Hippocratic Oath

by Hippocrates

Genres: Philosophy, Medicine, Classics, Science, History

ebook

First published January 1, 476

About the author

Hippocrates of Cos or Hippokrates of Kos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) was an ancient Greek physician of the Age of Pericles, and was considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the "father of medicine" in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic School of medicine. This intellectual school revolutionized medicine in ancient Greece, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields that it had traditionally been associated with (notably theurgy and philosophy), thus making medicine a profession.

However, the achievements of the writers of the Corpus, the practitioners of Hippocratic medicine, and the actions of Hippocrates himself are often commingled; thus very little is known about what Hippocrates actually thought, wrote, and did. Nevertheless, Hippocrates is commonly portrayed as the paragon of the ancient physician. In particular, he is credited with greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine, summing up the medical knowledge of previous schools, and prescribing practices for physicians through the Hippocratic Oath and other works.

Reviews

[Kitsune · Rating 3 out of 5]

A for Effort, maybe a C when it comes to the specifics.

TIL the phrase "first, do no harm" is not in the Hippocratic Oath. The closest approximation is "I will keep them from harm and injustice", which actually comes after a paragraph of guild-like obligations.

The bits against abortion, euthanasia, and... knives, for some reason... haven't aged particularly well. Though the "I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice" still rings true.

Read the 1943 translation by Ludwig Edelstein at https://web.archive.org/web/201506300...

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hippocratic Oath is also at https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/h/hipp...

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more or less a brief mission statement by Hippocrates. I found it very interesting in regards to his practices in medicine.

[flaams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ippocrate è considerato il fondatore della medicina moderna e per quanto mi faccia strano ammetterlo, è incrdibile come gli autori classici latini e greci fossero avanti con i tempi. non mi sorprende affatto che i nuovi medici debbano tutt'oggi recitare il giuramento di ippocrate prima che venga ufficializzata la loro effettiva entrata nell'ambito medico.