|
Mapuche medicine is the system of medical treatment historically used by the Mapuche people of southern Chile. It is essentially magical-religious in nature, believing disease to be caused by supernatural factors such as spells and curable by treatments based on based on rituals, thermal waters and herbs. Knowledge of medicinal herbs is one of the best-known elements of Mapuche medicine and is still used today.,〔(Mapuche herbal medicine ) subtitles, Living Atlas Chile, retrieved December 07, 2013〕〔 Zúñiga S. Algunos aspectos de las costumbres y reseña del cuidado del niño entre los antiguos araucanos. Ars Médica. Revista de Estudios Médicos Humanísticos 2001; 141-150, retrieved December 5, 2013〕 One of the most striking aspects of historical Mapuche medicine was the use of surgery as a treatment, which was developed to treat wounds and traumas suffered in the frequent battles between tribes. Fractures and dislocations of bones were treated by immobilising and covering the limbs with pastes and ointments made of medicinal herbs.〔Cruz-Coke, Ricardo. Historia de la medicina chilena. Primera edición. Santiago de Chile: Andrés Bello, 1995, retrieved December 05, 2013〕 As in Europe, the practice of the bloodletting was also commonplace and used as a treatment for many conditions. In Mapuche culture, it was done by making small cuts with a very sharp stone called a "guincubue" to draw blood, then covering the cut with an astringent or herbal mix. Bloodletting was also used by parents on children to make them lighter, more agile and more capable of working and fighting, as it was thought that their blood was salty and heavy.〔 Hygiene was very important in Mapuche life. They were very clean and tidy, bathing every day in nearby streams or rivers, regardless of weather conditions. The bark of the Quillaja tree, which is very common in the local area, was used as soap (and is still used today in some commercial beauty products).〔 ==Historical context== The Mapuche people came about as the result of the mingling of two cultures: the Moluche people, from what today is Argentina’s Pampa, with the indigenous inhabitants of the region between the Toltén and Bío Bío rivers in Chile. The Mapuche had no written language and their knowledge was transmitted orally. Most of their traditions and culture, including their medical knowledge, were documented for the first time by the European conquistadors.〔Latcham, E. Ricardo. La organización social y creencias religiosas de los antiguos araucanos. Publicaciones del Museo de Etnología y Antropología de Chile. Tomo III. Imprenta Cervantes, Santiago, 1924〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mapuche medicine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|