The Osceola times., 1885-10-10

The fact that narcotics were freely
used throughout the illness of General
Grant to secure sleep. ease and freedom
from pain. and were asked for by the
patient and promised to him openly by
his physicians, in the event Of their being
needed, TO procure quiet and painless
death, seems to have been accepted quite
as matter of course by people in gen.
eral. Only very few years ago, how
ever, the idea of moderatng the fear or
assuaging the pains of death by the use
of narcotics or stimulants would have
been horrifyins TO the great majority of
Christian people. This rapid and very
marked change OF opinion, whatever
lis cause may be and however moderate
the degree of attention bestowed upon it
by the public, has been very closely OBJ
served by physicians, and in the belief
Of some of them, as stated to the re-
porter, will bring about an increased use
Of sedative drugs for distressed and
dying patients.
In discussing the matter physicians
are necessarily drawn to its logical
consequences. and these may be
summed up in the question. "Have
we right under certain circumstances
TO cut short our lives?" In one of the
recent articles on the subject by DR..
Amick in the Cincinnati Medical Jour
nal an abstract is given Of the question
as formulated by y prominent member of
the Birmingham Speculative Club. The
statement is interesting, from the fact
that it is accepted by many medical men
as being far exposition of the argu-
ment. The term euthsnasia, or ian
easy DEATH is described as intended to
convey the following meaning:
THAT in all cases OF hopeless and painful
illness IL should hc the recognized duty OF
the medical attendant whenever so desired
by the patient. to administer chloroform or
other anUsthciic, so us to destroy conscious
ness at once ani put the suffer TO quick
and easy doalh, all nocdful precautions be-
ing adopted 20 prevent any possible abuse OF
such duty, and means being taken TO estab-
lsh beyond the possibility of doubt that
the remedy was applied at the express wish
OF the patient"
In defending the act the writer says:
"Cascs of this class abound on every hand,
and those who have had to witness suffering
of this Kind. and to stand helplessly by,
longing TO administer to the beloved one, yet
unable TO bring any real respite or relief,
may well be impatient with the easy gong
spirit that sees in all this misery nothing but
the appointed lot of man. and that opposes
a, almost ilnpious every &C cmpt TO denl with
il enectually. why should all this suffering
be enduredy The patient desires To die; his
lie can no longer be of use TO Others, and
MS become an intOlcrablc hurdcnto himself.
The medical att ndant Is AT the bedside with
all the resources of his knowledge, and co Id
bring immediate aud permanent relief. Why
should his not doing so be recognized as a
sovereign dutyF
To the objection that this would vio-
late the sacrcdness of life, the writer
says:
Mature knows nothing OF any such sacred
ness for there is nothing of which she is so
pro1igal And man has show little sense OF
the value of human life when his passions or
lusts or interests have been thwarted by MS
brother man, on seem likely 10 be forwarded
by his destruction. A sense OF the value OF
his own individual life man has indeed sell
dom been deficient in; ana, ny q klnd OF re-
flcx action this sense has slowly given biith
10 and always underlcs the sense. such as
is, of the value of other mems lives. But IN
Europe to-day the sncredncss OF man nle
Is thrown to the winds the moment natInnal
or political passion grows not Indeed, u ~
hard to understand the meaning Of the word
sacred when applied TO life. except in SO Tar
AS IL may signify the duty lald on cach nnan m
OF using his life noby while he mas u Inc
man who is ever ready TO face death Tor
others sake, 20 save others from gfihdlng
pain, has always been reckoncd hero ana
what Is heroic II done for another is surrey
permissible ~ done for ones self Ihe man
who could voluntarily give up his life 10 save
another from months OF SLOW torture "puIn w,
win erybody's good word. why snouiu ne
be debarred from taking IKE step Whcn ine
10. "a lti ms
NOR urged that the sacrcdness oil II rs N'o'
lated by existing medical practice, wheh III
eases of extreme ana hopeless suherins
physicians administer drugs wnlcn sine p
present relief mt the expense OF shorte mug
the patients life. II II is ob1cctcc INA, SUI SUI
mission TO the will OF Providence iornias ,ne
shortening of pain by taking me- py % .un
same principle we should submit 10 the VIII WI,
Of Providence, and not seek to escape any
pain"
DR. Amick adds:
Some approach death with calm co,nte,
nance and serene mind, others are raekeu
with pain and suffering. For hours ana eNcn
days, they writhc and proun between ny y ~. a.
death Its in this class of cases In ~n,rr ,cs.
is proposed to give the hopeless sunerer rcs-
spite from his agony, and cuthanasia Is suk
gested. A hypodermic injection OF noi i pub pnnS
IN such cases would result IN geh.iai ~ W,
lasting slecp, aud as the irritation Una, W
isted In the boly became lcssened, the mlnu
would gradually relax its hold upon tne ~ "a
TEN, aud its departure would be so easy a,,' n,u
quiet that spectator would scarcely recus
nlze il was going until II was gone. hm,na, s.ss
nnsia is recommends only in those cases
where there is continued pain ana agony
where there is no chance for recovery, auu
the patient wishes to be freed from MS h''e-
cry"
Several New York physicians were
asked by San reporter what thev
thought about the foregoing arucic'
They generally agreed that the primer
Piles contained In it were sound and hu-
name. But when asked how the gen
eral adoption of such ideas was hkeiy
to operate in practice, they grew eau.
tious and thoughtful. One well-Kno"h
doctor said:
"This matter of allowing a doctor 10
kill patient when, in his judgment, ne s
is destined to have prolonged ano
painful death struggle. is a very serious
one. The doctors Judgment may DC AZ
fault. or the patient may, having an IN
curable disease. simulate so Intense a
rsin. ,h-: /. ,rrr!. doctor Nigh. CONSENT