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walkingstackofbooks · 10 months

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Hippocratic Oath + Julian's Genetically Enhanced Status

I love how in Hippocratic Oath (4x03), Julian is so determined to help the Jem’Hadar, and so optimistic about what he could do. (Although his tendency to overestimate his abilities is also poking through here, I’m sure there's something to be said about that… not now, though)

But last time I watched this episode, it was without knowing about his genetic enhancements - and so this time round, it really struck me how much that might play into what he's thinking. When watching The Abandoned (3x06), I wondered how the discovery of the Jem’Hadar being genetically engineered must have given him mixed feelings. We see in Dr Bashir I Presume that he considers the use of “monster” to describe himself acceptable, and we know that through Earth’s history, the term “augment” conjures up the picture of the most brutal and violent humans. If Julian has ever worried about his potential to become a genetically-enhanced killing-machine, what must it feel like to come face to face with a genetically-enhanced killing machine?

The Jem’Hadar have not appeared in an episode since The Abandoned (their presence in The Die Is Cast is only assumed), and so are probably not at the forefront of Julian’s mind, despite the Dominion becoming somewhat more of a threat. Now, however, a year later, we get to see assume Julian once again has to wrestle with what that slight kinship with himself means to him. For obvious reasons, as written, the script doesn't allude to Julian's own enhancements - but I think it’s interesting to explore the assumption that, on some level, he already feels more pity for these people than he does revulsion.

And in light of that I think it changes slightly why he is reacting to Miles the way he does. I mean, I do think primarily his anger is directed at the fact that people have died – in a manner he thinks could have been prevented, and he had been willing to risk his own life for that possibility. In addition, when he tells Miles it had been his choice to condemn those men to death, and Miles replies that he did it to save Julian, I think Julian feels very uncomfortable with the fact that anyone should have to die to save his own life. His desire to be a hero is also coming into play – not just for the Jem’Hadar, but also to be able to triumphantly rid the Dominion of their soldiers! But I think he also is taking it more personally then might be assumed if you didn't know his back story.

We know what the Federation think of genetic engineering. And because of the Eugenics Wars, augments like Khan are talked about in a very similar manner to the way people - and in particular, Miles – talk about the Jem’Hadar. Miles calls them killers, bloodthirsty, unable to change, and for Julian, Miles’ own unchanging view of the Jem’Hadar - no matter that Goran'Agar, unlike the others, is starting to break the mould - echoes what he thinks of augments. Or what he might think of augments. Julian is unable know how his friends would treat him, but this is kind of testing the waters. Obviously, the situations are far from the same, but the fact that Miles’ fear of these genetically enhanced beings overrides any care for their survival - or really any compassion full stop! – must sting. Not to mention that, while Miles seemed to have regret over destroying Julian’s work and disobeying orders, I don’t see that he regretted leaving the Jem’Hadar to die.

Julian's indignation is definitely about the fact that the Jem’Hadar have no control over who they are or what they are, and as soon as he sees any indication that they're capable of change he wants to help them because, as they say, he's a Federation Doctor who is compassionate. But I don't think it lessens this episode at all to say that maybe some part of him is thinking, “By your logic, I should be a killer. But I'm not. And maybe the Jem’Hadar don't have to be either.”

And maybe also, “If Miles doesn't trust me in my judgement as a doctor and a senior officer, even while he believes I’m fully human, there's no way he'd ever trust me as an augment.”

Or, “I have no control over who I am or what I am, and if you knew who I was… I think you would hate me.”

Or, “Will there come a day when you condemn me to death?”

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Scenes that especially made me Feel This:

BASHIR: [The Jem'Hadar are] not animals! They're people being used as slaves! And this is their one chance at freedom. O'BRIEN: And what are they going to do with that freedom? Stop being so naïve, Julian, and look at them for what they are. They're killers! That's all they know how to do and that's all they want to do. BASHIR: But they have the potential to be so much more.

