The document discusses the concept of constitution in homeopathy. It explores various perspectives on defining and classifying constitution, including translations of terms from German and analyses of roots of the English word. Constitution is described as a person's physical and mental makeup, including qualities, temperament, and susceptibility. The document outlines several historical approaches to classifying constitution, such as based on physical build, humors, miasms, and excess/deficiency of elements. Understanding constitution is important for homeopathic treatment.

1. CONSTITUTION
Dr. Manali Tyagi
MM Deptt.

2. In the German text Hahnemann
used the term, beschaffenheit
(make up), which is usually
translated into English as the word
constitution”

3. The root word "schaffen" means
"to do, to make, to work".
Beschaffen is a verb that means,
"to procure, make something
available", and as an adjective it
means, "constituted".

4. The English word, constitution, comes from
the Latin root, constituere, which means
constitutes: to set up, to establish, to form
or make up, to appoint to give being to.
Beschaffenheit is usually translated as
constitution in relationship to the Latin root
"constiture" in homoeopathic works

5. Chambers Dictionary define constitution
as: the natural condition of the body or
mind; disposition.
•In this sense constitutional means;
inherent in the natural frame, or inherent
nature

6. The W. Turner’s Dictionary, published in
Leipzig in the 1830s, defines the German term,
Beschaffenheit, as nature, quality,
temper,condition, constitution, disposition and
circumstance.
•Therefore, the term Beschaffenheit may
include :
 any circumstance, condition or quality
related to the physical constitution
and
 mental temperament
as well as
 dispositions

7. The term "beschaffenheit" may have the
following meanings in German.
 A quality of someone or something that is
inherent or a characteristic trait that serves to
define or describe its possessor.
 The make-up or way something is composed or
arranged, its constitution, composition,
construction or nature.
 A medical term for inherent traits and
qualities of the human being [constitution;
make-up and qualities of the body and/or soul].

8. Constitution is defined as the
structure, composition, physical
makeup or nature of something,
comprising inherited qualities
modified by the environment.

9. Temperament means a peculiar or
distinguishing mental or physical character
determined by relative proportion of
humors according to the medieval
physiology. It means characteristic or
habitual inclination or mode of emotional
response.

10. CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTITUTION

11. CHINESE CONCEPT :
YANG & YIN

12. AYURVEDIC CONCEPT :
VATHA PITHA KAPHA

13. HIPPOCRATIC CONCEPT :
short and thick - prone to apoplectic conditions
long and thin. -prone to tubercular affection

14. SANGUINE
MELANCHOLIC
Composition of HUMOURS
CHOLERIC
PHLEGMATIC

15. BAZIN :
SCROFULOUS
GOUTY
SYPHILLITIC

16. VANNIER’S & ZISSUS :
CARBONIC CONSTITUTION
PHOSPHORIC CONSTITUTION
FLUORIC CONSTITUTION

17. Carbonic constitution
mentally and physically upright persons
 having square white regular teeth
 slight acute angle between Iower-arm and
upper-arm
 orderly, undemonstrative, responsible and
capable.
 Psoric.
 Cal carb, kali carb, mag carb, nat carb, graph,
carbo veg, carbo anim

18. Phosphoric constitution :
 Scrofulous or tubercular diathesis.
 Tall , thin delicate, easily tired persons
 long yellow teeth but well fitted.
 Arm forms perfect straight line when
stretched.
 Dislike hardwork but orderly and fastidious.
 Usually Psychotic.
 Calc phos, phos acid, kali phos, phos, mag phos

19. Flouric constitution :
 unbalanced irregular body formation
 obtuse angle of outstretched arm,
 teeth irregular and ill fitted,
 untidy,
 cunning and unreliable.
 Capable of heroism, sanctity and wickedness.
 Predisposed to diseases of nervous system,
dislocation of the joints and suicide.
 Mainly Syphillitic.
 Flouric acid, calc flous are the main drugs.

20. ERNST KRETSCHNER :
 ATHLETIC
 ASTHENIC
 PYKNIC

21. •Asthenic refers to frail, linear
physique. A defeciency in thickness
combined with an average unlessened
length. Lean narrow built with a skin
poor in secretion, narrow shoulders,
muscles, delicately bones limbs,
narrow flat chest, sharp rib angle,
and thin stomach.

22. Athletic constitution is characterized by
strong development of the skeleton,
musculature and skin, a middle sized man
with projecting shoulders, superb chest,
firm stomach and trunk tapers in its lower
edge so that the pelvis and the
magnificient leg seem almost graceful
compared with the size of the upper limb
and particularly hypertrophied shoulder.
Pyknic refers to plump physique.

23. •Constitution is defined as a person’s physical and
mental make up which is revealed through his
physical built, his characteristic desires, aversions
and reactions as well as emotional and intellectual
attributes.

24. To understand the constitution of a
person, a physician must know the
person’s physical make up, namely, his
build,desires, aversions, and
disaggrement with foods,
characteristics of his discharges and
eliminations, information related, and
his thermal reactions

25. It is also important to know mental attributes,
namely, emotional and intellectual reactions and
performances.
•The pattern of reactions to the environment
also tells us the quality of susceptibility of the
constitution. The study of the quality of
susceptibility, in turn, points out the quality of
the constitution.
•Various concominants expressed in relation to
the stressful situations like dentition in a child,
menstruation, pregnancy and menopause in a
female are important expressions which reveal
the quality of a constitution.

