Page 22 - Hani Times November 2019

22 Acupuncture November 1, 2019 Vol. 8 Hani Times

The Outline and Prospects of Sasang Constitutional Medicine Ⅰ

Byung-Hee Koh, Ph.D., KMD (Korea)

effect from B and not from A. others. The finest medicine
Furthermore, there may even for this disease is to love their
be patients who can only be wisdom and find pleasure in
treated with drug C, rather good deeds.”
than A or B. In such cases,
one can consider whether Ⅲ. Challenges for Sasang
the issue arises because of constitutional medicine4
differences in the drugs’
mechanisms of action, or due - 1. Objective diagnoses3
to the individuality of the In modern SCM, efforts to
patients, or some combination provide objective care are
of the two. highly valued, with the
△ Lee Je Ma and his book ‘Dongui Suse Bowon’. Lee Je Ma recognized that application in clinical practice
this situation arises due to of self-report questionnaires
(→ Continued from 1page) be considered simultaneously differences in constitution. (QSCC; Questionnaire
Ⅱ. Features of Sasang when treating disease. He further considered that, for Sasang Constitution
Ⅰ. Sasang Constitutional Constitutional Medicine2 The mind is not a part of the in addition to medication, Classification), body type
Medicine in the 21st physical body, but forms an people will likely have tests, facial anthropometry,
Century - 1. Hereditary medicine equal part of our being. Thus, different needs and responses voice spectrography (聲紋),
Interest in eastern medicine (稟受醫學) is also plays an important role to nutrition resulting fingerprints (指紋), pulse
has recently grown, following Pumsu (稟受) refers to the idea in the development of disease, from their constitution. diagnosis (脈診), and food
the realization that traditional that an individual’s constitution and is heavily involved in the Furthermore, allergies, which or drug reaction surveys,
Korean medicine can is determined congenitally, formation of constitution. In are frequently discussed rather than using subjective
compensate for some of the wherein individuals inherit western medicine too, similar in western medicine, can methods that depend on
shortcomings of medicine based features from their parents theories have emerged at the also be considered related past experience. To develop
on science and technology and grandparents, including beginning of the 20th Century, to constitutional factors. objective diagnostic signs
that is rooted entirely in appearance, character, and even and have recently received from those typically used in
western natural science. In disease-related tendencies. a lot of attention. However, - 4. Social medicine (社 Korean medicine, research
modern western science, In terms of established the fact that these ideas 會醫學)3 investigating neurometer
the humanities and social information relating to this and the recognition of the Within our social lives, we tests, biofunctional diagnosis,
sciences are separated from idea, blood type is known to equal importance and mutual find relating to some people and pulse diagnosis need
the natural sciences. However, be passed down from parents influence of the body and mind relatively comfortable, while to be developed in a more
new interpretations should to their children according to only developed at the end of relating of others is very objective, practical direction
be explored through a certain rules. Furthermore, the 19th Century but were burdensome. If we were to in the future.
convergent approach based children of individuals with previously unimaginable in approach other people with an
on holistic concepts and the high blood pressure or who western medicine, reaffirms understanding of constitutional - 2. Research on the
principles of wholeness found experience stroke often the remarkable sagacity (慧 characteristics, we might relationship between
in eastern nature. Examples have the similar conditions 智) of Lee Je Ma. gain better insight into the Eastern philosophy and
of the latter from Korea themselves. Moreover, children other’s traits, which would medicine
include Heo Jun’s Dongui of individuals with poor - 3. Constitutional medicine render personal relationships Generally, traditional Korean
Bogam and Lee Je Ma’s Sasang digestion have a higher (體質醫學) more comfortable and, in the medicine possesses traits
Constitutional Medicine1. incidence of digestion problems, Constitution is the idea workplace, may also enable more of Taoist (道家) Huang Lao
The texts underlying these and a genetic influence has that, in terms of treatment, efficient pursuit of business. thought (黃老學), but study of
approaches break free of the been demonstrated for color individuals display different Moreover, understanding the SCM is inseparable from the
abstract, conceptual aspects blindness, hemophilia, and characteristics according to characteristics of a workplace study of the Confucian classics
of medicine that had been mental health disorders. Based their physical constitution, or job would enable better (經學) and neo-confuciansim.
introduced from China until on such evidence, pumsu is and so these differences need choices by considering Thus, an understanding of
that time. They have been considered to be fully worthy to be taken into account by one’s own constitutional the philosophical background
studied by numerous scholars of consideration in medicine. applying different treatment traits. From the perspective is required, and even from
from various perspectives, approaches for different of management, accounting a medical perspective there
enabling practical application - 2. Psychosomatic (mind- patients, even for the same for the traits of employees is some inherent confusion
in clinical medicine, including body) medicine(心身醫學) disease. Essentially, this in human resources could of concepts. For this reason,
physiology, pathology, Until now, medicine has mostly principle highlights the be very helpful. Given that basic research needs to be
diagnosis, and treatment. In only considered treatment of importance of individuality. personality type tests, such conducted in parallel, so
the future, it will be necessary parts of the patient’s body Patient individuality and as the MBTI used in the west, that the concepts behind
to continue developing and that can be observed via our heterogeneity is a difficulty we think it will be possible individual theories can be
innovating traditional Korean eyes and other sensory organs. often experienced by many to develop methods suited properly understood and
medicine as it adapts to the However, there is increasing doctors in clinical practice. to our sensibilities. practically applied.
age of globalization. To this recognition that an individual For example, there may be This is suggested in Dongui (Journal of Sasang Constitutional
end, we aimed to examine consists of both a body and two drugs, A and B that can Suse Bowon’s Gwangje-seol Medicine. 2018. Mar, 30(1): 1-6,
the features and problems a mind, the existence of be used to treat the same (廣濟說), which contains the DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7730/
associated with Sasang both of which are required disease. However, there may following statement: “the JSCM.2018.30.1.1, Copyright @
constitutional medicine, as to differentiate them from be some patients who recover most common disease in this 2018, The Society Of Sasang
well as approaches to these inanimate objects. Therefore, when treated with A, but other world is to covet and envy Constitutional Medicine)
problems. the body and mind need to patients who only see an the wisdom and ability of (To be Continued Next Edition))