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An Introduction and Development of Unani System of Medicine and Its Potential Herbal Drugs Used for Liver Diseases

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An Introduction and Development of Unani System of Medicine and Its Potential Herbal Drugs Used for Liver Diseases 3 Review: Review: An introduction and development of Unani System of Medicine and its Potential Herbal Drugs Used for Liver Diseases Javed Ahmad Visiting Visiting Associate Professor, Research Center for Ethnomedicines, Institute of Natural Medicine (Department (Department of Botany, Hamdard University, New Delhi, INDIA) Europe and Arab World for almost eight centuries. Historical Historical Background: Ibn Ibn Zohar (1092-1198 A.D.), an Arab scholar wrote Unani system of medicine owes its origin to an important compendium of Unani medicaments Greece. Greece. It was the Greek philosopher physician in his book Kitabul-Taiseer fl Madawat Wal-Tadbir. Hippocrates Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), who put forward the Ibn Rushd (1126-1248 A.D.), an Arab author wrote theoretical theoretical framework of Unαni system of mediｭ an important book, Kitabul Kulliyat (Principles of cine. cine. After Hippocrates a number of Greek scholars Medicines). Ibn-e-Baiytar (1190-1286 A.D.), the enriched enriched this system considerably. Of them Galen great botanist of his times collected information (131 ・ 210 A.D.) is the one who established its founｭ about 1,000 drugs from the authentic sources but dation, dation, and Arab physician like Rhazes (850-925 also added about 500 drugs to the materia medica, A.D.) A.D.) and Avicenna (980-1037 A.D.) further develｭ as a result of his personal research. His book Alｭ oped this. Jami Li Mufradat al Adwiya Wal Aghzia has been Hippocrates Hippocrates and Galen were Greek scholars. translated in Urdu by Central Council of Research The humoural concept was suggested by in Unani Medicine, Govt. of India. Three volumes Hippocrates Hippocrates in his book Tabiatul lnsan. Galen of this treatise have been published. The fourth is to based based his philosophy and theories on experimental be brought out shortly. Alｷ fasihi (1233 ’ 1286 evidence. evidence. He defined the structure and functions of A.D.), a renowned Arab author presented up to date all all body organs and established a concept of anatｭ knowledge on the subject in his book, Kitab-alｭ omy as well as physiology of the human body. ”De Umda fil Jarahat. He also mentioned the prescripｭ Simplicibus" Simplicibus" enjoyed great popularity in Latin. tions based on single drugs. During the time of Abbasit Caliphate (749- Unani medicine got enriched by imbibing 1258 A.D.) the Arab scholars of the time converted what was best in the contempor訂y systems of tradiｭ almost almost all Greek, Roman and Latin medical and sciｭ tional medicine in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India entific entific works into Arabic. Rhazes (850-925 A.D.) China and other Middle East countries. was a famous, legendary healer of the Arab world. His His most celebrated work is Al-Hawi (Libre Introduction in India: Continents). Continents). It is available in 25 volumes. It covers Greeko-Arab System: the the subjects of therapeutics, materia medica and Ayurveda: Native medicine (in India). pharmacy. pharmacy. The most significant work of Zahra vi ”Unani Tibb”: Amalgamated form. (946 (946 A.D.) is Al-Tasreef, a book on surgery. Ibn Ibn Sina (Avicenna) was born in Bukhara. He Hakim Gilani came to India from Iran during travelled travelled very widely. He reformulated the theories the reign of Akbar the Great (1556-1605), and beｭ from a clinical point of view in his book Al-Qanon came personal physician of the emperor. He was Fit Fit Tibb, latinised as The Canon of Medicine. This honoured with the title of ”Galen of the age”. He book has also been translated into Uzbek Turkish was veηf intelligent and fervent. He wrote the comｭ Hebrew, English and Urdu. It was accepted in mentaηon Al-Qanon. 4 In In India, this system was introduced by Arabs According to Unαni scholars "T.αbiat" (physis) in in 13th - 14th centuηr A.D. The Unani (Greekoｭ is a power which all living beings possess to mainｭ Arab) Arab) system of medicine came to India with the tain good health. It takes c訂e of the smooth funcｭ Muslims. Muslims. Due to the native medicine Ayurveda and tioning of all bodily functions and fight against the due to the temperament of the people of India the diseases. The concept of Tabiat was laid down by new system was not easily acceptable. The scholars the ‘Hippocrates’ who said "the nature heals" and and physicians of Unani medicine who settled in the physician is only nature ’s assistant, and he adｭ India India were not content with the known drugs, but vised physicians to abide by and follow the power they they subjected Indian drugs to clinical trials, and as of Tabiat (physis) and not antagonise it. a result of their experimentations added numerous native native drugs to this system. Thus a hybrid amalgam Seven natural principles (Umoor e tabla): of of the Greeko Arabic and Ayurvedic medical pracｭ tice tice was gradually produced, whieh later on was 1) Elements (Arkan) known as. ”Unani Tibb” or ”Tibbi medicine”. During 2) Temperament (Mizaj) the the British rule in India, Unani medicine suffered. 