The Oath of Hippocrates

Do Physicians still take this oath? If so ... there are a whole lotta' modern day issues with it!

If they do swear by it I'm sure some will brush it off as just something out of tradition. But seriously .... I may be superstitious but if you start swearing by spirits and gods and you call curses down upon yourself if you ever break that oath to them ... that is spiritual trouble!

Is this oath still a requirement? Can people not say the oath? What about the spiritual ramifications of swearing to spirits and gods and calling a curse upon yourself? Is it 'just tradition' or is there some pagan agenda hidden in this oath?

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The Oath of Hippocrates

I swear by Appollo the physician, and by Aesculapius (god of medicine), Hygeia (goddess of health), and Panaccea (goddes of healing), and allthe gods and goddesses, that, to the best of my ability and judgment, I will keep this oath and agreement: to regard my teacher in this art as equal to my own parents; to share my living with him and provide for him in need; to treat his children as my own and teach them this art if they wish to learn it, without payment or obligation; to give guidance, explanations, and every other kind of instruction to my own children and those of my techer, and to students who subscribe to the Physician's Oath, but to no-body else.

I will prescrive treatment to the best of my ability and judgment for the benefit ofmy patients and will abstain from whatever is harmful or pernicious. I will give no poisonous or deadly medicine, even if asked to, nor make any such suggestion; neither will I give any woman a pessary to produce an abortion. I will both live and work in purity and holiness. I will not operate, not even on patients suffering from the stone, but will leave this to specialists who are skilled in this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will make the patient's good my principal aim and will avoid all deliberate harm or corruption, especially from sexual relations with women or men, bond or free. Whatever I see or hear about people, whether in the course of my practice or outside it, if it should not be made public, I will keep it to myself and treat it as an inviolable secret.

While I abide by this oath and never violate it, may all people hold me in esteem for all time on account of my life and work; but if I break this oath, let the reverse be my fate.
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I swear by ...

Swearing by all those ancient gods and goddess'... If you don't believe in them you have to swear by them anyways? Christians, buddhists, athiests, Jews, .... all those doctors have to swear to the ancient gods and goddess'???

... to share my living with him ...

Swearing to give a part of your income to your college professor who taught medicine?

... teach them this art if they wish to learn it, without payment or obligation ...

Teach your professors kids to be doctors without expecting payment.

BIG ONE -

instruction to .. (those) who subscribe to the Physician's Oath, but to no-body else.

ONLY those who swear to the gods and goddess' are supposed to be taught medicine? If this oath is still administered then that's a major conspiracy. BIG.

will give no poisonous or deadly medicine

No assisted suicide and no assisting those who are to die, making them die faster (and more mercifully).

will both live and work in purity and holiness

Oh man .... who is to say what is purity and holiness? Does premarital sex mean that you have broken this oath? etc etc

neither will I give any woman a pessary to produce an abortion

Abortionists are breaking the Hippocratic Oath they made to the ancient gods and goddess'.

but if I break this oath, let the reverse be my fate.

Calling down a curse upon themselves from the ancient gods and goddess' if they don't live in purity and holiness, if they perform abortions, if they teach medicine to those who refuse the oath to the ancient gods and goddess',






[edit on 12/20/2006 by FlyersFan]

You're really over-analysing this. lol

Swearing by all those ancient gods and goddess'... If you don't believe in them you have to swear by them anyways? Christians, buddhists, athiests, Jews, .... all those doctors have to swear to the ancient gods and goddess'???

Yep, just like Buddhists, Jews, athiests, etc. still say the pledge of allegiance "one nation under god" and they still swear on a Bible in court, and they still. If these are your biggest problems in life, you have an amazing life.

Swearing to give a part of your income to your college professor who taught medicine?

You missed the part where it says "in need".

Teach your professors kids to be doctors without expecting payment.

It's figurative. "Teacher" is the attending we residents learn under, and his "children" are the residents that come after you, which you will be teaching for free as it has always been done.

ONLY those who swear to the gods and goddess' are supposed to be taught medicine? If this oath is still administered then that's a major conspiracy. BIG.

Why is that a conspiracy? It's meant in the sense that you shouldn't train non-medically qualified people in medical procedures. Should I teach some random yokel how to anesthetize someone, even though they have no grasp of the mathematics and chemistry involved? Should I grab some guy off the street and teach him to perform an appendectomy?

No. That's dangerous and irresponsible.

No assisted suicide and no assisting those who are to die, making them die faster (and more mercifully).

This is nullified by the "do no harm" statement. If the medical attention you are giving the patient is doing harm, and you are not killing with malice, then it would be ok under the Oath.

Oh man .... who is to say what is purity and holiness? Does premarital sex mean that you have broken this oath? etc etc

Again, you're overanalysing it. Surely you can see the difference between relative "purity" and relative "bad". I mean, would you rather have a doctor who treats you and then steals your wallet while you're asleep? No. It basically means that doctors should act with dignity and grace. No religious overtones in the modern context.

Abortionists are breaking the Hippocratic Oath they made to the ancient gods and goddess'.

See me statement on "do no harm".

Calling down a curse upon themselves from the ancient gods and goddess' if they don't live in purity and holiness, if they perform abortions, if they teach medicine to those who refuse the oath to the ancient gods and goddess',

Did you miss the whole sentence before this one? It says that if you follow the morals of the Oath, you and your profession will be held in high esteem. If you break it, which would involve stealing, sex with patients, or killing patients, you will NOT be held in esteem. Simple as that, no curses, no gods.

I still don't see how you managed to completely overanalyse the Oath...seriously, go outside and play tennis. You're looking for conspiracies in everything. That's a sign of cabin fever I hear. Or marijuana.

Doc, it seems so many posts I've read of yours, you come off as being very condescending. Is that how you are with your patients?

I never heard the part in the oath where you are swearing to Roman gods. I would have a problem doing that. Do you have to say that or can you swear by your own god?

Originally posted by bsl4doc
You're really over-analysing this. lol

Most likely. But that's part of being a paranoid conspiracist. When I see that someone has to take an oath to 'gods and goddess' and that they promise not to teach anyone what they learn unless those people also take oaths to those same 'gods and goddess'' ... and then I see them call a curse down upon themselves if they break the oath ...

I smell conspiracy.

outside and play tennis.

I don't like tennis.

You're looking for conspiracies in everything.

Well ... this IS a conspiracy site. And actually, usually I don't see conspiracies where others seem to. This just jumped out at me.

Or marijuana.

I'm too old to do marijuana. When i was young enough to enjoy it I didn't even bother with it.

If the oath is true than EVERY doctor has broken it.Right from taking money to teach it to doing harm with surgery gone wrong and drugs that kill.Wow that oath is a joke in these times.

Originally posted by AccessDenied

If the oath is true than EVERY doctor has broken it.Right from taking money to teach it to doing harm with surgery gone wrong and drugs that kill.Wow that oath is a joke in these times.

Hmmmmm, are you saying that people do not have a right to be compensated when they teach? I have to let you in on a little secret. Academic medicine pays almost next to nothing. The days of someone with an MD behind thier name striking it rich are long gone my friend.

These days, unless you are a big name specialty surgeon, you are not going to make alot of money. Same with an academic teaching position. However, if its something you like doing and it provides you with fulfillment then the lack of proper compensation can and does make it up for many of them.

As with any human endeavor mistakes happen couple that with the complexities of the human body and its amazing more do not. Can it be improved? sure.

Originally posted by AccessDenied

If the oath is true than EVERY doctor has broken it.Right from taking money to teach it to doing harm with surgery gone wrong and drugs that kill.Wow that oath is a joke in these times.

Taking an oath doesnt mean you get "infallible" status. Remember doctors are just as human as you.

wrong topic, I will create another one for it.