The Hippocratic Oath is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It was written in the late 5th century BC. The oath requires that a new physician swear upon a number of healing gods that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards.
It reads in, in part, like this:
“I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice...I will never give a deadly drug to anyone if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effort. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art...Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice...If I fulfill this path and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.”The Hippocratic Oath is still invoked by physicians swearing to practice medicine ethically and honestly. It is widely believed to have been written by and is named for Hippocrates, often regarded as the “father of western medicine.” Of both historic and traditional value, the oath is considered a rite of passage for practitioners of medicine. But are the doctors of today living up to their oath?
The Wisdom of the World
In a recent Health Tip, I shared a number of writings that Hippocrates conceived over 2,000 years ago, as well as words of Thomas Edison spoken over 100 years ago, and the word of God spoken at creation. What I want to do in this article is focus on these forward-thinking words of yesterday and put them up against the “common wisdom” of today. I think you’ll agree that the simple, straight-forward ideas they put forth so many years ago contain far more wisdom as to how to bring about health and healing in a patient than anything a contemporary doctor could suggest. Regarding the wisdom of today, here is what the Bible has to say about it:“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” ~ I Corinthians 3:19-20
What Hippocrates Teaches Us
Let's reflect on what Hippocrates and Edison had to say about health and compare it to the wisdom offered by today’s doctors. I believe you will agree with me that those good doctors of yesterday with their simple prescription of good food and exercise were far more wise than 21st century doctors who are caught up in the wisdom of today’s world. Let’s begin with Hippocrates...A Timeless Prescription for Your Health
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise...we would have found the safest way to health.” ~ HippocratesWould the average doctor prescribe this today? In my experience, the average doctor of today will give you a prescription for drugs or recommend more tests or possibly some surgery to remedy a physical problem.
Today’s medical schools do not train doctors to treat patients’ symptoms with food as Hippocrates so wisely advised. Rather they are trained that for every disease there is a symptom and for every symptom there is a drug. It's not surprising when one considers that the drug industry invests huge sums of money into the schools that train doctors. Thus these drug companies are able to exert great influence on the curriculum. And, not to mention, Big Pharma lobbyists invest huge sums into political campaigns as a way to “buy” friendly drug legislation. In California, for example, there is a law that if a patient has received conventional treatment and is not responding, the doctor cannot prescribe a change in diet rather than additional medication lest the doctor lose his/her medical license, be fined, and possibly go to jail. The California law is not isolated. In most states, in fact, it is against the law to use food as a healing modality.“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~ Hippocrates
We know today through scientific research that proper diet and vigorous daily exercise are the keys to health. Hippocrates recommended both! Proper diet nourishes the body and keeps the immune system strong, while vigorous exercise moves lymph, which helps move toxins out of the body seedily. Vigorous exercise also oxygenates the body, builds muscles and bones, and helps activate the immune system.“Walking is man’s best medicine.” ~ Hippocrates
How to Heal Yourself
God placed the immune system into the human frame to protect it from all manner of disease. Despite that man’s understanding of an “immune system” was still thousands of years into the future, it’s clear that our body’s natural defense mechanism is precisely what Hippocrates was referring to when he wrote the words above. What Hippocrates says here is diametrically opposed to what doctors are taught in medical school! They are taught that the only modalities that will relieve symptoms are drugs. They have no idea that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself when the immune system is strengthened with good nutrition. You can learn more about your immune system and the "natural forces within you" in a lengthy Health Tip article I wrote recently titled “A Strong Immune System is Your Key to Wellness.”“Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.” ~ Hippocrates
How to Avoid Fatal Drug Reactions
Each year in America, over 250,000 people die as a result of adverse reactions to doctor-prescribed drugs and “human error (i.e., doctor error) — it's the #3 cause of death in America! I do not understand how people can continue to put faith in a medical system that produces these terrifying results! Before anyone ever puts a doctor-prescribed drug or even an over-the-counter drug into their body they should research the potential side effects that the drug can have on their body. That information is easily available by going to any Internet search engine and searching the name of the drug plus the words "adverse or harmful effects." If more people would pay attention to adverse drug statistics and potential side effects, I believe they would reject drugs!“Whenever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm.” ~ Hippocrates
Many doctors today still do not seem to understand that the body is usually self-healing if the natural healing process is not interrupted with toxic drugs and harmful, medical modalities. A well-nourished body that is getting sufficient exercise has everything it needs to regenerate itself on the cellular level. Indeed, in most instances, the fastest way to restore health is to simply follow Hippocrates recommendation; less is more.“To do nothing is also a good remedy.” ~ Hippocrates
Putting Feet to Prayers
God will not do for us what we are not willing to do for ourselves. If a person wishes to restore their health they must put feet to their prayers. They must involve themselves in the healing process. Many think that all they need to do is pray a spiritual prayer and that prayer will result in their healing without their participating in the healing. Several Bible verses have relevance here, most especially:"Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods, a man should himself lend a hand.” ~ Hippocrates
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." ~ Hosea 4:6
“Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” ~ Galatians 6:7
What Thomas Edison Teaches Us
Though he was not a medical doctor, Thomas Edison spoke these words of wisdom concerning health:“The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”Though they were written over 100 years ago, Edison’s words are as up-to-date as tomorrow’s newspaper. Proper diet and lifestyle are the keys to health and a long life, while improper diet and lifestyle result in disease and a shortened life. If today's doctors put Edison's words into practice, it would not be long before they ran out of patients to treat.
What the Bible Teaches Us
Hallelujah Acres teaches health from a Biblical perspective. We teach that every symptom has a cause, and we try to interest people into preventing the cause of disease by nourishing their bodies with God’s original diet:“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb (vegetable) bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat (food).” ~ Genesis 1:29In fact, for those interested in helping others to understand and implement God's original diet, we offer Health Minister Training. With its focus on eliminating the cause of disease through diet and exercise, graduates of Health Minister Training are equipped with knowledge true to Edison's words regarding "doctors of the future." Learn more.
