The Four Humours

What was the humours theory?

The Theory of the Four Humours stated that, to be healthy, a person needed to have balanced humours. People would get diseases if they had too much or too little of any humour.

What were the humours according to the Theory of the Four Humours?

There were four humours.

• ❖ Choler, or yellow bile, was considered hot and dry, and related to summer and fire.
• ❖ Blood was hot and wet, and related to spring and air.
• ❖ Phlegm was cold and wet, and related to winter and water.
• ❖ Black bile was considered cold and dry, and was related to autumn and earth.

How did doctors balance yellow bile according to the Theory of the Four Humours?

To balance yellow bile (choler), doctors would purge patients, by making them vomit or by changing their diet.

How did doctors balance blood according to the Theory of the Four Humours?

Bloodletting was used to balance blood. This was most often done by barber surgeons or wise women.

How did doctors balance phlegm according to the Theory of the Four Humours?

To balance phlegm, doctors recommended breathing steam or eating vegetables filled with water.

How did doctors balance black bile according to the Theory of the Four Humours?

Doctors gave their patients laxatives and suggested they eat more vegetables to balance black bile.

How did Galen of Pergamon add to the Theory of the Four Humours?

Galen built on the Theory of Four Humours by adding the Theory of Opposites for treating an imbalance. For example, he taught that too much blood (a fever) could be cured by cool things, such as eating cucumber.

Why was the Theory of the Four Humours important?

There are three main reasons why the Theory of the Four Humours was important.

• ❖ It became the basis for how patients were treated for more than 1,400 years.
• ❖ It appeared to include all illnesses. Therefore, in order to apply the theory, physicians would deliberately manipulate what they observed to fit it.
• ❖ There was a lack of scientific knowledge at that time which stopped people challenging the theory or providing alternative treatments.