The Theory of Humors
Much Greek medical thought was based on the theory of humor, in which the balance of the four humors in a person's body determined his physical health.
The four humors (elemental fluids):
-blood
-phlegm
-black bile
-yellow bile
Physical illness was attributed to a disturbance in the natural balance of these humors in the body.
The perfect temperament resulted when these humors balanced each other.
The balance of the four humors was thought to be affected by diet and climate.
(Dominik, 108-109)
The four humors (elemental fluids):
-blood
-phlegm
-black bile
-yellow bile
Physical illness was attributed to a disturbance in the natural balance of these humors in the body.
The perfect temperament resulted when these humors balanced each other.
The balance of the four humors was thought to be affected by diet and climate.
(Dominik, 108-109)
Medical Treatment
Drugs- used for their known effects with little or no explanatory theory being found in the treatises, drugs consisted of vegetable or mineral remedies that were supplied to the doctors by traditional traders or collectors.
Surgery- Ancient Greek surgery was generally concerned with the bones and accompanying tissues.
Two treatises in the Hippocratic corpus:
Fractures-deals with arm, foot, leg, thigh, and shoulder
Joints-deals with dislocation
(Dominik, 107-108)
Surgery- Ancient Greek surgery was generally concerned with the bones and accompanying tissues.
Two treatises in the Hippocratic corpus:
Fractures-deals with arm, foot, leg, thigh, and shoulder
Joints-deals with dislocation
(Dominik, 107-108)
Medical Ethics and Etiquette
The Hippocratic corpus presents treatises that deal with medical ethics.
A doctor should keep himself in good physical condition, for a doctor who is unable to take care of himself would hardly inspire confidence in his patients.
Doctor should be:
-clean about his person
-well-dressed
-sweet-smelling
-quite
-grave
-humane
Medical Practitioners were expected to subscribe to high ideals and to be more than skilled craftsmen.
A few more medical ethics practitioners were expected to follow:
-Have prepared a portable doctor's case
-Do not discuss fees during the course of the patients illness
-Ask for payment when patient is cured
-Young doctors are advised to give services for nothing on occasion and assist a stranger if he was
short of money
(Dominik, 110-111)
A doctor should keep himself in good physical condition, for a doctor who is unable to take care of himself would hardly inspire confidence in his patients.
Doctor should be:
-clean about his person
-well-dressed
-sweet-smelling
-quite
-grave
-humane
Medical Practitioners were expected to subscribe to high ideals and to be more than skilled craftsmen.
A few more medical ethics practitioners were expected to follow:
-Have prepared a portable doctor's case
-Do not discuss fees during the course of the patients illness
-Ask for payment when patient is cured
-Young doctors are advised to give services for nothing on occasion and assist a stranger if he was
short of money
(Dominik, 110-111)
Anatomy, Physiology and Gynecology
Knowledge of the systems of the body was necessarily limited. Doctors gained some insight from serving as military doctors when they had to treat battle wounds. They had to deal with strains, dislocations, and broken bones.
Dissection of human bodies was forbidden on religious grounds, mostly because of the Hippocratic respect for the dead and dissection of animals was limited.
Not a great deal is mentioned in the Hippocratic corpus on the subject of female anatomy and physiology. Many of the female reproductive organs are too far within the body to be seen, so doctors were unaware of the existence. There are treatises, however, dealing with women in the clinical context, that is, detailing observations made and treatments prescribed.
(Dominik, 111-112)
Dissection of human bodies was forbidden on religious grounds, mostly because of the Hippocratic respect for the dead and dissection of animals was limited.
Not a great deal is mentioned in the Hippocratic corpus on the subject of female anatomy and physiology. Many of the female reproductive organs are too far within the body to be seen, so doctors were unaware of the existence. There are treatises, however, dealing with women in the clinical context, that is, detailing observations made and treatments prescribed.
(Dominik, 111-112)