TAREEKH-E-TASHREEH-E-QALB (HISTORY OF HEART’S ANATOMY) IN CLASSICAL GREECE

Dr. Farheen Anwar*, Prof. Dr. Nafasat Ali Ansari, Dr. Abu Bakar Qadri and Dr. Kiran Singh

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Unani Medicine is a form of traditional medicine originated in Ancient Greece almost 2500 years back.[1] Ancient Greek period is conventionally broken down into: Archaic period, Classical period and Hellenistic period. The Archaic Period is from 750 to 480 BCE, the Classical Period is from 479 to 323 BCE and the Hellenistic Period is from 323 to 30 BCE.[2] Tashreeh means “to cut”, “to dissect” and “to open” according to Arabic lugat (dictionary). It is “study of organs” in which shape & form (shakl wa surat), color (rang), quality (kaifiyat), structure (saakht), relations (baahmi nisbat), and functions (afa’al) are studied.[4] The Nizam-e-Uruqi Qalbi or “Cardio-Vascular System” is also called as blood-vascular, or simply the circulatory system. It consists of the heart, a muscular pumping device, and a closed system of vessels called arteries, veins, and capillaries.[8] For those who wants to understand cardiac function not only in the normal heart but more importantly in diseased heart, a precise understanding of cardiac anatomy is a prerequisite.[9] Background: The history of the cardiac anatomy dates back to 3500 B.C. when the Greeks and Egyptians based their understanding of this structure on their religious beliefs. Material and Methods: This literature review seeks to collate and discuss peer-reviewed articles on the history of cardiac anatomy. Conclusion: The history of the cardiac anatomy was widely influenced by intellects of varying backgrounds, which led to significant contributions to our current understanding.

Keywords: Unani Medicine, Classical Greece, Tashreeh-ul-badan (Anatomy), Nizam-e-Uruqi Qalbi (Cardiovascular system), Qalb (Heart), Aza-e-raisa.