s duty to die rather than to consent
to the killing of her child.

"In a subject of such delicacy and importance I have avoided all
argument based upon the doctrines of any particular religion, and
considered the subject upon its purely ethical and scientific basis. I
am aware that I am taking a position quite at variance with that
occupied by many men influenced by former teachings and prejudices.

"I respect the honest convictions of those opposed to the opinions
presented in this paper. But it is hoped that thoughtful physicians will
soon reconsider their views and adopt a more just and humane method of
dealing with the rights of a living unborn child.

"As a hopeful sign, it is to be noticed that a gradual change is taking
place in the opinions of the profession as to the propriety of
performing craniotomy. Busey says: 'To state the issue plainly, the
averment must be made that no conscientious physician would deliberately
and wilfully kill a foetus, if he believed that the act was a violation
of the commandment "Thou shalt not kill."' It has been well said by
Barnes, the ablest and most conservative defender of craniotomy, that
'it is not simply a question for medicine to decide. Religion and the
civil law claim a preponderating voice. In the whole range of the
practice of medicine, there arises no situation of equal solemnity.'

"Having thus far considered the subject from a purely ethical
standpoint, I shall now present its scientific and practical aspect.

"Parvin says that the improved Cesarean section has given in Germany
results so satisfactory that, possibly, the day is at hand when
craniotomy upon the living foetus will be very rarely performed, if done
at all. Kinkead, a high English authority, states: 'To reduce the bulk
of the child, or to extract it afterward through a pelvis of two and
one-half or less conjugate diameter, is an operation of extreme
difficulty, lengthy, requiring a very great experience, as far as the
mother is concerned, requiring an amount of manual dexterity rarely to
be acquired outside of a large city. While, on the other hand, the
Cesarean section is an easy operation, capable of successful performance
by any surgeon of ordinary skill.'

"Tait remarks that he 'feels certain that the decision of the profession
will be, before long, to give up the performance of such operations as
are destructive to the child, in favor of an operation that saves it,
and subjects the mother to