Ancient Greek Humoral Theory

Study Notes

Ancient Greek Humoral Theory

The Ancient Greeks believed that illness was caused by an imbalance of four humours in the body.
These four humours were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
They believed that restoring balance to the humours would cure illness.

Galen's Elaboration

Galen, a 2nd Century AD physician expanded upon the Four Humours theory.
Galen’s treatments involved bleeding and purging the body to remove excess humours.
He believed that the opposite of the symptoms should be used to balance the humours, for example, hot peppers for excess phlegm.

Hippocrates' Contributions

Hippocrates, an Ancient Greek physician, believed that there was a physical basis for illness.
He rejected the idea that gods caused illness and believed that physical treatments were necessary.
His treatments included, diet, exercise, rest, bleeding and purging, and the observation and analysis of patients to determine diagnosis and treatment.
The Hippocratic Oath, promoting respect for life and harm prevention, is attributed to him.

Galen's Contributions

Galen, a Roman physician, significantly influenced medical practices during the Middle Ages.
Galen wrote extensively on the development of Hippocrates' ideas and advocated for the use of bloodletting and purging.
He furthered the theory of opposites, using his observations of gladiators and animal dissections to provide detailed anatomical illustrations.

The Miasma Theory

The miasma theory proposed that disease was caused by "bad air".
This theory connected bad smells to sin and was intertwined with religious beliefs in the ancient world.
The miasma theory persisted until the 19th century.

Ancient Greek Humour Theory

Ancient Greeks believed that the body contained four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
They believed that illness occurred when these humours were out of balance.
They aimed to restore balance by using treatments like bleeding and purging.

Galen's Theory of Opposites

Galen, a 2nd century AD physician, built upon the Four Humours theory.
He believed that illness was caused by an excess or deficiency of one or more humours.
He used the "Theory of Opposites" to treat illness. For example, if a patient had an excess of phlegm, they would be given hot peppers.

Hippocrates' Contributions

Hippocrates, an Ancient Greek physician, believed in physical causes for illness and advocated for physical treatments.
He rejected the idea that gods caused illness and believed physical cures were necessary.
His treatments included diet, exercise, rest, bleeding, and purging.
He developed the Hippocratic Oath, which emphasizes patient care and harm prevention.
He established the clinical observation method, which involves studying, noting, comparing, diagnosing, and treating.

Galen's Impact

Claudius Galen was a Greek physician from Ancient Rome who wrote extensively on medicine.
His work formed the basis of medical training throughout the Middle Ages.
He expanded upon Hippocrates' ideas and embraced bloodletting and purging as treatments.
He developed his own methods based on the Theory of Opposites and created detailed anatomical diagrams based on wounded gladiators and animal dissections.

The Miasma Theory

This theory proposed that disease was spread through "bad air".
It linked bad smells to sin and was tied to Ancient religious beliefs.
The miasma theory persisted into the 19th century.

Description

Explore the Ancient Greek belief in the four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Learn about the contributions of Galen and Hippocrates in expanding this medical theory, including their methods for restoring balance and treating illness. This quiz will test your knowledge on these foundational concepts in ancient medicine.