"Abandon...all ye who enter here....."

The problem with cases like the treatment of Terri Schiavo, is that we all end up relying on news reports and unless we are health care workers ourselves, have no real understanding of the physical issues involved.

This morning, for example, is the first time I learned what would be involved in reinserting the feeding tube. Simple the description ("feeding tube") makes most of us think of something no more complex than inserting the oil stick into the engine block of a car. That, at least, seems to be behind the claim that feeding tubes are not "extraordinary measures" for "life support." But it seems replacing the tube in Ms. Schiavo would involve surgery, hospitalization, and transport:

Judge Whittemore at times sighed, paused and buried his face in his hands during the hearing. He wanted details of how long it would take to transport Ms. Schiavo from her hospice to a nearby hospital and replace the tube - about two hours, the lawyers said - and what the procedure involved. Both sides said it would require surgery and that Ms. Schiavo would need to be hospitalized for several days while her electrolyte balance was restored.

Restoring the elecrolyte balance would, of course, require blood tests, adjustments to the food, etc. This is not a simple matter of putting a spoon in a mouth.

Expect more confusion, not less, in the coming days. NPR this morning all but said the case had been dismissed. All the judge has done here is refuse to issue a temporary injunction, an order requiring the parties maintain a certain status quo (i.e., feed Terri Schiavo) while the matter waits for trial. The refusal to issue such an order is appealable, but the case still waits a hearing on its merits.

And we still have the metaphysical question: is Terri Schiavo her body? Are we feeding her, or her husk? Are we helping her, or hindering her soul's release? Games are being played here. Michael Schiavo reported that a Roman Catholic priest administered last rites on Friday. The family's lawyer claimed, however, that:

...Ms. Schiavo's religious beliefs as a Roman Catholic were being infringed because Pope John Paul II has deemed it unacceptable for Catholics to refuse food and water.

"We are now in a position where a court has ordered her to disobey her church and even jeopardize her eternal soul," Mr. Gibbs said.

The circus acquires another ring. Funny, there's a literary precedent for another place made of rings, but it's not a place of pleasure. Perhaps there is a warning for us in that.