Humoral Theory and

Human Nature and Gender 24/01/2008 14:56:00

The elements needed to be in perfect balance in order to make gold. The
most perfect metal.

when god first created the terrestrial world, everything was perfect.

nature was disrupted when humans were exiled from the garden of Eden.
Now there are hurricanes and other calamities. Part of the first book of the
scriptures is try to explain how things happened. If god can create perfect
things why is it imperfect. Because humans made it imperfect.

The motive for transforming based metals was not become rich; it was to
discover how to restore nature and health. If they work hard enough they can
restore balance to nature.

gold was believed to be incorruptible. It is also golden color like the sun. it
was valued. It has an appeal. It seems to have a keen mystery of overcoming
the adversities in nature. This was the search for the right kind of potion to
ingest. The reason why you drink from a golden cup was because the
particles of the cup come apart and you drink the gold.

behind most of this material is the Judeo-Christian notions of humanity and

the world. There is a hierarchy between the metals and the humors. Some
are better than others. The closest element to the celestial world is the
highest regarded element. Learn the hierarchy of the elements. The
earth and water is feminine. While air and fire and masculine. Air and fire are
higher to the celestial world. The producer is masculine while the product is
feminine. The very structure of the language there is a hierarchy of male and
female.

on page 68, bottom of the page. Begins with food, and food is made of the
four elements….
material things can’t change themselves. There have to be an agent. The
agents originate beyond the terrestrial world. The body breaks down the food
and the elements become more and more rarified. Being used by the parts of
the body that needs it. Personalities derives from the combination of the
humors. This fits with the notion of psychosomatics that there is a direct
connection between the body and the mind.

last 1/3 of page 70. Circumstances in which abnormal developments occur.

Not just normal melancholy, but extreme melancholy.

the notion that health depends on a balance of the humors. The balance can
be affected by Galen called the neutral or the non naturals; food, diet, etc.

if women are like water then women are passive. Very changeable. Very
conformist. Water can be susceptible to pollution and sickness. You must
have great care over the water, much like women.

male are identified with fire. Much more active, aggressive. They are the
builders of society. Those who stand up to justice, law, order. Protect women.

REVIEW

ABOUT THE EXAM:

mostly short answers. In a sentence or even a phrase. Sometimes even a

term. Not a lot of writing. Specifity. Something that can be written fairly
quickly and read as well.

on the biological basis of male on this test.

QUESTIONS REGARDING MATERIAL:

the elements exist but you can only see them as they are configured in
actually existing things. The lowest elements is the earth and its surrounded
by the water vapors. The purest source of fire is nearest the heavens. Fire is
a more precious and rarified element. If men are closets to that then they are
closest to perfection. Be sure to recognize between pure and mixed
elements.

pure is the characteristics of matter that are blended with to make matter. If
you had some great paint you would say that is a mixture of black and white.
If you separate the paint you can get to the pure element.

the alchemist were trying to get the pure elements. The herbalists also
looked for the highest concentrations. The flux is the elements are changing
and they replace each other. Page 63. Second paragraphs.

pg 289. Second paragraph. Naturals, counter-naturals, and non-naturals. We

need is pg 288. The non-natural and the neutral are the same. The Galenic
type, we do need.

Pg. 286. Plato linked the four elements with the four different equalities.
Humoral medicine could be combined with the philosophy. Particularly with
philosophers like Plato. He writes that everything is made of the four
elements. And everything is linked. Medical practice and theory was
combined with philosophy. It seems like two branches of a single philosophy.
Galen was aware of the platonic philosophy and it could be integrated to
bolster the Humoral theory.

pg. 69. First full paragraph. Do not need to know about tranformation or
transmutation.

stoldberg: felix guy from the article. Galen, and hippocraties as well.
24/01/2008 14:56:00
24/01/2008 14:56:00