Traditional System of Medicine and Medical Anthropology: A Review

Medicinal Anthropology has risen as a basic sub-discipline of Anthropology in the contemporary world. Medical anthropologists have been studying different health beliefs and practices, which are practiced by various societies especially those systems which do not come under the genesis of modern medicine. The anthropological researches have revealed that every known human society has its own particular thought of illness and peculiar methods of cure. The investigation of Tribal health culture over the globe has received consideration of medical anthropologist in the recent years. The present research elucidates the concept of health and illness and what role medical anthropology has to play in the field of traditional medicine. It gives an account of traditional systems of medicine which are still practiced in India and other regions of the world. For a better understanding of the health care utilization and successful implementation of health policies, it is important to study indigenous medicinal systems and integrate these into the mainstream health programs. Some ethnobotanical studies in the Himalayan region document the rich flora of the area and the use of herbal remedies for a cure by indigenous healers present in rural societies. Integrating these systems into the mainstream health plans would be helpful in providing cure to all and save these systems from extinction.