Although man’s use of synthetic drugs is a modern medical development, plant extracts have been used as cures for common ills for thousands of years. Early Assyrian records describe the use of the common anemone to alleviate pain. And Egyptian medical papyri from the time of the Pharaohs reveal a widespread use of medicinal plants. (Duke, 54) The World Health Organization has recorded the use of about 20,000 medicinal plants worldwide.
In Britain alone an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 tons of herbs are used annually as ingredients in some 5,500 different herbal products, and in the United States, it has been reckoned that over half of all doctors’ prescriptions are for medicines derived from plants. With as many as 250,000 known species of plants in the world, each possessing a potentially unique chemistry, scientists constantly look for clues to find useful medicines (Mowrey, 87). One of the obvious ways is to study how people treat ailments using plants growing in their locality.
The discovery of cocaine started with the observation that chewing coca leaves deadened hunger pangs and eased fatigue. By isolating and modifying the structure of the cocaine molecule, chemists produced a synthetic derivative for use as a local anesthetic. Much valuable information on the use of plants is still filed away in botanical collections. Scientists who spent over four years examining 2. 5 million specimens in the Gray Herbarium and Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University were able to pinpoint more than 5,000 plant species previously overlooked as potential sources of medicines.
(Duke, 54) Another line of inquiry compares the chemical contents of plants. If one species contains useful compounds, related species may also be valuable. When work on a north Australian tree, the Moreton Bay chestnut, isolated castanospermine, a poison displaying antiviral activity, botanists searching for related trees suggested looking at the South American Alexa. (Chevallier, 63) It could be noted that the use of herbal medicines could out do some of the effects of the strong anti convulsant medicines that Lia received from her physicians.
Hence, through the incorporation of herbal medication in the healing process it could be expected that the process would yield better results. New Culturally Sensitive Protocol In any healing process, it should be realized that the involvement of the family, the relatives as well as the society that roams around the patient is a very important factor of the restoration process for the patient being treated Hence, in this section, a more culturally sensitive protocol shall be created: 1. Creation of a Physician-Parent relationship
This would help the physician and the parents of the patient work together through the incorporation of the cultural practices of the family in the medical process. The physicians must study if the herbal medicines would do no harm in reaction to the existing medical processes applied towards the patient. In a way, this could take time, but carefully considering things with regards the issues involved in the medication could even shorten the period of healing that is required for the patient.
2. Integration of the Processes Close enough to the first stage; this involves more of the cultural or ethnic chieftains of the group where the patient belongs to. Their realization of the fact that some of their rituals may not be that applicable on the situation of the patient and thus would not be incorporated into the system, would help them cooperate with the healing process provided by the medical experts. Evaluation of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the New Protocol
As clearly seen, the process involves in depth study which may require time and stress on the physicians since they are at some point controlled with the way they are supposed to deal with the situation. However, thru realization of the fact that emotional and social acceptance is important for the patient’s recovery would enable them to meet with the said challenge to their profession. However, if carefully applied, this process could help both parties [medicine and culture] see the importance of each sectors of medication and thus create better ways of healing the patients based form then practices that both social sectors accept.
Conclusion In this analysis, it could be noted that at some point, giving importance to the cultural background as well as the cultural practices of an ethnic group with regards to medicine could help in the development of medical practices that are used towards patients today. It is seen that by doing so, the integration of two worlds to result to better medical development could be considered as a way by which medicine could further progress its practices.
After all, the ancient times when people lived longer lives and dealt with less complicated diseases, people appreciated herbal and other traditional ways of medication even before modern medicine was discovered. Going back to the original cure would sure not be a hindrance to further medical progress in the future.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anne Fadiman. (1998). The spirit catches you and you fall down. http://www. spiritcatchesyou. com/bookexcerpt. htm. (October 22, 2007)