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PubMed1989

On the specificity of healing functions: a study of diagnosis in three faith healing institutions in Feira (Bahia, Brazil).

This essay examines three popular ethnomedical institutions in Brazil: faith healers, Protestant evangelicals, and the practitioners of one of the Japanese new religions. In particular, I compare the relative degrees of diagnostic specificity in their practices. Medical anthropologists have neglected the analysis of this aspect of practice, although I show in the present paper its utility for comparative work. Also, I show that diagnostic specificity is congruent with an ontological view of illness and an active role for the healer, while lack of diagnostic specificity is congruent with a very general form of therapy, such as is found in the Seicho-no-Ie religion. Traditional rezadores, in contrast, use a high degree of diagnostic specificity.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1992

Provision of food and fluids in terminal care: a sociological analysis.

The artificial provision of nutrition and hydration to those with end-stage malignant disease is addressed. The physiology of cancer is investigated and is found to render such treatment futile in many instances. An analysis of the sociology of food, and the role of gender in its provision is discussed, and placed in the social milieu of the acute hospital, where there is to be found a cultural replication of the family. It is hypothesized that it is the synthesis of the powerful symbols of food and family that is at the root of behaviour in this area. Implications for patients and caregivers are explored.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1994

Kabsa (a.k.a. mushahara) and threatened fertility in Egypt.

Among the urban and rural poor of Egypt, female infertility is often attributed to kabsa (also known as mushahara), a form of 'boundary-crossing' by symbolically polluted individuals into the rooms of reproductively vulnerable women. When kabsa occurs, it causes the 'binding' of women's reproductive bodies, threatening their future fertility, their husband's virile procreativity, and, ultimately, the social reproduction of Egyptian society at large. Because kabsa is viewed as the leading cause of female infertility--an extremely socially stigmatizing condition in Egypt--it is greatly feared by women. This paper examines kabsa beliefs and practices in Lower Egypt in terms of the ritual process and reproductive rites of passage for women in particular. Major features of kabsa are analyzed, and kabsa preventive and therapeutic rituals of depolluting consubstantiality (i.e. sharing of substance) are examined in detail. The paper concludes with an analysis of reproductive 'threat', exploring why Egyptians perceive kabsa and other forms of reproductive hindrance--including neocolonially inspired family planning campaigns--as dangers to the individual, social, and political bodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

The technocratic body: American childbirth as cultural expression.

The dominant mythology of a culture is often displayed in the rituals with which it surrounds birth. In contemporary Western society, that mythology--the mythology of the technocracy--is enacted through obstetrical procedures, the rituals of hospital birth. This article explores the links between our culture's mythological technocratic model of birth and the body images, individual belief and value systems, and birth choices of forty middle-class women--32 professional women who accept the technocratic paradigm, and eight homebirthers who reject it. The conceptual separation of mother and child is fundamental to technocratic notions of parenthood, and constitutes a logical corollary of the Cartesian mind-body separation that has been fundamental to the development of both industrial society and post-industrial technocracy. The professionals' body images and lifestyles express these principles of separation, while the holistic ideology of the homebirthers stresses mind-body and parent-child integration. The conclusion considers the ideological hegemony of the technocratic paradigm as potential future-shaper.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1996

Unusual ritual burns of the hand.

Six hands from five patients were seen with full-thickness burns following a ritual practice between June 1993 and June 1994. Three hands were treated with excision and medium-thickness split-skin grafts, one patient was treated with a medium-thickness split skin graft taken from the instep of the foot. The first patient with bilateral burns of the palms refused surgery and returned 3 months later with contractures of the palms. The results of the treated hands are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Divorce at midlife: psychic dangers of the liminal period. Part II. Clinical considerations.

This paper presents the results of a clinical investigation into middle divorce. The second of a two part series, it explores the impact of liminality: the "betwixt and between" state often found among a newly-separated of all ages. This state may occur at more than one point in the divorce process, and is associated with heightened trauma. A therapeutic intervention procedure, the divorce ritual, is suggested as a means of ameliorating the effects of liminality.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The offerings from the Hyperboreans.

