Ancient Egyptian cultures believed our bodies contained a central pumping system for our blood, air, and mucous. Although they did not recognize today's knowledge of full blood circulation, they emphasized the importance of the heart as the body's source of intelligence. In addition to its involvement in several religious beliefs, the heart was of serious concern for many ancient cultures (Katz, 1957). Aristotle, perhaps one of the most famous ancient Greek philosophers, believed that the heart should be of prime concern for physicians, as it was the center of vitality and intelligence; all other organs existed solely to cool the heart, which he believed to be an inherently hot and dry organ. He recognized its three-chambers and its central importance to balancing the four humors (Baltussen, 2010). Galen believed that the heart was the source of the "central heat" in the body and remained vital for maintaining the body's humor balance (Nutton, 2003). According to Galen, the body contained a "tripartite soul" (or three part soul), with each being manufactured in 3 separate organs in the body - the brain, heart, and liver (Boylan, 2006). The heart was responsible not only for creating the body's vital spirit, but was considered the origination of the pulse.
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