Hippocrates

Hippocrates (ancient Greek: _πποκρ_τη_, 460 BC - 370 BC) was a physician in the era of Pericles in ancient Greece. Revered as the "Father of Medicine" and the founder of Western medicine.

Proposed the "Humoral Theory", and his medical views had a huge impact on the future development of Western medicine. The "Hippocratic Oath" is the ancient Greek holy book of professional ethics that Hippocrates warned mankind. The professional ethics initiative he issued to the medical community is an important part of the first lesson for medical personnel to learn. It is also Requirements for all professionals in society to be self-disciplined in words and deeds.

Chinese name: Hippocrates

Foreign name: _πποκρ_τη_

Alias: Hippocrates

Nationality: Ancient Greece

Nationality: Greek

Birthplace: Kos Island, Greece

Date of birth: 460 BC

Date of death: 370 BC

Occupation: Physician

Main achievement: laying the foundation of Western medicine

Representative work: "On Wind, Water and Place"

Honors Title: Father of Medicine

English name: Hippocrates

Biography

Hippocrates was born into a family of doctors on the island of Kos in Asia Minor, his father Heracles Herakleides is a descendant of Aesclapius, the god of medicine, and his mother Phainarete is the daughter of a prominent family. In ancient Greece, the profession of doctor was passed down from father to son, so Hippocrates studied medicine with his father since he was a child. A few years later, it was no longer a problem to practice medicine independently. He could already use more than 260 kinds of prescriptions used by his father to treat diseases. After the death of his parents, he traveled and practiced medicine. In order to enrich his medical knowledge and gain the wisdom of others, Hippocrates invited many famous local doctors to be his teachers. Among the many patients he came into contact with, he met many famous philosophers. , the unique insights of these philosophers deeply inspired Hippocrates and provided philosophical help for him to propose the theory of four humors.

At that time, ancient Greek medicine was imprisoned by religious superstition. Wizards can only cure people by reciting incantations, performing magic, and praying. Naturally, this will not have any effect. Not only are patients defrauded of a large amount of money, but they often die due to delayed illness.

In 430 BC, the terrible Athenian Plague occurred in Athens. Many people suddenly suffered from fever, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, their bodies were covered with abscesses, and their skin was severely ulcerated. Sick people died one after another. Within a few days, corpses that had no time to bury could be seen everywhere in Athens. People are afraid of this life-threatening disease. But at this time, Hippocrates, who was serving as a royal physician in the Kingdom of Macedonia in northern Greece, risked his life and went to Athens for treatment. While investigating the epidemic, he explored the cause and rescue methods. Soon, he discovered that there was only one kind of person in the city who was not infected with the plague, and that was the blacksmith who worked with fire every day. He thought that maybe fire could prevent the epidemic, so he lit fires all over the city to extinguish the plague. The cause of epilepsy pointed out by Hippocrates is considered correct by modern medicine, and the name of the disease he proposed has been used to this day. The treatment methods proposed by Hippocrates for patients with fractures are scientifically sound. In memory of him, later generations called the acetabulum used for traction and other orthopedic operations the "Hippocratic acetabulum."

Humoral Theory

In addition, in order to resist the fallacy of "God-given diseases", Hippocrates actively explored the characteristics of human body and the causes of diseases, and proposed the famous "Humoral Theory" ". The theory of four humors is not only a pathological theory, but also the earliest theory of temperament and constitution. He believed that the complex human body is composed of four body fluids: blood, mucus, yellow bile, and black bile. The proportions of the four body fluids in the human body are different, forming different temperaments of people: choleric temperament, quick temperament; The sanguine temperament is active and quick-moving; the phlegmatic temperament is calm and slow-moving; the depressive temperament is fragile and slow-moving.

Each person's physiological characteristics correspond to which liquid is dominant, which corresponds to which temperament. Innate personality expression will be adjusted with acquired objective environmental changes, and the personality will also change accordingly, providing a certain guidance basis for future generations of medical psychotherapy. The reason why people get sick is due to the imbalance of the four fluids. Fluid imbalance is the result of external factors. Therefore, he believes that when a doctor enters a city, he must first pay attention to the city's direction, soil, climate, wind direction, water source, water, eating habits, lifestyle, etc. These natural environments are closely related to human health and disease.

