I agree George that it should be possible to find common ground, especially as we in the rich world are living longer lives and, many of us, facing protracted deaths. I also “identify as Christian”, as you put it, and have always been vehemently opposed to the idea of euthanasia, however it’s dressed up. But I am also mindful of my late Uncle John, a devout Catholic and a truly dedicated doctor. He toiled for many years as the only GP in a poor extremely tough part of south London. He had inevitably an unsentimental view of death. I was staying with him one very cold new year when I was 15, and found him eating his breakfast at 8 am, having been out on his frozen rounds since 5. “Six of the old people died during the night,” he said laconically while reading the Times. I was of course shocked. “Well,” he said, glancing up briefly, “it’s normal for this sort of weather.” This led, a day or two later, to a chat about easing people’s passing. He told me about what he called the Brompton cocktail, a blend of morphine and cocaine. He had been taught as a student to administer it as a painkiller for patients in extremis. “Of course you know it will kill them eventually, probably on the second or third injection, but the point is you’re not trying to kill them, you’re hoping to make them more comfortable.”
The lesson in that is that, as you say, we need to take palliative care much more seriously.
Thankyou for taking the trouble Patrick. That's a lovely story and I knew not of the Brompton cocktail. I'll order one at the Irving bar when the time comes. I'd have loved to have known what your uncle thought: very many doctors to whom I speak tell me that despatching terminally ill patients with lethal opiods is an urban myth. The balance between palliative pain relief and toxic overload is however a delicate one. Doctors may not deliberately kill, but sometimes pain relief is the priority and then the absolute cause of death can be uncertain. What is absolutely certain is that they did not kill them as the priority. I've been too strident on this subject in the past and we're entering more reflective territory. Thanks again - will I see you at the Connaught on Tuesday? Ever, G
Thanks George. I’ll be present virtually at the Connaught Rooms via the miracle of modern technology. I’m intending to make a very brief point about the 2098 rules committee of which I was a member. Unfortunately I’m stuck in Oxfordshire until the DVLA grants me a new licence allowing me to use hand controls. Otherwise I’d be there corporealily. Anno doninu, I’m afraid.
I agree George that it should be possible to find common ground, especially as we in the rich world are living longer lives and, many of us, facing protracted deaths. I also “identify as Christian”, as you put it, and have always been vehemently opposed to the idea of euthanasia, however it’s dressed up. But I am also mindful of my late Uncle John, a devout Catholic and a truly dedicated doctor. He toiled for many years as the only GP in a poor extremely tough part of south London. He had inevitably an unsentimental view of death. I was staying with him one very cold new year when I was 15, and found him eating his breakfast at 8 am, having been out on his frozen rounds since 5. “Six of the old people died during the night,” he said laconically while reading the Times. I was of course shocked. “Well,” he said, glancing up briefly, “it’s normal for this sort of weather.” This led, a day or two later, to a chat about easing people’s passing. He told me about what he called the Brompton cocktail, a blend of morphine and cocaine. He had been taught as a student to administer it as a painkiller for patients in extremis. “Of course you know it will kill them eventually, probably on the second or third injection, but the point is you’re not trying to kill them, you’re hoping to make them more comfortable.”
The lesson in that is that, as you say, we need to take palliative care much more seriously.
Thankyou for taking the trouble Patrick. That's a lovely story and I knew not of the Brompton cocktail. I'll order one at the Irving bar when the time comes. I'd have loved to have known what your uncle thought: very many doctors to whom I speak tell me that despatching terminally ill patients with lethal opiods is an urban myth. The balance between palliative pain relief and toxic overload is however a delicate one. Doctors may not deliberately kill, but sometimes pain relief is the priority and then the absolute cause of death can be uncertain. What is absolutely certain is that they did not kill them as the priority. I've been too strident on this subject in the past and we're entering more reflective territory. Thanks again - will I see you at the Connaught on Tuesday? Ever, G
Thanks George. I’ll be present virtually at the Connaught Rooms via the miracle of modern technology. I’m intending to make a very brief point about the 2098 rules committee of which I was a member. Unfortunately I’m stuck in Oxfordshire until the DVLA grants me a new licence allowing me to use hand controls. Otherwise I’d be there corporealily. Anno doninu, I’m afraid.
Anno domini my foot. 2098 rules you say? I knew it - you're a Time Lord. Go well, my friend and see you soon, G