Euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and our elderly and frail populationAmericans' attitudes toward the elderly and frail are evolving into the attitude indicated in the following episode ? In Indiana, a nurse suspected of killing at least 100 people is on trial, accused of killing seven elderly patients. Orville Lynn Majors Jr., 38, began serving as a licensed practical nurse at a hospital in Clinton, Indiana in 1993; months later, other nurses observed an abnormally high mortality rate in the hospital's intensive care unit whenever Majors was on duty. On one occasion Majors was found, syringe in hand, at the bedside of a woman who had died suddenly; the patient was scheduled for discharge the following day, and an autopsy suggested that a potassium injection caused her death. Autopsies on other patients uncovered enough evidence to go to trial in seven cases. A statistical study showed that an ICU patient death occurred every 23 hours when Majors was on duty, but every 552 hours when he was not; however, statistical evidence was excluded from the study. Majors had also reportedly told others that he thought seniors were "a waste" [New York Times, 8/31]. Numerous US studies have established that Americans most directly affected by the problem of physician-assisted suicide - those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illnesses - are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others:* A survey conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found that 50% support legalizing physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters ages 35 to 44 supported legalization, 57% to 33%. But those numbers reversed for voters 65 and older, who opposed legalization by 54% to 38%. Majorit...... half of the document ......l.. "Euthanasia and medically assisted suicide: attitudes and experiences of cancer patients, oncologists and the public." 347 The Lancet 1805 (29 June 1996):1809Humphry, Derek. “What's in a word?” Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization 1993, Table 1-A.Koenig, Dr. Harold et al.. "Attitudes of Elderly Patients and Their Families Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide." 156 Archives of Internal Medicine 2240 (October 28, 1996) Lee v. Oregon, 891 F.Supp. 1429 (D. Or. 1995), vacated for other reasons, 107 F.3d 1382 (9th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 118 S. Ct. 328 (1997). "Poll Shows More Would Support Law Using Kinder Language," TimeLines (January-February 1994):9Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S. Ct. 2258, 2262 n. 7 (1997.-- -- --. 117 S. Ct. at 2272, citing United States v. Rutherford, 442 US 544, 558. 1979. Washington Post, April 4, 1996.