Hippocratic Oath 28:02

O'BRIEN: I wish things could have been different, Julian. BASHIR: So do I. O'BRIEN: And I'm sorry I had to destroy your work. BASHIR: You didn't have to, Chief. You had a choice and you chose to disobey orders, override my judgment, and condemn those men to death.

Hippocratic Oath 43:13

#Julian Bashir #genetically enhanced Julian Bashir meta #Hippocratic Oath #DS9 Hippocratic Oath #my trek musings #sorry I just had FEELINGS about this #and for once they actually made it onto a page!#well #mostly #i find feelings never quite manage to turn into words and remain fully intact #WSB

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filmjunky-99 · 1 month

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s t a r t r e k d e e p s p a c e n i n e created by rick berman, michael piller Goran'Agar [hippocratic oath, s4ep3]

#star trek #star trek deep space nine #deep space nine #rick berman #Michael Piller #star trek characters #ds9 character #Goran'Agar #scott macdonald #ds9 season 4 #deep space nine season 4 #ds9 Hippocratic Oath #hippocratic oath #lot: st ds9 season 4 ep 3/26 (ep 76/176)

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sugas6thtooth · 6 months

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pazzesco · 10 months

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"Medicine" : Gustav Klimt : 1907 - Also referred to as "Hygieia". Hygieia is a goddess of health cleanliness and hygiene. Her name is the source for the word "hygiene".

In 1893 Gustav Klimt was commissioned to decorate the University of Vienna with The Triumph of Light over Darkness, a series of paintings representing the university's faculties; Philosophy, Medicine & Jurisprudence. Medicine was presented in 1901, scandalously focusing on the powerlessness of the art of healing and ignoring achievements in prevention and cure, at a time when Vienna was leading the world in medicine. The staff was upset & none of the paintings were fixed to the ceiling of the university's great hall. In 1943 they were moved for protection to a castle, which was destroyed. All that remains from Medicine are drafts and photographs (above).

These days if you prefer, you can have your medicine in & on a champagne flute (below)

FYI - One notable reference regarding Hygieia's role as a goddess of health can be found within the Hippocratic Oath. The oath taken by physicians in order to swear before various healing gods, one of them being Hygieia, that they will follow a code of established ethical standards while practicing medicine.

Section of the translated oath from Greek to English:

"I swear by Apollo the Healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia, by Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture."

#art #gustav klimt #klimt #medicine #ai #restoration #recreation #colorization #hygieia #hippocratic oath #greek mythology #roman mythology #university of vienna #art nouveau #cliff clavin

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songbirdstew · 2 months

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Here's Glitch being absolutely furious and Angry Purring, because my sinuses were congested, and therefore she wanted to curl up directly on top of my nose and mouth, and I wouldn't let her.

#HIPPOCRATIC OATH #''... hippemcramtic... am cat. Ehn.''

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sshbpodcast · 1 month

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Character Spotlight: Miles O’Brien

By Ames

Though he was introduced in The Next Generation (in the pilot episode, no less!), Miles Edward O’Brien doesn’t really get to stretch his legs until he gets promoted to chief engineer in Deep Space Nine. Not much room in the transporter room, I’m afraid. As Star Trek’s most epitomic everyman, the chief isn’t some magic-powered alien or augmented human or even a pinnacle of futuristic ethics. Hell, it’s his flaws that make him more relatable than most other characters in the franchise, and he remains one of the most popular crewmembers all around!

Is it Colm Meaney’s approachable yet nuanced performance? Is it the strength of the writing of DS9? Or do we just love watching a grown man suffer in the way only O’Brien can? Find out below as your hosts of A Star to Steer Her By shine this week’s spotlight on the chief, and listen to this week’s banter over on the podcast (beam over to 55:13). Jaysus!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

They say you will be doing this manually, sir. No automation. O’Brien shows up in the first TNG episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” though he doesn’t get a name yet. And even though Picard orders Riker to reattach the saucer section as a test of his skills, frankly O’Brien does almost all of the work. Riker really only tells O’Brien to reattach the two sections and he just goes and does it while Riker gets all the credit. No respect, I tell ya!

