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Concept of Amnesia and Dementia in the Unani System of Medicine

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Abstract

Cerebrasthenia (Du‘f al-Dimāgh), loss or invalidity of intelligence (Batlan-i Aql), Humq and Nisyān, etc., are described as amnesia and dementia in the Unani system of medicine (USM). The causes of these diseases are predominance of Burūdat (coldness) and Rutūbat (moistness) in most of the cases. Inflammation and injury to the brain and accumulation of impaired humor (Khilt bad) and excess fluids in cavities or brain tissues/nerves are also described as additional causes of dementia. The preventive methods and management of Amnesia and Dementia by various modules are given in classical literature of the Unani medicine. As per principles of treatment (Usūl-i‘Ilāj) the emphasis is given to remove the underlying cause of the disease. In case of impairment of temperament (Su’-i-Mizāj), the method of temperamental equilibrium (Ta‘dil-o-Tabdil-i-Mizāj) is applied to correct it. The method of concoctive (Mundij) and purgative (Mushil) has been applied in case of involvement of humor (Khilt) or active substance (Mādda). External methods such as liniment (Tila), irrigation (Natūl), fumigation (Dhūnī), Turkish bath (Hammām), and sitz bath (Abzan), etc. are also advised as per need of treatment. In this chapter, the concept of amnesia and dementia is discussed in the light of USM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders (NRIUM-SD), Hyderabad, India

    Mohammad Zakir, Safiya Khanam & Munawwar Husain Kazmi

  2. Department of Preventive & Community Medicine, Govt. Tibbi College & Hospital, Patna, India

    Md Tanwir Alam

  3. SRF, Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine, Patna, India

    Aisha Perveen

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  1. Mohammad Zakir
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  2. Safiya Khanam
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  3. Md Tanwir Alam
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  4. Aisha Perveen
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  5. Munawwar Husain Kazmi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Ghulam Md Ashraf

  2. Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Md. Sahab Uddin

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Zakir, M., Khanam, S., Alam, M.T., Perveen, A., Kazmi, M.H. (2022). Concept of Amnesia and Dementia in the Unani System of Medicine. In: Ashraf, G.M., Uddin, M.S. (eds) Current Thoughts on Dementia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7606-2_21

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