Persian Medicine
· Opening:
It is said in myths:
Once upon a time, there was nothing just the One, Spirit, God… To manifest himself, He created the Warmth.
He created The Warmth, and it was alone for a while till God decided to make a couple for him and it was done; the Coldness was created of the Warmth. The couple made two children. They are to say; Moisture and Dryness.
Now there are 4 creatures, our ancestors that are the cause of every thing and are presented in every creature… They are pre-historic and instinctual beings that each and every generation inherent their being and their qualities in a way…
· History:
In this article we are going to have an introduction to Persian Medicine. We are going to have a brief knowledge about Persian medicine, so we will not pay much to details.
The practice and study of medicine in Persia has a long and prolific history. The ancient Iranian medicine was combined by different medical traditions from Greece, Egypt, India and China for more than 4000. The Iranian academic centers like Jundishapur University (3rd century AD) were a breeding ground for the union among great scientists from different civilizations.
Awhile after conquering Iran by Muslims and being influenced by the new religion (Islam, about 1400 years ago) there was a new movement and improvement in science including Medicine, in spite of causing many damages. It should be said that at that time, organization of the old religion of Persia (Zoroastrian) had been corrupted and there of, there was a capacity for accepting new belief and religion.
There is a strong attention and ordering in Islam about thinking, research and learning. It is said in Islam that with knowing yourself and nature you can know God (Allah), find true way of life and be enlighted. That was what persuades Iranians toward science after a gap. It happened in the means of conservation, consolidation, coordination and development of ideas and knowledge in ancient civilizations that cause a great development, in science.
Some Iranian Hakim (practitioners) such as Razi known to the West as Rhazes and Ibn Sina better known as Avicenna were not only responsible for accumulating all the existing information on medicine of the time, but adding to this knowledge by their own astute observations, experimentation and skills [17][18]. "Qanoon fel teb of Avicenna" ("The Canon") and "Kitab al-hawi of Razi" ("Continens") were among the central texts in Western medical education from the 13th to the 18th centuries.
· Concepts
As it is mentioned in the opening, there are 4 concepts and being that Persian Medicine is based on them; Warmth, Coldness, Moisture and Dryness, that among them, 2 first one, are the main concepts.
By combining them in pairs we will have 12 pair combinations. There after by omitting and leaving out repeated combinations, there will remain 4 couples (pairs):
1. warm and dry
2. warm and moist
3. cold and moist
4. cold and dry
These four correspond with and are the result of combination of four Basic Elements that is to say in the order:
1. Fire (warmth)
2. Air (moisture)
3. Water (coldness)
4. Earth (dryness)
According to these four Basic elements there are four basic concepts and materials that body is made of them. They are called four “fluid elements or Humors”.
They are in the order:
1. Safra (bile)
2. Dam (blood)
3. Balgham (phlegm)
4. Soda (black bile)
They can be known and considered in relation with Basic Elements and in this way, we can understand them and their characteristics. We have to have a conceptive and subjective point of view first to know the concepts as well as possible. There of we can consider the body and practice medicine based on our knowledge of them. It is very important to understand them profoundly and there after, their signs and effects.
Here we will pay to some of their characteristics for instance.
1. Bile or Safra is like fire. It is warm and dry. It has fire characteristics. It is the lightest element and yellowish-red in color. It intends to go up. It flickers, is not stable and change. Once it is present with its very warmth and the other second is absent and leave out coldness and so on… Because of its heat and lightness, its position is considered to be upper part of body specially. It is energy in use in body. It is that which cause digestion with its warmth, etc.
2. Blood or Dam that is like air. It is warm and wet, more or less. It is mobile. It is heavier than Safra and bright red in color. It has the responsibility for caring things in body and nourishment. It is clear and does not keep or hinder. Wind (air) moves, take, lift and carry many things and finally leave them out like blood in body. It is situated dominantly in blood vessels, heart and liver. It includes most part of blood.
3. Phlegm or Balgham that is like water. It is cold and wet. It is light-red in color. It is heavier than 2 first ones. It makes fluids in body and fat. It is slippery. It is available in eyes, nose, ear, mouth, joints. Fat is made of it. It can hide many things like water, good and bad. It can have hidden and cause in many diseases also if exceed its limits, etc.
