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Traditional Medicine: A Global Perspective
This is a contributed text on traditional medicines throughout the world. Almost 20 years ago the World Health Organization estimated that 'In many countries, 80 per cent or more of the population living in rural areas are cared for by traditional practitioners and birth attendants'. It has since revised its view, adopting a rather safer position, now 'most of the population of most developing countries regularly use traditional medicine'. Whereas most people use traditional medicine in developing countries, only a minority have regular access to reliable modern medical services. Countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America use traditional medicine (TM) to help meet some of their primary health care needs. In Africa, up to 80 per cent of the population uses traditional medicine for primary health care. In industrialized countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed 'Complementary' or 'Alternative' (CAM). Over one-third of the population in developing countries lack access to essential medicines. The provision of safe and effective traditional medicine therapies could become a critical tool to increase access to health care.
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
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March 15, 2021
After being assigned this book for my studies I’ve come to truly recognize the importance of integrating a strong understanding of our past with a solid foothold in your own philosophy.
I had studied history and philosophy at university before, naively believing I was truly being challenged in my perspectives and thoughts.
Although this book is largely about the healing history and modalities of different cultures, it offers deep reflection into how we translate our healing practice over time and how the care of ourselves and others across humanity has transformed.
Through the whole duration of reading this book, I have been questioned and challenged on my own beliefs, philosophies on health and healing and what I consider it to be. I have been offered every opportunity to question whether studying a degree outside the current normative path is the right for me.
Creating just the right amount of tension for me to beg the question, why is this not done more often? Imagine a world where we are rigorously challenged in our beliefs, not in means of funneling us into a fear mongering system of where we act on what we lack. But, rather we are given the tools to question, challenge and choose what we can create - rather than just have.
To be challenged allows for creation - therefore, a stronghold in our understanding and beliefs about our studies creates a trust not only in education but in ourselves. It’s a dignified pursuit that I’m ashamed to admit I had never truly valued before.
On the book itself however, I have truly valued learning especially about the Indigenous medicines of North and South America - from smoke ceremonies to shamanistic rituals and plant medicine.
The distinction between the trust and respect of western biomedicine today in contrast to the lack thereof in holistic or traditional modalities often makes me think back to times of our ignorance. Times when colonial ideologies prospered without much refute. When the people of the scientific field pushed any agenda through rigorous or even simple means through often scientific based evidence. Like the times when measuring skulls of Indigenous people with pepper seeds was accepted, in order to prove (the now old and dusty) claims that European and white folk were somehow more intelligent.
Through these systems of biomedicine where we detach a person from disease - disregarding their emotional and spiritual needs in healing. As they are often not or incapable of being measured quantitatively by our current technology or more likely our capacity of understanding basic human needs. We allow these completely disconnected and dissecting means of obtaining information to obscure and suppress healing to actually occur. And for the practitioner it literally fractures our understanding of health.
This book offers no such wild claims, but it does shed a respectful and holistic light to summarize some of the worlds most beautiful and human ways of healing.
I had studied history and philosophy at university before, naively believing I was truly being challenged in my perspectives and thoughts.
Although this book is largely about the healing history and modalities of different cultures, it offers deep reflection into how we translate our healing practice over time and how the care of ourselves and others across humanity has transformed.
Through the whole duration of reading this book, I have been questioned and challenged on my own beliefs, philosophies on health and healing and what I consider it to be. I have been offered every opportunity to question whether studying a degree outside the current normative path is the right for me.
Creating just the right amount of tension for me to beg the question, why is this not done more often? Imagine a world where we are rigorously challenged in our beliefs, not in means of funneling us into a fear mongering system of where we act on what we lack. But, rather we are given the tools to question, challenge and choose what we can create - rather than just have.
To be challenged allows for creation - therefore, a stronghold in our understanding and beliefs about our studies creates a trust not only in education but in ourselves. It’s a dignified pursuit that I’m ashamed to admit I had never truly valued before.
On the book itself however, I have truly valued learning especially about the Indigenous medicines of North and South America - from smoke ceremonies to shamanistic rituals and plant medicine.
The distinction between the trust and respect of western biomedicine today in contrast to the lack thereof in holistic or traditional modalities often makes me think back to times of our ignorance. Times when colonial ideologies prospered without much refute. When the people of the scientific field pushed any agenda through rigorous or even simple means through often scientific based evidence. Like the times when measuring skulls of Indigenous people with pepper seeds was accepted, in order to prove (the now old and dusty) claims that European and white folk were somehow more intelligent.
Through these systems of biomedicine where we detach a person from disease - disregarding their emotional and spiritual needs in healing. As they are often not or incapable of being measured quantitatively by our current technology or more likely our capacity of understanding basic human needs. We allow these completely disconnected and dissecting means of obtaining information to obscure and suppress healing to actually occur. And for the practitioner it literally fractures our understanding of health.
This book offers no such wild claims, but it does shed a respectful and holistic light to summarize some of the worlds most beautiful and human ways of healing.
Displaying 1 of 1 review