Aphorisms was used as textbooks until the 19th century. The first and best-known aphorism, which serves as a kind of introduction to the book, runs as follows:

Life is short, Art long, Occasion sudden and dangerous, Experience deceitful, and Judgment difficult.

In the Aphorisms of Hippocrates, the term "aphorism"was first used. This book is a long series of propositions concerning the symptoms and diagnosis of disease and the art of healing and medicine.

Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC), was a Greek physician of the Age of Pericles (Classical Greece), and is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is referred to as the father of western medicine in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine. Hippocrates is commonly portrayed as the paragon of the ancient physician, credited with coining the Hippocratic Oath, still relevant and in use today. He is also credited with greatly advancing the systematic study of clinical medicine, summing up the medical knowledge of previous schools, and prescribing practices for physicians through the Hippocratic Corpus and other works.