Biography of Hippocrates of Cos
Introduction
Having risen from the Greek island of Cos, Hippocrates was renowned as the ‘father of medicine’. Hippocrates was a widely known Physician in Greece. The most entertaining issue about him was that he was from a family that had a lineage of physicians. His name is very radiant within the history of medicine (Gow, 2010 pg 78). History has it that he was born in the ancient Greece. Having originated from the ancient age of medicine, Hippocrates played a vital role in the development of medicine. His background as a medical practitioner stipulates that Hippocratic medicine be not really related to the modern medicine. Having worked within the arena of anatomy, humorist and physiology as well as physiology, Hippocratic participated in developing the level of medicine globally but it began all the way from the locally developed medicine towards the western medicine.
Initially, Hippocrates fame is thought to be revolved around medicine. First, he is said to have been born of a priest- physician. It is vehemently clear that he might have taken after his father in terms of profession. However, he was the initiator of the efforts to cast away superstitions. He instead based his ideas that dealt with medicine on specific principles that are induced through the laws of philosophy. The talented art of medicine is not directly associated to the Greek’s culture of medicine. The living works of the Socrates as well as the Plato could have influenced this art (Gow, 2010 pg78). This meant that there was a long-run period of intellectual development. It is very clear that the training that he acquired during the schooling experience must have played a very vital role.
Recognition of the Hippocratic credits was first related to the natural causes of diseases. Hippocrates believed that diseases occurred because of natural calamities. This was against the native beliefs that diseases were caused by superstitions and gods. Hippocrates was recognized amicably for his advancements in medicine as well as the philosophy (Gow,2010 pg 79). He successfully managed to separate medicine matters from religious related issues. He was solely and strongly against the belief that diseases were because of punishment by the gods. He attributed the diseases to environmental factors such as increased levels of cold, diet, and living habits.
Despite the fact that it is stated that the background of Hippocrates was medically oriented, his scholarly experience and performance also creates an interesting arena of medical performance. Educational knowledge and experience acted as the basis of the intellectual courage that is manifested in the medical argument as well as conclusions that Hippocrates makes. In connection to that, the educational background is important (Van, 2006 pg 58). Hippocrates is one of the most influential medical students in his time. He is also a successful masters holder in Democritus, the source for the idea of atoms and has a link towards the believe that various asclepiad which were carefully initiated in the hospitals. This is entirely for the purposes of the curious system of casebooks in the status of votive tablets that leads to the need to treatment of each case. In connection to his training, he was also is sited as a recognizable scholar in the medical schools in Greece. He taught in the colleges for many years. This collectively brings the idea of his success as a medical professional.
Within the medical arena, Hippocrates has a number of merits. First, he is stipulated to be the one who dissociated medicine from priest-craft. In addition to that, he directed an exclusive attention towards the natural history of disease. This was a very effective advancement to be annotated during the ancient times (Van, 2006 pg60). Ideally, he had already gathered an ample level of scientific knowledge therefore leading to the differentiated ideas that he posted in the medical arena. For example, the situation of the strength of his mind that lead to the ability to revolt against charms, amulets, incantations and related issue are seen in his writings. Some of the texts that are instituted in the texts state that nmedicine3 is not a superstition. Rather, it is a practice and knowledge based issue that is based on facts, observations and clinical experience.
Hippocratic teachings on medicine
The medicine that was evolved by Hippocratic was notably humble as well as submissive. His therapeutic approach was alienated towards the direction of the healing power of nature. According to this idea by Hippocratic, the body is thought to contain ability to re-balance itself. In professional terms, Hippocratic believed in the idea of having rest as well as immobilization. In short, the medicine was friendly and kind to the patients. In addition, it was also gentle and kept emphasis on maintaining cleanliness as well as sterility. An example is the tools that are used for surgical operations. They should be cleansed appropriately.
The medical field is one of the most crucial areas of concern in life. This means that medicine is a delicate item that requires more that just acting. Apparently, some of the most important issues in the medical field are the ethics. According to Hippocrates, ethical standards were a necessity as well as a sufficient requirement for persons termed as physicians. It is amazing that the Hippocratic Oath is an apparent statement of swearing-in that is commonly used in the medical arena (Van, 2006 pg 61). This oath is believed to have developed over 2000 years ago. It actually reflects the ideas of Hippocrates, which might not have been written by him. This oath is determined to enable the physician pledge on serving the patients at their benefits only. That is, no other side benefits. Many students in the medicine field still take the oath.
Hippocrates’s intelligence continually manifested in the way he posted his principles as well as the theories. Ideally, Hippocrates mainly supported his principles and practiced theories with reference to the spiritual restoration objective. Dating the previous art of natural medicine, he stated that the management of the physician arena was considered to honor the nature of the medicine. He largely employed the use of powerful medicine as well as bloodletting in cordially as well as cupping situation. Hippocrates did give an instruction against misuse of the products. That is, he cautioned against their application. He is the one who made emphasis on the importance of a diet and regimen when taking these powerful drugs.
