Sir: I think Cato is a little unfair to suggest
that Dr. Potts (not Pott) and Rene6 Short would be happy to 'lie down' with Distillers. These whisky millionaires in good faith sent out to the public a most useful drug, thalidomide and many of us doctors must accept some responsibility for prescribing it to various pregnant women — again in good faith. My Scottish background preserved my patients from possible disaster. I thought the pills were far too dear! Distillers then were honestly trying to help sleepless anxious women ' over the hump' which is part of early pregnancy. Although they must pay out £20 million many doctors felt that as in any national disaster the taxpayer should have been asked to help the damaged children and their parents. No one has a right to question the good faith of Distillers' pharmacuetical wing. Out of the disaster has come one bright ray of sunshine. The foetus safely embedded in the womb has established ' its ' right to sue a drug firm or a drunken driver who smashes his mother and so injures 'him.' There is now a need in future abortion tribunals (which I believe the Lane Committee will advise) for a 'counsel for the unborn child.' I should be interested to hear from the Rt Hon Roy Jenkins on this since he is a lawyer and was in fact as Home Secretary — the midwife who delivered the 1967 abortion Bill. As we approach a yearly 200,000 legal' abortions — on-demand the need for protection of the unborn child is urgent. Hugh Cameron McLaren, Lawson Tait Professor of Gynaecology, University of Birmingham.
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