Hippocrates

• Hippocrates


  An ancient Greek doctor sometimes said to be the first true doctor in history
• Hippocrates


  • Believed that illness had a natural cause and so treatments should be natural too
  • His ideas remained influential in the medieval period and Beyond
  • Some of his methods are still in use today
• Hippocrates is the starting point for the medieval period in the history of medicine
• People have been reluctant to challenge Hippocrates and his ideas which may have held back medical progress
• Many of Hippocrates' ideas remain useful even today
• Clinical observation and diagnosis


  Hippocrates' big idea
• Theory of the four humors


  Developed by Hippocrates
• Hippocrates' method of clinical observation and diagnosis


  1. Observe and record symptoms

  2. Compare to other illnesses and attempt diagnosis

  3. Refer to previous treatments and give treatment

  4. Observe and record patient's response

  5. Repeat stages to find effective treatment
• Hippocrates' method of clinical observation and diagnosis is similar to how doctors work today, but with vastly superior knowledge
• Hippocratic Corpus


  Texts written and shared by Hippocrates, providing treatments for illness based upon his observations
• Hippocratic Oath


  An oath Hippocrates developed, which means a promise doctors still take in many countries today
• Hippocrates believed that doctors and healers needed to be trusted by their patients, which is as true today as it was then
• Hippocrates: 'If I do not violate this oath may I enjoy life and art"
• Hippocrates


  • Created methods that were influential to doctors for Millennia, some of which remain useful even today
  • Popularized humorism, the theory of the four humors, to explain disease and as a method of diagnosis and treatment
  • Inspired later individuals such as the Roman Dr Galen, who built on Hippocrates' ideas
• Hippocrates was an ancient Greek philosopher and doctor
• Hippocrates introduced several innovations that mean he is sometimes considered the very first doctor
• Hippocrates developed the Hippocratic Oath as a code of ethics for doctors, a way to behave appropriately
• Hippocrates' ideas were respected for a very long time and some remain relevant even today