Introduction
Unani medicine system has come in India around the 12th century under the rule of Mughal empires’ King, Allauddin Khilji. According to this system the treatment of any disease through this system is depends on the proper diagnosis. The clinical features as the sign, symptoms, laboratory features and mijaz are important to diagnose any disease.
Basic principle
The Unani medicine is divided into two parts.
A. Theory -
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The Theory of Naturals
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The Theory of Causes
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The Theory of Signs
B. Naturals – There are seven things which are natural, They are:
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Arkan, or element
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Mizaj, or temperament
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Akhlat, or bodily humours
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Aaza, or organs and systems
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Arwah, or vital spirit
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Quwa, or faculties or powers
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Afaal, or functions
There are 4 basic elements on which the Unani system of medicine depends:
Fire (aag) – Force of fire is hot and dry
Air (Hawa) - Force of air is hot and wet
Water (Pani) - Force of water is cold and wet
Earth (Mitti) - Force of earth is cold and dry
Unani views
According to this system there are four elements in human body as the Blood, Phlegm, yellow bile and the black bile. Those therapies include dalak (massage), hammam (bath and sauna), karat (exercise), fasd (venesection, or opening a vein to let out blood), hijamat (cupping, a process of drawing blood to the surface of the body by using a glass cup or tube), and amat-e-kai (leeching, or bleeding a person by using leeches).
Scope of unani
“Unani is the ancient medical system which is involved in the treatment of patients to help in enhancing the body’s natural healing system by using Unani medicines”.
UNANI
The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece. The teachings of Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen form the basis of theoretical framework of Unani medicine. After Hippocrates, Jalinoos (Galen), Abu Baker Ibn-e-Zakaria Razi (Razer) and Ibn-e- Sina (Avicenna) enriched the Unani System into a complete, systematic form whereby it flourished into a Golden Era. According to Unani philosophy the health and illness of a person depends upon the balance of these humours in the body. They are Dam (Blood), Balgham (Phlegm), Safra (Yellow bile), Sauda (Black bile) remain in equilibrium.
BUQRAT (Hippocrates) (460-377 BC)
Hippocrates. the Greek philosopher-physician born at the Island of Cos (Greece), freed medicine from the realm of superstition and magic and gave it the status of science. The theoretical framework of Unani Medicine is based on the teachings of Hippocrates. He was the first person to establish that disease is a natural process, that its symptoms are the reactions of the body to the disease and that the chief function of the physician is to aid the natural forces of the body. He was the first physician and the only one on record from antiquity to introduce the method of taking medical histories. The well-known humoural theory is also one of his chief contributions to the medical realm. Besides, he was the first person to establish hospitals and emphasized on morality of a physician and made medicine a subject on scientific lines
MEDICAL INNOVATION INTRODUYCED BY UNANI SYSTEM
Avicenna was the first to describe meningitis, intubation (surgical procedure to facilitate breathing), contamination of the body by "foreign bodies" prior to infection, tuberculosis as being a communicable disease, surgical treatment of cancer. Al Razi was the first to describe smallpox and measles. The Arab surgeon, Al Zahrawi was the first to describe haemophilia and also the first surgeon in history to use cotton
UNANI MEDICINE
The Unani System of Medicine has a long and impressive record in India. It was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century. Today, India is one of the leading countries in so for as the practice of Unani medicine is concerned. It has the educational, largest research number and of health Unani care institutions.
PRINCIPLES OF UNANI SYSTEM
The Unani medicine is divided into two parts
Theory and Practice
Theory is divided into three parts:
The theory of Naturals
The theory of Causes
The theory of Signs
NATURALS
There are seven things which are natural, they are
Elements (arkan)
Temperaments (mizai)
Humors (akhlat)
Organs (aza)
Forces (arwah)
Actions (afa'al)
Spirits (quva)
ELEMENTS
There are four basic elements on which unani system of medicine depends:
Fire (aag)
Air (hawa)
Water (pani)
Earth (mitti)
The force of fire is hot and dry. The force of air is hot and wet. The force of water is cold and wet. The force of earth is cold and dry.
