Conceptual Comparison of Infectious Diseases of TIBBE-AKBARI and Modern Medicine: Akhlat and Mezaj Theory

Abstract

Background: Treating infectious diseases (ID) is the priorityof health systems. Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) has diagnostic andpreventive comments in most diseases. Readout TPM gives opportunity to know theviewpoints of ancient Iranian scholars for using these opinions in treating ID.In this regard returning to TPM options and modalities can be useful at leastas complementary method in treating ID. For understanding the concepts of ID inTPM first of all it is needed to trace ID in TPM and translate them intowestern medicine language which is the goal of this report. Methodology: This research includes 80 ID mentioned in TIBBE-AKBARI (one of PersianMedicine textbook) for rewriting and comparing with conventional medicinefindings. Findings: The majority of clinical signs, symptoms andphysical examinations of ID are comparable with modern medicine except theviewpoint of TPM about aetiology which is based on Akhlat and Mezaj theory.By considering no option for antibiotic therapy in ancients time so there is acompletely different opinion in treating ID with modern medicine. Conclusion: IDs have different names in TPM and conventionalmedicine. In contrast to modern medicine in which micro-organism are asetiologic agents, Akhlat and Mezaj theory of TPM has main role for description of ID,the subject which must to be decoded. Although they have completely differentopinions in treatment, but with regard to the increasing of antibioticresistance issue, TPM treatment comments may be useful in future in ID ascomplementary method beside antibiotics.