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Biography and Background
- Hippocrates was born around 460 BC on the Greek island of Kos.
- His father was a physician and he learned medicine from his father and grandfather.
- He studied other subjects with Democritus and Gorgias.
- Hippocrates taught and practiced medicine throughout his life, traveling to various regions.
Hippocratic Theory and Medicine
- Hippocrates believed diseases were caused naturally, not because of superstition and gods.
- He separated medicine from religion and attributed disease to environmental factors, diet, and living habits.
- The Knidian school of medicine focused on diagnosis, while the Koan school focused on patient care and prognosis.
- Hippocratic medicine and its philosophy differ greatly from modern medicine.
Contributions and Legacy
- Hippocrates is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine.
- He made lasting contributions such as the use of prognosis and clinical observation.
- Hippocrates categorised diseases systematically and formulated the humoral theory.
- The Hippocratic school of medicine revolutionised ancient Greek medicine.
- Hippocrates is traditionally referred to as the Father of Medicine.
Hippocratic Oath and Professionalism
- The Hippocratic Oath is a seminal document on the ethics of medical practice.
- The Hippocratic physician followed detailed specifications for lighting, personnel, instruments, positioning of the patient, and techniques of bandaging and splinting in the ancient operating room.
- The physician paid attention to personal grooming and recorded findings and medicinal methods in a clear and objective manner.
Direct Contributions to Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine
- Hippocrates was the first to describe clubbing of the fingers and made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of thoracic empyema.
- He pioneered chest surgery techniques and provided detailed descriptions and treatments for ailments of the rectum.
- Hippocrates often used lifestyle modifications, such as diet and exercise, to treat diseases.
- His ideas of lifestyle-based approaches to health are still relevant today and form the basis of lifestyle medicine.
Hippocrates of Kos (/hɪˈpɒkrətiːz/; Greek: Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, translit. Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; c. 460 – c. 370 BC), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is traditionally referred to as the "Father of Medicine" in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field, such as the use of prognosis and clinical observation, the systematic categorization of diseases, or the formulation of humoral theory. The Hippocratic school of medicine revolutionised ancient Greek medicine, establishing it as a discipline distinct from other fields with which it had traditionally been associated (theurgy and philosophy), thus establishing medicine as a profession.
Hippocrates of Kos | |
|---|---|
 A conventionalised image in a Roman "portrait" bust (19th-century engraving) | |
| Born | c. 460 BC |
| Died | c. 370 BC (aged approximately 90) Larissa, Ancient Greece |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Era | Classical Greece |
However, the achievements of the writers of the Hippocratic Corpus, the practitioners of Hippocratic medicine, and the actions of Hippocrates himself were often conflated; thus very little is known about what Hippocrates actually thought, wrote, and did. Hippocrates is commonly portrayed as the paragon of the ancient physician and credited with coining the Hippocratic Oath, which is still relevant and in use today. He is also credited with greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine, summing up the medical knowledge of previous schools, and prescribing practices for physicians through the Hippocratic Corpus and other works.
