Brennan, Thomas M.

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 8 | Number 2 Article 3April 1940Catholic Hospital Association 25th AnniversaryMeeting, St. Louis, MOThomas M. BrennanFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationBrennan, Thomas M. (1940) "Catholic Hospital Association 25th Anniversary Meeting, St. Louis, MO," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 8 :No. 2 , Article 3.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol8/iss2/3'II ID11111 111 n11 -~ ~ THE LINACRE QUARTERLY CATHOLIC HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION 25th ANNIVERSARY MEETING, ST. lOUIS, MO. Rev. Alphonse M. Schwitalla, S.J., President of the Catholic Hospital Association, has written your President inviting an effec~ tive participation on the part of physicians in the program of the 25th Convention, to be held in St. Louis, Mo., during the week of June 17th to 21st. Father Schwi-talla spoke for a closer relation-ship between the Catholic Hospital Association and the Federation of Catholic Physicians' Guilds. This sort of relationship, insuring ef-fective cooperation, would un-doubtedly prove mutually helpful. The wisdom of effecting such an association is quite apparent. The Federation and the indi-vidual Guilds will accept this very courteous and kind invitation. The greatest possible cooperation will be afforded in this regard. It would seem that where possible, local Guilds, close to the con ven-t ion city, could best assume the responsibility of arranging for the participation of the Federa tion of Catholic Physicians' Guilds in the program of the Convention of the Catholic Hospital Association. In this case the responsibility will be passed on to the Guild in B ell e-ville. The successful record of progress and achievement already established by this splendid Guild amply insures the success of this undertaking. -THOMAS M. BRENNAN, M.D. A Lesson from Life The well-known gynecologist, Frederick Loomis, M.D., in his book, Consultation Room, tells of his own temptation on one occa-sion to allow a deformed child to die at birth, and thus, to save the mother, as well as society, the ex-pense and embarrassment of hav-ing a helpless cripple to care for. Years later, he sat at a hospi-tal benefit as three lovely young musicians played "Holy Night". "I was", he writes, "especially fascinated by the young harpist-As the nurses sang, her face made beautiful by a mass of auburn hair, was upturned as if the world that moment were a beautiful and holy place." Later he learned that she was the girl who was so badly crippled from birth that he had once been tempted to let her die. Then her mother introduced her. Here are his words: "I saw the creeping clock of the delivery room of 17 years before. I lived again those awful moments when her life was in my hands, when I had decided on deliberate infanti-cide. 'You will never know, my dear, just what tonight has meant to me. Go back to your harp please, and play Holy Night for me alone.' And as the last strains faded away, I think I found the answer and the comfort I had waited for so long." [ 34 1 

Catholic Hospital Association 25th Anniversary Meeting, St. Louis, MO

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Catholic Hospital Association 25th Anniversary Meeting, St. Louis, MO

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