Medieval medicine

• Hippocrates


  Greek doctor who created the Theory of the Four Humours
• Four Humours


  • Yellow bile
  • Black bile
  • Phlegm
  • Blood
• Theory of the Four Humours


  Cured by removing the excess humour
• The Theory of the Four Humours was a rational theory so it was believed
• Hippocrates


  • Encouraged the observation of symptoms
  • Encouraged rest, diet and exercise
• Doctors still take the Hippocratic Oath today which means the doctor promises to do the best for their patient
• Galen


  Greek doctor living in Ancient Rome who created the theory of opposites
• Theory of opposites


  You're given the opposite of your excess humour (eg phlegm- spicy and dry because it is cold and wet)
• Galen discovered that arteries carry blood as well as veins
• Galen experimented on pigs and monkeys so his research could be inaccurate as it was banned to dissect human bodies
• Galen wrote over 300 books and was respected, and it was seen that if you were 'challenging Galen you were challenging God'