The Humoral, Anatomical And Germ Theory

The evolutions of historical perspectives on health have evolved over quite some time and have influenced modern day medicine, tremendously. The humoral, anatomical and germ theory are three influential theories that have impacted modern day medicine, tremendously. For instance, the humoral theory “has its origin from Hippocratic medicine probably between 430 and 330 BC. Humoral is a derivative from the word humor, which means a fluid. In this times it was believed that the human body had four properties or humors which are black bile (also known as melancholy), yellow bile, blood and phlegm (Herbst, 2008, pg. 7). The humoral theory further states that there will be an imbalance if one of the four humors is affected. This would result into

262). Physicians associated each humor with a season of the year e.g., physicians diagnosed a cold caught in winter because of an imbalance in phlegm. Perceived humoral imbalance determined the choice of drugs administered after thorough analysis by the physician” (The Roots Of Modern Day Medicine). However, the anatomical theory was discovered, “during the 19th century, Giovanni Baptista Morgagni proposed the concept in which he used pathology and human anatomy to find out the causes of diseases. This study bridged a huge gap between patient symptoms and pathology making a connection between symptoms on the outside and diseases in the inside. Morgagni argued that disease could be traced to a particular pathology or disturbance in individual organs (Reiser, 1978, pg. 17). Morgagni laid the foundation of pathological anatomy by comparing clinical findings to post moterm findings. The anatomy concept of disease explains that disease often affects anatomy and a change in anatomy can cause a disease. Methods of seeing into the body have become the mainstay in the diagnosis of the disease. Advance in technology has enabled doctors to see into the body and observe internal structures without surgery

Anton van leeweuwenhoek and john snow had previously contributed to the formation of the germ theory through the discovery of microorganisms” (The Roots Of Modern Day Medicine). As a conclusion, “these three theories in the past have led to significant development in the field of medicine. It is important to understand the roots of modern day medicine because only then can we appreciate the efforts of previous generations. This is an attribute of recent developments in the medical field have been ongoing constant evolution resulting in better service provision. This will also encourage the current generation of scientist and physicians to seek better methods of treatment. Evaluation of our past will enable us rectify our previous mistakes and contribute to the future significantly”(The Roots Of Modern Day Medicine). I believe, medicine will continue to fascinatingly evolve with technology today. It amazes me, the many convenient trends that are being implemented and used for health and wellness through mobile cell phones applications and through the use of other electronic devices; such as, ipads, my fitness pal, fitbit, apple watch, and so much more. These apps, and devices are capable of tracking and calculating motion of ranges, calories from your daily intake, and even assist with meal