The Washington herald., 1915-11-22
FRY WOULD LET
DETECTIVES DIE
Capital Doctor Thinks Those
With Physical Deformities
Should Live.
IDIOTS ARE BETTER DEAD
Says He Questions Whether Chicago
Surgeon Knew That Bollinger Baby
Was Mentally Deficient.
IDIOTS ARE BETTER DEAD

Mental detectives should be permitted
to die at birth, but children who ar,
only physically deformed should by per
mitted to live. in the opinion Of DR., Hen.
ry d. Fry, OF this city, an authority OF
obstetrical cases,
DR.. Fry-the first Washington physi
clan, other than a District official, to ad.
nit his views-said in answer to inquiries
of The Herald last night that he would
not consent to the death of any child
unless he was convinced that It would
be mentally defective to a serious extent
How Could HaiseIden Know
Incidentally, DR.. Fry said he did not
see how DR.. Haiselden, the Chicago sur
geon who consented to the death Of the
Bollinger baby. could know that the
5-day-old infant would be a mental de-
fective.
Several months ago, DR.. Fry contrib
uted, at the request OF the Medical Re
view of Reviews, to a symposium OF
forty-five leading American obstetricians
on the question OF the extent TO which a
surgeon may go in determining whether
a child shall live This will be printed
in the next issue of the Review.
DIR. Fry's paper said he would permit
a malforned child to die after birth
under two conditions: First, If It be the
WISHES VI Nhc 6CSci1Y .
to the degree OF abnormality He did not
say what constituted the degree OF alb
normality that would justify the physi-
clan in taking such action.
This was some months before the
Chicago affair" said Dr. Fry last night
There has been a great deal in that
discussion of which l do not approve.
Circumstances Determine Cases.
II believe that a child should be per-
mitted to die under certain circum-
stances. II 1t is to be a marked mental
defective that would justify a surgeon
in permitting its death. But 1 do not
believe that a child that will be merely
a physical defective should be permitted
to die.
There are cases where a child is born
without a skull, for instance. In these
and other cases where a child will be
profoundly defective mentally. I think
death would be better. II there is
defective brain tissue. or a mental cen
dition that would cause idiocy, the sur
geon. 1 believe, would be justified.
las regards the Chicago case, there
has been too much said about II, but IL
may have done good in bringing about
discussion that may lead to a better
understanding of these cases.
Il cannot see how DR.. Haiselden could
tell that this baby five days old. would
be a mental defective in the absence of
absolute signs"
Says Human Life IL Sacred.
The physicians are not united on any
plan, as can be witnessed by these opin-
ions, which will appear in the Review:
Prof. Joseph Bolivar De Lee, of North
western University. one of the most
famous obstetricians in the country, feels
that human life s. too sacred to permit
even the most deforIned baby to perish.
We nave no right to take human life.
II is a matter for the State" he writes.
Z" Fortunately. a monster seldom survives.
In the miIder deformities surgical art
otter helps a great deal
Another well known obstetrician, DR..
William Rausch, jr.. of Albany. writes
SIS follows:
1T mas always been my opinion that
all children who are born with 4 con-
genital abnormality are a detrlment to
society l sincerely believe that 1t is
humane TO cut OF their future suffering
by one means or another, preferably
to tie the cord. It must be
remembered, however, that very often
parental love and religious principles
have more sway than the laws of medi
cal ethics"
Il have never been able to bring my
self deliberately 10 kill any kind of a
baby, however deformed, which has been
born alive" says Prof. w. H. Rubovits,
of Chicago. AT the same time l would
not criticise any one who would do so
under certain conditions. The subject is
a very difficult one to decide. but 1t
would be easier if some definite concIu-
sion could be arrived at by the profess
sion and the practice could be sanctioned
by law