Hippocratic corpus

Hippocrates lived in the age of Socrates and most of the treatises seem to originate in the classical period. About 70 medical treatises, generally called the Hippocratic corpus are traditionally attributed to him.

The 'Hippocratic' Corpus comprises some 60 medical works of varying length, style and content. Collectively, this is the largest surviving body of early Greek prose.

The treaties vary greatly in length and style, and it is generally believed that they used to make up the library of a medical school, probably at Cos, which became the most important center of medical thought and practice in the 4th century BC – a role that was later taken over by Alexandria.

One author in the time of Galen believed that at least part of the collection was written down by Hippocrates to preserve the oral doctrines of the family of Asclepiads that were in danger of disappearing because they handed down only by word of mouth.

Hippocratic Corpus emphasized the ability of the human body to heal itself. This holistic approach to medicine and hence the Hippocratic approach to medicine, has seen a resurgence on the western world in recent decades. It also emphasized the rational scientific mind in the detection and analysis of illness.

One interesting element of the Hippocratic corpus, and a clear mark of its kind scientific character, is that besides successful treatments medical mistakes were also included.
Hippocratic corpus