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Humours


 Posted by Captain Everett on March 05, 1998 at 20:36:46:


In response to Beau Brummel, written by P. Bingham on February 24, 1998 at 00:32:53


To L and T index It was a sort of automatic operation that they did without much thought and not very many people at this time would have protested.  It was thought that by removing the bad humors from the body, the bodies functions would improve. And so they used bled-letting for all kind of illnesses.
 ]  
 
Several years ago, I attended a lecture given by Dr. Ron Williamson at Old Fort York (Toronto) on medicine at the time of the War of 1812.  Amongst the many topics, the Doctor discussed Humours.  They were largely drawn from Aritstotle's view of the world, and the four elements.  Here's what I've gleaned from my notes, it's about the best description I've run across.
To understand this, it might be useful to draw a cross on a piece of paper (I don't know how to handle this outline on this system). At North place "Hot", south-"Cold", west-"Wet" and east "dry."  In the four corners you can place the matching Element, Season of the Year (remember it's Mediterranian based), Humour:
Hot+Wet= Air, Spring, Blood, Emotions/Temper
Hot+Dry= Fire, Summer, Yellow Bile, Irrscability
Cold+Wet= Water, Winter, Phlegm/inflamation, Slow/Stolid/Impassive
Cold+Dry= Earth, Fall, Black Bile, Melancholy
The idea was to achieve a balance amongst the "Humours."  Imbalances could be rectified by subtracting from the unbalanced element.  Thus if the patient was flushed, feverish, etc., it showed too much of the Hot/Wet element, ie too much blood.
I hope this throws a little light on the rationale behind bleeding.
I remain, etc.
Jason E.





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