What is the significance of the Hippocratic Oath? What do its terms say about the ancient practice of medicin

Question

What is the significance of the Hippocratic Oath? What do its terms say about the ancient practice of medicine in the 5th century B.C., at least in Greece?

Answer 1

I love this quote from Hippocrates

"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food"

Do you think we have lost sight of this.  Anyway, I am not selling this product but I found out about it on this site and it sounds pretty cool.  Sharing information, right?

Answer 2

It says a few things.  Two of which are that you cannot kill babies in their mothers and if you follow all of the oath you are entitled to make a lot of money.  And if you break the oath may the reverse be your lot.  

It is interesting to note that Hippocrates was a doctor that used chiropractic methods and herbs along with other things.  He wrote a book with instructions on how to adjust the spine.  The MDs stopped listening to Hippocrates years ago.  

But seriously.  The oath does two things.

1. Defines ethics

2. Defines the community status of the doctor.  Meaning that the doctor should be prosperous and respected if he is ethical.

Answer 3

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath, that for the most part, means "Do no Harm" In the ancient practice of medicine, it kind of goes along with morals at that time, being kinda invested in personal belief of what is good, rather than what is needed. For example, back then, by the Hippocratic oath, they could not administer drugs that are considered harmful in any way shape or form-(opposite from today as many of our drugs have horrifying side-effects such as morphine, or steroids)

They also could not perform abortions, and we know that that happens today.

Also, they could not perform euthanasia, or mercy-killing-

somewhere today-(i think its switzerland or belgium) a person can perform euthanasia on themselves with a drug administered by doctors.

To end with, in old time hippocratic oath, they swore not to take up the knife, or perform surguries on the patient, as the patient needed to find a higher-power or specialist to do so. and obviously, countless surguries go on today.

The Hippocratic oath, ironically, has in itself become a little hippocratic. haha

hope this helps!

Answer 4

Its basically saying that no physician will administor to a patient an aborting agent or a medication that is intended to kill them.  To respect all life!! And to be moral, doctors are here to save lives and if they joined in ending a life it's just......contradicting and then they can't be trusted.

It is important to note that some med students  before grad etc are nvr asked to take this oath so i don't thin tehy all know about it to say the truth but if ur a doctor it seems evident taht u wil prserve life and not end it!