The spontaneous-abortion rate is suggested as probably about 5 per cent. of all pregnancies.
The evidence set before that Committee suggested that there has been an increase in criminal abortion in the last decade.
In England and Wales 13·4 per cent. of the total maternal deaths were due to abortion.
That Committee concludes that "illegal instrumentation contributes to an overwhelming degree to the mortality from abortion."
One of the most interesting investigations into this aspect of the subject is reported by Parish[1 ] in a study of 1,000 cases of abortion treated as in-patients in St. Giles's Hospital, Camberwell, during the years 1930 to 1934.
In 374 of these cases where instrumentation was admitted the febrile rate was 88·2 per cent., and the death rate 3·7 per cent., while in 246 cases with no history of interference and presumably spontaneous the febrile rate was 5·7 per cent. and the mortality rate nil.
The following table compiled by the Government Statistician shows New Zealand's position in comparison with eleven other countries:—
Puerperal Mortality per 1,000 Live Births in Eleven Countries, 1934.
| Total Puerperal Mortality. | ||||
| Country. | Septic Abortion. | Puerperal Sepsis following Child-birth. | Including Septic Abortion. | Excluding Septic Abortion. |
| Norway | 0·47 | 0·57 | 2·75 | 2·28 |
| Netherlands | 0·30 | 0·73 | 3·20 | 2·90 |
| New Zealand | 1·73 | 0·70 | 4·85 | 3·12 |
| Switzerland | 0·73 | 0·82 | 4·58 | 3·85 |
| England and Wales | 0·49 | 1·53 | 4·60 | 4·11 |
| Australia | 1·45 | 0·90 | 5·76 | 4·31 |
| Irish Free State | 0·07 | 1·73 | 4·68 | 4·61 |
| Canada | 0·58 | 1·23 | 5·26 | 4·68 |
| United States of America | 1·02 | 1·30 | 5·93 | 4·91 |
| Union of South Africa | 0·67 | 2·03 | 5·99 | 5·32 |
| Scotland | 0·38 | 2·30 | 6·20 | 5·82 |
| Northern Ireland | 0·32 | 1·85 | 6·27 | 5·95 |