Mahuz Alam/ Patna 

Greek or Unnai medicine is the greatest system of treatment for humans. Through research, it has been found out that Greek medicine offers a complete cure for every disease and is Nature's cure for disease. In the past, Greeks have treated even the most stubborn diseases and eradicated them from their roots.

This is the opinion of Mahfoozur Rahman, Principal of Government Medical College, Patna.

Dr. Rahman told Awaz-The Voice that although the allopathic system has dealt a blow to Greek medicine in the last few hundred years, yet due to the renewed government support the Unnani medicine is once again becoming popular.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman said that although Unani medicine treated human disease for centuries, it could not compete and adapt to allopathy.

Packaging of treatment is a major factor in the success of allopathy. However, the Unani system is trying to maintain its relevance with its holistic approach. However, allopathy has undoubtedly gained acceptance and popularity in modern times.

Haldi or curcumin and Dr Mahfoozur Rahman

Dr Rahman however, believes that if the packaging of Greek medicines is done the right way, it can have a positive effect. According to him, since Greek medicines have no side effects on human life whereas allopathic medicines have. Due to this, we see rampant kidney and liver damage or heart problems even among younger people.

According to Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman, Greek medicine has the ingredients used by a person in his daily life. It has elements like ginger, garlic, onion, cloves, herbs different potions, etc. Humans are accustomed to these substances and therefore there is no risk of side effects.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says that Greek medicine believes in rooting out a disease. The patient has to have a little patience for the disease to be not only cured but rooted out. For this reason, there is a great need to promote Greek medicine and to spread awareness about it.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says that herbs are a natural remedy and medicines are prepared from plants created by nature. This method of treatment came from Greece, but the Muslim kings and sultans played an important role in developing this system. History says that during the Muslim rule on any land and places that sages visited, they found a way to treat various diseases.

They tested the properties of the plant on patients and later penned it down to reveal it to the world. Most of those books are in Arabic language. Later these collections were translated into Persian and Urdu. According to Dr. Mahoouzur Rahman, as the number of Urdu-knowing people is falling, it's adversely impacting the Unani treatment.

He says that the allopathic system flourished as it took the form of a trade while the Greek method of treatment remained mired traditionally.

Speaking on the urgent need to popularise Unani medicine in modern times, Dr. Mahfoozur Rehman says people are taking modern medicine and have become addicted to it. As a result, diseases are cropping in different parts of the human body. Diseases like kidney, liver failure, loss of vision, obesity and acidity are becoming common.

Ingredients for Unani medicine

The Unani medicine is safer because it uses food level ingredients like the world like marjoram, ginger, onion, garlic, lentils, sugar, cloves, cardamom, pepper, etc. Take ginger, we use ginger for cough, similarly we use black pepper for acidity or indigestion. It means that we use ingredients that cause no harm to the body while curing the main ailment.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says there is a dire need of Greek medicine for the survival of humanity. It is good enough that efforts are being made to promote Greek medicine at the state and central levels but more initiatives are needed.

“They say that the soil of every place in the world looks the same but its effectiveness is different. This is the reason why researchers looked for remedies in different regions and from different plants. If those researches are revisited and medicines developed, Greek medicine may change the human life.”

He says that efforts are being made to establish the link between soil and herbs used for medicines in different parts of the world. Research on plant extracts is different parts of India is going on with laboratory testing.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman admits that Unani medicine is weak in emergencies like heart attacks or low oxygen in the body. In such cases, modern drugs are used. "In the case of emergencies, our medicines are not effective but work is being done in this regard as well."

"People often ask whether the Unani system has a surgery option. I want to tell them that almost 5,000 years ago, the Greeks invented all the instruments needed for surgery. "Man used to travel on elephants, horses and camels then and today he uses airplanes. Times have changed but the Unani medicine remains unchanged. Now, efforts are being made to advance it. It is hoped that gradually it will also be adapted to the requirements of the modern era," Dr Rahman said.

Ancient Greek Doctors

However, he said in surgery, the Unani system is lagging, but attention is being paid to this too, and this.

Dr Rahman says sages chronicled research on specific fruits and the soil in which these are grown in their books. Like they mentioned the apple of Kashmir and, the cinnamon of China as the best ones for curing disease. The problem is that the ingredients required for the medicine are not available from these places, which also limits the scope of Greek medicine.

He says there are good practitioners of Unani medicine and students are also joining in courses to become one but due to the lack of authentic medicines, its growth is hampered.

Most Greek medicines have a shelf life of two years, and if the medicine is not sold, it rots. In such a situation, there is a need to draw people's attention to this aspect and to the natural treatment it offers.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says that the Unani medicine can treat various diseases especially those related to the stomach, quite well. Unani medicines are very effective in stomach disorders, constipation, loss of appetite, sluggish motion etc.

Similarly, it's very effective in infertility and also diseases of women's reproductive system. A liver or kidney stone can be easily removed with medication. Similarly, there are many good medicines for strengthening the heart and body.

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says that the hospital has more capacity to treat patients. One of the reasons for this is that Greek medicine does not have the kind of packaging that is done in allopathy.

Another problem is that sugar is being used in other medicines such as potions, mixtures, or yeasts. Earlier, Greek medicines were prepared from pure honey, nature has put such healing in honey, but now pure honey is unavailable and sugar is being used instead. Sugar is a cause of various ailments of the human body and its use in medicines is impacting the effectiveness of medicines.

ALSO READ: COVID-19 led to resurgence of the AYUSH in Kashmir: Dr. Naqshbandi

Dr. Mahfoozur Rahman says that unless worked upon, the future of Greek medicine looks bleak. "Once everyone consulted a Hakim for treatment of disease. The doctors were good and so were medicines. Even today Hakims are very competent and medicines are also good in the dominance of allopathy, the common people are ignoring and forgetting Greek or natural remedies.