To what extent was Hippocrates influential in medicine? Use examples of Hippocrates' work in your answer.

The extent to which Hippocrates influenced medicine can be debated in many different ways, however, some of the most crucial and innovative movements within medicine throughout history have arguably been a result of Hippocrates' 'Theory of the Four Humours'. This 'Theory' consisted of the body being made up of four humours (yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm), which were supposedly influenced by both the seasons and the elements. Through this theory, it enabled doctors to begin to ascertain similar symptoms of diseases and therefore begin to categorise certain illnesses into different groups. Moreover, the influence of the 'Theory of the Four Humours' extended beyond that of Ancient Greece. During c.100AD, the physician Galen began to use Hippocrates' 'Theory' in order to develop his own, by using the humours to help identify cures for illnesses, and thereby establishing the 'Theory of Opposites'. By using the seasons and their properties which had been identified by Hippocrates, Galen was able to develop cures by giving the patient a remedy which had the opposite properties to the humour which ailed them. This 'Theory' went on to be the base of many medical practices for hundreds of years after Galen's death, and influenced the development of further progress within medicine.Through just this one example of Hippocrates' work, it can be seen that his work, although from ancient times, was hugely influential in the development of modern medicine, and went on to have an impact upon other discoveries by doctors and physicians who used his work as a standard level in order to further develop their own ideas - regardless of the correctness of the 'Theory'.