The ancient Greeks believed that the fruits of agriculture could be harvested only if one first appeased the spirit of the primitive avatars from which the edible crop had been evolved over the centuries through hybridization and cultivation. On occasion, this appeasement was secured through the sacrifice of a human victim, a person who for various reasons could be considered to represent a similar primitivism. By the classical age, this extreme form of sacrificial appeasement appears to have been reserved for times of unusual crisis, such as pestilence or natural disaster, for at such times, the resurgent forces of primitivism seemed to threaten the entire civilization with regression back to its wilder origins. Other forms of appeasement were ordinarily substituted for the actual offering of a human victim. Amongst these was the enactment of puberty rites, for the natural growth and maturation of an individual could be thought to symbolize this same evolutionary process. Each infant is born as a wild creature who must develop into a socialized adult through the metaphoric death of its former self as it assumes the responsibilities of civilized life in crossing the threshold to sexual maturity. A similar symbolic victim was customarily represented by the offering of first fruits. A portion of the cultivated crop was prematurely cut and consecrated to redeem and release the ripening harvest from the dangerous contamination with the spirits of its pre-agricultural precedents. On the island of Delos, a special version of this consecration was performed. Each year, the various Greek cities would send a sheaf of unripened grain to the sanctuary of the god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. Amongst these annual offerings, there was one that was supposed to have originated from the Hyperboreans, a mythical people who were thought to live in the original homeland of the two gods. This special Hyperborean offering differed from the others, for it was said to contain a secret item hidden within the sheaf. The mythical traditions about these Hyperboreans recalled the Hellenic peoples' Indo-European origins, back in the time before the tribal migrations that brought them eventually into the Mediterranean lands, and the secret offering pertained to Apollo's more ancient religion in that pre-Greek Hyperborean context.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Basidiomycota↗
PubMed1985

A multidisciplinary overview of intoxicating snuff rituals in the western hemisphere.

Part one of the paper discusses ethnobotanical, chemical and general pharmacological aspects of intoxicating snuff rituals in the western hemisphere. Four categories of ritual snuff ingredients arise from this multidisciplinary approach: It is well established that the plant contains one or more psychoactive principles and the Indian use of the plant as a ritual snuff ingredient is confirmed or quite probable: Anadenanthera, Erythroxylum, Nicotiana, Virola; It is well established that the plant contains one or more psychoactive principles, but the Indian use of the plant as a ritual snuff ingredient is not well recorded or even unlikely: Banisteriopsis, Cannabis, Datura, Ilex guayusa; The Indian use of the plant as a ritual snuff ingredient is confirmed or quite probable, but it is not well established that the plant contains one or more psychoactive principles: Justicia pectoralis, Pagamea macrophylla, Tanaecium nocturnum; The Indian use of the plant as a ritual snuff ingredient is not well recorded, and it is not well established that the plant contains one or more psychoactive principles: Acorus calamus, Capsicum, Macquira sclerophylla, Piper interitum. Part two of the paper discusses the nasal pharmacokinetics and efficacy of possible ritual snuff constituents. The literature yields convincing clinical evidence that atropine, cocaine, nicotine and scopolamine are effective following nasal application, but experimental confirmation of the efficacy of nasal tryptamine alkaloids is still awaited. In self-experiments, 6.4 mg/kg of caffeine produced substantial plasma levels via the nasal route, but 0.5 mg/kg of harmine did not produce measurable plasma levels, when taken as a nasal powder. Without additional experiments, it is difficult to give a definite explanation for this negative result.

Atropine↗
PubMed1996

Ritual and medicinal plants of the Ese'ejas of the Amazonian rainforest (Madre de Dios, Perú).

The Ese'eja is a hunter-fisher-gatherer tribe of Amerindians which occupies the south-eastern part of Perú. Their culture cannot be disassociated from religious beliefs. Disease can be caused by accident, distraction or indolence, or by evil powers. These evil powers come either from the direct action of a harmful shaman or by interactions with the Devil. A description of shamanic practices is given to elucidate the position of health practices in Ese'eja culture, which includes the use of medicinal and ritual plants. Aspects of ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce) Morton, Malpighiaceae) ritual in shaman initiation and in healing rituals are presented. Diagnosis and treatment include invocation to the ayahuasca spirit. Plants used as medicine or invoked for healing are presented.

Ceremonial Behavior↗
PubMed2005

Alcohol levels in Chinese lactating mothers after consumption of alcoholic diet during postpartum "doing-the-month" ritual.

