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Taboo Tales: Abortifacients in America

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American media advertised abortifacients in the early to mid-1800s, but the 1873 Comstock Act made the "obscene" literature illicit. The creation and consumption of abortifacients persisted due to providers like Ann Lohman, also known as Madame Restell. This collection is a quick snapshot of abortifacient advertisements pre-1973, abortifacients marketed and consumed between the 1700s - 1900s, and actors who contributed to American attitudes surrounding abortion: Anthony Comstock and Madame Restell.

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