Afryka

No. 42 (2015): Afryka
Artykuły

Cauterisation as a Traditional Panacea of Folk Medicine in Africa

PDF (Język Polski)
  • Lilianna Wdowiak ,
  • Mirosław Parafiniuk

Published 2015-10-01

Keywords

  • cauterisation,
  • ethnomedicine,
  • medical anthropology,
  • panacea,
  • analgesia

Abstract

Since ancient times, cauterisation has been used in Africa as a treatment of wounds as well as other ailments. Arabs gained the knowledge of cauterisation from the work of Paul of Aegina and developed this method of treatment between the 9th and 10th century. Cauterisation was perfected by the Ottoman Empire. Currently, cauterisation is being used on almost the entire continent to treat ailments in people and cattle. As a result of skin burning, the body attempts to fight the results of tissue necrosis, initiating the process of healing of any inflammation in that area. This cruel method of pain treatment causes a number of complications, even death, and because of this there is pressure on therapists to give up this method of treatment.

PDF (Język Polski)

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