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A member of the Physicker's GuildHumorial Medicine

This is the current working theory on modern medicine within the human body. The original theory was created by Grote Ouder, a student of alchemy and dabbler in medicine in the Hulder. Grote, being an alchemist, believed that the materials that he worked with and manipulated were reflected in the human body in perfect balance. When the human body becomes ill, it is due to an imbalance in the human representation of the Forms of Matter, as codified by alchemists. Grote developed a system of medicine called Grotic Medicine or Humoral Medicine that revolved around the five humors, the basic substances of the human body. Grote posited that all disease and disabilities resulted from an excess or deficit one of these five humors. These deficits are caused by energy vapors that are inhaled or absorbed by the body. The five humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, blood and conducin. Grote further believed that these humors could wax and wane in the body based on diet and activity. Grote associated a form, name, qualities of each form, and five personality characteristics to each humor. Grote suggested the each humor increased or decreased in importance with the phases of the moon as well, waxing when the moon was waxing, and waning when the moon was waning.

Humor Name Form Lunar Phase Qualities Characteristics
Blood Sanguine Fluid Quarter Transmutable, Effervescent, Enervative Courageous, Hopeful, Amorous, Generous, Emotive
Yellow Bile Choleric Flesh Gibbous Warm, Moist, Effervescent Temperamental, Brave, Passionate, Rash, Flighty
Phlegm Phlegmatic Earth Crescent Cold, Moist, Enervative Sensitive, Loyal, Pensive, Motivated, Rational
Black Bile Melancholic Dust New Cold, Dry, Enervative Calm, Morose, Stoic, Unerring, Logical
Conducin Saficholic Aether Full Warm, Dry, Effervescent Energetic, Creative, Irrational, Curious, Fearless

Various leeches, brews, and formulations are readily used to treat the illness or debilitation that occurs from the humors being out of balance. Leeches draw out the excess humors in a person's body, while often replacing them with humors that the body lacks. This is delicate process, as leeches center around blood, which Grote recognized as the core humor. Grote considered blood the balancing point of all the humors, due to mainly his work in alchemy and the importance of raw fluid in the manipulation of his work. Conducin and Black Bile are the hardest humors to bring into balance, due to their constantly waxing or waning natures once a new lunar cycle begins. Grote linked Conducin and Black Bile to cognition and brain activity, influencing the different hemispheres of the brain, as shown in his numerous dissection works.