History of medicine in pre

colonial Ghana

medicine refers to
any substance used to treat or prevent disease or illness, especially one
taken internall
Traditional practice
before the introduction of western medicine by the
europeans , Ghanains were treating thier deseases
and illness by the used of herbs.the people that were
speacilist in these area were called herbalist

• kind of deseases
• malaria, chicken pox, gonorrheoa, headche , stomack pains etc.
• although many of these deases were cause by poor diet, environmental
polution, sexual contact etc. however they beliefs it was casues by the wrath
of the gods , evil people, ancestors and Supreme God by disobeying the laws
of the land.
mode of aquisition of herbalist knowledge
• Inheritance from the elders to the younger once
• through dwafs or gods
• through apprenticiship
• knowledge from the Quran
• through dreams and vision
How deaases were cured. the curing of a diseases
depends on the disease . southern Ghana
• healing of fracture/broken bones
• some herbalist use hen or cock hen
• some also rubbed it with smeared leaves
• headache smeared leaves were rubbed around the affected part
• stomack pain was also treated by the used of leaves, roots and back of trees
• contagius disease were threated outskirt of the town to prevent spreading.
• wounds and boils were treated by the used of juice for lemon and roots
• when a disease spread all over the town it was seen as an abomination and
can only be cure by making sacrifise to the gods
What have you seen in this practise that is
better than today health service
NORTHERN GHANA
• Many aquire thier knowledge through the quran
• aside from using the backs of trees, roots and leaves in treating
diseases , they also used ayats and surah from the quran to charms or
tailsman to prevent diseases and protect themselves from enemis ,
this can also be used to trap a girl for man
TBA
• this was only attributed to only elderly women
• pregnant women visit them often for advise and concoction to reliave
thier pains
• during delivey they were accomodated in thier homes
• if delivery was difficult , they rub herbs on the stomack for smooth
and easy delivery.
• after delivery they cut the placenta, clitoris and umblical cord.
• they bath the child and rub the baby with some herbs to prevent from
been attack by some diseases
europeans accounts
Pieter de Marees, Bosman, Dr teddle
• did you agreed that traditonal medicine should be merge with
mordern medicin in treating disease.