The • case of the London typist who admitted that
she bad given medinal to her mother, suffering agony from a disease believed to be incurable, 'in the • hope that she 'Would put her out of her pain, and was found Not 'Guilty by the jury, 'raises important considerations. It is clear enough that in the ease of a -person who is suffering from u• fatal illness, which must. cause death; modern public °Pinion does not think it wrong that death should be hastened to avoid prolonged agony. But who is to decide to such a ease ? A sick person, as Mr. Justice' Goddard Pointed eut, might be put into unmerited danger' if the tieeisionerested with a relation or friend. If it is to he ',made legal in certain circumstances 'to expedite legally, for flit sake of• mercy,' the circumstances must be egally defined and 'ample • safeguards •provided: Just !that peeeedure on the part•of a doctor or doctors acting 'lithe interests of humanity should 'be laid down would be a Metter 'for searching • expert inquiry. But it is not desirable to 'have no^ lawful' solution of a problem which, l'UsoeVed may tempt humane persons to action which in- the eyesorthe law is a-erinde.
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