The Father Of Modern Medicine: An Analysis Of The Primum Non Nocere

‘Primum non nocere’ – First, do no harm; words spoken by thousands of medical students throughout the world upon graduating from years of medical school education. The Hippocratic Oath, one of the most widely known examples of ancient Greek medical literature, an oath inscribed onto papyrus; dating back to 400 BC, written by Hippocrates a Greek Physician who is widely known as the “Father of Western Medicine”. Many versions of the oath with slight variations exist with much controversy, but is the principle medical maxim of ‘Primum non nocere’ held throughout? In modern medicine with growing scientific discoveries, groundbreaking medical technologies and global paradigm shifts; the line between relieving suffering and intentionally hastening
There he described his death as, “dying quickly and without suffering in the arms of his wife, Livia, stating that he had experienced the ‘euthanasia’ he had wished for”. In ancient times, the act of euthanasia was common practice for patients considered to be incurable. In ancient India, terminally ill patients were drowned in the River Ganges. In Sparta, physicians would examine each newborn male child for signs of physical or mental disabilities and if any was found, that would lead to his death. This practice was undertaken to protect society from unnecessary burden, or to ‘save’ the newborn from the burden of their own existence. In Ancient Greece, Pythagoras and his students were against suicide and euthanasia due to their religious belief that man cannot take one’s own life because the Gods have placed him as the earthly protector. However, in ancient Greece suicide was also viewed in a positive light, for the pursuit of the avoidance of pain and anguish of the physical world. Hippocrates then mentions euthanasia in the Hippocratic Corpus, the original oath states “I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked nor suggest any such counsel”. The rise of Christianity brought more respect to human beings. The teachings of the Bible and the 10 commandants say “Thou shall not kill” and it is said that “God created man in His own
Human euthanasia is legal only in the Netherlands, Colombia, Belgium and Luxembourg. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in Germany, Switzerland, Albania, Japan and in the US states of Washington, Vermont, New Mexico, Montana and Oregon . Human euthanasia has met much controversy in Mexico, Thailand and the Northern territory of Australia and is criminalized. The legality of different forms of euthanasia varies from country to country, with most opting for the legalization of passive euthanasia. Voluntary Euthanasia was once made legal in the Northern Territory of Australia and was the first law passed explicitly legalizing euthanasia. After controversially being passed by the Legislative Assembly it was known as the ‘Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995’ . The act allowed terminally ill patients to commit medically assisted suicide, either by the direct involvement of a physician or by procurement of drugs which required a lengthy application process designed to establish that the patient were both mentally competent to provide informed consent and in fact terminally ill . Under the Act: ‘A patient had to be over 18 and be mentally and physically competent to request his or her own death. The request had to be supported by three doctors, including a specialist who confirmed that the patient was terminally