Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of guidelines and ethics sworn to by Earth physicians, devised by Hippocrates.

In 2152, when explaining the difference between Denobulan and Human medical ethics, Dr. Phlox stated "Hippocrates wasn't Denobulan". 

When given the opportunity to kill Unferth in the holodeck, The Doctor told him that the only reason that he wasn't going to kill him was because he had "taken an oath to do no harm." He would later give this as the reason he could not perform the procedure to separate Tuvix in 2372. 

In 2373, The Doctor recited to himself a version of the introduction to the oath which went as follows:


 * "I swear this oath by Apollo physician, by Aesculapius, by health, and by all the gods and goddesses: In whatsoever place that I enter I will enter to help the sick and heal the injured, and I will do no harm."

The oath was included in the EMH programing; in 2377, when his program was stolen by Gar and sold to Chellick, the Jye administrator of a floating hospital on the Dinaali homeworld, the Doctor, activated as Gar and Chellick negotiated over his price, angrily refused to provide his services to "common thieves" - but when victims of a mining accident were brought in seconds later, the Doctor, unable to simply stand and watch, began to treat a seriously injured miner, informing a surprised Chellick that, fortunately for the patient, he was programmed to obey the Hippocratic Oath. 

The quote from the USS Pasteur's dedication plaque was the first part of the Hippocratic Oath.


 * "I swear by Apollo the healer, by Aesculapius, by Health and all the powers of healing..."

Certain Malcorian physicians swear to an oath similar to the Hippocratic Oath. Berel specifically states "I have sworn an oath to do no harm. And I will not."

External link


Hippokratischer Eid Serment d'Hippocrate