Journal of - International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine

Hijamat (Cupping therapy) and Gynaecological
Diseases-a Review
*Arshiya SULTANA
Lecturer, Dept. of Amraze Niswan wa Ilmul Qabalat National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore - Karnataka (India)
e-mail: drarshiya@yahoo.com
Khaleeq ur RAHMAN
Reader, Dept. of Ilmul Advia, H.M.S Unani Medical College, Tumkur, Karnataka (India)
Summary
Unani medicine is a holistic medicine, which aims not only to correct the present disturbances but also to make the individual emerge after recovery
with a greater power of resistance to future disturbances. The management of any disease depends on the cause, aggravating factors, pathogenesis, pathology,
and clinical manifestations. The principle of treatment is elimination of the cause, normalization of humours and of tissues/organs. The mode of
treatment is by Ilaj bil Ghiza, Ilaj bit Tadbeer, Ilaj bil Advia and Ilaj bil Yad. Hijamat is one of the Ilaj bit Tadbeer (Unani regimental therapies) used for
local evacuation or shunting of morbid humours. In this therapy, cups are applied to the surface of the skin through negative pressure created by the vacuum.
Hijamat bila Shurt (Dry cupping) works on the principle of Imalae Mawaad (Shunting) that shunts away the morbid matter responsible for disease
from the affected place, whereas Hijamat bil Shurt (Wet cupping) get rids of the morbid matter from the affected side by letting down the sufficient
quantity of morbid Akhlat and this procedure is known as Tanqiyae Mawaad.. The clinical trials on practice of cupping therapy in different pain conditions
and other general diseases are documented. Though, the classical texts are enriched with practice of hijamat in different gynaecological diseases, it
is not in regular use, and moreover clinical trials are not documented. Thus, it need of the hour to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of hijamat in gynaecological
diseases in the light of classical literature.
Key Words: Unani Medicine; Cupping; Hijamat; Gynaecological diseases
Introduction:
Unani medicine is a holistic medicine taking into account
of patient’s physical, mental, and social conditions in
the treatment of illness. The basic philosophy of the Unani
system is that the body is composed of matter and spirit.
Human body is taken as a whole, since a harmonious life
is possible only when there is a proper balance between the
physical and spiritual functions. It aims not only to correct
the present disturbances but also to make the individual
emerge after recovery with a greater power of resistance to
future disturbances. In the Unani medicine, great emphasis
is laid on the human nature called, ‘Tabaiyat’ and the
physician is advised to activate and follow this power and
not to antagonize it.
Buqrat (Hippocrates), the great Greek philosopher and
physician (460 to 377 BCE) was the first, to relieve medicine
from the grip of fallacy and enchantment and gave it
the status of science. 1 The theoretical frame work of Unani
system of medicine is based on his teachings. According
to him nature heals and physician is only the nature’s assistant.
His chief contribution to medical dominion is the
humoural theory. This theory presupposes the presence of
four humours in the human body: Dam (blood), Balgham
(phlegm), Safra (yellow bile) and Sauda (black bile). These
humours were assigned temperaments—blood is hot and
moist, phlegm is cold and moist, yellow bile is hot and dry
and black bile is cold and dry. Thus, the temperaments of a
person is expressed according to the preponderance of the
humour i.e. blood, phlegm, yellow and black bile in them.
Every person is supposed to have the unique humoural
constitution, which represents his/her healthy state. 1 Alteration
and imbalance of humours cause diseases. Tabaiyat
(nature of the body) spontaneously removes the morbid
matter through the process of sweating, urination or
defecation and maintains homeostasis of the body. When
Quwwate Mudabbire Badan 2, 3 (the power of body responsible
to maintain health) fails to eliminate the cause, quantitative
or qualitative derangement in normal equilibrium
of Akhlat (humours) occurs in the body. These abnormal
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