The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-10-15
The Stopping Of Dying
Agony With Anaesthetics

At Wednesdays session OF the
American Humane Association Miss
Annie S. Hall. Of Cincinnati, startled
the members by proposing the adop-
ton Of a resolution in favor OF legal
izing the administration Of anaesthet-
ics 10 persons dying in agony and
said, in this connection that there
we're often incidents In time Of rail-
way wrecks when trainmen and pas
sengers were so badly injured that
their lives could not possibly be saved.
Miss Hall believed &c ought 70 be
permissible in such cases to relieve
their suferings, and she also favored
the administration Of anaesthetics co
persons dying Of incurable diseases.
where the pangs Of deaht were agon-
izing.
Il goes without saving that the
proposition OF Miss Han was ruled
out, but at the same time II fur
nishes much food for reelection.
There is certainly a barbaric tinge IN
the Efforts Of physicians who ehec-
getically pump hydrogen and strych-
nine into a patient with the hope only
OF prol0nging life for a few hours, or
even minutes. and the suggestion that
the death struggles be made painless
by modern science viii find many ad-
vocates, especially among those who
give the subject careful thought
An instance in point occurred in a
wreck on the Erie railway a number
OF years ago. A heavy passenger
train. rushing through the night az a
speed OF fifty miles an hour was sud
denly derailed. the engine and several
cars being hurled down a high en-
bankment where they Immediately
caught IRE. Help was promptly at
hand and nearly all OF those impris-
oned IN the wreck, excepting those
killed Instantly, were taken out in
safety. The fireman, however. was
pinned beneath the massive boiler
and was being slowly roasted to
death, those near at hand being abso-
lutely pOwerless TO give him aid. 1
He realized his position and begged 4
that his misery be ended-he knew i
an agonizing death was inevitable
but no one moved to end his suffer
ings. Finally the poor fellow man.
aged to free one hand and, with the
flames licking at him on all sides, de-
lberately drew a revolver and blew /
out his own brains. Who can say il
would have not been an act Of human
ity 10 relieve this poor fellow, by
means Of snaesthetics or even a shot
gun?
When agOnizing death IS inevitable
within a short time, where Is the man
who would not welcome the end wrap
ped in the peaceful unconsciousness
that follows the use Of anaesthetics9 /
Who would not rather pass into tie
realms OF the Great Beyond In peace
rather than after being tortured IN
mercitully with acute agony?
The great question in the way OF
relieving pain when death is nigh
IS the determination OF when the su.
preme moment is at hand. SO many
who are strlcken-even when az
hope OF ife has been Abandoned
rally, and eventually recover, that the
responsibility OF deciding when 10
apply scientific relief is too great in
g majority OF cases. TO be assumed
by any one person or set OF persons.
M matter how great their expert
ence or how astute their learning.
but that there are cases when death
while under the influence Of anaes-
thetics would be welcomed and the
giving Of which would be an act Of
humanity none can deny. /,