Edelin said that all his actions were in accordance with "accepted medical procedure."

He also said that the decision to "go ahead with the hysterotomy for the purposes of abortion" was approved by Dr. James F. Penza Jr., then associate director of the Boston City Hospital obstetrics and gynecology department.

Penza testified under prosecution examination in early January that the extent of his involvement with the patient during her stay at Boston City Hospital was in regard to the saline infusion attempts.

Flanagan said during a recess Friday, "Somebody isn't telling the truth."

Penza could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Edelin testified Friday that in the course of the hysterotomy operation, the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus "unfortunately" broke, and that this rupture made it "difficult" to extract the fetus.

He said that from the point of incision of the uterus to removal of the fetus, the operation took "a couple of minutes."

Edelin said that he sought to determine whether the fetus's heart was still beating before handing the fetus to in nurse, by placing his finger on the chest of the fetus.

Heartbeat

He said that he observed no heartbeat.

Homans established that obstetrics and gynecology department regulations, set up by Edelin as chief resident in 1973, dictated that if a "live" fetus was delivered in the course of an attempted abortion by hysterotomy or saline infusion, it was to be taken immediately to the new-born nursery.

Homans concluded his examination of Edelin, before 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Flanagan opened his cross-examination by questioning the medical sources Edelin said he relied on in performing abortions.

The prosecutor cited three texts and asked Edelin if say book allowed for abortion on fetuses of over 20 weeks gestational age.

The prosecution alleges that the involved fetus was between 24 and 28 weeks old. The defense claims that it was between 20 and 22 weeks old.

Edelin acknowledged after skimming passages from the tests that he could not find references to abortions in excess of 20 weeks fetal age, but that none of the books "set an upper limit" on abortion