Pharmacotherapy
Unani System of Medicine emphasizes on maintaining health by natural ways and means through change in lifestyle, regulation of diet, regular exercise, normal sleeping habits and avoiding factors, which may adversely affect the quality of life.
In conditions, where these procedures are not adequate in correcting the alterations in health, pharmacotherapy or treatment through drugs is recommended. Some medicines are processed in natural way before use.
The Unani Materia Medica includes more than 2700 single or natural drugs. These drugs are classified into the following groups according to their origin.
These are either parts of plants e.g. seeds, roots, flowers, stem fruits, leaves, barks, galls, latex, exudates or the entire plant as such.
Drugs of animal origin can either be animal products like milk, urine or animal parts such as hoofs and nails, hairs, flesh, organs, fats or entire animal e.g. crab, scorpion, earthworm etc.
Mineral origin (Ma’dini Advia)
Minerals existing in nature are also used for therapeutic purposes and consist of ores, metals and precious stones, salts, stones, clay etc.
The drugs are processed with the following objectives
1. For cleaning
2. For altering their potency
3. To convert into consumable form
4. For preservation
5. For minimizing the dose
The processes involved in cleaning are:
1. Washing with water for cleaning (Tasweel)
2. Sieving (Tasfiya)
3. Defrothing (Argha)
4. Washing (Maghsool)
5. Burnt to ash, soaked in water, strained and water evaporated (Aqla), e.g., Jawakhaar, Shora Qalmi
The processes involved in preservation are:
1. Distillation (Taqteer) - Drugs are preserved through distillation, e.g., Arq-e- Gulab, Keora.
2. Drying (Tajfeef) - Drugs are dried in the sun, shade or flame to preserve, e.g., amla, behi, narjeel, zanjabeel, etc.
3. Juice (Usarah) - Juice is extracted to preserve the drug, e.g., Usarah-e-afsanteen, Usarah-e- asl-us-soos.
4. Jelly (Murabba) - Drug is preserved in sugar syrup, e.g., Murabba-e-behi, Murabba-e-amla and Murabba-e-seb.
5. Concentrated Juice (Rub)-Juice is concentrated to preserve the drug, e.g., Rubb-e-behi, Rubb-e-seb.
The processes involved in altering the potency of the drug are specific to that drug. Examples of some of the drugs processed are:-
1. Silajit
2. Shangraf
3. Sulphur
4. Turbud
5. Honey
6. Licorice
While treating a patient, a Unani physician (Hakim) follows certain principles, which are based upon the character (Kaifiyaat) of the drug employed for treatment, with relation to the disease. Ilaj-bil-Zid, which is the treatment through drugs having opposite temperament, is the most commonly followed principle. Apart from this, Ilaj-bil-Misl is treatment with drugs of same temperament as of disease. The least commonly practiced method is Ilaj-bil-Badl, which is treatment by using the organ affected e.g., eating liver in liver disease.
The character (Kaifiyaat) of a drug can be as follows: -
1. Hot (Hār)
2. Cold (Bārid)
3. Wet (Ratab)
4. Dry (Yābis)
Of the above mentioned, the first two are active in nature, whereas the last two are passive. These Kaifiyaat in combination with each other result in the temperament of the drug which is a new entity e.g. Hot & Wet (Hār Ratab), Hot & Dry (Hār Yābis), Cold & Wet (Bārid Ratab), and Cold & Dry (Bārid Yaabis).
Drugs have been classified into four grades according to their intensity:
1. Grade I (Darja Awwal) - Medicines which, after metabolism alter the physiological condition of the body either in terms of temperature, functioning or behaviour a little above the normal limits.
2. Grade II (Darja Doyam) - Medicines which, after metabolism alter the physiological condition of the body either in terms of temperature, functioning or behaviour in partially abnormal limits
3. Grade III (Darja Soyam) - Medicines which, after metabolism alter the physiological condition of the body markedly.
4. Grade IV (Darja Chaharum) - Fatal Drugs/ Poisons.
These are further sub-divided into initial, middle and last levels. Few drugs have been described as Neutral (Mo’tadil) in which, none of the above-mentioned character predominates, and closely resembles the normal human temperament.
The drugs are formulated into (i) solid preparations e.g., Majoon, Kuhal, Marham, Qurs, etc., (ii) liquid preparations e.g., Sharbat, Joshanda, Ma-ul-Asl, Mazmaza etc., & (iii) gaseous preparations e.g., Inkebaab, Shamoom, Lakhlakha.
These drugs again can be used internally or externally
a. Solid preparations for internal use include Firzaja, Safūf, Laooq, Hab, Khamira, etc.
b. Solid preparations for external use include Zimād, Kajal, Sanūn, etc.
c. Liquid preparations for internal use include Ma-ul-Jubn, Sharbat, Sikanjbeen, etc.
d. Liquid preparations for external use include Aabzan, Nutool, Dalook, Huqna, Ghargharah etc.
e. Gaseous preparations for internal use include Lakhlakha, Shamoom, etc.
f. Gaseous preparations for external use include Wajoor, Inkebab, etc.
There are certain drugs and forms of compounds specific to a system. These are
1. Digestive System - Amla, Filfil Siyah, Zeera, Ajwain, Mako, Kasni, etc. Jawarish is specifically used in gastric disorders.
2. Respiratory System - Asl-us-soos, Gaozaban, Unnab, Sapistan, Behdana, Badiyan, etc. Most of the gaseous preparations as well as La‘ūq are specific for respiratory system.
3. Cardiovascular System - Abresham, Kafoor, Sandal, Zafran etc. Generally Majoon and Khamīra are specific preparations for cardiovascular disorders.
4. Central Nervous System - Halela, Balela, Amla, Asgand, Azaraqi, Afiyoon, Bhang, etc. Khamira and Itreefal are generally specific for central nervous system.
5. Genital system- Khurma, Piyaaz, Supari, Musli, Tudri, Behmanain, etc. Labūb are usually reserved for disorders pertaining to males and preparations like Firzajah, Humool for disorders pertaining to females.
While treating chronic diseases, the state of the waste material (Madda-e-Fasida) is to be kept in consideration. In this regard, the drugs used, perform the following two functions: -
1. Preparation of the atmosphere in the body for easy excretion of morbid material (Nuzj)
2. Evacuation of morbid material (Tanqiya)
These two usually follow each other but one may be carried out alone depending upon the state of the waste material (Madda-e-Fasida) and the chronicity of the disease. Evacuation (Tanqiya) takes place through different excretory channels of the body, namely, purgation (Ishāl), emesis (Qay), urination (Idrār-e Baul), diaphoresis (Ta‘rīq) and venesection (Fasd) etc.