The minstrel boy to the war has gone For most of TNG, O’Brien is stuck in the transporter room, but he gets to use those abilities to beam over to the Phoenix in “The Wounded”! Even through shields! Now that’s impressive on its own, but there’s more. Despite his predilection towards hating the spoonheads, he talks Captain Maxwell out of destroying a Cardassian supply vessel and surely inciting another war.

I’ve been doing this for twenty-two years and I haven’t lost anybody yet One more great use of transporter chief O’Brien comes when Barclay is exhibiting transporterphobia in “Realm of Fear.” Though most of the crew view Barclay’s eccentricities as irrational, O’Brien remains understanding and patient throughout, and works with Reg to figure out what’s really going on in the pattern buffer and save the crewmen trapped in there.

Now you are Tosk as well, O’Brien Our overall favorite Miles moment from the show is probably how he stands up for Tosk in “Captive Pursuit” and helps him escape from his hunters. In one of our best examples showcasing when it’s a good idea to disobey the Prime Directive, O’Brien makes a statement by taking off his combadge to go do what’s right, saving the life of a subjugated person.

I’ve met some Cardassians I didn’t like, and I’ve met some I did O’Brien starts off “Cardassians” being racist about letting Rugal play with Molly or share their table, but it’s commendable how he warms up to the boy. They find common ground. Granted, it’s in how much they hate Cardassia, but it’s something. But it’s truly a great moment when he bonds with Rugal: someone who’s had no choice in life and whose future is being decided for him.

I want to die on my feet Here’s a quick badass moment from O’Brien. When he’s already dying from the bioweapon in “Armageddon Game” and the T'Lani and the Kelleruns are about the execute him to get rid of all people with knowledge of the harvesters, Miles requests that they allow him the dignity of dying on his feet instead of slumped in his own filth. There’s something powerful about that.

He’s their commander. They trusted him. He can’t leave them. This one’s controversial since “Hippocratic Oath” is so multifaceted in a lot of ways. Last time, we commended Julian for his humanitarian (Jem’Hadaritarian?) attempts to save our Dominion enemies from their ketracel-white addiction. Well, O’Brien is there to save Bashir from himself when the doctor’s attempts fail and a bunch of rabid alien soldiers are ready to tear the humans apart.

That boy’s life is in our hands and I won’t let anybody give up on him O’Brien’s friendship with Quique Muniz culminates in some beautiful scenes in “The Ship.” Muniz is dying a whole lot and O’Brien never gives up on him, even battling (verbally and physically) with Worf over how to handle his approaching death. And when the inevitable does occur, it’s all the more heartbreaking when Worf joins in the ritual ak’voh.

This is how an engineer plays kotra You don’t see a lot of scenes between Garak and O’Brien throughout the show. Now some of that is probably that they don’t like sharing Julian’s attention, but the rest is that there’s no trust between the Cardassian spy and the hero of Setlik Three. We get to see them stand off in “Empok Nor” and O’Brien impresses by outsmarting the homicidal Garak using his engineering skills!

Good cat, Chester! Even when infiltrating the Orion Syndicate (for reasons), O’Brien tries to do the right thing. He tries to tip Bilby off in “Honor Among Thieves” when he has entrapped him, though that does neither of them any good. But even more importantly, Miles agrees to take in Chester, who is a pretty cat and a good cat, and your SSHB hosts here have to give him credit for that.

The cause of death was the Orion Syndicate In fact, O’Brien was so dedicated to his sorta father figure that when Bilby’s widow has vanished in “Prodigal Daughter,” he goes looking for her. Without asking or informing anyone, which probably wasn’t the brightest move, but this is Miles we’re talking about. And without him, we’d never have solved her murder case at the hands of Ezri’s messed up family’s business.