26. A constitutional prescription should be
based on the totality of the mental and
physical reactions.
It should be able to cover the level of
susceptibility, the tendencies, the
behavioural pattern and the underlying
miasms.

27. Constitutional medicine should be
prescribed only after the acute crisis
which is overcome with the help of acute
medicine in order to facilitate the
individual to have a quick and uneventful
convalescence.
It also effectively checks the tendency
to relaps.

28. VON GRAUVOGL CLASSIFICATION

29. Classified according to excess or
deficiency of certain elements in the
tissues and blood.
The concept broadly classifies the type
and nature of the physical make up which is
prone to certain ailments in given
situations.

30. According to him respiration is a function
which is not confined to the lungs, but all parts
of the body respire and consequently oxygen is
found in all organs and tissue, sometimes as
ozone (neutral), and sometimes as antozone
(positive).
The air we breath is composed of Oxygen ,
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen of which the
whole Organism is composed and which are
even contained free in the blood

31. 3 CONSTITUTIONS OF GRAUVOGL

32. Hydrogenoid constitution
 excess of hydrogen and
consequently water in the blood and
tissues.
 corresponds closely to Hahnemann’s
Sycosis, but it covers a much wider
area and is not by any means confined
to the acquired or inherited result of
Gonorrhoeal infection.
 The vaccinosis too comes under this
constitution.

33.  Hydrogenoid constitution is characterized
by the excess of water in the body.
 They are aggravated by moisture and
humidity
 Prone to dropsy and anasarca
 Suffers from tissue growth of benign type.
 They belong to the Sycotic group.
 Marked periodicity of complaints.
 Ars, dulc, nat suiph, nitr acid phytolacca,
rhustox, thuja, dig, Ant.tart, Ipecac etc are the
main drugs.

34. = / <
 cold or damp weather and in rain.
 exposure to both water and water products. For
example, bath, fishes, plants and fruits grown in
water can increase the complaints.
 cold weather, cold food and drinks,
 sour, milk, hard eggs, cucumbers and mushrooms.
 living in the proximity of ponds, rivers and sea, as
well as stagnant water.
 complaints which are aggravated by electric
disturbance find a special place under this
constitution.
 Nat.sulph, Thuja, Ant.tart, Ipecac, etc.

35. Oxygenoid constitution :
 Oxygenoid constitution is characterized by
the accumulation of excess of oxygen with
resultant destruction of tissues.
Body is thin and thus ill on change of season.
Destructive, disorders involving the genitalia
and diseases of central nervous system.
Body is prone to ulcerations and self-
Destruction.

36.  excess of Oxygen
 thin and complain of weight loss
inspite of having food appetite and
eating well.
 prominent glands, weak bones, and
anaemia.
like fats and have aversion of
carbohydrates.
 worse when dryness is changing to
humidity, before storms and before
and during tempestuous winds.
 better when it begins to rain and
snow.
 worse in foggy weather.

37.  nervous individuals and are
characterized by increased physical and
mental activities.
 corresponds to Hahnemann’s Syphilis.
 Calc-phos, ferr-phos, nat-phos, phos,
phos-acid, iod, sil, calc, natr-mur, hell,
tuberc, syph, merc-sol, kali-iod, ferrum.

38. Carbon- Nitrogenoid Constitution
 excess of carbon and nitrogen or insufficient
oxygenation
 complaints are caused by retarded nutrition.
 This constitution is marked by obesity, which is
followed by emaciation in due course.
 The respiration is faster and shallow.
 erratic working of the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver,
spleen etc
 Other marked features are short breath, rapid
pulse, constipation followed by diarrhoea,
flatulence, urinary troubles, dullness, yawning,
irritability and impatience.

39.  They are mostly tired individuals and
do not like to take any active work.
 They have unhealthy smell, offensive
and irritating perspiration, boils etc.
 =/< are overfeeding, exertion or
anything which hinders the use of energy
or which results in the wastage of
energy.
 constitution corresponds to
Hahnemann’s Psora.
 Medicines like Lyco, Phos, Sulph., Ars,
ars-iod, calc-phos, carbo-veg, hep, iod,
kali-bich, lach, lyco, natr-mur, zinc-met

40. Rubrics related to constitutional
diathesis
 Hysterical constitutions
 Hemorrhagic constitutions
 Lymphatic constitutions
 Venous constitutions
 Plethoric constitutions
 Rheumatic constitutions
 Scrofulous constitution
 Paralytic constitutions
 Gouty, constitutions
 Tubercular, constitutions
 Asthmatic constitutions

41. Rubrics related to the bodily
constitution
 Lean, thin people
 Large fat, people, bloated
 Emaciated constitutions
 Fibre, lax, constitutions
 Fibre rigid constitutions
 Tall lean constitutions;
 Dwarfish constitutions

42. Rubrics related to the Hippocratic
temperaments and humours
 Bilious constitutions
 Choleric constitutions
 Phlegmatic constitutions
 Sanguine constitutions
 Melancholic constitutions
 Nervous constitutions

43. Rubrics related to the miasms :
 Psoric constitutions
 Sycotic constitutions
 Tubercular constitutions
 Syphilitic constitutions
 Cancerous constitutions (mixed miasms).

44. ITS STUDY IS NEVER ENOUGH……