"Archie Peligo" wrote in message
...
You are mischaracterizing the Hippocratic Oath. The relevant part of the
(classical) oath is as follows:

I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I
make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an
abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

Clearly this is refering to refusing to help someone commit suicide with
drugs. This does not refer to medical use of drugs intended to cure
ailments or relieve suffering without being fatal.

Archie Peligo

"Skipper" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Dec 2005 09:30:20 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
wrote:


snip

(Contrary to the Oath of Hippocrates, I might add. Drugs
are, ipso facto, poisonous. That's why they are controlled substances.
Anyone who takes the Oath is vowing to never use poisonous or harmful
substances.)


snip



Thanks Archie for pointing out that error. Interestingly surgery is
forbidden by the Hippocratic Oath as well, to wit:

"I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will
withdraw in favour of such men as are engaged in this work."

The "stone" in this case applied to bladder stones which were very painful
and given the quick and easy surgery was the most common operation performed
prior to anaesthesia. Some English surgeons were recorded as finishing the
operation in a minute or so. I'm glad I didn't have to have an incision
through abdominal wall into bladder without anaesthesia.

Apparently a "modernised" version of the Oath is still common in the US, but
internationally it has fallen by the wayside in medical schools as the
original precepts often do not apply in the modern world.

Regarding the original topic- I don't think you can ever be too old to sail,
but you might be too sick to sail.


Peter HK