Transcript Document
ANTH 101: Medical Anthropology Introduction by Brad R. Huber Monday, July 20, 2015 Medical Anthropology: Cross-cultural study of Health, Illness, and Healing • Why talk about medical anthropology now? • A Transition from Cultural to Biological Anthropology • Biological components • Cultural components • Close link between religion, theories of illness, and healing; For example: • Emotions, Stress and Health: Belief in Healing Powers (1:30 mins.) I’ll be using Hueyapan’s medical system to illustrate basic medical anthropology issues. • Nosology- Classification of Illness • Etiology- Causes of Illness • Mexican Indian nosology is often based upon etiology, the causes of illnesses. Maladies with Natural Causes • La gripe (flu), caused by microbios • La bilis (bile), caused by envy and excess bile from liver, a “HOT” illness • Pregnancy, caused by sexual intercourse (cocoxque: enfermo, enferma (de niño), embarazada (pregnant). • Dislocated or Broken arm, caused by accidents Maladies With Natural Causes Require Natural Treatments Herbal and patent medicines for la gripe Epazote (cold medicine) for “HOT” illness of la bilis Delivery, rest, abstention from sex for pregnancy Massage, wraps, splints, pull for dislocated or broken arm Illnesses with Supernatural Causes Object Intrusion caused by Witchcraft • Symptoms: Mason experienced pain and paralysis in his hand • Diagnosis: Curer pulsed patient and discovered that something was in his hand • Treatment: Use of Ventosa to extract grains of sand • Cause: someone had envied his job and caused sand to enter mason’s hand Taller de Ventosas y Uso de aceites Terapéuticos en NEKKO SHIATSU; (1:13 mins.) An Illustration of how Ventosas are used Spirit Intrusion (Mal Aire) • Child or adult comes into contact with mal aire of deceased (Tuesday or Friday at noon are especially dangerous) • Mal aire (spirit of deceased) enters body • Symptoms: twisting of mouth, loss of speech, difficulty breathing, headache • Treatment: Limpia; elder branches and flowers used to cleanse person of mal aire plus natural medicines Limpias by a curandera in Oaxaca; (English subtitles; 7:39 mins.) A Zapotec village in Oaxaca illustrating limpias, treatments of susto Soul Loss (Ahmo tonalcahua) Cause: Supernatural Punishment for Breaking of taboo a person drinks from a creek without supernatural permission; bathes soiled clothing in creek; walks through the forest angry; This angers tamatinime-supernatural guardians of nature • Symptoms: Depression, tiredness, high fever, potentially death • Treatment: Ritual to return soul to person’s body o Curer blesses candles and flowers at house altar o Prays seven times to saints o Soul called by blowing seven times into bottle filled with sea water and calling soul’s name o Offering of candles and flowers in exchange for soul o Variety of herbal medicines prescribed as well Do non-Western treatments of illness work? • Be Skeptical • Bernard Ortiz de Montellano found that Aztec pharmacopoeia is about 50% effective by western standards • Biblioteca Digital de la Medicinal Tradicional Mexicana • Midwives and bonesetters are often effective • Some treatments of shamans similar to those used by psychologists • Confession, suggestion, reassurance, imaging, talking • Psychoneuroimmunology study of the relationship between emotional state, CNS, and Immune System Non-Western Illness Beliefs and Practices Change Slowly. Why? • Many people live in remote areas without clinics • Western medicine is very expensive. • They’re part of the religious system • Guardian spirits, spirits of the dead, and saints cause illness in Mexico and help cure people. • They explain the unexplainable. • A baby got sick and natural treatments didn’t work. • Attributed to mal aire caused by spirits from funeral processions Some non-Western illness beliefs and practices are health enhancing. Avoidance of a home in which someone has died Daily bathing Prescriptions to cook and serve high protein foods Hiding of fecal material to prevent sorcery Western medical personnel often oppose native practitioners and are insensitive to their patients’ beliefs Western doctors are often unwilling to explain the rationale of their treatments