The AMA included the very same provision in its Code of Ethics from 1846 through until the 1970s when it was likewise excised. This marked professional retrenchment from a strong obligation to provide care -as reflected in current codes of ethics -is attracting increased interest of late. A number of explanations have been proposed by academic commentators. For instance, the retrenchment has been linked to the rise of government and corporate intrusions into medical practice [23] . Others, including Clark [12] , have pointed to an increasing general belief originating circa 1950 that infectious diseases had been vanquished. It is most likely the case that both these factors played a significant role in the observed retrenchment over time.