Hakeem Mohd.HaneefTraditional practioner

Documentation of his treatment for dysmenorrhoea

&

Scientific validation of the results.

Globalization

of Indian tradition and culture

India! as it is called the sub continent, and is a diversity of various traditions and culture. It has a strong hold in it ancient aspects of art, culture and medicine. As there are a number of improvements in various fields of ancient tradition like classical Bharathnatyam or Kathkalitransforming into fusion dance so as to meet the present aspect of modernization. An attempt is being in progress for the development of ancient medicine in accordance with modern science & Technology.

Audio-Video documentation

The first step in this process will be a good planned audio-video documentation of highly experienced tradition practices & getting a scientific validation done to their practices. One such effort was taken up so that their rich experience can be shared globally in proper scientific manner. This was an effort to document the traditional practice of Hakim Mohamed Haneef and to give his treatment a scientific validation.

98 yrs , Tumkur District ,Karnataka ,India.

Hakeem Saab

Hakeem Mohamed Haneef is a local traditional practioner , who is lovingly and respectfully called as Hakim Saab by his patients and the local people around him. He is a pious Muslim and a hard determined practioner of his formulations.

Experience

He owns a very rich experience of the traditional

practice which ranges from the identification

and collection of raw drugs from the nearby

green belt, preserving them with proper

precautions and well labeled manner.

Preparations

He is helped by his family members for the preparation of his formulations. He has the unique ways of treating his patient by which he is very famous among the community in the town and the nearby villages.

Lunar calender

Hakeem saab strongly believes that his treatment for dysmeorrhoea is very effective when the menstrual cycle lies in the fourth week of the lunar calendar or co-ordinates with the lunar calendar.

Participants

Interactive interviews were recorded with

patients attending the Hakeem saabs clinic.

About 62 patients who were attended by him

for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea were

included in the pilot study. All the patients

were females and were aged between 12-36

years.

Module

A questioner was prepared in their own language (Kannada and Urdu) as the rural women knew only their mother tongue. Those who were not able to read and fill the format by themselves were given the help of an interpreter, and this was recorded by Miss Asya Azher , MSW, Training coordinator , WIPRO, Bangalore who interacted with them and helped them in recording their observations.

Groups

The questioner prepared contained categories

of groups according to the mode of

treatment and time of their menstrual cycle

in co-ordination with the lunar calendar.

Groups

1 A Menstrual cycle in 1st

Week of the lunar

calendar

7

2 B Menstrual cycle in 2nd

Week of the lunar

calendar

5

3 C Menstrual cycle in 3rd

Week of the lunar

calendar

24

4 D Menstrual cycle in 4th

Week of the lunar

calendar

26

Total 62

Statistical evaluation

The results were tabulated with the

criteria of relief of pain, or the effect of

treatment in their respective categories

and statistical evaluation was done by

Miss Elizabeth Gold smith, Research

Fellow, Dept of Statistics, Welcome

institute , London ,UK .

Results

1Group A 7 2 5

2Group B 5 1 4

3Group C 24 23 1

4Group D 26 24 2

62 50 12

Percentage

1 Group A 4% 48.6666%

2 Group B 2% 33.3333%

3 Group C 46% 8.3333%

4 Group D 48% 16.6666%

Effect of treatment

Treatment given by the Hakim Saab was very effective when the menstrual cycle coordinated with the fourth week of the lunar calendar and was least effective when the menstrual cycle coordinated with the first week of the lunar calendar

ComparisonThe above unique method of treatment was

discussed with the leading gynecologists,

Dr Geetha Muralidhar , Retired senior physician , KCG Hospital , Malleshwaram , Bangalore,

Dr Rehana Parveen , Senior Gynecologist, General Hospital, Muscat. with their reference it was observed that if the menstrual cycle co-incided with fourth week of the lunar calendar then the consumed medicine had good effect on the ovulatory cycle as the medicine which Hakeen Saab gave was a very good enhancer in the process of ovulation, with good effects on the ovulation process where in the hormonal secretions , progesterone are increased and these help in a proper secretory phase when , relates to painless menstruation.

Conclusion

The treatment given by Hakeem

Mohamed Haneef saab , was very

effective in management of

dysmenorrhoea when the menstrual

cycle coordinated with the third and

fourth week of the lunar calendar and

least effective if it lies in the first and

second week of the lunar calendar.

About the study

This study was carried out, as a part of documentation of traditional practioners and this was the first such documentation where the traditional practioner, who is neither certified as a hakeem nor has a recorded registration ,through his interview and experience, he was documented audio-visually . This was a part of an attempt to bring the traditional practioners to the scientific stage where their work can be recognized globally.

Acknowledgements

• Hakeem Mohamed Haneef for his

humble support to document his

practices .

• Miss Elizebath Goldsmith,

Research Fellow, Dept of Statistics,

Welcome Institute, London, UK for

the statistical evaluation of the study.