From a contemporary perspective, Hippocrates’ explanation of the causes of human temperament is not correct, but the names and divisions of temperament types he proposed have been used to this day. At that time, autopsy was prohibited by religion and custom. Hippocrates bravely broke through the ban, secretly conducted human dissection, and gained a lot of knowledge about human structure. In his most famous surgical work, "Cranial Trauma," he described cases of skull injuries and cracks in detail and proposed methods for performing surgeries. The records of the surgery are very detailed and the language used is very precise, which is enough to prove that this is a summary of his personal experience.

In his collection of essays entitled "Proverbs", he compiled many wise sayings about medicine and life, such as "Life is short, but skills are eternal"; "Opportunities are rare, experiments are risky, "Decision is more valuable"; "Overeating is harmful to the body": "Unexplained sleepiness is a precursor to disease"; "A simple but delicious diet is more beneficial than an exquisite but unpalatable diet"; "Placing hope in nature", etc., these experiences are popular. , still inspires people today.

The Hippocratic Oath

In ancient times, Western doctors had to recite an oath (Hippocratic Oath) on medical ethics when practicing medicine: "I will abide by my oath and remain loyal to it. I must respect the teacher who taught me medical skills as a parent. I must carefully impart medical knowledge to my son, the teacher's son, and my disciples. I must do my best to take medical measures that I think are beneficial to the patient. It will bring pain and harm to patients. I will not give poison to anyone, and I will never instruct others to use it. No matter who I enter, I will only do whatever I want and do not accept bribes. I will not seduce the opposite sex. I will never reveal anything I see or hear about my private life that should not be disclosed to anyone." The author of this medical code is Hippocrates. In the middle of the 20th century, the World Medical Association Congress formulated an international code of ethics for medical personnel.

Soranus said that Hessian studied medicine from his father and grandfather, and studied other subjects with Democritus and Gorgas as his teachers. It is likely that he received training in the Temple of Akpolis (also translated as the Temple of the God of Medicine) on the island of Kos, and received the teachings of Herodicus, a physician from Thrace. In his time, there were very few records about him (or it can be said that not many have been passed down to the present day). Only one sentence in Plato's dialogue Protagoras mentioned: "Hippocrates of Kos, Aiscus He is also a member of the Leipu sect." All in all, he spent his whole life teaching and studying medicine, and traveling around, reaching as far away as Thessaly, Thrace and the Sea of ??Marmara. As for his death, there are various opinions. Some say that he died in Larissa, some say that he died in his hometown; some say that he was 83 years old, some say that he was 90 years old, and some say that he lived more than a hundred years, but it is currently impossible to verify it. .

Main Achievements

Hippocrates regarded disease as a developing phenomenon, and doctors should treat not only the disease but the patient, thus changing the witchcraft concept in medicine at that time. Concepts based on art and religion. He advocated paying attention to the impact of the patient's personality characteristics, environmental factors and lifestyle on the disease in treatment. Hippocrates attached great importance to hygienic dietary therapy, but he also did not ignore drug treatment, paying special attention to symptomatic treatment and prevention of disease. He is very knowledgeable about bones, joints, muscles, etc.

In order to resist the fallacy that diseases are given by God, Hippocrates worked hard to explore the characteristics of human body and the causes of diseases. After long-term research, he finally proposed the theory of humors.

Hippocrates believed that the human body is composed of four body fluids: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. The mixing ratios of these four humors in the human body are different, giving people different temperament types: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. Disease is caused by the imbalance of the four fluids, and the imbalance of body fluids is the result of external factors. Although his explanation of the causes of human temperament is not correct, the classification of temperament types he proposed and its name have been still used.

So, what external factors can affect body fluid imbalance? Hippocrates wrote a medical book entitled "On Wind, Water, and Place" to demonstrate the impact of the natural environment on human health. He pointed out that when doctors enter a city, they must first pay attention to the city's direction, soil, climate, wind direction, water source, water quality, eating habits, lifestyle, etc., because these will have an impact on human health.