In the cases of illnesses as well as outbreaks, there was a need for an informed level of informational accuracy. Hippocrates finds interest in the means of how observation about illnesses is carried out. He recommends that acute observation of illnesses be done accurately. The more accurate the observations the more interesting and instructive the health records are (Van, 2006 pg 56). This issue is closely related to the difference that is created between the ancient methods of study and observation against the modern-developed health practices. A suggestion by Hippocrates state that treatment of fluids in the thorax requires very distinct directions. This is done by means of succession for making a conclusion for arriving at the current nature. The most important issue according to Hippocrates is not the accuracy of results but the value of the result or diagnosis in the modern medicine arena.
It is very definite that Hippocrates has taken ample control in the health environment. Hippocrates identified and elaborated several diseases for the first attempt. In other words, he was able to define and the different deficiencies for the first time. His Hippocratic medicine is appreciated for its level of Professional loom (Van, 2006 pg54). On his authoritarian encounter, he states that in the field of Physicians, there is the need to leave up to some of the serious norms. They include seriousness, honesty, understanding, calmness as well as a well- maintained appearance.
In the current health care system, the medical students as well as the promising scholars have to understand some of these issues as they go ahead to graduate with their medical disciplinary. In addition to that, he states that every physician was required to follow and keep alive the techniques in the profession. These techniques included bandaging, lightning, ample, and maximized use of the instruments among other specifications. Knowing that a physician is required to observe hygiene, then it is important to note that these requirements as proposed by Hippocrates stand in all environments of public health.
Hippocrates in his efforts to describe diseases mentioned an issue about clubbing fingers. He explained the clubbing fingers as being very important signs of diagnosing chronic infections. These infections included the cancerous diseases, the lung as well as the heart diseases. The clubbing fingers were used to show symptoms in a vast means (Gow, 2010 pg78). He also described some other diseases. These diseases include the saturation and the formation of the substance within the chest cavity as well as the Hemorrhoids. In his school of medicine, he treated the illnesses by means of first characterizing them. These categories include the chronic, acute, the endemic as well as the epidemic ones. Hippocrates used different terminologies to show an advanced level of treatment of the infections.
Negativities/ demerits
Despite the fact that Hippocratic was a renowned guru in the field of medicine, some scholars as well as some of his policies were disputed. For example, the idea where the Hippocratic Oath is used, the approach is slightly weak; this is because among all the physicians in the world, there are some who do not understand (Gow, 2010 pg 74). In this case, they do not realize the strengths as well as weaknesses of a unit. In addition towards the previously rated issue of the Hippocratic Oath is the issue about the four basic temperaments.
The efforts by Hippocrates pronounced the theory where there are four basic types of temperament. The theory was erroneously thought. That is, it was assumed that the four temperaments were because of liquids from the body. This includes the blood as choler or yellow bile, melancholy or black bile and phlegm (André, 2003 pr5). Hippocrates delegated names to these temperaments with an idea that they were the cause. The idea where for example, sanguine represents blood is long gone. It was discarded long time ago. This is because the new psychological approach gives different suggestions about the suggestions.
Conclusively, it is important to note that Hippocrates is really the father of medicine, like the title remains in his culture. He seems to mark the transition between traditional and modern medicine. Besides that, there is avid evidence of development of intellectual courage by Hippocrates as time goes on. Owing to the fact that he was born in a family where the father was a priest doctor, then his medical background is encouraging. Hippocrates is attributed towards development of medicine as well as explaining of different diseases. This was after a long time of attributing diseases to other superstitions as well as gods. Hippocrates also develops different criterion that should be used in determining physician’s code of ethics. However, there are some demerits in the Hippocrates idea on theory of temperaments.
Works Cited
André, Nicolas. "Hippocrates of Cos and apoptosis." Lancet (2003): n. pag. Print.
Breslow, Lester. Encyclopedia of Public Health. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2002. Print.
Gow, Mary. The Greatest Doctor of Ancient Times: Hippocrates and His Oath. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2010. Print.
Hass, Nagla B., Mohamed O. Ab, and Abdel A. No. "Microbiological Quality of Heat-Treated Milk During Storage." Pakistan Journal of Nutrition (2009): n. pag. Print.
Kiapokas, Manolis, and Antonios S. Hatzinicolaou. Hippocrates of Cos. Athens: Heptalophos S.A, 2003. Print.
Van, Der E. P. J. Hippocrates in Context: Papers Read at the Xith International Hippocrates Colloquium (university of Newcastle Upon Tyne, 27-31 August 2002). Leiden: BRILL, 2006. Print.
