Unani medicine, Bradford, England, 1970-1981

Glass bottle of Rahit-e-nesyan by Darulshafa Shirqai, Bradford, 1970-1981

Prepared by a British Hakim (physician), the Arabic name of this Unani Tibb treatment is Rahit-e-nesyan. It contains ingredients such as coconut, cloves, saffron, olive oil, sugar and honey. Unani medicines often taste sweet.

Unani Tibb is an Islamic medical tradition. Health and personality are thought to be influenced by a person’s unique combination of humours, or elements, and their relationship with the environment. Illness occurs when the humours become unbalanced. Treatment is tailored to suit the individual’s specific mix of humours.