Black bile
Black bile
Black bile (pronounced: /blæk baɪl/), also known as melancholia or melancholy, is one of the four humors (body fluids) in ancient Greek medicine. The term originates from the Greek word "melaina chole" (μελαίνα χολή), which translates to "black bile".
Etymology
The term "black bile" comes from the ancient Greek "melaina chole". "Melaina" (μελαίνα) means "black" and "chole" (χολή) means "bile". The concept of black bile was extensively developed by the Greek physician Hippocrates and later by Galen, who associated it with a melancholic temperament.
Description
In the theory of the four humors, black bile was believed to be secreted by the spleen and associated with a melancholic temperament. An excess of black bile in the body was thought to cause negative emotions like sadness, pessimism, and depression. This theory was a fundamental part of medicine and the understanding of the human body until the advent of modern medical research in the 19th century.
Related terms
- Humorism: The medical system of the four humors.
- Melancholia: A condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions, believed in ancient and medieval times to be due to an excess of black bile.
- Spleen: The organ believed to secrete black bile.
- Hippocrates: Ancient Greek physician who developed the theory of the four humors.
- Galen: Greek physician and philosopher who further developed the theory of the four humors.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Black bile
- Wikipedia's article - Black bile
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