There are a lot of discussions about constitution by predecessors. Up to now, there are more than 30 theories about constitution types abroad. The temperament theory of ancient Greece, once recognized as the earliest constitution theory in the world, holds that the human body has four different body fluids, the proportion of which determines human temperament, and accordingly people are divided into sanguine type, choleric type, mucinous type and melancholy type. Pavlov, a famous scientist in the former Soviet Union, divided people into exciting, flexible, stable and inhibitory types according to the intensity, balance and flexibility of neural processes.
But so far, all kinds of constitution classification theories of western medicine can't directly guide clinical practice and health preservation and rehabilitation, only the constitution theory of traditional Chinese medicine is closely combined with medical practice and health preservation and longevity. As early as 2000 years ago, the theory of physique was deeply discussed in Huangdi Neijing. It can be said that Huangdi Neijing is the source of TCM constitution theory. Neijing not only pays attention to individual differences, but also classifies people's physique from different angles. For example, the Twenty-five Chapters of Yin and Yang and Tian Tong in Neijing Lingshu put forward two methods of constitution classification. In the first part, using the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, combined with the characteristics of human skin color, body shape, temperament, attitude and adaptability to natural changes, five different physique types are summarized, namely, five, five and twenty-five physique types. The latter divides people into five types according to the strength of yin and yang in human constitution: lunar, shaoyin, yang, shaoyang, and peaceful yin and yang.
In addition to the above two articles devoted to physique, there are many other chapters in Neijing. For example, "On Courage" discusses the mental outlook of courage and timidity, and the relationship between the characteristics of each part and the internal functions of zang-fu organs. Another example is "Soul Pivot First", which says: "People are born with both rigidity and softness, strength and weakness, length and yin and yang", thus pointing out that the shape and qi of human body are different from yin and yang. In Su Wenyi Fang Lun, it is also pointed out that due to the different regional environment and climate, the residents' living habits are different, and the five parties in the southeast, northwest and China have different constitutions and are prone to diseases, so the treatment methods such as poison, stone descending, guidance, pressing (foot massage), moxibustion and micro-acupuncture will be different accordingly.
Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty, inherited the constitution theory in Neijing, based on the rise and fall of healthy qi and the attributes of zang-fu organs, and combined with practice, established the theory of syndrome differentiation and treatment, and put the constitution theory into the category of syndrome differentiation and treatment. Wang Shuhe's monograph "Pulse Meridian" also emphasizes the importance of physical characteristics in pulse diagnosis, saying that "every pulse diagnosis should be based on the size and priorities of people." Sun Simiao, a famous drug king in the Tang Dynasty, also pointed out: "Ordinary people are gentle, impatient and calm, and each has its own rhythm." This shows that the analysis of pulse condition should refer to physical characteristics, and diseases can not be distinguished only by pulse. On the other hand, pulse diagnosis is also an important aspect to distinguish physical types. Ye, a famous doctor in Qing Dynasty, attached great importance to patients' physique types in clinical practice, and thought that choosing treatment scheme according to physique types was an important way to improve clinical efficacy. He said in "Exogenous Warmth": "Humidity is the most harmful to people, such as those who are pale, they need to take care of their Yang Qi ... Those who are pale need to take care of their body fluids ... In a body full of yang, the stomach is always wet, while in a body full of yin, there are also many spleen dampness. Therefore, it is emphasized that treatment should take into account physical fitness. Not only that, people's health care is also closely related to physical fitness. For example, under the same pathogenic conditions, some people feel sick, while others are safe and sound, but the symptoms after illness are quite different.
This is just as Wu said in the abstract of medical science: "you should know that it is a patient, showing qi deficiency;" Yang Qi of patients susceptible to colds is weak; People who are prone to heat are sick and weak in yin; People who are easy to eat will lose their spleen and stomach; It is easy to be injured and the gas will be damaged. " It shows that physique determines the susceptibility to some pathogenic factors, which provides an important theoretical basis for caring for people. The mechanism of constitution formation is extremely complicated, which is the result of the comprehensive action of various complex factors in the internal and external environment of the body.
geographical environment
Xu Youxi's Theory of Medical Origin said: "People are born with the qi of heaven and earth, so the qi is different everywhere. The northwest has a deep popularity, ... Southeastern people are floating thin. " This shows that people living in different geographical conditions are influenced by different soil and water properties, climate types and living conditions, thus forming the physique of people in different regions. The study of modern environmental geology also shows that in the development of geological history, the uneven distribution of elements on the crust surface has gradually formed, which has influenced and controlled the development of human beings in various regions of the world to a certain extent, and formed obvious regional differences of human beings.