Medical Pluralism and Pattern of Acceptance of the Different Medical Options Among the Dimasa Kacharis of North Cachar Hills in Assam

Medical and magico-religious intervention seeking attitude against illness is one of the dimensions covered in illness behaviour studies. Such studies are significant particularly in the case of communities living in medical pluralism — a situation where different medical systems are coexisting. These days the Dimasa Kacharis have the opportunity to avail a number of medical options: allopathic, homeopathic, traditional herbal medicine, traditional magico-religious options, etc. The people often consider more than one options during the course of a single illness episode on trial basis. Consideration of medical options in such a case is generally sequential. The general trend is that initially rational medicines (e.g., doctor’s prescription, herbal medicine, etc.) are preferred but if the illness continues then magico-religious practices become the ultimate choice

Alternative medicine · Family medicine · Illness behavior · Medical illness · Medical prescription · Medical treatment · Pathology · Psychiatry · Traditional medicine · Indian History and Philosophy · Medicine · Nursing · South Asian Studies and Conflicts

• Patients and Healers in the Context of Culture

  A Kleinman•Patients and Healers in the…•1980

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