Understanding the Four Humours in Medieval Medicine

History
Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
8 questions
~16 mins
1 views0 downloads

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Understanding the Four Humours in Medieval Medicine

Subject: HistoryGrade: Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
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Grade Year 9 / GCSE / Grade 8
A

Source Analysis: The Four Humours in Medieval Medicine

Source A: Explanation of the Four Humours

"In medieval medicine, health was believed to depend on the balance of four humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Each humour was associated with specific qualities: blood with air and a sanguine temperament, phlegm with water and a phlegmatic temperament, black bile with earth and a melancholic temperament, and yellow bile with fire and a choleric temperament. Illness was thought to occur when these humours became imbalanced. Treatments aimed to restore balance through methods such as bloodletting, purging, and diet adjustments. This theory was widely accepted for centuries and influenced medical practice in medieval Europe."* Provenance: Medieval medical text, 15th century, instructional manual for physicians.

1.
Describe the main ideas presented in Source A about the Four Humours. (3 marks)
[3 marks]
2.
Outline the purpose and origin of Source A. (4 marks)
[4 marks]
3.
Compare the medieval view of health in Source A with modern ideas about health. (5 marks)
[5 marks]
4.
Analyse the reliability of Source A as evidence about medieval medicine. (6 marks)
[6 marks]
5.
Explain why the theory of the Four Humours was important in medieval medicine. (4 marks)
[4 marks]
6.
Compare how medieval doctors believed the humours could be balanced with modern medical approaches. (5 marks)
[5 marks]
7.
Outline the limitations of Source A as a source of information about medieval medicine. (4 marks)
[4 marks]
8.
Compare the importance of the Four Humours theory with other medieval medical ideas. (5 marks)
[5 marks]

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Details

Created
1/1/2026
Updated
1/1/2026
Type
worksheet