You gotta friend in me Just as we did in the Julian spotlight, we’ve got to close out on O’Brien’s sweet friendship with the good doctor. Bashir, who never looks before he leaps, frequently finds himself needing the constant support and level head of someone like Miles when he does asinine things like leap into Sloan’s head in “Extreme Measures,” even when it’s a bad idea, as we've discussed before.

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Worst moments

Don’t phaser the messenger I’ll avoid citing marriage to Keiko as a Worst Moment because that’s mean, but the way they got married in “Data’s Day” was painful to watch. The audience’s first impression of their relationship is one in which both parties refuse to communicate over something as important as their marriage, and make Data (of all people!) act as their middleman. What a terrible start!

Sweetheart, I’m not a fish Don’t worry, there’s more to drag about how Miles and Keiko’s relationship was depicted in TNG. In the very next episode, “The Wounded,” we see just how they clearly didn’t know each other before deciding to get hitched. Neither likes how each other eats. Guys, you can hate each other’s food because, ya know what, food replicators exist! Order your own potato casserole!

I hate what I became because of you We give Miles a lot of grief on the podcast for his systematic racism. Which is fair – he certainly is quick to hate on other races on occasion. We see this explored interestingly in “The Wounded,” for which we already gave him credit for transcending his racism above, but not before he snaps at Daro and blames the Cardassians for Maxwell’s actions before knowing if he was even right or not.

Grapevine says Chief O’Brien and the missus are having problems But let’s move on to when Miles makes it to the main credits in DS9. As expected, we’re starting off with more Keiko drama. We learn in “A Man Alone” that Keiko was none too pleased about being uprooted (cuz she’s a botanist, get it?) from the Enterprise, and they argue about it publicly at Quark’s. In front of everyone. Do they never communicate before major life changes?

I suppose you’d be happier if I was miserable? I’m sorry that there’s more Keiko drama to include. I didn’t do this on purpose. In “Fascination,” Keiko is finally doing actual botany work and feeling useful doing a long term study on Bajor, and yet she and Miles end up fighting (again, in the middle of Quark’s!) about extending her assignment. And to make matters worse, Miles insinuates she’s having an affair! Dude! Stop.

They call me Smiley Smiley O’Brien is almost indistinguishable from our universe’s Miles (they’re both inherently good guys who suffer enormously), so I’d say it’s safe to include kidnapping Sisko in “Through the Looking Glass” and coercing him into pretending to be mirror Sisko on the naughty list. What a bold move! The Terran Resistance is lucky to have him even if we the audience are getting sick of mirror land.

They’re killers. That’s all they know how to do. Jake may have included saving Dr. Bashir in “Hippocratic Oath” on his Best Moments list, but we’ve also got to reprimand O’Brien for sabotaging Julian’s attempt to cure the Jem’Hadars’ addiction. It’s not just in order to save his friend’s life. Miles states up and down that Goran’Agar is not to be trusted because he’s a Jem’Hadar and starts spewing all the old propaganda again, like a racist.

Just leave a Yelp review, dude While it’s always sadistically fun to watch O’Brien suffer (Colm Meaney does it so well!), it’s also rough to see just how poorly he recovers in an episode like “Hard Time.” Miles is suffering hard from PTSD and guilt and he takes it by attacking Quark. Even worse, he nearly beats Molly when she’s annoying him, which is shocking coming from Miles. Please, seek professional help.

All the time you were holding out on me Later in “Hard Time,” we learn what was on Miles’s conscience the whole time. While in his memory jail, he gets paranoid enough of his cellmate Ee’Char that he murders him in cold blood over a couple orts of food that Ee’Char wasn’t even hoarding for himself. Even though none of it was real, the knowledge that Miles could be pushed to kill an innocent man is a huge blow for him.

