New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21

death have SO dued the capacity to suffer pain
that II would be imposing needless hardship h,, on
of viifnlIv Shortening the patients life OF course
this argument is entirely unnecessa[yy, obIe 10
cases Where the patient quite conscious, ape ~
exercise Judgment and unequiyoealiy asks TO one 0e
killed. This last combination +e eetiI raritv.
The only doubtful In my mind S are Inose
TO save them from ali suffering that the parents
would be the only think Of ano 6eISr no
matter how horrible its FORM merely to save TWO
people from dsagreeable recollections.
Dr. HENRY P. LOOMS: mo human being has
either the moral or legal right to decide for an
other matters of life and death Sometimes pa
tients considered by physicians hopeless hVe LOT
Sight is limited even with the most skilled. Nor
phine given hypodermcally gives freedom fror irG h
pain and comfort even to those suterhs from 'he
DR.. JOHN D. QUACKENBOS, physician and hyp-
motto specialist: 1T would be tantamouhI 10 muir
der. Besides It would open up endless temptation
IN crime The medical profession is pledged to the
care and preservation of life the course
would be antagonistic to the spirit Oh the hippo
cratic OATH
DR.. G. s TRACY, Of No. 2D West 1O2d-st:
There are strong arguments both for ana against
the euthanasast. In years gone by Marcus Au-
relius Seneca Lord Bacon, Lord Byron Sir
Thomas More Berloz John Keats and many
others were strong advocates of euthanasla- l
have no doubt that those who have given any
thought TO this subject will that the great
est good to the greatest number would be accom-
nlisbed if the State would remove from this world
oh idiots chronicaly insane and some criminals
However it is only the few who would agree 10
take such extreme measures When 1t comes 10
the question Of intrusting to physicians the au-
thority to shorten the days of such of their pa
tiants as are afflicted with painful and incuraole
disease, there are but few among tne leGiCd b pr
fession who would be party TO any Sucn en- {g5
cedure While many physicians would feel Justined
in Fastening the death OF one gar his existence
sufferings were so great as 10 It feI hat the
1nhearabIe nevertheless they WouId Ieel ma tiie
way Of such practice physicians ITncu III tb Is
give relief and proong ne 1Jin ne u cath
We "!le GIN nbsi Ii feel it would times be
,s IIs Gore humane to do so How often we
SEE a fellow creature smitten with homeless as ;I
18Th ron7es as a deiiverer Should deliberately
give a fatal dose in these cases we W9uIa oe 81 ~
there are exceptions to all rules physlclan Is
ise iycIIratIe cases Of cancer-these cases ought
rertainy to be made comfortable, even considering
f from pq 6e as dose los ' of the opate in
harmony with the theological! argqmenf I4 f cd
do not believe that the Almighty Father desires
1Infbinl[aI,In tbat an all wise all mercful Creator
would be pleased hOnored Dy the uSeiesS sur
ing Of His creatures on the other han ntn 6eeE is
agents to relieve ali human r e 50 the ra opnion
that there are exceptional cases. incurable ah9
suffering
be allowed to decide for themselves whether they
will bear ii to the bitter end or die by their own
hands At this stage of our civilization believe it
would be of doubtful benefit TO the community 70
delegate to physicians generally the legal power
to hasten the death of hopeless cases Tor. IN tHe
end. I believe it would bring the profession into
dscredit."
DR. GEORGE RYERSON FOWLER, one of the
leading physicians Of BROOKLYN There is only one
question involved in proposition set forth and
that is the of expedienCy. When all conslQera-
lions of humanity. of Christianity and or science
are put aside and the doctrine of the survival or
the selfish alone considered, then will the deIib-
crate taking Of human life by other than judicial
process cease to be murder
DR. JOSEPH H. RAYMOND of the Polhemus
Memorial Clinic of the Long Island College Hos
pital: Few, if any, physicians desire the power to
curtaiI life the purpose of putting patient out
Of the agony of an incurable disease. Few would
exercise it they had il. Those who would be will
ing to exercise ii ! would not trust with 1t. It
would enable rascay physicians TO do away with
human life for peCuniary compensation when such
life stood in the way of some designing person
Lives would be sacrificed If the practice existed
because of inability of physicians 10 foresee the
outcome of disease. Many individual Is now
leading useful life whose life has been deSpaired
of by his physician. The proposition Is momen-
tons SchOuld be condemned by all right