…We were happy to see the first issue of Medical Ethics

and have some suggestions to offer: What is the chief role you envisage for this newsletter? Is it information, education, a commentary on current practices or a forum for discussion? It may be best to define this and orient it accordingly.

Will you consider establishing standard sections such as Ethics and Society, Ethics of Medical Research, Ethics and Malpractice, Medical Ethics and Public Health Policy, Clinical Competence, Medical Ethics and the Law, Medical Ethics and Human Rights…

Another approach would be to focus on a single aspect of medical ethics in each issue and invite multiple views. When inviting responses, include one from a renowned ethicist.

The instance of the pregnant mother referred to in the first issue highlights the importance of general principles governing medical ethics. (In this instance the principle is that the life of the mother takes precedence over that of the fetus.) How did such general principles evolve? How are they modified? What is the role of religious beliefs?

(Dr. Mamdani offers several stimulating options. We invite opinions from other readers. At present we are dealing with current issues in medical ethics and are providing an authoritative review (as on the patient’s right to know in this issue).

We wish this newsletter could serve all the functions mentioned by Dr. Mamdani in his first paragraph! Editor)