[Born at Cos, in the Ægean Sea, about B.C. 460. Died about 357. Aged
104.]
The great fame acquired by Hippocrates, would seem to have been won by a
steadfast adherence to the sagacity of common sense. He had no chemical
knowledge, and his acquaintance with anatomy appears to have been scanty
and uncertain; yet, knowing how to turn a rare experience to account,
and confining his operations mainly to the watching and assisting of
Nature, he succeeded in obtaining credit for superhuman skill. His
nephew, who is reputed to have possessed almost equal merit with his
uncle, was murdered in a fit of jealousy, by Hippocrates, who shortly
afterwards fell a sacrifice to the torments of remorse. A great number
of works are extant under his name, but most of them were written by his
disciples.
[From the marble in the Louvre, which has been verified by a medal
bearing the name of Hippocrates, and showing a perfect resemblance to
the head. There are several busts of Hippocrates in existence--one in
the Capitoline Museum, another at Florence, and two in the Louvre.]