The Abortionist by Dr. X Anonymous Abortion Doctor Shares His Account of Performing the Illegal Procedure in 1962

Abortion, Medical Activism

First Edition

The Abortionist. Dr. X as told to Lucy Freeman. First edition. Doubleday and Company: New York, 1962. Measures 6 x 8.5 inches. 216 pages. Original blue dust jacket with the title. Gray cloth boards. Published 11 years before the passage of Roe v Wade which would legalize abortion until overturned in 2022, this book tells the story of desperate women seeking safe abortions. Its narrator, Dr. X, does not identify himself for fear of prosecution, but shares his medical opinion on the absolute necessity of safe and legal abortions as well as his experiences providing the illegal procedure for women without another option. He explains the surgical facts of the procedure along with the infrequent complications when performed by a professional. Dr. X averaged 27 abortions a day until his arrest and sentencing to 4 years in prison which he served. The time served left him a "crippled shadow of a man," by his own account. Dr. X performed over 25,000 abortions over the course of his career to rich and poor women alike, waiving the fee for those who could not pay it. The first personal story ever published in America of the secret world of illegal abortions, this account was crucial in the fight for legalization and has been made prescient once again. Previous ownership stamp on front and back free end papers, "Isaac N. Gatto, M.D." Small tears along edges of jacket. Light shelfwear to spine. Textblock clean and tight. Very good condition.

Item #18113

Price: $250.00