Disease

The idea that a man’s biological constitution—his morphological structure, his physiological functioning, and his mental and emotional make-up—has something to do with his state of health in general and his illnesses in particular is as old as medicine itself. Indeed some of the earliest writers on such matters, whose works may be regarded as still maintaining in some degree an unbroken continuity with the present-day body of medical doctrine, appear to have had a clearer insight than characterizes a not inconsiderable part of the thinking of physicians to-day as to the importance of the innate constitution of the individual as a causal factor in determining his state of health. The Airs, Waters, and Places of Hippocrates as an example is, above everything else, a biological discussion of the inseparable effects of nature and nurture (constitution and environment) in making individuals 10and races what they are observed to be. ¹ In illustration the following passage may be quoted (Chaps. 20 and 21) : ²

“I will give you a strong proof of the humidity [laxity] of their constitutions. You will find the greater part of the Scythians, and all the Nomades, with marks of the cautery on their shoulders, arms, wrists, breasts, hip-joints, and loins, and that for no other reason but the humidity and flabbiness of their constitution, for they can neither strain with their bows, nor launch the javelin from their shoulders owing to their humidity and atony ; but when they are burnt, much of the humidity in their joints is dried up, and they become better braced, better fed, and their joints get into a more suitable condition. They are flabby and squat at first, because, as in Egypt, they are not swathed ; and then they pay no attention to horsemanship, so that they may be adepts at it; and because of their sedentary mode of life ; for the males, when they cannot be carried about on horseback, sit the most of their time in the wagon, and rarely practise walking, because of their frequent migrations and shiftings of situation ; and as to the women, it is amazing how flabby and sluggish they are. The Scythian race are tawny from the cold, and not from the intense heat of the sun, for the whiteness of the skin is parched by the cold, and becomes tawny.

It is impossible that persons of such a constitution could be prolific, for, with the man, the sexual desires are not strong, owing to the laxity of his constitution, the softness and coldness of his belly, from all which causes it is little likely that a man should be given to venery; and besides, from being jaded by exercise on horseback, the men become weak in their desires. On the part of the men these are the causes; but on that of the women, they are embonpoint and humidity ; for the womb cannot take in the semen, nor is the menstrual discharge such as 11it should be, but scanty and at too long intervals ; and the mouth of the womb is shut up by fat and does not admit the semen ; and, moreover, they themselves are indolent and fat, and their bellies cold and soft. From these causes the Scythian race is not prolific. Their female servants furnish a strong proof of this ; for they no sooner have connection with a man than they prove with child, owing to their active course of life and the slenderness of body”.