Hippocrates and the Price of Hypocrisy

Donald Trump, hereafter to be referred to by a medical acronym DT ( = delirium tremens, a severe alcohol-withdrawal syndrome with occasional lethality) has already had his first scandals--even before he was in office. No, not crude language but his choices for a number of cabinet positions. The most obviously terrible is Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary. The funder of "Conversion Therapy" groups. Of course, that whole idea first presupposes a moral choice on the part of society she wishes to "convert" as possessing traits which she obviously considers immoral. Forget biology, forget neuroanatomy--if she doesn't like LGBT, then it is "bad". Might as well try converting brown-eyed people to blue-eyed.

But the point of this essay is not the manifest unfitness and stupidity of Betsy DeVos to lead the department of political education. Betsy has obviously neither training nor interest in medicine. She did not swear an oath to Hippocrates as I and hundreds of thousands of physicians have when receiving M.D. and perhaps D.O. degrees (although some do swear to the oath of Maimonides, a pledge of similar gravity). The Hippocratic Oath is supposed to be a Moral Guideline in the practice of Medicine.

Hippocratic Oath

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.
To hold my teacher in this art equal to my own parents; to make him partner in my livelihood; when he is in need of money to share mine with him; to consider his family as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they want to learn it, without fee or indenture; to impart precept, oral instruction, and all other instruction to my own sons, the sons of my teacher, and to indentured pupils who have taken the physician’s oath, but to nobody else.
I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. But I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art. I will not use the knife, not even, verily, on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.
Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will enter to help the sick, and I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm, especially from abusing the bodies of man or woman, bond or free. And whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my profession, as well as outside my profession in my intercourse with men, if it be what should not be published abroad, I will never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.
Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I transgress it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.[

Bolding mine.

There is a newer version of this Oath:

Modern version

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:...
I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.
I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.
I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.
I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.
I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at God.
I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.
I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.
I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

Written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, and used in many medical schools today.

Now from Hippocrates to hypocrisy: DT's nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, a department which oversees MMS (Office of Medicare and Medicaid Services), is a former physician, Rep. Tom Price

Included in the Wikipedia citation is a list of 55 bills he co-sponsored, not all of which are bad. In fact some are quite good. For instance he was in favor of obtaining lower priced drugs from Canada.

But being good "part of the time" is just not adequate. Especially for a physician who is also an elected official. Now Dr. Rep. Price has shown his true, greedy nature by unethical and possibly illegal stock purchases. Roll Call has delineated some of these unethical practices.

At least three of the companies aided by Rep. Tom Price and his staff contributed to his campaign funds. - See more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/tom-price-hhs-nominee-donors#sthas...

And more:

Price, a former surgeon, or his staff also pressured the Food and Drug Administration and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to heed requests and complaints he received from donors and constituents. The documents were released in batches over the past couple of days in response to a Freedom of Information Act filed last year. - See more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/tom-price-hhs-nominee-donors#sthas...

And most perverse of all, although the list of his lack of ethics goes on more:

Price also faces questions about his trades in health industry stocks despite his seat on the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, which CQ Roll Call reported first on Dec. 21. The Georgia Republican disputed this week that he got insider information about the Australian biotech Innate Immunotherapeutics from Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., who serves on the company's board. Price conceded to receiving a break on the cost of buying his shares. - See more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/tom-price-hhs-nominee-donors#sthas...

Of course, Tom "I have my" Price has defended his position according to Huffington Post:

Price has defended his practice of trading health care stocks while introducing legislation to benefit the companies he purchased shares in by stating that his trades were directed by his Morgan Stanley broker and not him. This defense neglected to mention that Price made other trades from another account that were personally directed by him….

If Price received non-public information from Collins about the company before buying shares and participating in the limited private placement provided by Innate Immunotherapeutics, he could be found in violation of the 2012 STOCK Act, which bans insider trading in Congress.

And now a message from the Surgeon General of the United States Senate:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KQ2NXtrWoo]

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MsGrin's picture

Forget insider trading. Tom Price may have violated House rules.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/314948-forget-i...

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Alligator Ed's picture

@MsGrin But like I said, there is just too much to mention without making this essay as long as a textbook. However, some catchy titles have occurred to me. How about "You can't get a better Secretary at any Price"?

Diablo

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MsGrin's picture

@Alligator Ed with "The Price is Wrong"

I haven't figured out how to search effectively for things I've seen recently - that was the piece I was looking for.

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'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Pricknick's picture

oath to Hippocrates as I and hundreds of thousands of physicians have when receiving M.D. and perhaps D.O. degrees

True nurses, aids and all persuasions of medical heath, make a unconscious oath to do good.
It's built in.
Yet, I know many hypocrites in the medical profession.
Very excellent diary!

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

There are some things money can buy.

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The Aspie Corner's picture

So yeah...if people thought the government was corrupt before (and boy was it, no question.), b-b-b-babay they ain't seen nothin' yet.

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Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

@The Aspie Corner The fact that people are allowed to gain/retain public office without divestment says it all, doesn't it?

Regime change is required in America...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Alligator Ed's picture

The essay above was written without containing several important pieces of information.

One is a letter jointly written by Senators Murray and Wyden.

Pseudo-physician Orthopedist Price gives the following egregious bullshit answer during Senator Murray's questioning that he "treated patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis". Unless nerves are made of bone, this is complete nonsense (hint: nerves are not made of bone).

As a result of being unable to get committee confirmation of his appointment, MR. Price will get an invitation to reassert his eligibility to help screw-over medical care in the U.S.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

@Alligator Ed

Unless nerves are made of bone, this is complete nonsense (hint: nerves are not made of bone).

"Doctor" Price's nerves, especially those constituting his brain, just might be, however.

He certainly appears to play the part of an utter bonehead....

Wink

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

PriceRip's picture

@thanatokephaloides

Scratch one-s head
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hellinahandcart's picture

It can be done if you live in an entirely compassionless and wholly corrupt society.
Just look what happened to this poor young lady.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udEZ_JjNz4E]

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Alligator Ed's picture

@hellinahandcart The Trumposaurus will ensure that.

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orlbucfan's picture

I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion.
--------------------------------------------------------------
DTs aka the constipated cretin. Brilliant and Rec'd!! I have read throughout history references to abortion practiced by healers, shamans, high priestesses, and medicine men and women. I wonder why Hippocrates viewed it as negative?

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@orlbucfan

I have read throughout history references to abortion practiced by healers, shamans, high priestesses, and medicine men and women. I wonder why Hippocrates viewed it as negative?

It might be the view of that one abortion technique to which Hippocrates objects. However, I don't have an exact answer to your question; this is only a guess.

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

TheOtherMaven's picture

@thanatokephaloides
see the immediately preceding sentence - so I would hazard a guess that he was very much what we now call "pro-life". Except he probably would not make an exception for executing criminals.

Hippocrates could get away with his Incredibly Pure Pureness because there were still a lot of herbalists and "wise women" (of both genders) who knew what would work and weren't required to take his oath. Nowadays the situation is, let's say, rather different.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

edg's picture

His cabinet picks, reversal of ACA, business dealings, etc. are totally unimportant. According to our leading media outlets, what's important is how many less people attended his inauguration than attended Obama's. Get with the program!

/snark

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