Health Care Practices and Ethnomedicine

Medical Anthropology is a branch of anthropology it is a bio-cultural discipline concerned with both the biological and socio cultural aspects of human behaviour related to health and disease. With the emergence of Medical Anthropology, the distinction between the usage of the terms disease and illness was made possible. Ethnomedicine is a sub-discipline of medical anthropology; it deals with beliefs and practices concerning illness. Precisely, deals with those practices and knowledge systems, which are not derived from modern medicine. It observes and describes hygienic, preventive and healing practices of indigenous society. Indigenous practices relating to diagnosis and treatment of the illness and changes among those ethnomedical practices are considered to be very significant today. This book basically deals with the definitions, meaning and scope of the subject matter in the interdictory chapters. Subsequent chapters deal with Geo-ethnic and cultural profile, Health care systems and Beliefs, Ethnomedical treatment practices, Health status and Changing Healthcare practices of the primitive vulnerable tribe of Chenchus who are living in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.

This book is intended to be of interest to all those who are interested to learn about health, disease and illness and illness behaviour, dynamics of health care practices of tribes especially those in the disciplines of anthropology and sociology.