You Say Murder, I Say Euthanasia

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How should we decide when you will die?

Claire Rayner proposes a solution

The Science Museum has a new exhibit. It is a combination of syringe driver and personal computer that, when loaded with a mixture of a fast-acting barbiturate and curare (which causes total paralysis and so stops breathing), operates as a euthanasia machine.

It was given to the museum by the Voluntary Euthanasia Research Foundation of Australia, and was brought to the new Well-come Wing by its developer, Dr Philip Nitschke. The arrival of this object was marked by a Euthanasia Forum, chaired by Sir Stephen Tumin, featuring a panel of speakers of various shades of opinion, including Dr Nitschke. They were, to be honest, far less interesting than the audience.

Most striking were the disabled people, who -- eloquently and …