African Traditional Medicine
“Traditional Medicine is the sum total of all the knowledge and practices, whether explicable or not, used in diagnosis, prevention and elimination of physical, mental or social imbalance and relying exclusively on practical experience and observation handed down from generation to generation, whether verbally or in writing.”
1) What are the origins of this alternative therapy?
In the case of North African there is documentation back to 3200 BC referring to Egyptian medicine. Imhotep was a famous Egyptian healer who lived about 2980 B.C.
In other parts of Africa oral tradition goes back to the “Dawn of Time.” Virtually no documentation related to oral tradition until recently.
Africa is the “Cradle of Civilization” so many human activities had their origin in Africa.
2) What is this particular alternative therapy's view of health and illness?
Everything animate & inanimate has spiritual power. The universe is made up of these powers struggling and cooperating (interacting) with each other.
Community includes other people, ancestors, spirits, gods, God and environment.
Sickness is caused by:
a) An imbalance in the power order
b) A specific curse by some entity more powerful than yourself
Healing is a way to:
a) Restore balance.
b) Ally yourself with someone/something more powerful than the entity that cursed you.
c) Appease the offended entity.
Mosquito bite story:
The Westerner explains to the African, “You are ill because a mosquito bite you and as a result transferred a virus into your bloodstream.”
The African replies, “That may be true, but who sent the mosquito?”
3) Describe the diagnostic methods and treatment process for this particular alternative therapy.
Specialists in African Traditional Medicine are called Traditional Healers or “Tradipractioners.” The term “Witch Doctor” is no longer deemed appropriate.
Traditional Healers understand the spirits and power struggles that are happening in the universe. They may be able to discern which god/spirit/ancestor you have offended.
Traditional Healers are keepers and practitioners of rituals. Rituals include incantations, incense, ceremony, chicken blood, gri-gri artifacts, and herbal potions.
Traditional Healers are also members of the community. They know what you have been up to. They may also consider the relational and communal aspects of your condition. They may warn to you to “get your act together” in the eyes of the community as part of your treatment.
Oral tradition is often passed down in a family. This knowledge becomes part of the family heritage and is not easily shared with outsiders. There is not much sharing of information between traditional healers. The don’t get together for meetings, seminars and conventions.
Pay is based on a sliding scale depending on your means and how much incentive you want to give the healer to intervene on your behalf.
4) What is the role of herbs in this particular alternative therapy?
Herbs and herbal preparation are often an integral part of most treatments. Even ritualistic healing uses herbs. Traditional healers are familiar with local flora. Many plants have multiple uses as medicine, food, construction and ritual. In the Sahel the number of species is rather limited compared to other environments such as rain forests.
5) How does this particular alternative therapy promote long-term health and well-being?
Traditional healers aim to build up their community. By:
a) healing interpersonal relationships
b) presiding over public ceremonies of birth, “coming of age,” marriage, and death.
c) assuring the people that the ancestors and gods are powerful and overall benevolent.
d) Assuring the people that he is a powerful healer that can take care of them.
e) Reinforcing the political ambitions of the leaders.
Public health is understood by the applications of taboos. Taboos usually put limitations on women.
6) What types of illnesses or conditions are usually treated with this particular alternative therapy?
Traditionally traditional medicine was for everybody and every situation. Currently people mix-and-match much the same way Westerners do.
Some symptoms are most easily addressed with pharmaceuticals. Curable diseases include: Malaria, Worms, Diarrhea, Headache, Fever and Infections. The N’Djamena triple threat. If you are ill them you mostly likely have 1) Malaria, 2) Intestinal Parasites and 3) a Bacterial infection.
Traditional healers are called upon in cases of chronic ailments (chronic pain, hepatitis, cancer & AIDS) and certain sicknesses that are commonly recognized as coming from witchcraft (hallucinations, mental illnesses, unusual pains and conditions accompanied by visions).
Some healers specialize such as the case of “bone-setters” that fix broken bones with a fraction of the convalescent time of hospitals.
“Traditional Medicine is most prevalent where modern medicine is absent.”
7) Who (what clientele) would be best suited to use this particular alternative therapy?
Africans usually stay with ethnic lines when they seek treatment. It is a matter of pride to be treated by a powerful healer from your own ethnic group.
Traditional treatments take a certain amount of commitment by the part of the patient. They may be demanding, extensive and expensive. A belief in the practitioner’s power to heal is also helpful.
8) What are the advantages and/or strengths of this particular alternative therapy? What are the disadvantages and/or weaknesses of this particular alternative therapy?
+ inexpensive
+ available
+ holistic
+ tied to the community
- not systematic
- relies heavily on reputation of healer
- insurance doesn’t cover it.
- Good & bad hard to separate
9) What is your overall evaluation for this particular alternative therapy? Would you use this particular alternative therapy or recommend it to someone else?
Potential for collaboration with modern medicine is promising.
+ discover active principals in herbs & plants
+ validate healthy traditional practices
+ suppress unhealthy traditional practices.
+ collaboration between traditional practitioners.
Drug prospecting may be lucrative! Developing useful pharmaceuticals from African plants: Catharanthus, Kola, Yohimbine.
Jean-Louis Pousset, a researcher at the University of Poitiers has written 2 books on African plants that could be better utilized in medicine and food. His findings include: Artocarpus communis (Breadfruit), Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert Olive), Bixa orellana (Red coloring) Tabernanthe bioga (ibogaine is an anticholinergenic alkaloids) Moringa oleifera (Seeds contain oil) and Boerhavia diffusa (A plant used in Ayruvedic medicine).
European, South American and Asian traditional remedies much more popular in the United States than those of African origin.
Interestingly, many plants found in West Africa also grow in other areas of similar climate, such as parts of India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Ethnobotany – preserve both plants and culture.
10) List your references and resources.
“Handbook of African Medicinal Plants” M.M. Iwu
CRC Press 1993
“Medicinal Plants in Tropical West Africa” B. Oliver-Bever
Cambridge University Press 1986
“Medicinal Plants of East Africa” 2nd ed. J.O. Kokwaro
Kenya Literature Bureau 1993
“La Medecine Naturelle en Afrique; Comment se soigner par les plantes tropicales” Dr. Hans Martin Hirt & Bindanda M’Pia. Editions Centre de Vulgarisation Agricole, Republilque du Zaire 1993.
“The Promotion and Development of Traditional Medicine” Report of a WHO Technical Report Series 622, World Health Organization, Geneva 1978
“La Medecine Traditionnelle Africaine” Kambu Kabangu C.R.P. Kinshasa 1988
“Plantes Medicinales et Medecine Traditionnelle d’Afrique” Abayomi Sofowora. Editions Karthala 1996
Plantes Medicinaled Africaine: Possibilities de developpement” Tome II, Jean-Louis Pousset, Ellipses 1992