Date: 6 Tishrei 5593
From: Rabbi Moshe Sofer
To: Rabbi Birech (Baruch)
A Kohen with life-threatening epilepsy sought to touch a non-Jewish corpse as part of a folk remedy. The Chasam Sofer ruled he cannot permit violating a Torah prohibition for a doubtful remedy, but if the Kohen is already tamei d'oraisa that day (e.g., due to a Jewish death in his neighborhood), one may rely on the combined opinions of Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, R' Eliezer of Metz, and the Ra'avad — that further defilement on the same day carries no Torah-level prohibition — together with the Sefer Yere'im's view that contact with a non-Jewish corpse is not a Torah-level tumah, permitting the procedure under those conditions.
Source: Shu"t Chasam Sofer YD §339