Introduction / Cynthia B. Cohen -- pt. 1. Making treatment decisions : the decisionmaking process. Whose decision? The case of Roy Gantos ; Commentary by Susan M. Wolf -- A question of capacity : the case of Megan O'Rourke ; Commentary by Dan W. Brock -- pt. 2. Specific treatment modalities. Communication problems : the case of Horace Berlin ; Commentary by Eric J. Cassell -- Ethics or the law? The case of Susan Pagari ; Commentary by Harold Edgar -- Pirate's beer : the case of Richard Fallon ; Commentary by Bruce Jennings -- "But he never told me not to" : the case of Jim Adams ; Commentary by Eric J. Cassell -- Was she ready to die? The case of grandmother Chang ; Commentary by Ruth Oratz -- The patient as stranger : the case of Mr. Jaworski ; Commentary by David H. Miller -- "I've lived long enough" : the case of Sarah Green ; Commentary by Paul Homer and Harry R. Moody -- Life versus religious liberty : the case of Jamal Burke ; Commentary by Susan M. Wolf -- Too sick to eat : the case of Joseph ; Commentary by Daniel Callahan -- "No patient of mine will ever starve to death!" : the case of Mrs. Franklin ; Commentary by Lois K. Evans --Shadows from the Holocaust : the case of Rachel and David ; Commentary by Bruce Jennings -- The old man's friend : the case of Carl Jurgen ; Commentary by Ellen Olson -- Gambling on palliation : the case of Doris Van Cleve ; Commentary by Ruth Oratz -- Morpheus or death : the case of Nicholas Miklovich ; Commentary by Joanne Lynn -- pt. 3. Prospective planning : advance directives. Poetic license : the case of Theo ; Commentary by Cynthia B. Cohen -- "Macho man" : the case of Antonio Ruiz ; Commentary by Michael C. Cantor -- pt. 4. Declaring death. Crossing over : the case of Mrs. Larson ; Commentary by Ronald E. Cranford --The long dying : the case of "Flip" Harrow ; Commentary by Robert M. Veatch -- pt. 5. Policy considerations. By what authority? The case of Mario Costanza ; Commentary by Cynthia B. Cohen -- Too terrible to accept : the case of Maisie Wedmore ; Commentary by Ronald E. Cranford -- No place else to go : the case of Ernest Brown ; Commentary by Joanne Lynn -- Trapped in "the system" : the case of Sam Jones ; Commentary by Mathy Mezey -- The costs of addiction : the case of Rita Anderson ; Commentary by Robert M. Veatch -- When is patient care not costworthy? The case of Gertrude Handel ; Commentary by Dan W. Brock.