Book

Pills against poverty: a study of the introduction of western medicine in a Tamil village

Studentlitt (23) • Published In 1975 • Pages: 232

By: Djurfeldt, Göran, Lindberg, Staffan.

Abstract
This document is a critical case-study of health and health policies in Thaiyur, a Tamil village. Although the data are discussed within an explicitly Marxist framework, the authors have compiled a highly detailed and comprehensive report. After presenting a brief culture summary of Thaiyur and the morbidity statistics that they collected for the village, they proceed to relate the incidence and cause of disease to the 'poverty panorama' - a configuration of socio-economic factors which they claim lie at the root of the health problems in the village. They then define two discrete systems of medical technology operating within the village, one 'indigenous' and the other 'allopathic' (or modern Western), and examine the functions and operations of each. The national family planning program is also considered, with respect to its goals, its efficacy in Thaiyur, and its (generally negative) perception by the villagers.
Subjects
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Hospitals and clinics
External relations
Theory of disease
Medical therapy
General character of religion
Magical and mental therapy
Population policy
Conception
culture
Tamil
HRAF PubDate
2009
Region
Asia
Sub Region
South Asia
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Social Scientist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
David Sherwood
Field Date
1969-1972
Coverage Date
1969-1972
Coverage Place
Chingleput District, Thaiyur Panchayat, Tamil Nadu, India
Notes
By Goran Djurfeldt and Staffan Lindberg
Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-232)
LCCN
76677160
LCSH
Tamil (Indic people)