He developed the theory of the four humours. He decided that the weather caused an imbalance in .

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             Hippocrates.

             the body"s fluids. Generally this theory made a lot of sense and although we now know it is not correct, it is important because it was used all across the world up until the last few centuries, so many of our proven medical discoveries were made with the theory of the four humours. After 600BC most Greeks decided that there were natural explanations for most events in the body. .

             After Hippocrates, the role of doctors in Greek society became very important. These doctors began to search for the natural explanations everyone was looking for. They also discovered that illness could be prevented, and the importance of keeping healthy was realised. People began to wash daily, and exercise was considered vital. A long walk was taken every day, and of course the Greeks were keen athletes. They did sports such as running, discus, javelin and jumping which we still do today, and they were the founders of the Olympic Games, which were first held in 776BC. The Greeks believed that to stay free from illness, you must look after your personal hygiene and exercise your body. They cleaned their teeth with fine peppermint powder, similar to the toothpaste we use today. They also looked after their skin and realised how damaging the sun could be, as the Greek Empire was of a high climate, they rubbed oil into themselves before being exposed to the sun, particularly when exercising naked. .

             In 335BC Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and founded Alexandria. Geographically Alexandra was a focal point for the world, and because of its positioning on the Nile delta it received many visitors including world class scholars. Soon a school was set up and this was vital in the development of medicine as its enormous library was a place where new discoveries could be recorded. The library collected writings not only from Greek writers such as Hippocrates, but also from doctors in India, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia.