the medical practitioner may now be prescribing test and treatment procedures to offset the overhead cost of running an office, clinic, or hospital. No doubt a distinction is made by many about tests or treatments not required which are not harmful, vs. those that are harmful to the patient. The latter is "un-ethical," the former, "un-necessary." However, such a distinction is questionable as a general principle unless one submits to rigorous testing the actual consequences of an allegedly nonharmful and unnecessary treatment, test, drug, or diet. This requirement is clearly not met in the routine, daily case, where the doctor has to judge the harmfulness of a treatment in advance. Furthermore, the ordinary physician's daily round requirements obviate rigorous studies and careful record keeping that would be required to be rigorous about the matter.

Onto Part 2