By Apollo, By Panacea

"I swear by Apollo the physician and by Aesculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea, and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses . . ." Beginning with these words, budding doctors for centuries have solemnly taken the ponderous Hippocratic oath-upon graduation. Modern physicians still pledge themselves to "keep [this oath] according to my ability and my judgment."

The World Medical Association has now decided that Greek gods & goddesses are out of place in the 20th Century's air-conditioned, aseptic temples of healing. In Manhattan next month, the W.M.A. (a federation of 39 national medical associations) will take final action on replacing the tradition-crusted Hippocratic oath with the snappy, streamlined Declaration of Geneva, drawn up two years ago. Last week the modernists claimed enough votes to make the change.

If the declaration is adopted by medical schools, graduates will get to the heart of the matter in the first sentence: "I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity." They will not have to mumble self-consciously: "All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or outside of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and never reveal." Instead, the declaration covers the confidential doctor-patient relationship thus: "I will respect the secrets which are confided in me."

The old oath spells out its prohibition of mercy killing and abortion: "To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug, nor give advice which may cause his death. Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion." The new declaration covers these items crisply, adding a modern prohibition to cover experiments like those performed in Nazi concentration camps: "I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception; even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity."

Snorted one young Manhattan doctor: "Bringing the Hippocratic oath up to date is like taking the candles off the altar and putting electric lights there instead--only candles might start fires, and the oath never did."

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