Folk Medicine
From SkepticWiki
Contents |
[edit] Definition
Folk medicine is any form of treatment, system of medicine, or medical concept that is widely considered useful in a culture or community but is not based on scientific examination.
[edit] Discussion
There are many reasons for the popularity of folk medicine:
- It may be part of the traditions of a culture.
- It may serve a useful mythological role.
- There may be some anecdotal evidence for its effectiveness.
- It may derive from a need given by another part of the culture, such as a religion.
Folk medicine is not necessarily ineffective or harmful. Some folk remedies, such as the use of willow bark for pain relief, and the use of the bark of the yohimbe tree to treat erectile dysfunction, have been found to be effective under later scientific examination. However, folk medicine can be dangerous for a number of reasons:
- It may actually be harmful.
- It may divert attention away from scientific investigation of treatments.
- It may prevent more effective treatments from becoming accepted.
- It may give rise to a system of thought that results in other harmful treatments.
One example of a harmful yet effective instance of folk medicine is willow bark. It was known since the time of Hippocrates to be effective in relieving pain. During the 18th century, advances in chemistry allowed the active ingredient, salicylic acid, to be extracted. However, Willow bark preparations irritated the lining of the stomach. A number of people independently discovered that by modifying salicylic acid to acetylsalicylic acid, which in solution becomes sodium acetylsalicilate, reduced the harm to the stomach lining while actually improving the effectiveness. The result was named aspirin. Other innovations, such as buffering the aspirin with a weak alkaline or including a coating that did not dissolve until the pill was in the intestines further improved the safety. So far, this is a process of taking a protoscientific treatment and identifying the active agent through science. With the recent renewal of interest in herbal medicine, willow bark has become popular again. It is supported by a folk concept that using the whole bark is important and by the conceit that natural products have no side-effects; but its side-effects are demonstrably more dangerous.
Unfortunately, even modern mainstream medicine makes heavy use of folk concepts. One prime example is the use of the idea of a chemical imbalance in pharmaceutical psychiatry. This hearkens back to medieval and renaissance medicine, in which it was believed that disease was caused by an imbalance of humours. However, there is no evidence to support the concept. The true etiology of most psychiatric conditions is unknown. What is known, for example, is that changing the available amount or use of neurotransmitters by using monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can sometimes have effects on mood disorders. This is not enough to conclude that there is an "imbalance" in serotonin, however. Some research weakly indicates that there may be an anatomical condition where serotonin receptors are smaller and more numerous. (note: can't find the cites for this right now, will look later) Lithium carbonate also helps some cases of bipolar mood disorder, but bipolar patients certainly do not have a lithium "imbalance" or deficiency.
