BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-01
SAN JUAN, MARCH J
The "Merciful Crime. 2

: For. some reason or other there bas
sprung up a new interest in the OLD
question az to whether it wou'd not be
desirable to legalize the putting to death OF
persons afficled by incnrable and painful
disease when they themselves should, after
. Jul consideration, request that TINS pe
done. A bill has even been introduced Into
thelower House of the Parliament OF SaIony
permitting ply sicisus to sccede to such a
request, after. the observance OF certs II
formaliiies Intended to prevent This perm g.
sion being used TO facilitate the commission
OF a crime. The same su ject has been
made thcms OF fiction in England. and
forms tie basis of novel of pu pose lately
published. Tue London s'Speetatol" has,
therefore, summed up very jadiciouely the
arguments for and against the legalizatlon
Of euthanasis.
There is no doubt that modern sediment
has considerably sotteped in its way o1
looking upon su eide fIom the moral point
of view. Although suicide is in this state
and in &c me foreign countries still regarded
Nv the law az crime, this is not the feeling
with which the community thinks OF it. II
is generally accepted ss charitable bypoth'
esis that no person in his right mind ever
takes bis own lie and, therefore, we have
come 10 lock upon su; eide, under ordinary
circumstance, as evidence Of mental aliena
ton, and We speak tf it sJmpathetically.
prtc sely as are speak of the result Ct any
unavoidable disease. This marks one steT
toward the notion which the ancients held
according to which suicide was not merely
On act free from moral guilt, Tut vas, under
certain. contingencies, 10 be commended d
The Stoics, indeed, he'd that Whenever
Lumsn being reached q point at which ht
was unable to maintain . philosophical at
tilude tosrard life-that is to say, an at
titude of entire tranquility ought to pnt
IN end TO his tx stence, accepting ths
suffering or the misfortune which rendered
life unendurable ss . summons from God
This is the feeling which uDdsIlies the
argument for su'banasia-ihe feeling thai
an all-meIciful God cannot desire any o.
his creatures to live in anguish perhaps
tor years. Tie modern temper OF NJ nt
and the modern softness have, in fact
induced in us dread of pain so great al
to make even death itself seem justifiabls
% last heroic +. msdy against it. Whsl
orject, it is said, is served by torture achicf
goes on and on and " hich we know mus
continue go leng IS life eI6urss, without
aIleviation and without benefit to tbt
ssiiarer or anything hus grief TO all hii
iriendt5 Therefore some persons argue tha
such . law rs the one which the Ssxor
Parliament has been considering is .nuct
TO he desired in every country hence il
-.-l1 ~ Int uuhaltv m oreif f11i
!. is perfectly well known that physician!
now take en- iheHselves the responsibility
of ending lie txis:eIce of new wborn infants
when tLese are SO m ssbspen or so lrna:ura
in their develop meBt as 10 make it quite
Impossible for them to grow up into normal
msn ard ' omen. Tne ltgallslDg ofeuthan
asia ptu'a .btD 9 only sn extension. O.
Esmtthirg y Il cb il slr. ady Isciil, permitted
sLd would Involve no new or starting
pri ciple.
Yet, however plsusble these srguments
may seem, The Arguments upon the Other
side are still more ioTeibIe and will prob
ably prevent Law makers from ever giving
iLelr formal ssnction 10 any kind Of eutha
pasis. AS the ssSpt atur bays: ssThe
perld seldom mttes m stsSs when IFS self
prots csien Is concerned, and to give sncb
power to whole pTois ssion would dstlnc'y
lessen it's sscuIity.u In the case of wealthy
persons, of statesmen, ard OF great party
leaders Is well rs Of kings and princes,
there w uid always exist intense suspicion;
Tor many persops-expectant beiIs or en-
yieus rivals or public entmief-WCuld be
regarded IS having 30 lmmediAte interest
in putting The sick man cut Of the wsy,
ard even though every possible prec suti9D
nbluId be tsken and though The patitn ni
should mself consent, thousands would
believe that be bad been done to death and
would CRY aloud the charge OF murder.
Coz fidence would be stranger 70 the
household, and when men fell Ill and grew
mob d. se sick men do, their disease,
whatever l. might be, would have for them
~ added terror Finally, physicians would
constitute class apart from the community
1t large, with rights far d.iitTtnt from those
phich other mer psssess, and this IN The
end would render the Tbysician an oi irct Of
mjstr1st Such mistrust Is already felt b]
many persons with regard TO specialists
IN mental alienation, since these men bave
been known to sign away mems liberty for
brIbs and to copsikn them, although sane,
- the borrcrs Of The madhouse. This feel
ing you'd be doubIy strong and i would
ls directed against PHYSICIANS As class 4
The law SLOWED them under any cirfum
sfeDcos ic disregard the sanctiiy Of human
lie and 10 acq1ire, - professional priyil-
scr. I psNer which society has never Jef
: itNs1 o. any cne.