and the prudence of their verdicts, to serve him as guides and vouchers
for his conduct. Although these tribunals claim no infallibility, yet
they offer all the advantages that we look for, with regard to civil
matters, in the decisions of our Supreme Court. These Roman courts have
uniformly decided against any operation tending directly to the death of
an innocent child ("Am. Eccl. Rev.," Nov., 1893, pp. 352, 353; Feb.,
1895, p. 171).

Non-Catholics are, of course, not obliged to obey such pronouncements;
yet, even for them, it cannot be injurious, but rather very useful, to
know the views of so competent a court on matters of the most vital
interest in their learned profession. This is the reason why the
"Medical Record" has published of late so many articles on the teachings
of Catholic authorities with regard to craniotomy and abortion (see vol.
xlvii. nos. 5, 9, 25; vol. xlviii. nos. 1, 2, 3, 4).




LECTURE IV.

VIEWS OF SCIENTISTS AND SCIOLISTS.


In my former lectures, gentlemen, I explained to you the principles
condemnatory of craniotomy and abortion, viewing these chiefly from the
standpoint of the ethical philosopher and the jurist. Not being a
physician myself, I think it proper, on matters of so much importance,
to quote here freely from a lecture delivered on this subject by a late
professional gynecologist, an old experienced practitioner, who was for