Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1996 Dec; 116(30): 3607-10.

[Asklepius. The compassionate god]

Vatle A.

The ancient Greeks had many gods of healing, but none other achieved the popular esteem and adoration as Asklepios, son of Apollo, pupil of the centaur Cheiron. People made pilgrimages to the temples of Asklepios. The great Galenos himself reports that Asklepios appeared to him in a dream, bidding him to become a physician. For more than 800 years Asklepios was looked upon as the ideal physician, and after his death became the compassionate god, the friend of suffering humanity. The temple medicine of Asklepios was totally different from the rational practice of hippocratic physicians. A good doctor, however, needs not only a cool brain, but also a warm heart. In order to practice our craft to the benefit of our fellow human beings we need inspiration from other sources. But, like Sir William Osler (1749-1919) we should not try to mix the oil of religion with the waters of science. The last words of Socrates were "Crito, we owe a cock to Asklepios". Perhaps sacrificing a cock to Asklepios would be a good idea before our next patient enters the surgery?