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===The Humours=== ''The Canon of Medicine'' is based upon the [[Humorism|Four Humours]] of Hippocratic medicine, but refined in various ways. In disease [[pathogenesis]], for example, Avicenna "added his own view of different types of spirits (or vital life essences) and souls, whose disturbances might lead to bodily diseases because of a close association between them and such master organs as the brain and heart".<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Vasovagal syncope in the Canon of Avicenna: The first mention of carotid artery hypersensitivity|last1=Mohammadali M. Shojaa, R. Shane Tubbsb, Marios Loukasc|first1=Majid Khalilid, Farid Alakbarlie, Aaron A. Cohen-Gadola|journal=International Journal of Cardiology|volume=134|issue=3|date=29 May 2009|publisher=[[Elsevier]]|doi=10.1016/j.ijcard.2009.02.035|pages=297β301|pmid=19332359|last2=Tubbs|first2=RS|last3=Loukas|first3=M|last4=Khalili|first4=M|last5=Alakbarli|first5=F|last6=Cohen-Gadol|first6=AA|url=http://www.baillement.com/lettres/avicenne.html}}</ref> An element of such belief is apparent in the chapter of ''al-Lawa'', which relates "the manifestations to an interruption of vital life essence to the brain." He combined his own view with that of the Four Humours to establish a new doctrine to explain the mechanisms of various diseases in another work he wrote, ''Treatise on Pulse'':{{citation needed|date=February 2015}} {{blockquote|"From mixture of the four [humors] in different weights, Allah Almighty [God the most high] created different organs; one with more blood like muscle, one with more black bile like bone, one with more phlegm like brain, and one with more yellow bile like lung.}} {{blockquote| Allah Almighty [God the most high] created the souls from the softness of humors; each soul has its own weight and amalgamation. The generation and nourishment of proper soul takes place in the heart; it resides in the heart and arteries, and is transmitted from the heart to the organs through the arteries. At first, it [proper soul] enters the master organs such as the brain, liver or reproductive organs; from there it goes to other organs while the nature of the soul is being modified in each [of them]. As long as [the soul] is in the heart, it is quite warm, with the nature of fire, and the softness of bile is dominant. Then, that part which goes to the brain to keep it vital and functioning, becomes colder and wetter, and in its composition the serous softness and phlegm vapor dominate. That part, which enters the liver to keep its vitality and functions, becomes softer, warmer and sensibly wet, and in its composition the softness of air and vapor of blood dominate.}} {{blockquote|In general, there are four types of proper spirit: One is brutal spirit residing in the heart and it is the origin of all spirits. Another β as physicians refer to it β is sensual spirit residing in the brain. The third β as physicians refer to it β is natural spirit residing in the liver. The fourth is generative β i.e. procreative β spirits residing in the gonads. These four spirits go-between the soul of absolute purity and the body of absolute impurity".}} ====Definition of body fluid==== ''The Canon'' defines a humour as "that fluid, moist 'body' into which our aliment is transformed",<ref name=Bakhtiar />{{rp|77}}<ref>"Aliment: something that nourishes; food". [http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/aliment Aliment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226183319/http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Aliment |date=26 February 2014 }}</ref> and lists the four primary types of fluids as sanguineous, serous, bilious, and atrabilious. The secondary fluids are separated into "non-excrementitious" and "excrementitious". ====The sanguineous humour==== Avicenna calls this humour "the most excellent of all"<ref name=Bakhtiar />{{rp|78}} the humours. This section describes blood and compares its healthy states with its unhealthy states. Avicenna describes healthy blood as "red in colour, has no unpleasant odour, and has a very sweet taste." Abnormality of the blood stems from a change in temperament or an unhealthy humour has polluted it.<ref name=Bakhtiar />{{rp|78β79}} ====The serous humour==== The serous humour is described as a sweet fluid that is cold and moist in relation to blood and bilious humours. Serous humour resembles blood and is necessary for body tissues for two reasons: to provide the tissue with nutrients as an auxiliary and to keep the bones and tissues moist.<ref name=Bakhtiar />{{rp|809}} ====The bilious humour==== The bilious humour is red and clear in colour and is light and pungent. It can pursue two routes, either into the blood or the gallbladder. When it passes into the blood, its function is to attenuate the blood in such a way, that it enables the blood to transverse the very minutest channels of the body. The part which flows to the gallbladder is needed, since it cleanses the entire body of superfluity and nourishes the gallbladder.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} ====The atrabilious humour==== The atrabilious humor is considered dry and cold, and created from sediment of good blood. It originates from the liver and then is distributed to the blood or spleen. When sent, it is used to reinforce the corresponding part, and perform other functions. For the blood, it is used as nourishment for the bones. In the spleen, it is used to clean the body of waste products and control appetite. Excrementitious atrabilious humor, or the humoral waste products, are described as a bitter ash.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sina |first=Ibn |url=https://archive.org/details/avicenna-canon-of-medicine |title=Avicenna Canon Of Medicine by Ibn Sina Avicenne |date=980β1037 |publisher=AMS Press INC |isbn=0404112315 |publication-date=1973 |pages=85β86 |language=EN |translator-last=Gruner |translator-first=Oskar Cameron}}</ref>
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