Hippocrates (jan 1, 370 BC – jan 1, 45 BC)

Description:

Hippocrates was the father of medicine in Ancient Greece and was the best known physician at the time. He wrote the influential Hippocratic Corpus, where he stressed that the Hippocratic physician needs to understand everything about a patient to accurately diagnose disease. This included understanding the quality of their water, if they experience hot or cold winds, if they drink/eat to excess, and their habits, manners, and sleep patterns. Disease was different from patient to patient, and was largely based on environment, culture, and habits. Hippocrates believed disease was a natural process rather than a supernatural phenomenon. This went against the popular belief of religious healing. Additionally, Hippocrates had a theory of humoral pathology - he believed that health is the perfect balance of the 4 humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile). You can restore health by restoring balance of the 4 humors.

Added to timeline:

Date: