RT Journal
A1 COHEN M
T1 THe notification to the health authorities of cases of abortion and miscarriage
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1909
FD December 25
VO LIII
IS 26
SP 2153
OP 2155
DO 10.1001/jama.1909.92550260001001e
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1909.92550260001001e
AB Physicians are not permitted to disclose any information that they have acquired in attending a patient in their professional capacity and which was necessary to enable them to act in that capacity. Professional secrets belong to the patient and can not be disclosed without the patient's consent. It is but right and proper that information acquired for a specific and humane purpose should be put only to the use for which it was obtained. Many sick and injured persons otherwise would deceive their physician or forego medical attention altogether, especially if guilty of crime.Exceptions to this rule, however, do exist. Whenever the interests of the people as a whole are paramount, the individual rights of the patient are set aside. In many states, for instance, physicians are required to report to the health authorities all cases of tuberculosis. In others before a marriage license is issued the absence of