A K Tharien, Voluntary Health Association of India, New Delhi.

Technology has made such tremendous advances over the past few years that it has been difficult for man to keep his sense of values intact in a changing society.This booklet raises some of these issues and includes euthanasia, abortion, in vitro fertilisation, organ transplantation and genetic engineering.The author, Dr A. K. Tharien is an ex-President of the Voluntary Health Association of India and has represented the nation at the Declaration of Tokyo [on ethical issues in genetics] in 1990. Dr Tharien briefly discusses the science and the techniques of these topics before dwelling on the ethical problems. An useful appendix covers the Hippocratic oath as well as the declarations of Geneva [1948], Helsinki [1961] and Tokyo [1990].

The pros of this book as well as its cons lie in its size – it is just 44 pages long [small size pages]and there are no references. Of these, the author’s views are written in 22 and the appendices take up 15 pages. As such , it can only act as a brief introduction to the some of the fields currently of interest to medical ethicists. Serious students will have to look elsewhere for more material. For instance, the chapter on abortion is very brief and is largely on the reasons that different countries have legalised it. Although he does not specifically clarify his stand on abortion in the chapter, it clear that he is anti-abortion.

In fact, the author is obviously influenced strongly by his religious beliefs and I do always not agree with the author. He is apparently against euthanasia, something I believe in, in spite of its potential hazards. He is also not in favour of transplant operations or indeed, most of the newer techniques in medicine. I must accept that his emphasis on love as the motive and guiding principle for all health care workers and on a moral and spiritual education may help solve some of our ethical problems. He reiterates that medicine is a calling, not a profession and concludes ” Only ethics based on spiritual values and love can lead our society to lasting happiness, harmony and peace.” In a commentary towards the end, Frank Leavitt of Israel suggests that Dr Tharien’s views be examined by bioethicists of other faiths as well as secular , strictly scientific [a politically correct term for atheists, I imagine] bioethicists.

The chapter on euthanasia is particularly well – written and has been published with some modification in this issue of Issues in Medical Ethics.