Present day institutionalized medicine is at a substantial divergence regarding treatment, and a world of difference from the beliefs and teachings of the Father of Medicine—Hippocrates of Kos, a Greek physician. It seems to us, a little hypocritical since modern day physicians take the Hippocratic oath.
Medicine of Mother Earth’s approach to health and healing is the same as the Hippocratic approach, which was deeply rooted in a connection to earth’s nature, viewing human health as inseparable from the natural environment. It applied pre-Socratic philosophy, specifically Empedocles’ four elements (earth, water, fire, air), to the body, linking them to the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile). The Hippocratic approach to medicine is fundamentally rooted in the concept of physis, or nature, advocating that the body possesses an innate ability to heal itself, a doctrine known as vis medicatrix naturae.
Vis medicatrix naturae translates from Latin to the healing power of nature, referring to the body’s inherent, innate ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. This principle emphasizes that nature itself is the best physician, with the body possessing a self-healing, self-regulating mechanism. Health was defined as a balance of these elements within the body, which was kept in equilibrium by adhering to nature’s rhythms.
A Hippocratic text, on Airs, Waters, and Places, explores how environmental factors like climate, water quality, and geography impact human health and disease. It serves as a guide for physicians, advising them to consider the local environment—including seasons, winds, and water sources—when diagnosing and treating patients, and it links specific environmental conditions to the physical and temperamental traits of different peoples. It is considered a cornerstone of public health and environmental medicine.