Letters
Safer use of traditional remedies
Don't generalise about traditional remediesEDITOR,--David J Atherton's article on traditional remedies makes repeated generalisations about these remedies, their practitioners, and patients.1 He states that "when people from less developed countries emigrate they continue to seek medical advice from traditional practitioners" and that "large amounts of traditional medicine are imported into Britain," but he offers no references to substantiate these claims. It would be interesting to know if there is indeed any evidence to support his statements.
Atherton also credits Indian practitioners of traditional medicine with training, understanding, and beneficial effects. It then almost seems a disservice to speculate about the hazards of their treatments, particularly when orthodox or Western medicine has a long history of progress through empiricism. Perhaps some traditional therapies have a rather better holistic approach, which compensates for their lack of "science."
Many of David Atherton's points strike us as sensible, and there does seem to
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- Towards the safer use of traditional remedies
- D J Atherton
BMJ 1994 308: 673-674.[Extract] [Full Text]
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