Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Definition

noun

The state or practice of the humoral doctrine, which holds that the human body is composed of four basic humors (i.e. black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) that are in balance when a person is healthy. An imbalance in any of these will result in diseases or disabilities.

Supplement

Humorism was previously a common view among ancient Greek and Roman physicians, and later in Muslim and Western European medicine. However, humoral doctrine and its practice have now been discredited by the modern medical science.

Word origin: from the Latin umore = fluid.

Also called: humoral doctrine, humoral theory, humoralism.

Synonym: fluidism.