Last update:
09-Oct-2018

The "Law", which is one of about 60 works that comprise the Hippocratic Collection, is moral and broadly philosophical in character. Here an initial attempt is made to interpret the ancient text. The "Law" recognizes the importance of medical art, but it is reported that the ignorant "doctors" and their inexpert judges impaired the validity of medical art. This was due to the fact that there were no regulations enacted by the state on the basis of which fines would be imposed on unqualified doctors (charlatans). It was stated that in order to be an expert in medicine, and therefore to practise the medical art properly, the following conditions must be fulfilled: Physical inclination, appropriate education, education starting from childhood, favorable environment, love for work, and time. Only when real knowledge is acquired, the holy reality will be revealed. Arising from these precepts, the present paper discusses issues such as medical education, medical law and medical science that are highlighted in the ancient text, with comments on their modern extensions.

Key words: "Law" of the Hippocratic Collection, Medical education, Medical law, Medical science.