Significance of Four humours
The term "four humours" is rooted in Greco-Roman medical theory, which identifies four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. These fluids were thought to influence an individual's mental state and personality, paralleling the concept of doshas in Ayurveda. In the Unani system, the four humours are similarly believed to affect a person's health and temperament, highlighting the historical significance of these ideas in understanding human physiology and psychology.
Synonyms: Bodily humours, Humoral theory
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The concept of Four humours in local and regional sources
The Four humours, consisting of blood, phlegm, bile, and black bile, are linked to ancient Greco-Roman medicine, positing that these bodily fluids influence mental states and personalities, akin to Ayurveda's dosha concepts.
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) These are the humours that Hippocratic medicine identifies, whereas both Buddhist literature and Ayurveda refer to only three, and blood is the fourth humour in Hippocratic medicine.[1] (2) The term "four humours" is associated with the Greco-Roman medical theory, which includes blood, phlegm, and two types of bile, and it is similar to the enumeration of the doshas in Ayurveda.[2]
From: Triveni Journal
(1) The four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, bile, and black bile) believed to influence an individual's mental state and personality.[3]