Sasang Constitutional Medicine, Korea's Renowned Body Type Typology for Diagnosis and Treatment
Lee Jema’s medical system is termed 'Constitutional
Medicine' because it is rooted in the concept of constitutional typology, a
unique methodology of typing people according to their constitutional makeup.
His ideas were shaped in the 19th century, a time of much sociopolitical
unrest. Perhaps influenced by the great social demand for change, the
underlying philosophy observed in Constitutional Medicine is also
unconventional with regards to the traditional confucianist beliefs.
『Donguisusebowon』 was written after
the completion of 『Gyeokchigo』. In the book, he continues to expand on his
ground- breaking ideas. Constitutional Medicine does not revolve around the Yin
Yang theory or the Meridian System theory as did the conventional medicine, but
rather concentrates on the type of constitution, explaining the physiology,
pathology, and treatment and prevention of disease particular to each
constitutional type.
Lee Jema's works reveal the new medical paradigms he discovered while
studying conventional medicine. They also mention the medical figures and
written works that had influenced him the most.
Knowledge of the people and works that contributed to the shaping of his
theories can help us understand Constitutional Medicine better, and one of the
people he had held in high esteem was Zhang Zhongjing.
For background information, He was the author of the classic script『Shanghanlun』. 『Shanghanlun』 deals with the symptoms of and treatment for
specific disorders; this book instructs more practical and detailed ways of
treating patients.
Lee Jema's medicine is more closely related to the『Shanghanlun』 theories than those of 『Huangdi Neijing』, which suggests
that he was more interested in the practical application of medicine.
There is also a section introducing the respected physician Heo Jun and
his ground breaking book, 『Donguibogam』.
Constitutional typing based on physical
appearances
According to SCM, there are differences in the development of various
regions of the body. In most cases, the constitution can be distinguished by an
accurate differentiation of the shape of the body.
The characteristics of physical appearance in each constitution are as
follows:
1) The
Taeyang (TY) type
The
TY-type persons have well-developed upper bodies. The neck region is thick and
strong and the head is large. However, the region below the waist tends to be
weak. The hips are small and the leg muscles are thin. Thus, in a standing
position the TY-type persons seem unstable. Since the lower body is weak,
TY-type persons have difficulty walking or standing for a long time. Their
facial features are clearly defined and they have thin bodies.
On the whole, this constitution is the most difficult to recognize
because it has the lowest percentage (less than 0.1% of the population) of the
four constitutions.
2) The Soyang (SY) type
The chest and shoulder regions of the Soyang constitutions are strong
and well-developed while the region below the hips is weak. On the whole, since
their upper bodies are strong and their lower bodies are slight, the SY-type
persons' movements are quick. Since their hip region is weak, they also appear
weak in a sitting position.
Some SY-type persons are small in stature and have a tidy appearance,
resembling the SE-type persons. It is therefore difficult at times to reach a
conclusion about a constitution based solely on the physical appearance. In
this case, mental characteristics and disease symptoms must be carefully
observed in order to avoid misdiagnosis. There is a high proportion of the
SY-type persons in the population (30%) and they are fairly easy to
distinguish.
3) The Taeeum (TE) type
The Taeeum constitution has a well-developed waist region so their
standing posture appears stable and strong. Their neck region, however, appears
weak. The TE-type persons are normally tall and well built and rarely thin and
small. Usually, the TE-type persons hold ample flesh and their physical frame
is stout (strong and solid). Occasionally, a TE-type person may be thin but his
or her frame will be stout nevertheless.
Even though the TE-type persons manifest clear traits, there are cases
in which it is difficult to ascertain their constitution, and so it is not
enough to rely solely on external appearances.
4) The Soeum (SE) type
The SE-type persons' hips and buttocks are strong and their seated posture is stable, but their chest and shoulder regions appear weak and underdeveloped. The SE-type persons are usually short in stature but at times a tall SE-type person can be found. Their lower bodies are more balanced and developed than their upper bodies. Many SE-type persons tend to walk with their bodies bent forward. Though they have stronger lower bodies compared to their upper bodies, on the whole, they have a small frame and are thin and weak.
For more information, please refer to Korean Medicine: Current Status
and Future Prospects.
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