Yellow bile

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Yellow bile is one of the four humors (bodily fluids) in ancient Greek medicine, alongside black bile, phlegm, and blood. The concept of the four humors was part of the Hippocratic Corpus, a collection of medical works associated with Hippocrates and his students. The humors were believed to be the basis of health and disease, and an imbalance in them could lead to illness.

History[edit | edit source]

The theory of the four humors was a fundamental part of ancient Greek medicine. It was believed that the body was made up of four basic substances, known as humors, which were in balance when a person was healthy. Each humor was associated with a specific temperament, and an excess or deficiency of any humor could lead to disease and illness.

Yellow bile was associated with the summer season and the element of fire. It was believed to be produced by the liver and was associated with choleric temperament. People with a predominance of yellow bile were thought to be quick-tempered, ambitious, and leader-like.

Modern understanding[edit | edit source]

Modern medicine does not support the theory of the four humors. The concept of yellow bile does not have a direct equivalent in modern medical understanding. However, the historical significance of the four humors theory is recognized, as it was one of the earliest attempts to explain health and disease in a systematic way.

See also[edit | edit source]

Yellow bile Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD