Although Magdalena was four or five months pregnant, prosecutors had no way of proving that she had felt movement in the fetus, so they could not prosecute Dr. Wolff.

The next day, a bill was introduced in Albany to eliminate the quickening distinction in prosecuting abortion cases. This would make it easier to prosecute abortionists like Wolff.

Magdalena's abortion was typical of illegal abortions in that it was performed by a physician.

Source: Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in American, by Marvin Olasky

Previous articles