Medicine under the royal patronage of Asafia kings.

This article is a translation work of some portion of Islami Tibb. written by Rehber Farooqui. It deals with the state of medicine during the reigns of the two kings of Nizam dynasty. viz . Nawab Afzeluddaula Behadur and Nawab Mir Mehboob Ali Khan Behadur , the Fifth and the Sixth Nizams respectively. In this period medical department along with the other departments came into existence. The Unani medicine also assumed a separate and distinct entity. It also gives the history of Unani medical school and clinics started in the city of Hyderabad. Short biographies of the eminent physicians flourished during the above period. medical literary works done by them. the statements of these Unani physicians submitted to the king on some important occasions and the royal addresses in their reply have also been given here. Patronage of Medicine by Afzeluddaula Behadur : In Ramazan 1L73 AH. (1858 AD.) Afzeluddaula Behadur (Nizam the fifth) adorned the throne of Deccan and in 1283 AH. (1863 A.D.) during his reign, organization of the entire Nizam's dominion took place and a number of reforms were introduced and many departments were established. During the same period the medical. municipal and education departments came into existence. Hospitals and schools were opened in the districts also. A big hospital (Afzalgunj Hospital) was constructed in the city of Hyderabad in which excellent arrangements were made for the stay and food for the patients'. The following were the famous Unani physicians during his reign. Some of them had also began to practise allopathy and Unani medicine side by side. Here we produce the Verbatim notification which was issuad prior to the inauguration of this hospital. i. The hospital at Afzalgunj shall be inaugurated on next Monday at 80·Clock. ii. Every sick person who is pauper. no matter to what religion or caste he belongs shall be entitled to eppear at 8 O'Clock for getting medical treatment and for taking madicine every day except on Fridav. and he shall get medical advice and medicine. But it is necessary that the patient should appear before 8 O·Clock. "Research As s.istant (U) I.I.H.M. Hvder ab ad.