Affiliation:
1. CHUV (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois), Lausanne University, Switzerland
2. Department of Tahaffuzi Wa Samaji Tib, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Abstract
Abstract
The ancient Hippocratic medicine, which prevailed in Europe for nearly two millennia, has undergone a transformation and found contemporary expression in the form of Unani medicine. This tradition, rooted in the Ionian (Greek) approach, revolves around the theory of humors. Unani medicine migrated from Greece to the Arab world and subsequently to India and Pakistan, where it has been widely embraced and practiced. Exploring the educational journey of a practitioner in Liverpool has revealed the existence of an international network of Unani medicine. Many of its teachers and practitioners originate from the Indian subcontinent. This once-dominant therapeutic system is experiencing a resurgence in the West, particularly within the realms of complementary, alternative, or integrative medicine. This article aims to highlight the historical journey of Unani medicine, emphasizing its evolution from ancient Greece to its current status as a relevant and practiced system in the West.