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)
I have always striven to follow the path of truth, even when it has led me to unpopular conclusions.
The physician must be a man of compassion, for he will often have to deal with suffering.
The body is a temple, and the soul is its inhabitant.
I have often found that the simplest remedies are the most effective.
The physician must be a man of patience, for he will often have to wait for nature to take its course.
The best way to understand the body is to dissect it.
I have often been amazed by the wisdom of nature.
The physician must be a man of humility, for he will often have to admit his limitations.
The soul is the life of the body.
I have often found that the most difficult cases are the most rewarding.
The physician must be a man of observation, for he will often have to rely on his senses.
The body is a machine, and the soul is its operator.
I have often found that the best way to learn is to experiment.
The physician must be a man of reason, for he will often have to make difficult decisions.
The soul is the form of the body.
I have often found that the most important thing in medicine is to listen to the patient.
The physician must be a man of knowledge, for he will often have to draw upon a vast store of information.
The body is a microcosm, and the soul is its macrocosm.
I have often found that the best way to cure a disease is to understand its cause.
The physician must be a man of skill, for he will often have to perform delicate procedures.
Contemporaries of Galen of Pergamon
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Galen of Pergamon (129–216).