3) Humours (Akhlat) It It declined. Sharief family in Delhi, and the Aziz 4) Members (Aza) family family in Lucknow (India) during the late 18th and 5} Pneuma or vital breaths (Arwah) early early 19th centuries and the Nizam of Hyderabad 6) Faculties (Quwa) wanted to keep the tradition alive. Thus Unani 7) Functions or operations (Af aal) medicine medicine survived by their efforts. Hakeem Ajmal Khan ( 1864-1926) an outstanding physician and 1) Elements (Arkan) scholar scholar of Unani medicine championed the cause of Among these seven natural principles the the the system in India. first is elements (Arkan). These are simple indiｭ Hakeem Abdul Hameed, a renowned Unani visible substances, which provide the primary physician, physician, established a Unani institution (Jamia components of the body. They can not be further Hamdard) in Delhi in 1989. His younger brother resolved into simpler entities. Thus all types of Hakeem Mohammed Said established Baitul matter found in the nature are formed by the Hikmat (Unani University) in Karachi, Pakistan. combination of these substances. The element is Presently Presently the Govt. of India is patronising the the basic unit of the compound. According to the Unani system of medicine in India. The literary and classical Unani theory there are four prim紅y ele research research works of Central Council for Research in ments. Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These eleｭ Unani Medicine (Govt. of India) are commendable. ments are the basic blocks of all substances in nature nature including the human body. The concept of Unani medicine: These four elements also determine the four The ancient Greek physicians used the term states of the matter. Air stands for the gaseous ‘physiology’ to denote the origin and nature of state, water stands for the liquid state, earth things, things, which later was applied to the study of all stands for the solid state, and fire stands for matｭ the the natural sciences, including medicine and biolｭ ter, which has been transformed into heat. ogy. ogy. And since the teaching of the medical sciences Each element contains two properties in came under the general heading of ‘physicis’ the which one is active and one passive. For example practitioner practitioner of medicine was designated as ‘physi­ in fire, heat is an active property, which has the cian'. cian'. productive capacity, while dryness is the passive The Unani physicians forwarded a theory, property. Two active properties can never be which described that human bodyｷ is composed of found in an element i.e., an element can not be the the seven natural principles (Umoor e Tabia). simultaneously hot and cold. 5 Every element has a certain temperament or -Have early eruption of teeth 'Mizaj', 'Mizaj', which makes every compound differ in -Have Wぽmer skin and prominent veins nature nature as far as chemical and physical states 訂e - Their built is lean concerned. concerned. Physically three types of matters are -Have black and thick hairs found. found. Solid, liquid, and gaseous, and chemically ー They feel comfort ｷfrom the use of cold there there are Hot, Moist, Cold, and Dry ・ The human things body contains all types of matter. b) Cold personality: -They are fat and feel cold to the touch 2) 2) Temperament (Mizaj) -Have wheatish complexion According According to the Unani physicians temperaｭ - Suffer greatly during winter season and have ment or mizaj is the new state which results from little desire for drinks the the action and reaction among contrary qualities c) Dry personality: present present in minute particles of different elements. -Have dry and rough skin The resultant uniform state emerging after the -Humid things appeal to them combination combination of more than one element is ｷcalled -Do not like autumn weather and some of mizaj. mizaj. them even suffer from sleeplessness The temperament is the result of intermixｭ d) Moist personality: ture ture of elements with mutual affinity. Therefore, -These individuals have soft skin and are two forms of intermixture. If two or more eleｭ more fat men ts 訂e simply mixed and their previous propｭ -They do not tolerate moist nature things easｭ erties erties are maintained as before, it is called as ily simple simple intermixture (imtizaj sadhij), as for examｭ -They have excess sleep, excess salivation, ple ple the mixture of sugar and water in the form of and have puffiness of eyelids a syrup. If the elements mix in such a way that their their former properties are changed altogether Similarly each organ and tissue of the body and quite new properties are produced it is true has its own temperament. The main stress in this admixture admixture called factual combination (imtizaj e system is given to co汀ect the temperament or haqiqi).
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