In news : Recently, the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India organized a hybrid virtual National Conference on Unani Medicine.
Theme of the conference
The conference themed on ‘Unani Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges in times of COVID-19’
A brief note on Unani
“Unani” or “Yunani medicine” is the term for Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific
Unani, like Ayurveda, is based on theory of the presence of the elements in the human body. According to followers of Unani medicine, these elements are present in fluids and their balance leads to health and their imbalance leads to illness.
Origin:
- As the name indicates, the Unani system originated in Greece. The foundation of the Unani system was laid by Hippocrates.
- The system owes its present form to the Arabs who not only saved much of the Greek literature by rendering it into Arabic but also enriched the medicine of their day with their own contributions.
- In this process they made extensive use of the science of Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Therapeutics and Surgery.
- It was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the eleventh century
- The Delhi Sultans (rulers) provided patronage to the scholars of the Unani System and even enrolled some as state employees and court physicians.
Principles & Concepts of Unani
The basic theory of Unani system is based upon the well- known four – humour theory of Hippocrates. This presupposes the presence, in the body, of four humours viz., blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile
Therapeutics
In this system, the entire personality of a patient is taken into account. Each individual has got its own basic structure, physique, make-up, self-defence mechanism, reaction to environmental factors, likes and dislikes.
Unani medicine has the following main types of treatment:
Regimental therapy (Ilaj-bil-Tadbir), Venesection (Fasd), Cupping (Al-hijama), Sweating (Tareeq), Diuresis (Idrar-e- baul), Turkish bath (Hamam), Massage (Dalk, Malish), Cauterization (Amal-e-Kae), Purging (Ishal), Vomiting (Qai), Exercise (Riyazat), Leeching (Taleeq-e-Alaq), Dietotherapy (Ilaj-bil-Ghiza), Surgery (Ilaj-bil-Yad), Pharmacotherapy (Ilaj-bil-Dawa)
Diagnosis:
The Diagnostic process in the Unani system is dependent on observation and physical examination. Any illness of a person is to be regarded as a product of:
- The stuff and material s/he is made of
- The kind of temperament, structure and strength of faculties s/he has
- The type of factors operating on him/her from outside and
- Nature’s own attempt to maintain his/her physical functions and to ward off disruptions to the extent possible.
Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM)
- The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
- Since its establishment in 1978, the CCRUM as the apex government organization for research in Unani Medicine has been engaged in conducting scientific research on the applied as well as fundamental aspects of Unani system of medicine.
- Consequently, over the past four decades of its existence, the Council has made significant strides in clinical research, drug standardization, survey and cultivation of medicinal
