Hippocrates Quotes

79 Sourced Quotes

Any man who is intelligent must, on considering that health is of the utmost value to human beings, have the personal understanding necessary to help himself in diseases, and be able to understand and to judge what physicians say and what they administer to his body, being versed in each of these matters to a degree reasonable for a layman.

Hippocrates
All parts of the body which have a function, if used in moderation and exercised in labors in which each is accustomed, become thereby healthy, well developed and age more slowly, but if unused they become liable to disease, defective in growth and age quickly.

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
The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.

Hippocrates
In autumn, diseases are most acute, and most mortal, on the whole. The spring is most healthy, and least mortal.

Hippocrates
And he will manage the cure best who has foreseen what is to happen from the present state of matters.

Hippocrates
Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods a man should himself lend a hand.

Hippocrates
There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance.

Hippocrates
It is time which imparts strength to all things and brings them to maturity.

Hippocrates
I swear by Apollo the 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.

Hippocrates
For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable.

Hippocrates
I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.

Hippocrates
Declare the past,
diagnose the present,
foretell the future.

Hippocrates
I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgement, but never with a view to injury or wrong-doing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course.

Hippocrates
I have clearly recorded this: for one can learn good lessons also from what has been tried but clearly has not succeeded, when it is clear why it has not succeeded.

Hippocrates
For extreme diseases extreme strictness of treatment is most efficacious.

Hippocrates
Conclusions which are merely verbal cannot bear fruit, only those do which are based on demonstrated fact. For affirmation and talk are deceptive and treacherous. Wherefore one must hold fast to facts in generalizations also, and occupy oneself with facts persistently, if one is to acquire that ready and infallible habit which we call "the art of medicine."

Hippocrates
From nothing else but the brain come joys, delights, laughter and sports, and sorrows, griefs, despondency, and lamentations

Hippocrates
And if incision of the temple is made on the left, spasm seizes the parts on the right, while if the incision is on the right, spasm seizes the parts on the left.

Hippocrates