1 NOVEMBER 1935, Page 3

Voluntary Euthanasia Behind the new humanitarian movement launched from Leicester

under the name of the Voluntary Euthanasia Legalisation Society are ' two Leicester • medical men; Mr. C. J. Bond and Dr. Killiek Millard, and the executive is constituted locally ; but the Society already has an impressive national list of supporters, and Lord Moynihan is its president. A draft Bill has been prepared which -enables persons over` 21" suffering from disease Of a fatal and incurable character involving severe 'pain'''. to deniand an easy: death. There is no suggestion, as yet, that euthanasia shall be extended to people not in a condition to decide for themselves, and the formalities prescribed should obviate most of the risk of a patient being improperly influenced by relatives. But these formalities, however; with their written applications, visitations, witnessings, and periods for reflection, are such that only sufferers with exceptionally strong wills— or somewhat unbalanced minds—would be likely to take advantage of the facilities offered, A group of Church- Men have stated their opinion that voluntary euthanasia in the giYen circumstances is consistent with Christian Principles; but 'that view is hardly' likely to find general acceptance. Experienced practitioners rarely like to 'commit themselves to a statement that death is quite inevitable, and many will feel that skilful use of pain- relieving drugs can almost always be as merciful as deliberate termination of life.