(no subject)
I got to reading this, the Hippocratic Oath, in the usual way, someone mentioned something that got me to wondering, “What does this say/mean exactly anyway? We are all so good at remembering in a general way the things that have some meaning to what we say, but often we neglect to go to the source and really read what was written. I have been so often called on this very thing that I hope it has become a habit for me to check!
So, anyway, here I am reading these Oaths, the Classical and Modern versions, and I got to thinking about how I, though I am not a medical doctor, view my approaches to health in light of these oaths.
Let’s dive in and dissect!
“I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:”
I don’t swear by any of these gods, but taking God as a witness is very serious business…whatever you subscribe to. Asking a deity to be a witness is taking your words and transforming them into more than a contractual observance; it elevates your statement into a covenant. As Dr. Scott Hahn states,
“…a covenant is an exchange of persons, as opposed to a contract, which is an exchange of promises. Covenants are established by making an oath-an oath that creates kinship between the two who are making the covenant.”
This idea of kinship elevates the Oath to something relational, a living agreement between living beings; making it binding on honor and integrity.
“To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.”
An interesting statement here and one, taken in the context of its day, makes a lot of sense. This would be a time of apprenticeship, journeyman and master, where one would be a product of a guild and held to the guild’s standards. What a heavy responsibility! Not only for the learner, who must work at their best to achieve the exacting standards, but also for the teacher who must instruct properly and inspect well. The entire guild would be judged on the actions and products of one. Much has changed over the years in this regard, yet how is it integrated today? Doctors are only taught by doctors and in some instances, even doctors taught in different countries are not as well looked on as those taught “in house”. Herbalists are taught by herbalist, naturopaths by naturopaths, it is a natural progression for the learned to teach the learner. I find the idea of teaching without fee to be more prevalent in the “natural” medicine areas; I have as yet to meet an herbalist who isn’t willing to talk plants for hours. Met many doctors that do the same? The idea of teaching only those that have “taken an oath” is rather prevalent, it is important to have a care what you teach to whom, there is responsibility in the healing arts. There is also a greater trend towards personal responsibility in this regard nowadays as more and more people are taking the issues of their health into their own hands.
“I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.”
I got a chill reading this. This is absolutely and completely what I do! You are what you eat is so true and what we are eating is dead, malformed, toxic and so lacking in basic nutrients, is it any wonder that we too are becoming dead, malformed, toxic and lacking in basic nutrients? Is it any wonder that the deeper medicine goes to unlock the “cure” for cancer, autoimmune diseases, genetic defects, etc., they keep coming up with nutritional deficiencies on a cellular level? Heart problems? Increase Omega 3 fatty acids. Rickets? Vitamin D. Cancer? Vitamin E. Etc, etc, etc…(hearing Yule Brenner as the King in the King and I). All this is well and good, but of course we need communication…but that is a blog for another day.
“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.”
I have personally tended towards a natural remedy above a pharmaceutical for evolving reasons. First, I was drawn to herbs as a romance with plants in themselves. Then as a wonder at their efficacy. Then as an advocate and student of their wholeness, that rather than simply treating the symptom by reducing it’s discomfort, an herb also imparts nourishment to the body to correct the underlying cause of the symptom. This, I think, is where pharmacology took a misstep. They became so enamored with what they could do, how finely they could process and gauge efficacy, that they missed the subtle harmony of basic nutrient value and thus created rampant imbalance within those they sought to care for. How did the logic of applying a deadly, toxic substance to one’s body to promote health ever catch on? Good PR? How does that work out? The body is a sublime mechanism of interlaced intricacy, forcing a predictable, harsh managing of a symptom has yet to affect any kind of cure. Working with the body, mind, spirit…has. It may be necessary to alleviate pain with a narcotic and administer aggressive intervention to keep someone alive after some major health event like an accident or something. We aren’t doing so well at managing the chronic illness though, because it isn’t necessarily about needing to be “managed”, rather it is about getting back into balance and allowing the body to do what it is designed to do. This is something I believe Hippocrates was in step with.
Abortive remedy; I agree with this on many levels. Mostly because I feel life is sacred…which is why I have so much passion for my purpose.
Being pure and holy, I think being a person of integrity and love qualifies for this and anyone who works with any of the healing arts should employ those. Those who are hurting, oozing or whatever are especially vulnerable and it takes a special charism to have correct compassion and that charism needs to be augmented by a spirit of dedication, love and integrity. This makes sense that Hippocrates would add this.
“I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.”
Sounds like a man who bows to those with greater knowledge in specialized fields…I agree!
“Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.”
This seems self explanatory, going along with the sick being vulnerable and those kinds of relations can get very muddled.
“What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.”
Confidentiality….an invaluable commodity, especially when dealing with such delicate needs.
“If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.”
