Euthanasia

The putting to death, by painless method, of a terminally-ill or severely debilitated person through the omission (intentionally withholding a life-saving medical procedure, also known as 'passive euthanasia') or commission of an act ('active euthanasia').

Historically, euthaniasia was simply known as the bringing upon of a gentle and easy death as in: "At her age, no one could have hoped for your mother anything but ... euthanasia" (1768, Burke).

In 1873, an article published in Oxford University's Contemporary Review opined, in words eerily applicable today:

"Mankind at different stages of culture differ utterly as to the morality of suicide and euthanasian homicide."

REFERENCES:

• Duhaime, Lloyd, Euthanasia in Canada
• Duhaime, Lloyd, Legal Definition of Assisted Suicide