Greek Influences

Western Herbal Medicine- Module 1

Greek Influences

In classical Greek science and medicine, the Four Everything in the universe is composed of the Four Elements, in varying proportions and amounts. The elemental composition of a substance determines its particular nature and attributes, properties and actions.

Four Elements

The Four Elements are Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. We can see them as embodying the four basic states of matter:

Fire - igneous, incandescent or metamorphic state

Air - gaseous state

Water - liquid state Earth - solid state

The 4 Elements in the body

Each of the constituent parts of the human body is composed of the Four Elements, in varying proportions.

Fire:

The digestive enzymes and secretions, and all enzymes.

The Innate Heat of metabolism and the Digestive Fire.

The heart, liver and stomach.

All active, muscular heat generating tissues; the muscles. The Fire of spirit and intelligence, and the sparkle in the eyes.

Air

The lungs, chest and thorax.

All the cavities and open spaces, which allow for movement and function.

The blood and the Vital Force it carries.

The arteries, which pulsate with Air, or pneuma.

All hollow or porous tissues and structures, which are lightened, rarefied and refined by Air.

The bones, connective tissue, and membranous structures. Points of exchange and contact: the lungs, kidneys and digestive mucosa.

Water

All the vital fluids of the body, especially the clear fluids: phlegm, mucus, plasma, lymph and serous and interstitial fluids.

The kidneys, bladder and urinary tract, which pass superfluous Water from the body.

The mucosa of the digestive, respiratory and genitourinary tracts.

The lymphatic system.

The brain and spinal cord.

Earth

All the dense, solid, deeper, more permanent parts of the body.

Bones, joints and structural connective tissue.

Nerves, bone marrow and nervous tissue.

Teeth and gums.

The hair and nails.

Ether-the 5th Element

Some Greek medical philosophers include a fifth element, which is Space, or Ether.

It is the lightest, subtlest and most refined of all the elements.

Plato called it Prima Materia, or the primal source, or matrix from which all matter arises and manifests.

Ether could be called matter on the verge of manifestation, or the space that allows matter to exist.

Like Earth, Ether is also Cold and Dry in its basic qualities. But contrary to Earth, Ether is extremely light, subtle and mobile. Some say that Ether corresponds to the Nervous humor and temperament, which is the subtle counterpart of the Melancholic temperament and black bile.

The Four Qualities

The primary, active polarity of Hot / Cold is the easiest to understand, and refers to the relative level of energy or activity present in a system or entity.

Hot denotes a high level of energy or activity. Hot activates, excites, expands, disperses, moves and circulates. Cold denotes a low level of energy or activity. Cold slows down, sedates, contracts, congeals and obstructs.

Literally,Dry / Wetrefers to the relative level of moisture present in a system or entity, with Dry denoting a low level or absence of moisture andWeta high level or abundance of moisture.

When flour is dry, it is a powder that easily disperses. Add water to it, and it sticks together as dough.

Therefore:

Dry also means separate, objective, discrete.

Wetalso means coherent, subjective, indiscrete.

When a rawhide drumhead isWet,it gets soft, malleable, flexible and lax in tone. When that drumhead isDry,it gets hard, stiff, rigid, tight in tone, and withers, or shrinks.

Mix a spoonful of salt into enough water, and it will completely dissolve. When the water evaporates under the hot sun, the salt will start to crystallize and come out of solution. And so,Wetis liquid or fluidic in its behaviour, whereas Dry is solid and discrete.

The Four Humors

The Sanguinehumor is HotandDamp and relates to blood.

It is the very essence of vitality and health, nutrition and growth.

Blood is perfect nourishment perfectly digested. Its receptacle or home is in the arteries and blood vessels.

Blood carries theVital Force and Innate Heat,which power cellular metabolism.

The essence of blood is exchange and contact, as it is the basic nutritional and metabolic currency of the organism.

Blood has an Attractive virtue, or force, since all cells, organs and tissues have an absolute need for it, and are therefore attracted to it.

The Phlegmatichumor isCold and Wet.

It includes not just phlegm, but all the other clear fluids of the body: mucus, saliva, plasma, lymph, and serous and interstitial fluids.

