Vol. 6, Issue - 3, Part A (2022)

The concept of four humours (Akhlat-e-Arba) in the Unani system of medicine is the premise of the concept of health and disease. This paper deals with elaborating the concept of Balgham (Phlegm), which is one of the four humours described in Unani literature. We argue that the structure of the molecule/chemical species cannot be used in the Akhlat-e-Arba, instead the physiological roles of the molecules will decide whether the molecule/chemical species is to be placed in a particular khilt (humour). This review is presented with a noteworthy insight into Unani concepts and a thorough study of classical Unani literature by Ibn Sina (10th century), Zakaria Razi (9th century), Ibn Rushd (12th century), Ibn al-Nafees (13th century), Ali Ibn Abbas Majusi (10th century), and Ismail Jurjani (11th century), and comparative detailed study of modern concepts of humours from literature databases, as well as Google, recent researches, and review articles of about 10 years. Our arguments in this paper are primarily in context of Khilt-e-Balgham.