Ethical aspects of the Hippocratic Oath and its relevance to contemporary medicine.

For centuries the Hippocratic Oath was the example of medical etiquette and as such, determined the professional attitude of physicians in modern medicine. This essay includes a short biographical account of Hippocrates, throws some light on the origin of the oath, cites the text of the oath (in English) and gives an ethical interpretation of the oath. Analysis of the past very often offers creative guidance to the present and also to the future, and the Hippocratic oath is no exception.