International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2319-8141 International Journal of Universal Pharmacy and Bio Sciences 2(3): May-June 2013
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UNIVERSAL
PHARMACY AND BIO SCIENCES
BIO SCIENCES Review Article……!!!
Received: 05-06-2013; Accepted: 09-06-2013
ANCIENT UNANI CONCEPTS OF CARDIAC DISEASES
Musta Ali*,1 Fauzia Naaz,2 Shaikh Imtiyaz,3 Yusuf Ali4
1
Department of Moalajat (Medicine), Saeeda Hospital & Research Centre, Burhanpur, India. 2
Department of Amraze Niswan wa Qabala (OBG), National Institute of Unani Medicine,
Bangalore, Karnataka, India. 3
Department of Moalajat (Medicine), National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore,
Karnataka, India. 4
Synergy Hospital, Scheme No. 74C, Sector B, Indore.
KEYWORDS:
Qalb, Cardiac diseases,
Heart, Unani.
For Correspondence:
Musta Ali* Address:
Department of Moalajat (Medicine), Saeeda Hospital & Research Centre, Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Mb. No. +917828790149
ABSTRACT
Qalb (heart) is a muscular organ, positioned in centre of the body
having haar (hot) and yabis (dry) temperament. It is regarded as a
very vital organ as it supplies akhlat and rooh to all organs of the
body through the arteries originating from it. There are many cardiac
disease which are often lethal and usually caused by sue mizaj,
tafarruqe ittesal, warm, imtala and suddae urooq. Ancient Unani
physicians such as Hippocrates, Galen, Sarabium, Rhazes, Ali Abbas
Majoosi, Avicenna etc have given a detailed depiction of cardiac
diseases, their causes and symptoms in their respective lexicons. In
this article an attempt has been made to recapitulate the Unani
concept of cardiac diseases, their aetio-pathogenesis and symptoms.
INTRODUCTION:
Ancient Unani physicians described Qalb (heart) as a firm, conical and muscular organ and denoted
it as Uzu-e-raees (vital organ) [1]. Raban Tabri in his book Firdous Ul Hikmat (The paradise of
Wisdom) denotes that the normal temperament of the heart is haar (hot) and it is also balanced in
yabusat. And it is the centre of hararate gharizayah [2]. It serves Quwate haywaniah (vital faculty)
and supplies akhlat and rooh to all organs of the body through the arteries which spring from the heart, that’s why it is situated in the centre of the body [3].Ibn Sina mentioned in Al Qanoon, certain Philosophers said that the heart is a member which gives and does not receive; that it is first root of
all the faculties and gives the faculties of nutrition, life, apprehension, movement and several other
members, whereas certain ancient physician thought that these faculties to be distributed among
several members i.e. the faculty of nutrition in the liver, faculty of vital power in the heart and the
mental faculties in the brain [4].
LIST OF CARDIAC DISEASES [5-10]:
1- Sue mizaj qalb (Maltemperament of heart)
2- Wajaul qalb (Cardiac pain)
3- Warme qalb (Inflammation of the heart)
4- Warm ghishae qalb (Pericarditis)
5- Khafqan (Palpitation)
6- Inkheraq qalb
7- Zofe qalb (Cardiac failure)
8- Ikhtelaje qalb
9- Gashi (Syncope)
ETIOLOGICAL FACTORS [5-10]
1- Sue mizaj sada (Maltemperament hot, cold, wet, dry) either mustehqam (irreversible) or gair
mustehqam (reversible).
2- Sue mizaj maddi
3- Tafaruqe ittesal
4- Waram (Inflammation)
5- Imtala (Plethora)
6- Suddae urooq (vascular obstruction)
7- Due to pathology of other viscera’s of the body.
