The Four Humors
During his studies, Hippocrates investigated, innovated, and diagnosed the four humors. The four humors are black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile. Bile is a bitter fluid made by the liver to help with digestion. These ‘humors’ were a big part to helping diagnose diseases in humans, as did observation of these humors. The word ‘humors’ is a direct translation to the word chymos, which means juice or sap. They also matched or were associated with different categories such as the seasons.
The ‘four humors’ were categorized in the seasons, the four equal and universal elements, and certain qualities. There is the earth, which is black bile, air, which is blood, fire, which is yellow bile, and water, which is phlegm. Statements about these were that “Too much earth made one melancholic, too much air, sanguine, too much fire, choleric, and too much water, phlegmatic.” The humors were also associated with the seasons. Autumn, which is yellow bile, Winter, which is phlegm, Spring, which is blood, and Summer which is black bile. Certain qualities also associated with the humors. There is cold and dry, which is black bile, hot and moist, which is blood, cold and moist, which is phlegm, and finally, hot and dry, which is yellow bile.
Observation of these humors was key to diagnosing the disease. If an imbalanced humor was detected, they would prescribe diet, activity, and exercise to balance them. If the disease was more specific, say there was an increase of phlegm production, the doctor would tell the patient to wrap up and drink wine. If the problem was a fever (hot and dry), its culprit was yellow bile. The doctor would then prescribe the opposite, which is to take cold baths. If these ‘prescriptions’ didn’t help, the doctor’s last resort was to use a drug such as hellebore, which is a potent poison to induce vomiting and diarrhea.
The four humors were larger groups, that helped closer diagnose diseases. Yellow bile was specific to the spleen, and characteristics of an imbalance was that the patient was easily angered, and/or bad tempered. Black bile was specific to the gallbladder, and the patient being despondent, sleepless,and/or irritable, were signs of imbalances. Blood was specific to the liver, with characteristics of imbalance, were the patient being courageous, hopeful, and/or amorous. Lastly, phlegm was specific to either the brain or lungs, and some signs were the patient being calm,and/or unemotional. The findings of these ‘humors’ have forever changed the medical world.
The ‘four humors’ were categorized in the seasons, the four equal and universal elements, and certain qualities. There is the earth, which is black bile, air, which is blood, fire, which is yellow bile, and water, which is phlegm. Statements about these were that “Too much earth made one melancholic, too much air, sanguine, too much fire, choleric, and too much water, phlegmatic.” The humors were also associated with the seasons. Autumn, which is yellow bile, Winter, which is phlegm, Spring, which is blood, and Summer which is black bile. Certain qualities also associated with the humors. There is cold and dry, which is black bile, hot and moist, which is blood, cold and moist, which is phlegm, and finally, hot and dry, which is yellow bile.
Observation of these humors was key to diagnosing the disease. If an imbalanced humor was detected, they would prescribe diet, activity, and exercise to balance them. If the disease was more specific, say there was an increase of phlegm production, the doctor would tell the patient to wrap up and drink wine. If the problem was a fever (hot and dry), its culprit was yellow bile. The doctor would then prescribe the opposite, which is to take cold baths. If these ‘prescriptions’ didn’t help, the doctor’s last resort was to use a drug such as hellebore, which is a potent poison to induce vomiting and diarrhea.
The four humors were larger groups, that helped closer diagnose diseases. Yellow bile was specific to the spleen, and characteristics of an imbalance was that the patient was easily angered, and/or bad tempered. Black bile was specific to the gallbladder, and the patient being despondent, sleepless,and/or irritable, were signs of imbalances. Blood was specific to the liver, with characteristics of imbalance, were the patient being courageous, hopeful, and/or amorous. Lastly, phlegm was specific to either the brain or lungs, and some signs were the patient being calm,and/or unemotional. The findings of these ‘humors’ have forever changed the medical world.