Measure for measure

Shakespeare's play Measure for Measure colorfully illustrates a concept tha t is relevant to the testimonies given by the medical expert witness in the court room. The expert should not ask the jury to hold the defendant physi cian to a higher standard than that actually practiced by an acceptable rea sonable minority of the defendant's peers under similar circumstances. Two cases are presented. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.