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Complexion, Temperament and Four Humor Theory in the Renaissance
- Author(s):
- Elisabeth Moreau (see profile)
- Date:
- 2020
- Subject(s):
- Medicine, Middle Ages, Sixteenth century, Seventeenth century, Philosophy, Renaissance
- Item Type:
- Book chapter
- Tag(s):
- Medieval and early modern medicine, Renaissance philosophy
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/5p4h-d602
- Abstract:
- A central concept in Galenic medicine, the temperament designates the state of health resulting from the balance of the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile (or melancholy). Produced in the liver during digestion, the humors stem from the mixture of the primary qualities (hot, cold, dry, and moist) related to the four elements (air, fire, water, and earth). The notion of temperament was fundamental for theoretical and practical medical branches, from physiology and pathology to therapeutics and dietetics. It defines the physical constitution of all living beings as well as food, drugs, and natural things in general. In therapeutics, the patient’s humoral imbalance is cured by a qualitatively “contrary” remedy, an appropriate diet or by surgical means such as bloodletting and clyster. Because temperament also involves the mixture of elements, it gave rise to long-standing debates in medieval and Renaissance philosophy about the status of the elements in the compound, in particular their qualities, matter, and form.
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Book chapter
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 4 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
erp_complexio_moreau.pdf