The Four Humours

The Four Humours is an ancient medical theory originating from Greek medicine, suggesting that human health is influenced by four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Each humour is associated with distinct personality traits and physical conditions. Blood represents warmth and sociability, phlegm denotes calmness and reliability, yellow bile corresponds to ambition and anger, while black bile relates to sadness and introspection. The balance among these humours was believed to affect one's mood, behavior, and overall health, laying groundwork for early understandings of personality and illness before the advancement of modern medicine.