“ὌμνυμιἈπόλλωναἰητρὸν,καὶἈσκληπιὸν,καὶὙγείαν,καὶΠανάκειαν,καὶθεοὺςπάνταςτεκαὶπάσας,ἵστοραςποιεύμενος,ἐπιτελέαποιήσεινκατὰδύναμινκαὶκρίσινἐμὴνὅρκοντόνδεκαὶξυγγραφὴντήνδε.Ἡγήσασθαιμὲντὸνδιδάξαντάμετὴντέχνηνταύτηνἴσαγενέτῃσινἐμοῖσι,καὶβίουκοινώσασθαι,καὶχρεῶνχρηίζοντιμετάδοσινποιήσασθαι,καὶγένοςτὸἐξωὐτέουἀδελφοῖςἴσονἐπικρινέεινἄῤῥεσι,καὶδιδάξειντὴντέχνηνταύτην,ἢνχρηίζωσιμανθάνειν,ἄνευμισθοῦκαὶξυγγραφῆς,παραγγελίηςτεκαὶἀκροήσιοςκαὶτῆςλοιπῆςἁπάσηςμαθήσιοςμετάδοσινποιήσασθαιυἱοῖσίτεἐμοῖσι,καὶτοῖσιτοῦἐμὲδιδάξαντος,καὶμαθηταῖσισυγγεγραμμένοισίτεκαὶὡρκισμένοιςνόμῳἰητρικῷ,ἄλλῳδὲοὐδενί.Διαιτήμασίτεχρήσομαιἐπ'ὠφελείῃκαμνόντωνκατὰδύναμινκαὶκρίσινἐμὴν,ἐπὶδηλήσειδὲκαὶἀδικίῃεἴρξειν.Οὐδώσωδὲοὐδὲφάρμακονοὐδενὶαἰτηθεὶςθανάσιμον,οὐδὲὑφηγήσομαιξυμβουλίηντοιήνδε.Ὁμοίωςδὲοὐδὲγυναικὶπεσσὸνφθόριονδώσω.Ἁγνῶςδὲκαὶὁσίωςδιατηρήσωβίοντὸνἐμὸνκαὶτέχνηντὴνἐμήν.Οὐτεμέωδὲοὐδὲμὴνλιθιῶντας,ἐκχωρήσωδὲἐργάτῃσινἀνδράσιπρήξιοςτῆσδε.Ἐςοἰκίαςδὲὁκόσαςἂνἐσίω,ἐσελεύσομαιἐπ'ὠφελείῃκαμνόντων,ἐκτὸςἐὼνπάσηςἀδικίηςἑκουσίηςκαὶφθορίης,τῆςτεἄλληςκαὶἀφροδισίωνἔργωνἐπίτεγυναικείωνσωμάτωνκαὶἀνδρῴων,ἐλευθέρωντεκαὶδούλων.Ἃδ'ἂνἐνθεραπείῃἢἴδω,ἢἀκούσω,ἢκαὶἄνευθεραπηίηςκατὰβίονἀνθρώπων,ἃμὴχρήποτεἐκλαλέεσθαιἔξω,σιγήσομαι,ἄῤῥηταἡγεύμενοςεἶναιτὰτοιαῦτα.Ὅρκονμὲνοὖνμοιτόνδεἐπιτελέαποιέοντι,καὶμὴξυγχέοντι,εἴηἐπαύρασθαικαὶβίουκαὶτέχνηςδοξαζομένῳπαρὰπᾶσινἀνθρώποιςἐςτὸναἰεὶχρόνον.παραβαίνοντιδὲκαὶἐπιορκοῦντι,τἀναντίατουτέων.”“IswearbyApollo,thehealer,Asclepius,Hygieia,andPanacea,andItaketowitnessallthegods,allthegoddesses,tokeepaccordingtomyabilityandmyjudgment,thefollowingOathandagreement:Toconsiderdeartome,asmyparents,himwhotaughtmethisart;toliveincommonwithhimand,ifnecessary,tosharemygoodswithhim;Tolookuponhischildrenasmyownbrothers,toteachthemthisart.Iwillprescriberegimensforthegoodofmypatientsaccordingtomyabilityandmyjudgmentandneverdoharmtoanyone.IwillnotgivealethaldrugtoanyoneifIamasked,norwillIadvisesuchaplan;andsimilarlyIwillnotgiveawomanapessarytocauseanabortion.ButIwillpreservethepurityofmylifeandmyarts.Iwillnotcutforstone,evenforpatientsinwhomthediseaseismanifest;Iwillleavethisoperationtobeperformedbypractitioners,specialistsinthisart.IneveryhousewhereIcomeIwillenteronlyforthegoodofmypatients,keepingmyselffarfromallintentionalill-doingandallseductionandespeciallyfromthepleasuresoflovewithwomenorwithmen,betheyfreeorslaves.Allthatmaycometomyknowledgeintheexerciseofmyprofessionorindailycommercewithmen,whichoughtnottobespreadabroad,Iwillkeepsecretandwillneverreveal.IfIkeepthisoathfaithfully,mayIenjoymylifeandpracticemyart,respectedbyallmenandinalltimes;butifIswervefromitorviolateit,maythereversebemylot.”IswearbyApolloPhysicianandAsclepiusandHygieiaandPanaceiaandallthegodsandgoddesses,makingthemmywitnesses,thatIwillfulfillaccordingtomyabilityandjudgmentthisoathandthiscovenant:Toholdhimwhohastaughtmethisartasequaltomyparentsandtolivemylifeinpartnershipwithhim,andifheisinneedofmoneytogivehimashareofmine,andtoregardhisoffspringasequaltomybrothersinmalelineageandtoteachthemthisart—iftheydesiretolearnit—withoutfeeandcovenant;togiveashareofpreceptsandoralinstructionandalltheotherlearningtomysonsandtothesonsofhimwhohasinstructedmeandtopupilswhohavesignedthecovenantandhavetakenanoathaccordingtothemedicallaw,butnooneelse.Iwillapplydieteticmeasuresforthebenefitofthesickaccordingtomyabilityandjudgment;Iwillkeepthemfromharmandinjustice.Iwillneithergiveadeadlydrugtoanybodywhoaskedforit,norwillImakeasuggestiontothiseffect.SimilarlyIwillnotgivetoawomananabortiveremedy.InpurityandholinessIwillguardmylifeandmyart.Iwillnotusetheknife,notevenonsufferersfromstone,butwillwithdrawinfavorofsuchmenasareengagedinthiswork.WhateverhousesImayvisit,Iwillcomeforthebenefitofthesick,remainingfreeofallintentionalinjustice,ofallmischiefandinparticularofsexualrelationswithbothfemaleandmalepersons,betheyfreeorslaves.WhatImayseeorhearinthecourseofthetreatmentorevenoutsideofthetreatmentinregardtothelifeofmen,whichonnoaccountonemustspreadabroad,Iwillkeeptomyself,holdingsuchthingsshamefultobespokenabout.IfIfulfillthisoathanddonotviolateit,mayitbegrantedtometoenjoylifeandart,beinghonoredwithfameamongallmenforalltimetocome;ifItransgressitandswearfalsely,maytheoppositeofallthisbemylot.TranslationfromtheGreekbyLudwigEdelstein.FromTheHippocraticOath:Text,Translation,andInterpretation,byLudwigEdelstein.Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsPress,1943.Isweartofulfill,tothebestofmyabilityandjudgment,thiscovenant:Iwillrespectthehard-wonscientificgainsofthosephysiciansinwhosestepsIwalk,andgladlysharesuchknowledgeasisminewiththosewhoaretofollow.Iwillapply,forthebenefitofthesick,allmeasures[that]arerequired,avoidingthosetwintrapsofovertreatmentandtherapeuticnihilism.Iwillrememberthatthereisarttomedicineaswellasscience,andthatwarmth,sympathy,andunderstandingmayoutweighthesurgeon'sknifeorthechemist'sdrug.Iwillnotbeashamedtosay"Iknownot,"norwillIfailtocallinmycolleagueswhentheskillsofanotherareneededforapatient'srecovery.Iwillrespecttheprivacyofmypatients,fortheirproblemsarenotdisclosedtomethattheworldmayknow.MostespeciallymustItreadwithcareinmattersoflifeanddeath.Ifitisgivenmetosavealife,allthanks.Butitmayalsobewithinmypowertotakealife;thisawesomeresponsibilitymustbefacedwithgreathumblenessandawarenessofmyownfrailty.Aboveall,ImustnotplayatGod.IwillrememberthatIdonottreatafeverchart,acancerousgrowth,butasickhumanbeing,whoseillnessmayaffecttheperson'sfamilyandeconomicstability.Myresponsibilityincludestheserelatedproblems,ifIamtocareadequatelyforthesick.IwillpreventdiseasewheneverIcan,forpreventionispreferabletocure.IwillrememberthatIremainamemberofsociety,withspecialobligationstoallmyfellowhumanbeings,thosesoundofmindandbodyaswellastheinfirm.IfIdonotviolatethisoath,mayIenjoylifeandart,respectedwhileIliveandrememberedwithaffectionthereafter.MayIalwaysactsoastopreservethefinesttraditionsofmycallingandmayIlongexperiencethejoyofhealingthosewhoseekmyhelp.Writtenin1964byLouisLasagna,AcademicDeanoftheSchoolofMedicineatTuftsUniversity,andusedinmanymedicalschoolstoday.