Once, a patient came to Hippocrates for treatment due to lower abdominal cramps and difficulty urinating. After Hippocrates made the diagnosis, he told the patient's family that the patient's symptoms were caused by drinking unclean water. This unclean water gradually condenses in the urethra and continues to grow and harden, causing severe pain. At the same time, it blocks the urethra and causes difficulty in urination. Therefore, you must drink clean water. The disease Hippocrates talked about was urethral stones. His explanation of the cause of the disease is very similar to that of modern science.

In 430 BC, a terrible plague occurred in Athens. Many people suddenly developed fever, vomiting, cramps, and abscesses on their bodies, which soon developed into ulcers and diarrhea. The plague spread very quickly, and corpses were everywhere in the city. Even the famous Athenian general Pericles was infected and died soon after.

At that time, Hippocrates was working as a medical doctor in the Kingdom of Macedonia. After hearing the news, he immediately resigned from his position as a medical doctor and risked his life to rush to Athens for rescue. After arriving in Athens, he investigated the situation of the plague, explored the causes of the disease, treated the disease, and looked for ways to prevent the epidemic. Soon he discovered that every household in the city had patients infected with the plague. Only the blacksmith's family had not been infected. From this, we thought that blacksmiths worked with fire all day long, and perhaps fire could prevent epidemics, so they lit fires all over the city. Hippocrates also wrote a medical treatise titled "Prognosis." He pointed out that doctors should not only prescribe the right medicine, but also predict the development trend of the disease, possible consequences or recovery based on the explanation of the cause. The medical concept of "prognosis" was first proposed by Hippocrates and is still used today.

Long-term medical practice and theoretical research enabled Hippocrates to accumulate rich medical experience. He found that people between the ages of 40 and 60 are most likely to have a stroke; when jaundice occurs, if the liver becomes hardened, the prognosis is poor; before death, the nails will turn black, the hands and feet will be cold, the lips will turn blue, and the ears will Cold and tight, eyes blurred. The detailed description of the face of a dying patient was called the "Hippocratic face" by later generations.

Hippocrates’ views on genetics: 1. Heredity has a material basis and is transmitted in the form of invisible particles (“seeds”). 2. Pangenesis, which believes that every part of the body provides genetic particles. Genetic material comes from the entire physical body. 3. Acquired traits can be inherited. Although this concept is often associated with the French naturalist Lamarck in the 18th and 19th centuries, it is actually a very old concept. Among these concepts, granular inheritance is correct, while pangenesis and acquired inheritance are wrong. The latter two are actually inseparable. If you believe that acquired characteristics can be inherited (people in the past more or less believed it), then it can only be explained by pangenesis.

He used the Pythagorean theorem to obtain the area of ??a bow, and pointed out that the area of ??a similar bow is proportional to the square of its chord, which promoted the study of "squaring a circle", one of the three major graphing problems.

Character Influence

“I swear in the name of Apollo, Axl and the gods: I will abide by my oath and not cause pain or harm to the patient.

If I violate the above oath, please God punish me accordingly. ”

This is an oath on medical ethics that ancient Western doctors recited when they were employed. Its main content is taken from the oath of a physician in ancient Greece. This physician was named Hippocrates , revered as the "Father of Medicine" in the West.

In 1948, the World Medical Association Congress revised this oath and named it the "Geneva Declaration". Ethics. This shows that Hippocrates’ great contribution to future generations is not only the first to formulate the ethics that doctors must abide by, but also the contribution of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine. Medical views and medical practices will have a huge impact on the future development of Western medicine.

Hippocrates also compiled a lot of information about medicine and life in a paper titled "Proverbs". There are wise sayings. Such as "Life is short, skills are eternal" and "Opportunities are rare, experiments are risky, and decisions are even more valuable." "Overeating is harmful to the body" "Unexplained sleepiness is a precursor to disease" "A simple and delicious diet is more beneficial than an exquisite but unpalatable diet" "There are actually only two things in the world: to understand something and to believe that others already know it things. To understand something is called science, but to believe in something that others already know is ignorance, etc. These words of wisdom can still inspire people today.

