Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus L) is one of the best known medicinal herbs since ancient times. In view of its benefits as a widely applicable phytomedicine, it is still used in folk medicine of different parts of the world. In addition to its nutritional values, dwarf elder contains different phytochemicals among which flavonoids and lectins are responsible for most of its therapeutic effects. Dwarf elder has been used for different ailments including: joint pains, cold, wounds, and infections. Nevertheless, recent evidence has revealed its potentials for making attempts at treating cancer and metabolic disorders. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive description of dwarf elder regarding its traditional uses and modern findings which may contribute to the development of novel natural-based therapeutic agents.

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The medieval physician, translator and author Abū Zayd Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq al-'Ibādī, best known in the West as Johannitius, is considered the best translator of Greek texts, particularly medical writings, into Arabic. He made great inroads in the art of translation in the Islamic world. In addition to his own translations, Johannitius put significant effort into training pupils and passing knowledge about translation to succeeding generations. He was also a great writer, compiling over 100 books on different subjects, especially medical. Among his own works, the illustrious Kitab al-Ashr Maqalat fil-Ayn (Ten Treatises on the Eye) contains the oldest known illustration of the structure of the eye. It served as the primary source for Galen's theory of vision and subsequent use by Western scholars.

Insomnia is a common complaint in outpatient clinics. It usually affects quality of life negatively, especially in severe cases. Nowadays, routine medical interventions comprise pharmacological approaches and cognitive behavioral therapy. Common medications used by afflicted patients are not competent enough in addition to their annoying side effects. It would naturally denote the need for considering novel strategies for treating insomniac patients. Approach to insomnia in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) has been cited in a scrutinized manner focusing on its main causes. Accordingly, its treatment is tailored based on the constitution of the patient, intensity of the disease, and type of the cause. In this paper we have discussed the causes of insomnia, diagnostic approach, and various medical interventions proposed in valid sources of TPM.