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When Doctors Kill: Who, Why, and How Paperback – May 21, 2010

by Joshua A. Perper (Author), Stephen J. Cina (Author)

3.4 9 ratings

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It would come as no surprise that many readers may be shocked and intrigued by the title of our book. Some (especially our medical colleagues) may wonder why it is even worthwhile to raise the issue of killing by doctors. Killing is clearly an- thetical to the Art and Science of Medicine, which is geared toward easing pain and suffering and to saving lives rather than smothering them. Doctors should be a source of comfort rather than a cause for alarm. Nevertheless, although they often don’t want to admit it, doctors are people too. Physicians have the same genetic library of both endearing qualities and character defects as the rest of us but their vocation places them in a position to intimately interject themselves into the lives of other people. In most cases, fortunately, the positive traits are dominant and doctors do more good than harm. While physicists and mathematicians paved the road to the stars and deciphered the mysteries of the atom, they simultaneously unleashed destructive powers that may one day bring about the annihilation of our planet. Concurrently, doctors and allied scientists have delved into the deep secrets of the body and mind, mastering the anatomy and physiology of the human body, even mapping the very molecules that make us who we are. But make no mistake, a person is not simply an elegant b- logical machine to be marveled at then dissected.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

“This is a slim volume that still packs a lot of punch. … it covers doctor-caused deaths in a wide variety of contexts, including deliberate murder, malpractice, assisted suicide and euthanasia, medical experimentation, even doctors who became dictators … . this book would appeal to people with a range of interests. It covers historical events as well as some very recent ones, such as the Fort Hood shooting and Anna Nicole Smith’s death.” (Goodreads, August, 2010)

“It covers the bases from historical killers (Jack the Ripper-- doctor or not?) to Sam Sheppard … . the book ultimately sacrifices depth for scope … depending on what you’re looking for. … Overall, the book is fact-filled; full to the brim with facts, in fact. You’ll feel positively overwhelmed after reading it … . The book is well-indexed, so tracking down a particular bit of information is pretty easy to do. It’s well-organized as well.” (Goodreads, August, 2010)

“‘When Doctors Kill’ by Joshua A. Perper, MD and Stephen J. Cina, MD - Medical ethics defines the organizational strategy to the chapter discussions. … I thoroughly enjoyed the book … . as a reference work this book would make for excellent adjunct study in a course on medical ethics.” (LibraryThing, August, 2010)

“Do you want a detailed view of the twisted doctors through history who killed innocent men, women, and children? Do you crave a depressing litany of torture and death inflicted upon the blameless over the centuries? Then this is the book for you. … This is a thorough and well written review of fictional doctors who turn into killers.” (David E. Hoekenga, The Internet Review of Books, December, 2010)

From the Back Cover

Some readers may be shocked by the title of this book, and some may wonder if it is necessary to raise the uncomfortable issue of killing by doctors. Killing is clearly antithetical to the Art and Science of Medicine, which is geared toward easing pain and saving lives rather than smothering them. Nevertheless, doctors are people too. Physicians have the same genetic library of enabling qualities and defects as the rest of us, but their vocation places them in a position where both good practice and bad practice can be exercised. The book begins by presenting the background against which medicine came into being and the forces that molded the social, psychological and professional profile of healers. It continues with profiles of infamous serial killer physicians throughout the world; some "practiced" over a hundred years ago, others in recent decades. There is a discussion of mass murdering physicians who chose dictatorship or terrorism over healing. Not-so-mad, but highly sadistic physician/ scientists will also be under their microscope. There is a discussion of high-profile cases, and the authors raise the specter of the first genetic homicide - murder by means of chromosomal manipulation. They also the authors also share their thoughts on some of the ethical issues facing physicians today and examine the gray areas between Medicine and Law. The book concludes with a look at current fashions and trends in medicine. Complementary medicine and alternative therapies may have brought relief to many patients, but they have also resulted in disability, suffering, and death. Through the review of a few high profile, drug-related fatalities, the celebrity-physician relationship will be explored. Finally, the authors examine how the doctor is portrayed in fiction and why medical professionals are featured so prominently on television. Dr. Perper and Dr. Cina have a combined medical experience spanning 60 years. As forensic pathologists, they witness death daily and have investigated hundreds of murders. They accept that most doctors are a force for good, but their book contains accounts of horrible atrocities and features descriptions of graphic murders committed by healers. By shining a cold light on the risks patients face today given the wide array of treatment options, the authors aim to accurately relay the circumstances of when, how, and why doctors kill.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Copernicus; 2010th edition (May 21, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 269 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1441913688
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1441913685
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.62 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,971,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,497 in Forensic Medicine (Books)
- #3,086 in Medical Ethics (Books)
- #3,939 in Biochemistry (Books)

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3.4 9 ratings

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Cozyreaders

A very Important Look at Medical Practices :Historically and Current

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2011

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I wanted to read this book due to the subject and the Authors. The subject is Who, Why, and How these famous medical physicians were allowed to kill citizens that trusted their lives to them. The 'when' question, was not among my primary questions, but by the ending of the book, it was. Why? Because it is very important to me to be reassured these atrocities are not continuing today or in the future. Sounds silly until you understand that in 1977 a law was passed saying "The use of human subjects will be allowed for the testing of chemical and biological agents by the U.S. Department of Defense..."

