人類学
オープンアクセス

概要

Two Centuries of Autopsies in the New England Journal of Medicine:Evolution of the Status of the Cadaver in Occidental Medicine (1812-2012)

Charlier Philippe, Lorin de la Grandmaison Geoffroy and Christian Herve

Medical autopsy is an incredible opportunity of putting the exact diagnosis on a patient. Through the frequency and evidence of autopsies in the Journal since its creation in 1812, how is it possible to describe the evolution of the status of the cadaver in occidental medicine during the past 200 years? Does a dead patient belong to its family or to physicians, at the service of medical knowledge and improving surgical procedures? Is the medical secret to be preserved or not, even for public personalities? Is it licit to say everything about the health of a patient, even with its previous consent? Was the journal, during its first 100 years of existence, a forensic one? Post-mortem utility of MD and VIP’s will be shown and discussed. Lastly, dangers of the autopsy, and chronic ineluctable decrease of its rate will be analyzed from 1812 until now.