Siddha, Homeopathy, Unani - Traditional systems of medicine

Siddha, Homeopathy, Unani

Content
Siddha, homeopathy, Unani

• Role of Siddha, Homeopathy and Unani in traditional systems of medicine

• Principle of Siddha, homeopathy and Unani system

At the end of this lecture, student will be able to

• Discuss the role of Siddha, Homeopathy and Unani in traditional systems of medicine

• Explain the principle of Siddha, homeopathy and Unani

Traditional systems of medicine

Ø Traditional systems like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani impart knowledge about folklore practices and medicinal importance of drugs of natural origin

Ø The standardization of these drugs is essential since, these drugs are used to treat various ailments of human being

Ø The role of medicinal plants in traditional system made them back bone of these systems

Ø Traditional medicine is the sum of the knowledge, skills and beliefs of different cultures of different countries for the maintenance of health

Siddha

Ø Ayurveda and Siddha – Truly Indian in their origin and development

Ø Ayurveda is practiced throughout India, Siddha is restricted to Tamil Nadu

Ø Exclusively linked with Tamil culture and civilization

Ø Siddha system was flourished during first Tamil sangram

Ø Earliest references on Siddha medicine – Tholakapium and Thirumandiram

Ø Information on medicinal plants, astrology philosophy and yoga are described

Ø This acquired information gradually sysytemized and developed into Siddha system

Ø Agasthier - First Siddha physician

Ø Origin of Siddha system – Devine theory

Ø Devine theory – origin is credited to god shiva

Ø Siddha – Therapeutics, astrology, yoga and philosophy

Principle: According to Siddha system

Ø Human body is not merely a composite of muscles, bones, tissues and nerves

Ø There is a close relation and intimate connections between nature and man

Ø Man is not free from the influence of nature

Ø Five elements ( Earth, water, air, fire and ether ), mind and soul are the basic requirements of creation, preservation and destruction

Origin of Diseases:

Disturbance to soul: Disturbance to soul (Inner man) leads to diseases as soul and mind are integral parts of man’s true constitution
Imbalance of humors: Vazhi, Azal and Iyyam, imbalance of these humors i.e, Increase or decrease of one or more of them cause diseases
Poisonous substances: Entry of impure and injurious elements through food, drink, inhalation or absorption through skin causes diseases
Psycological causes : Psychological states such as passion, evil desires, disordered thoughts and morbid imaginations produce physiological changes in the body leading to diseases
Spiritual causes : Morbid imaginations may produce abnormal secretions and also either increase or decrease the levels of hormones and their stimulants and these changes results in diseases
Astral influence: Astral influences only those places where causes of infection exists but not the whole world.

They cause no harm in the absence of germs in atmosphere, water or in the human body but cause diseases if germs exist

Diagnosis

Ø For diagnosis, pulse reading and examination of the organs other than those directly affected are carried out

Ø The climate, strength and power of digestion, temperament, age, habits and habitat of the patient are also observed

Therapeutics

Ø The material medica of siddha system contains vegetables, minerals, metals, marine and animal products

Homeopathy

Ø Homeopathy is comparatively a recent system of medicine

Ø It has been developed in 18^th century by Samuel Hahnemann, an internationally reputed physician and chemist

Ø The drugs, which produce symptoms in a healthy person, can remove the same symptoms in an ill person and this forms the basis of Homeopathy

Ø Samuel Hahnemann compiled all his findings in Organan of Medicine

Principle

Ø The axiom discovered by Hahnemann is ‘Law of Similar’ – Similia Similabus Curentur, means let likes treated by likes

Ø The cause of the disease itself can be its treatment and is the fundamental principle of homeopathy

Ø According to Hahnemann, diseases are congenital and caused by gene mutations, hence homeopathy is called as Genetic medicine

Ø Miasms are of three types,

• Psora

• Psychosis

• Syphilis

Ø These exist in a suppressed or sleeping state in a person

Ø As long as they are in that state, the person does not suffer from diseases due to resistance power

Ø If any one of them is stimulated, then the person loses his resistance power and suffers from diseases related to it

Ø The interesting point is that Hahnemann discovered the drugs by testing them on humans but not on animals

Ø Animals reveal only the physical changes whereas man can express the psychological changes also

Ø The drug is administered to a healthy person to excite any one of the miasmsie, Psora, Psycosis or syphilis and the symptoms of the drugs are discovered

Ø Another important and significant feature, which is exclusively of homeopathy, is the theory of Dynamization (Potentiation)

Theory of Dynamization

Ø It is the process by which the quality of the medicine is improved

Ø In this process, the medicine is subjected to shaking and friction in a medium

Ø By this, the bigger molecules undergo division to form more number of smaller molecules resulting in improved potency

Treatment

Ø The purpose of administration of the drug is to stimulate natural and inherent powers of the body

Ø Thus, it stresses the cure for disease in a natural way

Ø It mobilizes the defense mechanism of the body against offending agents

Ø Therefore it achieves an ideal cure devoid of side effects

Ø The treatment is based on the concept of proving and prover

• Prover; The healthy person

• Proving: The symptoms (physical, mental, emotional changes) that are caused in prover by the various potencies of medicines

Ø For treatment, the symptoms of the drugs are compared with the symptoms of the patient

Ø Homepathic medicines are available in the form of mother tinctures

Ø On dilution, the different potencies are obtained in terms of decimal and centesimal potencies

Unani

Ø In Arabic, Unani means Greece and Tibb means medicine

Ø Unani Tibb denotes and old system of medicine of Greece origin

Ø Greece system of medicine began with God Apollo, the mentor of healing art, who chases away all ills

Ø Hippocrates is credited with this system and learned the “Concept of Crisis”, “Critical days” and “Healing power of nature” from Pythagoras

Ø The theory was based on the fundamentals known as “Theory of Humours”

Ø The four humours (fluids) are Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and Black bile

Ø Health and illness are due to balance and imbalance of these humours respectively

Ø Aristotle, the Father of Natural history made significant contributions for the development of this system

Ø Galen and others contributed for the stabilization of system

Principle - Unani Tibb is based on two theories, they are

Ø Hippocrates ‘Theory of four Humours’

Ø Pythagoras ‘Theory of four proximate qualities’

Ø The four proximate qualities are the states of living human body like hot, cold, moist and dry, representing fire, water, air and earth respectively

Ø Arab physicians put all these together as seven working principles – elements, temperament, humours, organs, life, spirit energy and action

Ø These principles are responsible for body constitution, health and disease condition

Diagnosis and treatment

Ø Unani aims at treating the cause of disease rather the symptoms

Ø Diagnosis includes pulse reading, urine and stool’s examination

Ø Since, disease is understood as the imbalance of humours, treatment is given accordingly

Ø Polyherbal preparations are produced as their collective effect is considered

Summary

Ø Siddha - Disturbance to soul, imbalance of humors, poisonous substance, psychological cause, spiritual causes, astral influence

Ø Homeopathy - Samuel Hahnemann, Psora, Psychosis, Syphilis

Ø Unani - Theory of Humours, Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and Black bile