The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-02
Il New Method Of
Furnishing Criminals
Editor of The Tribune.

LullOf OIL Inc tribune.
Sir: one of the cssayists read a paper
in the Homeopathic convention recently
in session here which has attracted some
deserved attention. He objects to the
hanging Of criminals as a useless piece
of brutality, and as a substitute proposes
that they be preserved as mannalins on
which physicians may experiment pro bono
publicO. There certainly would be a meas
ure of poetical justice in this plan. 1t
would be very unlike the old Mosaic law,
Whose Sheddeth mans blood, by man
shall his blood be she'd" for it would re-
quire the shedder of blood to be used
as means Of preserving and perpetual
ing the lives of those he had not been able
to kill. And it would have another hui
manitarian result The habit physicians
have Of first trying their doses on their
wives and office boys is too well known to
need proof at this late day. This new
plan would relieve these overworked indi-
viduals Of some disagreeable experiences,
and many unwelcome Interruptions cf
their regular duties; and would supply
every physician with a subject for expert
ments outside of his own family.
But l am afraid that there are some diff
iculties about the project that DR.. Miller
has overlooked If this is intended as a
punishment, is it more or less severe than
the one now fixed by law for these
crimes? IT could not well be used by the
aAopathic physicians, as they have no sys-
TEN Of making the kind Of experiments
spoken of by the doctor. And as they
would get no advantage from it in this
way they would be likely to attack the
cOnsututionality OF the law on the ground
that it was iEtliCting "Cruel and unusual
punishment on the culprit. But per-
haps that might be compromised by al
lowing them to use the body of the Grim
inal as garden for the cultivation of
bacilli ana microbes. This would help
to keep peace in the family.
o
But what is to be done with the male
factor while this proceeding is being car
ried on? Is he to be out at large, or kept
confined in penitentiary? 1t certainly
would be necessary to have him cQrraled
in some way that the doctors could set
at him; otherwise it would put the men of
science to great deal of difficulty in
reaching him. And a man whose blood
was excited by an effort to escape from
the eXperimenter Oh bicycle or other
vehicle would not be in proper condition
for careful experiment. And then con-
| ilnement in ponitentiary would not keep
a man in proper state of mind and body to
make him good subject for such expert
ments.
q
Nor do / believe that a man with a MUIR
derous mtcrobc or a burglarious bacila in
his blood would be a proper person upon
whom to make experiments for the benefit
of persons not thus affected, Another diff
ticulty would be found in the matter of
diet. 1t is well known how necessary it
is to regulate the diet carefully in order
| to the success Of homeopathic medica-
tion. But the convict might refuse to do
this, and might insist on. drinking strong
coffee or using other Objectionable ar
ticles of food In order to remove all
these difficulties it would become neces-
sary' to have homeopathic sentence pro-
nounced so that the wardens might con-
troll the matter properly, And 1t might
be difficult II not impossible for our allo-
pathic judges to formulate such sem
tences. The result of all this would be
that homeopathy would have to be intro
duced into the practice of law as well as
of medicine,
Now all this proceeds upon the theory
that "Barkls is wllin'" But now sup
pose he is not "willin'," and what then?
A man who is being dosed and bored for
the remained of his natural life, as a pen,
atty for a crime committed years ago
might well be excused if he closed his
mouth when the doctor came in with his