Final answer:
Hippocrates aimed to explain and treat diseases through natural causes and careful observation, leading to the rational methods seen in the Hippocratic Corpus and the Hippocratic Oath. He is known as the 'father of Western medicine' and provided an early understanding of concepts like immunity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hippocrates attempted to bring a rational and natural approach to the understanding and treatment of diseases. He is revered as the “father of Western medicine” for his trailblazing work in medical practice. Disregarding the prevalent belief that diseases were caused by supernatural forces, Hippocrates proposed that they had natural causes stemming from patients or their environments. His remedies were based on the careful observation of symptoms and the notion of balancing bodily fluids. Hippocrates and his followers wrote the Hippocratic Corpus, which outlined diagnostic techniques and treatments that focused on maintaining a balance between the four humors in the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. He is also credited with authoring the Hippocratic Oath, which many physicians still use as a moral and ethical guide. What’s more, he gave us an early understanding of immunity, which was also observed by contemporaries such as Thucydides in the context of the Athenian plague.