Palliative medicine was first recognized as a specialist field in the united kingdom in 1987 one hundred years earlier the london based doctor william munk had published a treatise on easeful death that mapped out the principles of practical spiritual and medical support at the end of life. To comfort always a history of palliative care oxford medical histories by david clark 2016 12 13 david clark books amazonca. Oxford medical histories written in an accessible and non technical style the book appeals to specialists and non specialists alike each chapter is a self contained story which provides an easily understandable narrative that compliments the wider history. Palliative medicine was first recognised as a specialist field in 1987 one hundred years earlier london based doctor william munk published a treatise on easeful death that mapped out the. It is entitled to comfort always a history of palliative medicine since the nineteenth century palliative medicine was first recognised as a specialist field in 1987 but as early as 1826 medical theses were appearing that focussed on the challenge of easeful death and sought to map out the principles of practical spiritual and medical support at the end of life