History of Science 2151F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Kairos, Aphorism, Hypochondrium
29 Jun 2016
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The hippocratic physician"s clinical techniques include the use of his senses to observe certain features of the patient"s body, behaviour and environment, and how these change under various circumstances. He uses his mind to draw conclusions from these observations about the patient"s past and present condition, and the future development and outcome of his/her disease. The first aphorism refers to several points that are important for the medical practice of the hippocratic physician: life is short, the art is long: A successful medical practice depends on more experience than could be collected in one lifetime. The physician builds on a tradition of experience handed down from his teachers to which he adds his own experience. Acquiring the art of medicine starts with apprenticeship at a young age, requires patience, diligence and commitment (see # 46, p. 21), and continues throughout life ( life long learning ): opportunity fleeting: The right time (greek kairos) for successful intervention may be short.
