Archives, 1935: A newly formed association proposes the first bill for assisted dying

‘Easy death’ for the incurable

October 26, 1935

A movement to legalize an “easy death” for people suffering from an incurable and painful disease should be started with the support of influential doctors, clergy, legal experts and politicians.

A public society – the Voluntary euthanasia (easy death) Legalization society – will be formed at a meeting in London in early December, and later a campaign will take place in support of a bill, the “Voluntary Euthanasia (Legalization) Bill”, which is hoped Lord Moynihanwill introduce the surgeon, who is the future president of the association, into the House of Lords.

The movement was started by Dr. C Killick Millardwas Medical Officer of Health for Leicester until two months ago, who told a reporter yesterday: “I raised the subject at the Society of Medical Officers of Health four years ago. Since then I have been assured of a truly remarkable amount of support.

Strict procedure
“The bill has been very carefully thought out and establishes a strict procedure to be followed so that the patient can anticipate death. Management must be in the hands of the Minister of Health. “We ask that patients be allowed to choose between a quick, painless death and a protracted death. We ask for the ‘right to die’, but we do not ask for the ‘right to kill’, which is a very different proposition, which raises very different issues.

“To address potential religious concerns, we have prepared an ethics statement that what we are proposing does not conflict with Christian principles, and that statement has been signed by leaders of the Church of England and of the Nonconformist Churches.”

“We are prepared for the objection that a law such as we wish could encourage suicide. We believe that this would have just the opposite effect. The bill stipulates that a patient who requests euthanasia must first consult his closest relative. So many of the people who commit suicide now wouldn’t be able to do so if only their friends knew what they were planning to do.”

Efficient security
In an interview in Leeds last night, Lord Moynihan said: “The matter has been brewing among individual medical men for some time, but has now come to notice mainly through the efforts of Dr. Killick Millard and Mr CJ Bond, of Leicester, one of the most brilliant and successful surgeons in England today.

Both are men of great responsibility and are touched by the compassionate concern for patients for whom there is no hope, and I am proud to be associated with them in this effort.

“Efficient safeguards must of course be provided, and this should not cause any problems. In the case of patients who cannot of their own accord indicate their consent to voluntary death, the legal guardian would act on their behalf.”

The resistance to chloroform
“We realize that there may be some opposition to the proposal, possibly from religious organizations, but we must not forget that when James Simpson With the introduction of chloroform, many people whose opinions on other matters commanded the highest possible respect were shocked to find the pain relieved by such a method.

It is possible that there will be some of the same opposition to what we are now proposing, but I do not think that in thirty or forty years it will be considered any more than the use of chloroform is today. The main concern is the safeguards that need to be insisted on.”

Editorial: Merciful death

October 26, 1935

The Association for Legalizing Euthanasia, which has already gained significant support, should bring the issue into the field of public discussion. The objectives are simple: to make it lawful for an adult person suffering from an incurable and painful disease, after consultation with close relatives, under appropriate safeguards – mainly the presentation of certificates from two doctors, one of whom is a government referee – to apply for the administration of a quick and painless death.

To give rise to concerns, a legal period between the receipt of consent and the execution of euthanasia would be enforced.

And it is urged that the responsible official referee must be fully satisfied, before consent is granted, that it is of his or her own free will that the patient desires final relief.
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In 1936, the draft law on voluntary euthanasia was passed defeated in the House of Lords, by 35 votes to 14