Hippocrates Research Paper

455 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: American medical association hippocratic oath

Hippocrates was born in Kos in 460 BC during the Pre-Socratic age. He was a Greek physician who is regarded today as the father of medicine and its ethics. Hippocrates influenced medical science and its associated practices through his findings. The renown “Hippocratic Oath” was derived from his teachings. He taught medicine as an ethical and professional practice. Hippocrates created a separation between medical practices and supernatural beliefs. He insisted that physical illness was influenced by natural causes and not gods or spirits. He researched how a person’s diet and environment influence their general health and promoted the idea that phlegm and bile signified imbalances of the body and caused disease. Hippocrates influenced the medical approach of …show more content…

An interesting fact about Hippocrates is that his formal name was Hippocrates Asclepiades and meant "descendant of (the doctor-god) Asclepios." It’s ironic that his name held a clue about his life’s purpose. Hippocrates ended up becoming a modern version of a God - the father of medicine.

I selected Hippocrates because I have always been interested in the origin and meaning of the Hippocratic Oath. I was watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy last week and a doctor was reprimanded and told that refusing to treat a patient based on their offensive beliefs would be breaking the Hippocratic Oath. I found it fascinating to learn that based on the Hippocratic Oath, a doctor can’t refuse treatment based on personal bias because it would be refusing to take action. I find it interesting that Hippocratic’s teachings were so highly regarded that they

Show More
Related

  • Hippocrates Humoralism

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beginning around 460 BC, the concept of humoralism emerged throughout the written works of Hippocrates. These early works, some of the only medical works of this detailed nature to survive this period, delineated one of the first ways scholars and physicians viewed the body and more importantly illness. Shaped by the Hippocratics’ version of humoralism and his own interpretations of their written works, Galen resolutely supported the fundamental four-element theory, the notion of the four humors, and the essential practice of healing by applying opposites by physicians. However, Galen’s education in anatomy proved an effective advance in his medical reasoning away from a non-ontological view of illness into a considerably more ontological and

    Read More

  • Hippocrates’ Role in the Shift From Irrational to Rational Medicine in Ancient Greece

    2347 Words  | 5 Pages

    In modern medicine when an ailment arises it can be quickly diagnosed, attributed to a precise bacteria, virus, or body system, and treated with medication, surgery or therapy. During the time before rational medical thought, this streamlined system of treatment was unheard of, and all complaints were attributed to the will of the multitude of commonly worshiped Greek gods (Greek Medicine 1). It was during the period of Greek rationalism that a perceptible change in thought was manifested in the attitudes towards treating disease. Ancient Greece is often associated with its many brilliant philosophers, and these great thinkers were some of the first innovators to make major developments in astrology, physics, math and even medicine. Among these academics was Hippocrates, one of the first e...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Conscientious Objection In Medicine: A Moral Dilemma

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ishmeal is a doctor in medicine that has a religious background. He isn’t bias, and he takes a step or two back to see the bigger picture in the decisions he is going to make. “I took an oath on the day that I graduated from medical school that obligated me to offer, to the best of my abilities, appropriate, uncompromised medical care without bias.” (Bradley 1). Conscientious objection is when a situation interferes with a physician 's morals or values. If a

    Read More

  • Past to Present: a Comparative Look at Hippocrates and Medical Theory

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC) was born on the Aegean island of Cos, Greece. He learned his medical practices from his father, Heracleides, and Ancient Greek physician Herodicos of Selymbria. Like many big Greek names of the time, Hippocrates was thought to have come from the Gods. He was considered a descendent of Asclepios, the God of Medicine. Two major creations of Hippocrates have upheld the biggest influence on medical history. The peak of his career was during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C), where his healing tactics helped Athenian warriors (“Hippocrates”, 1998).

    Read More

  • Pro-Life: The Opposite of Pro-Death

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a junior in high school, I am considering medicine as a possible career choice. Through my research in this field, I discovered the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath is the most famous of the Hippocratic documents; it has served as an ideal for the professional attitude and ethics of physicians to the present; the historical origin of the oath is so obscure that even the date of its composition is placed from the 6th to the 1st century B.C.

    Read More

  • History of Streptococcus Pyogenes

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although he lived four centuries before the birth of Christ, a man named Hippocrates recorded the symptoms of diseases we still see to this day. Known as the “Father of Medicine” (Hippocrates), Hippocrates was an ancient physician who studied and recorded his observances of the body’s infections and physiology. He set forth the foundation for future physicians, and in doing so, is accredited for our knowledge of infectious diseases in earlier centuries. During this time however, many believed the earth and its inhabitants were composed of four general elements: air, water, fire, and dirt. They also believed that any one person who fell ill was being punished by the gods. As a foresighted thinker though, Hippocrates encouraged the idea that humans became ill due to natural causes. In that wisdom, he recorded all his observances of his patients and their illnesses, taking careful note of the bodily symptoms and their progression.

