Hippocrates and Galen
Comparative study between the best Greek Medical doctors of ancient Times.
Introduction
As The Greek empire declined, Rome inherited its medical traditions and knowledge. During the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D health standards dropped considerably and outbreaks occurred of life threatening diseases. Galen of Pergamon, a follower of Hippocrates, gathered much of the medical knowledge of the time and added to it his studies of anatomy and physiology (mostly of animals).
In Spite of his errors in describing certain anatomical and physiology phenomena, his writing created the foundation for medicine over 1500 years later in Europe. Though Galen created a historical event, he indeed followed and admired one of the greatest doctors of ancient Greece Hippocrates . A physician and a surgeon he became a leader of a medical school on the Aegean island of Cos his works are contained in the Hippocrates corpus , over 70 volumes of case histories and thoughts on the practice of medicine, role of environmental health and sacred diseases. Although other non-Hippocrates doctors made diagnosis, the Cos physicians would try and predict the outcome of their patients. Hippocrates adopted a view that Breath is the most necessary component of our bodies and if it flowed freely produces heath if impeded produces disease. Hippocrates says that diseases are caused by the differences in the elemental components of the human organism.
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Before Hippocrates and Galen
Medical practice in Greece centered around religion (Cult), the cult of Askelepios, the Greek god of medicine and the son of Apollo. Mythology tells us that Askelepios was saving so many lives that Pluto, the god of the underworld, asked Zeus to slay him which Zeus did with a thunderbolt. Whether Askelepios was a real man or not ,many temples around Greece have been placed up in his honor. Patients go to theses temples where they spend the night and patients have said that Askelepios has appeared in their dreams. In an age where disease was looked upon as a punishment from the gods, sacrifice was a way of pleasing the gods to prevent them from punishing. This was not the only medicine practice in Greece, there where also men who where more truly doctors they practice the unknown medicine and where still well regarded.
Hippocrates
What drugs will not cure, the knife will; what the knife will not cure, the cautery will; what the cautery will not cure must be considered incurable. (Hippocrates, Hippocratic writings).
The central historical figure in Greek medicine is Hippocrates “FATHER OF MEDICINE”. He provided an example of the ideal physician after which others centuries after him patterned their existence. He was associated with the Asclepium of Cos, an island off the coast of Asia Minor, near Rhodes and with a group of medical treaties know collectively as the Hippocratic Corpus. The Corpus grounded on the four elements:
+ Earth
+ Air
+ Fire
+ Water
The four elements identified as human where:
+ Phlegm
+ Blood
+ Yellow Bile
+ Black Bile
Though virtually worthless as a theory, it remained the fundamental scene of European medicine for over two millenia. Hippocrates confined the medical man to medicine. His concern was rather with the physician s duties than his rights. Hence the greatest legacy of Hippocrates: the Hippocratic Oath.
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Hippocratic Oath
The Oath
By Hippocrates
Written 400 B.C.E
Translated by Francis Adams
I SWEAR by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation- to reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others. I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves. Whatever, in connection with my professional practice or not, in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret. While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times! But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot!
Galen
Galen tells us more about himself, his opinions, and his life than any other ancient medical author. Galen belongs among the great public intellectuals of the second sophistic period. Galen absorbed into his work nearly all medical thought and shaped not only the theory but practice as well. Galen s training was not only in biology and medicine, but known as a philosopher and philologist. Philosophy in Galens word is ” an essential part of training a doctor”. Galens first professional job was a surgeon to the gladiators in Pergamon, here he gained much experience and practical knowledge from the wounds he had to treat. After four years he immigrated to Rome where he attained a brilliant reputation as a practitioner and a public demonstrated of anatomy. Galen for all his mistakes, remained the unchallenged authority for over a thousand years. Main mistakes consisted of the internal organs e.g.: he incorrectly assumed that the rete mirablile, a plexus of blood vessels as the base of the brain of ungulate animals, was also present in humans. He had 20 scribes to write down all his words and dictums, he was not Christian yet his writings reflected only one God and declared the body to be an instrument of the soul.
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Galen experimented on animals for physiological purposes. The work On the use of the parts of the human body consisted of seventeen books of this topic.
