The term "yellow bile" refers to one of the four humors in ancient and medieval medical tradition. It is spelled as /ˈjɛloʊ baɪl/, with the first syllable pronounced as "yell-oh" and the second syllable as "bile". The IPA phonetic transcription reveals the correct pronunciation, which has the stress on the first syllable and the long "e" sound. Although the concept of humors has been discredited in modern medicine, the term "yellow bile" is still sometimes used in literature and poetry.
Yellow bile, also known as choler or cholerine, is a substance or fluid historically believed to be one of the four bodily humors that were thought to maintain bodily health and psychological balance. According to the ancient concept of humorism, which prevailed from ancient Greek and Roman medicine through the Enlightenment era, yellow bile was associated with the personality trait of being choleric.
Yellow bile was thought to be produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It was believed to have a hot and dry nature, and its excessive accumulation in the body was considered to result in various disorders and imbalances. These included temperament issues such as irritability, anger, aggression, and impatience. It was also thought to cause physical symptoms like fever, indigestion, and excessive thirst.
In terms of appearance, yellow bile was described as a thick, warm, and yellowish fluid, hence its name. It was thought to be a concentrated form of bile, a substance involved in the digestion and breakdown of fats in the body.
It is important to note that the concept of yellow bile and the theory of four bodily humors have been largely discredited in modern medical science. However, the historical understanding of yellow bile and its association with a choleric temperament provided a framework for understanding the human body and mind in various ancient medical systems.
The word "yellow bile" is derived from the Latin term "cholera", which in turn is derived from the Greek word "khole" (χολή). In the ancient Greek medical system of humorism, it was believed that four bodily fluids, or humors, affected a person's temperament and health. One of these humors was yellow bile, which was associated with anger, aggression, and irritability. The term "yellow bile" was commonly used to describe this bodily fluid, and its etymology can be traced back to the Greek and Latin roots.