Health and Illness: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia (Encyclopedias of the Human Experience) - Hardcover

Health and Illness: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia introduces readers to a colorful array of traditional and alternative healing systems from around the globe, such as aromatherapy, the use of fragrance to soothe physical and mental complaints, a healing system that goes back to the days of Cleopatra; humoral medicine, a system described by the Ancient Greeks, according to which four humors - blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile - were thought to circulate through the human body, too much of any one humor resulting in imbalance or disease; and Tratak meditation, from Hinduism, wherein one stares unblinkingly at a flame until the eyes tear in order to enter a tranquil state. In easy-to-use, A-Z format, this illustrated volume describes the world's best-known healing systems - from astrological healing to yoga - and tackles health issues of international concern, such as famine, infanticide, and plague. With its handy cross-references and extensive list of sources, it will be of particular interest to students of anthropology, history, popular culture, and medicine - and to any readers who refuse to limit their thinking to a single cultural perspective.