There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter
ignorance.
– Hippocrates
The soul is the same in all living creatures although the body of each is different.
– Hippocrates
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
– Hippocrates
Idleness and lack of occupation tend – nay are dragged – towards evil.
– Hippocrates
For extreme diseases extreme strictness of treatment is most efficacious.
– Hippocrates
Opposites are cures for opposites.
– Hippocrates
Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous, judgement difficult.
– Hippocrates
Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.
– Hippocrates
Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods a man should himself lend a hand.
– Hippocrates
Things that are holy are revealed only to men who are holy.
– Hippocrates
Medicine is the most distinguished of all arts, but through the ignorance of those who
practice it, and of those who casually judge such practitioners, it is now of all the arts by
far the least esteemed.
– Hippocrates
Walking is man’s best medicine.
– Hippocrates
It is time which imparts strength to all things and brings them to maturity.
– Hippocrates
Everything in excess is opposed to nature.
– Hippocrates
Those diseases which medicines do not cure, iron cures; those which iron cannot cure, fire
cures; and those which fire cannot cure, are to be reckoned wholly incurable.
– Hippocrates
Sleep and watchfulness, both of them, when immoderate, constitute disease.
– Hippocrates
To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy.
– Hippocrates
Men think epilepsy divine, merely because they do not understand it. But if they called
everything divine which they do not understand, why, there would be no end to divine things.
– Hippocrates
It is far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person
has.
– Hippocrates
A physician without a knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician.
– Hippocrates
As to diseases, make a habit of two things – to help, or at least to do no harm.
– Hippocrates
I swear by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius, by Health, by Panacea, and by all the gods and
goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and
judgement, this oath and this indenture. I will use treatment to help the sick according to
my ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing. Neither will I
administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course.
Similarly, I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. I will keep pure and holy
both my life and my art. In whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick, and I
will abstain from all intentional wrongdoing and harm, especially from abusing the bodies of
man or woman, bond or free. And whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my
profession in my intercourse with men, if it be what should not be published abroad, I will
never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets. Now if I carry out this oath, and
break it not, may I gain forever reputation among all men for my life and art.
– Hippocrates