HEALING OF A TRAUMATIC WOUND WITH HERBO-MEDICINAL OINTMENT; MARHAM-E-RAAL: A CASE STUDY

Introduction: A wound can be defined as the discontinuity in skin or mucus membrane. Healing is nothing but neogranulation in the depth and neo-epithelialization at the edges of the wound which ultimately results in the complete repair of such discontinuity. This case report deals with a patient of traumatic large wound at the heel who receives Unani management for wound healing. He was diagnosed as avulsion of pad of right heel with type-II diabetes mellitus. The treatment plan included mechanical debridement, cleaning with solution of alum powder (Sufuf-e-zaaj/alusol) and dressing with Marham-e-raal. The patient was advised to continue oral hypoglycemic agent with subcutaneous injection of insulin. On 85th day of treatment, the wound was healed by almost 98% and on subsequent 1st and 2nd follow up, each with a gap of 15 days, no recurrence of wound was recorded. Methodology: A male patient of traumatic wound was taken into study and given Unani management plan which included debridement, cleaning and washing with solution of Alum powder (Alusol)/ or, in Unani, Sufuf-e-zaaj and dressing of the wound with Marham-e-raal with full aseptic precautions for a period of about 3 months. Discussion: Wound healing is credited to muhallil(anti-inflammatory), daf’eta’ffun (antimicrobial), mujaffif (desiccant) and mundamil (wound healing) properties of Marham-e-raal due to presence of several phytoconstituents like camphor, linalool, borneol, cineole, terpenoids, Bergenin, Phenols and flavonoids, hopeaphenol, Oligostilbenoids, Monoterpenes, kaempferol, Quercetin and Catechin. Result: The wound completely healed at the end of 3 months with no recurrence noted on the 15th day of follow up after complete healing.