[jyotirmoy]

As you enter the labyrinths of Old Delhi a different world opens around you. The lanes and havelis transport you to a bygone era. Here you find the Haqeems of Delhi practicing medicine the way their ancestors did centuries ago.
The haqeems practice the Unani system of medicine. The Unani system which is actually the Ionian system of medicine owes as its name suggests its origin to Greece. It was the great Greek philosopher-physician Hippocrates (460-377 B.C) who freed medicine from the realm of superstition and magic, and gave it the status of science. Unani traveled from Greece, to Egypt, then to Spain from where it reached Baghdad. From Baghdad it came to Iran where it made tremendous progress and produced great physicians. On its way Unani medicine got enriched by imbibing what was best in the contemporary systems of traditional medicine in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India
When Mongols ravaged Persian and central Asian cities like Shiraz, Tabrez and Geelan, scholars and physicians of Unani medicine fled to India. The Delhi sultans, the Khiljis, the Tughlaqs and the Mughal emperors provided state patronage to the scholars and even enrolled some as state employees and court physicians. During 13th and 17th centuries Unani medicine had its hey-day in India.


For centuries the Unani system survived & prospered. There are many Haqeems in Delhi who claim to be direct descendents of court physicians. Most of them run their clinics in Old Delhi. Their patients range from the very poor to the very rich and not just from Old Delhi but also from modern New Delhi. Unani system is based on the Hippocratic theory that a perfect balance of "Arkan" (elements), "Akhlata" (humors) and "Mizaj" (temperaments) helps to keep the body and mind healthy. Their diagnosis depends heavily on feeling the pulse to ascertain the state of balance.
The treatment involves strict diets and life style along with herbal medicinal preparation. A modern college for teaching of Unani medicine and research has been set up in Delhi called Hamdard Institute.

[Shashank]

A specialized Department of Unani Medicine is there in Jamia Hamdard...