The significance of Hippocrates and Galen: Medicine stands still, c1000-1500: History: GCSE (9:1)

Hippocrates

Greek physician who was one of the first to make detailed observations of human sickness and recording symptoms (clinical observation) which is still used today. He believed that illness was not sent by God but could be understood and treated. He came up with the theory of the four humours and the Hippocratic Oath that is still used today

Hippocratic Oath

Oath taken by medical students swearing to practice medicine in an ethical way (not to harm there patients)

Four Humours

First created by Hippocrates: the idea that the body is made of 4 liquids; phlegm, yellow bile, black bile and blood. If there is too much or too little of any of these then you may be ill because your humours were out of balance.

Influencing factors

The problems a person might have might be influenced by astrological birth sign, personality and seasons

Imbalance

When the 4 humours weren't balanced. Often thought to be caused by age, family and circumstance

4 Elements

This was part of the 4 humours. Fire, water, earth and air

Galen

Roman Physician who developed the 'Theory of Opposites' from Hippocrates' theory of the four humours.

Theory of Opposites

Galen's theory that if you had too much of a humour you needed to cure it with the opposite e.g. if you had too much phlegm, which is cold and wet you were given something hot and dry

Dissection

Cutting apart a dead body to discover more about how it works. Banned by the Church, meaning Galen experimented using animals.

Galen's discoveries

He believed that blood was generated in the liver and the lower human jaw was in 2 parts.

The 4 Temperaments

The idea that there are 4 personality types that link to the 4 humours; Phlegmatic, choleric, melancholic and sanguine

Phlegmatic

Calm and unemotional in temperament - you had too much phlegm

Choleric

Hot-tempered; quick to anger - you had too much yellow bile

Melancholic

Characterized by or causing or expressing sadness - you had too much black bile

Sanguine

Cheerful; optimistic - you had too much blood

Religious endorsement

The 4 humours was liked and taught by church as it complemented religious ideas about people being created in God's image