Hippocrates

Physician

Born: c. 460 b. c.e.; Island of Cos, Greece

Died: c. 377 b. c.e.; Larissa, Thessaly (now in Greece)

Also known as: Hippocrates of Cos Category: Medicine

Life Hippocrates (hihp-AHK-ruh-teez) is frequently referred to as the “father of Western medicine.” He lived at a time when intellectuals were beginning to question the magical and supernatural explanations for the

Hippocrates. (Library of Congress

Ways of nature. He is credited with using a rational, scientific approach to the study of medicine, and in his writings, he emphasized the importance of experimental research and the classifying of observations. In works attributed to him, Hippocrates argued that diseases were not punishments sent by the gods; rather they had natural causes that brought about disturbances in the function of the organism. He also noted that diet, occupation, and climate were important factors in causing disease and that physicians should use natural treatments to cure disease.

Hippocrates is also credited with establishing a code of conduct for physicians. The Hippocratic Oath, while not written by him, is a lasting legacy to his philosophical contribution to medicine. This code, which emphasizes the importance of ethical conduct, has been followed by doctors and health professionals for more than two thousand years.

Influence Although it is difficult to determine what Hippocrates actually wrote, he is the eminent representative of a new stage of development in the field of medicine. His teachings were scientific and focused on the natural basis for diseases and treatment. In addition, the Hippocratic Oath remains the modern-day standard for behavior in the field of medicine.

Further Reading

Cantor, David, ed. Reinventing Hippocrates. Burlington, Vt.: Ashgate,

2002.

Longrigg, James. Greek Medicine from the Heroic to the Hellenistic Age. New York: Routledge, 1998.

Polter, Paul. Hippocrates. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1995.

William V. Moore

See also: Medicine and Health; Science.