Active euthanasia without consent: historical comments on a current debate.

Abstract The question concerning mercy killing of mental patients without consent has recently been under discussion, particularly with regard to the senile or chronically insane. The concepts of Social Darwinism, its suggestions for active eugenic control as propagated in the early part of this century, and some possible analogies to the actions under the Nazi regime are pointed out. The dangers of misuse of any such kind of active euthanasia in psychiatry are discussed.