Think Aristotle, and medicine may not be the first thing to enter your head. Remaining one of the most influential people of all time, he is of course better known for his immense contributions to philosophy and the physical sciences. However, we shouldn’t overlook what he did for the advancement of medicine too.
Aristotle lived in the 4th century BC. Born in Macedonia into a well-to-do family, his father was the personal physician to the King! Studious and hard working, he traveled to Athens at the age of seventeen where he became a student of Plato at his Academy. It didn’t take long for him to gain the respect of his peers with his energy and diligence. After staying in Athens for a couple of decades he fell somewhat out of favor (possibly because he didn’t agree with all of Plato’s theories) and left the city to continue his work.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Aristotle immersed himself in every known subject of his day. Believing strongly in establishing scientific principles and logic, it was through his meticulous study of biology that he made his major contributions to the field of medicine:
– He studied anatomy in animals and used this to postulate about the workings of the human body
– Described embryology in great detail
– Studied the process of childbirth
– Using observations of the natural world, used classification methods for defining different species
– Theorized that all animals are related in “a chain”, which bears some resemblance to Charles Darwin’s theories some 2,000 years later
He was a proponent of Hippocrates’ “humor” theories, and proposed four basic qualities; Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry–imbalance of which led to changes in temperament and disease. Although this has now been disproved, many of Aristotle’s other theories still hold true today. These contributions to the medical world shouldn’t be forgotten as we marvel over all of his other achievements.
And as a great teacher, it’s certain one of his most famous students was also greatly in awe of him and reflected widely on his teachings: Alexander the Great.