The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-11-19
DECLINES TO
Save BABY
Mother of 4-Day-Old Mite
Prays For It To Die.
DR.. H. ]. HaiSelden Given Optic n
will Not Further Bur-
den World"

Chicago, Nov. 16.--Has a man a
world?
Members of the Illinois humane
Society were said to have taken the
negative side of this question today
in the case of little 4-day old baby
at the German-American Hospital
one of the leading institutions for
the care of the sick in Chicago The
baby is a boy and is said to be de-
fective. In few days, possibly
by can be saved. but it is left to die.
/ No helping hand is extended to the
mite. Even its mother, weeping, bids
it goodbye.
! The baby will die because the at
| tending surgeon, DR.. II. J. IIaiselden,
so DEGREES. by operating, the physi-
clan says he could save its life, but,
since the parents have left the mat
| ter to him, he has had the courage
to decide that it shall not add its
weight to the already large burden
of detectives in the world.
"And Tn answerable to my own
conscience" says DR.. Haiselden.
One Vote FOR Babe.
The infants mother told that an
/ operation might save the child's life,
altho no known human intelligence
could promise any mental develop
ment for the baby, wept and agreed
to abide by the judgment of the ply
sician. OF a score of hospital nurses
consulted. one alone voted for the
life of the child. Or. Haiselden took
the responsibility and did not per-
form the operation. The child was
still alive pnight.
1T is a question of ethics" said
DR. Haiselden. while we all know
physicians do not allow monstrosi-
ties to live, the line must be drawn
somewhere. | have drawn the line
| in this case.
'"The child could have been saved
as one more idiotic defective. De-
fectives are prolific. 1t would repro
duce its kind and these initial de-
formities would have become magni-
fled and multiplied"
The little boys phisic flaws,
which consist of a number of rather
unusual ailments. would undoubted-
ly make him an invalid during his
first year and probably n defective
later If he were allowed to live, says
Haiselden.
Wait ON Nature.
And so, I'm doing what the par
ents have given me option on doing,
he adds. "And what il would take a
pretty stiff argument to keep me
from doing. I'm allowing Nature to
take her course with the child. We
are feeding it some. The child is
sensible only to discomfort. There is
no brain development to register suf-
ieIlhS' anu piCttH oOoii AN"tuiO M
make blank her mistake"
"You do not call this taking hui
man life?"
absolutely not" replied the man.
MANY say arbitrarily that life is
life and should be preserved, no mat
ter what the cost, but can not see
the argument in the vast debt which
would accrue in institutions were
this argument followed. And, if,
having been given this case to de-
eide. should allow the child to live,
would consider myself guilty against
the race. As it is, consider this a
favor to the race"
"Do you think what you are do
ing is frequently done? he was ask
ed.
"Many times BUT quietly. Many
things go on in the medical business,
which are done solely for good, but
which might be condemned by So
called moralists and self-naned So
cial saviors. l have even taken the
sterilization of subnormai girls and
boys in my own hands-of course,
with the parents permission-and !
know l have been right I'm so doing
Feeles That He's Right.
What makes you so fearless about
confessing it?'
I'm conscious of no fearlessness,