Together, these fluids cool, moisten, nourish, lubricate, protect, and purify the organism.

The Plegmatichumor has anexpulsive virtue, or force, which flushes out impurities, transports vital nutrients, and helps eliminate wastes.

The home of the Phlegmatic humor is in the veins and lymphatics.

The Phlegmatic humor nourishes the body on a deep and fundamental level.

Yellow Bile & Black Bile

The Cholerichumor isHotand Dry.

Yellow bile is produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder.

Bile has a hot, caustic nature and adigestive virtue, or force, which gives it a strong affinity with the other digestive secretions of the middle GI tract.

Fire and bile digest and consume, metabolize and transform.

Digestively, bile powers digestion; digests, assimilates and excretes fats and cholesterol; and acts as a natural laxative to stimulate intestinal peristalsis and defecation.

It also colours the stool brown.

Systemically, Choleric residues in the bloodstream thin the blood, enabling it to penetrate through the finest capillaries; empowers the inflammatory response; and opens up the lungs and respiratory passages as a surfactant.

Black BileisColdandDry.

Healthy black bile is a normal sediment of blood, or the Sanguine humor.

Black Bile has aretentivevirtue or force, and a cooling, drying, astringing, precipitating, condensing, coagulating, solidifying effect on metabolism necessary for building the bones, teeth, and all dense, solid structural connective tissues of the body.

Digestively, Black Bile awakens the stomach and appetite, solidifies the stool, and enables the digestive organs to hold on to their contents long enough to process them properly.

Systemically, Melancholic residues in the bloodstream thicken the blood, enabling it to clot; this is vitally important in wound granulation, scar tissue formation, and all structural repair of the body.

Black Bile also governs mineral metabolism and bone formation.

Psychological effects

The Four Humors are not just gross, physical substances. They also pervade the whole organism as subtle vapors, even affecting the mind, thoughts, and emotions.Therefore, the Four Humors also have psychological effects, making them capable of affecting both body and mind:

Blood promotes a feeling of joy, mirth, optimism, enthusiasm, affection and wellbeing.

Phlegm induces passivity, lethargy, subjectivity, devotion, emotionalism, sensitivity and sentimentality.

Yellow Bileprovokes, excites and emboldens the passions.Being inflammatory, irritating and caustic, it provokes anger, irritability, boldness, ambition, envy, jealousy and courage.

Black Bilemakes one pensive, melancholy and withdrawn. It encourages prudence, caution, realism, pragmatism and pessimism.

The Four Humors tend to have negative effects on the mind and emotions only when they're excessive or aggravated. Otherwise, they can also strengthen positive aspects of character.

Four Temperaments

Temperament is more a kin to personality, but does include different physical characteristics, such as body shape, and biological patterns, such as tendency toward specific diseases. There are 4 basic temperaments as described by Hippocrates: Lymphatic, Sanguine, Choleric, and Melancholic, named after the original four “humors”. We all have all four types within us, just to differing degrees, and the balance/health of the temperament is primarily affected by daily activities. For example, Sanguine people are highly social, so a job working alone in a lab would create imbalances for that person. A Melancholic person thrives on alone time, so working in sales would create high stress.

Knowing a person’s terrain helps to understand how a person experience’s life events, predict how a person will react when exposed to toxins, and identify the influence of daily life on overall health. This then guides the types and order of therapies best used for an individual and in the present moment. While it is important to treat specific symptoms and conditions, it must be done so within a person’s particular “terrain” to truly individualize treatment.

© Kimberly Hindman, 2008

Four Temperaments and the Body

Each innate constitution has a different mixture of the four elements and four humours. When there is a predominance of the bilious humour this makes the dry and hot choleric temperament. A predominance of the phlegmatic humour makes the moist and cold phlegmatic temperament. A predominance of the sanguine blood humor makes the hot and moist sanguine temperament. A predominance of the black bile makes the cold and dry melancholic temperament.

