have read the oath, much less have sworn by it. This ignorance of the Hippocratic
             Oath is exemplified by recurrent allusions to the maxim Primum non nocere, or
             "First do no harm." Though this statement is indeed in the spirit of Hippocrates,
             the maxim never appears in the Oath (Humphry and Clement 174). The Oath is
             frequently overlooked; for not only does it advocate against euthanasia, but also
             against abortion, and performing surgery and teaching practices in return for
             money. The line of the Oath which makes the most difference is "I will fulfill
             according to my ability and judgment this oath ..." Euthanasia is only performed
             in cases which have been closely monitored and investigated. Afterwards, the
             attending physician(s) make a decision with their better judgment as to whether or
             Many argue over if the idea that the right to die is ethical. Euthanasia lies
             mainly on the principle of medical mercy. This principle states that physicians
             have two cardinal duties: 1) not to cause further pain and suffering; and 2) to act
             to end pain and suffering already occurring (Battin 18). If prolonged living causes
             further suffering, then the action to end the anguish would be to end the life. A
             doctor must use his or her better judgment to decide if the benefits of prolonged
             living override those of obliterating the distress for in some cases, the living is
             not always better. One case where the distress of illness was too much, is that of
             Nobel prize - winning physicist Dr. Percy Bridgman. He had been suffering of
             cancer when he shot himself in the head to end his suffering because he was not
             permitted to go through with ...