Abstract

The long history of Hippocratic humoral theory introduces into Western medical thought the association between humoral balance, regimen, and health, including mental health. This problematic knot of the soul-body relationship emerges in pathological terms not only in medical treatises, but also stimulates philosophical reflection that investigates either the boundary or ontological continuity between the two dimensions of man. It is a fascinating debate that from Plato to the Christian synthesis of Nemesius, bishop of Emesa, intertwines medicine and philosophy of nature through the intermediate filter of Galen’s syncretic approach. The contribution intends, therefore, to retrace the stages of this long-lasting reflection to understand how, starting from the Hippocratic humoral theory and its nutraceutical implications, with particular attention to disorders of the mind, the Hippocratic model persists in the interpretation of the nature of man, renewing itself with extraordinary flexibility.