The Hippocratic Oath: Myths and Illusions

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After the doctor Hippocratic oath on his neck "prolonged stethoscope", and put the lives of a large red cross ... What associations you have is the phrase "Hippocratic Oath"?Do not appear before his eyes, even for a second, slender ranks of angelic beings in white robes, who spared no effort and time are on guard health?It did not seem to you that is about - and his eyes screwed tears of emotion?

Society has always created myths and believed in the illusion.

"Great Medical Encyclopedia," treats the phenomenon as an illusion - "false, erroneous perception of actually existing at the moment of objects and phenomena."

But it is, by definition, the encyclopedia.In real life it is not so.False and false are often touted as a dogma.

Once created the myth of the "Hippocratic Oath" society conspired reliable primary source (as if he was?), And therefore strongly support in society illusory idea of โ€‹โ€‹a physician.Gradually society so believed in this myth and accustomed to cheap popular image of powerless doctor disinterested, or holy fool, or a monk-hermit, completely devoid of material and spiritual needs, that any attempt of doctors to change their position in society advocates mythology began to refer to thismemorable oath - "swore? Bear !!!".

And who swore?Who among today's doctors gave the "Hippocratic Oath" in its original form?Who of formidable and implacable public officers read it and even knows what it is?And, in the end, if we live in a Christian society (with the minor exception) religion - then where do the ancient customs and vows.

What does the pagan gods, besides not major and minor?"The Oath", of course, terrible word, but it came to us from pre-Christian times, irretrievably sunk into oblivion.Today, for the unbelievers there is a law, and Christian, probably enough Commandments?

It may be objected that the Lord Jesus Christ pointed out that - people to each other all the time and deceive, to somehow protect themselves from it, come up with an oath.In the Sermon on the Mount He said - "Again you have heard that it was said not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.""(Matt. 5,33-37).

This is true, but he also talked about the fact that -" ... without an oath to deceive - it is also a sin, just as with the oath ".

In the Gospel it is said directly - "Do not swear ..." (Matt. 5, 34). "But I say to you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne;nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King;nor thy head not swear, because you can not make one hair white or black.But let your communication be, yes, yes;no no;anything more than this comes from evil "(Matt. 5,33-37).

So the doctor-Christian oath is not necessary, due to the fact that the Christian doctrine and morality is much higher than any pagan oath.

So what is the reason for the striking vitality of the myth of the Hippocratic Oath?

turn to history.

so-called "Hippocratic Oath" does not belong to Hippocrates. When Hippocrates died in 377 year BC (according to other sources in the year 356)this oath was not in sight. Like many others, he was credited with this oath in later compilations of his works. In fact, "the works of Hippocrates," as well as works of the unforgettable Leonid Brezhnev, is a conglomerate of the works of various authors, and to allocate onegenuine Hippocratic almost impossible. Of the 72 works attributed to Hippocrates, Galen recognized as genuine - 11, Galler - 18, and Kovner only 8. Other works apparently belonged to his sons, doctors Thessaly and the Dragon, and son-in Polybius (VIRudnev, 1998).

most common version of the oath today, the so-called Medical commandment, which was published in 1848 in Geneva, down large chunks of the original text (or texts).

HIPPOCRATIS JUS-JURANDUM

Per Apollinem medicum et Aesculapium, Hygiamque et Panaceam juro, deos deasque omnes testes citan.s, mepte viribus et judicio meo hos jusjurandum et hanc stipulationem plene prae.staturum.

Ilium nempe parentum meorum loco habitumm spondeo, qui me artem istam docuit, eique alimenta impertirurum, et quibuscunque opus habuerit, suppeditaturum.Victus etiam rationem pro virili et ingenio meo aegri.s salutarem praescripturum a pemiciosa vero et improba eosdem prohibiturum.Nullius praeterea precibus adductus, mortiferum medicamentum cuique propinabo, neque huius rei consilium dabo.Casie et sancte colam et artem meam.

Quaecumque vero in vita hominum sive medicinam factitans, sive non, vel videro, vel audivero, quae in vulgus efferre non decet, ea reticebo non secus atque agsZpa fidei meae commissa.

Quod si igitur hocce jusjurandum fideliter servem, neque violem, contingat et prospero successu tarn in vita, quam in arte mea fruar et gloriam immortalem gentium consequar.Sine autem id transgrediar et pejerem contraria hisce mihi eveniam.

now translating .

Again - the most common variant (op. At Hippocrates. Oath. Act. On doctor. Manual. - 1998).

I swear by Apollo - a physician Asclepius, gig and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses, taking them to witness, to perform honestly, according to my ability and my judgment the following oath and written commitment: consider who taught me medical skill on par with my parents,to share with him his wealth and, if necessary, to assist him in his needs, his children as my own brothers, and this art, if they want to study it, teach them free of charge and without any contract, instruction, oral lessons and everything else in the scientists report their sons, sons of his teacher and pupils, related commitment and oath according to the law health, but no one else.

I will direct treatment of patients to their benefit in accordance with my ability and my judgment, refraining from causing any harm and injustice, I will not let anybody if asked me a deadly drug and not show the path for such a plan, just as I will not givea woman an abortive remedy.Pure and undefiled I will spend my life and my art.In whatever house I entered, I go there for the benefit of the patient, being far from all intentional, unjust and harmful, especially from the pleasures of love with women and men, freemen and slaves.

to the treatment, and without treatment, I have not seen or heard about human life from the fact that you should not ever disclose, I keep silence about believing such things secret.

I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and art, respected by all men for all time.Transgress the same, and giving a false oath shall be the reverse.

And what says "Hippocratic Oath"?Yes, is not that to - "... the light of other burn yourself, and turn into a candle."Reread "Oath".And agrees that, even in this "combed" text refers only to the obligations of the teachers, colleagues and students, to assure no harm, a negative attitude towards euthanasia, abortion, refusal of medical workers from intimate relationships with patients, patient confidentiality.Nowhere is it written that the doctor should be treated for free and wordlessly tolerate disregard for society to itself.

Let me remind you dear reader, that in ancient Greece, a subject which was Hippocrates, the majority of physicians lived comfortably by fees received from patients.Their pay is high (better example than the work of architects).Although doctors were not alien to charity.The same Hippocrates in his "Institutes" advises his disciple, when it comes to fee, a differentiated approach to different patients - "I advise you to not too inhumane behaved, but to pay attention to the abundance of funds (the patient), andtheir moderation, and sometimes treated, and would be in vain, considering grateful memory above minutes of fame. "Note that the gift of Hippocrates advised to treat sometimes.

What is it?Trying to solve the eternal dilemma that on the one hand, the work of a doctor (like any other community service) must be paid fairly and on the other - the nature of humane medical profession involves helping the poor fellow citizens without payment?

And maybe all this easier?Maybe Hippocrates already realized the importance of charity to advertise?Thus, in the same "Manuals" he advises his disciple - "If you lead the first thing about remuneration, then of course navedesh patient to think that if it is not done by contract, you leave it or be careless about it, andI do not give it at the moment of the Board.

On establishing the award should not worry, because we believe that pay attention to it is harmful to the patient, especially in acute disease - the speed of the disease, which does not give the case to procrastination, makes a good doctor lookno benefits, but rather the acquisition of Fame. It is better to blame the survivors than to strip advance at risk. "So rescued ingratitude towards the doctor deserve reproach even from the standpoint of Hippocrates?

So what are all the same "Hippocratic Oath"?

Let us estimate the results of a small logical analysis of the text of the oath conducted by S. Wasilewski (2002).

The unit of information processing, he took the floor.Words in the Hippocratic oath all - 251.

of them, in descending order:

- words on relations "student - teacher" and "Pupil Teacher" - 69.

- words devoted to the treatment of patients - 34.

- words devoted to patient confidentiality - 33.

- words related to the "happiness" and "glory" doctor "right", and the curse on the head physician, retreating from the curse - 31.

-Words devoted morals doctor - 30.

- words devoted to non-authoritative for Christians gods - 29.

- words devoted not to participate in abortion and euthanasia - 25.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart"- I remember.And now make a logical assumption that the people in the oath, which brings greater attention to what is considered the most important, and less attention and, consequently, the number of words - just as important.

on the basis of the number of words relating to the above headings, let's draw up a so-called hits of professional values โ€‹โ€‹of the physician Hippocrates.

In first place is a system of relations "teacher - pupil" - 69 words, ie 27.6% of the total number of words.

In second place - actually promise a doctor to treat people - 34 words, or 13.6% of the words.(Two times less than the "teacher - pupil" !!!).

In third place - the preservation of medical confidentiality - 33 words, or 12.8%.

In fourth place - good for the sticking oaths and curses for breaking the oath - 31 words - 12.4%.

In fifth place - the moral character of a doctor who devoted 30 words - 12%.

In sixth place - Hellenic gods, which allocated 29 words - 11.6%.

And finally, on the last seventh place is the principle of non-participation in abortion and euthanasia, which allocated 25 words, or 10% of the total number of words of the Hippocratic Oath.

us ask again.So what is "The Oath"?

Maybe it's time to stop the blame doctors for any reason (and often without cause) - "swore? Bear !!!".Maybe it's time to take off with all the writing fraternity antivrachebnoy blinders and to dispel false myths?

inquisitive mind are big surprises in the familiar, seemingly with childhood things.The main principle of the Hippocratic ethic always considered "non nocere" - do no harm.And whether it complied with Hippocrates?

First - whom to treat?Here is an excerpt from the Physicians commandments, sleek and published in 1848 in Geneva - "My primary task - to restore and maintain the health of my patients."0dnako in the original version of "The Vow" is probably really based at the outlook of Hippocrates contains the following continuation of this phrase by "obscure reason" lowered Geneva publishers - "... but not everyone, but only able to pay for his recovery ...".

Moreover, in the practice of the Hippocratic were at least two occasions when he broke "his" oath.In 380 BC,Akrahersit began a treatment of poisoning his food with poison.It turned out the first aid to the patient, the first thing the doctor asked Akrahersita family, whether they are able to pay for the recovery of the patient.Hearing the negative response, he suggested ...- "poison to the poor fellow, that he did not suffer a long time," to which relatives and agreed.What unfinished food poison, the poison is completed Hippocrates.(And what about the "do no harm" and not to participate in euthanasia?).

Two years before his death Hippocrates took polzovat Svetonskogo of a Caesar, who suffered from high blood pressure.When it turned out that Caesar was not able to pay for the entire course of herbal medicine, Hippocrates gave it to the relatives, not only do not cure, but telling them the wrong diagnosis, say, a patient suffering from migraine, do not worry.Entered into knowingly mislead the relatives did not feel the need to go to another doctor, and soon 54-ades soldier died during the next crisis.

Second - Hippocrates could not stand the competition, felt that the smaller the doctors, the steeper will be earnings.Here you have the proof - "... instruction, oral lessons and everything else in the scientists report their sons, their sons, teachers and students, bound by the obligations under the law and oath of health, but no one else."Is not it very humanely?

And finally, the last.Some old versions of "Hippocratic Oath" is mentioned, that the physician must assist free colleagues and their families, and the duty not to aid the poor - so it's not drawn to free medicine and medical business is not broken.

Why so racks myth of the "Hippocratic Oath"?

image of "disinterested physician" extremely favorable propaganda godsend.This way into the consciousness of society and strongly pawned pawned the idea that the doctor must be poor.Today, the complete absence of medical law substituted kustarnosrabotannymi "moral and ethical principles," amoral and immoral in relation to the doctor.As a result of the "lack of gingerbread" is once again in charge appointed "thoroughly corrupt" medical workers.

Society today completely forgotten, and does not want to remember that the work of a doctor is worth something, declared that the implementation of the Constitution the right of citizens to health care should be based not only on professional responsibilities, but also on the objective possibilities of its physicians provide.Society does not want to understand that doctors are also citizens of society, the citizens, who must have their valid and legally protected rights.First and foremost, the right to meet as a result of their work their material and spiritual needs.

Deed and the doctor are the property of their knowledge, skills and ability to work.Therefore, the doctor's duty to provide assistance, in turn, implies the obligation of the company in accordance with the so their favorite principle of justice is worthy of his reward for the work done.If the doctor for his highly skilled labor is not paid a salary at all or pay starvation wages, which is lower than the remuneration cleaners office dubious company, it is a kind of social injustice.

If legally enshrined in the Criminal Code measure of responsibility of the doctor for possible violations commensurate with the grinding poverty of his existence for the proposed company to pay his labor, it is also a cynical social injustice.

can not just citizens' right to health addressed by the unfair exclusion of skilled labor of hundreds of thousands of health workers.Populist demands to free health care so popular among politicians and the public have led to virtually "medrazverstke" - the forcible alienation for nothing, and often for free (when the fee for the work is not paid) that is the property of medical personnel - for their work, skills, knowledge and talents.This form is grossly unjust social violence against physicians.

In this society there is no place for those who work honestly, including the doctor."Labors will not acquire chambers stone."But the doctor lives here, in the same society.He is part of it.He sharpness is aware that his hopeless existence renders meaningless adhere to ethical standards established for a modern society.These rules are nothing but grinding poverty for the doctor is not guaranteed.Today novice surgeon salary is 4500 rubles, and the surgeon of the highest category - 10,000 rubles.You yourself can count how many estimates one o'clock their work society.It can not be otherwise.