Palliative Care: The 400-Year Quest for a Good Death

by Harold Y. Vanderpool

Overview

The long history of medical care for the dying has largely been neglected. It began in 1605 when physicians were challenged to enable persons to die peacefully. Today it includes palliation of oppressive symptoms, emotional and psychological care, and respect for the wishes and cultural backgrounds of patients and families. Especially since the 1990s, it embraces symptom-easing palliation for patients with severe life-limiting and chronic illnesses. Providing a detailed picture of contemporary palliative care, this book chronicles four centuries of the quest for a good death, covering the fight against futile end-of-life treatments, the history of life-extending treatments and technologies, the roles of nurses, the liberation of the dying from isolation in hospitals and hard-won victories to secure patients' right to choose.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476619712
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	07/11/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Harold Y. Vanderpool is a professor emeritus of history and philosophy of medicine in the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. His career includes teaching courses on medical ethics, death and dying, and suffering; articles and book chapters on terminal care, and national and international lectures. He lives in Cedar Park, Texas.
Harold Y. Vanderpool is a professor emeritus of history and philosophy of medicine in the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. His career includes teaching courses on medical ethics, death and dying, and suffering; articles and book chapters on terminal care, and national and international lectures. He lives in Cedar Park, Texas.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
1: From Proclamation to Recognition: 1605–1772
2: Minute Details and Codified Conduct: 1789–1825
3: That Science Called Euthanasia: 1826–1854
4: Polarities Between Attention and Disregard: 1859–1894
5: Challenging the Overreach of Modern Medicine: 1895–1935
6: Never Say Die Versus Care for the Dying: 1935–1959
7: Times of Momentous Transition: 1960–1981
8: Progress, Threatening Seas, and Endurance: 1982–1999
9: Choices: 2000 to the Present
Epilogue
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

This wise and revealing study is sure to be valuable to the dying and those who love them, as well as to the physicians and other health professionals who care for them.”—Library Journal; “Vanderpool has written a history of palliative care that focuses on key issues that have dominated the health care dynamics of caring for the dying for centuries. The book makes a valuable contribution from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Recommended”—Choice; “this is a useful book for those doing research in medical history or palliative care, and academic libraries supporting these areas should consider it for purchase”—Booklist; “a scholarly, detailed historical account...meticulously researched...a must read to gain full understanding of where we have been, where we are, and what we can do next to improve the care of the dying”—Explore; “this is a scholarly treatise about the history of palliative care over the last 400 years. It is enjoyable to read”—Hospice Care; “excellent...a treasure trove...a most helpful volume”—Watermark.

From the Publisher

08/01/2015
Vanderpool (emeritus, history & philosophy of medicine, Inst. for the Medical Humanities, Univ. of Texas) has drawn upon "a vast literature on clinical medicine, medical research, palliative care practices and advocacy, personal testimonials, biomedical ethics, death and dying, the law, and the history of medicine and culture" as well as his own extensive career in the fields of medical ethics, death and dying, and suffering in this wide-ranging survey of the history of palliative care. From 1605, when Sir Francis Bacon proclaimed that physicians should enable persons to "pass peacefully out of life," to the present, when dying patients' "rights, protections, and number of choices…are…deserving of celebration," although the author notes that the choices are often filled with pain. Vanderpool concludes that understanding the nature of contemporary palliative care is imperative for making good decisions. VERDICT This wise and revealing study is sure to be valuable to the dying and those who love them, as well as to the physicians and other health professionals who care for them.—Marcia G. Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH

Library Journal