article

Malekula ethnomedicine

Journal de la Société des océanistes35 (64)Published In 1979 • Pages: 195-199

By: Simeon, George.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a study of the ethnomedical practices of Litzlitz village located on the east coast of Malekula. Data include indigenous traditional beliefs and practices in the treatment of both empirical, psychosomatic, and mental disease and illness. The author notes that while the pharmacopeia of botanical cures, appears to have remained reasonably intact with time, the number of curers is rapidly dwindling due partly to outside pressure against the maintenance of traditional medicine. 'However, and as with many other societies, medicine, magic, and religion provide a holistic background for the beliefs and associated practices concerned with the individual's attempt to achieve physical and mental harmony' (p. 199).
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Pharmaceuticals
Theory of disease
Sorcery
Magical and mental therapy
Shamans and psychotherapists
Medical therapy
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Malekula
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2002
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Oceania
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Melanesia
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Ethnologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 2000
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
April-May a1973
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
not specified
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
village of Litzlitz, east coast of Malekula, Vanuatu
NotesAdditional notes
George Simeon
Includes bibliographical references (p. 199)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
49025345
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Malekula (Vanuatu)