Ethnomedicine

Ethnomedicine is a sub-field of ethnobotany or medical anthropology that deals with the study of traditional medicines: not only those that have relevant written sources (e.g. Traditional Chinese Medicine, Siddha, Ayurveda), but especially those, whose knowledge and practices have been orally transmitted over the centuries.

In the scientific arena, ethnomedical studies are generally characterized by a strong anthropological approach, or by a strong biomedical approach, particularly in drug discovery programs. The focus of anthropological studies is the perception and context of use of traditional medicines, while biomedical approaches often focus on discovering therapeutic molecules, such as the anti HIV/AIDS molecule prostratin.

Practices in Urban Areas

Ethnomedicine practices are becoming a rising new trend in urban areas. With the migration of individuals from diverse geographical locations, metropolitan cities are starting to see a sudden increase in the amount of traditional healing clinics. For example, New York City has a large population of Dominican healers. These healers migrated to the United States bringing their native traditions and healing processes with them. Their healing processes generally consist of botanical therapies, herbal remedies and native ethomedical knowledge. As the Dominican community increases in population within New York City, there is a greater desire for natural medicine, one limitation to their ability to prescribe treatment is the accessibility to plants. Some of these plants that are not locally grown and therefore are imported or the plants can only be found in dried form.

Anthropological Perspective

In the Pacific Islands, anthropologist study the traditional use of local and native plants for healing purposes. Plants in the Pacific Islands are a vital form of food, fiber, dye and other building materials. In today’s modern world and in Western society, ancestral practices are often seen as part of the past, with such an increase in the use of technology, traditional ways of life are becoming extinct. Ancestral knowledge is orally being passed down to future generations, yet these young individuals are entering the global economy and leaving their traditional practices behind. The preservation of their knowledge is something that should be dispersed among pharmaceutical clinics to reduce environmental impacts on the physical environment. By using natural remedies humans are able to minimize the use of artificial chemicals, unnatural stimulants and our dependence on prescribed drugs, making our treatments more effective.

Hawaiian Medicine

Hawaiian Medicine

There are many plants that the native Hawaiians use as medicine.  For example The Olena plant, or turmeric, belongs to the Ginger family. The bulb is used for sinus and ear problems. The kukui grows in valleys and gulches and is a member of the spurge family. It has two shapes. If the fruit bears one seed, it is round; if the fruit bears two seeds, it is elliptical. When the fruit matures, it turns a dark gray-black and becomes soft; fruit is especially soft after it has fallen to the ground. In the husk, is a nut. When matured, its shell becomes black. In the nut is the seed meat or kernel and in the kernel is the location of the rich oils. 'Awa is a member of the Pepper family. The 'awa root is used to treat numerous ailments. 'Awa should not be taken too often or in too great a quantity because of certain undesirable side effects including skin scaling and peeling and temporary muscle paralysis. Noni, or Indian mulberry, is a member of the Coffee family. It is used for gastric ulcers, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Kalo, or taro, is a member of the Arum family. As a medicine, the kalo served the Hawaiians well, yet handling the kalo requires the person handling it to be spiritually inclined. The Hawaiians believe that the taro represents the beginning of life; a source of which man is derived. Wapuhi comes from the Ginger family and widely spread throughout the forests of the Hawaiian Islands. 'Awapuhi is used for ailments of the head. The rhizomes are pounded into a mash with salt, and the liquid mixture is placed on the affected site.

Further reading

• WILLEM, Jean-Pierre: L’Ethnomédecine, une alliance entre science et tradition. Jouvence & Biocontact, Paris 2006, ISBN 2-88353-472-1.
• WILLEM, Jean-Pierre: Mémoires d'un médecin aux pieds nus. édition Albin Michel, Paris 2009, ISBN 978-2-226-18987-5.

See also

• Ayurveda
• Chinese medicine
• Ethnobiology
• Ethnobotany
• Ethnopharmacy
• Herbalism
• Medicinal plants of the American West
• Medicine
• Pharmacognosy
• Shamanism
• Traditional medicine

External links

• Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
• The Institute for Ethnomedicine
• Ethnomedicine Practitioners Association of South Africa