The hallmark of homeopathy lies in its importance given to the individuality of a person, considering him unique, analysing the case history and getting to the core essence while selecting a remedy. Homeopaths select the Similimum on the basis of constitution, diathesis and temperaments. Temperament is the psychological and biological organization peculiar to the individual, including one’s character or personality predispositions, which influence the manner of thought and action and general views of life. Personality is the external individual or what we see, while temperament is the real core.
It was Hippocrates who believed that there were 4 humors or liquids thought to be circulated in the body, viz. Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and Black Bile. These got metaphorically associated with a prevailing emotion:
- Blood with joy: Sanguine temperament
- Phlegm with worry and contemplative calm: Phlegmatic
- Yellow bile with anger: Choleric
- Black bile with sadness: Melancholic
Let us see the sanguine temperaments in detail. People of sanguine temperaments are extroverts, fun-loving and optimistic. They are lively, vivacious and full of life. They are playful and do not like to be tied down to few relationships or to any activity. They are spontaneous and frequently desire change. They love to laugh and be with people; they are magnetic and charismatic and attract attention easily. They also get quickly excited by an offence and may show anger violently; but as soon as the emotions are vented out they become pleasant bearing no grudge. They are creative, imaginative and innovative.
They have a negative side too. They can be very superficial, not going to the depth or essence of things as it is hard for them to stick to one thing, activity or relations. Vanity is other aspect of sanguine people and they tend to get a childish joy in their appearances, clothes and work. They can be heedless and reckless and tend to turn a deaf ear to any advice given. They tend to be frivolous, irresponsible and unreliable.
Examples of predominantly sanguine remedies are Phosphorus, Agaricus, and Hyoscyamus.
Agaricus: Some of salient features of Agaricus include: increase of strength, with cheerful delirium. The person sings and talks incessantly. They are increasingly cheerfulness, have courage, loquacious, with exalted fancy and extravagance.
Hyoscyamus: Great liveliness; speaks in a hurried manner, loquacious and has a foolish laughter. Restless, full of fanciful ideas, makes ridiculous grimaces and gesticulations like a comic character.
Phosphorus: We all know Phosphorus as an extremely sociable, extrovert and lively type of person. He is hypersensitive and sensitive to external impressions. He is full of imaginative ideas and is creative. They can get their work done easily with their sweet talks and excellent communication skills and relationships.
Tempraz Expert System in Hompath software helps to discover the core temperaments in cases. Tempraz practical repertory gives you clear understanding of rubrics and its utilization for practical purposes.