What does cutting for stone mean in the Hippocratic Oath?

The whole phrase is, "I will not cut for stone, even in the presence of disease (or something like that). I will leave this to skilled professionals. specialists in the art." This means that PHYSICIANS will not perform surgery. They will leave the cutting or surgery to trained specialists - SURGEONS. In those days - the days of ancient Greeks when the Hippocratic Oath was written, physicians and surgeons were considered two different professions. In the novel, Thomas Stone is a surgeon; whereas Ghosh - an internal medicine specialist, would be considered a physician.