Hippocrates Bench

The Hippocrates Bench is an ancient medical instrument that is used to measure a person's height. Hippocrates, a Greek physician and philosopher, first proposed the use of this bench to determine a person's height in his book De Altis. Hippocrates believed that body length is directly related to a person's physical health and well-being.

Today, doctors use the Hippocratic bench to determine the length of a person’s body, especially in children. Using this bench, the length of a person’s body is determined from the top of the head to the feet, after which appropriate treatment and growth correction are prescribed.

The Hippocratic bench consists of two straight parallel bars, which are fastened together by crossbars. A small wedge is made at one end of the bench for ease of measurement.