Related Experiment Videos
Did the Hippocratic physician treat hopeless cases?
1Creighton University, School of Medicine, Dept. of Pharmacology, Omaha, Nebraska 68178.
Insights
Hippocratic physicians generally did not treat hopeless cases, aligning with ancient and modern medical ethics. This approach emphasized focusing resources on treatable conditions, a practice still relevant today.
Area of Science:
- Medical History
- Ancient Medicine
- Ethics in Medicine
Background:
- Review of the Corpus Hippocraticum to determine the Hippocratic physician's approach to incurable diseases.
- Analysis of specific passages concerning the treatment of fatal conditions.
Discussion:
- Exploration of the common practice of non-treatment for hopeless cases in ancient medicine, referencing Sushruta Samhita, Caraka Samhita, and the Smith Papyrus.
- Examination of the ethical and practical considerations influencing treatment decisions in antiquity.
Key Insights:
- The Hippocratic physician typically did not treat hopeless cases, with only one passage (Diseases I, IV) unequivocally supporting treatment in fatal conditions.
- This non-treatment approach was consistent with the broader paradigms of ancient medical practice.
- The study highlights the historical prevalence of withholding treatment for conditions deemed beyond recovery.
Outlook:
- The historical approach to hopeless cases resonates with contemporary medical concepts such as supportive and palliative care.
- Discussion on the evolving ethical considerations in modern medicine regarding the treatment of terminal illnesses.
- The findings suggest a continuity in medical philosophy regarding resource allocation and patient prognosis across different eras.
Abstract:
The question of whether the Hippocratic physician treated hopeless cases is discussed, and the pertinent passages of the Corpus Hippocraticum dealing with the matter are reviewed. Only one passage (Diseases I, IV) unequivocally advocates treatment when the disease is fatal; all the others, in which hopeless cases are considered, indicate that the physician should not treat or should not treat if possible. The author underlines that, in ancient medicine, the non-treatment of hopeless cases was common and refers to pertinent passages in the Sushruta Samhita, the Caraka Samhita, and the Smith Papyrus. The conclusion is that the Hippocratic physician did not treat hopeless cases, and that such an approach was not only consonant with the paradigms of ancient medicine but of contemporary medicine as well. The contemporary attitude toward the treatment of hopeless cases and the concept of "supportive treatment" and "palliative therapy" is discussed.