Attitude to The Permanent Vegetative

State

• 1969, vegetative formally described by physicist from Cambridge wrote appeal to doctor in Lancet (article)• Imaginedhorror of surviving after road incident w severe brain

damage• Claimed X longer generally true (life should prserve by all means)• Respnse from Lancet ( unsympathetic)• (BUT) 2 years later, Lancet report 2 pt – 5months with neocortical

necrosis from anoxic brain damage• Titled ‘death of human being )• Ask anyone would want his own vegetative existence to be artificially

prolonged?