Based on how much the length of a patient's life will be altered, he divides cases into three sets of circumstances: (1) When a doctor's lack of action shortens a patient's life, such as when a patient will die through the natural course of his disease when active measures (meaning those beyond simply feeding him and allowing him to urinate) are not taken.
他以病人生命長度的改變與否，將臨終的情況區分為以下三種：一、醫生消極的不作為，病人生命長度沒有改變。例如：除了餵食、導尿外，不積極治療，病人依其病程自然死亡。