The Epistemology of Traditional Healing Systems

Abstract

The number of in vitro and clinical trials of traditional or "folk" remedies has been growing rapidly. Overall, the results indicate a high degree of efficacy for indigenous pharmacopoeia, although some individual remedies seem ineffective or toxic. Since comparatively little attention has been devoted to the prescription of traditional remedies, however, this efficacy has probably been underestimated. Current field research makes assumptions about the legal structure and pedagogy of traditional healing systems, furthermore, which invite significant errors. Traditional healing systems do not simply match drugs with diseases, but acknowledge the individuality of patients' physiologies, and employ complex models for combining remedies into individually-tailored compounds. The extent to which healers engage in innovation, experimentation, and exchange of experience must also be recognized.