The keen clinical acumen of Hahnemann led him to state: the inimical forces, partly psychical, party physical, to which our terrestrial existence is exposed, which are termed morbific noxious agents, do not possess the power of morbidly deranging the health of man unconditionally; but we are made ill by them only when our organism is sufficiently disposed and susceptible to the attack of the morbific cause that may be present, and to be altered in its health; deranged and made to undergo abnormal sensations and functions – hence they do not produce disease in every one nor at all times (Sec. 31, sixth edition of Organon).
But Hahnemann did nowhere explicitly discuss about the essential nature of susceptibility to diseases or the factors which increase or diminish the same. In order to understand this problem in detail we have to cross the frontiers of physical science and step into the domain of metaphysics and occultism. Indian spiritual experiences and Ayurveda (Indian system of Medicine) help us in this matter.
The living human body has developed into a minutely constructed and elaborated system of organs and tissues. Their functioning is very delicately balanced. It can easily become a disorder, leading to a general or local disorganisation dependent on an easily disturbed nervous system. Life and matter are not two entirely disparate entities. There is an evolutionary nexus between the two i.e., life has evolved from matter wherein is involved life. On the one hand there is a persistent effort on the part of Life to impose its own laws on matter and on the other hand matter is all the time trying to dominate life.
So long the balance is in favour of life the living body persists and so long the mutual action and reaction is well adjusted there is a condition of life with ease and comfort. We call it a healthy state of the organism. Whenever the adjustment between life and matter fails there appears a condition of disease or illness i.e., a state of suffering. So far the medical science particularly, life goes always with its environment and “Man – cum – Environment” is he unit of study.
In biological organisations there comes a question of individuality i.e., every organism is unique and uniqueness is manifested by the peculiarity of its reaction to environmental factors. Through individuality the organism maintains its separative existence. Whence comes this individual aspect of an organism? “Unity in diversity” seems to be the plan of creation. Transcendental infinite is the fundamental reality which express itself through infinite variations of itself.
That is why each individual manifestation is unique in itself; and this individual soul – substance gives its stamp of individuality on the mental, vital and material sheaths which constitute the human organism. “Each man belongs not only to the common humanity but to the Infinite in himself and is therefore unique” (Sri Aurobindo). The concept of wholeness is also to be borne in mind in all cases of biological entities, so that man reacts as a whole and this wholeness is something more than the parts of which it is constituted.
This individuality goes by the name of constitution in medical sciences. There it is defined as the morphological, physiological and psychological resultant (variable in each individual) of the properties of all cellular and humoral elements of the body, and the combination of these in a special cellular state having a balance and functional output of its own, a given capacity for adaptation and a mode of reaction to its environmental stimuli.
Such a resultant is determined primarily by the laws of heredity, the inherent peculiarities of the individual and secondarily by the disturbing influences exercised by the environment upon the individuals hereditary plan of organisation. In short, constitution implies a peculiar group of qualities and tendencies through the genes which make a man what he is.
Now, a detailed and scientific study of constitution is found in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of Medicine; and this study has developed certain concepts which are equally applicable to physiological and pathological phenomena and can be made use of in therapeutic, hygienic and dietic practices. Ancient Indian philosophers and physicians have studied and analysed the universe from a psychological point of view. We perceive the universe and its contents through our senses which are limited to five. These perceptual qualities are what are know as “secondary qualities” of matter.
This psychological classification is, in a way, the most logical classification as it covers the whole sphere of thought and existence. A living body is endowed with sensations which are the outward expressions of life – force in and through the organism. The mutual actions and reactions between the organism and the external universe take place on the place of qualities.
The sensations of the organism and the so – called secondary qualities of the material things are grouped in ten pairs of opposites viz. (1) heavy and (light); (2) (cold) and (hot); (3) (unctuous or viscous) and (dry); (4) (inactive) and (active); (5) (motionless) and (mobile, fluid that which spread); (6) (clear, transparent) and (slimy, viscid); (7) (smooth) and (rough); (8) (soft) and (hard); (9) (penetrating, subtle) and (bulky or coarse); (10) (dense, solid) and (liquid).
It is easily perceived that in the living human body those qualities are kept in balance so that the organism is at a state of ease or comfort. Disease or discomfort ensues when equilibrium of any of these paired qualities is lost. The question that now remains to be solved is that by what mechanism the balance between these qualities is kept up. Here Ayurveda, the Indian system of Medicine steps in to present a synthetic or integrated outlook which led to the development of the tridosh concept of Vayu, Pitta and Kapha – the triumvirate of biological organisation.
According to the ancient Indian thinkers the material universe is resolved into five fundamental proto – elements i.e. (earth), (water), (fire), (air) and (ether). All different material substances have evolved through diverse permutations and combinations of these five elements possessing those twenty differents kinds of qualities as mentioned above. As the physical body forms a part of the biological living organism, the physical formula has been co – ordinated with and incorporated into this triumvirate of biological organisations to evolve a specific biological formula of the triad of Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
The five categories of physical matter are transformed into three by the method of earth and water being grouped into one, and air, ether being combined together, with the result that all five physical proto – elements found place in the living organism being translated into the biological forces of Vata, Pitta and Kapha, i.e., air and ether being combined into Vata, fire turned into Pitta and water and earth combined into Kapha. Life has been conceived to be working in threefold manner through Vayu, Pitta and Kapha principles to maintain the water – balance, thermal – balance and Vital balance systems in the organism.
Thus biological Vayu is conceived to possess the qualities of physical air i.e, it is dry, cold, light, subtle, unstable, clear and rough and it is quieted by substances of antagonistic qualities; Pitta possesses more or less the qualities of physical fire i.e., it is slightly unctuous, hot, acute, fluid, acid, mobile and pungent; it is readily quieted by substances of antagonistic qualities, Kapha possesses the qualities of water and earth, i.e., it is heavy, cold, soft, unctuous, sweet, stable and viscid, it is readily quieted by substances of antagonistic qualities. (Charaka, Sutrasthana, 1, 59-61). Thus physical phenomena have been equated with vital phenomena.
Constitution or (as it is termed in Ayurveda) of a man is an inherited or genotypal condition which is set up by a peculiar influence inherited inherited from both the parents, its own impressions from previous incarnations and the combination of the formative forces, e.g. climate, season, environment etc., obtaining at the time of impregnation. It gives individual a definite predisposition, a definite pattern of tendencies set in motion. It determines his or her degree of tolerance and resistance to external and internal disease factors.
So Ayurveda says that from the moment of conception some men are equibalanced as regards the three determinants – Vata, Pitta and Kapha and some have a predominance of Vata, some of Pitta and some of Kapha. Of them the first alone enjoy perfect health while the rest are ever liable to disease. Each of the bio – genetic type indicates what principle amongst the triune Life – force is predominant and as such impact of what qualities are to be avoided or welcomed to keep the balance of Vayu, Pitta & Kapha. A man, is naturally susceptible to those conditions and circumstances possession qualities to those conditions and circumstances possessing qualities similar to those obtaining in excess in Vatala, Pittala or Shlesmala types.
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