The Ethics of Medical Homicide and MutilationO'Malley, Austin
Religion
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation
O'Malley, Austin
Medical ethics
The presence of certain kinds of monsters in the uterus can
be diagnosed before labor, but double monsters are mistaken
for ordinary twins. A woman who has given birth to a monster
is likely to have subsequent monstrous fetuses. Where the
intrauterine existence of a single monster is suspected the X-ray
will at times clear up the diagnosis. Women gravid with monsters
commonly abort early in pregnancy, but even united twins may go
on to term. Those monsters that offer an obstacle to delivery
by the abnormal bulk of one or the other end are mostly twins
joined above or below the navel; those joined at the middle are
easier of delivery. Monsters that are joined at the pelves are
commonly in a straight line, and may not be difficult to deliver.
Most double monsters cannot be delivered alive except by cesarean
section, and the fact that the content of the uterus is monstrous
is, as a rule, not diagnosed until it is impossible to attempt
cesarean section without killing the mother through infection.
In such a condition the double monster would, in the ordinary
medical practice, be delivered by craniotomy, exenteration,
cleidotomy, or the like operation.
The _Rituale Romanum Pauli V_[59] gives the following directions
for the baptizing of human terata:
"18. In monstris vero baptizandis, si casus eveniat, magna
cautio, adhibenda est, de quo si opus fuerit, ordinarius loci,
vel alii periti consulantur, nisi mortis periculum immineat.
"19. Monstrum, quod humanam speciem non praeseferat baptizari non
debet; de quo si dubium fuerit, baptizatur sub hac conditione;
_Si tu es homo ego te baptizo_, etc.
"20. Illud vero, de quo dubium est, una ne, aut plures sint
personae non baptizetur, donee id discernatur: discerni autem
potest si habeat unum vel plura capita, unum vel plura pectora;
tune enim totidem erunt corda et animae, hominesque distincti, et
eo casu singuli seorsim sunt baptizandi, unicuique dicendo: _Ego
te baptizo_, etc. Si vero periculum mortis immineat, tempusque
non suppetat, ut singuli separatim baptizentur, poterit minister
singulorum capitibus aquam infundens omnes simul baptizari,
dicendo: _Ego vos baptizo in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus
Sancti_. Quam tamen formam in iis solum, et in aliis similibus
mortis periculis, ad plures simul baptizandos, et ubi tempus non
patitur, ut singuli separatim baptizentur, aliis nunquam, licet
adhibere.
"21. Quando vero non est certum in monstro duas esse personas, ut
quia duo capita et duo pectora non habet distincta; tune debet
primus unus absolute baptizari, et postea alter sub conditione,
hoc modo: _Si non es baptizatus, ego te baptizo in nomine Patris,
et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti_."
[59] Tit. ii, cap. 1, nn. 18, 19, 20, 21.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account