4. Black-Bile or Soda that is like earth cold and dry. It is mostly dark red and the heaviest, though it can vary in color and weight. It may give even life like earth but will take it back. It makes hard substances in body such as bone, hair, nail, etc.
In fact as we discussed, all the four elements are present in every one's body yet, usually one of them is dominant. Such dominance of one of these four fluid elements or humors, results in four natures or Temperaments in humans. They are in the order;
1. Choleric; dominance of bile
2. Sanguine; dominance of blood
3. Phlegmatic; dominance of phlegm
4. Melancholic; dominance of black-bile
Persian Medicine like other old medicines has a holistic point of view so its purpose firstly is to maintain healthy and natural condition, physically or metaphysically.
The main aim is to keep harmony in human itself and in relation with nature as well, as human is a part of nature. We can not consider things separately. Nature affects us and we affect nature, mind affects body and body affects mind.
· Practice:As a matter of healing, maintaining balance or bringing it back, we have to pay attention to many things: temperament (mezaj), age, sex etc about the person and climate, season... about circumstance that s/he lives. We should have a holistic view.
Generally, the function of Hakim (practitioner) is to keep body in a healthy condition that is balance between 4 fluid elements.
Each and every one has a special domination of one of mezajes or combination of them basically. So there can not be a common inscription and solution for similar symptoms and diseases. Practitioner should consider many things about patient and his/her environment profoundly and just then he can make a decision and give a solution.
There are many means for that purpose but the most important one is to keep a good diet. As digestive system and the food that we consume is what that nourishes and maintain our being, so it is at the first level of importance.
Having a good diet according to our nature (original mezaj), or changes in domination of mezaj (that may causes illness) and other factors should be always in our mind. It is the function of Hakim to give consultation and spread the basic and essential knowledge about life. Every one needs to have a basic knowledge about mezaj of human, foods, etc.
Another mean is the use of medical plants and minerals as well. These are materials for making medicine and drugs even though they may come in use as single medicine that is more common especially for simple disorders.
There are many other different means, methods and techniques such as exercises, applying oils and massage, bathing, keeping fast, using gem stones, cupping, blood letting, etc. surgery have been in practice also and it is mentioned in books that surgery should come in use as the last solution, when there is no other way or not much time for treatment in special cases.
Here I would like to explain more about the special massage technique that is called “Hejamat” (cupping.)
· Hejamat (cupping):
Hejamat is a method of treatment that can be used especially in the case of diseases that have coldness as their cause, that is to say Soda and specially Balgham (dry cupping) and also for disease by the cause of Dam (wet cupping) and Soda.
In this technique, we make a negative pressure on the body by the use of a cup and vacuuming air inside it. It will cause many effects on that particular potion which cup is applied and also on the other parts of body. We can make use of these effects for the purpose of treating different diseases. Here some of these effects are mentioned:
- Inviting blood to the potion by negative pressure. Inviting and presence of more blood, cleanse blood vessels and tissues by improving blood circulation and so there will be a better act of nourishment (fuel and oxygen). It also warm that poison by improving blood circulation.
- Awakening body by the shock that pressure makes to the nerves and thereof immunity system of body and making its attention to that potion. It will cause some further activities and self healing by the body itself.
Cupping should be done after applying some special oils that will help the process by softening the skin and making it flexible, keeping the cup on the body by making a better contact with edge of the cup and skin, avoiding of entering air and finally with special effect of the oil.
Vacuuming can be done by the use of suction (cold cupping) or fire (warm cupping) that the second method is better.
We can cover the potion by applying some cups and leaving them in their place for a while in their position (fix cupping) or also we can use one cup and move it in the potion (moving cupping). We can do cupping almost all over the body, but in some parts with more care and in special conditions. Depending on the potion, time and pressure of applying cups differ.
Even if there is no special disorder, cupping is useful for body. For example doing cupping on the two sides of the spine, on the back of body, will help whole body to work in a better way. Because, about 70% of nerves are laid there like two thick robs as two main branches of nerves. So doing cupping on that potion, invites blood, improves blood circulation, nourishes and warm nerves and awaken them. It will make nerves to work properly, so whole body will work better.
