(25) You must bear in
mind that the Greeks at this time had no human anatomy. Dissections
were impossible; their physiology was of the crudest character, strongly
dominated by the philosophies. Empedocles regarded the four elements,
fire, air, earth and water, as "the roots of all things," and this
became the corner stone in the humoral pathology of Hippocrates. As in
the Macrocosm--the world at large there were four elements, fire, air,
earth, and water, so in the Microcosm--the world of man's body--there
were four humors (elements), viz.,blood, phlegm, yellow bile (or
choler) and black bile (or melancholy), and they corresponded to the four
qualities of matter, heat, cold, dryness and moisture. For more than two
thousand years these views prevailed. In his "Regiment of Life" (1546)
Thomas Phaer says:". . . which humours are called ye sones of the
Elements because they be complexioned like the foure Elements, for like
as the Ayre is hot and moyst: so is the blooud, hote and moyste. And as
Fyer is hote and dry: so is Cholere hote and dry. And as water is colde
and moyst: so is fleume colde and moyste. And as the Earth is colde and
dry: so Melancholy is colde and dry."(26)
(25) The student who wishes a fuller account is referred to
the histories of (a) Neuburger, Vol.
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