Hipokrat i aktuelnost njegove zakletve
Hippocrates and the Contemporary Relevance of his Oath

Summary/Abstract: This contribution deals with Hippocratic oath and with the relevance of its content for the contemporary world. It is the only part of Ancient Greece's medical legacy that has retained the importance for post-Renaissance medicine. Contrary to the continued presence of the Hellas' achievements in mathematics, mechanics, descriptive biology, even in astronomy - in spite of prevailing geocentric prejudice and lack of telescopes, her impact on modern medical science has predominantly negative aspect; the high esteem and authority of ancient medical writers were obstructing the advance of modern experimental researches. Hippocrates' foundation of medical deontology has inspired much of the contemporary endeavors in this field. Cynics would put a remark that this result is included rather in philosophy - a sphere in which European debt to Greeks is inestimable - than in medical science. The present work has tried to define more precisely the extent and limits of Hippocrates' influence on modern deontological thought. Beside these principles that are of lasting impact on the medical profession in any time or land, the oath contains the pledge of physicians not to recourse the operative elimination of a stone from bladder - a provision that have no anything to do with contemporary medicine. This work also discusses the modern revisions of the Hippocratic oath with particular reference to the attitudes towards abortion and euthanasia - the most controversial questions of contemporary medical ethics. The Geneva Declaration of 1948 adopted by General Assembly of World Medical Association and Code of Medical Ethics adopted by Serbian Medical Chamber are analyzed in more details.

• Details
• Contents