Medical historians generally look to Hippocrates as the founder of medicine as a rational science. It was Hippocrates who finally freed medicine fromthe shackles of magic, superstition, and the supernatural.
Interesting example of how creativity can affect civilisations and cultures far removed from our own. In a time of American tragedy (the assassination of MLK Jr) Kennedy turns to Greek Tragedy to offer comfort and plead for peace in a time of potential uproar.