The word euthanasia comes from Greek and means “good death.” And in the same ancient Greece it was disputed: Socrates, Plato and Séneca were in favour of alleviating and reducing suffering, while Hippocrates, on the contrary. But the debate about good death in the Modern Age was eminently spiritual, as demonstrated by the Bidia of Juan de Tartas to kill Ontsa (1666). In the 19th century, when they began using morphine, chloroform and other analgesics, the question of euthanasia approached medicine and legislative institutions. One Ohio's first attempt failed: he won 23 votes for and 79 against.

Anna S. Hall (1857-1924) was the main driver of the law. He was also a suffragist, and he brought together activists Maud Ballington Booth and Lurana Shelton, and he organized a campaign of letters, lectures… At the time of the second reading of the law, the newspaper The New York Times wanted to ridicule his effort: “This amazing representative of the sweetness and intelligence of women has made an effort to legalize the murder of the elderly, the sick and the wounded who have received nothing but the protection of a doctor and the irregular warmth of a few.”

Unintentionally, regardless of irony and contempt, this phrase mentioned two keys: women and regulation. The “official” visits of men to the sick they suffered were made by the priests and, increasingly, by the doctors. But in their hands, women, family members and nurses were the ones who had to bear the burden of the situation. Her mother's death in Anna Hall was due to long-suffering liver cancer, which led her daughter to the fight for euthanasia.

And as far as regulation is concerned, the Ohio bill was not intended to extend euthanasia, but to regulate it. Throughout history, they said that euthanasia was a usual practice, but with very diffuse ethical limits. The decision was entirely voluntary and adequate medical care was guaranteed through the legalization of euthanasia.

In 1996, Oregon, USA. USA) was the first country to legalize voluntary euthanasia. The nuances differ little between this text and the law promoted by Anna Hall 90 years earlier.