The Washington times., 1906-01-06
HUMANE TOENO LIFE
FOR INCURABLES
Belief in Fastening Death
of Hopeless Sufferers.
ENDORSED BY PHYSICIANS
Cincinnati Woman Evolves Theory for
Putting Dying Persons Out
of Torture.

CINCINNATI. Ohio. Jan. 6.-Miss
Anna Hall. who attracted much atten-
ton some months ago by advocating
painless death for persons helpless in
the grasp of extreme age and those
suffering from incurable disease that
must soon terminate life or frightfui
injuries that mean death after a period
of excruciating pains. has evolved
scheme for putting her ideas into oper-
alton,
Miss Hall states that her theories have
been much misunderstood. for she does
not believe in the promiscuOus use of
bottoms and poisons to end misery, but
she does believe any one who desires
TO have the agCnizing pain OF fatal i'll
ness or accident terminated by the use
of anesthetics should have the pTivi-
lege OF so electing and have their wishes
respected.
Miss Hall advocates having a board Of
physicians of not less than fifteen years
experience act as the Intermediates be
tween life and death. One OF her be-
liefs. she says, should have the right
10 specify in writing. attested by tw0
witnesses. that they wish 10 be aided
into eternity when the end shall be ap-
preaching and the agony of death comes
upon them.
The board should be subject to the
call of this person AID. If satisfied The
end is near. hasten its progress by
gently applying some anesthetic to rem
der the patient insensible to pain and
cause death
DR.. Norton Favors Theory.
Dr. Charles Eliot Norton. OF CAM
s..FT 40
Miss Hall indo-sing her idcd. in wltCh
he says:
Setting aside all doubtful cases. no
right thinking man would hesitate 10
right thinking man would hesitate 10
end suffering and life together, u the
victim OF an accident. from the tortur-
ing effects OF which recovery was inn
possible, however many hours OF miseV7
might be added 10 conscious life by
sttmulants or surgical operations
Nor should "A reasonable iug heSi-
tate 10 hasten death IN the case Cf
morta! disease. such. FOR example as
cancer when il has reached the stage
OF tncessattS s'N ere pain ana when I've
patient desires - die. The Proclamation
OF life in such a case. by Wnlseycr
means. is mere criminal cruelty.
or, take another instance, that Of an
old person whose mind has become a
chaos OF wild imaginings productive of
constant distress not only TO the suffer
er, but to ali who live with and attend
them. The plain duty in such a case is
not 10 prOlOng but to shorten life"
Miss Hall was prompted To take up her
theory by the death OF her mother Mrs.
Murcey Hall. widow Of Dr. John Han.
arctic explorer. Mrs. Hall suffered for
weeks from cancer OF the stomach be-
fore death ended her agony, and Miss
Han says she can never eradicate from
her memory the thought Of her parents
suffering,
Doctors Should End Death ToItures.
4 pleaded with the doctor to end the
death struggle in which she lay for
twelve hours" said Miss Hall. and beg
ged him 70 give her something TO end it
all. but he said we would both go 10 the
penitentaTy II he did. I offered to sign
a statement relieving him of all respon-
sibility. but he said she did not feel it,
Why. the most frightful illustration
OF Dante's inferno could not be more
horrible than the terrible agony depicted
on the face of my dying mother. When
1 begged that il be ended, I was told I
was a thou sand years ahead OF the age
was forced to watch il without moving
hand, but shall labor ths: others may
be spared such ordeals.
''ElectrOcutiOn is legaliZed murder, but
persons in the last stages of cancer, con-
sumption, lOckJaw or diabetes should
have the choice of being assisted into
another world and physicians should
perform the act Of assistance.
''Virginius was justired in taking the
life Of Virginia 70 save her from the
hands of Claudius. Did any one ever
question the act OF Nirginius? ! wonder
II a twentieth century jury could be
found 10 convict him?
The victims of terrible accidents
should be freed from the suffering of
fatal burns or fTightful mangling. Such
course of action is dictated by mercy"