Reviving Humoral Medicine
with Dr. Hani El Batal
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Fundamentals of Humoral Medicine
Humoral medicine is an ancient medical science whose origins, according to the Islamic tradition presented here, trace back through divine revelation to Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). It has continued from the beginning of humanity to the present day. It is founded upon the understanding of the four humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
When these four humors are in balance, the body enjoys health and harmony. When that balance is disturbed, disease develops.
Muslim scholars and physicians regarded humoral medicine as a recognized field of knowledge rather than a superstition. They discussed and explained its principles in works of medicine, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), and Hadith.
Humoral Medicine: Origins in Revelation and Thousands of Years of Experience
About thirty years ago, I read a book titled Secularism. In it, one of the authors wrote: “If you want to destroy a nation, strip it of its history.” In other words, convince people that their ancestors were failures, that they lagged behind in every field of knowledge. Such a claim is simply false.
This was not the reality of Islamic civilization. It is true that the later centuries of the Islamic state witnessed a decline due to economic weakness and the relentless efforts of foreign powers to undermine and dismantle it. That was the cause of the decline.
As for the sciences developed during the Islamic tradition, they remain remarkable in their depth, strength, and excellence. When one realizes that the origins of humoral medicine, according to the Islamic tradition presented here, are rooted in divine revelation, and that this medical system has demonstrated its effectiveness over thousands of years of experience, one can approach it with confidence as a well-established and time-tested method of healing.