The Declaration of Geneva, produced as a modern restatement of the Hippocratic Oath by the World Medical Association at its formation in 1947, includes the following pledges: I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of its conception. Even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. In this book David Braine examines the status and working out of these undertakings in the light of the Christian understanding of God and man.