Study on Congenital Constitution Components in Medical Books before Qing Dynasty / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed to discuss the connotation of congenital constitution in medical books before Qing dynasty. By searching the character Bing as a keyword in the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 6 480 articles were retrieved. Through reading each of the articles, 9 congenital constitution terms were con-cluded. A total of 1 041 valid entries involved in 165 medical books were retrieved. The results showed that congen-ital constitution was affected by parent heredity and region factors. Parent heredity factor includes the influence of both parents and the influence of mother during pregnancy where the influence of both parents includes both parents' habits and conditions when having sex; the influence from the mother includes habits and medication during her pregnancy. Congenital constitution embodiment includes the body's growth and development, body structure and vis-cera, qi and blood, pulse and forefinger blood vessels (of young children), mental state and life span. In three other factors of congenital constitution (i.e. qi and blood, body structure and life span), both body structure and life span depend on the endowment of qi and blood. It was concluded that TCM practitioners before Qing dynasty judged one's congenital constitution through observing the speed of its growth and development, appearance, mental state, strength of visceral functions, condition of its mind, forefinger blood vessels, pulse, susceptible to types of disease and etc. Therefore, body structure is an important factor of congenital constitution judgment. TCM practitioners before Qing dynasty paid attention to the effect on mother to her offspring's health.