The Code of Medicai Ethics of 1847

Abstract

Starting with a brief historical illustration of the documents regarding the medicai practice, the author describes the modifications that have occurred over the centuries. The first code of medical ethics of modern times is anaiyzed: The American Medicai Association's Code of Medical Ethics of 1847, and the Author shows that this code drew on various sources: the Hippocrathic Oath, the English Physicians' "Statuta Moralia", T. Percival's work, "Medical Ethics" and Dr. B. Rush's influence. The paper ends with a series of considerations about the risks and possibilities that ethical pluralism involves with respect to the medicai practice and therefore to ethical codes.