Although associated with the great Greek physician Hippocrates, for whom it is named, no one is entirely sure who wrote the Hippocratic Corpus. A collection of medical writings written in a clear, precise style, it is likely that authorship is attributable to many doctors over the years, with each adding his own observations and tenets to the existing text based on personal experience. Most of the Corpus can be dated to the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC, and includes much that is still in use today, including the ‘Hippocratic Oath’ of standards and ethics, which all doctors must take upon completion of their training.
