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is Cholere hote and dry。 And as water is colde and moyst：so is fleume
colde and moyste。 And as the Earth is colde and dry： so Melancholy is
colde and dry。〃＇26＇
＇25＇ The student who wishes a fuller account is referred to the histories
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of （a） Neuburger； Vol。 1； Oxford； 1910； （b） Withington； London； 1894。
＇26＇ Thomas Phaer： Regiment of Life； London； 1546。
As the famous Regimen Sanitatis of Salernum； the popular family
hand…book of the Middle Ages； says：
Foure Humours raigne within our bodies wholly； And these compared
to foure elements。＇27＇
＇27＇ The Englishman's Doctor； or the Schoole of Salerne； Sir John
Harington's translation； London； 1608； p。 2。 Edited by Francis R。 Packard；
New York； 1920； p。 132。 Harington's book originally appeared dated：
London 1607。 （Hoe copy in the Henry E。 Huntington Library。）
According to Littre； there is nowhere so strong a statement of these
views in the genuine works of Hippocrates； but they are found at large in
the Hippocratic writings； and nothing can be clearer than the following
statement from the work 〃The Nature of Man〃： 〃The body of man contains
in itself blood and phlegm and yellow bile and black bile； which things are
in the natural constitution of his body； and the cause of sickness and of
health。 He is healthy when they are in proper proportion between one
another as regards mixture and force and quantity； and when they are well
mingled together； he becomes sick when one of these is diminished or
increased in amount； or is separated in the body from its proper mixture；
and not properly mingled with all the others。〃 No words could more
clearly express the views of disease which； as I mentioned； prevailed until
quite recent years。 The black bile； melancholy； has given us a great word
in the language； and that we have not yet escaped from the humoral
pathology of Hippocrates is witnessed by the common expression of
biliousness〃too much bile〃 or 〃he has a touch of the liver。〃 The humors；
imperfectly mingled； prove irritant in the body。 They are kept in due
proportion by the innate heat which； by a sort of internal coction gradually
changes the humors to their proper proportion。 Whatever may be the
primary cause of the change in the humors manifesting itself in disease；
the innate heat； or as Hippocrates terms it； the nature of the body itself；
tends to restore conditions to the norm； and this change occurring
suddenly； or abruptly； he calls the 〃crisis；〃 which is accomplished on some
special day of the disease； and is often accompanied by a critical discharge；
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or by a drop in the body temperature。 The evil； or superabundant； humors
were discharged and this view of a special materies morbi； to be got rid of
by a natural processor a crisis； dominated pathology until quite recently。
Hippocrates had a great belief in the power of nature； the vis medicatrix
naturae； to restore the normal state。 A keen observer and an active
practitioner； his views of disease； thus hastily sketched； dominated the
profession for twenty…five centuries； indeed； echoes of his theories are still
heard in the schools； and his very words are daily on our lips。 If asked
what was the great contribution to medicine of Hippocrates and his school
we could answerthe art of careful observation。
In the Hippocratic writings is summed up the experience of Greece to
the Golden Age of Pericles。 Out of philosophy； out of abstract speculation；
had come a way of looking at nature for which the physicians were mainly
responsible； and which has changed forever men's views on disease。
Medicine broke its leading strings to religion and philosophya tottering；
though lusty； child whose fortunes we are to follow in these lectures。 I
have a feeling that； could we know more of the medical history of the
older races of which I spoke in the first lecture； we might find that this was
not the first…born of Asklepios；that there had been many premature births；
many still…born offspring； even live…births the products of the
fertilization of nature by the human mind； but the record is dark； and the
infant was cast out like Israel in the chapter of Isaiah。 But the high…water
mark of mental achievement had not been reached by the great generation
in which Hippocrates had labored。 Socrates had been dead sixteen years；
and Plato was a man of forty…five； when far away in the north in the little
town of Stagira； on the peninsula of Mount Athos in Macedoniawas； in
384 B。C。； born a 〃man of men；〃 the one above all others to whom the
phrase of Milton may be applied。 The child of an Asklepiad； Nicomachus；
physician to the father of Philip； there must have been a rare conjunction
of the planets at the birth of the great Stagirite。 In the first circle of the
〃Inferno；〃 Virgil leads Dante into a wonderful company； 〃star…seated〃 on
the verdure （he says）the philosophic family looking with reverence on
〃the Master of those who know〃il maestro di color che sanno。＇28＇ And
with justice has Aristotle been so regarded for these twenty…three centuries。
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No man has ever swayed such an intellectual empirein logic；
metaphysics； rhetoric； psychology； ethics； poetry； politics and natural
history； in all a creator； and in all still a master。 The history of the human
mindoffers no parallel to his career。 As the creator of the sciences of
comparative anatomy； systematic zoology； embryology； teratology； botany
and physiology； his writings have an eternal interest。 They present an
extraordinary accumulation of facts relating to the structure and functions
of various parts of the body。 It is an unceasing wonder how one man； even
with a school of devoted students； could have done so much。
＇28＇ The 〃Good collector of qualities；〃 Dioscorides； Hippocrates；
Avicenna； Galen and Averroes were the medical members of the group。
Dante； Inferno； canto iv。
Dissectionalready practiced by Alcmaeon； Democritus； Diogenes
and otherswas conducted on a large scale； but the human body was still
taboo。 Aristotle confesses that the 〃inward parts of man are known least of
all；〃 and he had never seen the human kidneys or uterus。 In his physiology；
I can refer to but one pointthe pivotal question of the heart and blood
vessels。 To Aristotle the heart was the central organ controlling the
circulation； the seat of vitality； the source of the blood； the place in which
it received its final elaboration and impregnation with animal heat。 The
blood was contained in the heart and vessels as in a vasehence the use of
the term 〃vessel。〃 〃From the heart the blood…vessels extend throughout the
body as in the anatomical diagrams which are represented on the walls； for
the parts lie round these because they are formed out of them。〃＇29＇ The
nutriment oozes through the blood vessels and the passages in each of the
parts 〃like water in unbaked pottery。〃 He did not recognize any distinction
between arteries and veins； calling both plebes （Littre）； the vena cave is
the great vessel； and the aorta the smaller； but both contain blood。 He did
not use the word 〃arteria〃 （arthria） for either of them。 There was no
movement from the heart to the vessels but the blood was incessantly
drawn upon by the substance of the body and as unceasingly renewed by
absorption of the products of digestion；the mesenteric vessels taking up
nutriment very much as the plants take theirs by the roots from the soil。
From the lungs was absorbed the pneuma； or spiritus； which was conveyed
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