The scope and responsibility of medicine. A forum with a purpose

To engender discussion of what the scope and responsibility of medicine ought to be in today's society, California Medicine printed in its June issue six essays by authors known to have keen if various interest in the subject. In presenting the essays the editors expressed hope that they would be the beginning of a forum from which a definition of our profession's responsibilities may be distilled. Readers were invited to take part in a continuation of the forum in succeeding issues. Following are four contributions selected from those received to date. Others will be published in the months ahead. If you have thoughts on the subject, just address them to the editors of California Medicine, 693 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94102. Keep your essays short, please.