Amrāḍ-i Kulya : Unani insights into renal diseases

Unani medicine possesses an extensive literature on Amrāḍ-i Kulya (Renal diseases); however, this knowledge remains dispersed across numerous classical texts, and the etiopathological aspects of these conditions are still underexplored. This study aims to collect and organize the scattered Unani literature on the kidney and its diseases, thereby facilitating a comprehensive understanding as a whole. In Unani pathology, renal diseases are broadly classified into Amrāḍ al-Mufrada (Simple diseases), which involve a single type of derangement such as Sū’-i-Mizāj (Impaired temperament), Sū’ al-Tarkı̄b (Structural alteration) or Tafarruq al-Ittiṣāl (Loss of continuity), and Amrāḍ al-Murakkaba (Compound diseases), in which two or more types of derangements coexist as in Sudad (Obstructions) and under this classification, the etiopathogenesis of each disease has been established. By systematically organizing dispersed knowledge, this review strengthens the conceptual basis for diagnosis and therapy in Unani medicine. A deeper understanding of the Unani perspective on renal disease and its etiopathology will help pave the path of its prevention and cure.