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Unani Medicine

I have previously written about the ancient medical science of India called Ayurveda. Tracing its roots back to 6000 BCE (unofficially), Ayurveda is older than the Classical civilizations and thus predates Greek medicine. Ayurveda is still in practice in many parts of India as alternative medicine. But I recently discovered there is another form of alternative medicine in India called Unani medicine. I first heard about it from a Harvard professor and I was embarrassed to admit I hadn't heard of it, so I decided to dig deeper and what I found is quite interesting. Turns out it is still used in practice today as one of the 5 traditional medical sciences recognized by the Indian government as AYUSH ( Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddhi, Homeopathy).  

Interestingly, Unani medicine is none other than ancient Greek medicine practiced by Hippocrates and Galen. In fact, Unani means "Greek" in Arabic. Unani medicine was introduced in India around the tenth century by Arab and Persian scholars who traveled from Greece. It is based on Hippocratic medicine combined with contributions from Arab scholars like Avicenna (I wrote about him in an old post). 

The basic principle of Unani medicine is the same as Hippocratic medicine: that a balance of the four bodily fluids known as humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) is essential to health. It uses herbal remedies to achieve this balance and consequently, good health.

Unani medical agents

Around 650 CE, during the Muslim Caliphate, all Greek knowledge was transferred to Arabic, including medical knowledge. This was further refined through systematic experiments by Avicenna and other Arabs. As a result, Unani medicine, although originating in Greece, is also known as  Arabian or Islamic medicine.

Again, it is an experience-based medical science that doesn't have much scientific evidence. But apparently, some of the therapies have shown positive results in animal tests, like for rheumatoid arthritis and brain health. I found it interesting that Greek medicine which is similar to Indian Ayurvedic medicine went around the world and arrived in India with a new name. 

Range of Unani medicines available in India

Sources

https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-lowdown-on-unani-medicine-90032
https://www.britannica.com/science/Unani-medicine
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