Lethal Medicine: The Epidemic of Medical Malpractice in America

"Lethal Medicine, The Epidemic Of Medical Malpractice In America" by Harvey F. Wachsman, M.D., J. D., Henry Holt & Company, Inc. NY, 1993 In engineering, there are various comments that masquerade under the name, "Murphy's Law". I think the original version stated, "If someone can put it on backwards, they will". However, all the different variations metamorphosed into something like: "If something can go wrong, it will! And, at the worst possible time". I was surprised that Murphy's Law also applies to the practice of medicine. Dr. Wachsman gives many different examples, and, I think, shows how arrogant some doctors can be. As an Historian, I was particularly interested in pages 32-33, where Dr. Wachsman describes "Erb's Palsy". This palsy is a "...deformity of the arm, shoulder and hand area..." making "...the arm appear ...twisted and shriveled". The author goes on to say that Erb's Palsy is caused when "...the brachial plexus nerves in the neck and shoulder area are damaged during delivery ..." of the baby. One of the most famous victims of Erb's Palsy was Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, who always attempted to hide his crippled left arm. Did this physical defect make Kaiser Wilhelm more aggressive than his cousins, the King of England and the Tsar of Russia? And help to cause World War I? Since Erb's Palsy can only be caused by damage in child birth, I wonder if this case of malpractice holds the record for being the most expensive in history?

Harvey Wachsman writes this book in order to serve and protect society as well as to inform readers of the dangers of receiving medical care in today's society. He organizes the text by topic in order to give readers an in depth look at the different areas pertaining to the United States' current medical malpractice problem. Waschman is certainly qualified to assert his opinions on the issue of negligent physicians in light of the fact that he served as both a chief of neurosurgery in a hospital and as an attorney, specializing in medical malpractice litigation. The book's strenghts lie in its real-life accounts and the author's well-researched advise. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this book while researching a project in my Composition class at Oklahoma State University. The text proved to be extremely beneficial in my research. It also encouraged me to continue in my pursuit of medicine and perhaps, at some point, help redeem the practice of medicine.

WOW not only did doctor harvey create a real page turner he also motivated me to excel in my future career of gynocolgy. his words touched my soul as he delved into such dangers as heart surgery, anal fissures, bone marrow transplats, vaginal discharge, rectal leakage, and dental malpractice. read this book for an adventure into the daily life of my hero, dr. harvey.

Harvey Wacshman portrays the beuty of childhood love-man realationships with poetic vigor. Each chapter permeates my soul like no other malpractivce lawyer. If reading about various feline habits tickles your fancy, then grab some hot coco and curl up along sid ethe hearth of a warm fire and grab this book!

Terse, well written, an absolute gem of a book. This book by Dr. Wachsman demonstrates why you absolutely need someone by your side 24 hours if you are in hospital. We need a web site to rate doctors. Maybe I will start one.