Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-21
JUSTISIES DOCTOR
LETTING CHILD DIE
Six Physicians Composing Coroner's
Inquisitorisl Body Say Hsisel-
den Not to Be Criticised.
ONE MAN SHOULD NOT DECIDE

. ONE MAN SHOULD NOT DECIDE
CHICAGO. Nov. 2O.-six physi-
clans, composing coroner's jury, to-
day held that DR.. II. ] Haiselden,
. who permitted an infant, Allen John
Bollinger. to die when an operation
might have saved him to a life Of
unhappiness as a defective. was NOR
ally and officially justified in refus-
ing to perform the operation, which
bis conscience did not sanction.
An. implied disapproval OF course
! wherein a physician might determine
10 II was or was not desirable for
I patient to live was contained'in the
concluding paragraph Of the ver-
dict;
I'VE believe that the physicians high
Get duty Is to relieve suffering and 20
save or prolong life"
rt Wembers af jars.
.Tise 5Ury was composed OF he follow
Ing .physiclans; John r. Golden, Mercy
hospital; Arthur Rankin, professor Of
anatomy. Loyola university Howard
AniHleIls deaIl OF .fihhHenlHnn NoHtktf -
3 n. X. steele. dean OF the Physiclans' and
surgeons college OF the University Of
Illinois: Henry r. Lewis Professor Of
obstetrics. Cook County hospital; Lud-
4 wig Hektoen, professor Of pathology.
Rush Medical college. OF the University
Of chicago.
DR.. Haiselden In his testimony said
he did not reach his final decision not
10 operate until he had consulted fifteen
: practicising physicians fourteen Of whom
! approved his course OF letting the little
: life expire. he said. The mother OF the
child. wife OF well-to-do workman.
mother OF three other children. all physi-
caily and mentally normal also agreed
that the baby would be better off dead, he
declared.
why lie DID Not operate.
II did not operate. first, because OF the
deformity Of the child and. second. be-
cause Of the seriousness OF tho case" he
said. II did not urge the parents 10
follow my advise. I simply gave my
opinion as consulting surgeon. was
morally certain the child would be a
defective"
"on what did you base your opiniong'
asked Or Chislett
ION the actions OF the child"
WAS tho brain normal
No. II was not
Was the child biind2'
well. could not exactly say. It's
eyes would not respond to light
WAS the child deaf7''
~onc OF tho ears was gone and I could
not determine whether there was an
auditory nerve"
Dr. Halselden showed a number OF
N-raya of the chIida anatomy.
OF Tremendous Importance.
Or. John Dill Robertson. city health
commissioner. vino testified that there
was no evidence that the child would
have been mentally defective, issued a
statement In part ns follows:
"A question or tremendous Importance
4 Is at once raised as 20 whether the right
Of any child 10 live should rest wholly
on the judgment OF any physician do
not want to be understood as question:
ing the riEbt OF any physician az 70, hts
position 20 act as his conscience or judg-
4 raent In any particular case would die
4 tate. and 10 operate or not 70 operate
\ In accordapoe Herewith.
AT the Same time, tho life OF every
child should be 80 safeguarded by The
community that Il would not have 70
Z depend upon The Judgment OF any one or
two physicians.
III we are going TO depart from the
recognized duty or the physician to save
life regardless OF what that life shall be
afterward. then the state must provide
some tribunal similar TO that of ancient
4 Sparta. which questioned the right OF
every child 20 live until II had been
passed upon by this tribunal"
sfiESt Have Been Improved,
The verdict read IN part as follows:
We find no evidence from the physical
defects In the child that Il would have
become mentally or rporaily defective
Several OF the physical defects might have
been Improved by plastic operations.
I'VE believe that morally and othicaliy
surgeon Is fully within his rights N
refusing TO perform any operation which
his conscience VIA not sanction. We find
no reason 70 believe that the parents Of
John Bollinger were deprived OF the
& privilege OF consultation
I'VE recommend strongly that In ali
doubtful cases OF this character a con
Eultation OF two or more surgeons OF
known reputation for skill ethical stand.
ing and broad experience should be held
8 20 decide upon the advisabiity or in
adViHability Of operative measures.
We believe that the physicians high
est duty - TO relieve suffering and e
save or proIong life"
Or. Haiaelden said he believed babies
Were allowed to die by physicians secret,
al least one a day in Chicago. The state
nent was not eontradieted.
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