In Ancient Greece the practice of medicine was based upon the teachings of Galen who believed in the importance of balancing four liquids (known as humours) within the body to maintain good health. His teachings and ideas dominated medical thought until the Rennaisance when the Catholic church began to lose its grip on intellectualism and academia, and the Enlightenment began to brew. Once Western civilisation began its long march towards rationalism, discoveries rapidly mounted up as scientists competed to identify germs, bodily functions and, ultimately, cures for illnesses. 

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If you are studying this topic at GCSE level, you may find it helpful to compare this timeline with others on this site so that you can see the links between political and religious changes, and the development of science and medicine.

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