Hippocratic Oath

Byzantine manuscript of the eleventh century in which is written the Hippocratic Juramento in the form of a cross. Vatican Library.

The Hippocratic Oath is a commitment, which can only be made by people who graduate from the University of Medicine. It has a content of an ethical nature only because it guides the doctor in the practice of his profession. In its original form it regulates the obligations towards the teacher and his family, towards the disciples, towards the colleagues and towards the patients. Starting in the XIX century, taking an oath based on a text became common, and has become universally popular. modernized, inspired by the old, different according to the specific scale of values of each time and place.

History

For nearly 2,000 years, Western medicine and Arab medicine were theoretically dominated by a tradition that, dating back to the Greek physician Hippocrates, took its final form from Galen, a Greek who practiced medicine in imperial Rome in the 2nd century. According to tradition, it was written by Hippocrates or a disciple of his. The truth is that it is part of the corpus hipocraticum, and it is thought that it could have been the work of the Pythagoreans. According to Galen, Hippocrates created the oath when he began to instruct, in a departure from the tradition of professional doctors, apprentices who were not from his own family. Galen's writings have been the foundation of medical instruction and practice until the 20th century.

Since the Renaissance, a time characterized by the veneration of Greco-Roman culture, the oath began to be used in some medical schools, and this custom has been expanding since the 19th century, in some countries, and since World War II Worldwide in others, although it is completely ignored in many. Even though it currently only has historical and traditional value, where it is pronounced, taking it is considered a rite of passage or initiation after graduation, and prior to entering the professional practice of medicine.

In the classical period of the great Greek civilization, the art of healing stood out. Although he continued to contemplate religious principles, healing was no longer magically oriented, but rather clinical. At that time, the first ethical writing related to the commitment assumed by the person who decided to cure their neighbor was written; The doctor's commitment was to always act for the benefit of the human being, and not harm him.

The content of the oath has often been adapted to the prevailing circumstances and ethical concepts of each society. The Hippocratic Oath has been updated by the Geneva Declaration of 1948. There is also a version, currently widely used in medical schools in Anglo-Saxon countries, written in 1964 by Dr. Louis Lasagna

Text of the Hippocratic Oath

Spanish translation:

I swear by Apollo Doctor, by Asclepius, Higía and Panacea, by all the gods and all the goddesses, taking them as witnesses, faithfully fulfilling, according to my loyal knowledge and understanding, this oath and commitment:

To come as to my father who taught me this art, to share with him my goods and to assist them in their needs; to consider their children as my brothers, to teach them this art free of charge if they want to learn it; to communicate the vulgar precepts and the secret teachings and everything else of the doctrine to my children and to the children of my teachers, and to all the pupils engaged and who have sworn, as usual, but to no one else.

As soon as I can and know, I will use the dietary rules for the benefit of the sick and I will remove from them all damage and injustice.

I will never give anyone mortal medicine, as much as they ask me, nor will I take any initiative of this kind; nor will I give an abortion to any woman. On the contrary, I will live and practice my art in a holy and pure way.

I will not carve for calculations, but I will leave this to the specialist surgeons.

In any house that enters, I will do it for the sake of the sick, departing from all voluntary injustice and from all corruption, mainly from all shameful relationships with women and boys, whether free or slave.

Everything that I see and hear in the exercise of my profession, and everything that I know about someone's life, if it's something that shouldn't be disclosed, I'll shut it up and keep it inviolable.

If the oath is full, I live happily and reap the fruits of my art and be honored by all men and by the most remote posture. But if I'm a transgressor and perjurer, let me know the opposite.

Original Greek text:

ενμουμιενλόλιναρλικρδρειν, καν, σκιει.ν, καειν, κανειανειανειαν, καειειενειενειενιειενιενειειειενιειεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικεικικικικεικεικικικικικικικικικικικικεικικικεικικικεικικικικικικεικικικικικικικεικικικεικικικικικικεικικικι

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θνς ος ος δος δονγρος ενγρος ονλεον λος ος ος ονγος ονγρος ουδος κος ος ονδος ονδος ονδος ος ος ος ονδονδονονονονονονονονονονοοοοοοοονονονονονοονονονοοοοοονονοοοοοοονοονοοοοονονονοοοονοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοονοοοοοοοοοοοονοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοοο

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ονον μον ον μοι τόνδε πονδε ποιοντι, καοντι, κα. γευγοντι, ειειειεειειειεεεελικοιίονονονενονονος κονονος ονονονονος ος ος ος ονονονος ορονονουονονουονονονονονονουουονουονονονονουονονονονοοοοοοονοοονονονοοονονοοοοοονον ουονοοονοοοον ον οοονοοοοονονοον οονο παραβαίοντι δ. καίοντιρκο.ντιι, εναντεία τουτιν.