“Dyserasia (the term was developed by the ancient Greek physician Galen, meant as disproportion of body fluids or four humours) is the cause of the filling of the arteries anywhere in the body, thus
blocking the pathways of the pneuma and resulting in an accumulation of humours which lead to
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN): 2319-8141
CONCEPTS
The most provocative statement made by the followers of Asclepiades that, “cardiac disease is an
inflammation in the region of the heart due to a heaping up or stoppage of the corpuscles [12].”
Hippocrates (Buqrat 460-377 BC): “Persons subjected to frequent and serious fainting occurring
without any apparent reason die suddenly [12-13].”
He may have been describing myocardial infarction when he wrote, “Angina is serious and rapidly
fatal when no lesion is to be seen in either throat or neck, and moreover, it causes very great pain
and orthopnea; it may suffocate the patient even on the first day, or on the second, third or fourth
[12]”
“Sharp pain, irradiating soon towards the clavicle and towards the back are fatal” further he
wrote in the regimen of this kind of illness, if the pain point to the clavicle, or if there is a heaviness
in the arm, or about the breast, or above the diaphragm, one should open the inner vein of the elbow
[13].
Galen(Jalinus 129-200 AD):“when the heart is deprived of respiration, it dies instantaneously.”
“If the fainting occurs repeatedly and frequently without any reasonable cause then it may be related with the weakness of cardiac functions [13].”
Sarabiun:
“Certain cardiac diseases are originating primarily itself by the heart, but in certain circumstances these diseases may occur with the involvement of other viscera’s of the body, he also mentioned that,
few cardiac diseases are fatal and few are non curable and irremediable [14].”
Rhazes (Zakariya Razi 865 – 925 AD):
“Fainting caused by plethora, would be related to weakness of the cardiac functions.”
Haly Abbas (Ali Abbas Majoosi 10th century):
“Pain of the heart may arise from maltemperamant, organic diseases or a solution of continuity, and last two causes soon occasion death [11].”
According to Abu Mansoor“In certain cardiac disorders patient may be suddenly collapsed and
there may be no time to treat or diagnose the disease [6]”.
“Obstruction occurring in the vessels of the heart, may alter their normal functions.”
ناف
“Vascular obstructions when occurring in the major organs blood vessels are more dangerous and worst.” He also describes about infarction of the heart “Collapse is an abolition of the moving force
Avenzor (Ibn Zuhr) wrote in the section on diseases of the heart in the book Al-Taisir, “Diseases of
the heart may occur primarily or may be secondary to the other organs. Also, diseases of the heart
may cause other organs to suffer from deleterious effects, ailments and symptoms [16].”
Ibn Hubal Bagdadi (1121-1213 AD): “Discontinuity occurring in the ventricle of the heart is the major cause of sudden deaths in patients.” He also describes that, “when the patients suffer from the
symptoms of palpitation and syncope simultaneously it indicates that the blood vessels of the heart become obstructed [8].”
Johannes Actuarius (1275-1328 AD):
“In hot temperaments of heart the urine at first more acrid and thinner, but as the disorder increases it assumes an oily colour and consistence, but when it affects with a cold temperament, the
colour first becomes whiter and the sediment is moderate and crude and later it becomes black
[11].”
MANAGEMENT
For treating any cardiac disorder following principals should be followed by the ancient physicians [9].
1- Elimination of fasid mawad (morbid matters) by istifragh (evacuation).
2- Change of temperament i.e cold tempered drugs in sue mizaj har and hot tempered drugs in
sue mizaj barid.
3- Use venesection (fasad) in the condition of imtela.
4- Drugs having properties of antidote (tiryaq) should be added with eliminative drugs which
carry them to the heart.
5- Use the Cardio tonic (muqawwie qalb) drugs after elimination of mawad.
Ibne Sina mentioned a list of cardioprotective drugs in in his book “Risala Adviae Qalbiya” which are as follows [17]:
1- Aas (Myrtus communis Linn.)
2- Abresham (Bombyx mori)
3- Amla (Emblica officinalis Linn.)
4- Anar (Punica granatum)
5- Armuk (Pandanus tectorius Linn.)
