Background and objective: Unsafe drinking water, poor hygienic conditions and improper disposal of human excreta and refuse is one of the prime concerns in India. Sanitation and hygiene practices are heavily influenced by people's knowledge and attitude towards it. Present study was conducted to obtain baseline information on existing knowledge, attitude and practices of sanitation and hygiene in urban setting of Bangalore, India.

Background and Aims:Elderly subjects have a dysregulation of immune response mainly due to the changes in cell - mediated immunity. Due to their weakened immune response, the elderly are at increased risk of infection and related complications. In Unani medicine Tiryaq wabai was used for the prevention of epidemic diseases during outbreaks, but it has not been explored scientifically so far. The study was aimed to evaluate the immune-stimulating effect of Tiryaq wabai in elderly.Materials and Methods:A randomized placebo controlled trial was conducted at National Institute of Unani Medicine Hospital, Bangalore. Thirty immunocompromised elderly persons were selected on the basis of clinical examination considering parameters like history of recurrent infection, unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea etc. They were randomly assigned, 20 in test and 10 in the control group. Tiryaq wabai was given to test group 500 mg orally thrice in a week for 45 days. Placebo was given orally to the control group at a dose of 500 mg thrice in a week for 45 days. Response was assessed by total leucocyte count (TLC), lymphocyte percentage, absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), CD4 and CD8 count. The results were analyzed statistically using Graph Pad InStat 3.Results:The test drug showed statistically significant increase in TLC (P < 0.001), lymphocyte percentage (P < 0.001),ALC (P < 0.001), CD4 count (P < 0.001) in comparison to control group, but increase in CD8 count was not statistically significant. No major adverse effect was observed throughout the study.Conclusion:The findings outlined above indicate immune- stimulating activity of Tiryaq wabai and supports its use in conditions where immunostimulation is required and thus is suggestive of therapeutic usefulness.

According to Unani medicine, Health is attributed to the equilibrium of akhlat (humours) in the body, according to their quality and quantity, while disease occurs due to disturbances in this equilibrium. Fasd is one of the methods of evacuation of morbid matter from the body for the preservation and restoration of health. Venesection is carried out when there is excess of blood in the body and patient is either at risk of developing a disease or has actually developed it. In present era it is known as phlebotomy. It has been a popular therapeutic practice since antiquity up to the late 19 th century. In present paper, therapeutic applications of Fasd (venesection) in Unani medicine are discussed.

The objective of this study is to investigate the associated risk factors of haemorrhoids. The study was conducted in the Hospital of National Institute of Unani Medicine. It was a cross sectional study of 1 year duration. A total number of 311 patients were found to be suffering from haemorrhoids in which 236 were males and 75 were females. Patients were diagnosed on the basis of anorectal examination which includes inspection, digital examination and proctoscopy. Both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors were recorded in a pretested semi-structured schedule. In the present study out of 416 patients, 311 were found to be having haemorrhoids. Prevalence of haemorrhoids was found maximum in age group of ≥ 40 years, and in those who were not doing morning or evening walk or other extra physical activities; in those whom family history of haemorrhoids was positive; which clearly shows the association of haemorrhoids with the advancement in age, sedentary lifestyle and heredity and genetic makeup.

BACKGROUND: Better preventive care is a prerequisite to foster community health and in reducing the unnecessary burden on the health-care system. The Unani System of Medicine has given due emphasis on preventive care. This article aims to discuss the health promotion and disease prevention approaches in Unani Medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A manual literature survey of classical Unani texts such as Firdaus-al-hikmat, Al Qanoon-fit-tib, Kitab-al-mansoori, Kitab-al-kulliyat , and Kitab-al-taisir was conducted to collect the information available on the strategic approaches of health promotion and disease prevention in Unani Medicine. To obtain the appropriate English equivalent words for Unani terms and the scientific name of the drugs, “Standard Unani Medical Terminology” and “Classification of Unani Drugs” were consulted, respectively. RESULTS: The findings of the literature survey revealed that Unani physicians have advocated the personalized and predictive approaches for maintaining health and preventing diseases. Personalized approach mainly centers on the temperament of an individual. By determining an individual's temperament, Unani physician can tell what is adequate or not adequate for the individual. While in the predictive approach, correct knowledge of prodromal symptoms is a prerequisite to predict the future developments in the human body and recommending the appropriate preventive measures accordingly. CONCLUSION: These approaches present interesting perspectives in the field of promotive and preventive care and are of much relevance in the present scenario. Unfortunately, the lack of efficacy studies is a limiting factor in their application. Hence, effective protocol must be developed to provide evidence-based data and to give grounds for their widespread usage.