History of Tibb-e-Unani
The origin of the word Unani is Arabic word “Unan” (Greece) and its meaning are “being from Unan” or from Greece. Unan was derived from the Greek word ‘Iona’ which was the name of a region in Greece when civilization of Greece was at peak. The word Tibb is an Arabic word which means ‘Science of medicines’. So Tibb-e-Unani refers to that system of medicine which originated from Greece.
Unani system of medicine was introduced by Ancient Greek Philosopher and Physician Hippocrates in the 4th century BC (460 to 377 BC). He was the first physician who separated the medicine from the clutches of superstition and magic and gave it the status of science. Unani system of medicines is strongly based upon the teachings of Hippocrates. His work was enriched further by a number of scholars like Plato (347 BC), Aristotle (322 BC) and especially by Galen (131-210 CE) who made fundamentals of Unani on which the Arab physicians like Rhazes (850- 925 CE) and Avicinna also known as Ibne-Sina (980-1037) constructed an imposing edifice. This is the cause that we sometimes call Unani system of medicine as Greco-Arab system. Avicinna’s (Ibne-Sina) treatise on medicine called ‘Al-Qanoon’ or ‘The Canon of Medicine’ was taught in all major Islamic and European universities up until the 19th century.
Unani system of medicine is based on the “Humoral Theory” which was presented by Hippocrates. According to “Humoral Theory”, there are four Akhlaat (humours) in the body- Dam (blood), Balgham (phlegm), Safra (yellow bile), and Sauda (black bile). Each humour has its own temprament- blood is hot and moist; phlegm is cold and moist; yellow bile is hot and dry; and black bile is cold and dry. Explaining the idea of Greek philosopher Empedocles (d. 430 BC) of the four elementary roots of all matter- earth, water, air and fire, Hippocrates presented the idea that human body was also a composition of four elements as blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. In Tibb-e-Unani, a state of health is called when there is an equilibrium and balance among these four humours and if there is any imbalance in their original composition, it is called a state of disease.
What is Unani Medicine?
Unaani means Greek and Unani medicine is an ancient Greek system of medicine based on the qualities of four temperaments and four humors. Unani medicine recognizes the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical causes of illness or health and believes that each individual should take responsibility for their own well-being.
History of Unani Medicine
The threads that comprise Unani healing can be traced back to Claudius Galenus of Pergamum, who lived in the second century of the common era. The basic knowledge of Unani medicine as a healing system was collected by Hakin Ibn Sina (known as Avicenna) in 980 ce in Persia. Subsequently, Ajmal Khan, who was born in India in 1864, is generally acknowledged to be the most significant twentieth century contributor to Unani medicine in India (Magner 1992).
Unani medicine, like Western medicine, originated with Hippocrates and his followers. The Unani system of medicine is practiced widely in Persia, Pakistan, and India. It is also practiced in South Africa, England and other countries. The Unani system is sometimes called Hikmat or Unani-Tibb.
Four elements
Unani medicine is based on the presence of the four elements fire, water, earth, and air. These elements are present in all aspects of life and in the body. Their balance leads to health and their imbalance leads to illness. The characteristic qualities of the four elements are similar to that of Ayurvedic medicine.
Four temperaments
The four temperaments are the foundational principle of Unani medicine. Everything in the universe – mineral, plant, animal, or man – consists of four elements and the qualities of heat, moistness, coldness, and dryness, in specific ratios. Depending on the ratios of these elements every object, compound or living entity has a state of equilibrium that reflects these qualities. The balance of qualities is called ‘temperament’ (Bhikha & Glynn 2007).
The four temperaments are classified as sanguinous (hot and moist), phlegmatic (cold and moist), bilious (hot and dry), and melancholic (cold and dry). Each individual and organ system will display a dominance of a specific temperament. The body fluids, also known as humors, are produced from food and drink, and are responsible for maintaining the balance of the temperaments. These humors are classified according to the same qualities.
Unani assessment and diagnosis
The disorder of the humors is diagnosed through questioning, examination of pulse and tongue, and analyses of urine and stool. The communication of diagnosis is based on an individual's temperament and humors. Diseases, themselves, are also classified according to the temperament they manifest.
Unani treatments
All Unani treatments attempt to balance the four humors and assist the natural healing ability of the body. Addressing the lifestyle factors, including appropriate food preparation and selection, is an important first step to correcting an imbalance in the humors. If the condition is more advanced, a series of herbal formulations are used to ‘ripen’ and then ‘purge’ the offending humor (Bhikha 2006).