TEMPERAMENT, among physicians, the same
with constitution, or a certain disposition of the solids
and fluids of the human body, by which it may be
properly denominated strong, weak, lax, &c.
In every person there are appearances of a tempera-
ment peculiar to himself, tho' the ancients only took no-
tice of four, and some have imagined these were deduced
from the theories of the four humours or four cardi-
nal qualities; but it is more probable that they were
first founded on observation, and afterwards adapted
to those theories, since we find that they have a real
existence, and are capable of receiving an explanation.
The two that are most distinctly marked, are the san-
guineous and melancholic, viz. the temperaments of
youth and age.
1. Sanguineous. Here there is laxity of solids, dis-
coverable by the softness of hair and succulency; large
system of arteries, redundancy of fluids, florid com-
plexion; sensibility of the nervous power, especially
to pleasing objects; irritability from the plethora;
mobility and levity from lax solids. These characters
are distinctly marked, and are proved by the dis-
eases incident to this age, as hemorrhagies, fevers, &c.
but these, as they proceed from a lax system, are more
easily cured.
2. Melancholic Habit. Here greater rigidity of so-
lids occurs, discoverable by the hardness and crispature
of the hair; small proportion of the fluids, hence dry-
ness and leanness; small arteries, hence pale colour;
venous plethora, hence turgescency of these, and livi-
dity; sensibility, frequently exquisite, but with great
tenacity of impressions; steadiness in action and slowness
of motion, with great strength; for excess of this con-
stitution in maniacs gives the most extraordinary in-
stance of human strength we know. This tempera-
ment is most distinctly marked in old age, and in
males. The sanguineous temperament of youth makes
us not distinguish the melancholic till the decline of
life, when it is very evident, from diseases of the
veins, hemorrhoids, apoplexy, cachexy, obstructions
of the viscera, particularly of the liver, dropsies, affec-
tions of the alimentary canal, chiefly from flower and
weaker influence of the nervous power. So much for
the sanguineous and melancholic temperaments; the
other two are not so easily explained.—The choleric
temperament takes place between youth and manhood.
In the
3. Choleric, the distribution of the fluids is more ex-
actly balanced; there is less sensibility, and less obe-
sity, with more irritability, proceeding from greater
tension, less mobility and levity, and more steadiness
in the strength of the nervous power. As to the
4. Phlegmatic. This temperament cannot be di-
stinguished by any characters of age or sex. It agrees
with the sanguineous in laxity and succulency. It dif-
fers from that temperament, and the melancholic, by
the more exact distribution of the fluids. Again, it
differs from the sanguineous, by having less sensibili-
ty, irritability, mobility, and perhaps strength, tho'
Temperament sometimes indeed this last is found to be great.
These are the ancient temperaments. The temperaments, indeed, are much more various; and very far from being easily marked and reduced to their genera and species, not only on account of variety of temperaments themselves, but also on account of idiosyncrasy.