Hippocrates: Father of Medicine

Hippocrates is widely acknowledged as the 'father of medicine' owing to his enduring contributions to the field, particularly as the founder of the Hippocratic school of medicine. Born in 460 BC on the Greek island of Cos to Heraclides, a physician, and Praxitela, daughter of Phenaretis, Hippocrates acquired his medical knowledge from his father and grandfather. He expanded his comprehension by delving into various subjects with Democritus the Abderite, a renowned Greek materialist philosopher, and Gorgias of Leontini, a prominent philosopher and rhetorician of his time.

Hippocrates also underwent training at the asklepieion (healing temple) of Kos and received guidance from the Thracian physician Herodicus of Selymbria. Herodicus, recognized as a pioneer in using therapeutic exercise for treating diseases and maintaining health, was described as a master of gymnastics.

Transforming into a celebrated physician and medical educator, Hippocrates gained widespread recognition as the foremost medical figure of his era. He formulated his medical practices based on meticulous observations and the study of the human body, asserting that illnesses had both a physical and rational explanation. Emphasizing a holistic approach, Hippocrates believed in treating the body as a unified entity rather than a mere collection of separate parts. Significantly, he established the autonomy of physicians, distinguishing them from cosmological speculators or nature philosophers and effectively confining the medical profession to the realm of medicine.

Hippocrates went on to establish an Oath of Medical Ethics for physicians, laying the foundation for ethical medical practice. He passed away in 377 BC at the age of 90, although there is some uncertainty about his exact age, with certain sources suggesting 83 or 106. His final resting place is believed to be between Gyrton and Larissa.
Hippocrates: Father of Medicine