Understanding The Unani System Of Medicine!

Most ancient systems of human physiology and medicine believed that human beings were fundamentally made of four elements: air, water, fire, and earth in various combinations represented by four bodily fluids or humours. Unani system of medicine also believes the human body to be made up of four humours: Blood or Dam, Phlegm or Balgham, Yellow Bile or Safra, and Black Bile or Sauda, any imbalance in the levels of which causes a disease.

Unani is a holistic system of medicine which treats a disease not only by prescribing medicines but also by incorporating certain types of food in the patient s daily diet to supply essential nutrients. Some cases require surgery which is also practised in the Unani system of medicines.

In the Unani system of medicines, the human body is considered to be made up of seven constituents. Arkan refers to the elements air, water, earth, and fire, a combination of which is present in a human being which defines their body constituency. Mizaj refers to the temperament of an individual which is considered to be defined by the balance of the elements in the body. Temperament of an individual determines the nature of the individual and is important to determine the treatment necessary for a disease.

The Unani system of medicine originated in ancient Greece, which was called Unan or Yunan in Arabic. The Greek philosopher Hippocrates is said to have laid the foundations of this system of medicine and is credited as the Father of Unani. The present form of Unani is credited to the Arabs, who translated vast amounts of Greek literature into Arabic and added their own extensive inputs of contemporary traditional medicine practiced in the Middle Eastern countries, China, and India.