    Read More

  • Galen of Pergamum Apex of Greek Medical Tradition

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    To understand where Galen gleaned his philosophical ideals, one must understand the philosophies of the Hellenistic schools of medicine. According to Michael Boylan of Marymount University, through the end of the fourth century BCE and all through the third century BCE, major advances in medicine revolved around the prolific physicians and philosophyers: Diocles, Praxagoras, Herophilus, and Erasistratus. It was in this era that debates were centered on the role in which both theory and observati...

    Read More

  • Hippocrates Oath Is Still Relevant In Today's Medical Field

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hippocrates’ Oath, he states that he will pass his knowledge of medicine on to those who seek to enter the “Art” and to use his knowledge in order to help those who suffer from a sickness and when doing so, he will not bend to corruption or bribery. It can be believed that his Oath is still relevant in today’s medical field because the main points of the Oath can and are applied in the modern day. Hippocrates’ main point in the Oath is to only use medicine to help those who need it and to not partake in any actions that are dangerous to their clients. Many doctors believe it is for their best interest to do what by all means necessary for the patient. For example, society believes that it is not very kind to judge someone based on their body image. Nowadays, people promote that not everyone needs to be a size two, but rather enjoy the body they’ve been given. Doctors may see society’s view on supporting obesity as a way to avoid serious

    Read More

  • Comparing The Hippocratic Oath And Principles Of Medical Ethics Of The American Medical Association

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hippocratic Oath was earliest code of ethics to govern conduct in medicine. Unlike many modern professional codes, its intent was to describe a moral vision for members of the medical community rather than to protect members of the community from incurring on the law. This oath and AMA medical ethics are similar as the primary goal of both codes of ethics is to give full benefit to the

    Read More

  • Roman Medicine

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Romans used both scientific and mythological methods in their medicine. By adopting the methods of Greek medicine; the Romans obtained a solid foundation. They copied Hippocrates, who separated the study of medicine from philosophy and had an overall approach to the health of humans. Hippocrates also observed the habits and environment of humans to accurately determine illnesses and discover treatments. The Romans adapted the Hippocratic method and combined it with mythical and religious views. The Romans used Greek methods, and also included prayers and offerings to the gods. Although all gods had healing powers, Aesculapius, the god of healing, was the most important.

    Read More

  • Health Care Reform

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history, and it is still held sacred by physicians to help the ill, to preserve a patient's privacy, but most importantly it is taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine ethically. Practicing medicine ethically might have been very sacred centuries ago, but unfortunately it is not the case in today's society especially in the United States. Doctors in the United States face more than just high education costs, liability insurance payments, and long hours of work just to stay on top of the latest advancement in medical technology, but many of them also have to deal every day with insurance companies that do not want to cover their patients recommended treatments. A doctor's duty is to help people and practice medicine ethically, but that is impossible with the chaos that is happening in the American health care industry and a serious reform is needed such as the accepting the Patient Protection Affordability Care Act. The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by Barrack Obama, but some do not agree with the "obamacare" are on the fast track to repeal the bill. The law would focuses on the health care reform in the United States by providing better coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, improving prescription drug coverage, but most importantly giving every person access to recommended preventative services without cost. (Department of Health and Human Services)

    Read More

  • Hippocrates: Father of Medicine

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hippocrates, often called the “father of medicine” was one of the earliest contributors to modern science. He was called the father of medicine because through his medical school, he separated medical knowledge and practice from myth and superstition basing them instead of fact, observation, and clinical ...

    Read More

  • The History of Drugs

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the centuries unrolled and new civilizations appeared, cultural, artistic, and medical developments shifted toward the new centers of power. A reversal of the traditional search for botanical drugs occurred in Greece in the fourth century BC, when Hippocrates (estimated dates, 460-377 BC), the "Father of Medicine," became interested in inorganic salts as medications.

    Read More

  • Personal And Professional Ethics Essay

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Upon becoming a health care professional one must first and foremost take the Hippocratic Oath. This oath represents the promise that all physicians must make to protect the rights of their patients, to treat their patients to the best of their ability, and to pass on medical knowledge to future generations. The Hippocratic Oath was designed as an exemplary precedent to model the ethics of health care professionals. Pursuing a career as a physician involves following my gut but also following the principles of these guidelines, and the ability to understand how the two can coincide and differ from one another. Which is why both my personal and professional ethics play such a significant role.

    Read More

  • National Doctor's Day: National Doctors Contribution To Society

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bound by the Hippocratic Oath and unfailing commitment to the maintenance and improvement of human health, doctors have continued to serve the human race in leading a healthier and longer life. Imagine the countless times you have heard a doctor pulling out someone from a life or death situation or discovering the cure to a deathly disease or the times you yourself have felt better after a visit to your doctor.

    Read More

More about Hippocrates Research Paper

Open Document