Hypocritic Oath
Michael Morales was scheduled to be executed yesterday for the rape and murder of 17-year-old Terri Winchell in 1981.
He's had plenty of chances to demonstrate his innocence: more than 20 appeals have been heard, all the way to the U.S. Sepreme Court. There have already been two stays of execution, and in a last-ditch effort to stop this one, his defense attorneys claimed last week that lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment, barred by the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.
This prompted U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel to order prison officials to either alter the composition of the lethal chemicals used in the execution or make medical experts available to ensure unnecessary pain was not inflicted.
Of course, the two anesthesiologists selected for the task, demonstrating that the highest court in the land does not have the final say, refused to show up on "moral" grounds.
They sent this statement: "While we contemplated a positive role that might enable us to verify a humane execution protocol for Mr. Morales, what is being asked of us now is ethically unacceptable."
Dr. Priscilla Ray, chairwoman of the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, condemned the ruling requiring the anesthesiologists' presence in the following words:
"The use of a physician's clinical skill and judgment for purposes other than promoting an individual's health and welfare undermines a basic ethical foundation of medicine -- first, do no harm. Requiring physicians to be involved in executions violates their oath to protect lives."
The oath she refers to is the Hippocratic Oath, which doctors solemnly swear to, or at least have a passing knowledge of, upon entering the medical profession.
Here is the original:
I swear by Apollo the physician, by Æsculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgement, the following Oath.
To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art if they so desire without fee or written promise; to impart to my sons and the sons of the master who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone the precepts and the instruction.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.
Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.
Of course, doctors are apparently now free to pick and choose which parts of the oath are still valid and remain in force.
The abbreviated minutes of the AMA oath meeting:
That stuff about gods and goddesses - utter nonsense.
Share my goods - don't think so.
Do no harm - okay, that can stay. We can use it in sound bites!
Prescribe deadly drugs - old people, why not? rapists and murderers, no way!
No abortions - yeah, riiight!
Preserve purity of my life - that's nobody's business; of my art - but, of course.
House calls - you've gotta be kidding!
Doctor/patient privilege - now, that's something I can invoke!
He's had plenty of chances to demonstrate his innocence: more than 20 appeals have been heard, all the way to the U.S. Sepreme Court. There have already been two stays of execution, and in a last-ditch effort to stop this one, his defense attorneys claimed last week that lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment, barred by the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.
This prompted U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel to order prison officials to either alter the composition of the lethal chemicals used in the execution or make medical experts available to ensure unnecessary pain was not inflicted.
Of course, the two anesthesiologists selected for the task, demonstrating that the highest court in the land does not have the final say, refused to show up on "moral" grounds.
They sent this statement: "While we contemplated a positive role that might enable us to verify a humane execution protocol for Mr. Morales, what is being asked of us now is ethically unacceptable."
Dr. Priscilla Ray, chairwoman of the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, condemned the ruling requiring the anesthesiologists' presence in the following words:
"The use of a physician's clinical skill and judgment for purposes other than promoting an individual's health and welfare undermines a basic ethical foundation of medicine -- first, do no harm. Requiring physicians to be involved in executions violates their oath to protect lives."
The oath she refers to is the Hippocratic Oath, which doctors solemnly swear to, or at least have a passing knowledge of, upon entering the medical profession.
Here is the original:
I swear by Apollo the physician, by Æsculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgement, the following Oath.
To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art if they so desire without fee or written promise; to impart to my sons and the sons of the master who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone the precepts and the instruction.
I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death.
Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art.
I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.
Of course, doctors are apparently now free to pick and choose which parts of the oath are still valid and remain in force.
The abbreviated minutes of the AMA oath meeting:
That stuff about gods and goddesses - utter nonsense.
Share my goods - don't think so.
Do no harm - okay, that can stay. We can use it in sound bites!
Prescribe deadly drugs - old people, why not? rapists and murderers, no way!
No abortions - yeah, riiight!
Preserve purity of my life - that's nobody's business; of my art - but, of course.
House calls - you've gotta be kidding!
Doctor/patient privilege - now, that's something I can invoke!
posted by Jim at 8:14 AM
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