# Dr. Death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 9, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-death/347722 "2006-03-09T19:07:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-death/347722/1 "2006-03-09T19:07:31Z")
From [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_056.html) column: …[A]ccording to a spokesman for the Texas Department of Corrections, which has carried out many executions by lethal injection, the technician _(it’s never a doctor)_ is in fact supposed to swab the prisoner’s arm first. emphasis added Is this because of the Hippocratic oath? First, do no harm… etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-death/347722/2 "2006-03-09T19:20:41Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > From [this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_056.html) column: > …[A]ccording to a spokesman for the Texas Department of Corrections, which has carried out many executions by lethal injection, the technician _(it’s never a doctor)_ is in fact supposed to swab the prisoner’s arm first. > emphasis added > > Is this because of the Hippocratic oath? First, do no harm… etc.? Read this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=359790) and call me in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dr-death/347722/3 "2006-03-10T17:07:57Z")
…and here I thought I was asking a simple yes/no kid of question…