The Four Humors During The Renaissance

The word Renaissance means “rebirth” (Dawson 3). The renaissance lasted until about 1750 (Dawson 3). It started in northern Italy during the 14th century and went into Europe abound the late 15th century. Renaissance period was known as the period of time that fully changed how the Greek and Roman people lived their lives. During the renaissance period interest in medical knowledge and anatomy surged after the dark ages (“History of Medicine”). Medicine was usually studied by scholars and or aristocrats (“Renaissance Period”). It was said to be that “Medicine was practiced more rather than art and science” (“Renaissance Period”).
While the medical part of the renaissance was uprising, there was one reason why it was never really looked highly …show more content…
(“Medicine”). Hippocrates and other Greek practitioners argued that the balance of the four humors would be most affected in those particular seasons. For example, if someone has a fever they would have been thought to have had too much blood in their body. The logical cure therefore is to 'bleed' the patient. (“Medicine”). The humors were a make believe organ that were said to have four sections. They represented hot, cold, wet, and dry. As it is obvious to see, these are opposites. People thought that the body was controlled by the balance of this fake structure, and that a sickness, such as a fever, was caused by an unbalance in the humors. (“Medicine”). To try to balance those out again, doctors used a variety of techniques, the most famous, being bloodletting. (“Development of Surgery”). The Four humors were all linked to a nature, an organ, element, and a temper. The Four Humors were known as: Backbite which linked to, spleen, cold and dry, and the earth. Phlegm which was linked to, the head, cold wet, and water. Yellow bite which was linked to the lungs, cold wet, and the air. Last humor was known as Blood, which linked to the gallbladder, warm dry, and fire. (“History of Medicine”). Many scholars supported this theory such as Salerno, Padua, and …show more content…
Surgeons were often usually barbers that learned the profession on the battlefield. (“Medicine”). The Barbers/Surgeons used the exact same tools they used for their other profession. (Dawson10). Surgeons saw that pus was a good sign of the body getting rid of the toxin in the blood. If a person was a surgeon they were considered not noble, but later on became a respected and important profession. (“Development of Surgery”) Many noble surgeons started using antiseptics which helped to wash out the wounds to prevent further infection. (“Medicine”). Some antiseptics were: Mandrake Roots, Opium, Gall of boar, and Hemlock. (“Medicine”). When surgery became popular during the renaissance so did the study of anatomy. A book was written that truly sparked the anatomy of the human body, “the Fabric of the Human Body” which was published in 1543 (Dawson 11). Along with the beginning of anatomy, dissection became more important and needed in education. (Dawson 12). There were a couple surgeries that became popular during the Renaissance. These surgeries were ones for tumors, hernias, and cesarean sections. Surgeries for tumors often resulted in an amputation, which, surprisingly was not fatal. Surgeries for hernias involved righting a displaced organ that was jutting out of the patient's cavity. Cesarean sections were probably the most fatal of the surgeries. (“Development of