§ 360. General considerations. An abortion is the delivery or expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before the natural time.1 As used in some of the statutes the word includes attempts to produce that result. And it is also sometimes used to denote the offspring

prematurely brought forth. It does not, in the abstract, necessarily import crime.4

Technically, and in a medical sense, miscarriage denotes the bringing forth of the fetus before it is perfectly formed and capable of living. But in its legal and popular sense it, as well as abortion, is ordinarily used to denote the expulsion of the fetus at any time before birth according to the course of nature. The terms abortion and miscarriage are now generally held to be synonymous, or practically so, and it has been said that both terms mean premature partu

rition. But some courts have preserved the technical distinction between them, and have held that they are not equivalent terms as used in the criminal law. Neither term necessarily includes the destruction of the child.10

Abortion was an offense at common law,11 at least when committed after the quickening of the child.12 And procuring or attempting to procure an abortion is now made an offense in most if not all of the states by statute.18 But a statute defining an attempt to procure an abortion as manslaughter without regard to the death of the mother or child is invalid, since there can be no homicide without loss of life.14

§ 361. Pregnancy. Whether actual pregnancy is an essential element of the offense depends upon the wording of the statute. It is essential, for example, under a statute which punishes the administering or furnishing of drugs to or the use of instruments upon, any "pregnant woman," or any woman pregnant with child, or being with child, or the like,15 or with intent to destroy the child

9 Weightnovel v. State, 46 Fla. 1, 35 So. 856; State v. Belyea, 9 N. D. 353, 83 N. W. 1.

10 Smith v. State, 33 Me. 48, 54 Am. Dec. 607; State v. Shields, 230 Mo. 91, 130 S. W. 298.

11 Colorado. Marmaduke v. People, 45 Colo. 357, 101 Pac. 337.

Illinois. Holliday v. People, 4 Gilman (Ill.) 111.

Maryland. Worthington v. State, 92 Md. 222, 48 Atl. 355, 56 L. R. A. 353, 84 Am. St. Rep. 506.

Nebraska. Munk v. Frink, 81 Neb.

631, 116 N. W. 525, 17 L. R. A. (N. S.) 439.

Pennsylvania. Wells v. New Eng. land Mut. Life Ins. Co., 191 Pa. 207, 43 Atl. 126, 53 L. R. A. 327, 71 Am. St. Rep. 763; Mills v. Com., 13 Pa. 631; Com. v. Weible, 45 Pa. Sup. Ct. 207.

Texas. Fondren v. State, 74 Tex. Cr. 552, 169 S. W. 411.

12 See § 362, post.

13 See the statutes of the various states and the following cases:

Weightnovel v. State, 46 Fla. 1, 35 So. 856; Depew v. Robinson, 95 Ind. 109; State v. Harris, 90 Kan. 807, 136 Pac. 264, 49 L. R. A. (N. S.) 580; People v. Abbott, 116 Mich. 263, 74 N. W. 529; Smith v. State, 112 Miss. 802, 73 So. 793; State v. Dargatz, 244 Mo. 218, 148 S. W. 889; State v. Shields, 230 Mo. 91, 130 S. W. 298.

14 State v. Young, 55 Kan. 349, 40 Pac. 659.

15 California. People v. Richardson, 161 Cal. 552, 120 Pac. 20.

And where the statute

of which a woman may be pregnant.16 punishes the administering of drugs to or the use of instruments upon any woman pregnant or supposed and believed to be pregnant, the woman must either be pregnant or the defendant must suppose and believe her to be.17 But where the statute denounces acts done "with intent to procure the miscarriage of any woman," it is immaterial whether she is actually pregnant or not,18 or whether the defendant knows, believes, supposes of suspects that she is.19 And some of the statutes in terms punish the administration of drugs or the use of instruments with intent to procure a miscarriage, whether the woman is pregnant or not.2

20

Colorado. Fitch V. People, 45 Colo. 298, 100 Pac. 1132.

Idaho. State v. Alcorn, 7 Idaho 599, 64 Pac. 1014, 97 Am. St. Rep. 252.

Illinois. People v. Patrick, 277 Ill. 210, 115 N. E. 390.

Iowa. State v. Stafford, 145 Iowa 285, 123 N. W. 167; State v. Stewart, 52 Iowa 284, 3 N. W. 99.

Nebraska. Dixon v. State, 46 Neb. 298, 64 N. W. 961.

New Jersey. State v. Loomis, 90 N. J. L. 216, 100 Atl. 160, aff'g 89 N. J. L. 8, 97 Atl. 896.

New York. Eckhardt v. People, 83 N. Y. 462, 38 Am. Rep. 462. Ohio. Wilson v. State, 2 Ohio St. 319.

Oklahoma. Williams v. Okla. Cr. 217, 182 Pac. 718.

State, 16

Oregon. State v. Clements, 15 Ore. 237, 14 Pac. 410; State v. Glass, 5 Ore. 73.

South Carolina. State v. Morrow, 40 S. C. 221, 18 S. E. 853.

Texas. Earnest v. State, 83 Tex. Cr. 257, 202 S. W. 739; Gray v. State, 77 Tex. Cr. 221, 178 S. W. 337; Link v. State, 73 Tex. Cr. 82, 164 S. W. 987. Vermont. State v. Howard, 32 Vt. 380, 78 Am. Dec. 609.

16 See Smith v. State, 33 Me. 48, 54 Am. Dec. 607.

17 State v. Brown, 3 Boyce (26 Del.)

499, 85 Atl. 797; State v. Magnell, 3
Pennew (Del.) 307, 51 Atl. 606;
Bassett v. State, 41 Ind. 303; Com. v.
Nailor, 29 Pa. Sup. Ct. 271.

18 Florida. Weightnovel v. State, 46 Fla. 1, 35 So. 856; Eggart v. State, 40 Fla. 527, 25 So. 144.

Massachusetts. Com. v. Surles, 165 Mass. 59, 42 N. E. 502; Com. v. Tibbetts, 157 Mass. 519, 32 N. E. 910; Com. v. Follansbee, 155 Mass. 274, 29 N. E. 471; Com. v. Taylor, 132 Mass. 261.

New York. People v. VanZile, 73 Hun 534, 26 N. Y. Supp. 390, rev'd 143 N. Y. 368, 38 N. E. 380; People v. Phelps, 61 Hun 115, 15 N. Y. Supp. 440, aff'd 133 N. Y. 267, 30 N. E. 1012.

Washington. State v. Russell, 90 Wash. 474, 156 Pac. 565.

England. Reg. v. Goodchild, 2 Car. & K. 293.

19 Com. v. Tibbetts, 157 Mass. 519, 32 N. E. 910.

20 State v. Steele, 280 Mo. 63, 217 S. W. 80; State v. Hawkins, Mo. - 210 S. W. 4; State v. Helton, 255 Mo. 170, 164 S. W. 457; State v. Shields, 230 Mo. 91, 130 S. W. 298.

The English statute providing for the punishment of whosoever shall supply or procure any poison or other. noxious thing knowing that the same is to be unlawfully used with intent

Pregnancy continues from the time of conception until delivery.21 "At any stage of utero-gestation," as used in a statute has been held to mean at any stage of pregnancy.2 22

§ 362. Quickening. It is an offense at common law to procure or cause an abortion, or to attempt to do so,2 24 after the child has quickened. On the other hand, according to the weight of authority, it is not an offense at common law either to cause an abortion, or to attempt to do so, before the child has quickened, provided the woman consents to what is done.25 But there are some holdings that the offense may be committed before quickening.26 And if the woman does not consent, the act is indictable as an assault upon her.27