The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-25
WILLING NOW TO LET
DOCTORSSAVE BABY
Father Says, However, That
lie Hopes Crippled Child
Will Not Live.
EXPERT OPINIONS DIFFER

whatever surgeons can do to save the
life of the crippled yirl baby that was
born TO Mira. Joseph T. Roberts Of 159
East Se~vcnty-second street the father is
now willing should be done, he aid last
night. although he hopes with all his
heart that the child will not live.
The chance 1t has Of living Is una
~ only "a delicate and rarely successful
operation can do the work which ma
ture left undone, and on the Immediate
necessity of hat operation physicians
who have attended the child are not
agreed.
But in one respect tho case IN diff
ferent from that Of baby Bolllnger. who
was permitted to die In Chicago because
OF nalforinat'ons All those who have
attended the child Insist that 1t Is their
duty to save her life II possible, no mat
ter how much suffering may be before
her. and only the father and grand
mother feel that the child should have
been permitted to die when 1t was born.
"why not?' said Mr.. Roberts YEARLY
last night. 1T would have been better.
Better to let hopelessly deformed babies
die when they would be conscious Of no
suffering tban to live for years full OF
misery. and then to die after all.
II would rather IA thousand times
that the child died. hut II they think
they should try to save II i am willing
now. They know best. ] suppose"
Tho baby was brought into the world
with much difficulty. Dr. Julius Gold
smith. the family physician. called in
DR.. julius Rosenberg. a specialist and
visiting surgeon of the Peoples Hos
pital, to take charge Of the case, and
he worked over the child for an hour
before he was sure that II would live
even n few days.
II wished to operate at once" he said.
but the family would not permit ii. 1t
is a pliin case OF spani bifda, which
occurs about once In "A thousand births
and in which the chances of successful
operation are about one in three. The
spine Is closed over the spinal cord only
down to the lumbar vertebrate, leaving
the rest of the cord exposed and causing
paralysis below the waist.
IF the operation were successful the
child would probably 1--we a normal span
OF life and the mind would not he af-
fected. But She could never walk. AS the
legs are dcformed, the knee Joints be-
ing stiff and the feet dubbed
With this diagnosis br. l.. hammett
U0tt Of II West Ftfty-ifth street, head
OF the hospital and AN acknowledged
authority on childret's diseases, did not
agree. lie said that babies similarly
ueIorfneu rdlt!A rccoN req ana tndt even
Il an operation would save its life II
could not be performed now
But il is totally dissinilar to the
Chicago case" he said. There the
necessity was presented of an immediate
operation. which was not performed. l
differ with the Chicago physician. for |
believe that 1t is our duty TO proiong
human life, and everything possible
toward that end should be done"
Or. Holt said the baby would be-
cared for as we'll as possible. but that
Tor Q time its life would depend on its
vitality, and that an operation could
not be performed for several months "a,
least. II the child lives that long. WIFE
that view Or. Rosenberg disagreed.
III that child is not operated on at
once II will die he said. even after
ho had been told Of DR.. Hollis views.