The Four Humours and Their Balance
In the ever-changing field of modern health science, our understanding of human anatomy and physiology has reached new heights. With this increased understanding, we are moving toward healthier futures through improved illness treatment and prevention strategies. However, the path to knowledge has not always been readily apparent. Throughout history, many theories have been suggested to explain how the human body works. However, few have weathered the test of time and careful scientific scrutiny. Come discover how our understanding of the human body has changed over time. In this post, we’ll cover the four humours vs modern medicine.
The notion of Humourism said to have been founded by Hippocrates and later refined by Galen, was essential to the practice of medicine for approximately two thousand years. This theory remained relevant, particularly in European medicine, until the 1800s. The theory suggested that the human body was made up of four liquids, or “humours”: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. This notion was widely accepted during medieval times and was regarded as universal in that these liquids or humours were linked to elements of the outside world, life phases, personality traits, and astrology.
Properties of the Four Humours
Blood | Sanguis
The Sanguis, or Blood humour is described in medieval text with personification: “airy Sanguine, whose youthful cheek is both pink and white, is naturally kind and gentle and humble. He loves music and all the merriment, as indicated by the flowers and garlands that he decorates himself with throughout the merry month of May. Near him are a climbing vine and a lustful goat, indicating his fondness for both wine and women. He is bold, generous, a friend to learning, fit for studies, most loving and beloved, fair-spoken, not boastful, and seldom angry” (as cited by the National Institutes of Health).. The blood humour was thought to be associated with the element of air, the season of spring , the personality trait of optimism, and the life stage of adolescence.
Phlegm
Medieval text personifies the humour of Phlegm as: “Phlegm sits coughing on a marble seat, just like the moneylenders in the city sit in front of their gold. His body is fat, not because he eats too much meat but because he has dropsy, so fluid has collected in his body. He keeps his lazy hand in his shirt as he drinks, spits, and nods off to sleep by the chimney. A tortoise crawls beneath his feet, symbolizing his sloth, or laziness, because Phlegm hates working most of all, as his coarse clothing indicates. Nor does he like to study or put his mind to good use” (as cited by the National Institutes of Health, nd). Phlegm was thought to be associated with the element of water, the season of winter, the personality trait of being unemotional, and the life stage of maturity.
Black Bile
The Black Bile’s humour is personified in medieval literature as: “Melancholy, absorbed in his struggles, with a pale face and cold, dry complexion, sits by himself in his studies. He is in the woods, without any company except for Madge the owl and a melancholy cat, two hateful and ominous animals that loathe the light. As an indication of his silence, his mouth is bound because Melancholy doesn’t like to talk. One of his feet is on a cube, fixing him firmly to the ground and providing him with dull steadiness. He also has a sealed purse to indicate that there is no vice better suited to him than greediness” (as cited by the National Institutes of Health, nd). Black bile was thought to be associated with the element of earth, the season of fall, the personality trait of being sad or melancholic, and the life stage of old age.
Yellow Bile
Medieval literature personifies Yellow Bile as: “Choler stands, resembling fire the most, and having a face that is dark yellow and thin. He has a sword that he has taken out of its sheath in his anger, and close to him is a stern-eyed lion. He also has a shield with a flame on a crimson background. He is painted young to show that his passions control him and that he is a thoughtless and undisciplined young man. The lion indicates that he can seldom keep from performing cruel deeds and is without pity. However, the lion also indicates that he has a brave and wide-ranging mind” (as cited by the National Institutes of Health, nd). Yellow bile was also thought to be associated with the element of fire, the season of summer, the personality trait of being choleric or irritable, and the life stage of childhood.
Keeping the Humours in Balance
According to this notion, the patient’s humours were thought to be out of balance if they had the misfortune of getting sick. It was believed that certain personality types were the product of slight imbalances, favoring a particular humour. It was also believed that larger imbalances caused sickness. Restoring the harmony between these humours was the main goal of many traditional and medieval therapies.
The wise medieval doctor would first recommend a diet, exercise, and activity regimen intended for clearing the body of the troublesome humor. Some regimens might follow this logic: yellow bile was the cause if the illness was feverish—a hot, dry condition. Thus, by recommending cold baths, the doctor would attempt to increase its opposite, phlegm. In the event that the opposite occurred (such as during a cold), with the patient exhibiting clear signs of increased mucus production, the recommended course of action would be to keep warm in bed and sip wine.
Contemporary Medicine
Thankfully, our body of medicinal knowledge today relies more on scientific evidence and not so much on personality traits, seasons, or even planetary alignment. Medical science and training have come a long way since the early 14th century, when anatomy was taught through the dissection of a corpse in Europe. Previously, the Catholic Church had prevented this practice during the early Middle Ages.
The possibilities of our medicine today are seemingly boundless, with our knowledge of anatomy and body systems all the way down to the cellular level. Instead of balancing humours, practitioners today employ the following in the care of their patients:
- Advanced Knowledge of Anatomy: Modern medicine has made great advances in understanding the complexities of human anatomy. From the structures of organs and tissues to the microscopic minutiae of cells and molecules, medical experts have a thorough understanding of how the human body is organized and operates.
- Understanding Body Systems: Our knowledge of the many bodily systems has become highly advanced. These systems include the neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and endocrine systems, among others. Medical professionals can accurately recognize and treat a wide range of diseases and ailments because of their extensive expertise.
- Cellular Level Understanding: Our comprehension of cellular biology is arguably one of the most significant contributions to modern medicine. We now have an extensive knowledge of how cells function, interact, divide, and respond to external stimuli. These insights have emerged from advances in pharmacology, molecular biology, and genetics.
- Precision Medicine: With the development of technologies such as proteomics and genomics, medicine has moved into a precision era. Medical practitioners can tailor a patient’s course of treatment according to their distinct genetic composition, molecular profiles, and specific disease characteristics. This targeted strategy minimizes side effects while optimizing therapeutic efficacy.
- Innovative Therapies: Advanced knowledge of cellular biology and anatomy has made it possible to develop ground-breaking medications and treatments. Modern medicine offers a wide range of cutting-edge treatments for diseases that were previously incurable, from immunotherapies that use the body’s immune system to combat cancer to gene editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9.
- Regenerative Medicine: Regenerative medicine is a distinct branch of modern medicine that utilizes techniques like tissue engineering and stem cells to try and repair damaged organs and tissues. These innovative techniques have the potential to cure ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, and spinal cord injury.
- Prevention and Early Detection: Medical researchers can develop strategies to improve early disease detection and prevention by understanding the fundamental underlying processes of diseases at the cellular level. Proactive treatment improves patient outcomes and reduces medical expenses by enabling interventions before conditions approach advanced stages.
While there are many other areas of medical history that could easily be examined, this is only a sampling of the comparisons between the present school of thought and those of the past. What other comparisons would you be interested in finding out more about? Comment Below!
References
Barber, N., Farrow, A., Miller, A., & Dharmapala, V. (2013). Medieval Medicine. Raintree.
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). The Four Humours. NIH- National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/shakespeare-and-the-four-humors/materials/MS-Four_Humors_Chart.pdf
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