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Humoural Theory is Modern
Thanks for bringing back these historical concepts, which are in use in large parts of the world, where "modern" medicine is just too expensive to be a viable option!. There are links between humoural theory, traditional Unani-Tibb (Graeco-Arab, Ayurvedic, Chinese and other forms of traditional medicine, which are still practised in at least 80% (or more) of the world population; particularly, the concept that living beings have "humoural temperaments" Galenic and Chinese), "doshas" (Ayurvedic), "mizaj" (Unani-Tibb) or other energetic, spiritual nature (the soul). Western "modern" medicine is mechanistic and treats people as statistics; it fails to consider how the soul and immune system really respond to the environment through appropriate nutrition and climatic considerations; it also hides behind the terror of microbial infection to sell you drugs, which more often than not do not work (we all know that antibiotics can do little for viruses, superbugs, avian flu or other epidemics. Improvement in wealth and riches in the West may have little to do with availability of modern drug therapies!
Robert Taylor--Galenic medicine
Other contributors mention the similarities with Ayurvedic medicine. The similarities with traditional Chinese medicine are also striking (five humours according to one pre-Galenic school of thought, hot/cold/wet/dry, etc.). If the scholars could be found to do it, I would very much like to hear a programme exploring in depth the similarities, differences and interconnections between these systems, both on the macroscopic/theoretical level, including their connections with astrology and conceptions of the universe, and on the microscopic/practical level, such as the degree of similarity in the specific properties ascribed to various plant, animal and mineral products used medicinally; as well as the historical development of the various systems, including who got what from whom, and when.
Humours
Very interesting putting medicine into perspective like that. Thanks. It just shows how learned people can all be barking up the wrong tree for centuries. Sometimes referred to entrenched scientific error. Meanwhile in the east another kind of medicine was being practised, Ayurvedic medicine. Personally I'm convinced that the body works as a whole in ways so complex that we will never understand it completely. The more we discover, the more there will be to find out. And the idea pursued by modern practioners of western medicine that cures can be effected by the ingestion of pharmaceutical products, some of which do not even occur in nature, or by the extraction and disposal of malfunctioning body parts seems to me to be one that will, one day, become outmoded in much the same way that humours have. The final idea put forward in your programme, to quesion why one is disposed to become ill strikes at the heart of the matter. It is the basis of good practice, I suspect. To discover the cause of why you have become suceptible to ill health. Afterall if you come home to a flooded kitchen it is more sensible to turn off the tap than to reach for a mop. And so it is better to stop smoking than to cut out a lung. It is better to eat heathily than to endure liposuction. We have abrogated our responsibilty for looking after ourselves and handed that responsibilty over to the (so called) national HEALTH sevice. This service if it were concerned with health would be undertaking preventive medicine rather than firefighting at great expense for people who have not looked after themselves. This is the philosophy underpinning chiropractic. Most people think it is about fixing bad backs. But actually it is about ensuring that the whole body has a good nerve supply. With a good nerve supply and a good diet all the body's organs should function properly. And a well funtioning body heals itself. This is the meaning of health. If you are healthy you don't get ill.
Tim Laskey re 4 humours bootlesslaskey@hotmail.com
Am interesting program but flawed - You seemed to totally neglect to mention that in India today (and all around the world) a medicine which is humour-based is praciticed daily. Texts on 'Ayurveda' were published around 500bc although it is believed to have been practiced for some time before this.
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