Concept of Systemic Cleansing Through Concoctives and Purgatives (munzij mushil therapy) as a Regimen in Chronic Diseases

According to Unani system of medicine, health is attributed to the quantitative and qualitative equilibrium of Akhlat (humours) i.e Damvi (sanguinous), Safra (bilious), Balgham (Phelgamatic) and Saudah (melancholic). Besides this, there is Asbab e Sittah Zarooriya (six essential factors) which are the main determinants of health.These include atmosphereric air (hawa), food and drinks (makool mashroobat), bodily movements and repose (Harkat-wa-Sakoon Badni), mental activity and repose (Harkatwa- Sakoon Nafsani), sleep and wakefulness (Naum Wa Yaqza) and retention and excretion (Ahtibas wa Istifiragh).These factors are highly modifiable and any imbalance in any of these factors is likely to cause diseases. Proper evacuation of morbid materials is the prerequisite of humoral equilibrium or in other words maintenance and restoration of health. The elimination of morbid materials can effectively be achieved by the process of Nuzj (concoction) and Is’haal (purgation) which is one of the basic principles of the treatment of chronic diseases in Unani system of medicine. Nuzj and Is’haal has been in use as a regimen as the main stay of treatment by almost every unani scholar. Great and eminent scholars such as Jalinos, Raban Tabri, Razi have given the importance of Munzij and Mu’shil therapy in their literature and they themselves treated patients successfully with this mode of treatment for thousands of years. Unfortunately, this time tested regimen has been sidelined by contemporary unani practitioners and is not being given its due space in therapeutics. Although attempts have been made to validate the effects of this regimen in some autoimmune disorders but more comprehensive efforts are needed to yield structured data in support of it.