George Mitchell v. State of Washington

One of the primary teachings of the Hippocratic School is embodied in the maxim “first do no harm.” The phrase serves as a guiding principle for physicians who are debating the use of an intervention that carries an obvious risk of harm but a less certain chance of benefit. In this case, Dr. Thomas Bell refused to prescribe a course of interferon and' ribavirin therapy to treat Geprge Mitchell’s Hepatitis C because he determined that the treatment was more likely to harm Mitchell than cure him. The primary basis for Dr. Bell’s treatment decision was that the progression of Mitchell’s…