Galen

Medicine Roman-Greek 129 – 216 318 quotes

Most influential physician for 1500 years

Quotes by Galen

The physician must be humble.

That the Best Physician is also a Philosopher

The human body is a marvel of creation.

On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body

The physician must be a keen observer of symptoms.

Method of Medicine

The art of medicine requires both science and art.

On the Best Method of Teaching

The physician must be a teacher.

On the Best Method of Teaching

The pursuit of health is a lifelong journey.

Hygiene

The physician must be a guardian of health.

Hygiene

I have often seen men who, when they were ill, would not take the trouble to follow my advice, but when they were well, they would boast of having done so.

On the Natural Faculties

If you wish to be a physician, you must first be a man.

On the Natural Faculties

The physician who is not a philosopher is a mere mechanic.

On the Natural Faculties

The art of medicine is to cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.

Attributed

Many physicians are like sailors who know how to steer a ship, but not how to navigate it.

On the Natural Faculties

It is easier to find a man who has never been ill than one who has never been foolish.

Attributed

The physician who trusts to experience alone is like the unlettered pilot who knows not how to read the stars.

On the Natural Faculties

The best medicine is a good physician.

Attributed

Those who are ignorant of the truth are not to be blamed, but those who, knowing it, refuse to acknowledge it.

On the Natural Faculties

The soul is not a simple substance, but a complex of many faculties.

On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato

Life is a journey, and death is its destination.

On the Natural Faculties

Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.

Commentary on Hippocrates' Aphorisms

Beauty is a harmony of parts, both in the body and in the soul.

On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body