Medical beliefs and theories
Four Humors of Man - Claire and Jamie find a statue of the Four Humors of Man in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles (DIA, chapter 9) The Four Humors of Man is an ancient theory that supposes that all people can be categorised as four basic personality types based on the four recognised bodily fluids or humors which were: blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. Whichever humor was dominant in your body would determine your personality type.
People with an excess of blood would be sanguine (courageous, hopeful, playful and carefree), those with an excess of yellow bile would be choleric (ambitious, leader-like, restless and easily angered), those with an excess of black bile would be melancholic (despondent, quiet, analytical and serious) and those with an excess of phlegm would be phlegmatic (calm, thoughtful, patient and peaceful)
People with an excess of blood would be sanguine (courageous, hopeful, playful and carefree), those with an excess of yellow bile would be choleric (ambitious, leader-like, restless and easily angered), those with an excess of black bile would be melancholic (despondent, quiet, analytical and serious) and those with an excess of phlegm would be phlegmatic (calm, thoughtful, patient and peaceful)