The Discoveries of Hippocrates

Hippocrates stated the importance of a nutritional diet.

Hippocrates was a Greek physician, born on the island of Cos in 400 B.C. Referred to as "the father of medicine," Hippocrates separated superstition from fact, and made important discoveries that shaped our modern-day medical system.

Significance

Hippocrates was most famous for disregarding witchcraft and studying physical problems from a scientific and medical viewpoint. He believed that disease was the result of natural, rather than mystical causes, and stated the importance of having a nutritional diet, exercise, fresh air and comfortable external circumstances.

Types

Hippocrates created an extensive system for categorizing illnesses and used terms such as acute, chronic, paroxysm, epidemic and endemic, which are all still used in the medical world today. Hippocrates was the first man to describe and identify the deformity he named "clubbing of the fingers" -- a symptom of chronic lung disease, that causes swelling in the hands and fingers.

Considerations

Although Hippocrates made some important discoveries, several of his theories proved to be wrong. His "four humor" theory incorrectly stated that illness was caused by an imbalance of blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.

References

• San Jose State University: Hippocrates
• The University of Virginia: Hippocrates

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Kent State University: Famous Physicists