Unani Doctrine of Naturals

Unani system strongly believes in nature and its healing properties. It believes that health is a condition, which is achieved when all the functions are carried out in correct and complete manner. Thus, wholeness and balance were the norms for human beings, initially. However, as people deviated from the natural way of living, a disharmony set in, leading to a number of diseases. Thus, the Doctrine of Naturals was propounded, which discusses seven basic components. These components are elements, temperaments, humours, organs, forces, actions and spirits.

Elements
In Unani system, elements are referred to the four elements of nature; earth, air, fire, water. These elements possess four qualities, viz. hot, cold, moist and dry. Each of these elements corresponds to a humor or essence in the body: air relates to blood humor. Water relates to Phlegm humor. Fire relates to yellow bile humor. Earth relates to Black bile humor. These elements are undergoing constant change, which are monitored by Unani practitioners to determine what is wrong with the body.

Temperaments
There are nine kinds of temperaments, eight of which are called non equable and one is called equable. Of the eight non equable, four are single: hot, cold, wet, and dry; while the other four are compound: hot and dry, hot and wet, cold and dry, and cold and wet. Thus, temperament is that quality, which is prevalent due to the mutual interaction of primary characteristics of the elements. Thus, monitoring the anomaly in the temperament of any organ in the body, the treatment can be determined.

Humors
There are four humors in Unani, namely, blood humor, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. These four primary humors are derived from the digestion of food and are utilized as nutrient components for the growth and repair of the organs and to yield energy for work. They are also assigned respective temperaments; like blood is hot and moist, phlegm cold and moist, yellow bile hot and dry, and black bile cold and dry. Thus, every individual is required to maintain the humoural balance in the body, to remain healthy. Any imbalance leads to disease. Correct diet, digestion and medicines are used to regain the humoural balance.

Organs
There are four organs of primary importance in Unani: the brain, the heart, the liver and the testicles or ovaries. All the other organs are governed by them. Thus, initially these four organs are monitored in case of a disease.

Forces
There are three forces administered in Unani: the vital, the natural and the psychic. Further, the vital forces are two, the active and the acted upon. Natural forces are also two; the ones that serve others and the ones that are served by others. The psychic forces produce three functions, to mediate behavior, to cause voluntary movement and to create sensation. Besides, natural forces arise in the liver, the vital forces in the heart and the psychic force in the brain. Thus, all these forces are considered, at the time of finding the cause of the disease.

Spirits
In the fast paced world, people suffer from a number of mental and emotional diseases. When such individuals take resort to pharmaceutical drugs, they end up suffering all the more. However, Unani provides solution to all these problems, with the help of traditional herbal formulas. These medicines are deemed completely safe without any side effects, intoxication or addiction.