The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-06-07
Demand for u Impresses Or.
Gregory, Author OF the
Late Bill.
TO REVIVE THE MEASURE
Will Try Again 10 Get artificial
Death" ssnesiensd-lettsrs Are
Received from Over the World
Indorsing the Idea.

Gregory bill requiring physicians To
Kill incurables will be- urged for pas
sage with unprecedented yigor ut the
forthcoming session OF the Iowa as
sembly In promised by the author. Hon.
| r. III. Gregory. OF MEANWHILE, who rep
resents Adams county In the legis!a-
ture.
Gregory. who Is n physician himself.
IN recognized as one OF the most infiu-
entail members In the house, and his
announcement that he will Introduce
his famous bill again when the legisla-
ture reassemblcs In January means that
the measure will not be sidetracked
this time. IL was given little consid-
Grafton at the last session, because the
session was nearing the end when IL
was introduced.
Dr. Gregory believes his bill In am
ply safeguarded against abuse. IL pro-
vides for the artificial killing OF in
fants. hideously or hopelessly deformed
or idiotic beyond hope OF recovery. and
OF those who IRE afflicted with an in
durable disease that must necessarily
be attended by great pain. such as lep-
rosy. paralysis. cancer. etc. The pa
tient. IL OF legal age. otherwise the
guardian or next friend. must ask for
artificial death. The attending physi-
clan must then indorse the proposal
and. In turn. be supported by the next
OF kin. two other reputable physicians
and the coroner. II they are unani-
mously OF the opinion that the pa
tents life shall be taken. they shall
administer an anaesthctic until death
results. then make due return OF their
proceedings TO the county and state
authorities.
Many inder,e the Idea.
Letters have been pouring In upon
Gregory from all over the world. rela-
tive TO his bill. most OF them strongly
commanding fnllnusinp Ia
remarkable:
Nashville. Tenn. March 10. lss-Dr. n.
~ Gregory, General Assembly, Des
Moincs, ia.-Dear Sir: I read an article In
bill which YOU introduced. requiring ply
sicians TO kill those who can't get well. I
have friend. Is years old. who In dying OF
may live for months bu, must surely die.
Your bill says END painiessly." want to
know II you can send me n prescription OF
the Kind your bin cont.mplaics, without
violating the law or medical ethics.
Is. +. Brown. care Maxwell House.
From England comes another letter.
as follows:
Gotham. Surrey. England. March Il. 1906.
lion: X. u. Gregory. D"s Moincs.-Dear
Sir: i have seen In the Daily Mail that |
you are trying To secure the cnaC tmcnt OF |
la~ 10 XIII iuCurablrs humancly. think !
tue absence Of humane legislation of this !
kind N abomlnablc. 10 - monstrous that
aid. even. as tn England. punished for |
trying to kill oneself. Yours faithfully.
No. :, Oakncld Villas.
George Il. Rob, son. a student I'm
West Jersey academy. Bridgciown, ~.
a., writes DIR. Gregory that he expects /
To make the Gregory bill the subject /
OF an Grafton. and desires additional /
Information from the author. Charles .
IL. Dean, superintendent OF the hospi- .
NaW 4.
asks Tor copy OF the bill. together /
with any additional literatur. the au-
thor may possess on the subject
Would End Brothers Life.
From member OF the Kansas leg
lslaturc. w. \. - Bird, Topeka law
Yer. DIR. Gregory has received "A letter
strongly commencing his bill. l.. Bris-
zoe, also OF Topeka. writes that he has
"a Gear brother who Is dying by
Inches and knows what blessing
such "A law would be In his case. You
VIII doubtless be Ccnsurcd by many"
adds Mr.. Briscoe. yet your bill will
ultimately become law" W. :. Greg
ory. NJ. d., OF Forbes. Mo, who is a
relative. heartily Congratulat.s the au-
THOR as does also DR.. NJ. W. Kline.
proprietor OF sanitarium at Fort !
Dodge. Ia. w. Mathews, an attorney
OF san Francisco. IN one OF two men
who write letters OF bitter cCnsure. one
being from a citizen OF Oskaloosa, Ia,
who INDUCES In unprintablc language.
Charles Eliot Norton, a professor in
Harvard university. Mrs darlington
Booth. Simeon f.. Baldwin. presiden; OF
the American Social association: Anne
=. Hall. OF Cincinnati. and numerous
medical journals have Joined In strong
~ ENDORSING the Gregory bill. which
they agree Ia u step In advance OF any
legislation along that line that has been
Is Called Euthanasia.
Euthanasla. "A medical term which is
defined AN easy death. a mode OF dy-
Ing to be desired" In the word used 10
express the goal toward which Or.
GregOry's bill aims lie Is encouraged
io continue his efforts To secure the
enactment OF legislation such rs the bill
proposes, and declares he viii keep up
the fight though he thinks IL viii br
several years before the public In ed
ICated To the point where IL VIII de-
IHand such "a law.
In support OF the position which ne
has taken. Or. Gregory cites the cas-,
u John Wright, OF Crawford. Ark. who
Was slowly dying OF cancer In It's most ]
terrible form. and whose son asked Z
OF Sheriff Bell OF Crawford.
10 take his life and thereby end hts
suffering. The Cincinnati Post editor
ais In favor OF cuthannsia are quoted
By DR.. Gregory. The Post maintains
hat TO prolong the lives OF inCurables
Is degree OF cruelty We would not be
guilty OF In the case OF dumb animals
Il describes a case where surgeons pre-
served for an indefinite period the III,
u man by inserting tubes In his
mouth and side. whereby he could
breathe and eat artificially. though ne
'ould never hope TO recover. Death.
{ IL argued. would have been much
more humane.