The Text of the Covenant Laid Down by Hippocrates

(From: Lives of Physicians, Ibn abi Usayb`ia, d. 1269)

Hippocrates said: I swear in the name of God, the Master of life and death, the Giver of health and Creator of healing and of every treatment, and I swear in the name of Aesculapius, and of all the holy ones of god, male and female, and I call them to witness, that I will fulfil this oath and this conditions. I will regard my teacher in this art as my father, I will share with him my means of livelihood, and I will make him my partner in my wealth, and I will give him my wealth whenever he may be in need of it.

As for his descendants, I regard them as my brothers, and I will teach them this art without any remuneration or condition, should they desire to learn it. And I associate together (i.e. regard as equal), in the injunctions and in the sciences contained in the art, my own children, the children of my teacher, and the disciples on whom the oath (or covenant) has been imposed, and who have sworn  to observe the medical code of honour. And I will not do so for any other than these.

In all my treatment I will strive so far as lies in my power for the benefit of the patients. And I will restrain myself from things which are injurious to them, or are likely in my opinion to do them harm. And I will not give them any poisonous drug if they ask for it, nor will I advise them thus. Nor will I contemplate administering any pessary which may cause abortion. And in my treatment and in the practice of my art I will keep myself pure and holy. And I will not operate on those who have stone in the bladder; rather I will  leave it for those whose profession it is . And I will enter every abode into which I may go only for the benefit of the sick, being in a state devoid of (all deliberate intention of) wrong-doing, injustice mischief-making, such as might be intended in all other transactions, or in respect of sexual relations with woman or man, whether free or slaves.

And as of the things which I may see or hear during the time of treating the sick, or at times other than those in which I am so engaged, about such behaviour of men as should not be talked of outside, I will keep silence, considering that such things should not be discussed.

He who fulfils this oath and does not violate any part of it, to him will it be granted to carry out his treatment and his art under the most excellent and favourable conditions, and to be praised by all men in future for ever; while the contrary will be the portion of him who transgresses it.

Transl. from  Arabic by E. G. Brown and M. Z. Siddiqui.

Source: W.H.S. Jones, The Doctor's Oath. ( Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1924), 31, 33.