Trends Pharmacol Sci. 1999 Dec; 20(12): 482-5.

Traditional African medicine: theory and pharmacology explored.

Okpako DT.

University of Ibadan, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, PO Box 20334, UI Post Office, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria. dpc@ibadan.skannet.com.ng

Traditional African medicine (TAM) is a shorthand reference to indigenous forms of healing that are practiced all over Africa. Although TAM is based on the accumulated experience of ancient Africans, its mode of transmission by word-of-mouth has hindered emergence of a generally accepted theory and hence of the systematic development of TAM as a self-regulating profession. A major therapeutic objective in the treatment of illness in TAM is diffusion of emotional stress. This article summarizes the argument for such a therapy, and suggests that TAM is a distinct system of health care and not a rudimentary form of modern Western medicine.