--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The physician must be able to tell the…" description: "\"The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/864/hippocrates-2237_able_the-physician-must-be-able-to-tell-the-a_3178671.jpg" --- # The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know… ![“The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.” quote by Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/864/hippocrates-2237_able_the-physician-must-be-able-to-tell-the-a_3178671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/864/hippocrates-2237_able_the-physician-must-be-able-to-tell-the-a_3178671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/864/hippocrates-2237_able_the-physician-must-be-able-to-tell-the-a_3178671.jpg) > “The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.” [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A physician must understand past causes, current condition, and anticipate outcomes, aiming to help and avoid harm. **In simple terms:** Doctors should know history, present, and future of illness, and do good. Key Takeaway Prioritize patient welfare and non‑maleficence. Themes medicine ethics patient care Mood thoughtful responsible Type ethical clinical When to use this quote - clinical assessment - treatment planning - risk management Key Concepts causality diagnosis prognosis Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure you do no harm when outcomes are uncertain? - What methods improve future predictions? A Different Perspective Balancing predictive certainty with limited knowledge is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Antecedents Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antecedents-know-5815431/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Know Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-present-383946/) [Mediate Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mediate-things-5815432/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Physician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physician/) [Physician Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physician-able-5815430/) [Physicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physicians/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [The physician treats, but nature heals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/the-physician-treats-but-nature-heals/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [The patient must combat the disease along with the physician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/the-patient-must-combat-the-disease-along-with-the-physician/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [The physician must have at his command a certain ready wit, as dourness is repulsive both to the healthy and the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/the-physician-must-have-at-his-command-a-certain-ready-wit-as/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [The Physician, by the study and inspection of urine and ordure, approves himself in the science; and in like sort should our author accustom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/the-physician-by-the-study-and-inspection-of-urine-and-ordure/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [I was a bad practicing physician because I was never sure of the diagnosis or of the treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-lederberg/i-was-a-bad-practicing-physician-because-i-was-never-sure-of-the/) [Joshua Lederberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-lederberg/) > [Given one well-trained physician of the highest type he will do better work for a thousand people than ten specialists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/given-one-well-trained-physician-of-the-highest-type-he-will-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But nothing is more estimable than a physician who, having studied nature from his youth, knows the properties of the human body, the diseases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/but-nothing-is-more-estimable-than-a-physician-who-having-studied/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Preachers say, "Do as I say, not as I do." 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