Abstract

Reesha Ahmed*, Mohd. Wasim Ahmed, Asma Sattar Khan and Shoeb Ahmed Ansari

ABSTRACT

Unani is a traditional system of medicine developed during the medieval period, which employs natural drugs of herbal, animal and mineral origin for treatment. Basically, it is based on the humoral theory postulated by Hippocrates, according to him the state of body health and disease are regulated by qualitative and quantitative equilibrium of four humours i.e. Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and Black bile. Amraz-e-Waba (epidemic diseases) is an umbrella term which is used in Unani medicine for all types of epidemics (smallpox, measles, plague, influenza etc.) mostly fatal in nature. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory infection, and the pathogenesis and clinical features resemble with those of Nazla-e-Wabaiya (influenza) and Zatul Riya (pneumonia) which were well described many years ago in Unani text such as high-grade fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, running nose, dry cough, respiratory distress, alternate and small pulse, asthenia, foul smell from breath, insomnia, frothy stool, syncope, coldness in both upper and lower extremities, etc. The pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of COVID-19 is close to Amraz-e-Wabai (epidemic diseases) which was described by Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle, Razes, Haly Abbas, Avicenna, Jurjani etc. The present study focuses on some Unani drugs used in prevention, and management of COVID-19 in the light of Amraz-e-Waba (epidemic diseases) and Nazla-e-Wabaiya (epidemic influenza).