Four Humors Black Bile
They were the centerpiece of a medical theory called humorism proposed by hippocrates in the fourth century bce.
Four humors black bile. Earth corresponds with black bile. µέλαινα χολή melaina chole black bile blackness of the bile also latin lugere lugubriousness to mourn latin morosus moroseness of self will or fastidious habit and old english wist wistfulness of intent or saturnine is a mental condition characterized by extreme depression bodily complaints and sometimes hallucinations and delusions. Medical practitioners in shakespeare s england generally accepted the ancient belief that four body fluids called humors british spelling. Too much earth made one melancholic. Fire corresponds with yellow bile. Too much fire choleric. φλέγμα phlegma and blood greek.
460 bce 370 bce is often credited with developing the theory of the four humors blood yellow bile black bile and phlegm and their influence on the body and its emotions. Greek physician hippocrates ca. The four humors tend to have negative effects on the mind and emotions only when they re excessive or aggravated. It encourages prudence caution realism pragmatism and pessimism. Air corresponds with blood. It encourages prudence caution realism pragmatism and pessimism. Humours governed the emotional and physical health of a person.
Also in the following weeks sol and i will be posting a variety of the four humors personality tests. Black bile makes one pensive melancholy and withdrawn. These fluids produced by the body s organs and tissues were black bile yellow bile phlegm and blood. Interesting question is it not. Water corresponds with phlegm. The four natural elements air blood water phlegm fire yellow bile and earth black bile as well as the four energetics hot cold dry and moist. Until the 19th century humorism dominated medical practice with medical professionals ascribing most health problems to an imbalance in these fluids.
His famous treatise on airs waters and places describes the influence of geography on the body and its humoral makeup. Too much water phlegmatic. μέλαινα χολή melaina chole yellow bile greek. Do you have yellow bile black bile blood or phlegm. The humors also appeared in muslim medicine spreading east to india where they are still utilized in some traditional medicine. The ancient names for these humor melancholic black bile choleric yellow bile sanguine blood and phlegmatic phlegm represented different temperaments and still do. The four humors are black bile yellow bile phlegm and blood.
ξανθη χολή xanthe chole phlegm greek. Each corresponds to one of the traditional four temperaments.