Today medical doctors still take the Hippocratic oath. They pledge to follow a code of ethics based on Hippocrates's teachings. What are the exact words of the Hippocratic Oath?

OATH:

"I swear . . . that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture [contract]. . . . I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing."

BACKGROUND ON OATH:

The Greeks Excelled in medicine. Hippocrates (hip·AHK·ruh·teez), who lived between about 460 B.C. and about 377 B.C., is considered to be the founder of medical science. Many historians believe that Hippocrates wrote between 60 and 70 medical studies. These studies were based on observation, experiment, and experience and helped to collect medical knowledge in a usable form. Hippocrates taught that disease comes from natural causes, not as punishment from the gods. He believed that rest, fresh air, and a proper diet made the best cures. Hippocrates's ideals were passed along to other Greek physicians. Doctors who were trained in Hippocrates's methods accepted his philosophy that medical treatment should be based on reason, rather than on magic. Today, medical doctors still take the Hippocratic oath. They pledge to follow a code of ethics based on Hippocrates's teachings.