| Bertha Carlson, Illegal Abortion Death | |
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On February 20, 1916, 19-year-old Bertha Carlson died at South Park Hospital in Chicago from complications of a criminal abortion. Bertha was a white woman of English-Anglo descent. It is unclear from my source where the abortion took place. The "Circumstances" indicate "Immediate -- death occurred at the crime scene", but the narrative said that the abortion was "performed by unknown person at place unknown." Either way, it is believed that she died the day of the abortion, since the date of offense and date of death are the same. Note, please, that with 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 information about early 20th Century abortion mortality, see Abortion Deaths 1910-1919.
For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion
