The Hippocratic Oath is among the most infamous medical texts to have come out of Greece. Surprisingly though, a lot of people do not know very much about it. This document was originally, and to this day, believed to be written by Hippocrates. Some form of this Oath is used by the majority of major medical facilities across America. There are a multitude of modernized versions of the Hippocratic Oath but they all have the same essential contents.
Hippocrates was a famous Greek physician who lived around 460-380 BC. Aside from being a practicing physician he was also a contemporary of Socrates. Hippocrates was often times known as the “Father of Medicine.” He is believed to have written the Hippocratic Oath in the 4th century which coincides with his life. Hippocrates is also said to have written over 60 treatises of medicine which are collectively known as the Hippocratic Corpus. However, some of these documents were written before his birth and after his death (BBC, 2003).
According to Ellis-Christenson (2011), “about 100 years ago, only 20% of American physicians took the Hippocratic oath.” However, these numbers have risen dramatically since then. It seems that now, a lot of individuals consider the Hippocratic Oath to be a “rite of passage” rather than an actual oath. This description mainly refers to the modernized oath that is more often than not repeated as med students graduate. It is rare to see the Hippocratic Oath recited in its original version. Different facilities tend to incorporate their own beliefs and values into the oath. Some facilities, however, do not require any version of the Hippocratic Oath to be recited. There are so many modern versions of the Hippocratic Oath that it would be near impossible to document all of them.
As was said previously, each medical facility has its own version of it. One reason for these modern versions is that the deities who are listed in its contents no longer “exist.” The Hippocratic Oath was nearly eradicated when the Roman Empire fell but “through the perseverance of the spirit of inquiry in the East that the tenets of Hippocratic medicine – and the Hippocratic Oath – survived this period of deterioration” (BBC, 2003). It was after this that the modern versions started showing up.
Although each medical facility instills its own values into the Hippocratic Oath, the contents remain mostly the same. Most people believe that the main focus of the Hippocratic Oath is to do no harm but this is not entirely true (North, 2002). The Hippocratic Oath essentially binds the student to his or her teacher. It states within it that the student must attend to and treat the teacher like a part of his or her own family. Students are also forbidden to cause abortions and to assist in suicides.
It is my opinion that the Hippocratic Oath should be required in all medical facilities. I have always thought of it as a decree to do good and not harm and I think all physicians should be required to uphold that standard. It makes me feel better when I know that my doctor is not just doing his or her own thing, but has sworn to give me the best care possible. I also find it comforting that a doctor who has taken the Hippocratic Oath would not assist in a suicide, or murder in the case of abortion, if simply asked to.
As of now, I cannot locate any documented record of consequences to breaking this oath. I suspect that this is because the Oath is not always required. I do, however, think that a true believer in the Hippocratic Oath would not break this Oath and should lose his or her license to perform medicine if he or she chooses to do so. I also think that if the incident is severe enough, then the breaker of the Oath should receive jail time.
As you can see, there is a lot of information surrounding the Hippocratic Oath. Topics ranging from who wrote it to its mystical contents have been the forefront of conversation for many, many years. Hopefully, others will have developed the same appreciation for the Hippocratic Oath as I have after reading this.
References:
BBC. (2003). The Hippocratic Oath. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1103798
Ellis-Christensen. (2011). What is the Hippocratic Oath? Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-hippocratic-oath.htm
North, M. (2002). The Hippocratic Oath. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html
