Editorial Morality and ethics as they apply to medicine are bewildering and vital in about equal measure. In these areas grey is the predominant colour; there are no pat solutions. The complexity of these issues is heightened by lheii' intimate involve-ment with religion and law -
fields especially conducive to disagreement.
For all their vagueness, moral issues such as abortion or euthanasia, and questions of ethics such as the therapeutic use of placebos or the physician's responsibilities at the scene of an accident, must inevitably be faced in the course of medical practice. In the standard medical curriculum such problems are dealt with pragmatically, if at all. The physician's legal position is stressed, while questions of ethics and
morality are largely ignored. In this number of the Journal an attempt is made to illuminate the underlying issues and to offer possible solutions to several of these problems. A physician's actions must be governed not merely by a knowledge of what is permissible, but also by an accurate understanding of the basic issues. He cannot abdicate his responsibility to formulate for himself, moral and ethical standards which will guide his behaviour as a medical practitioner. In this issue an article entitled "a new deal for homosexuals" appears under the heading, DISSENT. This feature is designed to serve as a medium 路 for the presentation of views which are opposed to traditional or prevailing thought. Any subject relevant to medicine is fair game for DISSENT. Medical education, the "image" of the profession, the "foreign doctors" question, and medicare, are but a few of the many issues which might conceivably be discussed. A number of technical innovations have been made in this number of the Journal. These changes are strictly tentative; their future will be determined by reader reaction.
DECEMBER,
1965
B.G.H.
33