The last century has seen amazing advances in medical research and practice. By preventing millions of premature deaths and reducing pain and incapacity, they have transformed life all over the world. But it is now time to call a halt. Further progress in surgery or medicine will be too expensive for any but a very few excessively rich people to be able to benefit from it. Trying to meet the medical needs of a whole population will therefore bankrupt any country which is foolish enough to attempt it. Extending the slow decline towards the grave does more harm than good, because no one looks forward to a life of increasing dependence and deteriorating mental capacity.