Oaths and ethics

Even someone with only the most basic understanding of medical history knows that Hippocrates is viewed as the father of medicine and that the Hippocratic Oath forbids a physician from giving a woman an abortive remedy or giving the woman the means of procuring an abortion.

The translation of the Hippocratic Oath has been the subject of much debate as some academics claim that translations over the years through the medieval period and beyond have been general rather than specific. It is important to appreciate that these broad translations fitted nicely into ecclesiastical teachings in the medieval period giving dogma the extra foundation of classical teachings. Some may argue this is a cynical view but what is undeniable according to historians such as Professor John Riddle is that the line on abortion in the original Hippocratic Oath literally translates that the physician must not “… give a suppository to cause an abortion”, which in a broader sense has been offered as a prohibition on abortion caused by any means. Interestingly, this line directly follows a statement that swore its tenets not to advise on the use of poisons or to administer any.

It is believed that this oath was taken by ancient physicians but we do not know precisely who took the oath and how many …