The infamous right-to-die campaigner, Philip Nitschke, 67, will host a show next month in Edinburgh in which he will unveil his new easy-to-use suicide machine and allow volunteers to try out the machine on stage.
The Independent is reporting on the bizarre new product, known as the Destiny euthanasia machine, which will deliver a lethal dose of gas comprised of nine per cent carbon monoxide and 91 per cent nitrogen through either a face mask, or nasal prongs, to any patient wanting to die.
The machine will be presented at next month’s Dicing with Dr. Death show where volunteers will be permitted to try out the machine by receiving a non-lethal dose of 100 percent nitrogen.
“The new Destiny euthanasia machine will provide people with a peaceful and reliable means of death,” Nitschke told the Independent. “In Edinburgh I will ask for volunteers and point out that nitrogen only will be used, but as part of the machine display everyone will see the volunteer’s cardiac trace projected – the gas can only be switched on if there is a cardiac trace, and switched off as soon as the trace flat-lines.”
During a real suicide, the machine is designed to ask the patient three questions before administering the deadly gasses.
1. Are you aware that if you go ahead to the last screen and press the “Yes” button, you will be given a lethal gas and die?
2. Are you certain you understand that if you proceed and press the “Yes” button on the next screen that you will die?
3. In 15 seconds you will be given a lethal gas … press “Yes” to proceed.
Nitschke is quick to point out that his new device requires no special skills and can be operated even by people with serious infirmities.
His former machine, known as Deliverance, required an intravenous injection. Four people used it to die in Australia’s Northern Territory between 1996-7. The machine is now on display in the British Science Museum.
Nitschke claims he got the idea for the new device after discussions with lawyers for Tony Nicklinson, a 58 year-old right-to-die enthusiast who died three years ago from locked-in syndrome.
“What was wanted was a device that could be activated by eye movement, or speech as Tony had, and required minimal assistance to use.”
Nitschke has sent details about the new machine to contacts in the U.S. and New Zealand and expects interest to increase when the wonders of his new device become better known.
In the meantime, the Australian-born Nitschke continues to lock horns with Australian medical authorities who revoked his medical license because of his association with a suspected murderer named Nigel Brayley.
The 45 year-old Brayley was being questioned about the suspicious death of his wife and another woman when he attended one of Nitschke’s euthanasia workshops. Brayley approached Nitschke after the event and revealed his plans to commit suicide within the next two weeks – a plan Nitschke believed was because he wanted to avoid a long prison term. Brayley did kill himself and authorities demanded to know why Nitschke did not exercise his professional duty of discussing his mental state and referring him to a psychiatrist. Instead, Nitschke merely told him that he looked forward to “reading your final statement.”
As a result, the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) pulled his practitioner’s license on the grounds that he posed “a serious risk to public health and safety.”
Nitschke appealed the decision and won but the MBA has still not restored his license to practice.
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