Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It is because of the way pathological and statistical illnesses are defined and how the United States have created the norm that makes understanding what each illness is and how they are different. 

Statistical illnesses are defined by comparing ones results to the norm and if those results are outside the norm, which is set by the United States, then that individual is ill. The norms are set but are not necessarily the healthiest norms, it could be better than what it is now for optimal health.  Pathological illnesses are something that you can see with your eyes, whether it'd be through an xray, microscope or some other advanced technology or not.

Different societies have built ways to cope with illnesses. Society defines who is well or sick and how the illness itself is treated.  So it is important to differentiate the two kinds of illnesses to better prepare on how to deal with them. It's important to understand the two because in order for a society to survive and live on it needs healthy people...people who are healthy and alive.

In the Republic of China, people were suffering from malnutrition, poor sanitation and health because medical care was almost non-existent. There were very few doctors in China and they did not want to develop medicine like Western physicians so they combined the two, using Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture and herbs). China is/was a communist country and the communist trained "barefoot doctors" to serve as health workers, who were not paid. These health workers, aka peasants, trained for 3-18 months and had to have have same political attitudes as other communists.  

In the underdeveloped nations use herbs and religion for healing.  There is a three year program that one must go through. The first year consists of ritual and ceremonies which include abstinence from sex and a ritual to contact their ancestors.  This first year to set those in the program apart from the rest of the community. The second year is about going through identifying and usage of herbs, observing the natural habitats of the herbs.  The third year is going through ceremonies and rituals and taking an oath of allegiance to the trainer and have a graduation ceremony, very similar to that of those physicians that graduate in the United States.  The use of herbs by those in third world countries were not only beneficial but also tradition and the ceremony done was a placebo effect for the patient.