
UNANI MEDICINE

Unani medicine is one of the oldest medicine
in the world.It is still practiced in all parts of
the world but mostly is it practiced in India.

Unanimedicine is an ancient form of medicine
first developed by the Greeks in 460 BC. It
then spread throughout the Roman empire by
notable scientists such as Galen (201 AD).
With the fall of the Roman empire came the
decline in unani medicine.

It re-emerged later in Iran, where Muslim
physicians translated the unani texts into
Arabic. While in the middle east, Muslim
physicians begin to refine and further develop
unani medicine.

India was then introduced to unani medicine
in the 13th century through the numerous
Muslim invasions. Today, unani medicine is
practiced mainly in India by Muslim physicians
(called "Hakim").
Introduction
 Unaani (in Arabic, Hindustani, Persian, Pashtu, Urdu, etc) means "Greek".
It derives from the Greek word Ionia, the Greek name of the Asia Minor
coastline, from the Arabic word for Greece: "al-Yunaan".Hippocrates are
the people who freed the medicine from realm of Superstition and
Magic and gave it the status of Science.Hippocrates are regarded as the
"Father Of Unani Medicine”
 The word "Unani" (meaning "Ionian") reflects the strong Greek influence
to this tradition of medicine, but the origins of the traditional Oriental
medicine known as "Unani - Tibb" begin with the famous physician,
Avicenna. Also known by the name Hakim Abu Ali Abdullah
HusaynIbnSina, this physician and naturalist was so advanced in his
insights and dedicated to his studies that he mastered a great deal of the
medical knowledge of his day when he was barely a teenager.
Understanding Avicenna's writings in depth would tax the resources of
the greatest intellects of our time. Now Unanipathy has become a part
of Indian system of Medicine and India is one of the leading countries so
far as its practice is concerned. It is very much similar to our Ayurveda.
PRINCIPLES OF UNANI SYSTEM
The Unani medicine is divided
into two parts

Theory

Practice
Theory is divided into three parts:

The theory of Naturals

The theory of Causes

The theory of Signs
There are seven things which are
natural, they are
NATURALS
 Elements (arkan)
 Temperaments (mizaj)
 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 nonequable, 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
HUMARS
There are four kinds of humors:

Blood (dam)

Phlegm (balgham)

Yellow bile (safra)

Black bile (sauda)
The force of blood is hot and wet.
The force of phlegm is cold and
wet. The force of yellow bile is
hot and dry. The force of black
bile is cold and dry.
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 veins 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 the vital forces.
 Psychic spirit: Emanates from the brain, penetrates
through
the nerves into the whole body and is
servant to the psychic forces.
PREPARATIONS

Remedies are often provided by the practitioner or are
obtained from a specialized herbalist.

The ingredients are mainly herbs and honey. It must be noted
that the honey used will be raw and unadulterated, rather
than the type found in supermarkets, which is usually heattreated.A famous and widely used medicinal herb is black
cumin (Nigella sativa), also known as Hab Al Baraka in Arabic,
which means blessed seed. Black cumin has been cultivated
since Assyrian times and it is beneficial for a very long list of
ailments. It is widely mixed with other herbs for greater
beneficial effect and is said to strengthen the immune system
when taken over a period of time. Research has proved that it
has the ability to slow the division of cancer cells.
FOOD AS MEDICINE
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In common with many traditional sources of medicine, Unani-Tibb emphasizes
the use of flavors and tastes to adjust the imbalances which contribute to
disease.

The choices of foods and the manner in which they are prepared are considered
to be among the most important issues to consider when choosing a diet to
improve or maintain health.

Skillful use of warming and cooling spices and herbs contribute heavily to the
appropriateness of the meal to correct the root causes of imbalances.Each
ingredient in a meal affects the heat or cold balance of the body differently and
may also influence factors of the humouralsystem.
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The tastes, salty, sweet, bitter, pungent, and sour also affect the humoural
system, as do various qualities that are more subtle than the five tastes
normally considered. The aromas which are given off during the preparation
and cooking phase, as well as those emitted during the consumption of the
meal, and even some post digestive transformations, contribute to the healing
benefit of a well conceived meal. It is in this way that Hippocrates intended
physicians to "make food your medicine".
FOOD AS POISON

Modern urban society accepts the concept of the business lunch, but this type
of environment is generally not a conducive atmosphere to digestion.

From a traditional perspective, the primary agenda for any meal is to benefit
from the medicinal quality of food.

Any factor which interferes with this agenda degrades the value of the meal
inasmuch as nutrition is concerned.

Multi tasking does not enhance Digestion-anothr modern habit which had
caused a deterioration in the health value of a meal is attempting to combine
the experience with that of work, entertainment, or travel. Eating while
reading, watching television, driving, or talking on the phone will all detract
from the nutritional value of a meal, according to the traditions of Unani-Tibb. I
have also observed that when patients engage in these distractions, they not
only fail to observe the pleasure and satisfaction of eating, but there is also a
tendency to overeat.
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.
MAINTENCE OF GOOD HEALTH
Unaniphilosophy 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.
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Adequate sleep is needed -- excess or deficiencies can both lead to poor
health.
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Moderate exercise -- can be accomplished through yoga.
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Mental peace -- can be accomplished through meditation.
MEDICAL INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED BY UNANI
SYSTEM
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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 hemophilia and also the first
surgeon in history to use cotton
Avicenna
TREATMENTS
The Hakims (Unani physicians) believe in four lines of treatment:
Regimental therapy (Haj bit tadbeer) - this includes
 Exercise- regular and correct massage, steam baths, fomentation,
emesis, purging and enema.
 Diet-o-therapy (hajbilghiza)- this covers a normal diet, liquid diet for
flushing out the system, and a semi-solid diet that will allow the
digestive system a rest without resorting to the comparative extreme
of a liquid diet.
 Pharmacotherapy (haj bid dawa) - the prescription of medicines
derived from animal, mineral or plant sources.Most of the drugs are of
herbal origin. These are prepared such that there are no side- effects.
 Surgery (jarahat) - this includes venesection, cupping, leeching and
cauterization.
PREVENTION AND CURE
Looking more to prevention than cure, Unani medicine holds that
close attention to six essential factors will ensure a “Disease-andstress-free life”.
 These factors are: air, food and drink, physical activity and rest,
mental activity and repose, sleeping habits, and retention &
evacuation.
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.
Made By:
Ekta Jain
First year
Group 2