A review on Unani concept of purgative drugs

Abstract

The concept of purgation (Istifragh) is comprised fundamentally in six essential governing life style factors for life, which are called as Asbab e Sit e Zarooriyah in Unani. It is included as one of the natural and safety method in Unani regimenal therapy in treating different diseases and to eliminate toxic and other unnecessary materials from the body. Unani physicians attempt to use trouble-free physical ways to cure diseases. They are not only curative but are also widely used for the prevention of diseases. Mainly most of the diseases are caused by imbalance of humours in the body. So it will be corrected by eliminating the causative factors through one of the natural way, most commonly through intestine. Mullayin (Laxative) drugs pass only the matter from intestine and Mushil (Purgative) drugs pass the matters from intestine together with unnecessary matter from other parts of the body. These drugs have selective power to eliminate only morbid matter from the body. Munzij (Concoctive) and Mushil (purgatives) therapy (M.M. Therapy) that chiefly implemented for the correction of metabolic disorders (i.e. humoural de-arrangements) is a specific treatment. This therapy is very useful for appropriate treatment in chronic and established diseases of various systems of the body. During Unani treatment, the whole body or intestine is cleansed of accumulated toxins through the use of laxative and purgative drugs, by this technique. Mild, moderate and strong purgative and laxative drugs may be used depending upon the prevailing condition. There are number of laxative and purgative drugs used as single and compound forms in different diseases in the line of Unani treatment. In this review, these drugs will be discussed briefly focusing on the concept of purgation in certain diseases in order to realize the concept of purgative drugs in Unani.