6- Azarboya (Helianthus annus Linn.)
7- Badaranjboya (Nepta hindostana)
8- Busud (Corallium ruburum)
9- Gaozaban (Borage officinalis Linn.)
10-Kaphoor (Cinnamomum camphora)
11-Kahruba shamai (Vateria indica Linn.)
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12-Lajward (Lapis lazuli)
13-Mush’k (Moschus moschiferus)
14-Paneer maya
15-Sumbulut teeb (Nardostachya jatamansi)
16-Tabasheer (Bamboo manna)
17-Tej pat (Cinnamomum tamala)
18-Ushna (Usnea longissima)
19-Ustukhuddus (Lavendula stoechas Linn.)
20-Utruj (Citrus medica Linn.)
21-Water lily (Nymphaea alba Linn.)
22-Zafran (Crocus sativus Linn.)
23-Zarnub (Taxus baccata Linn.)
CONCLUSION
The contribution of the ancient physicians to the medical world cannot be neglected. From the
detailed literature survey it can be concluded that ancient physicians have wrote a lot about cardiac
diseases including their causes and symptoms. Common symptoms of cardiac diseases comprise
sharp pain in chest radiating to shoulder, palpitation, syncope etc. They have also mentioned
management of cardiac disease which are curable such as to open the inner vein of the elbow
(venesection) if there is sharp radiating pain. Further studies are required to discover more substance
on cardiac diseases in classical literature.
REFERENCES:
1. Aminuddaula Abu Faraj Ibn Al Quf Masihi. Kitabul Umda Fil Jarahat (Urdu Translation)
Vol I. New Delhi: CCRUM; YNM: 118-119.
2. Raban Tabri. Firdousul Hikmat. (2010), New Delhi: Idara kitabul Shifa; 212.
3. Hkm Sayed Ishtiaq Ahmed. (2009), Introduction to Al Umur Al Tabiyah (Principles of
Human Physiology on Tibb). New Delhi: CCRUM; 148-151.
4. Ibne Sina. Al Qanoon Fil Tibb (English translation). (1993), New Delhi: Jamia Hamdard;
113-114.
5. Abu Bakar Mohammad Bin Zakaria Razi. Kitabul Fakhir Fit Tib (Urdu Translation).Vol-1,
Part-II. New Delhi: CCRUM; YNM: 241-250.
6. Abu Mansoor Al Hasan Al Qamri. Ghina Muna. New Delhi: CCRUM; 2008: 156-162.
7. Khan MA. Akseer Azam (Al Akseer). (2011), New Delhi: Idara Kitabus Shifa; 341-374.
8. Ibn Hubal. Kitabul Mukhtarat fit Tib. (Urdu translation).Vol II. New Delhi: CCRUM; YNM:
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9. Ibne Sina. Al Qanun Fil Tib (Urdu translation by Kantoori GH). Vol III. New Delhi: Idara
kitabus Shifa; YNM: 757-771.
10.Jurjani. Zakheerae Khuwarzam Shahi. Vol VI. New Delhi: Idara kitabul Shifa; YNM:
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11.Paulus Agineta. The Seven Books (Translated from the Greek). Book III. Londan: C and J
Adlard; YNM: 501-504.
12.Cheng TO. (2001), Hippocrates and Cardiology. American Heart Journal; 141(2): 173-183.
13.Leibowitz JO. (1970), The History of Coronary Heart Disease. University of California
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14.Abu Bakar Mohammad Bin Zakaria Razi. Kitab Al Fakhir (Arabic) Vol I. Part II. New
Delhi: CCRUM; 261-272.
15.Ibn Sina. Al Qanoon fit Tib (Arabic). Vol-3. New Delhi: Jamia Hamdard; 1411 Hijri:
399-409.
16.Halim A, Elfaqih.(2007), Pericardial pathology 900 years ago. Saudi Medical Journal; 28(3):
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