The Authors were important because as Medical Examiners, they have an inside view that us laypersons are not privy to.

The book begins, predictably, with the 'Jack the Ripper' murders. It moves onwards to classification of mass, serial, and experimentation killings. Some doctors go so far as to commit suicide.

The many characteristics of Nazi experiments which is made all to more horrific when you learn of the thousands of German doctors who signed up years prior Hitler's rise to power. The Germans were hardly the first group of serial/mass murders. Some harmful doctors lived in Asia, Europe, why even in our U.S.A. Why? For every reason under the sun. Rationalization being used to hold oneself blameless is not a new concept. There is even "contagious caregivers." Let us not forget Literature and Hollywood's contribution.

The Authors begin by looking at Physicians and their ethics. Did I mention the word Rationalizations?

Even Cleopatra ordered experiments that will shock and appall you.

This book is an important book and far more than I ever realized when I purchased it for research on a book. Yes, the book is disturbing to read. It is a true-crime book. Some will be terrified but this is information all citizens of the world should know. Especially in the U.S.A. because we thought this sort of thing ended after the Tuskegee Syphilis scandal...we are wrong.

Do not let your children read until you have read it yourself. Do let them read it one day. It is crucial, in my humble opinion.

3 people found this helpful

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Michael F. Schmit

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2015

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Perfect!

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LadyDragoness

The Physician As A Killer

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2010

As I started to read When Doctors Kill, quite unlike several other reviewers, I had no preconceived notions of what I would find in this book and was completely unsure how the text would be arranged. I was glad to see the historical arrangement, as that helped me to better assimilate the content. The first part of the book, a discussion of ethics, read much like the college lecture I sat through on a similar topic many years ago. Fortunately that part ended just about the time I was beginning to experience some boredom.

Many of the real-life cases discussed were high-profile enough that I remember some details of those which happened during my lifetime. Also, many cases were older and either took place before my time, or while I was so young I have no memory of those. The older cases made for some interesting reading and comparison with the more modern ones. The authors could have gone more in-depth on some of the cases covered here, but expanding the depth would have served little purpose, as I don't believe this book was meant to do more than make the reader aware of the reasons why doctors kill, and it serves that purpose well and in an interesting manner as is.

I would have normal expectations of proof reading having taken place during the production phase of this book, yet I was appalled to see that several errors of sentence structure, grammar and puncutation have slipped into what otherwise appears to be a finished book... some of them so obvious that most anyone will notice. Some errors are a little less obvious, such as the ones in the chapter on Elvis Presley, where there is an apostrophe after nearly every instance of his first name. Use of the apostrophe indicates the possessive form, which is not always the form of Elvis' name that should have been used. Errors such as these would be expected in an uncorrected proof, yet nowhere in this book or on the covers does it have any indication of being an advance copy.

At the end of the book, I was delighted to see that several references are included, beginning with some "For Further Reading" lists, which are broken down by chapter, authors notes, and a fairly extensive index, which makes specific topics easy to locate. These references, along with the eminently readable, layman-style writing on a topic that is fairly scientific have earned this book four stars.

This book was provided to me free by the publisher in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing and Amazon.com

5 people found this helpful

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H. Weispfenning

Poorly done

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2010

This book is a huge disappointment, poorly written, edited, and researched.

Cases jump all over the map - from Jack the Ripper (who might possibly have been a doctor), to the modern-day U.S., false doctors, war crimes, ethical issues, and so on, in no particular fashion. Personal commentary is often inserted among the facts, including what seems to be a pointed dislike of the medical establishment, referred to at least once as 'allopathic'. Osteopathic medicine is promoted as far more ethical, with no supporting evidence. Long digressions are made into psychological profiling and other subjects, as if trying to fill space.

Research seems to be very poor as well. Confucianism is Chinese, not Japanese, although Neo-Confucianism was popular in Shogunate Japan (not WWII). Pyridostigmine's use as an anticholinergic agent was established long before the Gulf War, so using it to treat exposure to nerve agents may have been an experimental use, but it was not an experimental drug, as the authors would lead you to believe.

All in all, a poorly done book on what could have been a very interesting subject.

10 people found this helpful

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Mfudda

Three Stars

Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Interesting

Amazon Customer

Shoddy editing and publishing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2012

Verified Purchase

One comes away with the impression that there's no irony in their writing about the hubris of the medical profession while demonstrating their own with shockingly bad grammar, occasionally nonsensical sentences or duplicate phrases from one paragraph to the next. I'm obliged to mention too, the remarkably casual racism "the Russians are not very creative".
There's a lot of vitriol about the Nazis and the holocaust and while I would never expect someone writing a book of this kind to skim over it, it's emotionally charged and you get a whole chapter about the Nazis, then the next just covers everyone else rather more objectively as a sort of footnote (apart from the Japanese), with barely enough detail to convey the scale or horror at and with which, other nations and individuals inflicted the same kind of devastation on humanity.
Two chapters have the same quote as a mini-preface. All this and I'm only a third of the way through!
That said, it's an interesting work. It is though, let down by an apparent lack of care or interest in the audience by the authors and very, very shoddy publishing. I'll be avoiding this house and these authors in the future.

Amélie

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2015

Verified Purchase

An interesting read.

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