Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-20
ACTION JUSTIFIED
BY C0RONER'S JURY
Six Physicians Hold That DR..
Haiselden Is Morally
Correct.
HIS DECISION NOT HASTY
Consulted Fifteen Practitioners
Before Permitting Chicago
Infant to Die.
HIS DECISION NOT HAsTY

udN h'Id that Dr. III. j. HaiScldcn, who
permitted an infant. John Bollinger. to
Gie. when an operation might have
saved him to a lii" OF unhappir css as
Il defective, was morally and officially
justified in refusing TO perform the op-
Grafton which his conscience did not
sanction. An implied disapproval of Il
course wherein a physician might de-
tcrninc IL il was or was not desirable
for patient TO liv" WAS contained in
the concluding paragraph of the YER
dict I'VE believe that the physician's
highest duty is TO relieve suffering and
save or prolong life"
The jury WAS composed OF John T.
Golden. of Mercy Hospital: Arthur Ran
Kin. professor OF anatomy, of Ioyola
University; -. Howard Ch:slctt dean of
lIahnemann College: -. y *. steele.
dean OF the Physicians tud Surgeons
College Of thS University Of Illinois:
Henry +. Lewis. professor Of obstetrics
OF c"o< County Hospital, and Ludwig
Iick;ocn. professor OF pathology OF
Rush Medical College. University of
Chicago.
DECIDES Ills COURSE
AFTER CONFERENCES
rr. lIaiscldcu testified IA" did not
reach his decision not TO operate until
hc had consulted fifteen practiciny ply
SicianS. fourteen whom approved his
course. The mother OF the child. wife
of "A workman and the mother of three
other children all phYsically and mcnt-
ally normal, also agreed that the baby
would hc better off dead, he declared
II did not operate, first. hccaus" Of
the d"formty Of the child and, second.
because Of TIA. seriousness Of the case"
he said
II did not urge tn" parents to follow
my advice. simply gave my opinion
as consulting surgeon. was morally
certain the child would be "a defective"
Dr. iiaiseldcn said he was unable
I" determine beyond all doubt that tho
child was both deaf and blind. He
said. however, ii failed to respond TO
the customary light tests, and that the
fact that one OF the ears was not de-
relopcd at al and the dc;elnpmrnt @
the Other WAS oHly ruhimentary. con-
vinc"d him thar tho child Was deaf
~ question Of tremendous imnort-
aucc is at once raised as To whether tho
right "f any child to live should rest
wholly on III" Judgment OF any phy-
sician. do not want to hc undcrst ood
AS questioning the right of any phv-
stefan to act as his conscience or judg-
.mcnt In amy particular case dictate and
I" "rcrhtc OF not operate in ac.ortla nee
Herewith. hut at tn" same time tho
iiI" of every child should bc so safe
guarded by the community that it
would not have TO depend upon the
Judgment of any one or two physicians.
pr. Haiseldcn Sh 'wcd u numher of
A-rhy pictures of the child'S anatomy.
pr. John Dill Robertson, city health
officer. who testified that there was not
enough evidence that the child would
nav" been mentally defective. issued a
statement in part as follows:
III we are going to dcpart from tho
recognized duty Of the rhvsicion to
save life. regardless OF what that life
shall be aft"rward. then the state mus.
provide some tribunal similar to thar
Of ancient SPARTA. whicI, questioned
The tight Of every chill to live until
II had been passed upon by this
tribunal"
FINDINGS RETURNED
BY COEONER'S Jury
The verdict of the coroncr's Jury
follows in part:
we find from the evidence and from
personal investigation that Allan John
Hoilug"r died from the effects OF inn
The essential malformations Of the
body OF Allan j. Hollinger were:
lmpcrformaicanus.
Fusion of the two Kidneys into ON.
located on the left side and with "a
single urctcr.
Absence Of the right external car
and of tho external auditory canal.
"a defective development Of tho skin
over the shoulders. especially the
right. causing an apparent shortening
OF tho neck.
"Ahsemcc of all or part Of the
coccyN.
The acquired rathoIosic ical conditions
were:
Small cNtradura hrmorrlagcs, in The
spinal canal
Small suhplcural hcmorrhaecs
discharge from the nose and tho
coroner's physician reports AN area of
hcmorrhagc i'll the pia mater in the left
SYLVAN fissurc.
I'VE believe that prompt opera
ton would have prolonged. and per-
hars saved. the life Of the child.
Nc HHu 10 eNlucncc from the phySi-
cal defects that the child would have
become mentally or morally defective.
several Of the physical defects
might have been improved by plastic
operations.
1--WE believe that. morally and cthi-
cally, surgeon is fully within his
rights in refusing to perform any one
ration which his conscience will not
sanction We find no reason to be-
licvc that the parents of Allan j.
BollinSe: were deprived of the privi-
lcEe of consultation.
I'VE recommend strongly that in all.
doubtful cases of this character a con-
sultation of two or moro surgeons OF
known reputation for skill, ethical
standing and broad experience should
be neld to decide upon the advisabiity
Or inadvisability of operative measures.
1--WE believe that tho physician's
highest duty is to relieve suffering and
to save or prolong life."