New-York tribune., 1901-05-19
private citizens will aid the doing OF one of
the most sorely needed public works in this city.
LIFE LET Us CHERISH"

LIFE LEI % tHEhfGH
4 somewhat startling though by no means
novel. suggestion was made by physician at
the American Congress of tuberculosis on
Wednesday, 1t was to the effect that when n
patient is seen TO be beyond doubt hopeessly i'll
with tuberculosis. helpless and severely suffer-
ing. treatment should he altogether palliative
and not remedial. The physician should strive
simply to ease the pain and keep the patient as
comfortable as possible instead of fighting a
losing battle for the brief proongation of life
Of agony. and he should do so even if such pal
liative treatment would actually tend to hasten
instead of delay the inevitable end Such
thoughts have often come to others in other
cases than tuberculosis Patients themselves
have desired thus to be treated and their rela-
tives have. in all love and tenderness. thought
it best. There has even arisen the question
whether in some agonizing cases. of cancer
in its most painful and malignant forms. it is
not iustthblc TO administer medicines which
will not only benumb the senses, but actually
hasten the happy release of the patieCt from
otherwise hopeless Woe.
The answer to all such ideas and suggestions
is apart from that of the involable sacred
ness of life. the inscrutable uncertainty which
involves every case, matter how confident
may be diagnosis and prognOsis We have in
mind the case of n woman who was pronounced
to be dying of one of the most painful and
incurable of all 'nown maladies. That was the
Judgment of era physicians. including one
Of the greatest specialists in the world, who
had long made particular study of her case
The physicians told her husband the case was
utterly hopeless and that a few weeks at most
would the end. and asked him whether he
would have them simply lessen her suffcrings as
nd lot bar i'm oro tiyp
ease or maintain to the end what they knew to
be a hopeless fight against the disease, and thus
have her last days filled with agony. \ harder
choice seldom comes 70 man to make. But the
husband answered unhestatingly, Fight it to
''thc end with every means known to your
''science!" That was three years ago. and the
woman is to-day alive. practically well and
happy.
There may not be many such cases, but there
are unquestionably some, in which even the
ablest physicians are mistaken in diagnosis and
prognOss, or in which some as yet inaXplicabe
circumstance Knocks the counsel Of the wise"
And every such one is 4 tremendous warning
against giving up hope too soon. The margin
of human error and of vital uncertainty Is at
best n broad one. those physicians who are
most masters of their profession are most ready
TO admit 1t should always be kept on the side
OF HE rather IMAM or death. Inc purpose or
the healing art is to heal The work of the
physician Is 10 save life from disease and death.
not to surrender 1t. Happily modern trumphs
OF surgery and chemistry have made it gencr-
ally possible 10 alleviate suffering while still
fighting disease. To 40 so more and more Is IA
worthy object of endeavor. But in any case.
however desperate the prime purpose of the
healing art is not to be abdicated in favor Of
its opponent and Zoe. Life let us cherish while
yet the taper burns