Doing the kind thing

doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7494.764

BMJ 2005;330:764 (2 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.330.7494.764

Filler

A memorable patient

Doing the kind thing

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Physician's tale

Some years ago I was asked to visit a 62 year old man on hungerstrike in a prison hospital. He was awaiting trial for murder.There was no physical reason for his not eating, and neitherthe prison doctor nor a psychiatrist could find any evidenceof mental illness. The prisoner simply felt that only by endinghis own life could he approach atonement for his sin. My opinionwas that we should try to encourage him to change his aim butthat he should be allowed to starve himself to death if he insisted.He seemed to me to be a man of honour who knew he had made aterrible mistake.

Over the next few days he was seen by several psychiatristsfrom around the country, and they all found him sane. He sawhis solicitor and made an advance directive that he was notto have . . . [Full text of this article]