JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC AND IRANIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
Year:2011 | Volume:2 | Issue:2 (6)|Papers Count:10

Fertility is one of the main goals of creation for survival. The high prevalence of infertility around the world and in Iran as well as the economic burden of different treatments of infertility has resulted in several problems for couples and the community. As a holistic approach, Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM) has a particular viewpoint in this area, which can be helpful for current medicine. The purpose of the current study is to review the infertility etiology according to TIM to elucidate the different aspects of the problem and become familiar with the beliefs and viewpoints of Iranian traditional physician. This may bring new insight into identification and classification of the underlying causes of infertility.To this end, we carefully evaluated the main texts of TIM such as Al-Qanun Fi Al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine) by Avicenna, Kamel Al-Sena’eh, Kholaseh Al-Hekmat, Zakhireh Kharazmshahi, Exir Azam, Moalejat Aghili, and Almojaz. Infertility-related subjects under the entry of "gynecology", their sign and symptoms, and the underlying causes were investigated. Contextual analysis was performed and the discrepancies and congruities were summarized. Generally, the main etiologies considered for female infertility can be categorized as problems of oocytes, uterine, ovaries and fallopian tubes, dysfunction of other organs, and psychological and behavioral causes.Iranian traditional physicians or "Hakims" believed that the components of oocytes come from all organs, particularly the main organs such as heart, liver, and brain. Therefore, dysfunction of other organs, especially the main organs can lead to infertility. Psychological factors also received great attention from hakims. This is an introductory investigation to become familiar with the viewpoints of Iranian traditional physicians toward infertility. Moreover, this can be an initiative for identifying alternative methods of diagnosis and treatment of female infertility.

The significance of breastfeeding is stated in Traditional Iranian Medicine, it is also a high priority in current medicine. Even Avicenna provided some explanations on the importance of breastfeeding, and the measurements to be followed in the perinatal period. The current study considers the topic of breastfeeding in the sources of traditional medicine as the Cannon of Medicine (Avicenna), Zakhireh Kharazmshahi (Jorjani), Kholaseh Al-Hekmat (AghiliKhorasani), and Hefz-o Sehat (Naserol Hokama).

Carrying out circumcision is a common practice in many countries. In the USA, almost 80% of male infants are circumcised. The importance of circumcision in reducing the risk of urinary tract infection has been demonstrated in several studies. Moreover, the role of circumcision in decreasing the risk of male genital cancers has been confirmed. It has been shown that to achieve the advantages of circumcision, it should be performed in neonates.Sometimes, circumcision is delayed due to the fear of meatus stenosis. However, the fear is not true, as meatus stenosis can be treated easily in outpatient services, and it rarely causes complications. Therefore, delaying circumcision causes not to achieve the advantages of the procedure, including prevention of neonatal and childhood urinary tract infection, and their complications such as kidney diseases. Even it has been shown that circumcision would be helpful in prevention of genital system cancers, only if performed during neonatal period. Furthermore, carrying out the procedure during neonatal period is accompanied with some other benefits. For instance, wound healing is excellent in this period, and the circumcision lesion would heal almost at the same time as the umbilical cord falls off, and the risk of infection is very low, since the maternal antibodies are present in neonate’s blood and the wound region has a very good blood supply and is resistant against infection. Neonatal circumcision is not accompanied by the problems and psychological stresses, experienced in childhood circumcision.The current study evaluates the available evidence on neonatal circumcision, to elucidate the importance of circumcision timing. Moreover, the appropriate method of carrying out the procedure is provided in the paper, to be used as a guide.

Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM) has an outstanding history with numerous medical textbooks. Similar to other medical schools, in TIM, drugs are used in treatment of diseases. One of these drug groups is purgative agents. These drugs were used to excrete putrefied temperaments, or extra materials from the patients’ body. In the current study, different information on the categories, route of administration, and mechanism of effect of this drug category was collected from different sources of TIM, including the manuscripts, printed texts, and electronic books. In this way, a collection of purgatives used in TIM was established, and the effects of these drugs in excretion of different temperaments from the viewpoint of TIM hakims, as well as the indications for administration of the drugs were evaluated.As it has been mentioned in TIM sources, refinement of the body from putrefied temperaments or extra materials is one of the major treatment methods in TIM. Understanding this treatment method and the drugs used for this purpose can be considered as a component of treatment process in different clinical studies. This can even lead to cure of patients as an alternative or complementary approach along with the current treatment methods.

