Concept of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Greco-Arab (Unani) Medicine

Abstract

Tuberculosis, one of the oldest diseases known to effect humans have preceded recorded history since the changes of spinal tuberculosis in the skeleton of a Neolithic man was described. The development of Greek medicine (Unani medicine) has been the hallmark in the history of medicine and it was with this civilization of ancient Greece that the history of tuberculosis really begins. Hippocrates (460–375 BC) owes to the medicine the art of clinical inspection and observation. It is to the Hippocratic collection that one turns for the first authentic account of clinical tuberculosis. Phthisis, White Plague and Consumption, were the terms used to refer to tuberculosis. Sil and dique, these terms are considered synonyms by Unani (Greco-Arab) physicians. Sil being emaciation and dique means low grade fever which is one of the cardinal symptoms of the disease. The Unani (Greco-Arab) physicians were well aware about the disease “tuberculosis”. It is evident from the description of the disease given by them, the predisposing and exciting causes of the disease, susceptibility of individuals to the disease and the clinical features. While going through the Unani literature, it seems to be that Unani physicians used to give more emphasis on the importance of the environmental factors and internal factors. The general constitutional treatments that have been advocated through centuries by Unani physicians and the emphasis on the treatment of diseases are intended to improve the resistance of the patient to successfully combat the disease pathology.