this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2023
401 points (96.5% liked)

xkcd

8836 readers
241 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

https://xkcd.com/2843

Alt text:

Interpretations of the Hermeneutic Oath differ.

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago

Hypocritic Oath: First, swear no oaths.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago

Hydrohomic Oath: First, drink 8 glasses of water

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The Hippocratic oath kinda cracks me up, cuz we break it almost immediately at the start of most procedures by shoving a needle or scalpel into the skin.

I guess "do only necessary harm that will presumably heal in a way that results in a net positive" doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well.

Anyway, we fixed your appendicitis! damns you to a life of poverty with a bill that absolutely destroys your financial health

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Its more “like first weigh the possible harm versus the potential benefit and do not pursue treatment avenues that are more likely to harm than do good”. If it were truly just “first do no harm”, medicine would not be practicable, because any intervention carries risks of some nature, don’t even get me started on oncology.

It is also worth noting that “first do no harm” is not even all that close to the wording of the actual oath, originally it is in fact more like what I typed out above.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The original hippocratic oath, by hippocrates, also forbids doing abortions on consenting women.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Look on the bright side - we've made a good half-step of progress since then!

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Hydrodiving oath: first, avoid delta p.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Hemophilic Oath, First do no bleeding.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

But I can give you the apathetic oath:

First: who cares 😒

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Hippodromic oath should be first, wear your color. The hippodrome pretty much ran the politics of the empire.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

First, Journey.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

So pardon me while I burst, and rise above the flames. Pardon me. Pardon me. Will I ever be the same?