Answer to Question #240637 in Other for Andile

Question

Have you ever wondered how traditional healers discover their medicines? And how about western medical doctors? How do they discover their medicines?

Do a bit of research and write a two-page report on how traditional healers and western medical doctors discover their medicines. Pay particular attention to the process they follow in order to discover new medicines.

Answer 1

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines traditional and western medicine (TM) as ‘the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses.

Although written records about discoveries of traditional and western medicine dated back at least 5,000 years to the Sumerians, who described well-established medicinal uses for plants as laurel, caraway, and thyme, archeological studies have shown that the practice of traditional and western medicine dates as far back as 60,000 years ago in Iraq and 8,000.

Traditional medicine (TM) and western medicine have been used by many people for the treatment of diseases long before the advent of orthodox medicine and continues to carry a part of the burden of health for the majority of the population. Most countries which are members of the World Health Organisation, have been set on the path of institutionalising traditional and western medicine.

The discovery of the traditional and western medicine was through different ways such as ;dreams and accidents.

Many traditional and western healers relied heavily on religion to help discover the medicine they used on their patients. Written accounts on discovery of traditional and western medicine shows how these healers had strong belief in divine intervention and the power of prayer, gratitude for God's role in minimizing suffering and providing solution for them through directing them on which plant to use as a medicine.

Most of the traditional medicines were discovered by accidents. When traditional or western healers failed to understand the right medication for an ailment, they would test all forms of treatment on the patient until they get better or fail to get better. When the treatments totally failed, it was evident that the patient would suffer the consequences but if the patient is cured through the trial and errors then that is the medication for the next patient who will have the same symptoms as the current patient.

The some western and traditional medicines were discovered through dreams. The healer would dream of the the right plant or procedure to use in the treatment process of their patients. Some worked while some failed to work but the bottom line is that most medicines were discovered through this method.