Up until the late 1970’s, just 25 years ago, physicians graduating from
medical school almost universally took an oath (orkos-Greek meaning
‘constraint’), a solemn pledge, to abide by certain moral principles and
avoid immoral behaviors. Most forbade performing abortions, killing
patients, immoral sexual behavior with those in your charge, and of the
divulging of privately given information; under penalty of losing ones honor
and ‘enjoyment of life’. Sadly, and perhaps ominously for patients, in the
year 2000 out of 141 allopathic and osteopathic school oaths only 1
explicitly prohibited abortion, 4 urged physicians to avoid sexual
relationships with patients, and only 23 explicitly prohibited
physician-assisted suicide (19 were osteopathic schools).[rs14]
Prior to about 400 B.C. the lines between physician, witch doctor, and
magician were blurred. The line between physician and executioner was also
not clearly drawn.[rs5]
The Greek physician Hippocrates drew a clear line between killing and curing
by the taking of an oath of conduct, the Hippocratic oath. This solemn
agreement, or covenant, bound a person’s word by testifying before a higher
being. In the Greeks’ case the oath was taken before the divinities (their
Gods) of health as witnesses. It imposed a “rigorous duty”, an “obligation
to remain chaste in regard to women”, and a “prohibition of death-dealing
medicines and abortion.”[rs12,p.17]
Christians re-directed the oath to the ‘one true God’.[rs12,
p.17]
. From just before the 10th century this oath has remained mostly
intact and in effect (for over a thousand years); until 25 years ago when it
began to be reworded to expunge any moral constraints!
The Hippocratic Oath has now been replaced by other oaths which often have a
bland, generalized air of ‘best wishes’ about them.[rs8] [rs9]
[rs11] [rs13]
The Medical Professionalism Project had a series of 10 “commitments” (not
commandments) which were preoccupied with economics and bureaucracy, not
absolute moral truths-abiding by moral truths point us in and hold us to a
moral direction.[rs13]
The new “modern version of the Hippocratic Oath” written by Lewis Lasagna
has such wording as “I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures
which are required, avoiding those twin traps of over-treatment and
therapeutic nihilism”, “I will remember that I am a member of society”, and
I will remember I have “special obligations to all my fellow human beings,
those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.”(huh?!) But this modern
oath gets more ominous when it states “If it is given me to save a life, all
thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome
responsibility must be faced with great humbleness…I must not play God.” So,
how does one “take a life”, including those in abortions, and not “play
God”?
Family Practice News 4/1/05 reported on a survey showing that 57% of
physicians now believe it is ethical to assist a patient in committing
suicide. 41% would endorse it under a wide variety of circumstances![eu1]
There are still, thankfully, a number of physicians opposed to terminating
human life from conception onward. Each year more that a thousand graduating
medical students find it important to take a separate Christian Physicians’
Oath before God that says they vow to “care for all my patients, rejecting
those interventions which either intentionally destroy or actively end the
lives of the unborn, the infirm and the terminally ill.”[rs14]
You may want to ask your physician which oath he/she took and swears by
before you find yourself in a tenuous medical condition!
Classic Version of the Hippocratic Oath (Link)
-taken
now in only 1 medical school
The Declaration of Geneva (Link)
-originated
from the Geneva Convention after World War II in the light of the Nazi
atrocities-I took this one in 1976 (and still believe and abide by it)
Modern Version of the Hippocratic Oath (Link)
-this
one speaks (or doesn’t) for itself!
Note: See Reference Pages (Oath-Hippocratic-Discussion) on this subject to view specific references cited above.