Unani System of Medicine
Many things are common and alike in Ayurvedic and Unani systems. Their basic premise is that earth, air, water, fire and sky is the foundation of the body. The Unani system went even further and has defined sky in its expanded form-space. It believes that many other elements run the body. Not only this but it asserts that temperature, life, strength, breath, energy and activity are the foundations of health.
Different parts of our body are made by the amalgamation of various elements at the different temperature. The body parts are affected by life force, energy and capacity to work, if there is an imbalance in any of these, life force and capacity to work are lessened and the diseases get hold of you.
As in Ayurveda, Unani Tibb also believes that phlegm, bile and the wind are produced in the body. If they are evenly balanced, the body remains healthy. In Unani system bile is supposed to be of two kinds. Later on, instead of wind or gas, the purification of blood was accepted to be the basis of good health. The digestion of food was divided into four parts. The Unani system has given detailed and scientific description and scientific description regarding the distribution of basic elements of food in the body through blood. One does not find such correct analysis in other therapies of the past. It is also believed that imbalances in the human body can be recognized by certain symptoms. Tibb system also asserts that body has its own resistance to fight diseases. It is only in modern therapies that this fact is emphasized. Unani physicians lay a great stress on the fact that the strength of the body should be increased so that the disease can be entirely rooted out.
For diagnosis, the Unani system now does all the tests that are done in modern therapies apart from the examination of the pulse. It is ascertained as to what the symptoms were at the time of the initial stages of the disease and they are compared to the symptoms at the time of examination of the patient. This enables the hakims to have a clear picture of the progress of the disease. It also makes them understand as to how the body is resisting and fighting the disease. During diagnosis and examination of the patient, skin, eyes, colour of hair, as also details regarding sleep and food habits are carefully analysed.
Method of Treatment
In the Unani system of treatment, no effort is made for a hurried treatment to cure the patient. The physicians prefer to first finish off the outer symptoms and the cause of disease and then proceed further. This is their traditional way of treatment. As the imbalances in the body are a direct result of unwholesome food, the physicians lay a great stress on food habits. The medicines are hot, cold, dry or according to the disease. In cold, hot medicines and in diseases that cause heat, cold medicines are prescribed. If there has dryness then medicines that give cool feeling are given. These medicines are selected according to their effect on the patient.
In this treatment, the weakest symptoms are tackled first. Then the physician tackles the other symptoms. In the last, treatment is continued to prevent the relapse of the diseases. The treatment is long but it has no evil side-effects. If there is a danger to live itself, strong and effective medicines are given in the very beginning to enable to patient to regain health and normal conditions at the earliest.
Modern Tibbi Treatment
The Unani system of medicine has traveled a long way to reach its present form. Like Ayurveda, it has also adapted modern practices. The modern hakims are now well versed in other sciences. The medicines are still made from herbs, as in Ayurveda. Only the names are different. The Unani or Tibbi system is making tremendous progress these days, because of the money being poured into its development by rich Arab countries. It seems that one of these days, this system will gain international recognition as medicines are concerned, this system is now absolutely self-reliant. But we do not see the old experience and correct pulse analysis nowadays. Diet regulation is also lax these days .the hakim now prefers to be called doctors and write the prescriptions in English. Allopathy is casting its shadow on this system.
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