The authors combine medical and legal expertise in their discussion of the grave medical problems of Presidents Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Kennedy and Reagan following the attempt on his life. They note the unresolved conflict between the obligation of the president's physician to his patient and to the nation: the disclaimers made about the health of John F. Kennedy during his presidential candidacy-he had Addison's disease, then usually seen as fatal-seem particularly egregious. The authors feel strongly that the procedures for dealing with an incapacitated president as set down in the 25th Amendment are far from adequate.
