On The Sacred Diseases Hippocrates Summary

Diagnosing patients was very different during the Classical Age. Before Hippocrates, there was not an established system to diagnose a disease. In his work On the Sacred Diseases, Hippocrates contributes to the idea that the reason greeks believed the creation of disease by a divine power was their simplicity and therefore they lacked the scientific comprehension needed for more advanced medical applications, hence claims that “Men believe only that it is a divine disease because of their ignorance and amazement.” Since diseases were believed to be caused by the almighty gods as a punishment, there was really no set diagnosis system to follow. Medicine at this time was simple; the cause of disease were the gods and treatment to such diseases were in the power of the gods with the help of priests. On the

other hand, Hippocrates's introduction of rational science allowed for a more observational and complex practice of medicine. Providing a diagnosis required observation, something that was not present in the earlier times of ancient greek history.

The Hippocratic diagnostic system was based on logical reasoning rather than supernatural explanations; observations rather than religious beliefs; and focused on the natural approach of disease treatment rather than supernatural or magical healing. Hippocrates and later physicians based their diagnosis of a disease and illness primarily on scientific observations. As mentioned earlier, a stable bodily fluid equilibrium manifested good health. On the contrary, a disruption in that equilibrium implied disease. Since the four humors were associated with nature’s four elements and qualities, observations were focused on how the body reacted due to a break of equilibrium. Sarton contributes that if a patient showed symptoms of extreme body heat and dryness based on these observations Hippocratic physicians would make the diagnosis that the illness was caused due to an excess of yellow bile, of which is associated with the hot and dry elements; this illness was known to be a fever. Hippocrates theory of the four humors provided a specific constitution of health that physicians were able to follow and make logical observations for an appropriate diagnosis and

treatment.
Upon treatment, Hippocrates believed that “Diseases which arise from repletion are cured by depletion; and those which arise from depletion are cured by repletion; and in general, diseases are cured by their contraries,” hence the fundamentals of the four humors were the key to not only diagnose diseases but to treat them as well. Treatments as explained by Hippocrates are the contrary in nature to that of the illness or disease. The excess humor was drained and the lacking humor was replenished by the contrary qualities causing the illness in order to stabilize the body back to equilibrium. This regime did not take place in the pre-Hippocratic period. Treatments before Hippocrates were thought to be cured by the gods themselves, hence the people believed that the only way to prevent or cure these diseases was to be morally good. Furthermore, Hippocrates helped revolutionize the foundation of medicine in a way that later physicians were able to adapt and manipulate to provide disease diagnosis and a logical treatment.
In conclusion, Hippocrates rational thinking allowed an interpretation of the art of medicine like never seen before. His scientific contributions to medicine sparked a new era of medicine, that separate from the influence of supernatural and magical forces. Hippocrates most precious contribution to the art of medicine “was the introduction of a scientific point of view and scientific method in the cure of diseases, and the beginning of scientific medical literature and clinical archives.” His great achievement not only inveigled later Greek physicians to embody rational science in medicine, but also contributed as a major stepping stone for modern medicine.