Medicine on Trial

Through close examination of legal, historical, and medical sources, this volume sheds light on the evolution of U.S. law as it bears on bio-ethical issues, advances in medical technology, and the changing role of medicine in the American courtroom during the last 150 years. In doing so, it provides a clear, accessible introduction to such major medical and legal controversies as the "right to die," assisted suicide, bioengineering, reproductive rights, and DNA testing. An extensive collection of important documents is included, along with a glossary of key people, events, and concepts; a chronology; a table of cases cited; an annotated bibliography; and a comprehensive index.

SKU
26380g

A Sourcebook with Cases, Laws, and Documents

Elisabeth A. Cawthon

2004 - 352 pp.

Grouped product items
Format ISBN Price Qty
Paper 978-0-87220-742-4
$17.00
Instructor Examination (Review) Copy 978-0-87220-742-4
$3.00

ON TRIAL SERIES

This series examines the court rulings and legal opinions that have shaped the development of some of America’s most controversial political and social issues.  Each volume provides a substantial introduction to the history of the issue in question and includes an extensive collection of related documents; a glossary of key people, events, and concepts; a chronology; a table of cases cited; an annotated bibliography; and a comprehensive index.


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Through close examination of legal, historical, and medical sources, this volume sheds light on the evolution of U.S. law as it bears on bio-ethical issues, advances in medical technology, and the changing role of medicine in the American courtroom during the last 150 years. In doing so, it provides a clear, accessible introduction to such major medical and legal controversies as the "right to die," assisted suicide, bioengineering, reproductive rights, and DNA testing.

An extensive collection of important documents is included, along with a glossary of key people, events, and concepts; a chronology; a table of cases cited; an annotated bibliography; and a comprehensive index.

 

Contents:

Series Foreword. Preface and Acknowledgments.

PART ONE:

1. Introduction:
- Vision and Reality: Public Perceptions about Medicine in the Courtroom
- A Wider Context: The Medicalization of Courtrooms
- Foundations: Methods and Goals of the Study
- Conclusion
- References and Further Reading

2. Historical Background:
- Gatekeepers to the Courts: American Coroner and Medical Examiner Systems
- Forensic Pathologists in the Courtroom
- New Developments in Forensic Science
- Other Expert Medical Evidence: The Case of Psychiatry
- Medicine and the Bureaucratic State
- New Medical Technology and Patient Control
- Conclusion
- References and Further Reading

3. Cases:
- Medicine Shapes Trials: The Doctor as Expert in the Courtroom
- The Law Shapes Medical Practice: Court Decisions and Medicine
- Nonmedical Oversight of Medical Care
- Refusal of Treatment
- The Law Informs Public Debate: Current Medicolegal Controversies
- Conclusion
- References and Further Reading

4. Impact and Legacy:
- Abortion, Expert Testimony, and the British Parallel to Roe v. Wade
- Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS) in Other Nations
- Medical Malpractice in the United States: The Problem of Obstetrics
- Reproductive Cloning and the Stem Cell Debate
- Continuing Controversy Involving the FDA
- Police Powers and Communicable Diseases
- Conclusion
- References and Further Reading

PART TWO:

Documents:
- The Authority of Medical Examiners: Jackson v. Rupp (1969)
- The Mind of an Assassin: The Hinckley Case (1981)
- The Quinlan Case and the Right to Die (1976)
- The Meaning of Informed Consent: Canterbury v. Spence (1972)
- The Right to Refuse Treatment: Georgetown College v. Jones (1964)
- The Beginning of Life and Parental Rights: Miller v. Columbia/HCA (2000)
- The Supreme Court Rules on Partial-Birth Abortions: Stenberg v. Carhart (2000)
- The Baby M Case, Artifical Reproduction, and Family Law (1988)

Key People, Laws, and Concepts

Chronology

Table of Cases

Annotated Bibliography

Index. About the Author.

 

About the Author:

Elisabeth A. Cawthon is Associate Professor of History, University of Texas at Arlington.