This study examined the effects of exposure to ethanol through cultural practices by lactating mothers. Specifically, the pharmacokinetics of alcohol in Chinese lactating mothers was investigated after they consumed chicken soup flavored with sesame oil and rice wine (CSSR), a typically prescribed diet during the postpartum "doing-the-month" period. Experimental findings were employed to estimate the potential ethanol dose to neonates and determine associated health risks. Twenty-three lactating mothers were examined. Informed consent was obtained from each subject. The target alcohol dosage was 0.3g/kg. Milk and blood samples were collected at fixed time intervals from each subject following exposure to CSSR, and alcohol levels were determined. Acute health risks to infants were estimated by comparing the potential infant dosage to an established criterion dose. Blood alcohol level peaked at 20 min after exposure to CSSR and decreased almost linearly thereafter. Alcohol in milk reached a plateau roughly at 20-40 min after exposure to CSSR and then decreased. Alcohol pharmacokinetics among subjects varied widely. The coefficients of variation in subject alcohol concentrations were 16.5-46.2% (mean, 30.0%) for blood and 32.8-57.6% (mean, 44.4%) for milk. Mean maximal alcohol concentration in blood (30.2+/-5.0 mg/dl) was achieved at 23.5+/-7.6 min and in milk (31.6+/-10.3 mg/dl) at 31.7+/-12.7 min. Potential infant doses were 3.0-58.8 mg (mean, 13.4 mg), and the predicted time required for milk alcohol level to return to zero level was 175 min. The acute health risks for infants exposed to alcohol through their mothers' milk under the current exposure scenario are low (hazard index<0.2). Nursing infants at least 3h after ingesting a diet containing alcohol would further reduce potential health risks.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

B'NAI AO...alive, healthy and growing...a brief history.

A daily minyan was held at 7:00 AM each morning at the recent Alpha Omega International Convention in Hollywood, Florida. That was Chanukah week, when a Torah reading is required. Thanks to a request by Allen Ressler, Torah reader, Rabbi Menachem Levy...who is connected local Chabad Congregation, joined us. As participants in the service crowded the designated prayer room, I was moved to reflect on how B'nai AO came about. At the suggestion of International Editor Dan Uditsky, I will share some facts, and especially my own personal memories.

Ceremonial Behavior↗
PubMed2006

Observations and vital signs: ritual or vital for the monitoring of postoperative patients?

Patient surveillance during the postoperative period has traditionally consisted of the collection of routine and regulated vital signs, supported by observations of other aspects of a patient's recovery. The purpose of this research was to determine if the frequent collection of postoperative vital signs assisted in detecting postoperative complications in the first 24 hours after a patient has returned to the ward setting. The study involved: (1) a survey of policy documents; (2) observations of postoperative nursing care; and (3) an audit of medical records. Major findings revealed that vital signs are collected based on tradition and are collected routinely, and there may not be a relationship between vital-signs collection and the occurrence or detection of complications.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The effectiveness of advanced practice registered nurses as psychotherapists.

This article explores the effectiveness of advanced practice registered nurses as psychotherapists. Psychiatric/mental health (PMH) clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) possess the training, skills, and abilities necessary to provide effective psychotherapy. A case study is examined involving a client with obsessive-compulsive disorder who underwent psychotherapy by a PMH CNS graduate student. Evidence is presented that CNSs follow evidence-based procedures with effective outcomes.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Managing routine food choices in UK families: the role of convenience consumption.

The paper explores the meaning of convenience food for UK mothers, investigating the relationship between mothers and their families' food. The study examines the role of convenience food within the food strategies of contemporary UK families, and aims to elicit consumption meanings in the broader social context of family relationships with food, their rituals, routines and conventions. The findings reveal convenience has multiple meanings for UK women, and that convenience food has been incorporated into reinterpreted versions of homemade and "proper" meals. A hierarchy of acceptable convenience food is presented by the mothers, who tackle complex and conflicting family routines by introducing convenience solutions. Rules of eating have evolved, yet remain essentially controlled by the mother in terms of nutrition. While the traditional model of "proper" food remains aspirational, contemporary family lifestyles require that convenience food become part of the equation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Religion and anxiety: a critical review of the literature.

Religion's effects on mental health have been debated for years, yet only in the last half century have these theories been empirically tested. While a number of mental health constructs have been linked to religion, one of the most prevalent and debilitating mental health indices, anxiety, has been largely ignored. This paper categorizes and critically reviews the current literature on religion and general indices of anxiety in terms of findings linking decreased anxiety to religiosity, increased anxiety to religiosity, and those finding no relation between anxiety and religiosity. Results from 17 studies are described and synthesized. Conceptual and methodological weaknesses that potentially threaten the validity and generalizability of the findings are discussed. Finally, conclusions and directions for future research are provided.

Anxiety↗
PubMed2006

Protecting children from the dangers of urban poverty.

Exposure to the social ecology of poor urban neighborhoods significantly increases the incidence of traumatic stress disorders, placing children growing up in such neighborhoods at disproportionate risk. Although the risk factors for and effects of childhood complex traumatic stress disorders are well documented, there is little intervention research to guide the delivery of services to this population. This paper builds on current knowledge of childhood trauma and related treatments by introducing an intervention model using constructive family ritual functioning as a mechanism for increasing the protective function of the family. The intervention model postulates that use of family rituals as a coping resource will lead to decreased symptoms of chronic traumatic stress and rates of exposure to additional trauma.

Adaptation, Psychological↗