Medicine Before Microbes

As I intend to pursue a career in the field of microbiology, I am always interested in what I learn in my bacterial physiology class on the subject of how and when microbes were discovered and how scientists at that time determined that the microbes that they found were causing disease. As fascinating as this may be to me, I realize that there was a time when none of what we think of today as common knowledge was known by even the most learned of scientists and physicians. So what was known and how was medicine practiced based on this knowledge?

Hippocrates of Cos (450-380BCE), the "father of Western medicine", is best known for his writings on the practice of medicine and ethics in the profession. His moral guidelines for physicians are still called upon today in the Hippocratic Oath that is recited by new medical professionals as a rite of passage. Although this practice is not done as frequently as it was back then, some medical schools still carry on the tradition and the Oath serves as an insight into the mentality of medical professionals from the time.

From other writings by Hippocrates we know that physicians at this time were unaware that microbes existed. They typically relied on their knowledge of the four humors of the body to diagnose and treat illness. They believed that the body's four humors were blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile and that an excess or lack of one or more of the humors caused disease.

Treatment during this time was completely dependent upon maintaining balance within the body. If a patient was too hot, for example, the cause was thought to be an excess of blood and the physician bled the person until their body temperature returned to what was considered to be normal. Treatments for other ailments by maintaining a balance of secretions were similar and dependent upon what humor they were connected with. To determine this, physicians relied on a diagram that looked much like the image below.

While we may consider some of their medical practices to be crude or dangerous, I cannot help but wonder which of the treatments that we rely on today will be frowned upon in the future.