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, Ayurveda), but especially those, whose knowledge and practices have been orally transmitted over the centuries[1].
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.
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
References
- ^ Acharya, Deepak and Shrivastava Anshu: Indigenous Herbal Medicines: Tribal Formulations and Traditional Herbal Practices. Aavishkar Publishers Distributor, Jaipur / India 2008, ISBN 9788179102527, p. 440.
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