constitution and climate

[Guest guest]

In observing plants and animals, it is clear that they each have their

ecological niche (for which they were either evolved or created). Some

animals can only live in water. Many plants can reproduce only in a very

limited temperature range. Lizards require the heat of the sun to warm

their bodies and activate their metabolism. Human habitation over the

world has been accomplished because of our ability to adapt to our

surroundings with various technologies. Fire, clothing, heating, air

conditioning. However I wonder if there is a limit to how much we can

protect ourselves. Living in the NW for 13 years, there really is no way

to protect yourself from the damp unless you live in hermetically sealed

environment. Otherwise it permeates everything. It is certainly less

overwhelming with modern protections, but everpresent nonetheless.

 

Now consider that is you put the hardiest fiercest cold blooded lizard to

have ever lived in an arctic storm, it would not last the night. Even the

weakest member of a small meek little mammal species that was adapted to

that climate would fare better. The point is that perhaps some people can

never really be well in certain climates. It is possible, for example,

that certain humans are so adapted to warm climates that they cannot

experience good health in cold climates. This may include those peoples

who have lived much of human history in the subtropics. On the other hand,

their may be others that are better adapted to cooler climates (note that

no humans are truly 100% adapted to cold climates in their natural state

as we could not survive naked, nor are our teeth and nails sufficient for

finding food in such climates). Since humans are adapted by origin to the

subtropics, it seems likely that we would still find those who had cold

tolerance problems even amongst northern peoples (and of course this is

true clinically).

 

Except for russians, americans, chinese, northern europeans and eskimos,

most of the rest of the world's peoples adapted in the subtropics --

indians, africans, spanish, central america, much of south america, arabs,

jews. If one lives in a cold northern climate, should one consider the

geographic origin of one's patients in determining treatment? for example,

maybe certain types always need a little warming or yang supplementation

when living in cold climates.

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

" Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre

minds " -- Albert Einstein

[Guest guest]

 

In my mind, there is no doubt that one has to consider both

constitutional and climatic factors in Chinese medical treatment

strategies. However, we must also consider adaptibility over

generations of living in new environments.

While central heating and air conditioning have contributed to human

beings being able to live in more novel environments, there is no doubt

that certain diseases prevail in distinct environments.

Such books as Hippocrates' " Airs, Waters, and Places " , Ibn Sina's

" Canon of Medicine " , and, of course, the Nei Jing and many other

Chinese texts talk about the influence of environment and climate on

health and disease.

Modern humanity prides itself on long-distance travel, constant

change of residence, which lead to exposures to radical changes of

weather, season and circadian rhythms.

Not enough study has been done to determine the effects of these

radical shifts on human health and disease (except for jet lag

disruption of circadian rhythms), but I think we can deduce that it

will have an overall weakening effect on immunity and overall health.

I consider travel to be a factor in the development of chronic

disease. I've had many patients over the years who have developed

weakened spleen function (among other things) from parasitic

infections, dysentery, hepatitis variants and other diseases contracted

while travelling in India, Mexico, China and other places. The

combination of exposure to conditions that one is not acclimated to and

the exhaustion of long-distance travel and disruption of routine can

have very deleterious effects on health.

 

 

 

On Sunday, April 20, 2003, at 12:29 PM, wrote:

 

> Except for russians, americans, chinese, northern europeans and

> eskimos, most of the rest of the world's peoples adapted in the

> subtropics -- indians, africans, spanish, central america, much of

> south america, arabs, jews. If one lives in a cold northern climate,

> should one consider the geographic origin of one's patients in

> determining treatment? for example, maybe certain types always need a

> little warming or yang supplementation when living in cold climates.

[Guest guest]

, wrote:

If one lives in a cold northern climate, should one consider the

geographic origin of one's patients in determining treatment? For

example, maybe certain types always need a little warming or yang

supplementation when living in cold climates. >>>

 

 

:

 

Isn't that why coffee was so popular in the NW first---it's drying,

bitter flavor helped balance the damp of the environment?

Environment can be a factor, but many other things---clothing, diet,

behavior, shelter, etc.---can also help make the proper adaptations.

 

Perhaps you want to make the question more specific, to prescribing

for body types?

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

, " " wrote:

> I consider travel to be a factor in the development of chronic

> disease. I've had many patients over the years who have developed

> weakened spleen function (among other things) from parasitic

> infections, dysentery, hepatitis variants and other diseases

contracted while travelling in India, Mexico, China and other

places. The combination of exposure to conditions that one is not

acclimated to and the exhaustion of long-distance travel and

disruption of routine can have very deleterious effects on health.>>>

 

 

Z'ev:

 

You bring up an excellent point. Persons travelling are at higher

risk for all the reasons you mention. But now travel has also

brought new disease here to the US. There is a host of new problems

that have made their way to our shores---SARS, Dengue fever, West

Nile, etc.

 

Perhaps we need to consider preventative formulas, and not simply

treat the basic patterns well-after they appear. It is one of the

strengths of CM and one of the roles that we can rise to.

 

 

Jim Ramholz