| Within the history of medicine timeline, medieval | | | | Pergamum. The theory of humours ended up being |
| medicine is a particularly interesting aspect to | | | | very long-lived-it was not until the nineteenth century |
| investigate, as at this time medicine was still based | | | | that it began to fall out of use. |
| on some fairly archaic ideas, but by the end of the | | | | According to the theory, the body was made up of |
| era new theories were beginning to emerge which | | | | four principal humours-fluids-called yellow bile, black |
| would one day revolutionize medicine. | | | | bile, blood, and phlegm. All diseases were caused by |
| The timeline of medicine begins much earlier than | | | | imbalances in the body's proportion of the various |
| medieval times-in fact, medicine's history extends | | | | humours. For example, too much phlegm in the body |
| back to the prehistoric era-but it was during the | | | | would cause lung diseases, and would cause the lungs |
| medieval age that certain medical advances were | | | | to cough up the excess phlegm in an attempt to |
| made which would prove to be particularly important | | | | restore the balance between the four humours. Each |
| in the future. Lessons learned during medieval age | | | | of the four humours was also associated with |
| clearly brought about the success of the early | | | | particular organs, climate types, elements, and even |
| organizations of Christian hospitals and clinics in Asia | | | | personality types. |
| and Africa. | | | | Treating various diseases often involved the |
| The Medieval System of Medicine | | | | application of herbs, which were supposed to help |
| The most well-respected physician during the | | | | restore the balance between the humors. Using herbs |
| medieval era was Galen of Pergamum, a Greek who | | | | lent itself to the Christian "Doctrine of Signatures," |
| had lived in the second century B.C. During the time in | | | | which stated that God had provided a world in which |
| which he lived, his work had added a great deal of | | | | the cure for every ailment existed, and that each |
| important information to the store of medical | | | | cure had on it some sort of sign which proclaimed its |
| knowledge-including study on inflammation, infectious | | | | purpose. For example, Lungwort, which was used to |
| diseases, and pharmacology. | | | | treat tuberculosis, had an appearance similar to that |
| At this time, qualifying as a Doctor of Medicine | | | | of diseased lungs. |
| involved ten years' worth of study, and because of | | | | The High Medieval Era |
| this there were relatively few doctors. Women were | | | | It wasn't until the end of the medieval era that some |
| did not train as doctors, but many medical | | | | of those important advances were made. During this |
| practitioners actually were women, until the increasing | | | | era, for example, Theodoric Borgognoni pioneered |
| regulation of the profession began to exclude people | | | | the introduction of one of the most important |
| who had not trained from practicing. | | | | concepts in modern medicine: the use of antiseptic |
| The Medieval Theory: Four Humors | | | | practices. Other physicians contributed immensely to |
| During the medieval era, the prevailing medical theory | | | | the store of knowledge, including Realdo Colombo |
| was the theory of humours, which was pioneered by | | | | and Michael Servetus, both of whom discovered |
| Hippocrates and further developed by Galen of | | | | important knowledge about the circulatory systenm. |