UNANI

1. Unani

2. • The Unani System of Medicine has a long and impressive
record in India.
• Unani system originated in Greece. Its foundation was laid
down by Hippocrates.
• It was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians
sometime around the eleventh century.
• The word Unani is derived from the Greek word “Ionian”.
• Unani medicine is characterized by the work of its
practitioners also known as Hakims, who worked on the
basic principles of harmony and balance along with the
physical, mental and spiritual knowledge.

3. Origin & Development of Unani System
• Hakim Ajmal Khan IS UNANI physician but also one of the
foremost freedom fighters in the country. He established an
Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College and Hindustani Dawakhana
– a pharmaceutical company – for Ayurvedic and Unani medicine
in Delhi in 1916.
• Today the Unani system of medicine with hospitals and
educational and research institutions, forms an integral part
of the national health care delivery system.
• Today, India is one of the leading countries in so for as the practice
of Unani medicine is concerned.

4. • According to the Unani system of medicine the human body
is considered to be made up of the following seven
components are:
• i. Elements (Arkan)
• ii. Temperament (Mizaj)
• iii. Bodily Humors (Akhlat)
• iv. Organs and systems (Aaza)
• v. Vital Spirits (Arwah)
• vi. Powers (Quwa)
• vii. Functions (Afaal)
• These seven components interact with each other to maintain the
balance of the Human body.
• Each individual has a self regulating capacity or power, called
tabiyat to keep these components in equillibrium.

5. Elements (Arkan)
• The human body contains four elements (earth
,air, water, fire)
• Eachof the four elementshasitsown temperament as follows
:
• Air: Hot and Moist, Earth: Cold and Dry, Fire: Hot and Dry,
Water : Cold and Moist.
• Itresultsduetointeractionofeachelement.

6. Temperament (Mizaj)
• In the Unani system, the temperament of the individual is very
important as it is considered to be unique.
• The individual’s temperament is believed to be the result of the
interaction of these four elements.
• The temperament may be equitable (presence of required amount of
temperament in the human body) or inequitable (absence of equal
distribution of temperament according to their requirements for
healthy functioning of the body).

7. Bodily Humours (Akhlat)
• Humours are those moist and fluid parts of the body which are produced
after conversion and metabolism of the food and are categorised into four
groups dependingontheircolour:
• Dam (Blood)
• Balgham(Phlegm)
• Safra (Yellowbile)
• Sauda (blackbile)
• These humours on deposition become sanguine, phlegmatic, chloretic and
melancholic.
• The quality and quantity of the homours in an individual determines his
health.
• Conditionsotherthanthisbalancesignifyailmentanddisease.

8. • The humours are responsible for maintaining moisture
of different organs of the body and also provide
nutrition to the body.
• These also affect physical and behavioural state and
are stable only in a healthy person.

9. Organs and systems(Aaza)
• Theseare the various organsof the human body.
• The health or disease of each individual organ
determine the state of health of the whole body.

10. Vital Spirits (Arwah)
• It is also known as Ruh (Spirit) that 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.
• These carry different powers and make whole body system
and its parts functional.

11. Powers (Quwa) Thes
eare of threekinds
:
• Natural power (Quwa Tabiyah)
• Natural power is the power of metabolism and reproduction. This is
done by Liver and also carried out in every tissue of the body.
Metabolism is concerned with the processes of nutrition and growth of
human.
• Psychic power (Quwa Nafsaniyah)
• It refers to nervous and psychic power. It is located in side the brain and
is responsible for perceptive and motive power. Perceptive power
conveys impressions or sensation and brings about movements as a
response to sensation.

12. • Vital power (Quwa Haywaniyah)
• Vital power is responsible for maintaining life and
Helps all the organs to accept the effect of psychic
power.
• Thispower is located in the heart.

13. Functions (Afaal)
• This component refers to the movements and
functionsof all the organsof the body.
• In case of a healthy body the variousorgans are
not only in proper s
hape but are als
o performing
their respective functions.
• This makes it necessary to have full knowledge
of the functions of the human body in full detail

14. Diagnosis
• The Diagnostic process in Unani system is dependent on
observation and physical examination.
• The cause and nature of illness is determined first and then
treatment is carried out.
• Diagnosis involves investigating the causes of disease thoroughly
and in detail.
• They determine contraction and expansion of arteries produces by
systolic and diastolic pressure of heart.
• For this, the physicians depend mainly on pulse (Nabz) reading
and examination of urine and stool.

15. • The ten conditions of puls
e observed during
the diagnos
isare:
• i. Quantity
• ii. Force
• iii. Duration of movement
• iv. Condition of the ves
s
el wall
• v. Volume

16. • vi. Duration of the rest period
• vii. Palpitation of the pulse
• viii. Equality and inequality
• ix. Balance of the pulse
• x. Rhythm

17. • Physical examination
• Is carried out by the diagnosis of urinogenital disorders,
pathogenesis of blood and other humors, metabolic
disorders and liver diseases.
• The following observations of urine are made:
• Colour
• Consistency
• Clearness and turbidity
• Odour
• Foam or froth
• Precipitates
• Quantity

18. • The examination of stool, its colour, quantity,
consistency and the presence of foreign body help very
much in the diagnosis of various diseases.
• Besides the means of pulse reading and physical
examination of urine and stool, other conventional
means such as inspection, palpitation, percussion and
occultation are also used for diagnosis purposes.

19. • Principles of Treatment
• Treatment is based on temperament and humors.
• In diseased condition, there is imbalance between these.
• Drug used for the management of a disease should posses an
opposite temperament than that of diseased humors.
• Eg: Disease which is cold in nature is cured by a drug having hot
temperament.
• Treatment can be done by four methods:
• Dietotherapy: Treatment through diet
• Regimental Therapy: Treatment through certain procedure, tools
and equipments
• Pharmacotherapy: Treatment done through drugs which are of
plant, animal or mineral origin.
• Surgery: Treatment through major/minor surgical procedures

20. • Prevention of Disease
• Unani medicine believes in promotion of
health, prevention of diseases and cure.
Health of human is based on the six essentials prerequisites:
• Atmospheric air
• Drinks and foods
• Physical activity and rest (Body movement)
• Sleep and wakefulness
• Excretion and retention
• Mental activity and rest

21. Strength of Unani
• Unani systemof Medicine hasvery remarkable
strength in the following disorders:
• S
kin disorders
• Digestive disorders
• Mental disorders
• S
exual dis
orders
• Gynecological disorders
• Neurological disorders