Hemlock's Cup is the first history of the active euthanasia movement in America, as represented by its most visible proponent, the Hemlock Society. Donald W. Cox traces the growth of the society from its beginnings as a three-person cause to its current worldwide fame. The work of Derek Humphry, the society's founder, is reviewed and the recent publicity surrounding Dr. Jack Kevorkian and his controversial "suicide machine" is discussed.
Cox also addresses the Washington (1991) and California (1992) initiatives to legalize doctor-assisted suicide and the ethical questions they pose. He reflects on the impact of the Quinlan and Cruzan cases to establish "right to die" for all Americans and he explores the reasons for the delays in enacting living-will laws in various states. In addition, he examines the connections among AIDS, abortion, and assisted suicide, three major medical issues of the 1990s.
Donald W. Cox is president of the Hemlock Society of Delaware Valley. He is a prolific author who has published more than one hundred articles and thirteen books on a variety of topics, including manned spaceflight, ecology, education, and organized crime.
311 pages