Hippocrates (c. 460–370 BCE) Flashcards
Who is considered the ‘Father of Medicine’?
Hippocrates
Where was Hippocrates born?
The island of Kos, Greece
During which period did Hippocrates live?
Classical Greek period (c. 460–c. 370 BCE)
What is the name of the collection of medical texts attributed to Hippocrates and his followers?
The Hippocratic Corpus
What is the Hippocratic Oath?
A moral and ethical code of conduct for physicians, focusing on principles like confidentiality and ‘do no harm.’
What did Hippocrates emphasize in medicine?
Natural causes and treatments based on observation and reasoning
What theory did Hippocrates promote to explain human health?
The theory of the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile
How did Hippocrates’ approach to medicine differ from others of his time?
He separated medicine from superstition and religion, focusing on natural causes and empirical observation.
What did the Hippocratic Oath symbolize?
Medical ethics and professionalism
What major contribution did Hippocrates make to clinical practice?
He emphasized systematic diagnosis and treatment based on symptoms.
How did the intellectual climate of Classical Greece influence Hippocrates’ work?
It encouraged a shift toward rational, empirical observation in many fields, including medicine.
How did Hippocrates change the way people viewed disease?
He argued that diseases had natural causes, not supernatural origins.
What is Hippocrates’ lasting legacy in the field of medicine?
His teachings laid the foundation for modern medicine and medical ethics.
What is one challenge Hippocrates faced during his time?
Opposition from those who believed in religious or mystical explanations for disease.
What is one controversy regarding the authorship of the Hippocratic Corpus?
Many works attributed to Hippocrates were likely written by his followers.