It gets worse. There’s a view. We ragged on this plotline in the Kira spotlight as well, but there’s enough discomfort to go around. Those weird, unnecessary feelings Miles develops for a pregnant Kira in “Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places” are just a bad plot device. It feels forced to make two people get romantically awkward just because they’re in proximity with each other. Just lazy.

There’s no hiding from the Syndicate Does it make a ton of sense to force O’Brien to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate in “Honor Among Thieves”? Especially in the middle of the Dominion War? Maybe not, but he does a decent job winning the trust of Liam Bilby using his engineering skills and general good nature. In fact, he does such a good job that he certainly gets Bilby killed in Starfleet’s scheme, like a little rat.

Molly and the Hendersons It is just deplorable how “Time’s Orphan” treats the developmentally stunted Molly O’Brien, and the most shame belongs to Miles and Keiko. What parent would give up on their trauma-ridden child after just a few days and release her into the dangerous wild to live like an animal? I am appalled that not once did anyone float another option to aid in Molly’s rehabilitation, but even more appalled that getting rid of her was the proposed solution.

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And that’s the way the Alamo crumbles. Keep your eyes here for more character spotlights! DS9 certainly has a lot more to cover, so make sure you’re subscribed to our Tumblr, follow along with us on the podcast over on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts, sing us an Irish ballad on Facebook and Twitter, and replicate up a nice potato casserole!

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wisdomfish · 3 months

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I will neither give a deadly drug to anyone if asked for, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy.

Oath of Hippocrates

#hippocratic oath #drug #woman #abortion #remedy

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starplusfourletters · 2 years

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#deep space 9 #star trek #julian bashir #garak #garashir #the wire #hippocratic oath #goran'agar #phineas and ferb

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battleangel · 5 months

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Hospital Hellhole

Where are the open windows in hospitals?

Hospitals are exactly like corporate cubicle farms, where you see the windows in your office, but theyre never open.

So, no fresh air ever gets in.

Stuffy, recirculated air with zero outside fresh air + constant either central indoor heating or air conditioning + a bunch of sick ass people stuffed into one building isnt exactly a recipe for holistic health.

Nor is it meant to be.

Its actually a veritable hotbed for communicable diseases, viruses, infections, germs and bacteria to develop, spread and grow.

Idgaf about how "well the hospital is ventilated" -- you need fresh air, jackass!

Good luck ever getting it at a hospital.

They'll just parade you around bare ass in a drab ass drag ass light blue gown that doesnt even close all the way in the back yet have the nerve to talk about how "functional" it is.

They'll parade your literal bare ass through the hospital hallways so you can "walk around" -- but nevah outside.

Yeah okay.

There are windows, why cant I open them?

Because you cant.

The air inside a hospital is endlessly recirculated, stuffy as hell and filled to the brim with germs, bacteria, viruses and pathogens given that a hospital is, y'know, a building full of sick ass people.

Who in the hell thinks this is a good idea?

Exactly noone as hospitals are designed to mentally break you, dehumanize you and give you a different illness then the one you checked in with or make whatever your current issue is worse.

Being in a building with no outside fresh air and no open windows full of sick, dying, dead, incapacitated, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, bleeding people isnt supposed to make anyone else sicker?

Yeah okay.

You need fresh air even in the best of circumstances forget about when youre sick.

You need to be in nature as it literally heals us, even their studies confirm that.

You need fresh, unrecirculated air from outside.

You need the sky, the sun, the grass and the trees.

But what do you get?

A dark, drab, sterile, lonely room with a large ass loud ass TV in it, a phone, a bed that you will be stuck in for most of your stay, a bathroom and a window you cant open.

Sounds exactly like prison.

Being stationary -- unless you are a literal invalid or completely physically incapacitated -- is awful for you.

They know this.

They know that being stationary in bed can cause DVT (deep vein thrombosis), blood clots, embolisms, poor blood circulation and bloodflow, swelling, edemas, muscle atrophy, weight gain, bed sores.

