A comparative analysis on traditional medicine system

1. Traditional system of medicine is also known as folklore medicine system. Almost every country
or region has its own ways of ailing the community. The traditional systems are therefore also
known as indigenous remedies. Traditional systems have been used worldwide for centuries and
certain ancient medicine systems are still popular and used in their country of origin.
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TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SYSTEMS : A COMPARATIVE ACCOUNT
AYURVEDIC HOMEOPATHIC UNANI SIDDHA
Introduction “Ayur” means life
and “Veda” means
science.
It is the oldest
written medicine
system
Homeo means
“Like” and Pathos
means
“Treatment”.
It is a specialized
form of
therapeutics
developed by a
German physician,
chemist and
pharmacist “Dr.
Hahnemann”
dating back to
eighteenth century.
The system treats
the diseases by the
drugs that posses
power of producing
identical
symptoms.
Unani
system of
medicine
has its roots
in Greece.
Hence the
name.This
system was
introduced
by
“Hippocrate
s”
Siddhars (Tamil word
meaning perfect in
life or heavenly
bliss).
Tamils introduced
two ways in their
quest of knowledge;
1- Yoga 2- Siddha
medicine. Siddhars
were men born with
great talents who by
their devotion, search
of truth, attained
perfection in their
life.
Principle Based on the logics
of PanchaBhuta.
According to this
philosophy,
universe and
everything in the
universe are
composed of five
distinct elements
Law of similia Let
likes be cured by
likes.
Law of simplex
Simple and single
drugs be prescribed
at time Law of
minimum Drugs
are used in
minimum
quantities i.e. just
to arise the reaction
in a body Drug
Unani
consider the
human body
to be
consisting of
seven
components;
Elements
Temperame
nt,
Humors
Organs.
Spirits
It considers Nature as
the best physician
while Food itself is a
medicine.
Man consumes water
and food, breathes the
air, maintains heat in
body and remain
alive because of life
force provided by
ether.

2. proving Drugs of
known curative
power should be
known . Curative
power is the ability
of drug to produce
disease symptoms
when employed in
healthy individual.
Drug
potentisation
Process of
dynamization of
the drug in such a
way that it produce
the curative effect.
Faculties
and
Functions
Elements Doshas
Vata Factors
responsible for
movements and
sensations relying
on A.N.S and
C.N.S.
Pitta Factors
responsible for
digestion,
metabolism, heat
production,
endocrine function,
responsible for
strengthening
stomach, joints,
limbs and
refreshing sense
organs
Dhatus (basic
structures of body)
Dhatus are seven in
number; Food
juices,hemoglobin,
Muscle tissues, Fat
tissues,Bone tissues
Bone marrow
,Semen
Unani
system is
based o
Greece
philosophy
that
considers
the body to
be made of
four
elements
(Earth,
water, air
and fire)
which have
four
different
temperamen
ts (Cold,
hot, wet,
dry).
Interaction
of these
elements
produces
four
temperatures
; Hot wet;
Hot dry;
Cold wet
According to Siddha
system, universe is
composed of five
elements; Earth
Water ,Air, Fire.
Ether.
Earth is the first
element which
provides fine shape to
the body and includes
bone, muscle, skin,
hair, tissues etc.
Water represents
blood, glandular
secretions, vital fluids
etc. Fire is
responsible for
emotion, vigor and
vitality and helps in
digestion, circulation,
respiration and
nervous system
activity. Ether
represents man’s
mental and spiritual
faculties.
Harmonization/equili
brium between these
makes a person
healthy.

3. Malas (by-
products of
Dhatus)
Malas: Urine,
Faeces,
Perspiration. There
should be balance
between Doshas,
Dhatus and Malas
in order to assure
health and any
imbalance shall
lead to disease
development.
Cold dry.
The body
consists of
simple and
compound
organs
which get
their
nourishment
through four
humors;
Blood,
Phlegm,
Yellow bile
and Black
bile. It is
believed that
blood is hot
and wet,
phlegm is
cold and
hot, yellow
bile is hot
and dry and
black bile is
cold and
dry.
Further,It
says that
Human
body is
based on six
essentials;
1-
Atmospheric
air 2- Drinks
and food 3-
Sleep and
wakefulness
4- Excretion
and
retention 5-
Physical
activity and
rest 6-

4. Mental
activity and
rest
Diagnosis Diagnosis is based
on monitoring of
interaction between
health and illness.
Diagnosis include 8
assessments (Pulse,
Urine, Nervous
system, Mucous
and mucous
secretions, stool,
tongue, body
sounds and
digestion.
The medical
history and current
symptoms are
assessed. The
major symptoms,
location, sensation,
modality are
investigated.
patient's mood and
behaviour, The
case history helps
to build up a
Symptom Picture
of the the patient.
This is matched
with the drug
picture mentioned
in Homeopathic
Materia Medica.
This system
is based on
examination
of pulse,
stool and
urine in
addition to
routine
physical
checkup.
Diagnosis involved
examination of urine,
pulse, eyes, voice,
body colour, tongue
and status of
digestive system.
Diagnosis involved
the study of persona s
well as the disease.
System emphasizes
that the treatment
must be based not
only on disease but
also patient
characteristics should
be taken into account
(Age, Gender, Race,
Habits, Mental frame,
Diet, Appetite,
Physical condition
etc.
Treatment Remedies are
prescribed based on
patient’s body type
as well as disease
or disturbance in
“Doshas”. Patient
are looked at as
individuals as well
as their relation
with environment.
Treatment involves
three steps;
Cleansing,
Palliative
treatment
Rejuvenation.
Treatment include
The practitioners
always attempt to
identify a single
medicine
preparation of
remedies which
corresponds to the
patient's general
symptom picture.
The uniqueness is
that two patients
with identical
diagnosis may
receive different
medicines. There
are principally
three essential
processes involved
in the preparation
Strategies
Ilaj-bil-
tadbeer
which is
based on
Drugless
regimens
e.g.
exercise,
massage,
hamam
(Turkish
bath) etc.
Ilaj-bil-
ghiza
therapy
based on
diet.
The system uses not
only plants and
animal drugs but also
treats with metals and
minerals. Metals are
incinerated and used
as medicine. Most
commonly used
metals included gold,
silver, tin, lead and
iron. they also used
drugs that sublime on
heating e.g. mercury
and Sulphur. Siddhas
were aware of
various
pharmaceutical
industrial process e.g.
calcination,

5. use of Herbs,
Metals (Gold,
silver, copper, lead,
tin and iron) and
Minerals .
of remedies. These
processes are serial
dilution, succession
and trituration.
Serial dilution is
the process for
reducing the
toxicity of the
original crude drug
in a sequential
order. Succession
and trituration are
methods by which
power is delivered
to a preparation,
whereby the
curative characters
of the original drug
is recorded upon
the molecules of
the diluents.
Potentisation of the
drug is basically a
physical process by
which the latent
curative properties
of a drug are
activated. For
preparation of
homoeopathic
potencies of liquid
drugs, three major
scales are used,
namely, Decimal,
Centesimal and
Millesimal.
Ilaj-bil-
dawa
Correction
of cause :
Drugs are
given as
crude or as
compound
drugs
(mostly
plant origin,
some
minerals and
animal
drugs) Ilaj-
bil- yad
Involves
Surgical
procedure
sublimation,
distillation, fusion,
separation,
fermentation,
congelation etc. and
served as
polypharmacists