Tortuous arguments evade the issue

BMJ 1995;311:1437 (25 November)

Letters

Tortuous arguments evade the issue

EDITOR,--While I agree with much that Ronald E Cranford saysin his editorial on withdrawing artificial feeding in braindamage, I am unhappy about his concept that the withdrawal oftube feeding does not constitute assisted suicide or euthanasia.¹

It is ironic that the only reason that tube feeding has beenidentified as "treatment" has been so that it can be withdrawn.Much of the debate has concentrated on the argument that tubefeeding is futile treatment. I would argue that tube feedingis extremely effective since it achieves all the things we intendit to do. What is really being argued is whether the patient'slife is futile--hence the need to find some way of ending thatlife. Once this decision is made then whatever means we useto end that life must have the definite intention of doing so--thatis, euthanasia. The medical profession's desire to avoid seeming. . . [Full text of this article]