ix21@sdccs6.UUCP (04/27/84)
Appeared in the Letters column of the American Medical News, April 13, 1984, a publication of the American Medical Association copyright 1984. These views are not necessarily endorsed by the AMA or myself. Please do not duplicate this article. Reprinted with permission: "On the Claim that Fetuses Suffer Pain" In your article about the MD group claiming that fetuses suffer pain(AMN, Feb. 24, 1984), you report that a group of physicians led by the eminent anesthesiologist, Vincent Collins, MD has concurred with the claim that aborted fetuses suffer "long and agonizing pain." The willingness of Dr. Collins and his group to dwell on it clearly arises from their emotional commitment to oppose abortion rather than from any need to be scientific objecive or any genuine concern for fetuses' fellings. How many newborn males are circumcised in Dr. Collins' hospital every year without any anesthesia at all? Even more clearly within Dr. Collins' speciality, how many premature neonates under go major surgery while the anesthesic technique actually relies principally on non-anesthetizing paralyzing agents? The principle that has guided most of our traditional practices has been that newborns do not have a well-defined sense of pain. If Dr. Collins' and his group are truly concerned about infant's suffering, why do they not address these more obvious and readily identifiable areas of study, and within Dr. Collins' own specialty? It would appear that the major objective of these eminent gentlemen, who have achieved significant stature from past scientific accomplishments, is now, instead, to take sides in a religious debate and to lend their stature to this emotional argument. They do both science and themselves a disservice. Wallace H. Ring, MD, Salt Lake City, Utah