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

The long history of medical care for the dying has largely been neglected by scholars. Physicians were first challenged to provide medical and personal care that would enable patients to die peacefully. Today it involves sophisticated palliation of symptoms, various ways of offering emotional care, and respect for the wishes and cultural backgrounds of patients and families. This book chronicles four centuries of professional and personal advances in the quest for a good death, covering the fight against futile end-of-life treatments, the history of life-extending treatments and technologies, the liberation of the dying from isolation in hospitals and hard-won victories to secure patients’ right to choose.