Each of these four temperaments is associated with its own sphere of influence in the constitution. The choleric temperament is associated with the liver, gall bladder, digestive and eliminative systems; the phlegmatic temperament is associated with the brain fluids, lymph and genito-urinary system; the sanguine temperament relates to the heart, blood and arteries; and the melancholic temperament is associated with the nerves, lungs and spleen. This is why the choleric type is sometimes called the liver or gastric type; the phlegmatic is called the lymphatic or venous type; the sanguine is called the heart or blood type; and the melancholic is called the nervous or lung type.

Temperament emotion and Body Type

Sanguine Temperament

Humor – Blood

Basic Qualities - Hot and Damp

Generally considered to be the most desirable temperament, since blood is the essence of vitality and health, but not without its drawbacks. Its traits are:

Face:

Oval or acorn-shaped face and head.Delicate, well-formed mouth and lips. Beautiful almond shaped eyes, often brown. An elegant, swanlike neck.

Physique:

In youth, balanced, neither too fat nor too thin.Moderate frame and build.Elegant, statuesque form, with ample, luxuriant flesh.Joints well-formed; bones, tendons, veins not prominent.Can put on weight past forty, mostly around hips, thighs, buttocks.

Hair:

Thick, luxuriant, wavy.Abundant facial and body hair in men.

Skin:

Pink, rosy, blushing complexion.Soft, creamy smooth luxurious feel. Pleasantly warm to the touch.

Appetite:

Quite hearty, often greater than digestive capacity.A predilection for rich gourmet foods.The epicure.

Digestion:

Good to moderate; balanced. Can be overwhelmed by excessive food.

Metabolism:

Moderate, balanced. Bowel tone can be a bit lax. Digestive, respiratory, genitourinary mucosa can be problem areas.

Predispositions:

Metabolic excesses of the blood: uremia, gout, diabetes, high cholesterol.

Intestinal sluggishness, putrefaction.

Congested, sluggish liver and pancreas.Congested blood, bleeding disorders.

Respiratory catarrh, congestion, asthma.

Urinary conditions, genitourinary disorders.

Excessive menstruation in women.

Skin conditions, hypersensitivity, capillary congestion.

Urine:

Tends to be rich or bright yellow and thick.

Stool:

Well-formed, neither too hard nor too soft.

Sweat:

Balanced, moderate.

Sleep:

Moderate, balanced, sound.Can be some snoring.

Dreams:

Usually pleasant, of a charming, amusing, romantic nature.Travel, enjoyment, games, distractions.

Mind:

Faculty of Judgement well-developed.A synthetic intellect that likes to see the whole picture.An optimistic, positive mental outlook. Rather conventional and conformist; good social skills.

Personality:

Exuberant, enthusiastic, outgoing, optimistic, confident, poised, graceful, expansive, generous, sociable, gregarious, light-hearted, cheerful.

Romantically inclined; loves beauty, aesthetics, the arts.Sensual, indulgent nature.

.

People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings and making new friends. They tend to be creative and often daydream. Sanguinescan be very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy.

Choleric Temperament

The choleric temperamentis the hottest, most active and catabolic of all. Its traits are:

Face:

Broad jaw. Sharp, angular facial features e.g sharp nose, high cheekbones, sharp, fiery, brilliant, penetrating eyes. Reddish face common.

Physique:

Compact, lean, wiry. Good muscle tone, definition. Prominent veins and tendons.Broad chest common.

An active, sporty type.

Weight gain usually in chest, arms, belly, upper body.

Hair:

Often curly.Can also be thin, fine.Balding common in men.Blonde or reddish hair common.

Skin:

Ruddy or reddish colour if heat predominates; sallow or bright yellow if bile predominates. Rough and dry, quite warm.

Appetite:

Sharp and quick, which is soon overcome by ravenous hunger.

Fond of meat, fried foods, salty or spicy foods, alcohol, intense or stimulating taste sensations.

Digestion:

Sharp and quick.Tendency towards gastritis, hyperacidity, acid reflux.

When balanced and healthy, can have a "cast iron stomach", able to digest anything.

Metabolism:

Strong, fast, active; catabolic dominant.

Strong Innate Heat of metabolism.

Liver and bile metabolism can be problematic.

