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Baby Dies; Physician Upheld

From: Dr. Haiselden And The Bollinger Baby
Creator: n/a
Date: November 18, 1915
Publication: The Chicago Daily Tribune
Source: Available at selected libraries

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30  

Dr. Robertson examined the child minutely, turning its body over gently in his hands and then faced the other physician.

31  

"You must perform an operation," he said, grimly. "I fear the child cannot live now, but there is only one humane thing to do."

Haiselden Stands Pat
32  

"No," returned Dr. Haiselden, "I will not operate, and neither you nor any other authority can make me. It is a matter of conscience with me. There are 5,000 other physicians that might perform this operation, and they are welcome to it. I shall not interfere, but I shall have no part in it, for I do not believe it would be justice to the human race."

33  

"I could see what his idea was," Dr. Haiselden told a newspaper man after Dr. Robertson had gone. "He wanted to force an operation simply to relieve the city authorities from an embarrassing position. But I have made up my mind, and I do not propose to recede an inch from my position,"

34  

After leaving the hospital Dr. Robertson called at the corporation counsel's office and conferred with Assistant Corporation Counsel Clifford G. Roe. Mr. Roe told him the only action the health department could take would be to hold up the burial permit and refer the matter to the coroner's office for investigation.

35  

Dr. Robertson then announced he would follow this course. Coroner Hoffman, when the case was referred to him, ordered an inquest. This probably will be held today.

Prosecution in Doubt?
36  

Dr. Robertson was told of the child's death by a representative of the TRIBUNE and asked if he would take any further action.

37  

"No," he said. "If there is to be any prosecution in the matter it will be initiated in the regular channels.

38  

"I am not going to grow violent over this case, but I think it's the doctor's business to save life. He is not a judge of who shall and who shall not live. That would open up a dangerous field indeed. It is not he doctor's province to let a life go out because in his opinion it has no chance for normal development. His duty is to save life -- to fight death. He is not a tacit ally of death. He is responsible to make every effort to save a life."

39  

Dr. Robertson refused to express an opinion of what should be done if anything to punish the physician.

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"That lies in other hands," he said.

41  

Mr. Roe disagreed with Dr. Robertson on the question as to whether it was wholly Dr. Haiselden's place to decide whether or not an operation should be performed.

42  

"The theory of the courts and of lawyers on this point," he said, "has generally been that the parents of a child have the right to decide whether or not an operation shall be performed. In this case, of course, that phase is clear. Mr. And Mrs. Bollinger gave their consent that he child be permitted to die."

Why He Let Baby Die.
43  

To clinch his argument that the baby was not fitted for life, Dr. Haiselden in the afternoon unfolded the cover lid and disclosed the little form to view as he explained the physical deformities.

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"There is no ear on the right side of the head," the doctor said, pointing out the defects. "Neither is there any auditory canal on that side. On the left side the ear is badly malformed. Its sense of hearing is slight.

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"There is marked paralysis of the facial and trifacial nerves and the branches of the auditory nerves.

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"The chest has a caved appearance owing to deformity of the ribs. The fatal deformity is a closed intestine. A simple surgical operation would open this canal and the baby would live."

47  

"While the brain is apparently normal in size and development," said Dr. Haiselden, "the paralysis of the facial and trifacial nerves would render it subnormal and defective. There is no doubt the child would be defective mentally and morally if allowed to live. It might be criminal. Certainly it would be dependent. It would be a burden to itself and to society."

Wants License Revoked
48  

Dr. George U. Lipschilch, a member of the state legislature, announced in the evening that he will ask the state board of health to revoke Dr. Haiselden's license as a physician.

49  

"I shall go the limit in whatever can be done," he said. "It is a clear case of manslaughter in my opinion. I can see no difference between permitting the infant's death and killing a person in any other way."

Dr. Haiselden Has Two Adopted Daughters
50  

Dr. Haiselden, although a bachelor, has two adopted daughters.

51  

While praise and blame descended upon him for refusing to operate upon the Bollinger baby Dr. Haiselden calmly had dinner with his adopted daughters, Dorothy Riggs and Beulah Hope Wesley, in his comfortable residence at 819 Diversey parkway last night. He has just as well defined convictions about women who cultivate a love for Airedales, pugs, and poodles at the expense of orphans as about defectives and their place in the other world.

52  

"Instead of specializing in Airedales, pugs, and poodles childless women should adopt orphans," said Dr. Haiselden.

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"I have seen the pitiful end of institutions for children and they can't be gathered together and do well. Children need individual attention in small groups. "I came to this conclusion long ago. When twenty small children were sent on from New York I secured homes for five of them. Then one of them, a girl of 5, came and sat on my knee. I adopted her as my own. She is now 15 years old and is doing nicely. She is attending day and night school and is anxious to take a place in the world of usefulness. Her name is Dorothy Riggs and I hope to send her through high school and give her a year or two at college.

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