INTERDEPENDENCE OF SKIN AND UTERUS IN PERSIAN MEDICINE

Persian Medicine, which flourished in the Islamic Golden Age (9th to 12th century AD), considers the human body a unified whole whose organs are in constant interaction and equilibrium with each other. The skin is one of these interdependent organs that play an important role in protecting internal organs, and as an excretion route, it can expel substances that are not consumed by the body. Alternatively, the uterus, a vital organ in pregnancy, excretes excess body material during menstruation to maintain a woman's health. This narrative study discussed the importance of aligning the structure and function of these two organs based on the main textbooks of Persian Medicine, especially those written during this historical period. Likewise, electronic databases were used for investigating related articles. The skin and uterus are two excretory organs. When the secretion of excess material through menstruation is physiologically or pathologically impaired, the body transfers these substances to the skin as the organ associated with the uterus. Thus, the clinical manifestations of some skin diseases can be a sign of imbalance in the function of the uterus and its related organs. Consequently, the structural and functional similarities of both organs can provide a new guide in the approach to their participatory diseases in the integration of Persian and conventional medicine.

Abu-Sahl al-Masihi (died circa 1010 AD): The Persian physician in the early medieval era.

In the early medieval era, in the time which is called the Islamic Golden Age, medicine flourished through the practice of Persian physicians (9th to 12th century AD). Abu-Sahl al-Masihi (died circa 1010 AD) was one of the physicians in that period who had great influence on the progress of medicine by his own writings as well as his influence on great scholars like Biruni and Avicenna as their teacher. He was a polymath and had many writings in various fields of science, in particular medical sciences. Some of his manuscripts in medicine were Al-Mia fil-Tibb (Book of the Hundred), Kitab al-Teb al-Koli (The General Medicine), Ezhar al-Hekmat Allah Ta'ala fi Khalgh al-Ensan (God's Mystery on the Creation of Man), Resalat al-Adwiya (Treatise of Drugs), Osool Elm Nabz (the Principles of Pulse), and Resala f i Tahqiq Amral-Waba' (On the determination of the matter of infectious diseases). As a sign of his impact in Persian medicine, many later physicians (until 19th century) referred to and cited his works in their manuscripts several times.

Comparison of quince with vitamin B6 for treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: a randomised clinical trial.

This trial was performed to compare quince (Cydonia oblonga) fruit with vitamin B6 on 76 pregnant women with a gestational age of 6-14 weeks and mild-to-moderate nausea and vomiting (NVP) (40 in the quince and 36 in the B6 group). The 'Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis' (PUQE-24) scale was used to examine the severity of NVP. The quince syrup (1 tablespoon/TDS) or vitamin B6 tablets (20 mg/TDS) were used as intervention for 1 week. The mean (±SD) age was 27.5 (±5.2) years. The score of the PUQE was decreased from 9.5 (± 2) at baseline to 5.2 (±2.3) on the 7th day and 5.3 (±2.6) on the 14th day (p < .001) in the quince group. In the other group, the scores were 8.4 (±1.8), 7.3 (±2.4) and 7.7 (±3.8), respectively (p = .001). The change in symptoms were more marked in the quince group (p < .001). Quince syrup seems to be a suitable treatment for NVP. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Pregnancy-induced nausea and vomiting (NVP) is one of the most common problems during gestation. Treatment is mainly symptomatic, ranging from dietary changes and oral pharmacological treatment to hospitalization in severe forms. In early pregnancy, the use of chemical drugs is avoided, so there is an increasing tendency to use alternative therapies. According to the literature review in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM), the quince fruit (Cydonia oblonga) can be useful in NVP. Quince has a wide range of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and antidepressant effects. ITM literature suggests some therapeutic effects of the quince fruit on important organs like brain, heart, liver and stomach. What the results of this study add: The results of this study demonstrated the significant efficacy of quince in comparison with vitamin B6. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: This fruit is also safe to be administered in pregnant women suffering from NVP.

Combination of Nigella sativa and Honey in Eradication of Gastric Helicobacter pylori Infection.

BACKGROUND: Gastric Helicobacter pylori is extremely common worldwide. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of combination of Nigella sativa and honey (Dosin) in eradication of gastric H. pylori infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nineteen patients who had positive result for H. pylori infection by urea breath test (UBT) without a past history of peptic ulcer, gastric cancer or gastrointestinal bleeding, were suggested to receive one teaspoon of the mixture of Dosin (6 g/day of N. sativa as ground seeds and 12 g/day of honey) three times a day after meals for two weeks. The second UBT was used to detect the presence of H. pylori four weeks after completion of the test. In addition, symptoms of dyspepsia were scored before and after the study and analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: Fourteen patients completed the study. Negative UBT was observed in 57.1% (8/14) of participants after intervention. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of total dyspepsia symptoms was significantly reduced from 5.5 (5 - 12) to 1 (0 - 4) (P = 0.005). All the patients tolerated Dosin except for one who was excluded due to mild diarrhea. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Dosin was concluded to be an anti H. pylori and an anti-dyspeptic agent. Further studies are recommended to investigate the effect of Dosin plus antibiotics (concurrently or following another) on gastric H. pylori infection.