Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-13
Shall the Physically Unfit Be Left
to DIET
NEWEST PHASE OF OLD QUESTION
New York Phyaicians and other Dis-
cuss Theory Advanced by Prof.
Porter of HarvaFd-what
Case IL HOPeIessf

NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-Dr. william Town
send Porter, for seventeen years pro-
lessor Of philosophy at Harvard. has raised
something of a storm In the way OF a dis
cusslon by his recent Sunday lecture be-
fore the Harvard medical school, IN which
he advanced the theory that human beings
physically unfit to live should be allowed
to go the way Of nature in order that the
charity funds OF the state should be EN-
played for purposes out OF which better
value might be got than II used in sup
porting such persons.
Or. Porter's theory is different from the
theories previously advanced by others,
who hold that the hopeless sufferer should
be mercifully put out of the way. DR..
Porter enunciates the belief that In saving
the money usually expended on the in
curables It could be used to far greater
advantage by the state on the children. or
hopefuls, as he calls them. In this lecture
Dr. Porter said;
The most pressing problem Is what we
shall make OF the present conditions. The
first main problem we have TO discover IL
In regard to the relieving Of distress. 1t is
evident that there IL not enough money to
go around. And it is equally desirable to
spend money on a thing from which we
get the most value.
We have i'm the neiEhborhood Of all large
cflleS hospitals TOT the treatment OF con-
sumption. II we knew in 1888 what we do
now In regard to the cure of that disease
regiments of men would be walking the
streets who are now dead. In such hos
In advanced stages OF the disease, for II
they did IL would jeopardize the lives Of
those already there and defeat the purpose
Of the institution. In other words, to save
1000 people 5000 and more have to be re-
jected.
II may seem cruel, but It illustrates thai
Wa must concentrate our TAliRf on the mOSt
hopeful side OF our population and allow
the rest 70 go the way OF nature.
Inc children In q owl are the most
hopeful. That is why the relation of the
growth OF children to disease is an i'm
portant subject OF human life. IT is i'm
portant that the educated children be
saved. They must be kept alive as long as
possible. 1t is a question whether, bio
logically, the lives Of these infants who
are marked at birth for death are worth
p%rolonging only to have them succumb
10 the next crop Of diseases-the infectious
diseases of children.
The whole question is one OF economy.
Here is a child kept alive only to fall a
victim later on. 1t is a mistaken idea to
believe that everything depends on charity
young. Charity means that those who re-
ceive II give up hope. Charity Is the grav-
est psychological factor in the life OF the
poor. IT is an official stigma.
Instead of organizations for charity there
should be a citizens union for preventing
charity. When a person gets to that point
Wnere ne Is physically unit 10 1--we the
most economical thing for a community
Is not TO give him relief.
When attention was called to the pro-
lessons statements concerning charity lie
modified and explained them by saying:
What / said and meant to infer is tina
charity as at present administered is q
mistake and not that charity in itself Is
wrong, Charitable organizations are In
themselves helpful, but they must be sup
plemented by more scientific methods OF
distribution IL they are to successfully
cope with the problem OF relief as 1t exists
tOduy.
The hopelessly incurable cases should hS
should have the aid of the public funds
We should therefore spend the public
money where II will work to best advan-
taRe on those who can be saved and trust
TO private charity the hopeless. We have
but little money available for such pur'
poses as II Is
I fix no age limit on the time for deter
mining whether a case Is hopeless o. not
Different cases vary. But i shall coLcldd'
We have should be devoted to the chill
dren. for In their welfare lies he chic
hope of the state.
such a theory as this naturally pro
voked a discussion. While It is not eXactl.
like the theory that DR.. osler gave expires
sion to some years ago 1t is sufficient t
make the sick man sit up and wonder /
he is In the class pronounced unfit to liv
or still IN the hopeful class. Here are som
m on Prof, Porter's lecture.
Or. Edward T. Devlne, professor of so