Historical background of anovulatory infertility - Unani perspective

Ovulation is the central event in female production. Coordinated effects of hypothalamic gonadotropin releasing hormones, pituitary gonadotropins, ovarian estrogens and follicular response to these effects result in ovulation. Any derangement of the above factors results in ovarian dysfunction. In classical Unani literature, various physicians mentioned the detailed description of female genital organs.Soranus of Ephesus (98- 138 AD) father of gynaecology, gave a detailed description of ovaries noting their shape, size and position. He believed that conception was most likely to take place directly after menstruation. He mentioned that ovaries were attached to uterus and were not of firm consistency but glandular and covered with membrane. Aristotle (Arastu) and Galen (Jalinoos) mentioned that both male mani (sperm) and female mani (ovum) are responsible for conception. Galen (Jalinoos) states that if both baiza (ovaries) of any animal are either excised or crushed or make it colder with shokran, then conception will not take place.Therefore this paper has been entitled for historical review of anovulatory infertility in perspective to Unani medicine.