Birthplace of Medicine

To escape the British weather I have come to the Greek island of Kos for a week. Hippocrates, the " father of medicine" was born here in 460 B.C.,yes 2473 years ago !

As I write this I am having a beer in a magical place looking at a plane tree where Hippocrates reputedly taught medicine to his students in it's shade.

Until Hippocrates came along illnesses were surrounded by superstition and were believed to be caused by upsetting the gods. He taught that all illnesses have natural causes and their diagnoses and treatments need well trained doctors and not help from supernatural powers.

He did of course write the Hippocratic oath which most newly qualified doctors still agree to in various adaptations. They all basically say that doctors should devote their lives to helping patients and never do patients any harm.I am reading a translated parchment, as I sit here, which contains lovely phrases like " I will give no harmful medicine to anyone ".... I wonder what Hippocrates would have thought of modern chemotherapy and some anti-arrythmic drugs and statins ??

I wonder did his patients have cardiac electrical problems or have we done something in the last 2473 years to cause them?

This truly is an amazing place with so much history, try to visit here if you can !

Time for another beer I think

Ian




6 Comments

Nice!

by Bostonstrong - 2013-10-13 05:10:58

Enjoy the sunshine!
I wonder if patients back in that day were so demanding of pills as the ones I see. Most of mine would rather take a statin than change their lifestyle. I would rather treat with nutrition and lifestyle changes but not many but into that. They see the ads on tv. I make sure to go over side effects and adverse effects but amazingly people prefer pills. Now that name brand Lipitor is free everyone wants it.
Beer raises Hdl, the good cholesterol. Go for it, it's a heart healthy beverage! And sunshine raises your vitamin D levels. Glad you are having such a healthy vacation!

HOW VERY INTERESTING !!!

by Ger - 2013-10-13 12:10:06

Am thinking what a great forum we have here and how lucky we all are to be able to share our thoughts!!!! Thanx, IAN !!!!

Hippocrates on Hemorrhoids

by ebfox - 2013-10-14 06:10:46

Off topic for this forum, but this is an actual translation of Hippocrates' treatment for hemorrhoids. I really like the part about allowing the patient to cry out because it makes them protude more...

I believe that the Canadian socialized medicine system still uses this procedure today.

Not for the faint of heart..

E. B.

http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/hipp02.pdf

Its all Greek to me !!..............

by Tattoo Man - 2013-10-15 02:10:37


..................IAN MC,..what with you eating yucky stuff in a Taverna and Don, crying out "Eureka", having discovered the meaning of life and quoting Archimedes...there is a strong Greek theme going on here.

Now old Archimedes lived in Syracuse, and that is where he ran about ,stark-naked, having made his Big Discovery.

For any Californians reading this the word 'Eureka' appears on the Seal of California......this DOES NOT give you permission to run about butt-naked after you have had a good idea in the bath !!

Tattoo Man

Thanks E.B.

by IAN MC - 2013-10-15 11:10:48

I had lunch in a Greek taverna today, I don't know what I ate but it looked like haemorrhoids !

I wish I hadn't read your article now !

Cheers

Ian

It's all...

by donr - 2013-10-18 11:10:54

...Greek to me!

Don

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