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Problems
with the Four-constitution Classifications of Lee Jema
The core of constitution medicine is, of course, distinguishing
between the various constitutions for each person, because the
structure of the constitution medicine is such that no treatment
is possible without first determining the constitution.
The
body and appearance characteristics, character, temperament,
physiology and pathology of each constitution explained above in
detail were discovered and collected during clinical practice by
followers of Lee Jema based on his descriptions in Dongyi Soose
Bowon. It is important to know and understand all this, because
it is the basis for understanding and determining the
constitutions.
In
clinical practice not only are there many cases in which the
constitution appearance and body characteristics are not clearly
apparent as described above, but also it is difficult to quickly
know the character and temperament of a new patient in a short
time.
Besides, the above characteristics don't always appear
consequently according to the constitution; there are frequent
exceptions. In other words, the above descriptions are only a
list of characteristics which are likely to appear in the
concerned constitution, but do not mean complete coincidence.
For example, generally soyangin is active and extroverted, but
there are also soyangins who are not very active, and are
introverted. Teumin is relatively thick-muscled and corpulent,
but in the real world there are also teumins who are thin and
short. It is indeed not always easy to determine a person's
constitution only by the criteria given in Lee Jema's book.
The
biggest problem with the four-constitution classifications of
Lee Jema is exactly that: he classified people in only the four
classifications.
In his book he describes various syndromes and cures for the
four constitutions. He recognizes that one constitution has two
separate syndromes, external and internal, which he explains in
eight chapters. He understands that the two syndromes vary. That
means that a person with a certain constitution can on occasion
suffer from either the internal or the external syndrome. But
followers have discovered that a person has a fixed constitution
from birth which suffers from only the external or only the
internal syndrome. This means that a given soyangin from birth
will have only the external syndrome, while another will have
only the internal one. Thus the four constitutions with two
separate syndromes become subdivided into eight constitutions.
But
that interpretation isn't unanimously accepted among the
four-constitution practitioners and is still under discussion.
Many recognize, like Lee Jema, only the four constitutions and
don't accept their subdivision into eight.
Any science can evolve through courageous correction and
supplementation to the existing theory. So the way of thinking
that asserts that, because Lee Jema said there are four
constitutions, one should not deviate from his theoretical
categories, cannot be expected to lead to scientific evolution.
Discovering
the fact that the eight syndromes recognized by him are eight
constitution traits determined from birth, means that the
existing four-constitution medicine progresses one step further.
We can distinguish the constitution more clearly and apply more
certain cures, recognizing that the constitution earlier
regarded as the same one is now another constitution with
different body form, organ structure, physiology and pathology.
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Introduction
