Galen

Who was Claudius Galen?

Claudius Galen was an ancient Roman physician, surgeon and writer of Greek origin. He was the personal surgeon to the Roman Empire Marcus Aurelius, and wrote over 350 books.

What were Galen's scientific beliefs?

Galen believed in the Theory of the Four Humours and built on it by developing the Theory of Opposites. He supported clinical observation, and encouraged doctors to monitor a patient's pulse or take a urine sample to determine what was wrong.

Why did the Christian Church support Galen?

Galen said that the human body must have been designed because it fit together so well. This supported the Church's teachings that God created humans.

What were Galen's theories?

There were two main theories associated with Galen.

• ❖ Galen based his Theory of Opposites on the Theory of the Four Humours. He taught that illnesses could be cured by using treatments that opposed a patient's symptoms. For example, if there was an excess of blood - which was considered hot and wet, and could lead to illnesses such as a fever - then the treatment should be cold and dry.
• ❖ Galen supported the miasma theory, which was the belief that disease was caused by bad air.

What mistakes did Galen make?

Galen had carried out some dissections on animals, as human dissection was forbidden by the Church. This meant he made some mistakes.

• ❖ He believed that the jaw was made up of two bones.
• ❖ He did not understand about blood circulation, and thought that blood was made in the liver, then absorbed by the body, rather than being pumped around it.
• ❖ He said that men had one fewer pair of ribs than women.

Why were Galen's ideas supported for so long?

Galen's ideas were significant for 2 main reasons:

• ❖ Galen's ideas had the support of the Church. Its influence over peoples' beliefs ensured his ideas were followed as the foundation of medicine for 1,400 years.
• ❖ There were a lack of alternatives to his ideas and little opportunity to question them.

Why were Galen's books important?

Galen's books were important because many people could not read, so any doctor who had read them was considered very intelligent.

What made Galen hard to challenge?

There was a lack of scientific evidence to challenge what Galen taught, because the Church would not allow human dissection.