We have two main method of cupping, they are:
1. Dry cupping that is without getting blood as it is mentioned before.
2. Wet cupping that is with getting blood. In this method, We create local suction on the skin. Through suction, the skin is drawn into the cup by creating a vacuum in the cup placed on the skin over the targeted area. We do it around the area where we want to make incisions to make the body ready and to invite blood to the area. Finally, the cup is left to cling to the skin on the targeted area, for a few minutes, then it is lifted off and several very small incisions are made on the skin. And then, we apply the cup and vacuum it again to draw the blood our of body through incisions.
It is with a very light feeling of pain or not at all, because applying cup before scarifying, take attention of immunity system to the potion. Then, it will cause releasing of some hormones which desensitizes the area or makes it less sensitive.
Getting blood by this method is totally different of blood donation and it is very useful for many cases (also dry cupping) even if there is no disorder. Because by wet cupping we get out heavy and dirty blood that is not useful but harmful. In wet cupping, we get around 50 to 70 milliliters of blood.
Wet cupping is profitable especially for people with a warm and wet nature (Damavi Mezaj) along with another method that is called blood letting. Because their body intends to produce more blood and it may bring disorder itself. But this method usually is use for cleaning and filtering blood or a special part of body that has problems like infection.
Here are some benefits of wet cupping;
• Awakening, regulating and reinforcement of immune system.
• Making immune to allergies.
• Regulating the secretion of hormone glands.
• Regulating the function of autonomic nervous system
• Detoxification of the body
• Reducing and regulating the cholesterol level, the sugar level, the urea and the blood concentration.
• Increase in oxygen supply and circulation
• Increase in absorption of healthy elements and excretion of toxins.
• Reinforcement of memory and brain functioning
• Etc.
There are some points which we have to consider before and after wet cupping. They are as bellow;
Before:
• One shouldn’t be neither hungry nor too full. Two hours after eating is fine.
• Stop smoking 12 hours before and prevent sexual activities 24 hours before
• An hour before drink a good deal of healthy liquids such as pomegranate juice, honey syrup, non-alcoholic beer, etc.
• Stop consuming foods that are cold in nature and heavy such as fishes, eggs, salty foods, etc. eight hours before.
• Women in menstruation period shouldn’t do it.
• Don’t do it if you are tired or under too much pressure.
• Don’t do it just after bathing.
• Beforehand, consult your practitioner.
• Sundays and Thursdays are good.
• It is better near the sunset.
• Wednesdays and Fridays are prohibited except for those possessed with demons.
• Spring is the best season and then next it preference are fall, summer and winter.
• Consult with the practitioner if you have any illness.
After:
• Don’t smoke or take drugs until 12 hours
• Don’t do heavy or sexual activities for 24 hours
• Don’t eat cold-nature or heavy or pungent foods for 24 hours such as fishes, yogurt, eggs, salty foods, spicy foods, etc.
• Don’t bath for 12 hours.
• Drink a good deal of healthy liquids such as honey syrup, sweet pomegranate juice, etc. for 6 hours
• If you had any difficulty in first session, consider that it will reduce in next sessions.
The sixth book of Zend-Avesta (the holly book of Zoroastrian religion) contains some of the earliest records of history of ancient Iranian medicine. The Vendidad in fact devotes most of the last chapters to medicine. [4]
In a passage of the Vendidad, one of the surviving texts of the Zandavesta, three kinds of medicine were distinguished: medicine by the knife (surgery), medicine by herbs, and medicine by divine words; and the best medicine was, according to the Vendidad, healing by divine words [5]:
"Of all the healers O Spitama Zarathustra, namely those who heal with the knife, with herbs, and with sacred incantations, the last one is the most potent as he heals from the very source of diseases." (Ardibesht Yasht)
The word Hakim means wise man and his healing function is not limited to body alone but psych and mind as well and his knowledge is not limited to medicine.
They were spiritual teachers and wise men. They had knowledge of different sciences such as mathematics, chemistry, astrology, spirituality, etc.
If we consider profoundly, we will see that health of mind is more important than body. Any thing that is more subtle is more important, as we can live for about forty days without food, one week without water and just four to five minutes without air!
In another words, just with doing a lot of effort and doing exercise for a while, our body will become warm, but a single bad word easily and instantly make us warm and our face reddish.
In the same way spirit is the most important. In fact there is five basic elements, they are: Spirit, fire, air, water and earth. The matter is that spirit is not in our control but other elements are. So if we keep the 4 elements in balance, if we maintain our body and mind in a good way, the spirit may come and duel in us.
Reference: wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Iranian_Medicine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_cupping
