Aleck Bourne
Aleck William Bourne (4 June 1886 – 30 December 1974) was a prominent British gynaecologist and writer, known for his 1938 trial, a landmark case, in which he was prosecuted for performing a termination of pregnancy on a 14-year-old rape victim. He was subsequently charged with procuring an illegal abortion but was acquitted. He later became an anti-abortion activist.
Early life and career
Born in 1886, the only son of the Reverend W. C. Bourne in
While at Queen Charlotte's, in co-operation with Professor J. H. Burn, he published research papers on uterine action in labour and in response to various drugs.[2] During the First World War from 1914 to 1917 Bourne enlisted in the British Army and served as a surgical specialist with the 17th General Hospital in Egypt and the 2nd General Hospital in France.[1] After the war, he built a successful consulting practice in obstetrics and gynaecology. In 1929, he was elected a foundation member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and, founding its museum in 1938, served as curator of its museum which he built up considerably during the following years.[2] In 1934 he was appointed as Consulting Obstetrical surgeon at St Mary's Hospital.[1]
A yachting and deep sea cruising enthusiast, he was a member of several yacht clubs during the 1930s and, in 1933, won the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club's cup for the best cruiser of the year.[3]
Abortion case
On 14 June 1938, Bourne was arrested after performing an operation without fee at
His defence had been based on the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 in which, under British law, the only recognised justification for the termination of a pregnancy was if the life of the woman was in danger. His defence was that although there was no direct danger to her life, termination of the pregnancy was justified because of the risks to her physical and mental health.[4] He told the court that he could not "draw a line between danger to life and danger to health; if one waited for danger to life the woman would be past assistance".[6] If the court recognised this to be a legitimate risk then it would fall under the exceptions to abortions of the Infant life (preservation) act, which they did.
Later career and retirement
Serving as president of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Section of the
Those who plead for an extensive relaxation of the law [against abortion] have no idea of the very many cases where a woman who, during the first three months, makes a most impassioned appeal for her pregnancy to be 'finished,' later, when the baby is born, is thankful indeed that it was not killed while still an embryo. During my long years in practice I have had many a letter of the deepest gratitude for refusing to accede to an early appeal.[9]
His retirement was active; he continued to undertake private practice alongside his interests in gardening, reading, travelling, and writing. He died on 27 December 1974, aged 88.[1]
Publications
- Recent Advances in Obstetrics and Gynæcology, 12th edition, 1962.
- Synopsis of Midwifery and Gynæcology, 13th edition, 1965.
- A Doctor's Creed, 1962 (Joint Editor).
- British Practice of Obstetrics and Gynæcology, 3rd edition, 1963.
See also
- George Lotrell Timanus
- Rex v Bourne
References
- ^ required.)
- ^ a b Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2014) RCOG Roll of Active Service, 1914-1918. London: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. p. 2. Archived here.
- ^ "Aleck Bourne Essex Family History". essex-family-history.co.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ S2CID 222020623.
- ISBN 1-56639-591-7
- ^ ISSN 0140-6736.
- ISSN 0140-6736.
- PMID 1089030.
- ^ A. Bourne, A Doctor's Creed: The Memoirs of a Gynaecologist, London, 1963
External links
- "Obituary Notices", British Medical Journal, 1 (5949): 99, 11 January 1975, PMID 1089030
- "Obituary", The Lancet, 305 (7898): 115–117, 1975, S2CID 208792584
- "Obituary: Mr. Aleck Bourne, An eminent gynecologist". Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
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