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)
The physician must be able to communicate effectively with his patients.
The physician must be a man of compassion.
The brain is the source of sensation.
The physician must be able to interpret the signs of disease.
The body is a temple.
The physician must be a master of logic.
The physician must be a man of courage.
I have often observed that those who are most eager to learn are also the most eager to teach.
The physician must be a man of integrity, for he holds the lives of others in his hands.
Nature is the best physician; she heals all diseases.
The art of medicine is long, and life is short.
I have never been ashamed to confess my ignorance, for I know that it is the first step towards knowledge.
The body is a lyre, and the soul is the musician.
It is better to prevent disease than to cure it.
The physician who knows not the stars is a fool.
I have dissected many animals, and I have always found that their parts are wonderfully made.
The best way to learn is to teach.
I have often been surprised by the ignorance of those who claim to be physicians.
The physician must be a man of courage, for he will often have to face death.
The mind is the pilot of the soul.
Contemporaries of Galen of Pergamon
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Galen of Pergamon (129–216).