The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-13
Local Physicians Apparently
Divided on Request of
Buffalo Girl.
BY JOE COLLIER
Times STAFF Writer

day are divided on the ad-
visibility of placing in the
hands of doctors the right to
end the suffering of those "in-
durable" patients who ask for
death.
mo ethical physician" said DR..
Max Bahr, superintendent of the
Central State Hospital can end the
life of patient. Doctors are charged
with prolonging life, They should
alleviate suffering. but they can not
take life
"At times it does seem that death
would be blessing. but the ply
Sician could not dare to assume that
power over life which is in the hands
of Divinity.
Instinct Is to Live"
The instinct is to live Of course.
many people take their own lives.
This question has been discussed for
ages. 1t is not new There is no
philosophy powerful enough to
supply man with the right to kill to
end suffering-to sanction abandon
ment of hope"
DR.. Bahr SuperviSeS the daily lives
of insane at Central Hospital. and
comes in contact with mental cases
that presumably are ''incurable."
He was commenting on the con-
troverSy now raging over the right
OF patient, hOpeieSSly i'll to request
his physician to end his life and the
right of the physician to act.
So was one Of Indianapolis most
prominent attorneys, who said that
my own thoughts on the matter
are so immature that 1 would rather
not be named in connection with
them
''Must Come in Time"
But / do think" he went on.
that there must come, as a neces-
Sary cOrollary to social security.
some humane but certain way of
dealing with persons of that class.
If. as seems certain, the capable
and efficient are to be called upon
to support the inefficient, then there
must be some way to eliminate those
patiently unfit at birth for life in
OF ganized society-Such as idiots
and imbeciles and the badly de-
formed.
There is lack of statutes 10 pro-
vide for this sort of thing. But
there could be a commission estab-
lished which would have control
over it."
Points to Dangers
DR.. Herman G. Morgan, city
Health Board secretary, said that
records show there are spontaneous
cures of disease generally regarded
as incurable and, although rare,
they form the basis for the adaee.
While there's life there's hope"
I don't believe" he said, that
you could get a physician in
America to take, publicly, the side
of euthanasia fright to-die) as the
physicians in England did. Ethics
are against it.
There is, also, the chance, which
amounts to a certainty, that some
INSCRIPTIONS physicians would take
advantage of the acceptance of the
practice for personal or political
reasons"
Doesn't Make Sense"
Another prominent physician and
surgeon, who comes in daily contact
with literally hundreds of patients
in all stages of illness. said that
he favors such practice.
If, he said, we would allow
horse to suffer with no hope of be-
ing cured, We would be jailed. If we
don't allow a human being to con-
tinue life. even though all science
has abandoned hope for him. We
also are jailed.
1T doesn't make sense. If there
could be some way to guarantee the
administration of a. law to permit
euthanaSia with high mindedness
ana CoCal lack OF corruption, then l
think it should be passed imme-
diately"
Another physician. who would not
be identified. said there is no ques-
ton but that some euthanasia is
practiced today in indianapolis and
in any other civilized city.
If child is born hopelessly de-
formed" he said, there is not the
stimulation there for the physician
to keep it alive. Some, l have no
doubt, are allowed to die delib-
erately. And l think that's as it
should be- Maybe therell be a
change in public sentiment on the
Y,oottar hnno