Galen of Pergamon
A prominent physician and surgeon in the Roman Empire whose extensive writings dominated Western medicine for over a millennium.
Most quoted
"I have done as much for medicine as Trajan did for the Roman Empire when he built the bridges and roads through Italy. It is I, and I alone, who have revealed the true path of medicine."
— from On My Own Books
"All who drink of this remedy recover in a short time, except those whom it does not help, who all die. Therefore, it is obvious that it fails only in incurable cases."
— from On the Therapeutic Method
"I have often seen physicians, when they have failed to cure a disease, blame the patient's constitution, or the stars, or anything but their own ignorance."
— from On the Natural Faculties
All quotes by Galen of Pergamon (337)
Observation and experience are crucial for medical knowledge.
Reason and logic are necessary for interpreting observations.
The physician should prioritize the patient's well-being above all else.
Prognosis is a vital part of medical practice.
The pulse is an important diagnostic tool.
Urine examination can reveal much about a patient's condition.
Diet and exercise are fundamental to maintaining health.
Drugs should be used judiciously and with a clear understanding of their effects.
Surgery should be performed only when necessary and with great skill.
Ignorance is the greatest enemy of medicine.
The body is a complex machine, and its parts work together in harmony.
The brain controls all voluntary actions and sensations.
The arteries carry vital spirit from the heart to the body.
The veins carry natural spirit from the liver to the body.
The lungs are responsible for cooling the heart.
The stomach digests food and transforms it into chyle.
The intestines absorb nutrients from chyle.
The kidneys filter waste products from the blood.
The bladder stores urine.
The spleen is involved in purifying the blood.
Contemporaries of Galen of Pergamon
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Galen of Pergamon (129–216).