A highly combative exchange among a doctor, a lawyer, and a journalist on the

state of medical malpractice. As Mr. Buckley gives the background: "In Dade County,

Florida, in 1987, the average malpractice insurance premium for doctors was $165,000

per year. That was up, in four years, from $30,000. In Palm Beach County ...

malpractice insurance for obstetricians ... added $700 to the delivery cost for a baby.

Enough, finally, was enough." Doctors walked off the job, until the legislature passed a

bill altering the malpractice law. Mr. Montgomery tends to see doctors in these cases as

entirely in the wrong; Dr. Fischer returns the compliment concerning lawyers. Still--

thanks largely to Mrs. Musgrove--we do get an idea of the points at issue.