Title : Persian medicine, medicine based on temperament
Abstract:
According to the basic principles of Persian medicine; the body is made up of four basic elements i.e. Earth, Air, Water, Fire which have different Temperaments I.e. Cold, Hot, Wet, Dry. They give rise, through mixing and interaction, to new entities. The body is made up of simple and complex organs. They obtain their nourishment from four humors namely- blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.It is conceptualized that six essentials are required for the maintenance of a healthy state. They are i. Air, ii. Food and drink, iii. Bodily movements and rest, iv. Psychic movement, V. Sleep and wakefulness, and vi. Evacuation and retention. The human body is considered to be made up of seven components, which have direct bearing on the health status of a person. They are 1. Elements (Arkan) 2. Temperament (Mijaz). 3. Humors (Aklat) 4. Organs (Aaza) 5. Spirits (Arwah).6. Powers (Quwa) 7. Functions. (Afaal). These components are taken in to consideration by the physician for diagnosis and also for deciding the line of treatment.
Diagnosis and treatment in Persian medicine include the following:
Diagnosis: Examination of the pulse occupies a very important place in the disease diagnosis in Persian medicine. In addition, an examination of the urine and stool is also undertaken. The pulse is examined to record different features like- size, strength, speed, consistency, fullness, rate, temperature, constancy, regularity, and rhythm. Different attributes of urine are examined like odor, quantity, mature urine, and urine at different age groups. The stool is examined for color, consistency, froth and time required for passage, etc.
Treatment: Disease conditions are treated by employing four types of Therapies-Regimental therapy, Diet therapy, b-Pharmacotherapy, and c- manipulation. life style (Regimental therapy) mainly consists of drug- less therapy like exercise, massage, Turkish bath, douches, etc. Diet therapy is based on the recommendation of a patient-specific dietary regimen. B) Pharmacotherapy involves the administration of drugs to correct the cause of the disease. The drugs employed are mainly derived from plants some are obtained from animals and some are of mineral origin. Both single and compound preparations are used for the treatment. C) Actions related to manipulation. (venesection- wet or dry cupping-massage- leech therapy-cauterize-surgery-orthopedic).
