The Hippocratic Oath, then and now
A proposed revision of the classic Hippocratic Oath for more contemporary times.
To open up with here is a modern translation of the old followed by a proposed revision.
Hippocratic Oath – Classic:
“I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius the surgeon, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness, that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath, to the utmost of my power and judgment.
I will reverence my master who taught me the art. Equally with my parents, will I allow him things necessary for his support, and will consider his sons as brothers. I will teach them my art without reward or agreement; and I will impart all my acquirement, instructions, and whatever I know, to my master’s children, as to my own; and likewise, to all my pupils, who shall bind and tie themselves by a professional oath, but to no one else.
With regard to healing the sick, I will devise and order for them the best diet, according to my judgment and means; and I will take care that they suffer no hurt or damage. Nor shall any man’s entreaty prevail upon me to administer poison to anyone; neither will I counsel any man to do so. Moreover, I will give no sort of medicine to any pregnant woman, with a view to destroy the child. Further, I will comport myself and use my knowledge in a godly manner.
I will not cut for the stone but will commit that affair entirely to the surgeons.
Whatsoever house I may enter, my visit shall be for the convenience and advantage of the patient; and I will willingly refrain from doing any injury or wrong from falsehood, and (in an especial manner) from acts of an amorous nature, whatever may be the rank of those who it may be my duty to cure, whether mistress or servant, bond or free.
Whatever, in the course of my practice, I may see or hear (even when not invited), whatever I may happen to obtain knowledge of, if it be not proper to repeat it, I will keep sacred and secret within my own breast. If I faithfully observe this oath, may I thrive and prosper in my fortune and profession, and live in the estimation of posterity; or on breach thereof, may the reverse be my fate!”
The Revised Hippocratic Oath for Contemporary Times:
I swear before my Creator to fulfill this covenant to the best of my ability and judgment. By what I hold highest I promise my patients integrity, competence compassion, transparency and to hold their best interest as their advocate.
I will respect the scientific gains of those clinicians in whose steps I follow. I will avoid over testing and over treatments. I will treat my teacher as I would my parents and their sons and daughters as my siblings. I will pass along my knowledge to those who seek it within the circle of the healers.
I will promote wellness and prevention of disease with the simplest and most natural interventions first. I will never hurt my fellow human with a knife to the flesh or an herb or drug to poison or take away his/her life. I will never go astray to take advantage of my patient or their family with inappropriate actions that would offend the fiduciary relationship I have as their healer.
I will conduct myself knowing there is an art to medicine as well as a science that encompasses sympathy, compassion and understanding. I will not falter to confess “I do not know” as a matter of pride. In such cases I will consult with other practitioners who may have the knowledge I do not possess.
I will respect the privacy of my patients. I will include them in discussions and decision making as I am a consultant in their care and will not demand or force actions by fiat.
I will charge fairly for my professional services and not profit financially in any way as a result of rapacious desires. I will practice this art of healing upholding the traditions of this sacred profession. In doing so I expect to enjoy a personal life, a professional career with respect while alive and remembered with affection thereafter.
If I do not violate this oath, I hope to be financially rewarded; should I fail, I will accept all misfortunes.
References and Acknowledgments:
Encyclopedia Britannica- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266652/Hippocratic-oath
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc – http://www.aapsonline.org/ethics/oaths.htm#lasagna
Kenneth A. Feucht, MD, PhD, FACS, Byron Calhoun, MD, FACOG; The Hippocratic and Other Oaths: Past and Present Proposal for an Oath for Christians. Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine. Vol 10, Num 116.
Bulger, R. A dialogue with Hippocrates and Griff T. Ross, M.D. In Bulger R, ed. In Search of the Modern Hippocrates. Iowa City: University of Iowa City Press; 1987:253.
www.doctors.practo.com/the-hippocratic-oath-the-original-and-revised-version/
www.students.med.psu.edu/md-students/oath/
www.bu.edu/arion/files/2010/03/Arenas_05Feb2010_Layout-3.pdf
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Historical note:
No one knows who Hippocrates was. We can only say that he was an Attic citizen, born on the island of Cos sometime between the fourth and fifth century BCE, in all likelihood not an aristocrat, but the heir of well-to-do merchants or artisans. On account of the extraordinary circumstances of his time—circumstances that have been amply, but never fully, explained and which stirred Greek society and influenced western values to this day—his work is the fruit of democracy, for Hippocrates professionalized a craft.
He turned the antics of traditional healers into the art of medicine, just as Socrates’ followers invented the concept of school, the tragedians of Aeschylus’ age turned primitive rituals into theater, and the teachers of Iktinus made architecture out of the construction business. The original version of the Hippocratic Oath is a text written in all likelihood by a follower or a learned scribe, apparently from Pythagoras’ school.
Ever since it was composed, students of medicine have sworn to some version of it, freely re-fashioned over the centuries to fit the convictions of the time, ranging from pale, legalistic texts to Maimonides’ prayer, a Jewish text composed in Spanish Cordoba in the twelfth century—arguably the most poetic one.
The key controversial aspects of Hippocrates’ Oath have been its explicit injunctions against euthanasia, abortion, and surgery [for the untrained], all of which have been cautiously reworked in later versions of the text. It bears remembering that his words against administering a deadly medicine to a patient, “even if asked in extreme pain,” have to be read in the context of the often fatal effects of ancient sedatives and anesthetics; that abortion was performed almost exclusively on adulteresses and prostitutes and thus imposed upon women by men; and that surgery was not yet integrated into the physician’s craft, a practice performed at great risk to the patient by barbers and leather-workers. A mix of stern civic ethics and inspired humanitarianism, Hippocrates’ text has endured to this day, not just by virtue of its literary merits, but because it is the first definition of the medical profession, a covenant for teachers, colleagues, and students of the healing arts. That is why the document has been rewritten and read out loud for centuries and why it is revisited now.
- Amelia Arenas for Boston University ARION 17.3 Winter 2010
Dom DeLuise in Smokey and the Bandit 2 called it the "Hypocritical Oath". 🤣