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)
To be a good physician, one must know not only medicine, but also human nature, and a little bit of everything else besides.
It is easier to write a book than to cure a disease.
Many physicians are like actors: they put on a show, but have no real understanding of their craft.
I have often observed that those who boast most of their knowledge are precisely those who know the least.
The patient who trusts his physician implicitly is either very wise or very foolish.
Some doctors are so eager to prescribe, they forget to observe.
The most dangerous disease is ignorance, especially in a physician.
I prefer to be called a philosopher than a physician, for the former seeks truth, while the latter often seeks only profit.
One should not trust a physician who is never ill himself.
The body is the instrument of the soul, and a poor instrument it often is.
Many diseases are cured by nature, not by the physician.
The physician who treats only the symptoms is like a gardener who prunes the leaves but ignores the roots.
I have often found that the most effective remedy is a good diet and a cheerful disposition.
The greatest error in the treatment of diseases is that physicians are now treating the body and the soul separately.
Some physicians are so learned, they forget to be practical.
The patient who asks too many questions often knows more than the physician.
It is a physician's duty to tell the truth, even when it is unpleasant.
The physician who relies solely on books is like a sailor who never leaves the harbor.
I have learned more from my patients' mistakes than from my own successes.
The best cure for a bad physician is a good patient.
Contemporaries of Galen of Pergamon
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Galen of Pergamon (129–216).