When Doctors Kill

It would come as no surprise that many readers may be shocked and intrigued by the title of our book. Some (especially our medical colleagues) may wonder why it is even worthwhile to raise the issue of killing by doctors. Killing is clearly an- thetical to the Art and Science of Medicine, which is geared toward easing pain and suffering and to saving lives rather than smothering them. Doctors should be a source of comfort rather than a cause for alarm. Nevertheless, although they often don't want to admit it, doctors are people too. Physicians have the same genetic library of both endearing qualities and character defects as the rest of us but their vocation places them in a position to intimately interject themselves into the lives of other people. In most cases, fortunately, the positive traits are dominant and doctors do more good than harm. While physicists and mathematicians paved the road to the stars and deciphered the mysteries of the atom, they simultaneously unleashed destructive powers that may one day bring about the annihilation of our planet. Concurrently, doctors and allied scientists have delved into the deep secrets of the body and mind, mastering the anatomy and physiology of the human body, even mapping the very molecules that make us who we are. But make no mistake, a person is not simply an elegant b- logical machine to be marveled at then dissected.

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

PrefaceSection 1: Ethics and the PhysicianIn the BeginningPerfect Intentions, Imperfect PeopleSection 2: When Doctors KillThe Alpha Killers: Three Prolific Murderous DoctorsAmerica's Contribution to Medical MayhemInternational Men of Mystery: Other Serial KillersTo Catch a Killer: Investigating Serial MurderThe Nazi MurdersSection 3: In the Name of ScienceHitler's 'Scientists'Made in Japan- Unethical ExperimentsGood Old Fashioned American Ingenuity-and EvilPhysician Kill Thyself: The Story of Dr. Gwinn E. PuigSection 4: Politics and MedicineLibel Plots Against PhysiciansJudge, Jury, Executioner, and DoctorTrading Treatment for TerrorGuilty Until Proven InnocentSection 5: What Now?Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: What Would Hippocrates Do?Malpractice or Murder?It's All Natural!Contagious CaregiversFictitious Physicians: Where has Marcus Welby Gone?Doctors to the StarsReferences

Physicians are generally viewed as caring and compassionate members of society, dedicated individuals charged with healing the helpless. The public is invariably fascinated when one of the "good guys" turns bad. When Doctors Kill: Who, Why, and How examines health care professionals involved in serial killings, unethical human experimentation, and mass murder. The moral quagmire involved in the practice of modern medicine, including abortion, "mercy killings", and euthanasia, are also discussed.