The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-04-10
EutllanaSia.

The following letter, written by Pro-
lessor Newman, of England, declaring
suicide to be duty under certain circum-
stances, is the occasion OF wide discussion
both in that country and in this. 1t is
here printed as a literary curiosity and to
show the direction one of the leading
minds of England is taking;
SIR write to you at the request of Mr.. Lio-
mel Tollemache, who fancies, rightly or wrong
est you.
He remarks that you seem to regard it as a re-
ductio dd dbSurdum to his views of euthanasia
that they would make out suicide to be sometimes
a duty; Many years ago had full reason to be-
intellectually deserving high csteem) in an ILL
ness lingering and hopeless, withdrew himself
from lie somewhat prematurely by means of
choroform. have no doubt whateverit was un-
der sense of duty. 1t led me to sound persons
now and then as to what they thought of thus ter
mlnating life, in case of hopeless disease, es-
was to the effect, III give no opinion but there
are many who think painful, useless, and hope
less life ought to be ended" If the present dis
fear of odium. it would be Valuable. l should
like to have the Commissioners who visit lunatic
asylums called on authortativey for their sincere
opinions on the subject
Somewhat earlier, in reading travels, perhaps
Mungo Parks travels and accounts of North
American Indians, was led to mediate on such
cases as that of party forced to travel rapidly
through forest or desert where one of them sud-
denly fails in strength If the rest stay to carry
him, all will perish They reluctantly leave him
behind. Sometimes he begs to be killed, lest he
perish of slow starvation, or by vermin devour-
ing him. The facts, confess, led me to the con-
yiction that we overstrain our reluctance to short
en- life. But to fear to leave a human being to
perish alone, especially at his command, when
else others will perish uselessly for him, seemed
to me like the case which very often occurs in
sickness, where tending the sick ruins the health
of those round him; where the strong and young
are crippled, that an old person may miserably
lnger few months longer. /, for one, look
with horror on allowing tender kinsfolk to sacr-
flee youthful health in order to add days or weeks
to my life when worn out,
OF course it is evident that irregular and
stealthy self-destruction, against the moral opn-
ion of community, has contingent evils far
greater than could occur if such practice We're
publicly sanctioned under fixed conditions.
take it for granted, that as marriage, adoptions,
wills are in every well-organized State registered
under public officers, so if euthanasia were legal
lied, 1t would be with like securities against
abuse The registrar would be required to inter-
rogate the patient before witnesses, who would
attest his desire of death and medical test-
mony be added as to the hopeessness of recov-
cry. Near kinsfolk now earnestly desire the
death of patient, when he 6 suffering agony, or
even delirium and painful delusons, without
hope. do not understand how any one can fear
abuse, if death were legalzed under deliberately
planned restrictions such as have hinted l
am, sir, ETC., FRANCIS W. NEWMAN.
Weston-super- Mare, February, 1873.