Who created the Theory of the Four Humours?

Study for the WJEC GCSE History of Medicine Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question providing hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam effectively!

Multiple Choice

Who created the Theory of the Four Humours?

Explanation:
The humoral theory, which links health to a balance of four bodily fluids—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—was first proposed by Hippocrates. He argued that when these fluids are in the right balance, the body stays healthy, and illness results from an imbalance. Galen later expanded and systematized this idea, shaping medieval medicine with his detailed explanations of how different humours could become imbalanced and affect temperament and disease. Aristotle and Avicenna contributed to medical thought in other ways, but they did not originate the theory.

The humoral theory, which links health to a balance of four bodily fluids—blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile—was first proposed by Hippocrates. He argued that when these fluids are in the right balance, the body stays healthy, and illness results from an imbalance. Galen later expanded and systematized this idea, shaping medieval medicine with his detailed explanations of how different humours could become imbalanced and affect temperament and disease. Aristotle and Avicenna contributed to medical thought in other ways, but they did not originate the theory.

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