Digestive secretions strong, bowel transit time short.

Adrenals, sympathetic nervous system dominant.

Strong inflammatory reactions.

Choleric Predispositions:

Fevers, infections, inflammation, hives, rashes, urticarial, fatty liver, bilious conditions, hyperacidity, acid reflux, inflammatory and ulcerative conditions of middle GI tract, headaches, migraines, irritability, eyestrain and/or red sore eyes,purulent conditions, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disorders, gingivitis, bleeding disorders from excess heat, choler in the blood, hypertension, stress disorders.

Urine:

Tends to be scanty, dark, thin, can be hot or burning.

Stool:

Tends towards diarrhoea, loose stools, can have a yellowish colour, strong odour.

Sweat:

Profuse, especially in summer, or with vigorous physical activity.Tend towards a strong body odour.

Sensitive to hot weather, suffers greatly in summer.

Sleep:

Often fitful, restless, disturbed, especially with stress, indigestion.Tends to wake up early, or in the middle of the night.

Dreams:

Often of a military or violent nature, or of fire, red things common, or fight or flight, confrontation.

Mind:

Bold, daring, original, imaginative, visionary, brilliant intellect, sharp penetrating insight.The idea man who prefers to leave the details to others.

Personality:

Driven, "Type A" personality.

Prone to anger, impatience, irritability, extremism, fanaticism.Short temper, dramatic, bombastic manner; high powered personality.The rugged individualist and pioneer; thrives on challenge. The fearless leader.Bold, courageous, audacious; confrontational, contentious.

Seeks exhilaration, intense experiences.

A person who is choleric is a doer. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instil it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. They like to be leaders and in charge of everything.

Melancholic Temperament

Humor - Black Bile

Basic Qualities - Cold and Dry

The Melancholic temperament tends to be the most problematic, since it's contrary to the Sanguine. However, with proper management Melancholics can also be healthy.

Face

Squarish or rectangular head and face.Prominent cheekbones, sunken hollow cheeks common.Small, beady eyes.Teeth can be prominent, crooked or loose.Thin lips.

Physique

Tends to be thin, lean.

Knobby, prominent bones and joints common.Prominent veins, sinews, tendons. Muscle tone good, but tends to be stiff, tight.Rib cage long and narrow, with ribs often prominent.Can gain weight in later years, mainly around midriff.

Hair

Colour dark, brunette.Thick and straight. Facial and body hair in men tends to be sparse.

Skin

A dull yellow or darkish, swarthy complexion.Feels coarse, dry, leathery, cool.Callouses common.

Appetite

Variable to poor.Varies, fluctuates according to mental/nervous/emotional state.

Digestion

Variable to poor; irregular, also varies according to mental/nervous/emotional state. Colic, gas, distension, bloating common.

Phlegmatic Temperament

Humor – Phlegm

Basic Qualities - Cold and Wet

The Phlegmatic temperament is the coldest, most passive, energy conserving and anabolic. Its traits are:

Face:

Round face; full cheeks, often dimpled. Soft, rounded features.Double chin, pug nose common.Large, moist eyes, thick eyelids and eyelashes.

Physique:

Heavy frame, stout, with flesh ample and well-developed.Often pudgy, plump or overweight; obesity common. Joints dimpled, not prominent. Veins not prominent, but can be bluish and visible. Lax muscle tone common. Feet and ankles often puffy, swollen.

Weight gain especially in lower body.

Hair

Light colour, blondish hair common. Light facial and body hair in men.

Skin

Pale, pallid complexion; very fair.Soft, delicate, cool moist skin.Cool, clammy perspiration common, especially in hands and feet.

Appetite

Slow but steady.Craves sweets, dairy products, starchy glutinous foods.

Digestion

Slow but steady to sluggish. Gastric or digestive atony common.Sleepiness, drowsiness after meals common.

Metabolism

Cold, wet and slow. Conserves energy, favours anabolic metabolism.Congestion, poor circulation, especially in veins and lymphatics.Kidneys slow, hypo-functioning, inefficient. Adrenals and thyroid tend towards hypo-function; basal metabolic rate low.