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hippocrates contributions
ancient greek medicine essay
hippocrates contributions
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The ideas, decisions and actions we make today shape our tomorrow. The same can be said for our past. Globally, our history has molded the development of the political, economical and philosophical system we have today. One of the biggest influences of history comes from Ancient Greece, and a man by the name of Hippocrates. Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician and philosopher, practiced and taught medicine to his students. His philosophies and practices influenced the development of Western modern medicine.
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).
He wrote the first complete medical books, called, Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of approximately 70 different works that described his medical theories and practices (“Hippocrates”, 1998). He also created the Hippocratic Oath, a document that outlines the ethics and morals of medicine. Although not in their original forms, both Hippocratic Corpus and the Hippocratic Oath are used today. During commencement, graduating medical students around the United States recite a modernized version of the Hippocratic Oath. This oath upholds physicians to the ethical code of medicine, allowing the patient to receive the best possible medical care.
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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...
So, how do we who are aspire to be Hippocratic physicians achieve this goal? First we must look at the foundations for our personal ethical frameworks through meta-ethics. Meta-ethics refers to the systems by which we establish morals and ethical principles. Today there are many philosophies of meta-ethics, divided into two basic categories, moral absolutivism and moral relativism (Lawhead, 2000). The difference between these is in the nature of ethical principles, whether subjective or objective. Say something exists objectively, like a vase on a table. The subject’s perception of the vase must conform to the true vase. If, however, the subject is simply thinking about a vase, that vase exists subjectively, and its properties are contingent to the subject’s contemplations. So, how do these differing systems affect the physician in attaining the Hippocratic ideal? Let us first consider relativism.
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.
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
Ancient Romans, like the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians made a huge impact to medicine and health. The views of ancient Romans on medicine and health during this time were based on roman mythology as well as public health. The recognition of health, medicine, and religion of the ancient Roman citizens attempted to demonstrate equality of life throughout the empire.
Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." Pbs.org. NOVA, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.
of medicine. Born on the island of Kos, Greece in the year 460 b.c., says the
Hippocrates is a Greek physician who was born in Cos, Greece 460 BC and is known as “The Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates lived to the time of 357 BC in Larissa, Thessaly. He does not have any record on whether or not he had a spouse or children. He has served as a physician for quite the while, almost all his life (excluding childhood). Hippocrates is a very wise man when it came to him and his work; much dedication was given from him in order to achieve maximum health within a sick patient.
The Hippocratic Oath is a moral code for ethical conduct and practice in medicine. It was established accordingly to the ideals of Hippocrates, who belonged to the medical brotherhood of Asclepiads; he was considered the Father of Medicine because he separated the art and science of medicine from philosophy and religion. The oath was written between 470-380 BCE. One version of the Hippocratic Oath states, “I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses,
Hippocrates succeeded Alcmaeon and rejected the superstitious ideas of priests being the only healers. He founded a medical school and taught his students that since disease came from something natural, it must be treated by natural means. He believed that the body was able to heal itself by the power of healing of nature...
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
"Greek Medicine - The Hippocratic Oath." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 02 July 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Arguably one of the most prestigious names in medicine to date, Hippocrates is often referred to as the father of western medicine. The work that he did during his lifetime, particularly the founding of the Hippocratic School of Medicine, was revolutionary to the field, going as far as getting medicine recognized as its own distinct discipline, rather than continuing to allow people to view it as a sub-field of disciplines such as philosophy.
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.
Hippocrates was a Greek physician that left a legacy that existed during his lifetime in Classical Greece and continues today. His moral and ethical standards were the foundation of his teachings, along with his meticulous writings concerning the study of the human body. He firmly believed that poor health and disease were the result of a natural process that could be discovered and cured through careful clinical reasoning and observations. Hippocrates travelled throughout Greece teaching and describing disease symptoms, and taught doctors how to analyze and treat specific illnesses or diseases. Hippocrates’s accomplishments give him the respect from doctors and medical professionals around the world that continues even today.