Medical pluralism in Arab and Egyptian history: An overview of class structures and philosophies of the main phases

Complementary and alternative medicine in chronic liver disease

“…Medicinal plants and herbs have been used in Egypt, at least since the Pharaonic Period, with the treatment of liver diseases being part of these traditions. 59 Current Arabic culture encompasses 3 main classes of medicinal plant and herbal use that include folk remedies, unlicensed herbalists, and herbal pharmacy. Folk remedies, widely used in homes, comprise teas of many kinds like "karkadeh" (hibiscus flower) for lowering hypertension, anise tea for indigestion, and "erkouse" a liquorice drink, for quenching thirst.…”

Traditional healing for physical and mental problems in the Arab region: past and current practices

“…3 Additionally, these historical documents reveal that prevalent healing practices in Middle Eastern nations are firmly embedded in healing traditions such as Pharaonic, Hellenic, Sufi, Prophetic or Islamic, and Christian traditions, all of which emerged to prominence before the arrival of Western medicine in the area during the 19th-century colonial period. 3,4 Prior traditions continue to existnot as integrated healthcare systems, but as a diverse array of aetiological, diagnostic and therapeutic beliefs and practices about the origins of wellness and diseases. 5 These traditional healing practices date back to the 7th century AD when Islam first emerged, when the focus was shifted towards soul and bodily healing methods that considered both prevention and therapy.…”

“…Traditional healing for physical and mental problems in the Arab region: past and current practices Brigitte Khoury, 1 Mira Rafeh 2 and Zeina Bou Dargham 3 Exploring traditional healing practices in the Arab world unveils a diverse range of methods deeply rooted in ancient beliefs. Traditional healing practices encompass natural remedies, spiritual rituals and physical treatments.…”

Islamic Clinics in Egypt: The Cultural Elaboration of Biomedical Hegemony

“…Beyond the religious label, the establishment of Islamic clinics does not resemble the type of medical revivalism described for other parts of the world, notably India (Burgel 1976;Gran 1979;Leslie 1976). One does not detect even a partial commitment to a renaissance of Islamic medicine.…”

“…This difference between the Egyptian case and revivalist movements in other parts of the world has also been noted for an earlier period of Egyptian history. Peter Gran (1979) has observed that the attitude of 20th-century Egyptian sheiks toward modem physical medicine contrasted with that of Asian revivers of indigenous medicine, who contended that positivism and allopathic medicine have roots in Indian tradition. This observation has prompted Gran to raise the question, "could the merchant sector of Bengal, and especially Calcutta, have been stronger socially and politically vish i s the ruling alliance of British and landowners than was the case of Egypt?"…”