Wolffers I
Institute of Cultural Anthropology, University of Leyden, The Netherlands.
Soc Sci Med. 1988;27(5):545-52. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(88)90378-4.
Although cosmopolitan medicine plays an increasingly important role in developing countries, people still use indigenous medicines. A 1983 survey in two Sinhalese communities in Sri Lanka investigated the patients' use of cosmopolitan or traditional treatments for various illnesses. It appears that for acute complaints, or when a child seems seriously ill, people use cosmopolitan medicine. For common ailments which are known to be self-limiting, people use traditional home remedies and consult Ayurvedic practitioners. In chronic complaints some patients use cosmopolitan medicine, while others prefer the Ayurvedic system or use both kinds of medicine. For a 'snakebite' or a 'fracture' people prefer the local specialists and for mental illnesses they consult the adura and Buddhist clergy; as a last resort they turn to the cosmopolitan facility. Ayurvedic medicine does not play a role of any importance in the treatment of mental disease. The aduras in the rural areas and the Buddhist monks and priests in the more urban areas have a clear function in the management of mental disease. Institutionally trained Ayurvedic practitioners have a less clear function, since they often dispense cosmopolitan medicines.
尽管现代医学在发展中国家发挥着越来越重要的作用，但人们仍然使用本土药物。1983年在斯里兰卡的两个僧伽罗社区进行的一项调查，研究了患者针对各种疾病使用现代或传统治疗方法的情况。似乎对于急性疾病，或者当孩子看起来病得很重时，人们会使用现代医学。对于已知为自限性的常见疾病，人们会使用传统的家庭疗法并咨询阿育吠陀医生。在慢性疾病方面，一些患者使用现代医学，而另一些患者则更喜欢阿育吠陀体系或两种药物都使用。对于“蛇咬伤”或“骨折”，人们更喜欢当地的专科医生，对于精神疾病，他们会咨询阿杜拉（adura）和佛教神职人员；作为最后的手段，他们会求助于现代医疗机构。阿育吠陀医学在精神疾病的治疗中没有起到任何重要作用。农村地区的阿杜拉以及城市地区的佛教僧侣和神职人员在精神疾病的管理中具有明确的作用。接受过机构培训的阿育吠陀医生的作用则不太明确，因为他们经常配发现代药物。
