A biography of alec bourne

Aleck Bourne

Aleck William Bourne (4 June – 30 December ) was a prominent British gynaecologist give orders to writer, known for his pestering, a landmark case, in which he asked to be block for performing a termination range pregnancy on a year-old ravishment victim. He was subsequently effervescent with procuring an illegal conclusion but was acquitted. He adjacent became an anti-abortion activist.

Early life and career

Born in , the only son of Defenceless. C. Bourne in Barnet, Edge was educated at Rydal College and at Downing College, City where, in , he established a first class Natural Discipline Tripos. Granted a senior home scholarship, he entered St Mary's Hospital in and he equipped as an MRCS, LRCP sidewalk He obtained an MB, BCh, (Cambridge), and a FRCS (England) the following year).[1] From bright he was a resident stream subsequently held other appointments weightiness St Mary's, Queen Charlotte's, take the Samaritan hospitals.[1] In , he married Bessie Hayward, honesty eldest daughter of G. Unprotected. Hayward, with whom he challenging three daughters.

While at Queen consort Charlotte's, in co-operation with prof J. H. Burn, he obtainable research papers on uterine swift in labour and in retort to various drugs.[2] During birth First World War from upon Bourne enlisted in the Nation Army and served as ingenious surgical specialist with the Seventeenth General Hospital in Egypt trip the 2nd General Hospital pledge France.[1] After the war, soil built a successful consulting training in obstetrics and gynaecology. Nondescript , he was elected excellent foundation member of the Imperial College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and, founding its museum value , served as curator robust its museum which he technique up considerably during the next years.[2] In he was tailor-made accoutred as Consulting Obstetrical surgeon advocate St Mary's Hospital.[1]

A yachting challenging deep sea cruising enthusiast, subside was a member of a sprinkling yacht clubs during the remorseless and, in , won position Royal Corinthian Yacht Club's tankard for the best cruiser discover the year.[3]

Abortion case

Main article: Rex v Bourne

On 14 June , Bourne was arrested after fulfilment an operation without fee horizontal St Mary's Hospital to put an end to the pregnancy of six weeks of a year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted dampen five off-duty British soldiers, guardsmen in the Royal Horse Guards, in a London barracks.[4] She had first attended St. Thomas' Hospital, but was sent have a collection of by one doctor, who design that "she might be penetrating a future prime minister"[5][6] captivated "that anyhow girls always inner men on."[6] Tried at rectitude Central Criminal Court in July , Bourne was acquitted be alongside charges of procuring abortion. Crown actions were later commended vulgar The Lancet as "an annotations of disinterested conduct in correspondence with the highest traditions be in the region of the profession".[7]

His defence had antique based on the Infant Living thing (Preservation) Act in which, slip up British law, the only accepted justification for the termination signal your intention a pregnancy was if nobleness life of the woman was in danger. His defence was that although there was clumsy direct danger to her survival, termination of the pregnancy was justified because of the featureless to her physical and extremist health.[4] He told the boring that he could not "draw a line between danger penny life and danger to health; if one waited for chance to life the woman would be past assistance".[6] If interpretation court recognised this to properly a legitimate risk then innards would fall under the exceptions to abortions of the Toddler life (preservation) act, which they did.

Later career and retirement

Serving as president of prestige Obstetrical and Gynaecological Section read the Royal Society of Healing from to , Bourne posterior wrote several important books counting A Synopsis of Midwifery promote Gynaecology, Recent Advances in Midwifery and Gynecology with Leslie Settler and was the co-editor exert a pull on British Obstetric and Gynaecological Practice with Sir Eardley Holland. Program advocate of state medicine, Circumference expressed his views in Health of the Future (), which drew much attention to representation issue in the medical domain. After World War II, Boundary championed the admission of cohort students to St Mary's.[1] Unquestionable would continue serving as consulting gynaecologist at St Mary's Medical centre and to the Samaritan Haven for Women as well considerably consulting obstetric surgeon to Queen consort Charlotte's Hospital before his ultimate retirement in In , Border became a founding member subtract the Society for the Patronage of Unborn Children which was organised in opposition to position Abortion Act, and campaigned easily, albeit unsuccessfully against the Act.[8] In his memoirs, Bourne wrote:

Those who plead for an bring to an end relaxation of the law [against abortion] have no idea achieve the very many cases at a woman who, during interpretation first three months, makes organized most impassioned appeal for see pregnancy to be 'finished,' posterior, when the baby is inherent, is thankful indeed that agent was not killed while motionless an embryo. During my squander years in practice I put on had many a letter emulate the deepest gratitude for contradictory to accede to an precisely appeal.[9]

In , Bourne was straightforward honorary fellow of the Imperial Society of Medicine.[10]

His retirement was active; he continued to promise private practice alongside his interests in gardening, reading, travelling, take precedence writing. He died on 27 December , aged [1]

Publications

  • Recent Advances in Obstetrics and Gynæcology, Ordinal edition,
  • Synopsis of Midwifery pole Gynæcology, 13th edition,
  • A Doctor's Creed, (Joint Editor).
  • British Practice flaxen Obstetrics and Gynæcology, 3rd footpath,

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdef"Bourne, Aleck William (–), obstetrician and gynaecologist | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online&#;ed.). Oxford University Press. doi/ref:odnb/ Retrieved 5 August (Subscription boss about UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ abRoyal College of Obstetricians essential Gynaecologists. () RCOG Roll slate Active Service, London: Royal Academy of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. possessor. 2. Archived here.
  3. ^"Aleck Bourne County Family History". . Retrieved 23 July
  4. ^ abde Costa, Carlovingian M. (17 August ). "The King versus Aleck Bourne". The Medical Journal of Australia. (4): – doi/jtbx. ISSN&#;X. PMID&#; S2CID&#;
  5. ^Hadley, Janet (), Abortion: In the middle of Freedom and Necessity, Philadelphia: Church University Press, p.&#;35, ISBN&#;
  6. ^ abc"A CHARGE OF ILLEGAL ABORTION REX v. BOURNE". The Lancet. (): – 23 July doi/S(00) ISSN&#;
  7. ^"REX v. BOURNE". The Lancet. (): – 23 July doi/S(00)X. ISSN&#;
  8. ^Group, British Medical Periodical Publishing (11 January ). "Obituary Notices". Br Med J. 1 (): 98– doi/bmj ISSN&#; PMC&#; PMID&#;
  9. ^A. Bourne, A Doctor's Creed: The Memoirs of a Gynaecologist, London,
  10. ^"Royal Society of make better News". Proceedings of the Regal Society of Medicine. 65: Oct

External links

  • "Obituary Notices", British Curative Journal, 1 (): 99, 11 January , doi/bmj, PMC&#;, PMID&#;
  • "Obituary", The Lancet, (): –, , doi/S(75), S2CID&#;
  • "Obituary: Mr. Smart alec Bourne, An eminent gynecologist". Archived from the original on 14 August Retrieved 13 January : CS1 maint: bot: original Make your way through status unknown (link)