Not to mention depression, lack of mental sharpness and acuity, lethargy, anxiety, fatigue, listlessness, hopelessness, dread...

Its almost like its by design, isnt it?

Hospitals should be near parks or be built inside of parks.

All patients that are literally physically capable of going outside for fresh air and natural sunlight should do so, or if possible, should be taken outside in wheelchairs.

Blinding white bright ass unnatural fluorescent lighting has repeatedly been proven to deplete our melatonin levels, disrupt our natural circadian rhythyms, disrupt our sleep, cause insomnia and other sleep disorders -- so why is the lighting in hospitals so fucking bright???

Why do you think?

They dont want you well.

If you happen to get better after being hospitalized, its an unintended side effect.

The goal is to find -- or make up -- other things that are wrong with you so they can feed you further into the many tentacled medical industrial complex.

More diagnoses, more pills, more injections, more shots, more IVs, more surgeries, more specialists, more tests, more false positive results.

Just the way they intend it.

If youve ever visited someone in the hospital or ever been hospitalized yourself, youve probably experienced a general feeling of feeling run down, fatigued, sore, tired, like you were coming down with a cold, feeling out of sorts and out of it if you were inside a hospital for a few hours or more (days, weeks or even months).

Thats by design.

Patients should be outside every day, breathing fresh air, getting natural sunlight, touching fresh grass, hugging and sitting by trees, looking up at the clear blue sky, soaking up the sun, picking flowers and soaking up natures natural healing properties.

Nope, you get to walk up and down a ridiculously overilluminated bright ass fluorescent hallway with drab muted colors surrounding you, machines beeping, nurses having bored conversations at lunch, doctors being self-important and your bare ass cheeks on full display in your gown that doesnt "quite fully close all the way in the back."

You should be letting butterflies land on your hand, picking sunflowers, laying against trees, walking barefoot in grass, staring up at the sun and soaking up the individual rays, taking deep breaths of the fresh air all around you, looking at the clear blue sky, observing some of the cloud formations, lying on your back on the grass and staring up at the big blue sky supervised by hospital staff for about an hour a day.

That should be happening every day in every hospital.

It could be done in shifts.

Even a small park or garden even on hospital grounds or property would suffice.

In your everyday life, dont you walk outside once a day?

Even just to check the mail? Run errands? Pick up groceries? Go to work? Get takeout? Go shopping? Go to work? Meet up with friends and family? Go out to eat? See a movie? Take a walk? Go jogging?

Why is this simple freedom denied to you in a hospital?

When you need nature the most, they wont even open a window for you.

Antiseptic sterility, vomiting bleeding dying patients, coughing sneezing wheezing patients, patients with viruses, bacterial infections, open wounds, bodily fluids and emissions, mucus, phlegm, stitches, sutures, transfusions, transplants.

How would you NOT need fresh air even after one day in a hospital?

Why is hospital food so comically bad?

Youre literally back to the slop you were being force fed in elementary school but as an adult.

Since youre sick, shouldnt there be an interest in providing you with nourishing, holistic, healthy, fresh organic foods that will help heal you and aid in your recovery?

If youve ever been hospitalized, it took you back to your school days with rubbery chicken, mystery lunch meat, dry bread, nothing is seasoned, everything is out of a box, warmed over and bland as hell.

Why?

It doesnt have to be expensive!

Fresh spinach for salad is cheap, quinoa is cheap, tofu is inexpensive, steel cut oats are inexpensive, chickpeas are cheap, hummus is inexpensive, lentil beans are cheap, kale is inexpensive, kidney and black beans are cheap - these are all chock full of protein, cheap, healthy, good for you and can be prepared with fresh or cookied veggies, rice, noodles.

It doesnt have to be like this.

They want you sick and defeated.

Hospitals are literal hellholes.

Its not you.