The oath that has been circulated for more than 2,000 years to determine doctors’ responsibilities to patients and society and the code of conduct of doctors is named after Hippocrates, a famous doctor from the 5th to 4th centuries BC. Greek doctor. This oath may have been passed down from generation to generation among doctors and existed in oral form before Hippocrates, who may have been the first to record this oath in literature. This oath has elements of feudal guilds and superstition, but its basic spirit is regarded as the code of conduct for doctors and has been used for more than 2,000 years. Until today, many doctors in many countries must take this oath when they are employed.

Chinese translation

Relying on the testimony of the god of medicine Apollo Esclepos, Akso and the gods of heaven and earth, I solemnly swear that I will use my own ability to and to the best of your judgment, keep this covenant. Anyone who teaches me skills should be respected as a parent. As a lifelong companion in the industry, if they are in urgent need, I will help them. I regard those children as my brothers, and if they wish to receive the inheritance, they should teach it to them free of charge and unconditionally. Everything I know, whether oral or written, has been passed down to me, my master's sons, and my disciples who have sworn to abide by this covenant, and it has not been passed down to others.

I am willing to do my best to the best of my ability and judgment, abide by the creed of seeking benefits for patients, and detect all depraved and harmful behaviors. I shall not give harmful drugs to others, and I will not do any of the following. Xiang's guidance will not be given even if someone asks for it. Especially not performing abortions on women. I am willing to carry out my duties in a pure and holy spirit throughout my life. I do not perform surgery on anyone who suffers from stones. This needs to be done by experts.

No matter where I meet men or women, nobles or slaves, my only purpose is to seek happiness for the patients, and to take care of myself and not to do any harm to others or do bad things, especially not to commit adultery. thing. Whatever I see or hear, whether I have a business relationship or not, and I think should be kept secret, I will keep it secret. While I am still being asked to strictly abide by the above oath, I ask the gods to grant me supreme glory in my life and medical skills. If I violate the oath, the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth will kill me.

English Translation

Hippocrates: The Oath of Medicine

Youdosolemnlyswear, eachbywhateverheorsheholdsmostsacred

ThatyouwillbeloyaltotheProfessionofMedicineandjustandgeneroustoitsmembers

Thatyouwillleadyourlivesandpracticeyourartinuprightnessandhonor

Thatintowhatsoeverhouseyoushallenter,itshallbeforthegoodofthesicktotheutmostofyourpower,yourholdingyourselvesfaralooffromwrong,fromcorruption,fromthetemptingofotherstovice

Thatyouwillexerciseyourartsolelyforthecureofyourpatients,andwillgivenodrug,performnooperation,foracriminalpurpose,evenifsolicited,farlesssuggestit

Thatwhatsoeveryoushallseeorhearofthelivesofmenorwomenwhichisnotfittingtobespoken,youwillkeepinviolablysecret

Thesethingsdoyouswear.Leteachbowtheheadinsignofacquiescence

And now, if you will be true to this, youroath, mayprosperityandgoodreputebeeveryours; theopposite, ifyouhallproveyourselvesforsworn. (from the Hippocratic Corpus)

After the trial of Nazi doctors for their crimes at the end of World War II , the particularity and importance of doctors' professional ethics have attracted people's attention again. In 1948, the World Medical Association (WMA) formulated the "Declaration of Geneva" on the basis of the Hippocratic Oath as a code of ethics for doctors. The full text is as follows:

"I promise to fulfill my professional obligations. A voluntary obligation to treat and help the patient. My obligation is based on the weak and disadvantaged position in which the patient occupies and the complete confidence he must place in me and my professional abilities. Therefore, I pledge to treat the patient's multifaceted interests as my own. The first principle of professional ethics. In recognition of this constraint, I accept the following obligations, which can only be relieved by the patient or the patient's legal representative:

① Put the interests of the patient before the interests of my professional practice. Center and place my own self-interest when the situation requires

②The ability to possess and maintain the knowledge and skills required by my profession

③Recognize my abilities. limitations, I should seek help from my colleagues in various health professions whenever my patient's condition requires it.

