Morris Brian
Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK.
Anthropol Med. 2011 Aug;18(2):245-55. doi: 10.1080/13648470.2011.591200.
Medical herbalism is the most widespread and the most ancient form of medicine. This paper offers an account of medical herbalism in Malawi, and discusses the role of medicines - both plant and animal substances - in the social life of the matrilineal peoples of Malawi. It aims to counter the widespread tendency to interpret medical practices in Africa solely in terms of a spiritual or religious metaphysic. After critiquing some early approaches to African medicine, the paper discusses the nature and role of medicines in Malawi, the main forms of therapy, and the relation of medicine to the ancestral shrines.
草药医学是最广泛且最古老的医学形式。本文介绍了马拉维的草药医学，并探讨了药物（包括植物和动物物质）在马拉维母系民族社会生活中的作用。其目的是反驳那种仅从精神或宗教形而上学角度来解释非洲医学实践的普遍倾向。在批判了一些早期研究非洲医学的方法之后，本文讨论了马拉维药物的性质和作用、主要治疗形式以及药物与祖先神龛的关系。