Yeah for the good and eek for the bad, but when you have a life in your hands…when you have a direct effect, by your recommendations, actions or love on how a person finds healing for themselves, you should be very aware of stepping out of bounds.
I’ll tackle the Modern Oath later!
So, anyway, here I am reading these Oaths, the Classical and Modern versions, and I got to thinking about how I, though I am not a medical doctor, view my approaches to health in light of these oaths.
Let’s dive in and dissect!
“I swear by Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:”
I don’t swear by any of these gods, but taking God as a witness is very serious business…whatever you subscribe to. Asking a deity to be a witness is taking your words and transforming them into more than a contractual observance; it elevates your statement into a covenant. As Dr. Scott Hahn states,
“…a covenant is an exchange of persons, as opposed to a contract, which is an exchange of promises. Covenants are established by making an oath-an oath that creates kinship between the two who are making the covenant.”
This idea of kinship elevates the Oath to something relational, a living agreement between living beings; making it binding on honor and integrity.
“To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.”
An interesting statement here and one, taken in the context of its day, makes a lot of sense. This would be a time of apprenticeship, journeyman and master, where one would be a product of a guild and held to the guild’s standards. What a heavy responsibility! Not only for the learner, who must work at their best to achieve the exacting standards, but also for the teacher who must instruct properly and inspect well. The entire guild would be judged on the actions and products of one. Much has changed over the years in this regard, yet how is it integrated today? Doctors are only taught by doctors and in some instances, even doctors taught in different countries are not as well looked on as those taught “in house”. Herbalists are taught by herbalist, naturopaths by naturopaths, it is a natural progression for the learned to teach the learner. I find the idea of teaching without fee to be more prevalent in the “natural” medicine areas; I have as yet to meet an herbalist who isn’t willing to talk plants for hours. Met many doctors that do the same? The idea of teaching only those that have “taken an oath” is rather prevalent, it is important to have a care what you teach to whom, there is responsibility in the healing arts. There is also a greater trend towards personal responsibility in this regard nowadays as more and more people are taking the issues of their health into their own hands.
“I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.”
I got a chill reading this. This is absolutely and completely what I do! You are what you eat is so true and what we are eating is dead, malformed, toxic and so lacking in basic nutrients, is it any wonder that we too are becoming dead, malformed, toxic and lacking in basic nutrients? Is it any wonder that the deeper medicine goes to unlock the “cure” for cancer, autoimmune diseases, genetic defects, etc., they keep coming up with nutritional deficiencies on a cellular level? Heart problems? Increase Omega 3 fatty acids. Rickets? Vitamin D. Cancer? Vitamin E. Etc, etc, etc…(hearing Yule Brenner as the King in the King and I). All this is well and good, but of course we need communication…but that is a blog for another day.
“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.”
I have personally tended towards a natural remedy above a pharmaceutical for evolving reasons. First, I was drawn to herbs as a romance with plants in themselves. Then as a wonder at their efficacy. Then as an advocate and student of their wholeness, that rather than simply treating the symptom by reducing it’s discomfort, an herb also imparts nourishment to the body to correct the underlying cause of the symptom. This, I think, is where pharmacology took a misstep. They became so enamored with what they could do, how finely they could process and gauge efficacy, that they missed the subtle harmony of basic nutrient value and thus created rampant imbalance within those they sought to care for. How did the logic of applying a deadly, toxic substance to one’s body to promote health ever catch on? Good PR? How does that work out? The body is a sublime mechanism of interlaced intricacy, forcing a predictable, harsh managing of a symptom has yet to affect any kind of cure. Working with the body, mind, spirit…has. It may be necessary to alleviate pain with a narcotic and administer aggressive intervention to keep someone alive after some major health event like an accident or something. We aren’t doing so well at managing the chronic illness though, because it isn’t necessarily about needing to be “managed”, rather it is about getting back into balance and allowing the body to do what it is designed to do. This is something I believe Hippocrates was in step with.
Abortive remedy; I agree with this on many levels. Mostly because I feel life is sacred…which is why I have so much passion for my purpose.
Being pure and holy, I think being a person of integrity and love qualifies for this and anyone who works with any of the healing arts should employ those. Those who are hurting, oozing or whatever are especially vulnerable and it takes a special charism to have correct compassion and that charism needs to be augmented by a spirit of dedication, love and integrity. This makes sense that Hippocrates would add this.
“I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.”
Sounds like a man who bows to those with greater knowledge in specialized fields…I agree!
“Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.”
This seems self explanatory, going along with the sick being vulnerable and those kinds of relations can get very muddled.
“What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.”
Confidentiality….an invaluable commodity, especially when dealing with such delicate needs.
“If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.”
Yeah for the good and eek for the bad, but when you have a life in your hands…when you have a direct effect, by your recommendations, actions or love on how a person finds healing for themselves, you should be very aware of stepping out of bounds.
I’ll tackle the Modern Oath later!