The Four Humours
The Unani Tibb Medical system is based on the idea that everything in the Universe is created from and/or associated with one of the Four Elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. These elements are linked to various aspects of our behavior, the time of day, the seasons, and the foods we eat. For example, anger is associated with Fire, nighttime is associated with Water, and springtime is associated with Air.
The association between elements and various phenomena occurs through shared qualities such as heat, coldness, moisture, and dryness. Fire is characterized as hot and dry, which aligns with the body's response to anger, making anger associated with Fire. Nighttime, being cooler and more moist, is associated with Water.
So, how does this philosophy tie in with healing, medicine, sickness, and disease?
The Unani Tibb philosophy posits that humans are also composed of the four elements, with one element being dominant in each individual. This creates the concept of temperaments. (For more information, visit: The Four Temperaments).
The Four Humours
Your temperament can become imbalanced. For instance, a naturally choleric person may appear abnormally more melancholic, or a sanguine individual may become abnormally more phlegmatic.
How we restore this is by working on the bodily fluids, i.e., the four humors. The ratio, quality, and production of these humours are what create the temperament. Each person's body will create them in slightly different ratios (creating their different temperament), and so when healing them, it will require unique, individual attention. This is why Unani Tibb is completely individualistic medicine.
Case Study Example
A 40-year-old British male of South Asian descent came to the clinic with moderate respiratory discomfort. He was wheezing often and found it hard to walk long distances due to chest pains and tight breathing. He was also suffering from asthma and indigestion, especially when consuming dairy. He had a lung collapse at the age of 18 on the day of his father's funeral. Upon assessing his temperament, he appeared to be a naturally phlegmatic type. However, due to lingering grief, poor lifestyle choices, and life stress, he had become excessively phlegmatic with an abnormal black bile buildup.
The call to action was therefore simple: he needed more heat. Dietary recommendations were given to reduce the buildup of phlegm. Dairy was cut out temporarily, and digestion-tonifying herbs were prescribed to increase and strengthen his digestive fire. He was also recommended Qi Gong, specifically exercises to help build up respiratory and lung strength.
He was advised to seek counseling for his emotional well-being, knowing that emotional upsets severely impact physical health.
A few months later, seeing him for a follow-up was like seeing a new man. This is but one example of how the ability to recognize humoral, energetic, and elemental nuances, levels, and qualities in a person, whether normal or imbalanced, can give you strategic power to heal and treat individuals with touching accuracy.
I hope this article helps you in your clinical journey, whether for yourself or for others you are helping to treat. I also hope it highlights the effectiveness of the Unani Tibb philosophy and how its simple nature can yield big results. 😄
Warm regards,
Shifaa Khan, without prejudice
For this website-and-materials are with the void of the health advice by the author
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