Background: Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue due to a steep rise in the prevalence of overweight.  Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for many diseases, including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and hypertension. Because of inappropriate diet, lack of adequate physical activity, and sedentary life style; people use medical treatments to lose weight. Herbal medicines have been gaining considerable popularity in recent years. Given the increasing popularity of herbal medicines for treatment of obesity in Iran, there is a need to evaluate these products, which are traditionally provided.Methods: Ten herbal products used for obesity on Isfahan traditional medicine market were collected, their medical information was recorded, and then the drugs were microscopically and macroscopically evaluated. Finally, their therapeutic effects were compared with the indications mentioned in traditional medicine texts.Discussion: More than 50% of the products contained at least one medicinal plant, which has been used traditionally for treatment of obesity.Conclusion: The providers of traditional medicines should receive required trainings according to texts of traditional medicine. Moreover, they should be continuously monitored and the traditional medicine products continuously undergo pharmacognostic testing.

Background: The purpose of this paper is to compare the concept of Nafs in the Holy Quran, Islamic philosophy texts, psychology, and neuroscience.Methods: The definition of Nafs in the Holy Quran and philosophy, psychiatry, and neuroscience texts is presented. Then, the correlations of these viewpoints are provided to achieve an explanation of the concept. Considering the comparisons as well as the objective experience f authors, an applicable conclusion is provided.Findings: The concept of Nafs has been frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran and philosophical and spiritual texts. The concepts of “anima” and “animus” in the Jung’s school of psychology seem to be comparable Gharin and Gharineh in the Quran. There seems to be objective indications for Nafs concept from the viewpoint of the Quran, Jung’s psychology, and neuroscience research. Discussion: Belief in seraphic creatures and Nafs can be observed in the thoughts of divine religions. Nevertheless, when the objective evaluations are considered, some scientists do not accept the existence and effects of these items. The result is denial of a wide range of human dimensions, which can be found in religious, philosophical, spiritual, psychological, and neuroscience texts. Photographic documentation of inorganic creatures can be helpful in acknowledgement of these realities. Documentation methods may lead to a deep revolution in management of the western psychology and provides novel aspects for the religious viewpoints.

Revival of Traditional Iranian Medicine provides an opportunity for researchers to get benefits from the valuable therapeutic measures of past traditional physicians (The Hakims). In this way, researchers can achieve therapeutic methods with less complications and lower costs. Because of its high prevalence and direct relationship with cardiovascular disorders, hyperlipidemia is a major health concern. According to the Traditional Iranian Medicine texts, one of the basic issues that should be considered in all disorders is the functional status of the four stages of digestion. In the current paper, the relationship between stages of digestion and hyperlipidemia is clarified by referring to Traditional Iranian Medicine texts and the clinical evidence.

Most drugs of plant origin have been obtained by studying the traditional treatments and knowledge of ancient peoples. In spite of great advancements in chemical synthesis, some of these compounds cannot still be replaced. Ethnobotany deals with the ways people of a society use plants. The science is known as an efficient tool to extract the native knowledge of using plants. During past decade, targeted evaluation of local pharmacopeia with the vision of developing novel drugs has been performed by many national and international organizations. The positive approach of scientists and increased tendency of governments to cooperate in ethnobotany projects shows the increasing value of information obtained in these studies. Registration and evaluation of written and non-written scientific heritage of traditional medicine of different Iranian ethnic groups can preserve the valuable treasure of multi-thousand-year-old knowledge and experiment of Iranians in medicine. This will also lead to discovery of novel medicines and achievements in pharmaceutical industry.