Essay 1 - HIST 451

docx

School

University of South Carolina *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

451

Subject

History

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BrigadierExplorationWaterBuffalo161

Reid 1 Gracie Reid Dr. Joseph November HIST 451 January 17, 2023 The Hippocratic Oath: Modern vs Classical The classical Hippocratic oath is outdated and based upon values and morals that are no longer upheld in today’s society. In 1964, Dr. Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean at Tufts University School of Medicine, revised Hippocrates’ original oath and his version is widely accepted in many of today’s medical schools (Tyson, 2001). If I were to choose a version that I would want my physician to follow, it would be the modern Hippocratic oath revised by Dr. Lasagna because the classical oath holds unnecessary commitments, portrays antiquated ideals, and disregards some of the most controversial topics in modern medicine. I believe that the classical Hippocratic oath upholds unnecessary commitments that produce no regard or benefit toward the health and well-being of a patient. For example, Hippocrates states for his physicians, “to hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art—if they desire to learn it—without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else” (Tyson, 2001). It seems bizarre to be obligated to have to sacrifice such basic matters as money and worship in exchange for proper education and permission to practice in the medical field. However, in the practice of Ancient Greek medicine,

Reid 2 it was not uncommon to have such commitments upheld. Hippocrates created this oath to gain the confidence and trust of his small, devoted group of physicians, and although it seems nepotistic to have his physicians swear to teach his medical mentor’s sons and so on, dynasty and lineage were important components in Greek culture for purposes of accreditation and royalty. With that being said, these were ancient Greek ideals that are no longer used. It is difficult to comprehend how a society with such limited medical knowledge could be implemented to meet today’s standards of medical care. The oath also provides religious allusions that the physician must swear by. It declares, “I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant” (Tyson, 2001). These Gods are no longer widely worshipped in today’s society. In fact, they are typically associated with Greek mythology and are only seen as meager myths. These allusions are also insensitive to physicians who may practice different religions, which is an infringement of the 1 st amendment which protects religious freedom. One might argue that devotion to a higher power can lead to a more dedicated doctor, however, doctors are not paid to pray for their patients and to let God take control of the situation. Physicians are obligated to do everything within the bounds of their medical knowledge to restore their patient’s health and well-being. Therefore, swearing by these religious allusions is pointless in the modern practice of medicine. The classical Hippocratic oath also portrays obsolete ideals on controversial topics in medicine. The oath states, “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art” (Tyson, 2001). A doctor’s responsibility is

Reid 3 founded on non-maleficence. This means that the doctors must “do no harm” to the patient. However, this directly affects the controversy of physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. The main argument against this is that it is morally wrong to kill an innocent human being, but there are circumstances in which this statement is vague. There are two kinds of euthanasia, active and passive. Active euthanasia is when a physician administers a lethal drug to a patient, actively killing them. Passive euthanasia is when a physician withholds life-sustaining treatment from patients and lets them die of their inevitable causes. It may be difficult to accept these practices due to the attitudes around ending someone’s life, but there are applicable situations. For example, an infant is born with congenital defects that can affect the heart, brain, intestines, and other essential organs. In such cases, the doctors and parents will agree to let the infant die. Another possible example: a 90-year-old woman who is receiving palliative care recently suffered a stroke and is now on a breathing tube and can no longer breathe, walk, or eat on her own. In such cases, the doctors and family can discuss possible euthanasia to ease the pain of the elderly and nimble patient and release her from her vegetative state. The oath also disregards patient cases in which a woman may need an abortion. Whether one is pro-life or pro-choice, there are plenty of circumstances in which an abortion can be deemed necessary. Consider a 12- year-old girl who has been raped by a family member, it would be traumatizing for a girl of that age to experience birth and be obligated to raise that child thereafter. Consider a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy where the fertilized egg implants itself outside of the uterus. Fetuses cannot survive ectopic pregnancies and if left untreated, the condition can become fatal for the pregnant person. The Hippocratic oath, although revised and widely accepted in many medical schools around the world, was written by Hippocrates to reflect the beliefs and values of his time.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Reid 4 Therefore, if I were to choose a version that I would want my physician to follow, it would be the modern Hippocratic oath revised by Dr. Lasagna because the classical oath holds unnecessary commitments, portrays antiquated ideals, and disregards some of the most controversial topics in modern medicine.

Reid 5 References Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS , Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.

Essay 1 - HIST 451

Related Documents