Hippocrates

Lore & Background

Historians agree that Hippocrates was born around 460 BC on the Greek island of Kos. Soranus of Ephesus, a 2nd-century Greek physician, was his first biographer. Soranus wrote that Hippocrates's father was Heraclides, a physician, and his mother was Praxitela. His sons Thessalus and Draco, and his son-in-law Polybus, were his students. Hippocrates learned medicine from his father and grandfather (Hippocrates I), and studied with Democritus and Gorgias. He taught and practiced medicine throughout his life, traveling at least as far as Thessaly, Thrace, and the Sea of Marmara. He died, probably in Larissa, at age 83, 85, or 90.

Reader's Guide

Hippocrates is credited as the first person to believe that diseases were caused naturally, not by superstition or gods. He separated the discipline of medicine from religion, arguing that disease was not a punishment from the gods but the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits. He held many convictions based on incorrect anatomy and physiology, such as humorism. The Hippocratic school (Koan school) focused on patient care and prognosis, not diagnosis, and applied general diagnoses and passive treatments. Hippocratic therapy was based on 'the healing power of nature,' emphasizing rest, immobilization, cleanliness, and gentle treatment. Hippocrates was reluctant to administer drugs and used generalized treatments such as fasting and honey-vinegar mix. He treated fever by starving patients, believing that 'starving' the fever neutralized the disease. The Hippocratic school emphasized strict professionalism, observation, and documentation.

Did You Know?

• Hippocrates is mentioned in passing in Plato's dialogues Protagoras and Phaedrus, and in Aristotle's Politics, all from the 4th century BC.
• The Hippocratic Oath, credited to Hippocrates, remains in use today.
• Hippocrates believed that the body contains within itself the power to re-balance the four humours and heal itself (physis).
• The Hippocratic bench and other devices were used to treat broken bones by traction.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Hippocrates (Ἱπποκράτης) of Kos (c. 460 BC - 377 BC) was an ancient Greek physician who is referred to as the "father of medicine"." — Hippocrates "As to diseases, make a habit of two things — to help, or at least, to do no harm." — Hippocrates "Wherever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm." — Hippocrates "Viking Book of Aphorisms : A Personal Selection (1988) by W. H. Auden and Louis Kronenberger, p. 213." — Hippocrates