The Curative Role of Bitumen in Traditional Persian Medicine

Mahdi Shahriari,Farzaneh Zare,Majid Nimrouzi

doi:10.31952/amha.16.2.6

Mahdi Shahriari, Farzaneh Zare + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.31952/amha.16.2.6

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Abstract

Bitumen is a natural substance effusing from rocks' notches in some highland areas; it has been known as an effective remedy for treating some illnesses. Considering pain relieving properties of bitumen in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) sources, this study aims to review the viewpoints of TPM sages regarding bitumen in the context of traditional Persian medicine. It also provides applicable information for interested researchers to conduct well-designed clinical trials and evaluate therapeutic effects of bitumen claimed in TPM sources. Various databases including Embase, SID, IRANDOC, IranMedex, Scopus and PubMed were searched with keywords "bitumen" and "Shilajit". Furthermore, main traditional Persian medicine sources including Avicenna's "Canon of medicine", "Continens Liber" by Razes, "The storehouse of medicaments" by Aghili, "Gift for the faithful" by Momen Tonekaboni and "Measure for medicine" written by Muhammad Akbar Shah Arzani were reviewed with Persian keywords "Moomiaii" and "Mumnaei" Results: According to TPM sources, bitumen was used by Iranian's physicians to treat a wide range of diseases. It was known especially as an effective remedy to improve gastrointestinal digestive problems. Bitumen is cited in traditional Persian medicine sources as an effective remedy for treatment of a wide range of diseases, especially GI disorders and bone pain. Recent studies showed the beneficial effects of bitumen in treatment of wound healing, however using it in medical practice for other health dilemma should be confirmed by conducting well-designed clinical studies in the future.

Highlights

Bitumen, mountain perspiration, momenaii in regional dialect, is a semi-solid brown to black colored effusion, which is a result of oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons and crushes in the earth layers in vicinity of underground oil reserves and some caves (1)
Bitumen is cited in traditional Persian medicine sources as an effective remedy for treatment of a wide range of diseases, especially GI disorders and bone pain
Recent studies showed the beneficial effects of bitumen in treatment of wound healing, using it in medical practice for other health dilemma should be confirmed by conducting well-designed clinical studies in the future

Summary

Introduction

Mountain perspiration, momenaii in regional dialect, is a semi-solid brown to black colored effusion, which is a result of oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons and crushes in the earth layers in vicinity of underground oil reserves and some caves (1). According to parole of some traditional healers, bitumen originated from some herbal medicines which were trapped between stones slots for a long time and flowed through crevices following gradual fermentation (2). Μούμια in Greek – araq-al-jibal in Arabic- Shilajit in Hindi, means “conqueror of mountains” in Sanskrit (6) and “rock juice” in Tibet (7), according to recent evidence, bitumen used as an herbal remedy is different from resins – mummy – that Egyptians used for embalming These two substances were similar just in shape, viscosity and color (3). Over the course of time, the association between bitumen as an herbal remedy and mummy as mummification’s material of dead human bodies was gradually lost and it was generally applied to medicated flesh (2)

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