Version of the Hippocratic Oath from the Geneva Convention

There have been various attempts to adapt the Hippocratic Oath throughout history. In 1948, a Hippocratic oath was drawn up at the Geneva convention, with the following text:

At the moment of being admitted among the members of the medical profession, I solemnly commit myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity.

I will keep my teachers the respect and recognition of the creditors.

I will play my art with conscience and dignity. The health and life of the sick will be the first of my concerns.

I will respect the secret of whoever has trusted me.

I will maintain, in all measures of my environment, the honor and the noble traditions of the medical profession. My colleagues will be my brothers.

I will not allow between my duty and my sick man to come to interpose considerations of religion, nationality, race, party or class.

I will have absolute respect for human life.

Even under threats, I will not admit to using my medical knowledge against the laws of humanity.

I make these promises solemnly, freely, for my honor.

Louis Lasagna's version of the Hippocratic Oath

A version of the oath widely used today, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, is the version written in 1964 by Dr. Louis Lasagna, Dean of the Tufts University School of Medicine. The text, in its Spanish translation, says so:

I promise to fulfill, to the extent of my abilities and my judgment, this covenant.

I will respect the scientific achievements that the doctors have made with so much effort on whose steps I walk, and I will gladly share that knowledge with those who come behind.

I will apply all necessary measures for the benefit of the sick, seeking the balance between the traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that medicine is not only science, but also art, and that human warmth, compassion and understanding can be more valuable than the surgeon's scalpel or chemical medicine.

I will not be ashamed to say "I don't know", nor will I hesitate to consult my colleagues of profession when the skills of another are necessary for the recovery of the patient.

I respect the privacy of my patients, because they don't trust their problems for me to reveal them. I must be especially careful in matters of life and death. If I have a chance to save a life, I'll be grateful. But it is also possible that in my hand the power to take a life; I must face this enormous responsibility with great humility and awareness of my own fragility. Above all, I must not play God.

I will recall that I do not treat a fever chart or a carcinogenic growth, but a sick human being whose disease can affect his family and its economic stability. If I am going to take proper care of the sick, my responsibility includes these related problems.

I will try to prevent the disease whenever I can, as prevention is preferable to healing.

I will remember that I am a member of society with special obligations towards my congeners, the healthy of body and mind as well as the sick.

If you do not see this oath, I can enjoy life and art, be respected as long as I live and remembered with affection afterwards. I always act to preserve the best traditions of my profession, and hopefully I will experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

http://www.hospicepatients.org/modern-physicians-oath-louis-lasagna.html

Updated version of the Hippocratic oath or doctor's promise

Known as the "Geneva Declaration" It was adopted by the World Medical Association (WMA) in 1948 and has been revised and amended on different occasions (1968, 1983, 1994, 2005, 2006 and 2017). This is the text approved in October 2017, in Chicago.

As a METHOD PROFESSOR, PROMETO SOLEMNEMENT:

Describe my life at the service of humanity;

VELAR primarily for the health and well-being of my patients;

RESPECT the autonomy and dignity of my patients;

VELAR with maximum respect for human life;

DO NOT PERMIT that considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, sex, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social class or any other factor interpose between my duties and my patients;

GUARDAR AND RESPECT the secrets entrusted to me, even after the death of my patients;

To exercise my profession with conscience and dignity, in accordance with good medical practice;

To promote the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession;

To give my teachers, colleagues and students the respect and gratitude they deserve;

Share my medical knowledge for the benefit of the patient and the advancement of health;

TAKE care of my own health, well-being and abilities to provide health care at the highest level;

DO NOT ENJOY my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, not even under threat;

I do this solemnly and freely, pawning my word of honor.

https://wma.net/en/policies-post/declaration-growth/