الصواب أن تعرف الأمراض ما هي ومن أين تأتي؛ أيّها طويل وأيّها قصير؛ أيّها مميت وأيّها غير مميت؛ أيّها في طور التحوّل إلى غيره؛ أيّها يتزايد وأيّها يتناقص؛ أيّها كبير وأيّها صغير؛ أن تعالج الأمراض التي يمكن علاجها، وأن تعترف بالتي لا يمكن علاجها، وأن تعرف لماذا لا يمكن؛ وأن تمنح المرضى، بعلاجهم بالأولى، أكبر قدر ممكن من العناية.

“Correct is to recognize what diseases are and whence they come; which are long and which are short; which are mortal and which are not; which are in the process of changing into others; which are increasing and which are diminishing; which are major and which are minor; to treat the diseases that can be treated, but to recognize the ones that cannot be, and to know why they cannot be; by treating patients with the former, to give them the benefit of treatment as far as it is possible.”Hippocrates — Hippocrates (1979)