title: Theories About Blood Coagulation in the Writings of Ancient Greek Medico-philosophers.
abstract: Anaxagoras and Empedocles both established during the Presocratic era a pioneering theory for the creation of everything in the universe. Macrocosmos' impact through the "Four Elements Theory" explained the conglomeration of the blood inside the vessels. Hippocrates, who instituted the "Four Humours theory", clearly understood blood's coagulation and introduced the term "thrombus". Plato, Aristotle and Galen, all engaged with the clotting phenomenon trying to interpret it. After eons of inquiry, it was the innovative thinking of the ancient Greek medico philosophers that set the scientific bases towards the understanding of a process that had been analyzing until our era.
authors.affiliation: Ieroloxiton 155, Agioi Anargyroi, Volos, P.C. 38334, Greece.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsoucalas
authors.affiliation: History of Medicine Department, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamanou
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Unit, 1st Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodoros G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.affiliation: Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Markos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sgantzos
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008513:Medicine in Literature / Q000266:history*; D010686:Philosophy, Medical / Q000266:history*
keywords: Blood; ancient greece; aristotle; clot; coagulation; empedocles; galen; hippocrates; thrombus