly an extreme exponent, may well
be considered when, in "The Case against Legalized Abortion"[4] he
writes:--

"If only the disingenuous propaganda in favour of legalized
abortion would cease, and if only those who carried it on refrained
from dinning into the ears of an uninformed gallery of women the
alleged safety and harmlessness of abortion carried out under the
best hospital conditions, there would be less eagerness to face the
ordeal of criminal abortion.

"So long as ignorant women are led to believe that abortion, when
skilfully performed, is as easy and harmless as having a corn
extracted, they will naturally infer that it can be done just as
harmlessly in secret as in public, especially if they are assured
that the surreptitious abortionist is skilled, as presumably they
always are, and are, moreover, kept in total darkness concerning
the kind of operation that is necessary for the interruption of
pregnancy.

"If, however, they knew the truth, which is that artificial
abortion, even under the best hospital conditions, is a precarious
undertaking, so frequently leading to invalidism as never to be
'safe'; if, moreover, we spread the truth about Russia's legalized
abortions, and put a stop to the false reports circulated by
ill-informed enthusiasts regarding the ease and safety of skilled
induced abortion, we should be going a long way towards reducing
criminal or surreptitious abortion to vanishing-point."

[4] "Abortion," by Stella Browne. Ludovi