The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-06-08
"A LAW TO KILL
the IACURABLES
Demand for 1t Impresses Or.
Gregory, Author Of the
Late Bill.
TO REVIVE THE MEASURE
VIII Try Again to Get Artificial
Death" Sanctioned-LettersA Are
Received from Over the World
Endorsing tho Idea.
TO REVIVE THE MEASURE

Des Moines. Ia. Special. That the
Gregory bin requiring physicians to
kill incurables will be urged for pas
sage with unprecedented vigor at the
forthcoming session of the Iowa as
sembly is promised by the author. Hon.
4. II. Gregory. OF MEANWHILE. who rep
resents Adams county in the legisla-
ture.
Gregory. who is a physician himself.
IS recognized as one of the most influ-
entail members in the house, and his
announcement that he Will introduce
his famous bill again when the legisla-
ture reassembles in January means that
the measure will not be sidetracked
this time. II was given little consid-
GRAFTON at the last session, because the
session was nearing the end when it
was introduced.
DR.. Gregory believes his bill is am
ply safeguarded against abuse 1t pro-
vides for the artificial killing of in
fants. hideously or hopeessly deformed
or idiotic beyond hope Of recovery. and
OF those who are afflicted with an in
durable disease that must necessarily
be attended by great pain, such as lep-
rosy, paralysis. cancer. etc. The pa
tient. II of legal age, otherwise the
guardian or next friend. must ask for
artificial death. The attending physi-
clan must then ndorse the proposal
and. in turn, be supported by the next
OF kin. two other reputable physicians
and the coroner. II they are unani-
lrouSly OF the opinion that the pa
tents life Shall be taken, they shall
administer an anaesthetic until death
results. then make due return Of their
proceedings TO the county and state
authorities.
Many 'ndorse the Idea.
Letters have been pouring in upon
4 .,t Il
tive to his bill. most of them strongly
commencing it. The following is most
remarkable:
Nashville. Tenn. March 10. leos.-Dr r.
Mor sefory s Assemby Dies tn
the st. Louis Globe Democrat regarding
bill which you introduced, requiring ply
sclans to XIII those who can't get well. l.
maltgnant cancer. In awful agony. He
may live for months but must surely die
Your bin says END painlessly." I want to
know II you can send me prescription OF
the kind your bill contemplates. Without
violating the law or medical ethics.
B. l.. Brown. care Maxwell House.
FROM England comes another letter,
as follows: 54
Gotham. Surrey. England, March -, 1906.
Hon. r. II. Gregory, Des Moines.-Dear
Sir: have seen in the Daily Mail that
you are trying to secure the enactment of
a law 70 Kill incurablcs humancly. think
kind is aboHlinable. 1t is monstrous that
one should be made TO live in endless pain
aud. even. as In England, punished for
trying to Kill oneself. Yours faithfully,
T.. NJ. Stephens.
No. 9. OakGeld Villas
George &. Robson, a student in
West Jersey academy. Bridgetown, NJ
u. writes DR.. Gregory that he expects
TO make the Gregory bill the subject
OF an Grafton, and desires additional
information from the author Charles
II. Dean. superintendent of the hospi-
tai for insane at Northampton, Mass,
asks for a copy of the bill, together
with any additional literature the au-
thor may possess on the subject
Would End Brothers Life.
From member of the Kansas leg
islature. W. A. S. Bird. a Topeka law
strongly commencing his bill L. Bris-
coe. also OF Topeka, writes that he has
"a dear brother who is dying by
inches" and knows what blessing
such law would be in his case. You
Will doubtless be censured by many"
ultimately become Il law" w. S. Greg
DRY. NJ. D.. Of Forbes. Mo-, who is a
relative, heartily congratulates the au-
thor. as does also DR.. Nj. W. Kinne
proprietor of u sanitarium at Fort
Dodge Ia. W. Mathews, an attorney
who write letters of bitter censure, one
being from citizen of Oskaloosa, Ia.
who INDUCES In uuprintable language.
Charles Eliot Norton. a professor in
Harvard university; Mrs Burlington
Booth, Simeon E. Baldwin, president of
the American Social association; Anne
S. Hall, of Cincinnati, and numerous
medical journals have joined in strong
" indorsfng the Gregory bill, which
they agree is step in advance of any
legislation along. that line that has been
proposed.
Is Called Euthanasia.
Euthanasia. medical term which is
defined IAN easy death, mode of dy-
ing to be desired" is the word used to
express the goal toward which Dr.
Gregory's bill aims. He is encouraged
to continue his efforts to secure the
enactment of legislation such as the bill
proposes, and declares he will keep up
the fight, though he thinks it will be
several years before the public is ed
ucated to the point where it Will de-
mand such law.
In support of the position which he
has taken. DR.. Gregory cites the case
of John Wright. of Crawford. Ark, who
was slowly dying of cancer in its most
terrible form, and whose son asked
permission OF Sheriff Bell, of Crawford,
to take his life and thereby end his
suffering. The Cincinnati Post editor
ials in favor of euthanasia are quoted
| by DR.. Gregory. The Post maintains
that to prolong the lives Of incurables
Is degree Of cruelty we would not be
guilty of In the case Of dumb animals,
1t describes case where surgeons pre-
served for an indefinite period the life
OF man by inserting tubes in his
mouth and side. whereby he could
breathe and eat artificially, though ne
could never hope to recover. Death.
Il q or yoN I,
more humane.
Had His Doubts.
From Spare Moments