d. Medicine in France. French physicians routinely prescribe the yogurt
derivative Lactobacmus along with antibiotics to prevent stomach upsets that
sometimes occur from those drugs, though there is no proof that Lactobacmus actually
helps normalize the intestinal tract; therefore, more importance is attached to the theory
underlying a treatment than any experimental evidence.
(1) The French people are extremely sensitive to preserving the beauty and
integrity of the human body. Thus, breast cancer is more likely to be treated by
radiotherapy than by surgery. There is respect for a woman's childbearing ability that
translates to less frequent hysterectomies, performed only for cancers and other serious
illnesses.
(2) The French people believe that the patient's constitution, or terrain, is an
important factor in disease. Thus, they emphasize the use of tonics and vitamins to
bolster the terrain more often than they prescribe antibiotics to fight germs. By contrast,
American physicians tend to emphasize the role of external agents, including bacteria,
as causes of disease.20
e. Medicine in Germany. In Germany, medicine is a mix of romanticism which
may, at times, put emotion ahead of thought and 20th-century technology. There are
more physicians per capita than in other European countries, and a German sees his or
her physician an average of 12 times a year, compared with 4.7 times in the US.
Additionally, over 120,000 drugs are on the market. Doctors make liberal use of
electrocardiograms, CAT scans, and other devices. The romantic side of German
medicine is revealed by the emphasis physicians place on the heart. A mild cardiac
disorder known as Herzinsuffzienz is frequently diagnosed. Virtually unrecognized by
most physicians anywhere else, German physicians prescribe low doses of digitalis to
prevent full-blown heart failure from this disorder.21
2-7.
ETHICS IS NOT LAW
As stated earlier, ethical theory establishes ideals of behavior that we try, to the
best of our abilities, to apply to real-life situations. When faced with a choice between
self-interest and a moral imperative, it may be relatively easy, in many cases, to make a
moral choice. It may, however, be a hard choice, as in choosing to take in an ailing
parent and assuming the role of primary caretaker, but, it is a clear choice. Sometimes,
however, we are confronted with moral dilemmas, situations in which we must choose
between conflicting moral principles.
moral dilemma: a no-win situation in which the choice is between
conflicting moral principles of equal importance.
MD0066
2-10
Previous Page
