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Hippocrates (Hungary)

The stamp

This stamp was issed in 1987 in Hungary. It is part of a set showing famous historical doctors. The design is by the Hungarian illustrator János Kass (1927 - 2010). It has a face value of two forint.

The doctor

Hippocrates was a physician in Ancient Greece.

It is thought he was born on the island of Kos in about 460 BC. There are lots of medical books said to have been written by him: some may have and some may have been written by others, based on his teaching.

It is highly likely that some of his supposed publications may have nothing to do with him at all!

The urology connection

In the Hippocratic Oath, it states:

"Thou shalt not cut for the stone, but shall leave this for practitioners of that art ..."

This has always been taken as evidence that there were early urologists (or stone cutters) in Ancient Greece when the oath was written.

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