The Middle Ages

In his Canon of Medicine he made clear the vital importance of colour in both diagnosis and treatment. Avicenna noted that colour is an observable symptom of disease, and he developed a chart that related colour to temperament and the physical condition of the body. He also advocated the use of colour in treatment, insisting that red moved the blood, blue or white cooled it, and yellow reduced pain and inflammation. He prescribed potions of red flowers to cure blood disorders, yellow flowers and morning sunlight to cure disorders of the biliary system.

Avicenna also warned of the possible dangers of colour in treatment. He observed that a person with a nosebleed, for example, should not gaze on anything of a brilliant red or be exposed to red light, as this would stimulate greater blood flow, whereas blue would soothe it by reducing blood flow.

Avicenna and colour

Progress in healing was achieved by a disciple of Aristotle, the Persian physician Avicenna (980 - 1037).