[Ancient Indian and Chinese medical oaths and the comparison of their medical rules].

The art of medicine has existed on earth since the existence of mankind. Although the traditions and practices may vary, the mere intention has been to help people remain healthy and restore their health when they get sick. Since health is man's most important fortune, the medical profession has always been open to abuse or misuse. To prevent this, it came to be a tradition to bound health care professionals with oaths and codes. This article examines medical oaths and codes in two different Eastern traditions, namely China and India. Two different medical oaths from two major ancient Indian medical books, Charaka Samhita and Susuruta will be addressed and elaborated. They will be compared and contrasted with each other and their commons and differences from the other medical oaths will be examined. Chinese medical codes, one from the 7th and the other from the 17th century are reviewed in the article. It has appeared from the discussion that although there are some 'unchangeables' in the codes and oaths, like the reference to some sacred or transcendental being or commitment to show respect to the teachers, there are differences due to the time and place. It is also interesting to note how medical practice and its values are influenced by the respective society.