Hippocrates bust

Statue of Hippocrates,made of alabaster in museum patina.

Hippocrates (Kos, 460 BC) was an ancient Greek physician and is considered one of the most prominent figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to ,as the father of modern medicine , in recognition of his contribution to the field of medical science as the founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine. The contribution of Hippocratic Medicine to the world of Medical Science is invaluable. Its content is both historical and philosophical, humanitarian and methodological. The Hippocratic method freed medicine from magical-religious conceptions, wandering and superstitions and rejected the belief that the origin of diseases is divine.

In his day, people believed that epidemics occurred because the gods wanted them to. Hippocrates told them that these wounds were caused by contaminated water, dirt, and mice. As well as the sick who came in contact with the rest of society. Although he separated medicine from philosophy, Hippocrates did not neglect to attach great importance to moral values ​​and philosophical thinking. His pioneering and to a significant degree predictive work influenced most of the modern medical-biological specialties of the western world. And so he deservedly named him the founder and pillar of Medical Science.

THE WORK OF HIPPOCRATES

After training in medicine, Hippocrates began to practice medicine in Kos. But he knew how immersed in ignorance and prevention the other doctors of his time were. So he considered it his duty to travel to other places because he wanted to complete his education. But also to spread his faith in the fresh air, water and sun. Thus, he made scientific trips to many areas, visiting Delos, Thassos, Scythia, Thrace and Smyrna. His fame spread rapidly throughout Greece and beyond its borders, in the state of Persia. It is said that Artaxerxes II invited him to his court, sending ambassadors with valuable gifts, but he refused to leave his homeland. Although ancient sources accept the fact as fact, some modern scholars dispute it.

During his travels, Hippocrates healed and taught. He wrote his observations, his theories, his discoveries and his ideals. After his death, his work was collected and became what is known as the “Hippocratic Collection”.

The works that make up the Hippocratic Collection are 59 in number and were written in the Ionian dialect. The Hippocratic Collection contains textbooks, lectures, research, notes and philosophical essays on various topics in the field of medicine,

THE OATH OF HIPPOCRATES

The oath of Hippocrates is the oath given by doctors and refers to the ethical practice of medicine. It is believed that the oath was written by Hippocrates in the 4th century BC. or by one of his students and so is included in the Hippocratic collection. Although more of a historical and moral value, the oath is considered a “passing ceremony” for those trained to practice medicine, [40] [41] but it is no longer mandatory and is not given by all physicians.

The Hippocratic Oath – regardless of the philological debates surrounding its authenticity – is an immortal classic text. It consists of a single page and is the statutory charter of medical ethics and professional ethics. On which almost all the relevant world declarations were based. Such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Geneva 1948) and the Declaration of the Rights of the Sick (Lisbon 1981).