Black Bile Now

Published in History of European Ideas (2020), this paper by George Kazantzidis explores the radical shift in ancient thought when doctors first linked a physical substance to a mental state.

: Black Bile as the Cause of Human Accomplishments and Behaviors . This examines the Aristotelian "Problem XXX.1," which famously asked why all men who have excelled in philosophy, politics, poetry, and the arts appear to be "melancholic"—suggesting black bile was a prerequisite for greatness. black bile

: Galen’s Theory of Black Bile . This book/paper explores how the influential physician Galen had to "defend" the existence of black bile against rivals who (rightly) pointed out that it didn't seem to exist in healthy bodies like blood or phlegm do. Published in History of European Ideas (2020), this

: Black Bile, Manic Depression and Melancholy . This paper bridges the gap between ancient humoral theory and modern psychiatry, finding surprising resonances between the "movements" of black bile and modern clinical descriptions of manic depression. Quick Facts for Context Introduction in: Galen’s Theory of Black Bile - Brill : Galen’s Theory of Black Bile