What a sensible reply, Liz Dorothy -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of E Johnson via Sent: Monday, November 2, 2015 1:53 PM To: Vincent E. Summers <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: Re: [PAPhl] Euthanasia in Philadelphia (1904) Vince, We have to be careful of looking at something (a word) with a post-millennial definition of a term we know and equating the current of popular definition with the same term used 11 decades previously. Word usages change over time. For example, in 1904, what did the term 'gay' mean? Mostly, just happy, lively and social, and appreciate of entertainment. But now that word is fraught or "loaded", and so is the term in this death record. The primary cause of death was Senility --probably some form of what we now call Alzheimers. The old man was almost 92 years old. With Alzheimers, not only does a person gradually lose their memory --it's a whole lot more than that. These persons not only can no longer process memories or ideas, but they also gradually (or rapidly) lose function in all different kinds of physiological systems. It's possible that the gentleman had been refusing to eat (turning head away from spoon), or no longer even COULD eat or drink or swallow, and so the caregivers just allowed him to drift away peacefully at home, rather than using radical interventions such as tube feedings and IV fluids. I'm sure everyone involved knew there was only one outcome, soon, and that no good could be served by forcefully prolonging his life at this greatly advanced age. I am sure that his caregivers kept this ancient man as comfortable as they possibly could. Also, it was a Medical Doctor defining the cause(s) of death in terms of the language they used at the time (1904). This is NOT a City or County Prosecutor giving a legal definition of the term as we know it now, or defining the cause of death as a result of some malevolent intent. I have heard of this, although not with this specific term used to describe the process. At some point in the life cycle of a greatly-aged person, the family comes to see that they just have to "let him go" for the sake of his peace and comfort. They care for the person at home, keep them warm and as comfortable as possible, visit them, talk to them and love them, and let them go naturally. Hope that helps. Liz J On 1 November 2015 at 19:12, Vincent E. Summers via <[email protected]> wrote: > My relative is listed as dying in Philadelphia in 1904 of EUTHANASIA. > Now that means (at least today) Mercy Killing. Is this unusual? Here > is the Death Certificate image, along with a brief article I wrote > about the situation and the man: > > http://www.quirkyscience.com/euthanasia-in-1904-pennsylvania/ > > Have you ever heard of such a thing before? Can you cite an example? > > Vince Summers > ********* > Visit the threaded archives of this list: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/PAPHILAD > ********* > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ********* Visit the threaded archives of this list: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/PAPHILAD ********* ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message