Posted by
Bruce Linthicum MD on November 19, 2008:
Regarding the sample headline, Downside to Fewer Violent Deaths:
Transplant Organ Shortage Grows
Some years back, I noticed that our local college was having a blood drive. Being civic-minded, I decided to donate. When I got to the site, I saw that there were a number of people ahead of me. To take my mind off the coming ordeal, I slipped over to the bookstore and bought a paperback sci-fi book. It wasn' the best choice, though; it was one of Larry Niven's books about organ transplant!
In some future time, the process of organ transplant was perfected. The supply of lethal trauma victims being soon exhausted, the authorities soon resorted to the death penalty and began using condemned criminals.
When I reached this point in the narrative, I found myself at the head of the line. A nursing student took my weight and blood pressure, stuck a thermometer in my mouth, wrote the figures all down on a slip of paper, and handed it to me. "Go sit over there," she told me. "When a technician becomes available, go and give this to her."
The book went on to relate that the supply of condemned criminals soon became depleted, so the authorities had to keep upping the ante. Soon, the death penalty was being applied to political crimes, drunken driving, tax evasion, false advertising....
A space became available at one of the technicians' tables, so I went to sit there, Another nursing student had a questionnaire to fill out. What was my age, had I eaten that day, how much had I slept that night....
Then she held out a hand for my slip of paper. "Now," she said, "I need your vitals."
That was a bad moment. I almost left.
Posted by
Dave, Minnesota on May 31, 2009:
There is an old story, "Caught In The Organ Draft", in which a future society, lacking a shortage of transplant organs, creates a draft system under which any and all are liable to be called up to "give" a lung, a kidney, or what have you. Cannot recall the author's name, alas.
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You're commenting on the headline, I'm sure. The story was published in 1972, and its author is Robert Silverberg. -rc
Sample This is True Stories - Comments
Posted by Bruce Linthicum MD on November 19, 2008:
Regarding the sample headline, Downside to Fewer Violent Deaths:
Transplant Organ Shortage Grows
Some years back, I noticed that our local college was having a blood drive. Being civic-minded, I decided to donate. When I got to the site, I saw that there were a number of people ahead of me. To take my mind off the coming ordeal, I slipped over to the bookstore and bought a paperback sci-fi book. It wasn' the best choice, though; it was one of Larry Niven's books about organ transplant!
In some future time, the process of organ transplant was perfected. The supply of lethal trauma victims being soon exhausted, the authorities soon resorted to the death penalty and began using condemned criminals.
When I reached this point in the narrative, I found myself at the head of the line. A nursing student took my weight and blood pressure, stuck a thermometer in my mouth, wrote the figures all down on a slip of paper, and handed it to me. "Go sit over there," she told me. "When a technician becomes available, go and give this to her."
The book went on to relate that the supply of condemned criminals soon became depleted, so the authorities had to keep upping the ante. Soon, the death penalty was being applied to political crimes, drunken driving, tax evasion, false advertising....
A space became available at one of the technicians' tables, so I went to sit there, Another nursing student had a questionnaire to fill out. What was my age, had I eaten that day, how much had I slept that night....
Then she held out a hand for my slip of paper. "Now," she said, "I need your vitals."
That was a bad moment. I almost left.
Posted by Dave, Minnesota on May 31, 2009:
There is an old story, "Caught In The Organ Draft", in which a future society, lacking a shortage of transplant organs, creates a draft system under which any and all are liable to be called up to "give" a lung, a kidney, or what have you. Cannot recall the author's name, alas.
---
You're commenting on the headline, I'm sure. The story was published in 1972, and its author is Robert Silverberg. -rc
Read the article that everyone's commenting on, or post a comment about it.