2. HISTORY
Started in ancient Greece with Hippocrates and Galen’s focus on humorism and natural
healing.
Arabian scholars like Avicenna and Al-Razi, who preserved and expanded knowledge.
Reached India in the 12th century and integrated with Ayurvedic concepts.
Focus on balance of four humors and uses natural remedies to maintain health.
Recognized as an official system of medicine in several countries today.
3. Origins & Philosophy
Unani is one of the most well known traditional medicine systems and draws on the
ancient traditional systems of medicine of China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Persia and Syria.
It is also called Arab medicine.
Unani is still popular in many Arab and East Asian countries.
4. KEY WORDS
Humors:
Blood, black bile, yellow bile, phlegm.
Hakim:
Unani practitioner with specialized training.
Dawakhana:
Unani pharmacy.
Nuskha:
Unani prescription.
5. HUMARS
There are four kinds of humors
Blood ( dam ) :
The force of blood is hot and wet
Phlegm ( balgham ) :
The force of phlegm is cold and wet.
Yellow bile ( safra ):
The force of yellow bile is hot and dry.
Black bile ( sauda ):
The force of black bile is cold and dry.
6. 7 Basic elements of Unani medicine
Arkan (Elements)
Akhlat (Humours)
Aaza (Organs)
Arwah (Spirits)
Afaal (Functions)
Mizaj (Temperament)
Quwa (Faculties)
7. SPIRITS
Ruh (Spirit) is a gaseous substance, obtained from the inspired air, it helps in all the metabolic
activities of the body.
It is the source of vitality for all the organs of the body.
These are considered to be the life force and are, therefore, important in the diagnosis and treatment
of disease.
There are three kinds of Spirits
8. There are three kinds of Spirits (gaseous substance)
Natural spirit:
Spread out from the liver, penetrates through the veins into the whole body, and is
servant to the natural forces
Vital spirit:
Spread out from the heart, penetrates through the arteries into the whole body, and is
servant to the vital forces.
Psychic spirit:
Spread out from the brain, penetrates through the nerves into the whole body and is
servant to the psychic forces
9. 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.
10. 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:
1) Inhalation of pure air.
2) 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.
3) Proper excretion is necessary.
4) Adequate sleep is needed excess or deficiencies can both lead to poor health.
5) Moderate exercise can be accomplished through yoga.
6) Mental peace can be accomplished through meditation.
11. TREATMENTS
Natural Remedies:
Herbs, minerals, animal products, single or compound formulations.
Regimental Therapies:
Massage, cupping, leech therapy (cleansing & balance).
Surgery:
Last resort