What does "not even on sufferers from stone"?

Question

From stone?  It seems very confusing to me. Context:I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.More:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath

Elanguest · Accepted Answer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithotomy ;)

Anonymous · Answer

Sufferers from stone -- I teach professional ethics and have thought about this for some time. I am no classicist so I could be very wrong here. But, if we can take it as literally as it seems, I would guess that a sufferer from stone would be someone with a cyst or a cancerous lump. In pre-modern times, cancer would have first become obvious to us by touch, just as self examinations are still encouraged. Hippocrates seems to be talking about referring such cases to surgeons, or those who "use the knife" while he is a physician who applies dietetic measure, i.e., things that are ingested as medicine.

CalifJim · Answer

NL888stone

Oxford Dictionary has this:

stone: a gallstone or kidney stone

CJ

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