[Introduction to the "Guidelines of Medical Ethics" of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences].

The guidelines of medical ethic are recommendations of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences to the medical doctors to overcome the difficulties of medicine and modern technics and social problems. In an introduction the duties of the physician and his behaviour in the hippocratic mind are exposed, without asking for an oath. The recommendations give I. essential rules of international health organisations and II. Medical-ethic guidelines regarding different questions: 1. research examinations on men 2. euthanasia 3. transplantation 4. artificial insemination 5. sterilisation, especially the operative sterilisation of mentally handicapped persons, without acceptation of the so-called forced sterilisation 6. medical-ethical committees. The newly founded medical-ethical commission of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences and its organisation with physicians and laymen is explained. Its different functions are: a) answers to inquiries of international or national organisations and of individual persons b) formulation of principal ideas for medical-ethical questions, which will arise also in the future, not only on research, but also on diagnostic, therapeutic or prophylactic problems. These medical-ethical guidelines are formulated in few words to help the medical doctor for a quick consultation. They give a legal ethic. The Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences considers this as one of her tasks: to guard and to guard and to advance ethical devices in medicine.