Hippocrates (c. 460-c. 377 BC)

Greek physician, often called the founder of medicine. Important Hippocratic ideas include cleanliness (for patients and physicians), moderation in eating and drinking, letting nature take its course, and living where the air is good. He believed that health was the result of the 'humours' of the body being in balance; imbalance caused disease. These ideas were later adopted by Galen. He is known to have discovered aspirin in willow bark. The Corpus Hippocraticum/Hippocratic Collection, a group of some 70 works, is attributed to him but was probably not written by him, although the works outline his approach to medicine. They include Aphorisms and the Hippocratic Oath, which embodies the essence of medical ethics. Hippocrates was born and practised on the island of Kos, where he founded a medical school. He travelled throughout Greece and Asia Minor, and died in Larisa, Thessaly.