研究生精读[下册]Background-of-Euthanasia

BackgroundofEuthanasiaDefinitionofEuthanasia•ThewordisofGreekoriginandliterallymeans“agooddeath”.Nowitmeans“theintentionalkillingbyactoromissionofadependenthumanbeingforhisorherallegedbenefit”.Thekeywordhereisintentional.Ifdeathisnotintended,itisnotanactofeuthanasia.Thedistinctionbetweenactiveandpassiveeuthanasia•Passiveeuthanasia:•Intentionallycausingdeathbynotprovidingnecessaryandordinary(usualandcustomary)careorfoodandwater.•Activeeuthanasia:•Intentionallycausingaperson'sdeathbyperforminganactionsuchasbygivingalethalinjection.ControversiesoverEuthanasia•Therearemanycontroversiesovertheeuthanasiabothlegallyandmorally.Itmaybesummedupastwopointsmainly.•(1)Shouldweemployeuthanasiatothepatientwhohasincurabledisease?(Shouldeuthanasiabelegalized?)•ReasonsforEuthanasia:●Unbearablepain●Righttodiewithdignity●Peopleshouldnotbeforcedtostayalive•OpposetoEuthanasia:●Euthanasiaiscriminaloffensebecauseitinvolvesthekillingofperson●Withthedevelopmentofmedicalscience,thediseasewhichisincurableforthetimebeingmaybebecomecurableinthenearfuture•(2)Activeorpassiveeuthanasia,Whichoneismorehumanetothepatient?•Passiveeuthanasiaisacceptablebutactiveeuthanasiaisnotpermissible●Killingsomeoneismorallyworsethanlettingsomeonedie•Activeeuthanasiaispreferabletopassiveeuthanasia●Ifthedoctor’sdecision(letpatientdie)isright,themethodusedinitselfisnotimportantInwhichcountryeuthanasiaislegal?•Hollandisthefirstcountrythatlegalizedeuthanasia.•Belgiumalsolegalizedeuthanasiain2002.•AmericanOregonstateandSwitzerlandonlypermitpassiveEuthanasia.Down’sSyndrome•1886年英国医师道恩（J．Langdon－Down）最初记载的一种疾病。以前称为蒙古人症（mongolism）或蒙古人样白痴（mongolianidiocy）。患者精神不全，由于短头，后头部扁平，眼内角有赘皱、斜吊向上的眼裂，两眼距离较宽，鼻梁低矮，呈现特异的相貌。1959年勒琼（J．Lejeune）等发现本综合征患者的染色体数为47，第21常染色体多一个，而构成三染色体。以后并阐明了染色体有转位型或镶嵌型，都是因第21号染色体过多所致。新生儿发生的比例约为一千人中有1.5人。是染色体异常疾病中发生率较高的一种。大部分是由于双亲的某一方在配子形成过程中第21号染色体不分离所致。该染色体不分离现象易在年纪较大的母亲中发生，这已从统计学方面得到证明。