Traditionally regarded as the father of medicine, Hippocrates is thought to have been born on the island of Cos, the son of a physician. He travelled throughout Europe and Asia Minor, teaching and practising medicine. He established a school of medicine on Cos, where he also taught. The Hippocratic writings which have come down to us were probably not all written by Hippocrates. The Hippocratic Oath, which forms part of these writings, has become the ethical doctrine of the modern medical profession. |