This book discusses the perception of disease, healing concepts and the
evolution of traditional systems of healing in the Himalayas of Himachal
Pradesh, India. The chapters cover a diverse range issues: people and
knowledge systems, healing in ancient scriptures, concept of sacredness
and faith healing, food as medicament, presumptions about disease,
ethno-botanical aspects of medicinal plants, collection and processing
of herbs, traditional therapeutic procedures, indigenous Materia
medica, etc. The book also discusses the diverse therapeutic procedures
followed by Himalayan healers and their significance in the
socio-cultural life of Himalayan societies.
The World Health Organization defines traditional medicine as wisdom,
skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs, and experiences
indigenous to different cultures, used in the prevention, diagnosis,
improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness and maintenance
of health. In some Asian and African countries, 80% of the population
depends on traditional medicine for primary health care. However, the
knowledge of these conventional healing techniques and traditions
associated with conveying this knowledge are slowly disappearing. The
authors highlight the importance of safeguarding this indigenous
knowledge in the cultural milieu of the Himachal Himalayas.
This book will be an important resource for researchers in medical
anthropology, biology, ethno-biology, ecology, community health, health
behavior, psychotherapy, and Himalayan studies.
