18 MARCH 1960, Page 14

UNNATURAL CHILDBIRTH

SIR,—Mrs. Furlong is, of course, talking through her hat. For some reason she appears to have con- fused the 'mechanics' of bearing a child with birth itself, which, I suggest, is of rather a different nature to her 'number of other physical functions, all of which proceed best with the minimum of self- consciousness' (I presume she means eating and going to the lavatory, etc.).

`Procreation,' said Plato, 'is the nearest thing to perpetuity and immortality that a mortal being can attain.' And there's even more to it than that, as Mrs. Furlong could easily discover for herself if she concentrated less on being 'clever' and allowed herself to be more 'natural'—Yours faithfully,

CECILIA CHANCE

The Cottage, Baton, near Rugby, Warwickshire