The Hippocratic View on Humors and Human Temperament

A quintessential element in Hippocratic medicine is the theory of humors: The
human body contains four basic substances, called humors. Their relative proportions in
the human body regulate the human temperament and its behavioral manifestations, and
their correct balance defines ‘health’. Hippocrates, a founding father of ancient-world
medicine, systematically observed human temperaments and behaviors, and concluded
that besides physiology, they are greatly influenced by environmental factors and
geography, thus setting the stage for holistic approaches.