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Euthanasia
Euthanasia, which literally means “good death,” is defined as intentionally taking one’s life to relieve pain and suffering. There are two broad categories of euthanasia: passive and active. Passive euthanasia deals with a patient’s right to withhold medical treatment, including nourishment and life-sustaining devices, with the intent of ending one’s life. Active euthanasia is the liberty to take one’s life when terminally ill and frequently is associated with doctor-assisted suicide.
History
Euthanasia has a long and storied history dating back to ancient Greece and Rome. The term was first used by the historian Suetonius in relation to the Emperor Augustus dying quickly and without suffering in the arms of his wife, Livia. The Greek physician Hippocrates, the father of medicine, has spoken against the use of ...
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