Galen's Theory Of Blood

The study of ancient medical theories is imperative for the foundation of current philosophical knowledge in medicine. The theory of blood which was developed by physician and medical writer Claudius Galen (Galen) illustrates ancient and modern significance. Galen’s theory explained that when food is processed within the liver it transforms into blood. This blood is then transferred to other organs to be utilised. Galen’s theory was influenced by the ancient Greeks’ knowledge of human blood in the body. Galen’s theory is classified as being incorrect however he discovered the difference between veins and arteries. The reason why Galen’s theory is incorrect is due to an English scientist by the name of William Harvey (Harvey). Centuries after …show more content…
Treatments that Galen recommended were therapies including massages or exposing the body to a certain amount of
Another treatment that was available was surgery although it was improving, Galen would try to avoid conducting surgery unless it was as a last

Galens theory evolved alongside the knowledge gained through his experimentation.
Galen’s early findings and beliefs revolved around the dissections of animals and the observations of their anatomy and bodily functions. Through dissection, Galen was able to begin to describe his theory on the circulation of blood and the structure and function of the heart. His early observations through dissection determined the presence of discrete arteries which carried blood, and that arteries contained “blood and not”. Another theory that was derived from his observations was that there are two types of blood. The first type of blood, such as seen in venous system, was distinguished by the thick consistency and the dark colour, and was believed to originate from a system in the liver, and spread throughout the body by arteries to provide nutrients for bodily
Through his dissections, he found that this type of blood was produced in the liver, …show more content…
A positive finding from his dissections was that Galen was able to determine that arteries and veins existed. His findings determined that arteries and veins consisted of separate vesicles that contained and transported blood throughout the circulatory system. His observations that arteries contained blood changed the belief that arteries contained air, which was held for over . A positive attribution to the validity of his findings about the structures and functions of the heart, veins and arteries is that his operational technique allowed the samples to be viewed with great knowledge in surgical procedures, anatomy and pharmacology. His scientific observations were viewed under the light of existing and reliable scientific theories and practices in the scientific method. This was demonstrated by his ability to draw techniques and background knowledge from famous philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Hippocrates. This allowed his theory to be developed through the correct scientific method and built on the theories of researchers before him.