ansiktsstraumer

Ansiktsstraumer, an archaic Swedish term, literally translates to "face streams" or "face currents." Historically, it referred to the perceived flow of bodily fluids or humors within the face, particularly in relation to health and temperament. The concept was rooted in ancient humoral theory, which posited that an individual's physical and mental state was determined by the balance of four fundamental bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

In the context of ansiktsstraumer, physicians and laypeople believed that disturbances or imbalances in these humors would manifest as visible changes in the face. These changes could include alterations in skin color, texture, swelling, or the appearance of specific blemishes. For instance, a flushed complexion might be attributed to an excess of blood, while a pale or sallow appearance could indicate a deficiency or a different humoral imbalance.

The understanding and interpretation of ansiktsstraumer were not scientific in the modern sense but rather based on observation and tradition. This concept informed diagnostic practices, with practitioners attempting to read the "streams" of the face to diagnose illnesses or predict personality traits. While the term and its underlying theory are no longer in common use in contemporary medicine, it offers a glimpse into historical medical beliefs and the early attempts to understand the relationship between internal bodily states and external physical appearances. The idea of reading a person's health or disposition from their facial features, however, persists in various cultural and anecdotal forms.