This sounds interesting

Too bad I'm nowhere near Bethesda, Maryland. But for those who are:

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE - History of Medicine Division

SEMINAR IN THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE: WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM

TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006, 2:00-3:15 pm, Lister Hill Auditorium Bldg 38A, NLM; Bethesda, MD

When Abortion Was A Crime: The Case Of German Measles

Speaker: Leslie Reagan, Ph.D.

German measles (rubella) had long been understood as a "nuisance" disease, but the 1941 discovery that German measles during pregnancy affected the fetus and could cause cataracts, blindness, deafness, heart defects, and mental retardation changed medical attitudes. As an epidemic hit the United States in 1963-1966, the CDC and the media warned the public of the dangers. Physicians around the world agreed that maternal rubella was an indication for a (legal) therapeutic abortion. This paper analyzes the eruption of an internal and religious conflict within medicine into state politics when state officials in California investigated the practices of highly reputable doctors.

Leslie J. Reagan is Associate Professor of History and Medicine at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

All are Welcome

Note: The next history of medicine seminar will be on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 2pm in the Lister Hill Auditorium. Prof. Matthew Warner Osborn will speak on "The Theater of Addiction: Delirium Tremens in Antebellum Philadelphia."

Sponsored by the History of Medicine Division, National Library of Medicine. Sign language interpretation will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Stephen Greenberg (301-435-4995), greenbes@mail.nih.gov or the Federal Relay (1-800-877-8339)

Due to current security measures at NIH, off-campus visitors are advised to consult the NIH Visitors and Security website at:
http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm