Triage And Lifeboat Ethics'ppt

Similar in some aspects to lifeboat ethics is the process of triage. This process of allocating scarce resources has been commonly practiced and justified in the crisis of war or disaster. When used in the time of war the practiced is usually to divide the wounded into three groups.

1st group The walking wounded who have received superficial wounds that require minimal care. These soldiers are often ignored during the first few minutes, or patched up immediately if they can be sent back to the battlefield.

2 group Are the fatally wounded who are given available narcotics to ease their pain but are not treated for their injuries nd

3 group Are the seriously wounded. These are treated immediately as they care will bring about the highest percentage of survivors. rd

In 1842, the American ship the William Brown stuck an iceberg near Newfoundland and began to sink. The crew and half the passengers managed to leave the vessel in two overcrowded lifeboats. After twentyfour hours one of these vessels began to founder in the high seas . The crew became concerned that all lives would be lost unless they decrease the numbers in the boat. The decision was to give priority to married men and all women.

Under this system, fourteen single men were thrown overboard and two young women , sisters of men in the water chose to join them. Several hours later, the survivors in the lifeboat were rescued by passing vessels.

Upon their return in Philadelphia all of the crew –with the exception of seaman Holmes—disappeared . Holmes was brought before the court to face trial for murder of the individuals thrown overboard. The defense argued that the action were needed t save lives and that there were no volunteer to enter the water .

The defense justified the decisions using the utilitarian value of keeping families intact and the duty oriented value of protecting helpless females.

The court using a different duty oriented approach based on the sacred nature to each life, stated that a lottery would have been the only ethical method, and seaman Holmes was