Often referred to in the press as the "Death Machine" that is a far cry from what this actually is! Reality is that the THANATRON (which was later called the MERCITRON, renamed by Kevorkian's famed first attorney, the outspoken Geoffrey Fieger) is a device that was created by the Doctor so that any patient that merely had the use of only one finger, could quickly and painlessly leave their daily suffering behind. Although religious zealots disagree with individual's right to decide when life is no longer worth living, this device was carefully crafted to insure the most painless and smooth experience, which is far better than what is used by most states in barbaric executions…something that the Doctor was staunchly against. The device was made from parts that were garnered from a hardware store and the Salvation Army, where Kevorkian shopped, as he never charged a single cent for his services. It worked by releasing three chemicals, one after the other. The first created a sense of tranquility, the second stopped the heart and the third,