Therapeutic potential of silver in Unani system of medicine: an overview

ABSTRACT

Metals play important roles in human body, the deficiency of which may lead to various disorders. Earlier there was a perception that metals are not compatible with human body at all, but now it has been reported that number of metallic compounds are essential for body and some are in the category of essential elements. Metals are present in human body in different concentration and combination at various sites and help the respective body tissues to perform their required activities. Perfect health is attributed to the state of equilibrium of these metals in body tissues. Any imbalance in their concentration or inactive states disturbs the body metabolism. Silver is one of the metals known since antiquity. It was used for medicinal purpose since time immemorial. The first recorded use of silver for medicinal purposes dates back to 8th century A.D. where Ibn Sina used silver filings for palpitation of the heart. In Unani system of medicine it is used in the form of kushta [calcined-oxidized herbo-metallic form] and warq [thin foils]. It is highly recommended in fever, chest affections, impotency, seminal weakness, painful and irritable conditions of the stomach, heart burn, chronic diarrhoea and nervous affections. This review is an effort to summarize the detailed prospects of ancient literature on silver along with recent pharmacological studies