Youre right to think they are creepy depressing prisons and incubators for all kinds of diseases and infections.

Because they are. By design.

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partial-boner · 1 year

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Anatomical Photo, 1908 possibly Giulio Chiarugi

#hippocratic oath

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tiodolma · 9 months

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The Hippocratic Oath Within the Context of BBC Merlin

Based on what is observed on BBC Merlin, the Arthurian mythos of the show seems to take place around a most probable early medieval setting in which the Old Religion still has sway. There are many things that are never explained within the show, which is understandable. But one of the things that has caused me curiosity are the medical aspects within that universe, specifically the roles Gaius and Merlin exercise. Both men have very important titles in court as they take care of the king and the royal household’s health. Gaius has the title ‘Physician to the King’, while Merlin most probably has the title of ‘Apprentice to the Physician to the King’ (Wikipedia contributors, 2023b).

Within those roles, both are bound by the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath is a very well-known Greek text that has influenced Western medicine throughout the centuries in terms of medical ethics (U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d.; Wikipedia contributors, 2023b). According to Michael North (2002), as cited in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (n.d.), the Hippocratic Oath states the following:

“I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius, and Hygieia and Panacea and all the gods and goddesses as my witnesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this contract:

To hold him who taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents, to be a partner in life with him, and to fulfill his needs when required; to look upon his offspring as equals to my own siblings, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or contract; and that by the set rules, lectures, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to students bound by this contract and having sworn this Oath to the law of medicine, but to no others.

I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I will do no harm or injustice to them.

I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.

In purity and according to divine law will I carry out my life and my art.

I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft.

Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption, including the seduction of women or men, whether they are free men or slaves.

Whatever I see or hear in the lives of my patients, whether in connection with my professional practice or not, which ought not to be spoken of outside, I will keep secret, as considering all such things to be private.

So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate.”

A summary of this is that the physician swears upon the gods that he and his teacher will be equals, as well as colleagues. Should the teacher be in need, the physician will help in anyway he can. Additionally, the trade is to be kept within a selected group of people: the former teacher’s children, the physician’s children, or any apprentices. The physician is to carry out his trade with purity of heart by helping the patient in any way possible without any intention to do harm or an injustice (e.g., not giving lethal drugs to anyone who asks; giving a pessary to a woman to cause abortion, sexual misconduct, etc.). Moreover, doctor patient confidentiality is to be kept and whatever is said is not to be shared with others. Lastly, in keeping this oath the physician will gain renown for eternity and if not, the opposite will happen (U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d).

If one does quick research of the period in which BBC Merlin takes place, the Roman Empire had a great influence upon their Britannia province centuries before. Not only did the Romans left buildings behind, but they also left knowledge of many things, as well as names (Wikipedia contributors, 2023a). In fact, Gaius’ name reflects the Roman influence left behind. Now, within show, there’s no mention of the Hippocratic Oath, but it is probable that Gaius knew about it and most probably swore by it. It is probable that Merlin as Gaius’ apprentice also swore by it. And if both swore by it, therein a dilemma. Because Merlin violated the Hippocratic Oath he was bound to.

He violated it in one of the important aspects of the oath, which was to do no harm or do injustice. For instance, he killed a lot of people, he poisoned Morgana, etcetera, etcetera. It is understandable why he did what he did and his reasons, but they are in no way justifiable. As a physician’s apprentice, he was bound to help people. Instead, he violated the Physician’s Oath many times over and in violation to the oath rather than renown, his name fell into infamy and his destiny remained unfulfilled.

References

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Greek Medicine - The Hippocratic Oath. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2023a). Britannia. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia

Wikipedia contributors. (2023b). Physician to the king. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician_to_the_King

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin critical #bbc gaius #adventures of merlin #hippocratic oath #amazing essay #merlin meta #wandrenowle pointed out this fact to me #it was big oof #physicians violating ethics 101

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