The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-12-02
CHAMPION or A SACRED
CAUSE.
Estimate Of Late Or. n. 3. Storer by
Colleague.

Colleague.
(Press Bulletin of the c. B. G.. V.)
"A Great Convert Physician" the
well-know DR.. James J. Walsh calls
Horatio B. Storer, convert to the
Church, who passed away on Septem-
Der Is of this year. This was man,
says the author named, in his article
on Storer in the Ave Maria of Novem-
Der II, "who had deeply Influenced
Medicine in this country from the
scientific as well as from the profess
sional, and, above all, the ethical
standpoint AS the defender of the
unborn child he has acquired a right
to the gratitude of all who combat the
evil Of empty cradles.
What brought DR.. Storer into great
medical prominence, writes DR.. Walsh,
was not so much his work in his
Especially (the diseases of women) ),
though this gave him an important
position in his profession, as his TAX
fling UP crusade for the protection
of the unborn children" Sad abuses
had crept into the practice of the
physicians, with the result that the
rights of the unborn child to life some
times went utterly unrecognized.
| Medical ethics had lapsed in this mat
ter" writes DR.. Walsh, "and Professor
Storer took up the task of setting
| the house in order" This was not an
easy thing to do; above all, it was not
a popular thing to do. In fact, he was
not without misgivings in the matter.
For might it not seem as though he
We're setting himself UP as better than
the rest of his colleagues? And this
was not the only consideration. His
devotion to this cause" says the au-
thor of the article on this excellent
convert "even threatened to interfere
with his consultant practice, for it
inevitably would lead many patients,
present and prospective, to conclude
that he was more OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
haps they would think him over con-
scientous, or even too scrupulous-
than the rest of his colleagues; and,
with issues of life and death for mat.
tiers hanging in the balance, they
would be tempted to avoid employing
him."
But none of his unfavorable antici-
patiOns came true. His courage and
fidelity to principles won for him the
Admiration and regard of his col
leagues among the regular physicians
of the country. When he was still
under forty years of age, he was chos.
en- Vice President of the American
Medical Association, the representa-.
tive organization of the scientifically
trained physicians of the country. Be.
fore this, special prize had been
awarded him by the Association for
his monograph relating to the right of
the unborn child to life; and he re.
Iceived, besides, the tribute of wide.
spread distribution of his pamphlets
Iamong the leading physicians and
lawyers. His work in this regard, -
says DR.. Walsh, "came at time when
it was sadly needed, as he showed
very clearly by statistics, and when
conditions were rapidly growing worse.
1t awakened genuine sense of honor
Iamong the better class of physicians,
and accomplished an immense amount
of good"
In order to help in the solution OF
the legal problems associated with
the questions involving the right of
the unborn child to life, DIR. Storer de.
voted himself to the study Of law, and
took time to attend the Harvard Law
School, where, in 1868, he received the
degree of LII. B. This gave his writ
ings on the important subject of the
legal rights of the child a standing
among lawyers, and made him realize
the legal difficulties they were under,
enabling him also to offer further sug.
gestions that would be helpful to them.
DIR. Storer did not, moreover, re-
strict his interest to the particular
science OF Medicine. His interest in
legal matters never abated, says the
colleague who has called to the atten-
ton of American Catholics the life of
4 this remarkable man, one of the silent
/ heroes, whom Carlyle calls the salt
OF the earth" Those Catholics of our
country who deny themselves to Cath
Ole Action should feel some compunc-
ton regarding their inactivity when
they are told by DR.. Walsh, that this
great convert physician Continued to
give serious attention to lawmaking
and the application of laws, feeling it a
4 duty to serve the c0mm1lnitv in which
he lived by taking an active part in
all matters of public welfare" In
fact, he was one of the fathers of the
city charter of Newport, which is said
to be unique among municipal char
tiers, and one of the nearest approaches
to government by the whole people
that has been devised.
Would that we had many such men
in our ranks!