Traditional medicine
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Traditional medicine refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used with the intent of treating illness and main
Traditional medicine in a market in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Botánicas such as this one in Jamaica Plain, Boston, cater to the Latino community and sell folk medicine alongside statues of saints, candles decorated with prayers, lucky bamboo, and other items.
Curandera performing a limpieza in Cuenca, Ecuador
Sometimes traditional medicines include parts of endangered species, such as the slow loris in Southeast Asia.
Traditional Chinese medicine
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Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no ro
Traditional medicine
…especially Indigenous groups, used with the intent of treating illness and maintaining health. Traditional medicine includes systems like Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and Unani. It is commonly reported that 80% of people in Asian and African countries rely on traditional medicine for primary health care, though…
A prescription section of a pharmacy in Nanning, Guangxi, China, with prepackaged Chinese and Western medicine (left) and Chinese medicinal herbs (right) behind the sales counter
Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. 1340s, Yuan dynasty). This image from Shisi jingfahui (Expression of the Fourteen Meridians). (Tokyo: Suharaya Heisuke kanko, Kyoho gan 1716).
Apothecary mixing traditional Chinese medicine at Jiangsu Chinese Medical Hospital, Nanjing, China
Old Chinese medical chart on acupuncture meridians