A Modest Proposal?

For reasons I do want wish to go into here, my respect for veterinarians has been declining precipitously for more than a year now. Therefore, when I found this it did not surprise me very much that person who suggested the following approach to the war on people who use certain kinds of drugs came from that profession.

An article in the New York Times headlined Would ‘Destroy’ Woman Held a Narcotic Addict from the Associated Press appeared on September 9, 1934. It is presented here in its entirety.

Montreal, Sept.8—A suggestion to “destroy” a woman registered as a narcotic addict was before the Halifax Board of Health today in a resolution moved by Alderman P.A. Gough, veterinary surgeon.

A citizen appealed to the board last night asking that they authorize the dispensary to provide drugs which were “absolutely necessary” to keep the woman alive.

Mr. Gough startled members by declaring that the city should seek legislation to take human life in cases where persons were suffering from incurable diseases.

He moved the board obtain the right to “have the woman destroyed.”

‘I would not make any motion if I had not seen her and understood her condition,” the Alderman declared. He said the circumstances were pitiful. “Suffering intense pain, when she cannot secure drugs, she screams and threatens to take her life.”