④ Respect the values ??and beliefs of my colleagues in other health professions and recognize their ethical responsibilities as individuals.

⑤Care for all those who need my help with equal concern and dedication, regardless of their ability to pay.

⑥ Act primarily in the best interests of my patients and not primarily to promote social, political, or financial policy or my own interests.

⑦Respect my patient’s moral right to participate in decisions that affect him or her, and clearly and clearly explain, in language the patient understands, the nature of his or her illness and the treatments I recommend. benefits and dangers.

⑧Help my patients make choices that are consistent with their values ??and beliefs, without coercion, deception, or duplicity.

⑨Keep secret what I hear, know, and see as an essential part of my care for my patients, unless there is a clear, serious, and immediate risk of harm to others.

⑩Even if I cannot cure the patient, I will always help them. When death is inevitable, I will help my patient die according to his or her own intention.

Never engage in the direct, active, conscious killing of a patient, even for benevolent reasons, at the request of the state, or for any other reason.

In order to fulfill my obligations to society, I participate in public policy decisions that affect national health and provide leadership and expert and objective testimony.

Exemplify the above principles in my professional life by putting into practice what I say and believe.

Anecdotes and allusions

Questioning monks

One day, Hippocrates saw a man suddenly losing consciousness in the market, his whole body was twitching, his face was blue, his mouth was There was foam coming out of it. People around him shouted in panic: "This man is possessed by evil spirits! Go and ask the wizard to come!"

A monk happened to be passing by, and someone immediately dragged him to treat his illness. The monk looked at the patient and said with a straight face: "Ah - this man is suffering from a miraculous disease and needs to ask God to forgive him. Carry him to the temple quickly!"

"Wait a minute! "Hippocrates stepped forward and shouted. "What this man is suffering from is not a divine disease at all, but epilepsy! Carrying him to the temple will not cure him!"

The monk glared at Hippocrates and said, He said arrogantly: "Why is epilepsy not epileptic? This man's illness was caused by the mountain god. Only praying to the mountain god will help. What do you know? Be careful not to anger the mountain god and make you suffer from a divine disease!"

Hippocrates said without hesitation: "Elepsy is no more mysterious than other diseases, but has the same nature and similar causes as other diseases. Only magicians, charlatans and charlatans can That’s why you called it a magical disease!”

“How dare you curse the mountain god in front of so many people! Well, you said this disease is not caused by the mountain god, what is it?”

"It's caused by the brain!" Hippocrates replied decisively. "I believe there is something wrong with the brain that makes it look like this."

Modern medicine believes that epilepsy is a sudden attack of temporary brain dysfunction. Hippocrates was right about the cause: the name he proposed has been used to this day. However, his scientific explanation could not be understood and accepted by people at the time. At the urging of the monks, the patient was carried to the temple, but of course no effective treatment was given.

Treating fractures

Another day, Hippocrates encountered a witch doctor treating a patient with fractures. The patient's right leg was broken by the wheel, and the injured area was bloody. He was so sick that he passed out. But the witch doctor still forced the patient's family members to support him and made the patient kneel in front of the statue with his left leg; he himself muttered to himself, not knowing what to say.

Hippocrates couldn't stand it anymore, so he stepped forward and said, "Can diseases be cured by chanting incantations? This is simply a waste of patients, it's so ridiculous!"

After hearing this, the witch doctor turned around and said: "The purpose of reciting the incantation is to drive away evil spirits. When the evil spirits are gone, the disease will be cured."

"Didn't you see that the patient has passed out? ?”

“It seems you can cure diseases.

So I want to ask, how should this disease be treated? ”

“It’s very simple, clean the wound, and then use traction to reset the broken bone! ”

The treatment method proposed by Hippocrates for patients with fractures is scientifically sound. Later, in order to commemorate the father of medicine, people used acetabulum beds for traction and other orthopedic operations. Known as the "Hippocratic mortar"