Anthropogenic ILLs

In recent years the phrase “iatrogenic ills” has been applied to morbid conditions caused or induced by physicians, hospitals, and public health services, or merely attributed to them. Improper or excessive medication, spreading of an infection among patients, redundant surgery, or a neurosis engendered by a psychiatrist are among the many examples. The paper discusses a number of terms applied to differentiate between individual acts of malpractice and calamities resulting from the collective skill of a profession.