American Indian Medicine (Civilization of the American Indian Series) (Paperback)

by Virgil J. Vogel (Author) "During the bitter cold winter of 1535-36, the three ships of Jacques Cartier were frozen fast in the fathom-deep ice of the St. Lawrence River..." (more)
Key Phrases: indigenous medical plants, indigenous medical botany, folk materia medica, Bureau of American Ethnology, United States, Natural History (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (September 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806122935
• ISBN-13: 978-0806122939
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #247,186 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best beginning for studying Indian medicine, August 6, 1998

By A Customer

Vogel's book has been updated in some areas, but remains the beginning place for the "grand view" of the many applications of American Indian medicine, including everything from suturing wounds to calming childbirth. It contains a wealth of sources leading the student to further study. It also lists common as well as scientific names of medicinal plants.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Indian Medicine, December 6, 2002

By	Joe Zika "Khemprof" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

American Indian Medicine written by Virgil J. Vogel is a compilation of what the American Indian used for medicine to aid in the treatment of disease.

This book is NOT a step by step process pharmacopoeia with all the weights and preparation steps but is a good general book on what was used. Granted the author states this in his preface and he is not a medical practioner, but what he has given us is history of Indian Medicine in the Americas.

Native American Medicine has long intrigud me and the collection of the herbs, roots, bark, and leaves of plants is what pharmacognsy was to the settlers . This book has been divided into eight sections with a bibliography that helps the reader in further study.

The chapters are as follows:

What the red man gave us
Indian theories of disease and shamanistic practices.
Early observation of white man on indian medicine.
Service of indian doctors to whites.
The influence of indian medicine on folk medicine, irregular practioners, and patent medicine.
Indian health and disease.
American Indian therapeutic methods
Conclusions

The author has a rather "folksy" style to the prose and is very easily readable making for a fast read. The American Indian had treatments for most of the first-aid that we have today, but the practice of asepsis and surgery interested me.

All in all, this was a well-written and thought-provoking book and is well worth a read.