MAGALA FI ABDAL AL-ADWIYA AL-MUSTAMALA FI AL-TIB WA AL-ILAJ

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In none of the pathies than the Greco-Arab system of medicine, the problem of non-availability, confused identity and adulteration of drugs exists. This is because the Unani pathy has to deal with hundreds of herbs and drugs of mineral as well as animal origin. Certain drugs are native to certain countries even if they grow in other countries, the best species is still found in a particular region of the world. Under the circumstances this is quite possible that certain drugs of prime therapeutic value and choice may not be available to the physician, thus hampering the process of successful treatment. This situation had come across the Greek/Arab/Persian physicians and consequently the need of search for the substitutes had arisen. The approach of ancient physicians does not seem to be hypothetical or haphazard. They applied their mind and had laid down certain principles and evolved the methodology in order to adopt the substitutes.

Though the Greeks as well as Arab physicians had the need of contributing chapters towards the substitutes of the drugs, it was for Abu Bakr Mohammad bin Zakariyya al-Razi (865-925 A.D.) to compile an exclusive monograph entitled as 'Maqala Fi Abdal al-Adwiya al-Mustamala Fi al-Tib Wa al-Ilaj more commonly known as 'Kitab al-Abdal'. He had benefited himself with the views of all his predecessors and fortified it with his own observations and clinical experiences. In fact he was more qualified to do so because he was the person who remained attached to a hospital for a certain period and served as a general practitioner for the rest of his life.

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine has got it translated as it has also edited, translated and published other classical works. Now this useful book could reach the teachers, students and Unani practitioners and enlighten them in respect of selecting the substitutes for the extinct herbs/drugs in the prescribed manner.

This is one aspect, the other being the chemical analysis of the main drug and Its recommended substitute. If the council goes ahead to take up this sort of study. the final verdict of validity of the observations of the ancient physicians or otherwise shall also come on record as a literary cum chemical research.

The Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, under its literary research programme, had for the first time in 1980, published the edited Arabic text of an important treatise on Unani Medicine 'Maqala Fi Abdal al-Adwiya al-Mustamala Fi al- Tib Wa al-Ilaj, popularly known as 'Kitab al-Abdal', along with its translation and explanatory notes in Urdu. The book is authored by a well-known physician and scholar of Unani Medicine, Abu Bakr Mohammad bin Zakariyya al-Razi (Rhazes) (865-925 A.D.). Kitab al-Abdal is an important volume and deals with the substitutes of single drugs of herbal and mineral origin, used in Unani System of Medicine. The book contains valuable information on the fundamental principles, uses, dosages etc. of various substitutes for 122 single drugs, in a systematic though concised manner. The manuscript was edited with the help of four authentic manuscripts preserved in Asiatic Society Library Calcutta, Rampur Raza Library, Rampur, Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library Patna and a private collection at Aligarh.

It was felt that such a rare book should be translated into English so that majority of the scholars having interest in Unani Medicine across the globe may be benefited.

I hope this will serve an important need for a larger section of the researchers practitioners and pharmacists of Unani Medicine.

**Contents and Sample Pages**