Many herbs have been documented as having abortifacient qualities, however much information regarding exact preparations and dosages has been lost. The herbs included in the herbal section that follows are the ones where sufficient information was gleaned from the historical and modern record to piece together the historical significance, the potential effects, and dosage ranges. Some of the information incorporates previously published work by Uni Tiamat, Herbal Abortion: The Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, published by Sage-femme! in 1994.
Acupuncture is an ancient method of abortion; however information on the techniques of acupuncture is only recently becoming available in western culture. Many significant acupuncture texts have yet to be translated into English.
Massage, as a form of self-induced abortion, is widely practiced in modern-day Asia and Africa, however, massage abortion has an ancient history.
Recent discoveries in self-induced abortion include homeopathy, yoga, and massage. Homeopathic abortive medicines are based on herbs that have a reputation as oxytocic abortifacients. The homeopathic medicines are highly diluted, yet are reputed to have a profound abortive effect with few negative side effects. Female yoga enthusiasts discovered fertility regulating aspects of postures that put significant pressure on the uterus. Psychic methods of self-induced abortion are part of healing modalities that incorporate the mind, body, and spirit.
Herbal Introduction
Knowledge of the abortifacient use of plants has been part of human knowledge for centuries. Sacred images of ancient abortifacient plants have persisted throughout centuries of civilization, even though knowledge about abortifacient use of plants has been largely forgotten.
Herbal abortifacients were considered sacred plants, closely connected to the after-life and the creator. Symbols of the plants became associated with the power of ancient Goddesses, and were worn during rites, used to decorate vessels, and used to decorate textiles. Many iconic images of abortifacient plants persist today, however their ancient symbolism is long forgotten. For example, Aristolochia, highly regarded as an abortifacient medicinal plant since ancient Egypt, was found depicted on a vase from Thebes.[100] Pomegranate, an abortifacient prevalent in many cultures, appears in ancient and contemporary art. Ancient hairpins carved from bone in the shape of a pomegranate have been found in Uzbekistan[101], and pomegranate is still featured on modern pottery vessels from Uzbekistan.[102] In Suzane embroidery from Tajikistan, the bride’s wedding cloth is embroidered with the symbolic representation of a blossoming garden, at the center is a pomegranate.[103] Women in ancient Greece wore gold hellebore flower ornaments on their clothing.[104] The ancient decorative use of pineapple as a decorative motif has been dated to AD 200 in Peru on ancient pottery vessels.[105] The paisley decorative design is suggested as evolved from a representation of the dragon arum.[106]
The heart symbol has been suggested as having been derived from the shape of the seed of silphium, an abortifacient plant that grew on the shores of Cyrene, Africa two thousand years ago.[107] The silphium plant was so highly regarded as a fertility regulator that it was traded throughout the Mediterranean. Images of the heart-shaped silphium seeds and Umbelliferae silphium plants were placed on the coinage of Cyrene. Efforts to cultivate silphium failed, and as the supply dwindled, the price increased. The silphium plant became extinct due to over harvesting; however, the heart symbol lived on.
The use of abortifacient herbs has been constant for thousands of years and continues today. However, modern methods of clinical abortion are superior in their effectiveness, safety, and lack of negative side effects. Women seeking abortion should first seek out clinical methods of pregnancy termination if at all possible.
In areas where abortion is restricted or illegal, women will often act on rumor when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Uninformed women have taken quinine[108] in repeated oral dosages based simply on a whisper, often resulting in continued pregnancy and liver failure. Women have taken a lethal dose of pennyroyal oil for lack of knowledge.[109] Women have sought out back alley abortion providers who may or may not be able to provide a safe abortion, and women have even resorted to shooting themselves in the belly with a gun if other options are unavailable.[110]
Although all self-induced abortion methods are inherently dangerous, some options are less dangerous than others. The goal of this work is to educate women regarding the history, modern use, and possible side effects of many self-induced abortion methods, so that fewer women will mistakenly rely on a hunch when faced with terminating an unwanted pregnancy.
As the knowledge of the risks of certain self-induced abortion methods moves into the collective consciousness through the worldwide web and word of mouth, women become more knowledgeable regarding the most effective and safest methods of self-induced abortion. Uni Tiamat[111] cautioned women about the use of pennyroyal oil to cause abortion. Many women the world over give thanks to Tiamat and others, including: Susan Weed (books and online discussion forums), Sister Zeus (herbal abortion information), Lost Clown at AngryforaReason.blogspot.com (herbal abortion discussion), WomenOnWaves.org (medical abortion information), Rebecca Chalker and Carol Downer’s book Women’s Book of Choices (herbal abortion, medical abortion, and menstrual extraction information), and Hesperian.org (MVA information). Through the dedicated work of these women’s rights advocates, better information on self-induced abortion has been made available to women in print and online, and pennyroyal oil poisoning has become very rare.
Abortifacient plants have not been exhaustively studied and are not completely understood in their actions, side effects, or effectiveness. Herbs used medicinally affect the entire body, not just the uterus. Many abortifacient herbs are known to have serious negative side effects. More research should be done.
A glossary of terms is included for the convenience of the reader (see Glossary).
Dosage ranges listed for herbs have been averaged by the author from several sources. The dosages are listed for educational purposes only. Each woman is unique in her body composition, constitution, and sensitivity. No single dosage recommendation is appropriate for every woman, so no woman should act on such information without appropriate professional medical advice after a thorough examination of the facts of her particular situation (See Appendix G).
Of the plants listed, green papaya and fresh cotton root bark stand out for their reputation of having few negative side effects and of being effective to induce abortion beyond the first few weeks of pregnancy. Homeopathic preparations and psychic abortion methods also seem promising. However, further research may bring more light to these abortion inducers. They may have negative side effects that are yet to be discovered, so each woman should do her own research on the latest findings to supplement the data presented in this book.
101
San’at Art Magazine, “From a History of Headwear in Uzbekistan,” http://sanat.orexca.com/eng/3-4-05/from-history.shtml (accessed August 20, 2008).
102
Rustam Mirzaev website, “The Blue Ceramics of Uzbekistan,” http://www.travelcentre.com.au/travel/Central_Asia/blue_ceramics_ of_uzbekistan.htm(accessed August 20, 2008).
103
Advantour website, “Tajikistan – Traditional Crafts,” http://www.advantour.com/tajikistan/crafts.htm(accessed August 20, 2008).
106
Jacobsthal, “On the Evolution of Forms of Ornament,”
107
Uni Tiamat,
109
Ilene B. Anderson, Walter H. Mullen, James E. Meeker, Siamak C. Khojasteh-Bakht, Shimako Oishi, Sidney D. Nelson, and Paul D. Blanc, “Pennyroyal Toxicity: Measurement of Toxic Metabolite levels in Two Cases and Review of Literature,”
110
Linda McNatt, “Woman Charged with Shooting Self to Cause an Abortion,”
111
Uni Tiamat,