How rational was the Greeks approach to medical knowledge and treatment?

The most important of the Greeks new ideas came from Hippocrates. He believed that the four seasons effected the health of the human body and that at different times of the year, there would be an imbalance of the four fluids of the body: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm. Each fluid represented an element and a season. Although this theory is wrong, it does show that the Greeks were thinking rationally. They had no knowledge of germs and so did not know of the actual causes of disease. They did know about the seasons and they could see that different illnesses were linked to different times of the year. So they incorrectly, but logically linked disease to the seasons. The treatments that Hippocrates suggested seemed reasonable and some of his cures which included cleanliness, rest, exercise and a healthy diet did work and did improve the health of his patients.

Another Greek approach which shows their rational thinking was how they recorded symptoms and treatments of patients and, most importantly, if it helped that patient get better. This was known as clinical observation. Hippocrates did not believe in spirits and the work of gods as being the causes of disease. This was because he and other doctors could cure some diseases and so if it were the work of the gods, then only the gods would be able to undo their work. Realising this shows that the ancient Greeks were basing their medical practices on rational ideas instead of fantasy. They kept records which they would refer to if similar cases appeared. On top of this, Hippocrates wanted to make certain that the doctors of the time would apply their medical knowledge correctly and keep up high standards. So he wrote the Hippocratic  Oath whereby all doctor swore to treat patients to the best of their abilities and keep patient records a secret. This idea was so rational that the Hippocratic Oath is still used by doctors in the present day.

By looking at the knowledge that the Greeks did have of Medicine, one can see that most of their theories of medical causes and treatments were based around rational ideas. And that although Asclepions were very important to the Ancient Greeks, actual doctors were getting their medical foundations from logical answers.