Unani Medicine an IP Perspective
Introduction
India is a land of sages, gurus, divine knowledge, and is known for traditional medicine and legacy. In this line, Unani medicine system too was introduced to India about a thousand years ago from Greek to Muslims countries and over the period became indigenous to the country. Unani medicine is also known as Unani Tibb, Arabian medicine, or Islamic medicine and carries the legacy of India.The Unani physicians who settled in India have added new drugs to the system and therefore the Unani system practiced in India is somewhat different from the original Greek form.
Today, India is one of the leading countries in so for as the practice of Unani medicine. It has the largest number of Unani educational, research, and health care institutions in entire world.
Mainly Unani system is based on Great Hippocrates theory of four humours viz. blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile, and the four qualities of states of living human body like hot, cold, moist and dry.The Unani system of medicine offers treatment of diseases related to all systems and organs of the human body.The initial approach to treatment in the Unani system entails the establishment of a regimen to normalize and balance the external factors (e.g., air, water, and food) involved in ailments and diseases.The use of elatives, exhilarants, aphrodisiacs, organ-specific tonics and immunomodulatory drugs, temperament specific drugs, correctives for adverse effects, coctives and purgatives etc. are especial features of Unani System of Medicine.
Cosmoceutics, Nutraceutics, Aromatics and corresponding therapies are key parts of treatment in Unani System of Medicine.
It believes that the human body is made of seven components including ARKAN (Elements), MIZAJ (Temperament), AKHLAT (Humors), AAZA (Organs), ARWAH (Spirits), QUWA (Faculties), and AFAAL (Functions).