1. rev- significance of hippocratic and galenic medicine Flashcards
(11 cards)
What was Hippocrates’ main belief about the causes of illness?
That illnesses had natural causes, not magical or supernatural ones.
Name the ‘Four Humours’ Hippocrates believed in.
Blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
How did doctors, following Hippocratic ideas, try to treat illnesses caused by humour imbalances?
By carefully observing patients, writing down symptoms, and trying to fix the imbalance (e.g., bleeding, purging).
Why were Hippocrates’ ideas significant for hundreds of years after c.100 AD?
They provided a sensible/scientific way of thinking about medicine, moving away from charms and prayers, and influenced medical teaching.
What was Galen’s main contribution to medicine?
He took Hippocrates’ ideas, added a lot more detail, and put it all together into one big, complete medical system that everyone believed in.
What did Galen do to learn about the human body, and what was a limitation of this?
He did dissections (mostly on animals), which meant he made some mistakes about humans.
Give an example of Galen’s ‘theory of opposites’ in treatment.
If someone was ‘hot,’ he’d give them something ‘cold’ to balance the humours.
How long did Galen’s ideas remain the ‘absolute rule’ in medicine, and why?
For over 1,300 years (until the Renaissance), because his books were so thorough and seemed complete, and nobody had the tools to prove him wrong.
How did Galen’s books spread and influence medicine in other parts of the world?
They were copied and spread through the Roman Empire, then translated and studied in the Islamic world.
What role did Galen’s writings play in medical education in the Middle Ages?
When they returned to Europe, they became the bedrock of university medical teaching.
What was the immediate, short-term, and long-term significance of Hippocratic and Galenic medicine after c.100 AD?
Immediate: Established a rational, systematic approach to medicine based on natural causes and the Four Humours (Hippocrates), and Galen’s comprehensive synthesis became the immediate authoritative text.
Short-term: Widespread adoption of these principles across the Roman Empire and into the Islamic world, guiding medical practice and education.
Long-term: Their ideas became the undisputed foundation of Western medicine for over 1,300 years, influencing medical thought until the Renaissance and beyond.
