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In the Unani system of medicine the human body is considered to be made up of the following seven components which are called "UMOOR-E-TABA'YA" in Unani Medicine, each having a close relation to and direct bearing on the state of health of an individual and, therefore, it is necessary for an Unani physician to take all these factors of the human entity into consideration for arriving at a correct diagnosis and deciding the line of treatment of the ailment.
The human body contains four elements namely air, fire, water and earth. These elements actually symbolize the four states of the matter. The four elements have their own temperaments.
The interaction of the elements produces various states which in their turn determine the temperament of an individual and it is of paramount importance to keep the temperament of and individual in mind while prescribing the course of treatment for a given disease. Each individual has a unique temperament. A temperament may be (I) Real equitable (2) Equitable and (3) Inequitable. Temperament is ‘Real equitable’ where the temperament of the four elements used are in equal quantities; this does not exist. Equitable is the just and required amount of compatible temperaments. Inequitable temperament is an absence of just distribution of temperament according to their requirements. Chart II is depiction of different temperaments according the Unani concept.
These are in fact, the fluids which the human body obtains from the food and include various hormones and enzymes. These fluids are (a) Primary fluids and (b) Secondary fluids. The primary fluids are called AKHLAT (Humours) which are four in numbers. The secondary fluids are also four in number and called RUTUBAT-E-ARBA(four fluids). These four fluids are responsible for maintaining moisture of different organs of the body and also provide nutrition to the body.
According to the Unani system of medicine there are four stages of digestion
Hazm-e-Medi(Gastric digestion) followed by and including Hazm-e-Mevi (Intestinal digestion) when food is turned into Kaimoos (Chyme) and Kailoos (Chyle) and carried to liver by Urooq Masariqa (Mesentric veins).
Hazm-e-Kabidi (Hepatic digestion): In the course of this process chyle is converted into four humours in varying quantities, that of blood being the largest. Thus the blood which leaves the liver is intermixed with the other three humours namely Balgham (Phlegm), Safra (Bile) and Sauda (Blackbile).
Hazm-e-Uzwi (Tissue digestion) While the humours are flowing in the blood vessels, every tissue absorbs its nutrition by its Quwat-e-Jaziba (Attractive power) and retains it by its Quwat-e-Masika (retentive power). Then the Quwat-e-Hazima (Digestive power) in conjunction with Quwat-e-Mushabbeha (assimilation power), converts it into tissues. The waste material in Humour at this stage is excreted by the Quwat-e-Dafia (expulsive power). Unani physicians maintain that when any disturbance occurs in the equilibrium of the humour it causes disease. Therefore the Unani mode of treatment aims at restoring the equilibrium of humours.
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