TEMPERAMENTS
There are nine kinds of temperaments in which eight are non-equable and one is equable. Of the eight non- equable, four are single: hot, cold, wet, and dry; and four are compound: hot and dry, hot and wet, cold and dry, and cold and wet.
Unanihakims can classify patients according to their temperament. hot temperament individuals are physically strong, have good digestion, and a quick temper moist temperament individuals are obese and excessively salivate cold and dry temperament individuals have a good appetite and prominent blood vessels
The concept of Akhlat (Humours):
Khilt means a type of mixed fluid, which runs in arteries, veins and capillaries
I. Sauda -----Black Bile
2. Safra --- Bile
3. Balghem --- Phlegm
4. Dam --- Blood
When they are thoroughly mixed they called as Akhlat. It is called blood because it dominates. Hippocrates says diseases are due to the disturbance in Akhlat. Allama Abu Sahal Masihi define Khilt as a liquid matter which is kept in hollow organs, which do not let then runout. Avecena says, Khilt is a liquid matter towards which the diet is metabolized.
ORGANS
There are four kinds of organs:
Some are principal organs, comparable to elements and metals; these are four: the brain, the heart, the liver, and the two testicles (in the female, the two ovaries).
Others are servants to these principal organs
FORCES
There are three kinds of forces:
Natural
Vital
Psychic
ACTIONS
There are two kinds of actions:
Some are single: These are the actions that are achieved each by a single force, like attraction, retention, digestion, and propulsion.
Others are compound- These are achieved by two or more forces.
SPIRITS
There are three kinds of spirits:
Natural spirit:- Emanates from the liver, penetrates through the viens into the whole body, and is servant to the natural forces
Vital spirit :- Emanates from the heart, penetrates through the arteries into the whole body , and is servant to vital forces
Psychic spirit:- Emanates from the brain, penetrates through the nerves into the whole body and is servant to the psychic forces.
DIAGNOSIS
The diagnosis of diseases in Unani system of medicine is through examination of pulse(nabz), urine(baul) and stool(baraz). This system observes the influence of surroundings and ecological conditions such as air, food, drinks, body movement and repose, psychic movement and repose, sleep and wakefulness and excretion and retention on the state of health. This influence causes a dominance of one of the four humours in every human body. Unani believes that it is this dominance which gives a man his individual habit and complexion i.e. his temperament.
In Unani following types of treatments are adopted.
1. Elaj bit Tadbeer (regimental therapy) includes Veinisection, cupping, leaching, diaphoresis, diuresis, Turkish bath, massage, cauterization, purging, emesis, exercise and leeching.
2. Elaj bil Ghiza (dietotherapy): administration of specific diets or by regulating the quantity and quality of food. Humors which are products of digestion of food iSrestored first to get rid accumulated toxins.
3. Elaj bid dawa (Pharmacotherapy): Herbal medicines are used for the treatment for both external and internal usage. Internally they are used single or in combination with other drugs or formulation, because of the delicacy and importance of the digestive process.
MAINTENCE OF GOOD HEALTH
Unani-philosophy dictates that good health can be maintained if the relative proportions of 4 humors are kept stable. Keeping this in mind, hakims advocate 6 methods to keep these humors in balance: Inhalation of pure air. Moderate intake of foods and drinks - too much or too little of certain foods and drinks can stimulate an imbalance in the proportions of the humors. Proper excretion is necessary. Adequate sleep is needed - excess or deficiencies can both lead to poor health. Moderate exercise - can be accomplished through yoga. Mental peace - can be accomplished through meditation.
Makhaz-e-Advia (Sources of Drugs):
Materia medica of Unani System of Medicine consists of drugs from three main sources. These are:
1. Botanical Source
2.Animal Source
3.Geological or mineral Sources
BENEFITS
Unani-tibbipractitioners still treat people with herbal remedies and manipulation, for a variety of illnesses. In the Islamic world, many of the poorer people who cannot afford" Allopathic medicine"' still resort to this traditional medicine. There are also people who prefer unani-tibbi to allopathic medicine, as indeed, the traditional unani-tibbi remedies do not bring with them the side effects commonly experienced with allopathic drugs.
