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 18th 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