Traditional Medicine in Asia

Increment
The stage during which the disease goes
on increasing until it becomes quite severe.
Acme
The stage during which the disease reaches
its height and remains stationary in all
respects.
Decline
The stage during which the disease begins
to subside and with the passage of time
starts decreasing in intensity.
Transmission of Disease
Disease can be transmitted from one
person to another in the following manner:
Contagion occurs in leprosy, smallpox,
epidemic fever and scabies. Contagion
occurs more frequently in persons living in
congested areas or in the direction of the
wind from infected places.
Heredity is found in baldness, gout,
leucoderma, consumption and leprosy.
Racial transmission occurs particularly
in certain groups of persons.
Regional transmission is endemic to
certain regions.
Prognosis of Diseases
A disease is curable when there is nothing
to hinder efficient treatment. A disease is
easier to cure if the age, temperament and
season are favourable. If these factors are
adverse, the case would be different
because, under certain conditions the
cause of disease must be extraordinarily
strong and thus more difficult to eradicate.
It must be remembered that some diseases
may change into new ones or disappear
completely. This is a good sign. Certain
diseases cure some other disease, e.g.,
quartan fever frequently cures epilepsy,
arthritis, scabies and various spasmodic
conditions. Bleeding from piles benefits
Unani medicine
diseases caused by sauda and painful
disease of the kidneys and uterus.
Unani medicine has the following
modes of treating an ailment, depending
upon the nature of the ailment and its
cause:
Regimental Therapy
The Unani physician attempts to use simple
physical means to cure a disease, but for
certain specific and complicated diseases
he applies special techniques, some of
which are as follows:
(a) Venesection
� To bring down hypertension.
� Stimulation of metabolism.
� Correction of hot material in
temperament.
(b) Cupping: Cupping purifies the skin
and underlying tissues better than
venesection. Since cupping removes
only thin blood, it is of little use in robust
persons whose blood is generally
thicker and more difficult to draw.
There are two types of cupping – dry
cupping and wet cupping.
(c) Sweating: Hot fomentation (dry and
wet) bath with warm water, massage
and keeping the patient in a room and
blowing hot air are some of the
methods of diaphoresis.
(d) Diuresis: This method is used in cases
of diseases of the heart, lungs and liver.
(e) Turkish Bath: Hot bath is generally
applied for curing diseases like
paralysis and muscular wasting, after
massage.
(f) Massage: Soft massage is a sedative
and a relaxant. Dry and hard massage
is a deodorant. Massage with oil
relaxes the muscles and softens the
skin.
(g) Counter Irritant: For providing relief
in pain, burning sensation and
irritation.
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