Pneumatic school

Pneumatic School is a term that refers to a school of thought in ancient medicine, which believed that the body is filled with air, or pneuma, and that this air plays a crucial role in maintaining health and causing disease. The Pneumatic School was founded by Athenaeus of Attalia in the 1st century AD.

History[edit | edit source]

The Pneumatic School was founded by Athenaeus of Attalia in the 1st century AD. Athenaeus was a physician and philosopher who was born in Attalia, a city in Pamphylia, which is now modern-day Antalya, Turkey. He studied medicine in Alexandria and later moved to Rome, where he founded the Pneumatic School.

Beliefs[edit | edit source]

The Pneumatic School believed that the body is filled with air, or pneuma, and that this air plays a crucial role in maintaining health and causing disease. They believed that the pneuma is the vital force that gives life to the body and that it is responsible for all bodily functions, including sensation, movement, and thought.

The Pneumatic School also believed that disease is caused by an imbalance in the pneuma. They believed that a healthy body has a balanced pneuma, while a diseased body has an imbalanced pneuma. They believed that the pneuma can be balanced through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.

Influence[edit | edit source]

The Pneumatic School had a significant influence on the development of ancient medicine. Their beliefs about the pneuma influenced the development of the theory of the four humors, which was a central part of ancient Greek and Roman medicine. The Pneumatic School's beliefs also influenced the development of the concept of the vital force, which was a central concept in many traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine.