Why not? A book for every woman

In Short

This book is a prize-winning essay commissioned by the American Medical Association in 1865 to address the increasing prevalence of forced abortion. It functions as a direct address to women, arguing that the termination of pregnancy—at any stage—is both a moral crime against the fetus and a severe physical hazard to the mother. Through a blend of medical observation, ethical argument, and social critique, the text attempts to dismantle the period’s popular misconceptions, ultimately seeking to reshape public opinion and preserve what the author identifies as the sanctity of human life.

The Story

The narrative begins with the official mandate of the American Medical Association, which seeks to end the pervasive silence surrounding the "tragedy" of induced abortion. The author sets the stage by positioning himself not merely as a medical professional, but as a concerned witness to a widespread social rot. He acknowledges that while infanticide has existed throughout history in various cultures, the specific practice of induced abortion has recently permeated even the respectable, educated, and married classes of American society. He frames this as an alarming trend, suggesting that if the profession does not act immediately, the moral and physical health of the nation will continue to decline.

The arc of the argument follows a path from moral condemnation to clinical warning. Initially, the author addresses the soul of the reader, insisting that the fetus is a living human being from the moment of conception. He invokes historical, religious, and legal authorities to underscore that terminating this life is equivalent to murder. He anticipates objections by acknowledging that many women are acting out of ignorance—a lack of understanding regarding the biological reality of the fetus—or out of a desperate social pressure to maintain a fashionable, unencumbered lifestyle.

As the text progresses, the focus shifts from abstract morality to the physician’s cold, hard evidence of physical pathology. The author insists that modern women operate under the "fatal error" that they can terminate a pregnancy with impunity. He details the medical consequences: hemorrhage, chronic pelvic inflammation, lifelong invalidism, and the heightened risk of mortality compared to full-term childbirth. By presenting these grim clinical realities, he attempts to pivot from moral shaming to a pragmatic, self-interested appeal. He argues that the very anatomy of the woman is designed for the successful completion of pregnancy, and that interference with this natural function is the root cause of the widespread "uterine diseases" he encounters daily in his practice.

The conclusion of the book expands the scope to political economy. The author presents data suggesting that the native-born American population is in decline, a phenomenon he attributes directly to the widespread use of abortion. He calls for a renewed cultural dedication to childbearing as a duty, while simultaneously defending his own controversial support for the use of anesthetics during labor. He concludes by firmly placing the burden of change on the medical profession, asserting that only doctors can guide the public, inform the legislature, and provide the moral backbone necessary to correct this "foul sore" in the body politic.

How It Unfolds

The professional mandate The author explains that the American Medical Association, representing the nation’s medical elite, has officially declared it a duty to address the rising frequency of abortion. He frames this as a necessary, long-overdue public intervention into a private crisis that the profession previously ignored out of embarrassment or hope that the problem was trivial.

The moral and legal foundation The text asserts that a fetus is human from the moment of conception, relying on historical legal precedents and religious ethics to define abortion as a form of murder. The author argues that no social or personal inconvenience can justify the intentional destruction of this life.

The clinical reality Moving from the spiritual to the physical, the author outlines the severe medical risks associated with interference in the reproductive process. He cites specific case studies to demonstrate that induced abortions are statistically more dangerous to the mother than childbirth itself, often leading to permanent reproductive damage.

The social argument The analysis broadens to include the decline of the native-born population, linking demographic trends to the personal decisions of married women. The author concludes by critiquing the influence of fashion and luxury, which he believes have blinded society to the fundamental purpose of marriage and the responsibilities of motherhood.

The People

Horatio Robinson Storer serves as the central voice and guide. He is a man of intense professional conviction, acting as the bridge between the medical establishment and the public. He wants to save women from their own ignorance and what he perceives as a self-destructive moral decline. He is limited by his own period's rigid, sometimes paternalistic, moral framework, yet he is also a man of genuine, if stern, empathy who believes he is protecting the lives of his patients.

The women of America are the intended audience, though they are often described as the "chief players" in the drama. The author portrays them as being caught between the "wretched" influence of fashion, the "selfishness" of their husbands, and a profound, willful ignorance of their own physiology. He wants them to reclaim their "highest duty" as mothers.

The "wretched wretches" are the secondary antagonists—the abortionists and peddlers of drugs who profit from the desperation of women. They are the clear villains in Storer’s narrative, characterized as heartless exploiters who feed on the "lust" and "blood" of their victims. Unlike the women, whom Storer believes can be educated and saved, these figures are dismissed as entirely irredeemable.

In Its Own Voice

"To extinguish the first spark of life is a crime of the same nature, both against our Maker and society, as to destroy an infant, a child, or a man."

The author employs this as a core argument for the inherent moral status of the fetus from the moment of conception.

"A larger proportion of women die during or in consequence of an abortion, than during or in consequence of childbed at the full term of pregnancy."

This stark medical assessment serves as the foundation for the author's argument that abortion is a dangerous, physically ruinous act for the mother.

"If the community were made to understand and to feel that marriage, where the parties shrink from its highest responsibilities, is nothing less than legalized prostitution, many would shrink from their present public confession of cowardly, selfish, and sinful lust."

This statement captures the author's intense, moralistic condemnation of what he views as a widespread social evasion of the duties of parenthood.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is a desperate struggle to define the boundaries of the medical profession’s responsibility in a changing society. The argument is that biology is destiny: the female body is explicitly designed for the "natural function" of reproduction, and any deviation from this is not merely a social choice but a physical violation that results in disease. Underneath the clinical language is a deep anxiety about the shifting nature of the American family and a perceived loss of moral order. The text asks whether a society can survive if it prioritizes comfort and fashion over the "highest duty" of childbearing, placing the physician in the role of both a moral arbiter and a scientific guardian of the nation’s future.

Why Read It Today

This book is a challenging, intense, and deeply period-bound artifact. Readers who appreciate the history of medicine, the development of public health rhetoric, or the evolution of societal attitudes toward reproductive rights will find it a compelling primary source. It is not a detached sociological report; it is a polemic, written with the urgency of a man who believes he is witnessing a national catastrophe.

Modern readers will likely find the author’s tone patronizing and his views on gender roles highly restrictive. He speaks to women as if they are fundamentally defined by their reproductive capacity and often blames them—or their desire for "fashion"—for the dilemmas they face. Yet, precisely because of these limitations, the book offers a window into the 19th-century mind, capturing the intense moral and social pressures of the era. The writing is precise, earnest, and often harsh, providing a vivid example of how medical authority was used in the mid-1800s to enforce cultural norms. It is not an easy read, but it is an essential one for understanding the long, contentious history of the debates that still surround these topics. If you seek to understand the intellectual foundations of the 19th-century anti-abortion movement, this text is the definitive starting point.