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ABORTION AND THE LAW

To the Editor of THE LANCET

SIR,-Much publicity is being given in the laypress to an alleged breach by a distinguished medicalman of the law relating to abortion. The questionhas therefore been raised of how far this law is opento criticism on medical, social, and genetic grounds.We are aware that the subject is now being fullyconsidered by a Departmental Committee. But weunderstand that the findings of this committee willnot be made public in the immediate future.Many arguments have been advanced in favour of

widening the grounds upon which it should be legallypermissible for pregnancies to be terminated. It isto one only of these arguments-namely, the genetic-to which we would like to draw attention. Certainrecommendations have been made by a DepartmentalCommittee on Sterilisation as to the categories of

persons for whom facilities for voluntary sterilisationshould be made available on genetic grounds. Weassociate ourselves with these recommendations.From the biological standpoint, we consider a

sterilising operation to be a more significant anddrastic procedure than a termination of pregnancy,in that the first measure destroys fecundity, while thesecond does not. We therefore think that facilitiesfor the voluntary termination of pregnancy shouldbe made available to those persons specified by theabove-mentioned Departmental Committee as beingappropriate candidates for voluntary sterilisation.We further think that similar facilities should be

extended to women who have become pregnant asthe result of an incestuous union or of rape. That achild who has been brutally conceived as a result ofa criminal assault on its mother will be handicappedlater in life by environmental and nurtural factorscan scarcely be disputed. It is no less obvious thatthe child is liable to inherit from the father some, atleast, of the qualities which prompted the actionwhich gave it life. These are not qualities whichanyone would wish to be perpetuated.The force of these considerations has been recog-

nised by at least one foreign country. In Denmarkthere took effect on April 1st of this year a law

according to which a pregnant woman may have apregnancy terminated in the following cases :-

(1) If the termination of pregnancy is necessary inorder to avert serious danger to the life and health of thewoman.

(2) If the woman has become pregnant as a result ofan incestuous union or of rape.

(3) If there is obvious danger that the child, owing tohereditary disposition, will suffer from insanity, mentaldeficiency, from grave mental disorder, epilepsy, or seriousand incurable physical disease.

A translation of this law appears in the EugenicsReview, Vol. 30, No. 1 (April, 1938).The grim predicament of the mother, the future

well-being of the childthus inauspiciously launchedinto existence, and the interests of posterity, simul-taneously call for a widening of the grounds uponwhich abortion should be permitted.

We are, Sir, yours faithfully,HORDER (President),HAVELOCK ELLIS,JULIAN HUXLEY,W. LANGDON-BROWN,E. MAPOTHER,

R. RUGGLES GATES,J. A. RYLE,C. P. BLACKER

(General Secretary).

Eugenics Society, 69, Eccleston-square,London, S.W.1, July 20th.

REFRESHER COURSES UNDER THE MINISTRY

OF HEALTH

To the Editor of THE LANCET

SiR,-An article on this subject appears in yourissue of June 25th (p. 1453). It may be of interestto some of your readers to know that in 1925 theNorthumberland Insurance Committee, on the sugges-tion of Dr. Rutter, organised classes of a fortnight’sduration to be held under the auspices of theUniversity of Durham College of Medicine (now theMedical School, King’s College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne) ; and these courses have been held yearlyfrom that date up to the present time. Practitionersalso attended from Durham, Lancashire, Cumberland,and Westmorland, by arrangement with the panelcommittees of those counties.The Medical School now takes part in the present.

scheme of the Ministry of Health, and classes of a.

fortnight’s duration are being held three times a year.I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

R. B. GREEN,Dean of Medicine.

Medical School,King’s College. Newcastle-upon-Tyne,July 19th.

A "HARMLESS" HAIR DYE

To the Editor of THE LANCET

SiR,-Might I refer to my letter on p. 108 of yourissue of July 9th. It has been pointed out to me,and I agree, that, although I noted an analyst’sreport of a 10 per cent. solution of dichromate of

potash, nevertheless the instructions say that it is tobe used with an equal quantity of warm water. Asthis omission is open to misinterpretation, I would beglad to make this correction and addition.

Furthermore, if in further supplies of this productthis concentration is materially reduced, it is properto add that the zone of safety to its users would bevery considerably enlarged.

I am, Sir, yours faithfully,

Harley-street, W., July 19th. W. J. O’DONOVAN.

*** We have been informed that the said solutionwill not be issued at a greater strength than 3.50 percent. as delivered, so that diluted with an equalquantity of water it would be applied to the hair atonly 1.75 per cent.-ED. L.

SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF WIDOWS AND ORPHANSOF MEDICAL MEN.-At a meeting of the court ofdirectors of this society held on June 6th, with Mr. V vWarren Low, the president, in the chair, three newmembers were elected and the death of one was

reported. Grants amounting to f2423 were voted as

half-yearly payments to the 61 widows and 5 orphansin receipt of relief. Included in this sum was a specialgrant of f78 to enable three orphans to study for someprofessional career. A widow of a deceased memberapplied for relief and was voted an annual grant of f50from the ordinary funds and one of E25 from the Brickwellfund. It was decided that the proposed dinner to celebratethe 150th anniversary of the foundation of the societyshould not be held. Membership of the society is open toany registered medical man, who at the time of his electionis residing within a twenty-mile radius of Charing Cross.Relief is only given to the necessitous widows and orphansof deceased members. Full particulars may be obtainedfrom the secretary at the offices of the society, 11, Chandos-street, Cavendish-square, London, W.l.