ASIS Massage Education Blog

The Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath
(An Early Version)

I swear by Apollo the physician and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation.

To reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look upon his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according to the law of medicine, but to none others.

I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgement, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion.

With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons labouring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further, from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves.

Whatever, in connection with my professional service, or not in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret.

While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times. But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot.

Hydrotherapy

The primary effects of local heat applications can be pretty predicable. 

First there will be an increase in cellular metabolism, and a vasodilation directly under the skin, resulting in an increase in sweat (diaphoresis), and reddening of the skin (hyperemia), and a relaxation of the tissue.  Even though the heat does not penetrate deeply, it has a systemic warming of the body because the newly warmed blood’s circulation.   Because of the vasodilation, blood is rushed into the area, drawing blood from other areas, (hydrostatic effect), draining congested fluids from deeper areas in what is called derivation.
An increase in cellular matabolism usually decreases musclular tone, which in turn, decreases any muscular pain, therefore, working as an analgesic.  An increase in blood supply, also creates an increase in white blood cells called leukocytosis.

The Primary effects of local cold applications can also be predicable, in that it is nearly opposite the result of heat. 

First there will be an increasing of the muscle tonisity, followed by an immediate vasoconstriction of the vessels.  The vasoconstriction will create a decrease in circulation, resulting in less oxygen and cellular transport, known as Ischemia.  This response is essential if we are looking to reduce, or limit swelling, while blocking the body’s over zealous histamine response.  This effect essentially pushes the fluid away from this area (retrostasis).   All this leads to a decrease in swelling, a decrease in cellular matabolism, a decrease in body temperature, and also a decrease in pain sensory input called anesthetic.

Hydrotherapy

HYDROTHERAPY has long been a staple in European spas. It's the generic term for water therapies using jets, underwater massage and mineral baths (e.g. Balneotherapy, Kneipp Treatments, Scotch Hose, Swiss Shower, Thalassotherapy) and others. Whirlpool bath, hot Roman pool, hot tub, Jacuzzi, cold plunge, ice packs and mineral baths are also included. Essentially, hydrotherapy uses physical water properties, such as temperature and pressure, for therapeutic purposes, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases.
Hydrotherapy’s use has been recorded in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. Egyptians bathed with essential oils and flowers, while Romans had communal public baths for their citizens. Hippocrates prescribed bathing in spring water for sickness. A Dominican monk, Sebastian Kneipp, again revived it during the 19th century. His book My Water Cure in 1886 was published and translated into many languages. The use of water to treat rheumatic diseases has a long history.  In older texts, hydrotherapy was also called hydropathy.
Today, hydrotherapy is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or spinal cord injuries and in patients suffering burns, spasticity, stroke or paralysis.   Sports therapists and physical therapists rely on hydrotherapy as an important therapy. It is also used to treat orthopedic and neurological conditions in dogs and horses and to improve fitness.
HelioTherapy is the term used when temperatures are accessed through light, rather than water.

The Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath
(A Modern Version)

I swear in the presence of the Almighty and before my family, my teachers and my peers that according to my ability and judgment I will keep this Oath and Stipulation.

To reckon all who have taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents and in the same spirit and dedication to impart a knowledge of the art of medicine to others. I will continue with diligence to keep abreast of advances in medicine. I will treat without exception all who seek my ministrations, so long as the treatment of others is not compromised thereby, and I will seek the counsel of particularly skilled physicians where indicated for the benefit of my patient.

I will follow that method of treatment which according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous. I will neither prescribe nor administer a lethal dose of medicine to any patient even if asked nor counsel any such thing nor perform the utmost respect for every human life from fertilization to natural death and reject abortion that deliberately takes a unique human life.

With purity, holiness and beneficence I will pass my life and practice my art. Except for the prudent correction of an imminent danger, I will neither treat any patient nor carry out any research on any human being without the valid informed consent of the subject or the appropriate legal protector thereof, understanding that research must have as its purpose the furtherance of the health of that individual. Into whatever patient setting I enter, I will go for the benefit of the sick and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief or corruption and further from the seduction of any patient.

Whatever in connection with my professional practice or not in connection with it I may see or hear in the lives of my patients which ought not be spoken abroad, I will not divulge, reckoning that all such should be kept secret.

While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art and science of medicine with the blessing of the Almighty and respected by my peers and society, but should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot.

Hippocrates

Hippocrates, the celebrated Greek physician, was a contemporary of the historian Herodotus. He was born in the island of Cos between 470 and 460 BC, and belonged to the family that claimed descent from the mythical Aesculapius, son of Apollo. There was already a long medical tradition in Greece before his day, and this he is supposed to have inherited chiefly through his predecessor Herodicus; and he enlarged his education by extensive travel. He is said, though the evidence is unsatisfactory, to have taken part in the efforts to check the great plague which devastated Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian war.

He died at Larissa between 380 and 360 BC The works attributed to Hippocrates are the earliest extant Greek medical writings, but very many of them are certainly not his. Some five or six, however, are generally granted to be genuine, and among these is the famous "Oath." This interesting document shows that in his time physicians were already organized into a corporation or guild, with regulations for the training of disciples, and with an esprit de corps and a professional ideal which, with slight exceptions, can hardly yet be regarded as out of date.

One saying occurring in the words of Hippocrates has achieved universal currency, though few who quote it today are aware that it originally referred to the art of the physician. It is the first of his "Aphorisms": "Life is short, and the Art long; the occasion fleeting; experience fallacious, and judgment difficult. The physician must not only be prepared to do what is right himself, but also to make the patient, the attendants, and externals cooperate."