Families and their doctors

Abstract

The structure of the family has undergone many changes since the tragic night when Mrs N collided with a mammoth in the dark. She had left the cave to pick some strawberries for dessert for what had been a wonderful dinner. Old Mr Neanderthal had been in great form; his numerous children had gulped down the juicy morsels of reptile steak with gusto; and the poor relations had quietly packed away the leftovers into what later would become known as doggie bags. Then the accident happened and as the local medicine man was rushing about with his trephines it was apparent that life would never be the same again.For Trivialising procreationAlso blurring the traditional boundaries of the family is surrogate motherhood. In a highly publicised case recently a woman refused to part with a child that she had borne but the judge ordered her to uphold the contract she had signed. Though the baby girl will live with her father and be adopted by that man's wife, she will grow up in the knowledge that she is the result of her real mother renting Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois GEORGE DUNEA, FRCP, FRCPED, attending physician 36