Copyright (c) 2011 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans Recent documents in Sue Evans en-us Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:55:14 PST 3600 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/20 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/20 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:51:52 PDT Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been advocated as a new paradigm in orthodox medicine and as a methodology for natural medicines, which are often accused of lacking an adequate scientific basis. This paper presents the voices of tradition-sensitive naturopathic practitioners in response to what they perceive as an ideologic assault by EBM advocates on the validity and integrity of natural medicine practice. Those natural medicine practices, which have tradition-based paradigms articulating vitalistic and holistic principles, may have significant problems in relating to the idea of EBM as developed in biomedical contexts. The paper questions the appropriateness of imposing a methodology that appears to minimize or bypass the philosophic and methodological foundations of natural medicine, and that itself seems primarily driven by political considerations. Tom Jagtenberg http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/19 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/19 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:46:33 PDT Herbal medicine finds itself at a crossroads. If it continues to become mainstreamed in a commodity-driven health industry, its focus will change from craft-based tradition to globalized industry. On the other hand, if the fundamental importance of tradition to indigenous and nonindigenous medicine is respected, ecologic and cultural issues arise. Central here are the issues associated with control of both land and culture. Many indigenous cultures and their local ecologies are currently threatened by globalization. Historically, successful large corporations have neither respected the environment nor easily acknowledged indigenous claims to land and intellectual property, so no easy resolution of these conflicts seems likely. Our case study of Mapuche medicine allows us to explore the social and cultural conflicts that many practising herbalists experience. We argue that because of the basic contradictions involved, the protection of cultures and ecologies that underpin the discipline must be made a clear priority. We argue that local cultural traditions are clearly at odds with a globalizing herbal industry. Tom Jagtenberg http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/17 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/17 Mon, 03 May 2010 15:09:28 PDT I visited Chile for a month to teach herbal medicine and learn about its place in Chilean life and particularly in the culture of indigenous people there, the Mapuche. The Mapuche culture is animistic and highly complex. Any attempt on my part to summarise their approach to medicine in a short article such as this would be woefully inadequate. However my contact with the culture deepened my understanding of what it is for me to be a herbalist, and challenged my perspectives on some of the pressing contemporary issues for our profession.In this article I will first introduce the Mapuche with a brief outline of their history. I will then outline the issues which confronted me particularly regarding ownership of knowledge of intellectual property, education and the place of stories, and the importance of the relationship between herbalist and the land issues of the place. Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/16 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/16 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:37:04 PDT The practice of Western herbal medicine in Australia is characterised by a dependence on botanically exotic species rather than those which are native and indigenous to this country. Medicinal herbs were among the plants chosen by botanist Sir Joseph Banks to be transported from England for cultivation in the new Australian colony in 1788. While there are some records of the use of local medicinal plants by early settlers, evidence of this information originating from Indigenous Australians is absent and today very few native or indigenous plants are found in the materia medica used by Western herbalists in Australia. It is argued that the plants herbalists use reflect a connection with Western culture rather than a connection with the Australian landscape or indigenous culture. Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/15 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/15 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:01:47 PDT This thesis is about the contemporary challenges facing herbal medicine. Specifically it concerns the difficulties faced by Australian herbalists in their attempts to maintain authority over the knowledge base of their craft and a connection with traditional understandings of the uses of plant medicines, while at the same time engaging with biomedicine and the broader Australian healthcare system. It contributes to the study of the nascent field of qualitative studies in contemporary western herbal medicine by making three main arguments.Firstly, Australian herbal medicine is characterised by its origins as a European colonial practice and its history of professional marginalisation during most of the 20th century. Secondly herbal practitioners have been unable to capitalise significantly on a surge of public popularity in the closing years of the 20th century which brought with it the interest of industry, the scrutiny of regulators and the renewed attention of biomedicine. Herbalists continue to struggle for recognition in the face of these more powerful interests. Thirdly it is argued that herbalists are attempting to gain legitimacy and acceptance as a healthcare profession through a process of underpinning their knowledge base with science, which is replacing their traditional philosophical basis. This has the effect of weakening the ability of herbalists to maintain their identity as an independent profession and makes its knowledge base vulnerable to appropriation by other healthcare professions.Gross’ model of the cultural location of traditions in contemporary societies is used to clarify the situation of herbalists and to identify problems consequent to the political choices they have made or which have been forced upon them. Gross suggests that traditions which place themselves close to power have difficulty in maintaining their own character and integrity, but that other cultural locations are also problematic and limit full participation in society. vi It is argued that there are compelling reasons to move beyond Gross’ analysis and to find ways to strengthen the independence of the herbal profession. Given the financial problems facing the current healthcare system in Australia and the looming ecological challenges, radical changes to the current system are required. The central concepts of herbal practice, in particular vitalism and holism, lead to approaches to healthcare which are potentially both costeffective and ecologically sustainable. A robust and independent profession of western herbalists, with their philosophy articulated and restored, could provide a valuable and sustainable contribution to Australian healthcare. Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/14 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/14 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:37 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/12 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/12 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:29 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/11 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/11 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:26 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/10 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/10 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:22 PST Early naturopaths in Australia learned their skills via a loose combination of self-education and an apprenticeship-style system. Naturopathic education developed gradually and outside mainstream education until the last decade. Now it has formalized to include university training. These changes in education are paralleled by dramatic increases in popularity in the practice of natural medicine. Legislative changes regarding the provision of higher education by private institutions, plus the popular acceptance of natural medicine in the last decade, have led to the current situation where degrees are available to naturopath via a number of different pathways. Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/9 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/9 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:19 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/8 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/8 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:15 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/7 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/7 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:11 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/6 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/6 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:33:07 PST Sue Evans http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/4 http://works.bepress.com/sue_evans/4 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:49:33 PST The project of modernising Western herbal medicine in order to allow it to be accepted by the public and to contribute to contemporary healthcare is now over two decades old. One aspect of this project involves changes to the ways knowledge about medicinal plants is presented. This paper contrasts the models of Evidence-based medicine (EBM) and Traditional Knowledge (TK) to illuminate some of the complexities which have arisen consequent to these changes, particularly with regard to the concept of vitalism, the retention or rejection of which may have broad implications for clinical practice. Illustrations from two herbals demonstrate the differences between these frameworks in regard to how herbs are understood. Further, a review of articles on herbal therapeutics published in the Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine indicates that practitioners are moving away from TK and towards the use of EBM in their clinical discussions. Sue Evans