A professor in a world-acclaimed medical school posed this medical situation and ethical issue to his students:
"Here's the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother has Tuberculosis. They already have four children. The first is blind. The second has died. The third is deaf. The fourth has Tuberculosis. Now the mother is pregnant again. The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?"
The students gave various individual opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for "consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would recommend abortion.
"Congratulations," the professor said, "You have just killed Beethoven”