مجله طب سنتی اسلام و ایران
سال دوازدهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 47، پاییز 1400)

Background and Purpose:

The most common form of leishmaniosis, Cutaneous Leishmaniosis (CL) is one of the ten most important parasitic diseases globally, with Iran being one of the seven endemic areas in the world. This study aimed to investigate effective treatments for Balkhieh in selected Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) texts and to propose appropriate treatment suggestions for research.

A library-based study was performed for prioritization of appropriate herbal treatments for cutaneous leishmaniosis in TPM. Queried terms in traditional medicine books available in the comprehensive library of traditional and Islamic medicine (Noor software) included “Rish-e-balkhi, Josh-e- Baghdadi, Habbe-e Baghdadi, mosquito bite, Sanakhar, Saldane (leishmaniosis) and Leishmaniosis”. Moreover, some prominent manuscripts including the Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb were also searched.

The current study revealed that “Marham-e Esfidaj” had the highest frequency and score consisting of Mordasang, Tinny Whitewash, Oil of Rosa damascena, Cinnamomum camphor and vinegar.

Based on the data presented herein, none of the reviewed traditional medicine sources recommended single-herb therapy for Balkhieh, and all treatments had at least two components. Maybe, three component combinations that scored the highest based on the prioritization method could be a good suggestion for laboratory and clinical research projects in the field of finding appropriate herbal treatments for Balkhieh or cutaneous leishmaniosis.

Background and Purpose:

Food poisoning with spices recommended by traditional medicine is reported worldwide, and may endanger public health. Hence, the extent of microbial contamination of spices requires to be addressed.

In this study, microbial contamination and purity of twelve Persian Medicine (PM) spices was evaluated in 79 random samples in Tehran in 2016 using powder microscopy and antibiotic sensitivity assessments. Eight disc-shaped types of antibiotics were used for antibiotic sensitivity evaluation using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) table.

The results showed that total bacteria count was higher than permitted levels in 26% of packaged and 35% of bulk spice samples. Contaminated samples mostly included aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Gram-positive cocci, and Gram-positive bacilli, yeast, and mold. Moreover, diagnostic and biochemical tests confirmed that the samples were not infected with Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus. Two cases of Aspergillus niger contamination were observed in thyme and caraway spices, while ten cases of rhizopus contamination were seen in cumin, garlic powder and turmeric. In antibiogram results of samples with higher-than-permitted contamination, 12% of the bacteria showed resistance to tetracycline, 94% to penicillin, 24% to vancomycin, 12% to gentamicin, 82% to cefixime, 6% to ampicillin, 35% to ciprofloxacin, and 30% to cefazolin.

The data showed that the spice samples were completely pure but they had a significant percentage of microbial contamination. The results of this study could be followed for further studies.

Background and Purpose:

Health and disease are among the most important basic concepts of medicine. However, defining their nature and limits, has faced serious challenges in medical philosophy. The purpose of this article is to explain Avicenna's point of view about health and disease and analyze the current definitions of these concepts based on Avicenna's view.

This study was performed by a deductive approach in grounded theory method. Initially, the concepts of health and disease were studied in conventional medicine and books written by Avicenna. These concepts were then used as initial propositions in a deductive argument to create operational propositions.

Avicenna considers health as an accident and one of the qualities of the soul. He defines it as a habit or disposition that is the cause of normal functions in its subject. He also describes disease as a non-healthy condition and considers the assumption of a third state between the two to be unnecessary. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health to be complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease. Such a definition requires the assumption of a third state between health and disease. According to Avicenna, this means to consider both concepts as existential issues; and eventually excludes a large number of dysfunctions -which are not categorized as known diseases or disease symptoms- from the physician's attention. Avicenna accounts disease as a matter of non-existence and considers any level of dysfunction in any function as a level of disease. 

Based on the Avicennian theoretical framework, limiting the health concept boundaries to an optimal state in various dimensions is the strength point of the WHO definition of health; while its weakness is the lack of elegance to cover all subnormal conditions in all functions, under a broader concept of disease.

Background and Purpose:

A paradigmatic reading of medical history results in comprehending the evolution of main concepts based on different paradigms after provoked crises and scientific revolutions in the history of medicine. Basic concepts may fundamentally change in scientific revolutions, i.e., the routine image of phenomena changes in a Gestalt manner. According to modern medicine in the recent century, basic concepts, including causation and explanation, body and physicality, and disease and health have fundamentally changed in the history of medicine. The current study aimed to present and discuss a philosophical image of conceptual incommensurability in the causality concept for emphasizing examples of defining health and disease in different medical paradigms and some models in the scientific revolution of medicine. 

A philosophical analysis was applied to examine the philosophical foundations of medical paradigms. Searching in medical history helps perceive examples of understanding causation and its function. Moreover, both paradigms are discussed in more detail based on a comparative approach with examples.

According to the incommensurability concepts in the science paradigms, simultaneous understanding of the causality concept is considered impossible in traditional-Iranian and modern medicine, i.e., evidence-based medicine.

This study emphasizes the independence of theoretical aspects and practical dimensions of medical paradigms and also deems dialogue and even methodical comparison between paradigms possible, and even necessary; however, this comparison is not a simultaneous communication between both paradigms and demands avoiding methodological confusion.

Background and Purpose:

Anxiety and sleep disorders are among the most common complications of pregnancy that can provide a breeding ground for many health disorders during this period. Rose aromatherapy is a traditional medicine treatment modality that has been declared effective in relieving pain, reducing anxiety, eliminating insomnia and promoting health during pregnancy. It does not have any reported unpleasant side effects and can therefore be used along with standard treatments to manage pregnancy problems.

This study was a clinical trial with pre-test-post-test design. Using random cluster sampling method, 124 pregnant women referring to 9 health centers of Abhar urban community in Zanjan were selected. A cotton cloth with 3 drops of rose extract was placed next to the pillow every night while sleeping for 2 weeks in the third trimester of pregnancy. The Spiel Berger Questionnaire was used to measure anxiety and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire was used to measure sleep quality. Data were analyzed using appropriate software and tests.

The mean scores of overt and covert anxiety in the experimental group decreased significantly with intervention compared with the control group and the mean changes in the scores of overt and covert anxiety after aromatherapy intervention in the control and experimental groups were significantly different (p<0.0001). Moreover, changes in sleep quality score were not the same in the experimental and control groups, with the experimental group having higher quality sleep (p<0.0001).

This study showed that aromatherapy with rose extract has a positive effect on reducing overt and covert anxiety and improving the quality of sleep in women in the third trimester of pregnancy. This fragrance is available, safe and well-accepted by pregnant women and their families.

Background and Purpose:

Ethnobotany is the study of use of native plants in a particular ethnic group, culture, or region. Due to the fact that the methods and uses of medicinal plants vary in different regions, the aim of present study was to introduce the culture of traditional use of medicinal plants to treat diseases in Baluchestan region.

Following identification of the plants of the region, the local name, medicinal properties, method of use and other information related to the species were collected simultaneously.

In this study, 20 plant species belonging to 18 families were investigated. The most common use of medicinal species in this region were for gastrointestinal diseases (8 species, 29.6%), analgesia and treatment of contusions (6 species, 22.2%), and reduction of blood sugar and blood lipids (5 species, 18.5%), while the least belonged to eye diseases (1 species, 3.7%). Study of the type of consumption indicated that herbs were most commonly used as decoctions and poultices.

Due to the richness of medicinal plants in Baluchestan and the widespread use of indigenous plants for treatment of many diseases, it is possible to reach new insights in application of medicinal plants by further studies.