Explanatory Models

I've now completed my first week of the Medical Anthropology unit, taught by two professors: one affiliated with BRAC, the other with the University of Amsterdam. It's--and maybe I'm biased--such an interesting subject, and a really brilliant way to begin our study of public health. Apart from Vanesse, who recently completed her Masters in medical anthropology, no one has had much exposure to these ideas. All conversations (class-related, meal time, casual), then, seem to have incorporated anthropological themes--one of the consequences of an intensive course in a residential setting!

As one of our exercises, we again ventured into the village (this time on bicycles!) to get an idea about the health concerns of a few families. Each pair (national and international students) visited a house and asked about illnesses, their perceived causes, and the related courses of action. Responses were then reviewed in the larger group setting, and I decided to share a few here.

Thanda:

• 11 month-old male with fever, coughing & wheezing, rash, and diarrhea
• Explanatory Model: mother works hard during the winter months with cold water, and this coldness is then transmitted through breast milk to the child; the child tends to be sleepless at night, and is therefore exposed to more cold weather.
• Treatment: allopathic treatment by medical doctor; homeopathic treatment specifically for rash

Bhuter Achhor:

• Lethargy, protrusion of tongue, enlargement of eyes, difficulty speaking
• Explanatory Model: possession by evil spirits/ghosts during the month of Magh (winter)
• Treatment: recitation of Qur'anic verses (Sura Jinn) by a maulana; allopathic treatment if recitations are unsuccessful

Jabra Chalan:

• Curvature of the spine, chronic back pain
• Explanatory Model: as a result of witchcraft or sorcery, a ghost was sent down from a tree onto the patient's shoulders
• Treatment: visiting fakir bari (witch house); needed to counter the supernatural cause of ailment

These particular ailments were not common among the households visited, and it seemed that more widespread health problems were explained more in terms of popular biomedical understandings (and accordingly individuals sought treatments that were either more allopathic or traditional/herbal in nature). I chose these cases, rather, because they really demonstrate the links between culture and health, and because I found them so very interesting.