Primum Non Nocere
4th December 2017
Used to be, in the Good Old Days, there was this thing called the Hippocratic Oath.
Although not actually part of the classical Hippocratic Oath, the phrase Primum Non Nocere has traditionally been associated with in conventional understandings of medical ethics.
It means ‘First, to do no harm’. That this is the essence of the ethical standard to which medical practitioners are to be held used to be unquestioned. But these days … not so much.
‘Want me to kill your baby? Want me to kill your grandmother? Hey, so long as I won’t go to jail for it, I’m good.’ appears to be the new medical ethical standard.
I do not consider this progress.