Unani Medicine System

 

 Other Name :

Arab medicine, Greeko-Arab Medicine, Islamic Medicine
In Arabic,Unani means Greece and Tibb means Medicine. Thus the composite term  "Unani Tibb" denotes an old system of medicine of Greece origin.

 

Origin And Development :

Greece system of medicine begen with "God Apollo", the mentor of healing art, who chases away all ills. Hippocrates is credited  with this system.He lerned the "Concept Of Crisis","Critical Day" and "healing  power of nature" from Pythogoras.He also acquired the notion of Alemneon that, health consists of a state
of harmony and disease is distubance of harmony.

He developed his theory based on these fundamentals known as "Theory Of Humours". The four humours (fluids) are blood, phlegm,yellow bile and black bile.These humours enter in to body consititution. Health and Illness are due to balance and imbalance of humours respectivety.


Aristotle,the Father of Natural History made significant contributions for the development of this system.
Galen and others contribution for the stabilization of system.
 It had been carried to Persia, where Arab physicians lije Avicenna improved it. Gradually, it was evolved in to Greeko-Arab medicine in the middle ages.The contemporary system Ayurveda,Chinese medicine,etc., helped for the enrichment of Unani system. Many herbs of other systems were included.It was introduced in to India in 11th century after Muslim invasion.

Theory :

Two Theories Of  U.T.system  They are,

1) Hippocrates "Theory Of Four Humours".

2) Pythogoras "Theory Of Four Proximate Qualities".

The four proximate qualities are the states of living human
body like hot,cold,fire, moist and dry,representing earth and
air respectively.Arab physicians put all these as seven working priniples (Umur-e-Tebai) i.e.,elements,life,humours,organs,spirit-energy,treatment and action.
These principles are responsible for body constitution, health and disease condition.

 Diagnosis And Treatment :

Unani medicine aims at treating the cause of disease rather than symptoms.Diagnosis includes pulse reading, urine and stool's examination.

            Since disease is understood as the imbalance of humours,treatment is given accordingly. Poly-herbal preparations are prescribed as their collective effect is considered.

Example: Few medicines used in Unani medicines are Futal, Kabab Chini, Gili, Karanj, Kulthi, Qust.